Help Someone in Need During the Holidays

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Another shocking announcement! ( That got your attention!) “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World, ” is now out in eBook form. You can acquire it at all the eBook outlets. It is only $4.99 compared to $19.99 in the bookstores. You can even order it right from this site by clicking on the Amazon icon on the right.

If you want a hard copy, with the autograph of the author on it, just click on the bookstore tab at the top of this page to order one. It is only $15.99 plus shipping compared to the $19.99 price in the retail stores.

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I have a podcast here that I did with John Kremer, the marketing guru. He invited me to share unusual places to sell books. Take a listen and hit those streets running: goo.gl/WGTF7

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I have been invited by an agent to do a proposal for a series of books on hope. That is big news in itself, but it isn’t a done deal. I have to write a proposal that will knock her socks off, and want her to become your agent. I am in the process of putting that together, and it isn’t an easy job. I think there may be a few thousand re-writes to get it the way I think is presentable. Wish me luck, and I will update you on the progress, and the outcome.

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As we approach the holidays-it is only 41 days until Christmas-we have thoughts of hope and love.

There are those who feel the opposite during this time. Some feel deep depression, and hopelessness.

How could this happen?

I have one example of a friend who just lost his wife recently, and will face the holidays without his wife for the first time. There are those who have lost their jobs, and can’t see a very bright Christmas coming for their children as far as getting them gifts.

I could go on with other examples, but you get the picture. What can we do to help?

My friend has had many families from the church invite him to come to their homes for Thanksgiving and Christmas. He is prayed for by many prayer warriors.

For those who don’t have a rosy Christmas coming because of a loss of their jobs, you can send gifts to their home without letting them know who did it, and brighten up their look on life.

Think about these things as we approach the holidays. Think, “What would Jesus do to help these people? Think, what can you do to help these people? Then just do it.

Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all..never,ever, give up!

Do You Often have “Bad Hair Days?”

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___________________________________________________________

Another shocking announcement! ( That got your attention!) “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World, ” is now out in eBook form. I You can acquire it at all the eBook outlets. It is only $4.99 compared to $19.99 in the bookstores. Help it climb the www.amazon.com best selling list. You can even order it right from this site by clicking on the Amazon icon on the right.

If you want a hard copy with the autograph of the author on it, just click on the bookstore tab at the top of this page to order one. It is only $15.99 plus shipping compared to the $19.99 price in the retail stores.

_________________________________________________________

I have a podcast here that I did with John Kremer, the marketing guru. He invited me to share unusual places to sell books. Take a listen and hit those streets running: goo.gl/WGTF7

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I thought I was going to have a bad hair day. This was the day I met with my doctor to go over some test reults.

The resut turned out to be not so bad. I have some kidneys that aren’t 100%, (57%) but are OK. I will have to have blood tests for them every three months, and a ultra sound every six months. I can handle that compared to what I was thinking it could be.

This was another one of those examples that 99% of what we worry about never happens, and the other 01% we should turn over to God.

I did have a positive end to the day. I checked my mail at my business mail bax, and there was a check from a shop where they carried my book. They had sold all three of the books I left there on consignment.

While I am on that subject, let me highlight an interview I did with John Kremer. (You can listen to the while thing above in the last paragraph of the lead-ins.)

In that interview, John asked me to share some unusual places to sell books.

The store that I just sold three was a children’s shop with toys, learning programs, and childrens books. The owner was a fine Christian woman who had recently lost her husband. She had one little nook area in the store where she sold Christian books. We agreed to try my books in the store. All three sold.

My wife and I have a hair dresser that has her own beauty salon. She has pretty good traffic. I asked her if she might carry my books near her spot. She agreed, and I sold 26 books at that one spot. My book, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World,”  has nothing to do with hair styles, etc, but it was unusual, and it was there in the fall before Christmas. How could you go wrong in doing your Christmas shopping while you are having your hair done at the same time?

I had a friend who owned a winery near me. I talked to him about carrying my book in his gift shop. He didn’t think it would do too well, because all the other books were about wine. I told him I would go on consignment, and there would be no cost out of his pocket. He liked that, and agreed to put them in his gift shop. I sold six books in that winery gift shop. Again it was in the fall, and people coming in wehre looking for unsual gifts. I later had a signing there and sold 20 more books.

You need to list to the podcast to hear some other ideas.

Don’t ever think that ANY one store is not good to sell your books. Check all of them out and talk to the owner. Often, offering to have your books on consignment only intices the owners to give it a try.

Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

 

Why do we Need to go to Church?

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My  book, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World,” is available at the bookstore. Just click on the “Bookstore” tab at the top of this page to check it out.

This book reaches out to those who may be suffering from anxiety, fear, depression, addictions, self-doubt, hopelessness, or the many other usual suspects.

The book sells for $19.99 in the stores, but on this site it is only $15.99, and the shipping has been cut in half as well. A total savings of over $6.00.

