I Find Joy in All The Thorns I Receive

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We have a huge announcement to make. The book “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World,” is now in eBook form.  That’s not all! We just lowered the price of the eBook from $4.99 to $2.99! This won’t last very long. Check it out by clicking on the Amazon icon on the right. You can also buy it at any eBook outlets! You can order the hard copy at the Amazon site there as well.

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Be sure to check out the book trailer for “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World.” It is on the right side right below the Amazon icon. It gives you a clear picture of what the book is about.

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How much can a person take? What is the breaking point?

I have been asking myself that lately. Since 2004 I have had many afflictions. In 2004 it was quadruple by-pass surgery. Then what followed over the years were two back surgeries, a gall bladder surgery, an Achilles tendon surgery, pace maker surgery, and a partridge in a pear tree. 🙂

It hasn’t stopped. Just a month ago I started having strong AFIB action with my heart. I became very tired quickly. I had an angiogram done, and it was decided that not only had I had a heart attack in the last few years, but my AFIB was out of control. It was active 90% of the time. They will be doing a “Flutter Ablasion,” on May 1st.

Then I started having tremors in my left arms. I can’t even hold a glass without spilling the contents. I found out that I may need surgery on my neck vertebrates to correct it.

So, I am a walking medical gem. The doctors know me by my first name! They may name a ward of the hospital named after me. I support a lot of people.

How could I be so cheery? How could I find humor in all of these afflictions I have had in the past and continue to have?

This may be hard to comprehend, but I find joy in using all these “thorns,” to witness to others who are going through the same things.  I use my afflictions to comfort others.

God doesn’t promise us a rose garden. He knows that there will be storms in our lives. Sometimes He will allow the storms to help us grow in strength when we overcome the storm. God won’t stop the storms, but He will help calm them.

God loves us and doesn’t really like seeing us going through pain, or hardships, but think on this:

He sent his only Son to die for us. What pain that must have caused Him! What agony He went through seeing His Son hanging on that cross, and yet He allowed it. Why? Because He loves us so much He felt He had to sacrifice His only Son to save our lives.

For those who believe, it is easy to understand why we go through some of the storms we go through. All we have to do is think of the pain and agony that Jesus went through so that we may have eternal life.

Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

Worry Never Gains us One More Breath of Life

I am back from a trip to Wisconsin. (That is  a state in the United States, for those of you who live in another country.) It was a relaxing, but grueling trip of getting up very early every day to go onto the next adventure.

I am back now, and should be posting on a regular basis.

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One of the amazing things we saw was while we were in the Glacier National Park. (Look this up through Google. You will also be amazed.)

We were able to see a mother brown bear and two cubs, walking along the  road we were traveling on. They ran up the hill when they saw us coming. We also saw mountain goats, and big horned sheep.

These weren’t at a zoo. They were in the wild, and it seems so different when you see them there.

Of course there were the Glacier Mountains as well. They were as high as 10,000 feet above us as we drove through them. Majestic doesn’t seem to be enough to describe them.

All of this was placed here by our God. God doesn’t make mistakes and He sure didn’t here.

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I mentioned at one time that I was going to start sharing excerpt from my book, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World.” I will be sharing an excerpt today.  The book reaches out to those who suffer from anxiety, fear, depression, addictions, self-doubt, or hoplessness. This is Chapter 12:

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                                 WORRY IS THE DARK ROOM

                                WHERE NEGATIVES DEVELOP

 

                                                  CHAPTER

                                                        12

 

 

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

—James 1:12

I had  A real dream the other night, and it was a western. It had me tossing and turning until the outcome unfolded.

The wonderful thing about dreams is that no matter how terrifying they are in the beginning, they almost always turnout for the good in the end. You notice that you never quite get caught by the monster that is chasing you.

Isn’t it fun when you are flying and you can see everyone below you? I just flap myarms, and I fl y. (OK, I know you’re thinking, “This guy is crazy!”)

How about the fact that you are the hero and you always save the day? Everything is wonderful. That is how life can be if you follow God. It doesn’t pay to worry, have anxiety and be full of fear. It doesn’t pay to be full of shame. It doesn’t pay one cent tobe gossiping all the time. My dream is an example of that.

The characters:

The good guys: Matthew, Mark, John

Stranger on a white horse

The bad guys: Anxiety, Gossip, Shame, Death

Matthew, Mark, John and the Stranger—the four good guys—were riding on their horses through Sin City towards the Not OK Corral. Hiding from them were Anxiety, Gossip, Shame and Death—the four bad guys. They didn’t want the good guys to findthem and stop the harm they were doing. They had control of all the people in the city and they wanted to keep control. Matthew, Mark and John were riding on brown horses because that was what they rode in those days. The Stranger was riding on a white horse.

The good guys were not gunslingers, they were Bible-slingers. The good guys got down off their horses and went searching for Anxiety, Gossip, Shame and Death.

Matthew found Anxiety leering around a corner trying to see where everyone was. Anxiety had a worried look on his face. He kept looking everywhere in fear—in back of him and in front of him. He didn’t know what to do.

Anxiety (aka worry) can be caused by a doctor’s appointment that holds the results of a blood test. It can be wondering if you can pay this month’s bills. It could be from a dispute you had with your wife. Whatever the case, from stage left comes Matthew, who says to Anxiety: “Don’t worry about anything, instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank Him for what He has done” (taken from Philippians 4:6).

Anxiety felt like a ton of weight had been taken off his shoulders, and he left the Not OK Corral much happier. Anxiety was gone.

