The Mighty Oak Tree

When we are in the right frame of mind and begin to look at the world around us, it is impossible not to see the hand of God in everything.  After all, He created everything we see, so I believe that all of the things we are surrounded by in this world have a meaning that we can apply to our lives and to our walk with God.  I have never been a big nature lover.  It isn’t that I do not appreciate the beauty that God has created around me, but I seldom take the time to stop and look at nature and ponder the meaning of everything I see.  As I have gotten older, that has begun to change.                                                                                                                  

There is a small park in the town where Jeff and I live with a path that goes around the park, and we have gone for walks there for years.  Along the path some oak trees have been planted.  I have watched those oak trees grow over the years.  When we first started going to the park, they were very small and over the years they have slowly grown.  While they are still relatively small, I have watched them become bigger and stronger trees.  As we were walking by the oak trees, I was reminded of how slowly they grow.  It takes many years for an oak to become a substantial, mature tree but once it does, it is one of the strongest and most beautiful trees in all of nature. 

I began to think of how the oak tree is symbolic of how God wants our walk with Him to be.  The oak tree grows very slowly, but its roots go very deep into the ground.  It may take many years for the oak tree to reach maturity, but once it does, its bark is very strong, and it can withstand the strongest of storms.  Sure there are other trees that grow faster.  The one tree that came to my mind that grows very quickly is the Bradford Pear.  While it grows very quickly, it is often the first tree to be damaged by storms.  I believe that God wants us to be like the oak tree.  He wants us to grow slowly, and He wants our roots to be deep.  He wants our outer shell to be strong and to be able to withstand the storms that life brings our way. 

God wants us to realize that our growth should be slow.  He wants us to know that it may take most of us years to reach our maturity and full understanding of His ways.  We may grow impatient and want things to happen quickly, but when we grow slowly with God, our relationship with Him will be deeply rooted, and it will be able to withstand any storm.  We do not want to be like the Bradford Pear tree that is easily broken and destroyed in the storm.

Anything lasting takes time to grow and mature.  God wants us to be patient and let Him work out the details of our lives.  He wants to show us how powerful He is, and He wants us to be in the right place to fully appreciate and understand His power.   

So let’s make sure our roots are firmly planted in God’s ways and make sure that we are ready to stand up to the storms of life and be victorious.  We can do all of this if we let God guide our steps and let Him be in control of everything in our lives.  God will not lead us in the wrong direction, and He will always take care of us. 

The next time you see an oak tree, realize that God wants you to be more like that tree.  He wants your roots to be strong and deep, he wants your outer shell to be able to protect you from the storms of life, and He wants your growth to be slow and steady.  It will make all the difference in your life and it will allow your relationship and faith in God to stand the test of time which will lead to more peace in your life, and PEACE MATTERS.    

~Dan~

Why Me?

Who of us at one time or another has not uttered the words, “Why me?”  It has become our anthem when we cannot bear any more heartache in our lives.  It is such a simple phrase, but upon its utterance the whole world understands where we are coming from.  It is a phrase that can be used to explain how we feel, and it can be used as a way to question our entire lives.  Rarely do we use this phrase that it does not have a negative connotation.  We as humans want to know why about everything.  We question everything that happens to us.  We question the bad, and we even question the good.  We are like little kids who constantly want to know why.

We have all been taught that we should have trust.  We have all been taught, in particular, that we should have trust in God, but when it comes right down to it, we struggle to do so.  We use the words “I trust God” very casually, but often we do not really do it.  I know I struggle with this a lot, and I am sure you do too.  We know we are supposed to trust God, but we just can’t seem to let go.  If we would just let go and trust God, we would be free of the worry and strife that dominates our lives.  I know how hard it is to trust God.  Even saying that sounds sacrilegious, but it is true.  How many of us actually trust God 100% of the time?  We may say that we do, we may believe that we do, but how many of us really do?

This is what our lives would be like if we truly trusted God 100% of the time.  We would never be worried, we would never have doubt, we would never have fear, we would never argue with others, we would never attempt to control others, we would never lose sleep questioning why something has happened.  We would smile all the time, we would walk forward in faith, we would thank God for the trials, and we would not question anything in our lives.  Now, based on that description, how many of us trust God 100% of the time?   

So, let’s work on having an attitude shift.  We will do it together; after all, there is strength in numbers.  Let’s start trusting God all the time, not just during the good times, but during the bad times too.  Let’s stop questioning God, let’s stop limiting God, and let’s give in to Him and let Him be in control of everything.  There are no coincidences in life and, believe it or not, God knows what He is doing, so let’s stop worrying.   

The next time you are tempted to say, “Why Me?” say instead, “I Trust God.”  It will change our attitudes.  It will change our outlook on life.  It will change our hearts, and it will transform our hopelessness into peace.  I know it will be challenging in the beginning because we have spent most of our lives questioning God.  He will be patient with us, though.  So, let’s start today.  Trusting God will bring us peace, and PEACE MATTERS.  

~Dan~

The Past

Since the second day of our lives, we have all had a past.  It is inevitable.  We cannot escape it.  It is what we do with the past that matters.  We all have good memories of the past.  We all have bad memories of the past.  We all have events in our past that we are proud of, and we all have events in our past that we are ashamed of.  There has been so much written and televised about time travel and reliving the past that it could be said that we are obsessed with it.  Some people relive the glory days of their past throughout their entire lives, and it cripples them.  Other cannot forget or forgive the events of the past, and that cripples them as well.  I think it is safe to say that we should keep the past in the past.  We should learn from it, but we should not live in it.  

