God is Not Dead, I Just talk to Him Yesterday

There is been a steady surge in subscribers to our RSS feed lately. We now have 220 subscribers. That is wonderful. We have had 28 new subscribers in the last month.

We also set a new record recently with 5,099 hits for one day. There have been some dynamic posts the last few weeks. Be sure to subscribe to know when they are coming.

Keep up the great work by helping us climb up in the Google Search Rankings. Just click on the icon right after the title to do that.

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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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Many of us get up in the morning and wonder why we even got up. We look outside and it is dark with clouds. We feel a bit puny from a cold. We think life sucks, and try to stay away from any human contact.

OK, that was a pretty extreme case, or was it?

Do you have more cloudy days than you have sunny days in your life. Do you sometimes feel like you would rather just stay in bed?

I can truthfully say I have been there. Many years ago, (2001) I was at the bottom of the pit struggle in the muck and mire. I didn’t have any energy. I didn’t want to face anyone, or make any decisions. I was a mess, and my wife knew it. She didn’t know what to do. She would ask me what was wrong, and I kept saying back. “I don’t know?”

It is called depression, my friends. It is not a dirty word. It is not a mental illness. It can be treated with medications, and with faith in God.

It is a chemical imbalance. I fought that idea for years. I thought I was going crazy. I couldn’t function. I was letting Satan pull me down like a huge magnate. He would have had me placed on his trophy wall if God hadn’t stepped in and saved me.

On March 31st, 2001, I was sitting in my Ford Explorer,  thinking about checking out of this hotel called earth. I finally yelled out to God, “I can’t take this anymore!”

It truly was in an instant that I felt relief and a calmness that I hadn’t felt in months. It was like God said, “It’s about time you came back to Me, not let Me carry you the rest of the way.”

God never was away from me all during my storms and trails, and He isn’t today. I still face some trials and storms. We all do, but now I know that god is only a prayer away. He calms me and gives me comfort, through my prayer to Him, and the Bible.

If you are having a similar experience, I feel you need to see a doctor and tell him your symptoms. You also need to turn to God and talk to Him every day. Not just when there is a crises. Talk to Him every day!

Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never ever, give up!

A Day Hemmed in Prayer Keeps Your Day From Coming Unraveled

I am very pleased with the amount of daily hits I have been getting here. There are now over 900 a day. Thank you for dropping by each day to read. I would also like you to sign-up for the RSS feed. It raises the ranking on the Google Search Rankings. Just click on the icon right after title and sign-up, if you haven’t already.

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Just a reminder about ordering my book, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World.” You will need to order it by December 17th to make sure it gets to you in time for Christmas. This book reaches out to those who may suffer from anxiety, fear, depression, addictions, self-doubt, or hopelessness.

There is s special sale going on for now until Christmas. Just click on the “Bookstore,” tab above to take a look at it.

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Below is anothe exceprt from the book, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive an an Unfriendly World.” We spend to many hours in a day fight through the muck and mire of life. We need to know we have someone to go to through prayer, who will take us by the hand and lead us out of the pits of dispair.

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A Day Hemmed in Prayer Keeps Your Day from Coming Unraveled

 

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.

With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

 

Ephesians 6:18

 

A survey in which 47,000 people participated on the comcast.com website revealed the following reasons for divorce:

Money 26%

Growing apart 22%

Easy way out after the “honeymoon is over” 22%

Personality conflicts 16%

Infidelity 15%

Cultural differences 1%

Religion 0%

 

These results are very interesting. The root of all evil, which some say is money, is the number one reason for divorce. This is alarming because so many people feel that money can buy happiness. If the poll is correct, then money does nothing to buy happiness. In this instance, it “buys” discontent with a marriage partner.

We look in the wrong places for happiness. Instead, all we have to do is look around us—in our own homes. Happiness comes in many forms. You see your children growing. You have a home for them to live in. You have friends to help you be happy. Why would you let money destroy everything you already have? You even have God who lives within you.

Think of the little things you have that are more important than money. Think small. It’s often the little pleasures in life—not the big things like lavish parties or cruises or exotic vacations—that bring happiness. Having all your family getting together for a holiday can be a source of happiness. Think about each member of your family and what each means to you. Money can’t buy that feeling.

If everything above makes sense to you then you shouldn’t use money as an excuse in your marriage. Time could be tough for your family because of the lack of money, but don’t make the family be torn further apart by having a fragmented home.

Study the rest of the poll to see where you may fit in as far as where you are hurting. Then concentrate on ways to erase that problem from your memory banks. Any of the excuses have a way to be turned around and made into a positive.

Living for God eliminates all of the excuses.

Each of us has to realize that we are not perfect, and that our spouses aren’t either. Don’t expect a spouse to be the dream person you pictured when you were in high school. Accept them for what they are, and realize they are not the enemy. They love you, and they want you to love them.

The word hurting describes what happens when we say awful things to our spouses. We often say things that cut deeply into their hearts. Remember to use words that heal, not hurt. I have a prayer in my daily devotions that simply says, “Help me to say nice things that do not hurt.”

Write your own hurts in the sand and your blessings in stone. (Another great bumper sticker!)You will be going in the right direction if you can do this.

To me, the most striking result of the survey is that no one out of 47,000 people listed religion as the reason for divorce. That is amazing. Perhaps it is because people who have religion/Christ in their lives seem to handle differences in people much better. I think a lot of it is how they stay close to God and turn their troubles over to Him.

As the bumper sticker says, using prayer to keep your life intact is the most important thing to do. Pray without ceasing, and God will be there for you.

 

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all

without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

James 1:5

 

Until now you have not asked for anything in my name.

Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

John 16:24

 

Further Adventures

“Survey says …” Have you ever watched Family Feud? The family gets together and tries to come up with a good answer to the survey question. What a great idea for a marriage! Whenever you feel hurt or left out by your spouse, get together and try to come up with a good answer.

 

Something to Ponder

Isn’t it funny how we always seek perfection when we should concentrate on progress instead?