Tag: Leukemia

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A Lot of Kneeling Will keep you in Good Standing

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My book, “Sings of Hope: Ways to survive in an Unfriendly World,” is an ideal Christmas present for those on your list who may be battling anxiety, fear, depression, addictions, self-doubt, hopelessness, and the many other usual suspects.  

There is a special Christmas sale going on right now. In the stores the book is $19.99, but is you order from this site, it is only $15.99. The shipping is cut in half as well. You will need to order by December 17th to make sure you get the book in time.

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Today’s excerpt is Chapter 14. Prayer is one of the keys to survival in a troubled world. Read how it can help you through the storms and trials.

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Chapter 14

 

A Lot of Kneeling Will Keep You in Good Standing

                                                     

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door

will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives;

he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Matthew 7:7–8

 

Have you ever heard someone say, “I will pray for you,” and then never even spend one second doing so? This is a phrase that is used over and over again that too often doesn’t involve much follow through.

In my Bible study group, we have prayer requests at the end. I asked for prayer for a good report at an upcoming doctor’s appointment, and a friend asked for prayer about his friend who was going through a crisis. My prayer was answered when the doctor told me I did not have leukemia. But I never heard anyone tell me they had prayed for me. I had to assume they did.

As for my friend who also asked for prayer, I did pray for his friend. And when I saw him again, I let him know I had prayed. He expressed great comfort in knowing that, and he told me the story of how his friend made it through his crisis. He thanked me for praying for his friend.

Two different situations in one group, two different outcomes. One person didn’t know if the group of men had prayed for him or not. The other person knew that someone had prayed for his friend and he was grateful.

Two opportunities for people to pray and let someone know they cared enough to pray for them, but many did not follow through.

I am not telling you this so you think I am better than another Christian brother. It is an example to show you that letting someone know you care does wonders for the other person. Knowing there is someone praying for you is a tremendous encouragement.

Every time I hear from fellow Christians about something wonderful that has happened to them, their explanation is that they had prayed. This has happened so many times that there must be something to it, don’t you think? It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to see that if this happens so often, you just may want to try it!

I have had many experiences like this myself. I told you in my introduction about my desperation prayer to God onMarch 31, 2001. I have had other experiences that are on the same level. There were times during my younger years when I was a little worried about how I was going to pay the bills at the end of the month. I’d receive a check in the mail or got some money I wasn’t expecting.

Just the other day, I was completely out of cash when I got a call from a car dealer to help them move cars from their lot to the local fairgrounds for a weekend sale they were having. They paid me at the end of my time there. The day I ran out of cash a short-term job showed up for me. A coincidence? Of course not!

The real exciting answered prayer was when I prayed for God to use me for His purpose. It led to the writing of this book.

Prayer can change your life too. Prayer is powerful. God is close. God wants to listen to your prayer no matter how unimportant it may seem in the larger scheme of things. He loves to talk to you! Steady prayer is not only a way to inner peace; it will help you through many trials.

There are ways to have a productive prayer life:

  1. Thank God for who He is. It is God you are praying to—not some golden calf. Acknowledge Him, and thank Him for answered prayer.
  2. Be realistic. Don’t just go through the prayer time and say, “Well I did my prayers today. I guess I can go on.” Be earnest in your prayers to God. Be genuine in your requests to Him. Don’t just recite a prayer. Cause some blood, sweat and tears to come to you, and really talk to God in a way that He knows you mean it.
  3. Ask for forgiveness. You need to have a repentant mind. Always ask for forgiveness of your sins. It is good to do this in the first part of your prayer when you are also praising God for His love for you.
  4. Be unceasing. Continue to pray for a need, even if it isn’t answered right away. God has His own timing. He doesn’t always answer a prayer the first time. Remember that time means nothing to God. A few hours here, a few years there. God wants us to be patient and wait for His timing.
  5. Expect an answer. You must trust that God will answer. This may be the most important factor. You can pray all you want, but if you are not sure He will answer, He may not.

Start praying today and every day to God, and you will be amazed how you are able to cope with your daily life—no matter how tough it gets. God will help you know the purpose that He has for you.       

 

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything

according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—

whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

1 John 5:14–15 (emphasis mine)

 

Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it,

and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.