This is the way I see it; once a day has ended, it is in the past.  We cannot go back and change it; we cannot go back and relive it.  All we can do is remember it.  I believe we all need to have an attitude shift when it comes to the past.  Every day is a gift.  I will go one step further; everyday is a chance to wipe the slate clean.  It is a chance to start over and live a different life.  The time to change the past was in the past.  Although we all do things that we are ashamed of and we regret, the key is to forgive ourselves and to let go of it.  Reliving the past does not do any of us any good.  We cannot go back and change it, so we must continue to look forward.  The only thing in this life that we can change is the present and the future.  The past is dead and gone.  

I believe that we all enjoy living in the past because we know how it turned out.  The future is scary because it is an unknown.  However, the future can be exciting because it presents limitless opportunities for each of us.  We have a fresh start to begin living the life that we are meant to live.  So, do me a favor and repeat after me: “The past is in the past.  It may have been wonderful, and it may have been painful.  My job is not to change the events of the past, but to live in the present.  I will forgive the transgressions of the past made by others and myself, and I will go forward.  When I find myself living in the past, I will remind myself that my happiness, my hope, and my peace lies in the present and in the future.” 

I believe that if we all can do this it will change the world.  If not the world, it will surely change us and mend many broken hearts and free us from the crippling feeling that many of us experience when we live in the past.  Letting go of the past and living in the present will bring us peace, and PEACE MATTERS. 

~Dan~

How Satan Seduces Us: Part 2

Satan is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  His intent is to destroy our lives, steal our peace, and enslave us.  He is a master manipulator, and he often whispers in our ear and tells us things in an attempt to get us to do something that is not good for us.  He will tell us lies and provide us with a justification for our actions.  A lie that Satan often tells us is, “You are not hurting anyone.”  We use this excuse to justify any number of our actions.  However, what Satan knows all too well is that what he is urging us to do will hurt not only ourselves but others too.   

Another lie Satan whispers in our ear is, “You deserve this” or “You need this in your life.”  Satan will tempt us with things that will destroy our peace and leave our lives in ruins if we listen to him.  His lies encourage us to justify our actions and make us feel like it is okay to stray from the path that God has carefully planned for us.  Satan will take something that we are tempted by and place it in our path.  We can mistakenly think that it must be meant to be or that it is from God.  Satan will try to convince us that the things he presents us with are wonderful blessings that will lead us to a new life full of excitement and happiness.  However, the old adage applies most of the time. If something appears too good to be true, then it is.  The reality of what Satan offers us is never what it appears to be on the surface.  We cannot be seduced by Satan’s lies and empty promises.  They will lead nowhere good, and they will destroy our lives. 

That is Satan’s plan, and he is working constantly to try to achieve his goal.  He will use everything in his arsenal to enslave us.  Our job is to remain vigilant and to stay close to God.  When we do this, it will be harder for the arrows of Satan’s lies to penetrate us.  If we are continually talking to God and listening for His voice, Satan will not be able to trick us.  If we are always seeking God’s advice and asking Him what we should do, Satan cannot convince us that we should do something that is bad for us.  

Even when we stumble and are tricked by Satan and find ourselves in situations from which there seems to be no escape, God can help us.  When we cry out to Him and ask Him to deliver us from the mistakes that we have made, He will make a way where there seems to be no way.  If we ask for His help, God will beat Satan every time.  God will warn us of the traps Satan sets for us if we talk to Him about everything.  Even though Satan is real and he is intent on destroying our lives and stealing our peace, we do not have to be afraid.  We can bind Satan’s hands and keep him at bay by saying this to him: “Satan you are a liar and the temptation you put in my path will only lead to destruction in my life.  I rebuke you in the name of Jesus and choose to accept God’s peace into my life.”  When we do this, Satan will flee and we will be able to continue to live our lives walking on the path that God has planned for us which will always lead to peace, and PEACE MATTERS.  

~Dan~

How Satan Seduces Us: Part 1

Satan wants to steal our peace.  He wants to rob us of all the blessings that God has in store for us.  He wants to keep us down so that we are not in the position to spread God’s word and be an example to a struggling world.  Satan is very cunning, and he uses trickery to seduce us.  Satan has the ability to make us think we are hearing from God or that what he is saying is something good.  Satan will never offer us anything that is good.  We may think that it is good and that the message is coming from God, but we will find out very quickly that it isn’t if we choose to go down the path that he is offering.  Satan will use anything in his grasp to trick us and convince us that we are doing the right thing or that we need to go through a certain door or down a certain path.  

One way that Satan does this is by whispering certain things in our ear that many of us have heard, read, or even said at one time or another.  For example, sometimes Satan whispers in our ear, “You only live once.”  How many of us have heard that saying or even said it at one time or another?  We use that saying to convince ourselves that we should take the plunge and do something that could turn out to be the worst thing we could do.  Satan wants us to think that we only have this life to live and that we have to make the most of it. This can cause us to do things that are not good for the people we love or for us.   

