Fathers

Fathers are a very important part of our lives. However, fathers often take a back seat to mothers.  Mothers are very important, and they play a very significant role in our lives, but fathers are just as important to us. God is our Heavenly father, and how He loves His children is the perfect example of what our fathers should be and are to us. God’s love for us is unconditional and never ending. Our earthly fathers possess the same kind of love for their children. Many times they show their love to their children in different ways than mothers do, but their love for us is just as strong and just as precious.  Our fathers have taught us to work hard and take care of our families.  They have taught us to always be there for each other and to always try to help each other. Our fathers do this for us, and many of them never take or get the credit that they deserve.

I have been blessed to have three very important father figures in my life. When I think about these three men, I am reminded of all the lessons that they have taught me, and I truly can see God working through them to make my life, the lives of countless others, and the world a better place. I would like to take a few minutes and honor these three men. 

The first father in my life is my dad, George Weaver.  I do not think there is a harder working man than my dad. He was worked his entire life taking care of his family.  My dad has taught me so many things, but one of the most important lessons that he has taught me is to do my best at whatever job I am doing.  My dad always says, “A job worth doing is worth doing right.” He has instilled that belief in all of his children, and he has truly led by example.  Another important lesson that my dad has taught me is that families stick together. He always says, “One for all and all for one.” He has always encouraged my brothers and me to help and support each other. He has done the same for his siblings, and it has made a difference in all of their lives. There are so many things that I admire and love about my dad, but I think the thing that speaks to me the most his how much he loves Jeff. I overheard him say to Jeff recently, “You are just like a son to me.” I cannot tell you what that did for me to hear my dad say that.  My dad never says anything he does not mean. He is one of the most honest people I think I have ever met and to know that he feels that way about Jeff fills my heart with so much joy. I know that for many men it would be hard for them to say that to their son’s partner, but that is how much my dad loves and accepts Jeff and me. His love and acceptance is a gift that I have often taken for granted in the past, but one that I fully acknowledge and appreciate today. 

The second father in my life is Jeff’s dad, Bob White. Bob is the kind of man that would do anything for anyone who needed help. He has an enormous, big heart and a real desire to help his fellowman. He is a very hard working man who has worked all his life and taken care of his family. He has instilled that work ethic in his children and he has taught them to always do their best and to have a kind heart.  I think the thing I admire the most about Bob is how much he loves Jeff. The love he feels for his son exudes out of him, and he truly wants the best for Jeff. Actually, that is what Bob wants for everyone. He just wants people to be happy, to achieve what they desire, and to live a good life. Because of his help, love, and acceptance he has helped Jeff and me have a much better life. 

The third father that I would like to honor is my grandfather, Norman Cutsinger.  My grandpa Norman was actually my step-grandfather, but to me he was my grandpa. He had time for me when my natural grandfathers did not. My grandpa was a hard working man with a huge heart. I would have never had a grandfather-grandson relationship to cherish had he not been a part of my life. He always made an effort and took the time out of his life to spend with his grandchildren and was never too busy to lend a helping hand. When I think about my grandpa Norman, I am reminded that sometimes the people who play the important roles in our lives are not related to us by blood, but are related to us by love. I lost my grandpa Norman on August 28, 1998. I still miss him and think of him everyday, but I am so thankful for the time I had with him and for the influence he has had on my life. 

So, as you can see, I have been very blessed to have three very important and special father figures in my life. All three of these men have modeled their fathering skills after God. They all have taught their children and their grandchildren to live their lives the way that God wants all of us to live. They love their children and grandchildren unconditionally, and they want the best for all of them.  They have taught them to work hard and help their fellowman. They have led by example, and I am very thankful to have benefitted from their influence in my life.

We should all honor our fathers, not just on Father’s Day, but every day. God has blessed us with a fatherly influence in all of our lives. The fathers in our lives take different forms, and some are not biologically our fathers, but we should honor them and show them the love that they have shown us. A father’s love and influence can bring peace to all of our lives, and PEACE MATTERS. 

~Dan~

Prayer for Peace

We humans seem to constantly be looking for something.  We can see it in others and we can feel it in ourselves.  That constant feeling that something is missing or that we have lost something that we have actually never found is always with us.  We describe it in a variety of ways.  Some of us call it a hole, some of us call it an untapped accomplishment, and some of us call it a longing for something better.  The name we give it does not matter; it is the searching for it that does.  

We think we can fill the hole with a variety of things.  We think we can find what we are looking for in a person, a new geographical location, a new house, car, or possession.  We think we can find it with a new style or even a new life philosophy.  We search aimlessly for what is missing from our lives, trying different things and always coming up short.  We have all heard the saying that the grass is greener on the other side, and I think we often believe that it is, so we continue to search in other people’s yards for what it missing from our own lives.  

This constant searching for this elusive, unidentifiable thing has caused the breakdown of countless relationships and families.  We actually find ourselves thinking. “I do not feel what I am looking for from my spouse or my children, so I need to look for someone else.”  Even doing this will not lead us to the thing that is missing from our lives.  Many people search for what they feel is missing for their entire lives and never find it.  They live their lives never being satisfied and always feeling like they are missing out or falling short.  If you have not figured it out by now, this thing we are looking for is peace.  Sounds so simple and insignificant, doesn’t it? However, we can never live a complete and satisfying life without it.  

True peace changes everything.  Once we find that true sense of peace, all of our problems and desires seem to fade away.  Once peace enters our lives, the hole we have felt all our lives is filled.  So, how do we find this valuable life-changing thing?  The answer is quite simple.  Peace comes from within.  Peace comes from trusting, knowing, and believing that God is in control.  It is not enough to walk around saying that God is in control. We have to actually believe it and literally let Him be in control of everything, and we have to have the faith and trust to go where He leads us.  