Mark was looking for Gossip. When he found him, Gossip was talking so fast Mark couldn’t understand him. Gossip said, “Did you see Clem at the Horse’s Breath Saloon? He said he would never take another drink, and I just saw him walk in there!”

Gossip can ruin a person’s life. Talking about someone behind their back can only spread hurt and can cause unwanted hardship.

Mark put his hand over Gossip’s mouth and said: “As charcoal to embers and as wood to fi re, so is a quarrelsome man for kindling strife. The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts” (Proverbs 26:21–22).

Gossip was dumbfounded and was unable to speak further. He went away with a swollen tongue and was gone. There was no more gossip.

John found Shame hiding in a closet because he was so ashamed of what he had done all his life. He didn’t want anyone to see him this way.

Shame is often the last fatal nail in the heart of a person who is hurting from something they did in the past. Turn anything you are ashamed of over to God, and He will wipe it out of His books.

John felt pity for him and said, “If you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name”

(1 Peter 4:16).

Shame rose and came out of the closet. He was a different man. He felt self-worth. He felt he was loved. He wanted to learn more about God. After this, Shame was gone. There was no more shame.

Then the Stranger went right to where Death was, for He knew where everyone was, and what they were doing every second of the day.

Death was a hideous creature. He was caring a sword and had a look on his face that would melt anyone who looked into his eyes.

He really was the leader of this gang. There was fire coming out of his ears, and he laughed a chilling laugh. (This is the part where I was tossing, and turning!) He said, “You may have calmed the rest of my gang, but you have no power over me. Everyone has to die, and I will wait until they come to me.”

Yes, death will happen to all of us, but if we are under God’s protective wing, we do not have to fear death. It is just a stepping stone to be with our heavenly Father. You can be assured that the angels are waiting for the moment you are ready to be with theLord. It is like a parent anticipating a newborn. The angels will say, “Cool, here comes another one to be with us in heaven.”

The Stranger took off His cloak, and uncovered his head. It was Jesus. Jesus walked up to Death and said, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55).

Death spun around in pain and, weaker but still standing,turned back toward Jesus. Jesus said, talking to God: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (from Psalm 23:4). Death began to wither and fell to the ground. He had no more power over people any longer.

So there was no more anxiety, no more gossip, no more being ashamed, and most importantly, no more death.

God is the final power. He controls all things. We can stop worrying about anything. Worrying and fear does not gain us one more minute in a day—and it saps our strength. Turn your anxiety, gossiping, shame and the fear of death over to Him, and He will send them on their way.

The four horsemen got on their horses and headed to the next town to see what gangs might have settled there. As they rode into the sunset, they all sang praises to God and worshipped Him.

That’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it.

To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.

—Romans 2:7

 

Further Adventures

Have you had one of those bad guys come into your life? Have you been faced with anxiety? Has someone said something about you to someone else that wasn’t true? Do you live in shame for past sins that you cannot get out of your mind? Have you lost a loved one? Always remember that God is always there. He knows what your anxiety is. He knows about the gossip that has been spread about you. He wants you to throw away your shame, like it was a broken toy.

And remember that death has no power if your loved one was a Christian. God is the final Word. He controls everything. Lean on Him through whatever trial you are going through. You will have some storms come into your life, but God is there to help calm them for you.

Something to Ponder

Isn’t it funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says?

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You can see that every chapter will have a Further Adventures, and Something to Ponder at the end of each chapter. People have told me that they really like this. They read a chapter a day and then use the principles at the end of each chapter to help them through the day.

You can order this book right from this site. Just go up to the top of this page and click on “Bookstore.” There will be description of the book, and a copy of the cover there.

There is a special price going on right now so don’t miss it.

BTW…. Never, ever, give up!

Do I have to Give up My Toys to go to Heaven?

Many of you already know that I have signed a contract with Winepress Publishers to have my book: “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World,” published.

I had six deadlines that I had to meet with my publisher since I signed a contract with them January 15th. It Seemed like an overwhelming task. But, I met every deadline (so far) with the help of God.

We often turn our backs on challenges because we think they are too frightening, or to much to handle. There is nothing on this earth that can’t be handled when we turn things over to God.

When we can be submissive to His calling, and obey His commands we can conquer all our fears, and accomplishing many things.

It is very difficult to be submissive to anyone. We have to give up freedoms to do that. We don’t want anyone controlling our lives. However, if we allow God to lead us, being submissive is easy because we look at His only Son who was totally submissive to his Heavenly Father. He obeyed God all the way to the cross.

He could have decided that He wasn’t going to be put to death. He could have caused the earth to shake and the cross He was would have fallen to the ground. He could have destroyed any of the people who were mocking Him. But, He loved them so much He remained on the cross, and died a horrible death.

He obeyed His father, and because of that we can have eternal life if we accpet Jesus and try to be like Him.

What is stopping you from being submissive to God?  Can’t give up that job that is giving you many goodies in life, even though you stepped over many people on the way up that ladder of success?

Still wanting that boat, because the Jones’ next door have two, knowing that you will not be able to tithe to God if you do get one.  

How about that Beamer? Looks nice in the show room doesn’t it?

All of these are things that get in our way of serving God the way we should be. The old saying, “You can’t take it with you,” should have a lot of meaning here. Material goodies mean nothing if you don’t have eternal life.

Being submissive is turning our back on this world, and living a life for God. It is hard at best to accept that , and to really commit to it.  Think of the ultimate goal, and that is to be ready for the day of judgment, and to serve God during your time on this not so friendly world.

* My next post will be an excerpt from the book: “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World. It will come out Wednesday the 3rd.

Doug