Another lie that Satan tells us is, “You only regret the things you do not do.”  We have all read this many times, but this is a bold faced lie.  If we would really stop and think about it, we would realize just how much of a lie it is.  How many of us regret things that we have done?  All of us.  We have done countless things in our lives that have led us in the wrong direction or down the wrong path, and we have regretted it greatly.  Satan uses this saying as a way to convince us to do whatever we want without thinking about the consequences.  We use this saying to make excuses for our actions, and it has gotten many of us into a lot of trouble over the years. 

Even though Satan is cunning and tries to seduce us, we can beat him and avoid the traps that he sets for us.  We can do this by having a close relationship with God and by communicating with Him every single day.  We cannot live a life of peace if we do not talk to God and listen for His voice.  He will help us make the right decisions if only we will ask Him.  God wants us to have an armor of protection around us, and He is that armor.  He will protect us from all the trappings and trickery of Satan, as long as we follow Him and talk to Him about every decision that we need to make. When we do listen for God’s voice He will lead us to things that will make our lives better.  He will lead us to peace and hope.  He will lead us to things that are far better than anything that Satan could offer us.  The things that God offers us are real, they are lasting, and they make our lives better.  

So, keep talking to God keep listening for His voice.  Continue to seek Him out and let Him help you make the right decisions.  Relying on God to help us make the right decisions will lead us to peace, and PEACE MATTERS.  

~Dan~

The Gift of Joy: Part 4

Today is the fourth installment of “The Gift of Joy” series.  Today I am focusing on two people in my life that bring me joy.  I have written about so many people in my life.  I have written about what they have taught me, what they have done for me, and what their presence in my life means to me.  As I was getting ready to write this post, it dawned on me that there are two very important people in my life about whom I have not written.  So, I decided to use this opportunity to tell you a little bit about them and share with all of you the joy that they have brought into my life.  

The first person is my best friend, Jerrah.  Jerrah and I met almost ten years ago when she started teaching at my school.  She is also a special education teacher, and her room was next door to mine.  For the first couple of months after school began, I would see Jerrah in the hall and we would speak, but that was pretty much it.  One day I went to her room after school just to see how everything was going for her with her new job.  Almost forty-five minutes later, I left her room knowing that I had just met someone who would be very important to me for the rest of my life.  The connection was instant.  I have met very few people in my life that I instantly clicked with, but Jerrah was one of those people.  Over the next few years, Jerrah and I continued to work together and our relationship became stronger and stronger.  Looking back on it now, those years that Jerrah and I worked together were the best years of my teaching career.  I looked forward to going to school, and we had so much fun together.  I really do not think I have laughed as much at work as I did in the years that Jerrah and I worked together.  Jeff and I also began hanging out with Jerrah and her husband, Jason, which only helped to make our friendship stronger.  Our dogs played together, too, which was always fun to watch.  Eventually Jerrah took a different job which took her out of the building in which I teach.  She still works for the same school system that I do, but we do not get to see each other as much as we once did.  However, Jerrah continues to be an enormous and important part of my life.  She has been there for me in the worst of times and the best of times.  She has seen me fall and has always been there to help me pick myself up and move forward in life.  She has done all of this with the compassion and humor that only she can provide.  There has never been a time in my life where I said, “I need you” that she has not been there.  I could write for many more hours telling you what Jerrah means to me, but this post would be way too long to read, so I will sum it up by saying that Jerrah has brought so much joy to my life, and I could not imagine my life without her.  She has meant more to me than she probably even knows, and I am very thankful that God caused our paths to cross as we walk this journey of life together.

Jerrah with her Miniature Schnauzer, Taylor

The second person is my friend, Diane.  Diane and I met almost 20 years ago.  She was my aide in 1999.  She was only my aide for a couple of months because she was moved to a different school.  Over the years, we often worked in the same building.  We would talk on the playground and in the hallway.  However, one day in the teachers’ lounge our friendship was cemented.  Diane was talking to me about Tennessee Williams and telling me how much she enjoyed him.  Now, if you knew me very well, you would know that I am not an expert when it comes to famous playwrights.  However, I replied, “I love him too.  I used to love to watch his variety show!”  Diane gave me a funny look, and then I realized that she was talking about Tennessee Williams and I was talking about Tennessee Ernie Ford!  We laughed, and we have been close friends ever since.  In many ways, Diane has become a second mother to me.  She worries about me, checks on me, and takes care of me.  Diane has a dry sense of humor that I love, and she can take any stressful situation and say something sarcastically that makes me laugh and makes everything not seem so bad.  God has certainly blessed her with the ability to make others laugh, and I am very thankful to have been a recipient of that gift.  I am so thankful that God has placed Diane in my life, and the joy she has brought to my life is immeasurable.  I know that anytime I need her, she will be there for me and those type of friends do not come around very often.  

Diane with Parker and Peyton

God knows what each of us needs as we travel through this life.  He knows the tools that we need to overcome obstacles along the path, and He instills those within each of us.  He knows that we need to walk this journey with other people by our side, and He has given those people gifts that will assist us while we navigate the path.  We should never think for a moment that God has not placed every single person we come into contact with in our lives for a reason.  It is one of the many ways that God brings joy and comfort to us.  So, take a moment and look around at some of the people who God has placed in your life and make sure that you tell them and God that you are thankful for them.  The people we encounter in this life will teach us so many things, and they have the ability to bring us peace and PEACE MATTERS.  