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I am sharing another excerpt from the book, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World.” This chapter discusses the question, “Why do we need to go to church?” I use quotes from Rick Warren, the author of “The Purpose Driven Life.” He shares many thoughts on why we need to go to church.

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Go to Church; Avoid the Christmas Rush

 

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:25

 

Why do we need to go to church? The purpose of going to church is about much more than just being a good Christian. Church attendance and involvement help you grow as a Christian.

Rick Warren’s book, “The Purpose Driven Life,” is a wonderful book that hit the world with a tremendous splash in 2002 and made the top of the best-selling lists for weeks on end. I highly recommend it because it will bless (and sometimes challenge) you a great deal.

I will be quoting him several times in this chapter to give you a feel for what it means to go to church. What he says has opened my eyes even more to the need for fellowship with others in your church home.

The first quote that almost made me laugh was, “The person that says, ‘I don’t need the church,’ is either arrogant or ignorant.”1 He lays it out as if it is not even up for discussion. I can’t agree more.

I was on the other side of the fence in my earlier Christian life. I went to church on a sporadic basis. During the football season, if my favorite team was playing during church time, I didn’t go to church. Football was a priority (read that “idol”!). As the years went by, I eventually didn’t go to church at all. I found “other things” that were more important. I still felt I was a good Christian because I was doing good things with my students and helping others when I could. I was doing good deeds for the people around me, and that seemed good enough.

What I didn’t realize was that I was also drifting away from God at a pace that was leading me to eternal death. I came back to reality when I hit rock bottom on March 31st, 2001, when I had my close encounter with God. It took words from God to wake me up, and realized that I needed to be with other Christians to remain strong.

I have said before that not all people who go to church are Christians. If you are looking for the perfect church made up only of Christians, I have some ocean-front property inArizonafor you. There is not a perfect church; in fact, there are no perfect Christians. Christians are not perfect; just forgiven. (Great bumper sticker!)  So don’t look around your church and judge the people going there.

Our mission (whether we accept it or not) is to grow ourselves and to help others grow. We are commanded to help one another to grow as Christians since we all belong to one body. If one part of the body is weak, other members rally to help it heal. This is true in the human body. If we break an arm, the other arm takes over some functions during the healing process. The church body needs to function in the same way, pitching in when another member is struggling.

 

From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

Ephesians 4: 16

 

Rick Warren goes on further about our command to help other Christians in the church. He says, “We are commanded to love each other, pray for each other, encourage each other, admonish each other, greet each other, serve each other, teach each other, accept each other, honor each other, bear each other’s burdens, forgive each other, submit to each other, be devoted to each other, and many other mutual tasks.”2 These are important reasons we need to go to church. We will not get this kind of interaction and care watching football on Sunday.

Another bumper sticker says, “How about you come over to My house before the game on Sunday—God.” We can fit both in, but the body of Christ needs to be first.

Rick Warren also says, “Worship helps you focus on God; fellowship helps you face life’s problems; discipleship helps fortify your faith; ministry helps you find your talents; evangelism helps fulfill your mission. There is nothing else like the church.”3

There are people who are simply churchgoers, and there are people who are members of the church—I should say members of the body of Christ. Those who use their talents to help others are the members God desires. I was a churchgoer for many years until I realized that I needed more than just what I got by sitting in a pew on Sunday. There is commitment that takes more than just going to church. It is being a member of the body.

Being with others at church can also bring you much closer to God and His love. Stormie Omartian says in her book, The Prayer That Changes Everything, “The times I most sense God’s love for me is when I worship in a group of people gathering together for that purpose. An extremely powerful dynamic happens when people worship together. I’m not talking about just getting together to sing nice songs about God. I’m talking about worshiping God for who He is with all we have in us. There is nothing more healing, restoring, or life-changing. Once you sense God’s love through those times of corporate praise and worship, you won’t want to ever live without it.4

I have to agree with her statement. There have been so many times when I am in a group praying or worshiping that I can feel the warmth and love of God in the room. It’s something I hope all of you have felt, and if you haven’t, get with some of your closest Christians friends and have a love fest prayer session where you do nothing but praise God. Then you will understand.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

Colossians 3:16

 

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Acts 2:46–47

 

Further Adventures

Start going to a Bible study if you haven’t already done so. I am always blessed when I am part of a Bible study. I not only make new friends, I also acquire prayer partners. And I get to be part of an in-depth Bible study of the topic under discussion.

I especially love the prayer time at the end. At one time, it was very difficult for me to pray out loud in a group, but from sharing in these small group settings, I found the assurance that no one in the room cared about how my prayers sounded. They are always more interested in what I say, listening carefully so they can follow through and pray for me.

 

Something to Ponder

Isn’t it funny how powerful a prayer grows when it’s shared with several people?

Remember: Never, ever, give up!