Tag: depressed

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You may Give up on God, But He won’t Give up on You

I had a horrible day yesterday. Satan isn’t happy that I published, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World.”

I decided to put my author hat away, and put on a salesman hat. It was time to contact all the local bookstores, and gift shops.

Out the door I went all excited to do God’s calling.

The first place I went to was a small independent Christian book store called, “Wings of the Soul.” I walked up to the store door and turned the knob. It was closed!  The store was suppose to open. It was not. I left feeling a little dejected, but  moved on to the next place on my list.

The next place was a local pharmacy that had a nice gift shop. I am even close friends with the owner. He was in favor of me putting the book in his store, but he has a shop manager that I needed to contact first.

I went into the shop, and asked one of the staff if I coud meet with the manager. The lady I talked to must of ate nails for breakfast. She blurted out, ” She’s not here.” I asked when she might be back.? “I don’t know!” This went on for a few minutes, and I finally  gave her one of my promotional packets, and asked her to give it to the manager. She again blurted out,” I don’t when she may be back! She comes and goes when she wants!”

That was a wonderful adventure, but I am not done yet. I  stopped by the city library to set-up a signing there in the future. It was closed!! They close the library on Mondays due to cut-backs.

I had one more stop. It was another independent Christian Bookstore near my home. I met with the owner, and he wouldn’t budge on what he wanted for a discount, and I left a broken man.  

I then got home and opened up my email. There was an email from the manager of my local Borders bookstore in Same, Oregon. We have a signing scheduled there on November 6th from 2-4 p.m.

(If any of you life in the Salem, Oregon area, the address of the Borders Bookstore is 2235 Lancaster Dr NE. Go to Mapquest to locate it.)

He said my publisher wouldn’t send him the books he ordered for the signing until he paid upfront. He let me now that he didn’t  have the funds in his local budget to pay for 100 books. He only has enough for 35 books.

I emailed him back and said I could provide the 100 books from my own personal inventory of books I had. I hope that works out well.

All in all, a day to be depressed, and wonder where God was. Well, I found out later where God was. I went to my weekly BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) meeting.

Please understand that what was covered in this one meeting wasn’t planned just for me, but when you read some of the quotes form the meeting you will see God was definitely speaking to me.

The topic? Adversity, Trials, and misfortune.

Quotes form the lecture:

“Fear results when you believe your adversity. Faith results when you believe God’s Word.”

“Romans 8:31 “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Romans 8:28 ” God causes all those things of adversity in our lives to work to good those who believe.”

” You may give up on God, but He doesn’t give up on you.”

“Be still and now that I am God.”

“God’s presence with me is my solution to fear.”

The final statement by the speaker was this:

“God will be your sanctuary as you will be a SIGN to the world when you fear Him.”

I heard the word “sign,” loud and clear. That word is in the title of my book, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World.”

God was telling me to get up, and dust myself off. Get back out there and try again. I am doing that today, so pray that I will be more successful because I have God on my side.

BTW… you can order the book, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World,” off of my author site at www.dougbolton.com.  If you do you will get an autograph and personal note  with the book. When you get to the site, just click on “Bookstore.”

Never give up! Never ever give up!!

 

 

 

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Someone Degrading you? Time for Selective Hearing

                 There is Hope for Those Who Seek

 I would like tro share with you an actual excerpt from my book: “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World.” It will be coming out in about sixty days. You can pre-order it at: www.winepresspub.com. If you do, you will save 27% of what the retail price will be when it comes out at Barnes & Noble, Borders, or Amazon.com.

It is for those of us who suffer the many afflictions that are going around now because of the economy.  

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Don’t Despair—Mighty Mouse Will Save the Day

 

I used to love the cartoon “Mighty Mouse.” The song always got me pumped: “Mighty Mouse is on the way. Mighty Mouse will save the day!”

Are you feeling like you are alone, and unwanted? I have been there.

I have some mighty answers for you. It is the Doug Bolton “Top 20 Countdown” that will help you save the day and love God. With apologies to David Letterman.

20. Do you have trouble getting to know someone? Is it hard for you to make friends? Remember: Strangers are family once you get to know them.

19. The world is divided into two categories: the ones who will accomplish a great deal, and those who won’t accomplish anything. You will be the one who will accomplish much, if you allow God to help you.

18. No one is going to love you more if you are fat or skinny. They will love you because of the person you are.

17. When you hate someone and want them to hurt, you hurt yourself. Spend more time trying to help others feel good about themselves, and you will feel good about yourself too.

16. You do not need to let stress control you. You do not need to be a workaholic. It is OK to rest. Jesus takes over when you can’t cope. 