Mark 11:24–25 (emphasis mine)

 

Further Adventures

  1. Ask people from your church how God answered prayer for them. Have them share how it changed their lives. Write each testimony down. Keep them in a safe place. Look at those testimonies any time you doubt that God will answer your prayers. What I have learned is that sometimes God is saying no to your prayer for now. He has His own timing, and He may be waiting for the right time for you.
  2. Read more in the Bible about prayer. There are many more passages in the Bible besides the ones I have suggested. I also recommend that you acquire a book that is full of Bible promises. This type of book lists verses that pertain to any subject, like prayer. They are great for speeding up your search.

One example that I have used through the years is The Bible Promise Book from Barbour Publishing. The copy my daughter DG gave me many years ago has a 1985 copyright date and Barbour now has several different editions for teens, graduates, nurses, men, etc. I have used my copy many times to help me when I need reassurance.

 

Something to Ponder

Isn’t it funny how turning to God in prayer gives you a peaceful mind, and a grateful heart?

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Stop the World and Let me Off. I’m Tired of Going Around

I am starting a new format today. I will be posting on Mondays Wednesdays and Fridays from now on. I finally discovered that you can schedule your posts ahead of time. (I know… I am a dinosaur!) I can set-up all my post in one day, and still have time to write.

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I will be posting actual excerpts from my book, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World.”  This week I will start with the first chapter, and hand pick some future chapters, that readers have commented on.

You will see that this book reaches out to those who may suffer from anxiety, fear, depression, addictions, self-doubt, hopelessness, and the many other usual suspects.

There is a special sale going from right now through Christmas. In the retail stores, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World,” is $19.99, but if you order from this site the price is only $15.99 and the shipping has been cut in half as well. A total savings of over $6.00.

When your book comes you will see that it is autographed and has a personal note just for you. (Think Christmas!)

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 Excerpt # 1…..

Chapter 1

 

 

 

Stop the World and Let Me Off. I’m Tired of Going ’Round and ’Round

 

 

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

 

Psalm 34:18

 

 

 

I was out of control. The sobbing filled my eyes with tears. I couldn’t see the road ahead of me as I drove my Explorer.

Everything seemed to be going wrong in my life. I had quit two jobs because of guilt. I even failed at running my own business. I quit the two jobs because I had to sell something to customers and I had a hard time trying to force people to buy something they may not really need.

The business that failed was a cash flow venture that helped businesses have a better flow of money while they waited for their accounts receivables to come in. I left that venture because I again had to convince people to take part in something they may not have needed.

Depression, self doubt, fear, anxiety, and even hopelessness, overcame me until I was in the pit of despair. I was a happily married man with three children and several grandchildren. I had a wonderful 25-year teaching career. Why was I feeling so low? Why did I feel so unloved?

All I wanted to do was to stop the madness and check out of this wretched hotel called Earth! I pulled my SUV into a high school parking lot in a secluded area. I was ready to commit suicide. The date wasMarch 31, 2001. The next day was April Fools Day. A very fitting time to have your life end, don’t you think?

I did have the common sense to call my wife Charlotte. She came quickly to where I was. She calmed me down enough to where I thought I could drive myself home. After she left, I sat there behind the steering wheel still crying, and then I yelled, “God, I can’t take this anymore!”

In a flash, there was calmness in me. It even felt different in the vehicle. The air was fresher and cooler. It was as if God were saying, “It’s about time you came back to Me. I have been waiting for you. Let Me carry you the rest of the way.”

My life changed that day. I gave my life back to God.

I had been a Christian since I was about 16. But I was the poster child for a lukewarm Christian.

Yes, I went to church and made sure my children went also, but I wouldn’t say I was a perfect example for them. I rose up in my church to where I was the Sunday school superintendent and on the important Pastor-Parish Relations Committee, but in my heart I didn’t put God first.

On Sundays, I stayed home if there was a good football game on. You didn’t have to go to church every Sunday, did you? God let me know I did. He also let me know of a new direction for me to go.

Why had I allowed myself to fall to such a low spot? Why had I drifted so far away from God?