~Dan~

Love

It has been said that love makes the world go ‘round.  People spend their whole lives searching for love.  They dream about it, sing about it, write about it, and fight for it.  We all want to find that one true love.  It becomes a quest for some of us and many of us find it, but there are some people who never seem to find it, and it affects their entire lives.  They see love as something to possess, and they often look in the wrong places to find it.  They are so desperate to feel love that they often mistake it and end up being even more disillusioned than they were before.  We all find ourselves searching for unconditional love, and many of us believe that it does not exist.  

There are many types of love.  There is the love we feel for our friends, there is the love will feel for our significant other, and there is the love we feel for our children.  There are many degrees of love.  There is the type of love that is fleeting and can end as quickly as it began.  There is the kind of love that is stronger, but can still be broken.  I believe that there is a continuum of love.  Imagine for a moment that love was something that we could actually see.  Love ranges from the very weak to the very strong.  The first degree begins like a spider web.  It is very fragile and anything can break it.  The next degree of love is like a piece of thread, then a piece of yarn.  It becomes thicker and becomes a thin rope, which becomes even sturdier until it is a piece of tightly woven fabric.  The tightly woven fabric eventually becomes even stronger and turns into metal.  The metal becomes thicker and thicker until it is a large steel beam.  If you know anything about steel beams, they are unbreakable.  This is God’s love.  You see, nothing can break the love of God.  He truly has unconditional love for all of us.  His love can never be broken no matter what we do.  He loves us when we are good, and He loves us when we are bad.  He will never turn His back on us, and He will never fall out of love with us.   

The only other love that can even compare with God’s love is that of a parent.  It is right below God’s love, and it is almost as strong as His.  For those of you who are parents, think about how much you love your children and even when they do wrong or disappoint you, you still love them.  They can spend years making bad decisions and messing up their lives, but you still love them.  They can even get mad at you and sometimes even be cruel to you, and you still love them.   

Now, think about this for a second. God’s love is even greater than that.  I find that completely amazing.  He loves us no matter what.  We can mess up our lives, make bad decisions, and even turn our backs on Him and He still loves us.  He waits patiently for us to finally realize that we need Him in our lives, and He welcomes us back home with open arms.  He doesn’t hold grudges and doesn’t try to make us feel guilty for our transgressions. He is just happy to see us again, and He helps us pick up the broken pieces of our lives and puts them back together for us.  Now, if that is not the true definition of unconditional love, I don’t know what is.   

The word love is mentioned in the Bible 310 times.  The Bible even says that the greatest of the gifts that God gives us is love.  Love can truly change our families, our country, our world, and us.  God tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves.  I believe that He also wants us to love people the way He loves us.  We may never be able to completely accomplish that, but if we can even get a little closer to it, it will change everything.   

So, the next time you think that you have really messed your life up and you feel alone and unloved, think of that steel beam.  Think of how much God loves you and remember that His love is unbreakable.  Rest in that assurance and go back home.  He will be waiting there with open arms and with more love than you can ever imagine.  Knowing God’s love is unconditional will bring us peace, and PEACE MATTERS. 

~Dan~  

The Gift of Joy: Part 3

Today is the third installment of “The Gift of Joy” series.  This week I am focusing on movies that bring me joy.  I am sure if you are like me, you have a list of favorite movies that you watch.  There are movies that we watch when we are feeling happy and ones we watch when we are feeling sad.  There are movies we watch when we are feeling good about our lives and some we watch when we are feeling discouraged.  Each of the movies serves an important purpose, and I believe that God has brought those movies to our attention to bring us joy and to help us enjoy life a little more.  I am going to tell you about three movies that bring me joy and tell you a little bit about why I chose these movies.  I hope you will enjoy my list and that it will help you to start thinking about the movies that bring you joy. 

I would love to hear about one movie that brings you joy.  I know it takes a while to leave a comment, so if you would rather, you can click on the “Contact” button above and send your response through an email.  I would love to hear from you in whatever way you choose to contact me.   

The Wizard of Oz:  I chose this movie for several reasons.  The first is the lesson that we are all supposed to learn from it.  When we watch this movie, we are reminded that there really is no place like home.  We should realize that when we look elsewhere to find happiness, it is actually in our own backyard.  It teaches us that our families are there for us even when we think they do not understand us and that they are there to support us and encourage us to dream.  This movie also brings me joy because of the many wonderful memories that it evokes when I watch it or think of it. I am from the generation who had to wait for The Wizard of Oz to be on television every spring.  I can remember seeing the advertisements for it and getting very excited.  As the air date got closer and closer, I would draw pictures illustrating my favorite scenes and imagine being a character in the movie.  When I watched it when I was very small, I would always run to the kitchen to be with my mom when the wicked witch would come on.  I was scared to death of her, but I wanted to watch anyway.  My most vivid memory of watching The Wizard of Oz is sitting in a chair with my grandma and watching the movie with her.  I felt so safe and loved as I watched my favorite movie with my favorite person.

Pillow Talk:  I chose this movie because Doris Day brings me joy.  How could she not bring all of us joy?  She is so cute and positive and tries to see the world as a wonderful place to live.  She loves animals and has dedicated her life to making sure that they are loved as much as they love us.  When I watch Pillow Talk, I cannot help but smile.  I experience a sense of peace every time I watch it, and I always feel better about things when it is over.  Pillow Talk is one of those movies that I go to when I am feeling sad.  It is impossible for me to hold on to my sadness when I see Doris Day come on the screen.  Plus, Doris Day plays an interior decorator in the movie, and well, you get the connection.