15. When you feel depressed because of losing a loved one, remember God knows your pain. He saw His only Son buried.

16. When someone is trying to degrade you, it is time for selective hearing.

13. You just took another breath while you read this. Thank God for it.

12. When you marry, you need to stay together even when the skin starts to wrinkle and the excitement fades.

11. God’s goal is not to make us happy; it is to make us His. It is not to give us what we want; it is to give us what we need.

10. If God doesn’t come to your rescue right away, maybe He is waiting until you give away your pride.

9. Don’t apply labels to people until you have examined the contents.

8. Everyone is unique even down to the fingerprints and DNA. God has a plan just for you and wants you to use the talent He gave you. Yes, you!

7. The greater the future you have, the greater the attack will be from the prince of darkness. Pray for God’s protection, and Satan will be fish bait!

6. While you can’t control someone else’s heart, you can control yours.

5. Don’t say, “Thanks, God, I can take it from here,” and then not check in with God until the next crisis. Pray without ceasing.

4. All the great hitters in baseball fail two out of three times.

3. The most common command in the Bible? “Fear not.”

2. Practice makes perfect. Study God’s Word each day and learn more of His love for you.

AND the number one reason you will conquer depression is … (Drum roll please)

1. God made you in His own image. Shouldn’t that make you think He wants everything to go well for you? Trust Him to provide all your needs—emotionally, physically and spiritually.

The teacher blood left in me now has an assignment. Start your own positive list of thoughts to help you fight off depression.

Read it every day and add to it.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

You can make it through a life that is a swamp full of alligators and horrible storms!  Move on to more sunny days.  Move on to where there is hope. Move on to the light at the end of the tunnel. Move away from those alligators that will be made into shoes if they don’t leave you alone.

Depression and the many other mental afflictions do not go away in a flash. I still have bouts with them from time to time, but I quickly concentrate on the positive. I concentrate on God and all His love He has to share with me. I concentrate on my family, my children, my grandchildren. I concentrate on the good things that have happened in my life.

Because I do all that, I see that the pluses far outweigh the negatives every time. It is like the song says: “Count your blessings; name them one by one. Count your many blessings; see what God has done.”

If you can’t think of enough blessings, know that I love you with all my heart, and so do millions of other people who suffer with the many afflictions in their lives. We know your pain, and we are praying for you daily.

We are many, and Satan is only one stupid misguided angel. We can defeat him if we all work together. We are an unbeatable team when we have one goal. That goal is to live productive Christian lives in which we stand on solid ground, not on the shifting sands of our emotions.

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Keep on the Path you are on, and God will see you Through

Perseverance and Persistence are my Middle Names

In March of 2001 I was lost and confused. I didn’t know my purpose or my goals. I was depressed, and was covered with self doubt.  I was on the edge of destruction. I sat in my Ford Explorer at a local high school parking lot, and was ready to leave this wretched world.

I finally yelled out to God, “I can’t take this anymore!” There was a sudden change in the air inside the Explorer. I felt a calmness that I hadn’t felt for weeks. It was as if God was saying, “It is about time you came back to me. Now let me carry you the rest of the way.”

I went home and sat at my desk. I couldn’t understand why God saved my life. I opened the desk drawer, and in it was a book I was working on called, “Close Encounters of the Cash Flow Kind.”  I was working on it because I had a cash flow funding company that I had let fail.

At first I was ready to throw it into the round file, but I decided to open it and what I saw amazed me. Each chapter I had in the book could easily be converted over to a Christian self help book. Some of the chapter titles were. “Need Directions?” “It is my Way or the Highway.”  “You can do all Things.”

You can see that each of those had a meaning for reaching out to the lost. I started writing the next day, which was April Fools Day. Good day to start don’t you think?

Over the next few years I wrote, rewrote and wrote again until I thought it was a presentable book. Then I went to several critique groups, and found out it wasn’t even close. So I went back to the table and revised several more times.

Then it happened! On January 15, 2010, I signed a publisher’s contract. I look back on that day in the Ford Explorer as a time I had to go through. God was always with me and He knew what my purpose was even though I didn’t.

The book is called, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World.” The sub title may be changed by the publisher.

It reaches out to those who suffer with anxiety, fear, self doubt, depression, addictions, hopelessness, and the many other usual suspects.

The publication date will be near the end of August or the first part of September.

For those of you that are discouraged and think that God hasn’t been there in your writing or in your life in general. He is there!! I know that sometimes He allows the storms to come. He won’t take them away, but He will help calm the storm. He will never let you face anything you can’t handle yourself.

Now for the words perseverance and persistence: I could have folded up that day in that school parking lot, and I wouldn’t be writing this. I could have given up many times during the 10 year waiting period that God allowed me to have.

I now know that God’s timing is perfect. I will see that in how things go when the book actually hits the streets. Never give up! Never! God has a plan for each of us, and it is up to each of us to seek what that is. Ask God to reveal what He wants you to d in life. Then act on it, and don’t worry how long it takes to accomplish that goal.

God bless…

Doug