The answer my friend is I was in a battle with many afflictions like self-doubt, anxiety, etc. Those aren’t fancy medical terms like cardiovascular disease or leukemia, but they are just as deadly. These demons of the mind can control your life to the point where you are not functional. It can cause you to hide from the world and let your life go on unnoticed until you die. It can push you to ending your own life.

This book is for those who want to discuss all the enemies of man like self-doubt, fear of failure, divorce, death in the family, and many others. I want to share with you how God used me to write this book, and how He pulled me out of the muck and mire.

The walls we put up in life can be caused by a loss of a loved one or extreme trauma. We can put them up because of sexual abuse, inappropriate or unclear expectations, divorce, poverty, violence in the family, family addiction or environment.

Do you often feel like you don’t want to go to work? Are there times when you feel like you would rather stay in bed and not face the world? Have you fallen into the pit of despair without even knowing why you did? Have you ever felt lost—and alone?

You are not alone! Close to 19 million American adults, or about 9.5% of the U.S.population age 18 and older, suffer from some kind of handicapping mental disorder in a given year.1

Now that I have totally broken you down—there is hope! There are treatments that can help you. See your doctor to find what treatment is best for you. Then go to where there is eternal treatment, and that is through your loving heavenly Father.

The first part of this book talks about putting on God’s armor and fighting against the many mental afflictions. This information is from the horse’s mouth. That would be me. I have gone through many battles of my own. I have felt lost, and I thought that there was nowhere to go. I lived that way for many years. I existed from day to day, struggling with my emotions. I found out that I didn’t need to go through the torture. I had places I could go for help. I found out what they were, and I invite you to find out too.

            Bear with me! There is a happy ending.

 

“I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him, creating praise on the lips of the mourners in Israel. Peace, peace, to those far and near,” says the Lord. “And I will heal them.”

Isaiah 57:18–19

 

Further Adventures

You know how easy it is to let your emotions take over in your life. You’ve been there. It is too easy to let the little things grow from molehills to mountains. When each trial comes up, try to put it into perspective. Is it something that is going to be life-changing? Is it something you can’t handle yourself?

You could tell in this chapter that I couldn’t handle what was happening to me, and what happened next? I felt God was changing me.

Stop in the middle of your grief and say, “Why am I so out of control? What can I do to stop this madness?” The answer was easy for me. I ran to God like a long lost prodigal son, and He opened His arms and took me back in like any father would do with his own son. You should do the same: Run to God and let Him carry you the rest of the way through your life like He is doing for me.

 

Something to Ponder

Isn’t it funny how we let the smallest winds grow into a full-blown storm?

 

 

 

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Death Has no Calendar. It comes in the Night When you Least Expect it

                            Death Where is Your Sting? 

 

This last Monday I went to a BSF Bible study. BSF stands for Bible Study Fellowship. We were in a group of men that discuss the previous week’s lesson. At the end of our discussion one of the members said, “My friend who has been coming here with me each week has died.” The group was stunned. The man seemed to be in good health. It was very sudden. 

This incident reminded me of one of the chapters from my book, Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World. This is chapter 6.

I hope that you will find some comfort from this post:

 

Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

1 Corinthians 15:55–56

 

As believers, we have the comfort of knowing we have eternal life. According to Romans 5:12, death comes to all of us. We have to go through the process that all living things must go through. However, we can be reassured that we will have new bodies, and be in heaven with God.

It is also hard to lose loved ones and friends. God doesn’t explain to us why He takes some people earlier than others. It is not for us to decide who should stay. God chooses and we should thank Him for each day we have with our loved ones.

In May of 2001 my father was on his deathbed, dying from a stroke. On this day, I had a close encounter with God. I wanted to make sure that he was right with the Lord. I decided that I was going to talk to him when I was with him at the hospital. I went out into the hall to gather myself and pray.

I looked to my right. Coming down the hall was the pastor from the church I had been attending. He was coming to visit another member of the church. I stopped him and said I needed him to come in and talk to my father. The pastor did come in and talk to my father, and we were sure then that he had the Lord in his heart. I was overjoyed that the Lord had sent the pastor just at the time I was getting up the courage to talk to my father.