The Bishop’s Wife:  I chose this movie because it serves as a reminder to all of us that miracles happen every day.  There is not a day that goes by that God does not perform a miracle in our lives.  Many times, the miracles are small and go unnoticed, but they are there nonetheless.  This movie also teaches us that God does have angels that assist us here on earth.  We may never actually come face to face with them as the characters in the movie do, but they are there.  I believe that God has assigned all of us an angel, or in some cases many angels, to protect us and to bring us comfort.  This movie also teaches us that we have to believe that there is a plan for our lives and that God has everything under control.  It also teaches us that many times we get wrapped up in the material things in life when what we should focus on is the love that we share with the people in our lives and the goodness that we can do for others.  

So, as you can see, each of these movies is quite different.  However, for me, they are very similar.  They fill my heart with joy, they remind me that God is in control, and they bring back fond memories of my life and the people who have made my life better.  God can use a multitude of things to make our lives better.  He can use a simple movie to help us be at peace.  He can use a movie to teach us a valuable lesson.  All we have to do is to look for the joy in everything we do, hear, or see.  The joy is there waiting for us; we just have to be ready and willing to accept it.  Having joy in our lives, even in the simplest of things, will bring us peace and PEACE MATTERS.

~Dan~

Dog is God Spelled Backwards

It is hard to find someone who doesn’t love dogs.  If you do find someone who is not a dog lover you may want to reconsider what you think of that person . . . just kidding, but really people seemed to be drawn to dogs.  Jeff and I own two dogs, Peyton and Paycee.  They are the joy of our lives.  They have brought us so much happiness, and they are there for us when we need them and we cannot imagine our lives without them.  

There has been a lot of research done on the effect that dogs have on us.  Being with a dog calms us down; petting a dog lowers our blood pressure and puts us at ease.  That could explain why 83.3 million households in American own dogs.  I have been thinking about dogs a lot lately and how they behave.  When we come home at the end of the day, our dogs are so happy to see us.  The joy they feel is obvious in every single part of their bodies.  They literally shake with happiness at the sight of us.  All dogs really want out of life is to be with their owners.  They follow us around making sure that they know where we are at all times.  When they sleep, they position themselves so that a part of their body is touching us so that they know when we move.  

Dogs are truly one of the most, if not the most, loyal creatures on earth.  They love unconditionally.  They do not care what you look like, what you weigh, how much money you have, how much education you have, where you live, what you drive, what color you are, or if you are a man or a woman. All they care about is that you love them.  If you love a dog and take care of it, it will love you more than you could ever love it.  Dogs do not hold a grudge.  They are so forgiving, and they truly do have the capacity to forgive and forget.  Even when we scold our dogs, they love us.  Even when we may mistreat our dogs and ignore them, they love us.  They do not get mad at us, and they forgive our mistakes instantly.  

I have heard people say that the word dog is God spelled backwards.  I have dismissed this idea for years, just thinking that it is one of those things that cannot be explained.  However, when I think about dogs and how they react to us, it makes me think that there may be something to it.  Consider this for a moment.  Think about God.  When we return to Him after being gone for whatever reason, He is happy to see us.  He is overjoyed, and it does not matter how long we were gone.  He is just happy to welcome us back.  God wants to be with us all the time.  In fact, He is with us all the time.  He is our constant companion.  God loves us unconditionally.  He doesn’t care what kind of a person we are, how much money we have, what our profession is, what we believe, or whom we love.  He loves us for whom we are.  God has the capacity to forgive and forget.  When we do something wrong, He forgives us in an instant.  If we step away from Him and displease Him through our actions, He is ready to forgive us as soon as we ask, and once He forgives us, it is wiped away.  He does not hold grudges and does not make us feel guilty for our past.  He is loyal, and He has our best interest in mind at all times.  He protects us and just wants to be with us.  His presence in our lives calms us down and brings us peace.  

So, really when you think about it, God and dogs have a lot in common.  God truly knew what He was doing when He created dogs.  I believe that God created dogs to be an example to us of God’s love.  We can see it and feel it every single day in the presence of our trusted companions.  If you find yourself lonely and feel like you have no one in your life who loves you for just you, maybe you should consider adopting a dog.  If the situation you are in does not allow you to own a dog, consider volunteering at or supporting an animal shelter.  The love you give to a dog will come back to you more than you could ever imagine, just like God’s love.  If you have faith in God and follow Him, He will fill your life with more love, hope, and ultimately peace than you could ever imagine, and PEACE MATTERS. 

~Dan~  

Below are some images of dogs that I found on Pinterest and Google Images.  These pictures give us a small glimpse of the love that dogs can bring to our lives. 

A dog hugging a child

This homeless man uses his dog to hide his tears from the camera.

This military dog is a constant companion to his troop members and serves his country with bravery and honor.

This dog gets a ride in his owner's backpack as they take a hike together.

This homeless man cuddles with his dog.