The answer is simple, but the process can be very difficult.  We are so accustom to being in control.  We are so used to having our way and doing things in our time.  We are so used to never being satisfied that it is hard to lay that burden down, but we have learn to surrender to God’s plan for our lives.  We have to submit to God and let Him be in control.  We have to communicate with Him on a daily basis and let Him tell us what to do.  

Basically, it comes down to this; the manner in which you live your life will determine your level of peace.  You may be saying, “That sounds great, Dan, but what does that mean?”  I am glad you asked.  It means that if we listen for God’s voice and do what He asks us to do, we will have peace.  We will not find peace in any other way.  It is absolutely impossible to find it without God and without letting Him be in control and without doing what He asks us to do.  

God has given me several prayers to say in different situations.  I have one prayer that I use to pray for peace.  I say this prayer several times during the day, but particularly when I have to do something that makes me nervous or apprehensive.  The prayer is:  “Wrap me in your perfect peace, guide me through my day, and comfort me.”  It is such a simple prayer, but it has really changed my life.  It brings me so much comfort when I pray it, and it allows me to focus on God and the peace that He can provide instead of worrying about what I will encounter in the day ahead. 

So, we have to truly examine our lives and see just how much peace we have. If we find that we are searching for something constantly and feel that we do not have peace in our lives, it is because we are not submitting to God and letting Him be in control.  The solution to that problem is to just do it.  It is something that we will have to think about every single day, but eventually it will become such an important part us that we will not even think about it anymore, and God’s perfect peace will fill our lives, and we will stop searching, because we will finally have found what we need to feel satisfied, and that is peace and PEACE MATTERS.

~Dan~

Welcome

Welcome to Peace Matters.  My name is Dan Weaver.  Some of you may know me from my old blog, Yesterday Once More, some of you may know me from my work for A Primitive Place & Country Journal magazine, and some of you may get to know me through my new blog.  For those of you who knew me previously, you know that I seemed to disappear from the face of the earth about one year ago.  To read more about that time in my life, you can click on My Story above.  I have always enjoyed blogging and sharing my thoughts with people, and I have missed it, so I am very excited about my new blog.  This blog will be quite different from Yesterday Once More, and I am sure you will notice very quickly that Peace Matters has a different look and feel than my previous blog.  

I know that it is important to know a little bit more about the author of a blog, so this is me in a nutshell.  I am an elementary special education teacher, a job that I have performed for 21 years.  I am 42 years old and my partner, Jeff, and I have been together for almost 13 years.  Jeff and I are huge dog lovers, and we have two of the most precious miniature schnauzers that God ever placed on this earth.  They are truly a blessing from God.  Their names are Peyton and Paycee.  Peyton is a boy and Paycee is a girl.  For those of you who knew me before, you will remember that we had a third miniature schnauzer named Parker.  Sadly, we lost Parker in March 2015 at the age of 8.  I will fill you in more on the story of Parker’s life in a later post.  I am a huge collector of antiques, and it has always been my dream to live in a saltbox house.  I am thrilled to say that our current house is for sale and when we sell our house, we will begin building a saltbox.  I still have trouble believing that my life-long dream is finally coming true and I will most definitely keep you updated on the progress that we continue to make in this area of our lives.  

I have always felt as if I am supposed to help others see the beauty in life.  That is the thing about life that we often forget. It really is beautiful when we stop and look at it through the eyes of God.  I began writing the posts for this blog in January 2015.  The entries were more for me than anyone else.  The writings helped me heal from a very traumatic time in my life, and it is a healing that continues with each passing day.  While writing everyday, I realized that others may be able to benefit from my writings and this led me to starting this new blog.  Peace is what was lacking from my life during the dark days that I faced, and peace is what allowed the brighter days to return.  The peace I feel now is the peace that only God can provide, and He has done a great work in my life and has allowed me the chance to begin again.  God can and will give all of us that chance, and I hope that you will realize that as you begin to read my posts.  

Peace is not something that comes to us over night.  It is a process for all of us and something that we have to strive for every single day that we are alive, but peace can be found by us all.  I have not found complete peace, and I do not believe that any of us can find total peace in this life, but we can get much closer to it through God’s help.  I do not have all the answers.  I am flawed, and I have made many bad decisions in my life.  It is not my place to force my beliefs on anyone.  It is not my place to tell people that they are doing the wrong things with their lives.  All I want to do is share with you what God has so graciously shared with me in hopes that all of our lives can be better.  No one is perfect, and we all fall short every single day, but we have to get up and keep moving forward and we have to have the proper tools to make that possible.  

With all that being said, I hope you will visit my new blog and that it will help you achieve a little more peace in your life and that it will bring you hope.  There still is hope to be found, and there is enough peace for all of us.  God’s peace is abundant and He wants to bestow it on each of us.  I am still working on the writings that God would like for me to share with you, so I will not begin posting regularly until June 18, 2015.  In the beginning, I will be posting once a week, but plan on increasing the frequency of posts as time goes by.  In the meantime, I invite you to click on the links above and read my story and enjoy some of the quotes that God has given me along my journey.  I will be adding quotes frequently, so be sure and check back as often as you can.  If you like what you see, please feel free to share my blog information with those you know.  The more people who hear the message of peace, the better off we will all be.  For now, just keep moving forward and check back in with me from time to time.  I look forward to getting to know all of you a little better and I am truly very excited about taking this journey with you.  Never forget how important you are to God and to so many other people.  Never stop trying to find the peace that God has in store for you.  After all, PEACE MATTERS!

~Dan~