He just happened to be coming to the hospital? He just happened to be on the right floor? He just happened to be in the right wing, and he just happened to be coming down the hall when I went out into the hall? I don’t think so!! God sent my pastor on a mission to talk to my father that morning. My father died two days later.

It is all right to grieve for your loved ones and friends, but if you know they are Christians, you have tremendous comfort. You know you will see them again some day.  

If they are not a Christian, take time to share with them the love of God. You could also have the hospital chaplain talk to them, or have your church’s pastor talk to them. You may even go out into the hall, and have a pastor coming toward you to talk to them!

I also have had the privilege of having many friends that were very dear to me. They each made an impact in my life. In just the last few years, I’ve had to say good-bye to several of them. Physical death took them from us, but spiritually they live on. I am only sharing this to let you know that I will be able to see each of them when it is my turn to walk the walk.

Arlene Corn was probably the best Detroit Tiger fan in the whole world. She lived in our cul-de-sac. She also was also a wonderful Christian. When she went to be with the Lord we all sang “Take Me out to the Ball Game” at her packed memorial service. There was not a dry eye at the service. She was an instant friend in the neighborhood. You felt you knew her from day one. Cancer took her from us.

My neighbor, who lived across the street, was one of the toughest women I have ever met. She called a spade a spade, and wouldn’t hesitate to let you know if you needed to be corrected. When someone mentioned that a friend had “passed away,” she scolded, “They didn’t pass away; they died!” She did pass away, and she will be greatly missed by all of her neighbors. She loved dogs, and the neighborhood dogs seemed to have known it. They lined up at her home for treats. Cancer took her from us.

A teacher friend of mine was a single parent of two sons that she loved very much. She also loved teaching kindergarten children, and they loved her. My wife and I took her for many of her chemotherapy sessions because her sons needed to be in school. She wanted to look special for everyone, so she wore a wig and made sure she was dressed well for her doctor visits. She remained positive to the very end. She passed away in her sleep. Cancer took her from us.

Another friend of ours was very tough woman. She could bite the head off a pit bull, but she was a person who spread her love as far as she could reach. She loved the “boys” who came to visit her. They were high school kids who needed someone to talk to. She had them over almost every night. They would sit around and talk to her and her husband. It was a place for them to unload.

She unloaded on my wife and her husband one time at a doctor’s appointment they had gone to with her. They started to break down at something the doctor said. “Quit being wimps!” she scolded. She didn’t want anyone feeling sorry for her. At her memorial service no one was allowed to say anything sad about her. Cancer took her from us.

Another teacher friend was a very proud woman. She refused to dwell on her illness. She always felt she was going to beat cancer. She was a woman that fought for the right to have an assisted suicide in Oregon, the first state to allow it. She felt that we all should be able to die with dignity. She even spoke before Congress on the issue. She passed away before she was able to have assistance. Cancer took her from us.

Howard Girod and I met about six years ago when we moved next door to him and his wife. He was the kind of person you were not sure you would be friends with. He once jokingly called me the village idiot. But as I got to know him, I found out that he was the most loving man I had met in a long time.

I almost fell off a ladder he was holding for me, and he scolded me like I was his son. “Be careful!” he shouted. Another time just before his death, when he was very weak, he whispered to me from his hospital bed, “If I could start over again … I wouldn’t!”

His favorite line at the end was, “God bless you.” That meant so much to me, especially since he had once called me the village idiot. Howard was a strong Christian who said a strong word once in awhile, but his love for you made you know that he was going to have a seat close to God when he passed. Leukemia took him from us.

God took all these people the same way. They all died from some form of cancer, except my father who died from a stroke. There is not an answer why they had to leave us so soon, but God has His reasons. I thank Him for sharing these people with me for the time we had together. A father or a friend is a precious person that you should cherish each day you have them. You never know when they will not be with you anymore.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil, for you are with me.

Psalm 23:4

 

I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.

John 8:51

 

Further adventures

You never know when your signs of hope will be. I have had many that I know of, but I probably had many more I didn’t know about. Try to keep track of when you have signs of hope and let me know about them by sending your story to me.

 

S0mething to ponder

Isn’t it funny that our children can’t read the Bible in school, but they can in prison?

(This is an excerpt from: Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World) Chapter 6