The Gift of Joy: Part 2

After I posted “The Gift of Joy” last week, I started thinking more about the things that bring me joy, and I realized that having joy in our lives is one very important ingredient to having more peace in our lives.  I knew when I did my first post that I would write about things that bring me joy again, but now I realize that it should be a bigger series than I had originally planned.  So, for the next several weeks I will be using my Thursday post to reveal more things that bring me joy.  This will allow all of you to get to know me a little better, and I hope that it will help you to start thinking about the things that bring you joy more often, which will inevitably bring more peace to all of our lives.  

When I decided to make this a series, I starting thinking about some of the things that bring me joy, and I found myself putting them in order of importance.  I started thinking that some of the things that bring me joy are not as important as other things.  While that is true, I also realized that even the simplest things in life can bring us joy, and while they may be simple, they can have a significant impact on our lives and bring us joy when we need it the most.  

This week I have decided to list five celebrities who bring me joy.  I know that many of us admire celebrities.  We all enjoy watching or listening to certain people, and sometimes we feel a connection with them even though we have never actually met them.  The five celebrities I chose all happened to be women.  I can remember the very first time I became aware of each of these women, and there was an instant spark when I first saw them.  Many of these women overcame challenges in their own lives.  Some struggled with poverty, others with injuries that could have ruined their careers, and some with unfair stereotypes.  Whatever the challenge that each of these women faced, they faced them with courage knowing that there was a plan for them to do something extraordinary with their lives.  All of us, just like these five women, have obstacles in our lives, but when we put our trust in God and allow Him to guide us, we can overcome all the obstacles in our path.  God can make a way where there seems to be no way, and when we follow Him we will become all that we are meant to be.  

All five of these women make the world a more beautiful place through a variety of avenues.  They have made the world more pleasing through song, acting, decorating, and most of all humor.  They have made us laugh and cry.  They have inspired us to make our world more beautiful, and they have shown us that we all have God-given gifts that we can use to improve the lives of the people with whom we come into contact.  That is something else that none of us should forget.  God has given each of us unique gifts and talents, and we should do our best to use those gifts to make the world a better place.  No gift is too small or too insignificant to make a difference in someone’s life.  It is our job to allow God to use us and our gifts to bless the lives of the people we come into contact with.

I hope you will enjoy the second installment of “The Gift of Joy”, and I hope that you will continue to look for and acknowledge the things that bring you joy.  As I said in my previous post, God has placed things in our lives to bring us joy.  Living on this earth can be difficult at times, but there is still so much joy to be had.  Living a life full of joy will lead to more peace and PEACE MATTERS.

~Dan~

Joanna Gaines

Dolly Parton

Doris Day

Kelly Ripa

Reba McEntire

Surrendering to God

We have all been taught that we should pray for God’s will in all things.  We pray, “Not my will, but yours.”  However, how many of us really do that?  It is not that we do not want His will for our lives, but we think we know what His will is.  We get it in our minds what we need from God and we expect Him to do that for us.  We not only expect Him to do it, we expect it to happen when we want it to happen.  We think we know what God’s will is and we think we know the time frame in which God should operate.  The key to submitting to God’s will is to surrender everything to Him.  We should let Him be in control of everything in our lives.   

I know that sounds simple, but it is a lot harder than it seems.  We have spent most of our lives trying to be in control of everything.  We think we know what is best for us, and we think we know what is best for the people we love.  Sometimes we pray to God almost in a ritualistic manner expecting Him to surrender to us; however, we must surrender to Him.  He really does know what is best for us and His timing is perfect.  We all have situations in our lives that we do not like. We want them to change, and we think we have the perfect solution.  We pray to God, but when we do not get the results that we think are best, we become frustrated and begin to lose faith.  If we would truly surrender everything to God in the first place, it would save us so much grief and frustration.  Many times, it takes us surrendering to God to get the answer to our prayers.   

Oprah Winfrey tells the story of how she got the part of Sofia in The Color Purple very often.  If you have not heard it, I will summarize it for you.  Oprah was obsessed with the book The Color Purple.  She felt that she was meant to have a role in the film.  She carried the book around with her all the time and even had extra copies with her that she would give to people so that they could read the book.  She prayed and prayed that she would get a part in the movie.  Oprah had never acted before, so the chance of her getting a part in the movie seemed unlikely, but she prayed anyway.  After a while, she began to lose hope and could not imagine why God was not answering her prayers.  It consumed her to the point that that was all she could think about.  Finally, one day she felt like God told her to surrender it to Him.  She was at a facility trying to lose weight.  She went to walk around the track and while she was walking she sang the song, “I Surrender All.”  As she was walking, one of the workers found her and told her that Steven Spielberg had called and wanted her for the part of Sofia in the movie.  Her prayers had been answered, but it had to be in God’s time, and He had to know that she had truly surrendered it to Him.   

We have to surrender things in our lives too.  When we do surrender everything to God, we will have a peace and understanding about life unlike anything we have ever experienced before.  When He does answer our prayers, and He will, we will say to ourselves, “Now I get it.”  Another way we are supposed to surrender to God is when He asks us to do something we should do it.  God truly works through people, and He wants to work through all of us.  We have all heard people say, “I felt like God wanted me to call you and tell you something” or “I felt led of God.”  When He asks us to do something, we should submit to His will and do it.  Sometimes He will ask us to do things that are hard for us to do, but we have to do it anyway.  When we surrender to Him and do what He asks us to do, we will be a blessing to others and in turn God will bless us.   

So, if you are praying for something that you think is best for you or someone you love and you feel like you are not getting the results you want, surrender it to God.  That could be what He is waiting on.  If you feel like God has a job for you and He has placed it on your heart, surrender to Him and do it.  When we truly surrender to God, He will bring peace into our lives that will go far beyond our understanding and PEACE MATTERS! 

~Dan~

The Gift of Joy

I have been working on trying to see the positive side of life more and more.  As I was thinking about the positive aspects of life, I starting thinking about the things that bring me joy.  There are so many things in all of our lives that bring us joy.  What brings a person joy is different for each of us.  However, when we discover something that brings us joy, we find ourselves wanting to share that joy with others.  As I have said many times, each life touches so many others and sharing the things that bring us joy is just another way for us to touch the lives of the people with whom we come into contact.  

When we think about the things that bring us joy, we feel warm inside, we get a smile on our face, and we feel happy.  All of these feelings are important to living a life that is positive and full of peace.  We often mistakenly believe that God does not care about the little things that make us happy.  We believe that He is too busy to care about such things.  The thing that all of us need to remember is that God does care about the things that bring us joy.  Actually, He brought those things to our attention and He created us to like the things we like because He knew they would bring us joy.  God is interested in every little detail about our lives.  He wants us to be happy, and He wants us to have things in life that bring us joy.  He knows that it is those things that will sustain us during the difficult times in our lives.  He has placed them there to be a comfort to us and to make our lives better.  

With that being said, I decided to share a few of the things that bring joy to my life.  When I was thinking about the list to share with all of you, I realized that I had so many different things that bring me joy that it was difficult for me to narrow it down.  So today, I am going to share five non-living things that bring me joy and will post more at a later date.  I would also like all of you to start making a list of the things that bring you joy, and if you have time, I would like for you to leave a comment about one thing that brings you joy.  I know that we are all very busy and it takes time to leave a comment, so if you want you can just leave one word.  When we share with others the things that bring us joy, they will start thinking about the things that bring them joy.   

I hope you will enjoy my list of things that bring me joy, and I hope that it will inspire you to start focusing on the things that bring you joy.  When we think about the things that bring us joy, we will have more peace in our lives and PEACE MATTERS!

~Dan~

Saltbox houses

Early primitives

Decorating our house

Making samplers

Early samplers

Taking Care of Yourself

Many of us spend most of our lives taking care of other people.  We have been taught that we are supposed to take care of our children, our friends, our spouse, and our parents.  We put so much energy into taking care of all the people in our lives that we often do not take care of ourselves.  The fact is we are not any good to anyone unless we take care of ourselves.  There has been a fundamental shift in our world lately based on taking care of our bodies.  We are obsessed with exercise, eating healthy foods, and not drinking or smoking.  We cannot turn the television or radio on without hearing someone telling us how to take care of our bodies.  This is very important, but we also have to take care of our spirit.  

We can never take care of anyone or do God’s work with a weak or sick spirit.  It is often easy for us to know what we have to do to take care of our bodies.  When we do we can see and feel the results.  Taking care of our spirit will get us similar results.  We will look and feel differently.  Just like exercise, taking care of our spirit takes time.  It is something that we have to train ourselves to do.  It will make us sore, and we will get frustrated that things are not changing quickly enough, but in time we will notice a change.  We have often heard that “Pain is gain.”  This concept can also be applied to our spirit.  You see when we go through a painful time in our lives our spirit grows and becomes stronger if we face the pain correctly.  Having a strong spirit is something we have to train for.  We would never run a race without training first.  Why, then, would we go through the race of this life without training our spirit first?  

There are many ways to train our spirit, and God is the master trainer.  We can train our spirit by having positive thoughts; we can train our spirit by praying and talking to God.  We can train our spirit by reading the Bible and other books that are positive and uplifting.  We can train our spirit by watching the right kind of shows on television or listening to uplifting programs on the radio.  The best way to train our spirit is to surround ourselves with positive thoughts.  We have to think in a positive manner, and we have to project a positive attitude.  In order to do this, we have to rely on God for everything.  We have to allow Him to talk to us and guide our path.  We have to turn to Him when things get difficult, and we have to give Him the control.  When we do this, much of life can seem a little easier.  Once we have trained our spirit and we are in good shape once again, then we can be a service to the people in our lives.  Once we have found peace within ourselves, we can help others find peace.  Once we have discovered the hope that God wants for all of us, we can direct others to the hope that we have discovered.  

While it is very important that we help other people and it will help us in the process, we have to be in shape to do the best job we can.  So, take time for yourself and include God in that time.  Find time to be still and communicate with God.  Allow the pain and strife that we will encounter in this life to strengthen you, not define or defeat you.  Lean on God and let Him train your spirit.  He is the perfect coach and trainer.  Just like exercise, it is something that we will have to make a daily part of our lives, and it is something we have to do everyday, but it will make us feel so much better that we will not want to go a day without it.  When we take the time to take care of ourselves and attend to the wellbeing of our spirit we will have peace, and PEACE MATTERS.

~Dan~       

Seeing the Beauty in Life

Yesterday when I was at school I found myself humming a song for no particular reason.  I often find myself doing this, but when I realized what song I was humming, it made me stop and think for a moment.  The song that I was humming was “Accentuate the Positive.”  I am sure most of you know this Johnny Mercer song, but in case you do not know it, I am sure you will recognize these first lines from the song.  “You have to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, latch on to the affirmative, but don’t mess with mister in between.”  When I thought about the song a little further, I began to see that that is what we all should really do.  We should spend most of our time accentuating the positive and eliminating the negative.  

You see, the thing that many of us often forget is that there is still so much beauty and positivity for us to focus on in this world.  We often find ourselves focusing on all of the negative things.  This is easy to do because it seems that we are constantly reminded of all the negative things that are happening around us.  What we all need to try harder to do is focus on the positive side of life.  That is what God wants all of us to do, and He has provided all of us with positive things that we can focus on if we just take a moment to notice them.  

There is so much beauty in the world.  We all see the world through different eyes.  I see the world differently than another person does, and he sees it differently than I do.  We all have our own unique way of seeing the world.  However, if we are focusing on the beauty of the world, it is true that we may see the beauty in different places, but the feeling that we have because of the beauty that we see will be the same.

Some people see beauty in nature.  There are so many beautiful things to behold when we look at nature.  A misshapen tree, a flock of geese, a mother deer with her fawn, a sunflower, and the list goes on and on.  Others see beauty in their surroundings.  Maybe they see beauty in a painting, an antique piece of furniture, the sound of a loved ones voice, the sound of a child laughing, or the bark of joy that a cherished pet makes when we come home.  Others see beauty in acts kindness.  They see beauty when someone performs a random act of kindness, gives to a charity, smiles, calls an old friend, or tries to make someone else’s life better.  

Regardless of what makes us see the beauty in the world, the most important thing is that we see it.  When we see the beauty in the world, we will have a better outlook on life.  We will not feel so heavy and we will have more peace and PEACE MATTERS!  

~Dan~

Small Change Does a World of Good

If you are like me, the first few weeks after Christmas you get the decorating bug.  I am not sure if I get the urge to redecorate because it is the beginning of a new year or because the house looks so blah after the Christmas decorations come down.  Regardless of the reason, every January, I find myself redecorating.  Many times the changes I make are only minor, but those small changes seem to make all the difference when I do them.  

This year, I have found myself following the same yearly ritual, so I thought I would share a few pictures of what I have done with you.  As I continue down the road of making our house more early, I am amazed by the progress that I have made.  The house is feeling more and more cohesive, and every room I enter into makes me feel a little more peaceful.  As most of you know, our house is currently for sale and when it does sell, we will be building a saltbox.  So in many ways, the collections that I am adding to now and the way that I am displaying them is a practice run for the saltbox.  Even though it seems we are not making progress on building our dream house, we actually are.  I am making progress by realizing how I want to display my collections, and I am making progress by acquiring more early pieces that will look perfect in our future home.  

As I was thinking about making small changes in our house, I was reminded of how each of us should make changes in our own lives and in our relationship with God.  God does not want us to become stagnant in our relationship with Him.  He wants us to continue to draw closer to Him, and He wants our understanding of His plan for our lives to become clearer with each passing day.  That is the thing about this life that we all need to remember.  None of us are perfect and none of us will ever completely understand what God has planned for our lives, but that does not mean that we should not try to continue to improve.  God is so massive and powerful that the more we come to understand His ways, the less we really understand. However, in trying to understand His ways, we develop a closer relationship with Him, and that in itself makes all the difference.  

In many ways our homes are a symbol of our own lives and our souls.  We want our homes to be the best they can be and we want to update them and maintain them.  We want them to reflect a sense of peace, and we want others to see the joy they bring us.  We should want the same thing for our souls and for our relationship with God.  We should want our souls to be the best they can be.  We should update them and maintain them.  We should strive to have our souls reflect God’s peace, and we should want others to see the joy that having a peaceful soul brings.  Improving our souls is very much like improving our houses; sometimes it is the little changes that do a world of good.

I hope you will enjoy the pictures of our house with the small changes that I have made, and I hope that you will continue to try each day to improve your soul.  When we make small changes to the places in which we dwell we will have more peace and PEACE MATTERS.  

~Dan~

Family Relationships

Most of what we know today about relationships and communication we learned from our families. Family is critically important and should be nurtured.  Families should always stick together and support each other.  Although this life can be difficult at times, we need to know that we have someone in our corner.  Our families should serve that purpose in all situations.  We should be able to rely on our families for whatever we need, and they should be able to rely on us as well.   

Family relationships are one of the strongest bonds that we have on earth.  We long to be with them, we want to hear from them, and we think about them constantly.  God placed all of us in families to give us companionship and to teach us about life. Where would any of us be without our families, in particular our parents?  Parents have the ability to love unconditionally.  They love their children no matter what they do, and they want to help their children in anyway they can.  A parent’s love is as close to God’s love as we can get here on earth.   Good parents will love their children unconditionally and will always strive to support them in every way possible.  

Even though we do love our families and they are the most important people on earth to us, we sometimes disagree and argue.  We can disagree, but when the chips are down, we should stick together and build each other up.  We should be able to go to our families and discuss anything.  It is our safe place, and we should always be able to find acceptance there.

God has blessed each of us with families, and we should appreciate and hold on to them no matter what.  Most of us are able to look at our families and see beyond their faults.  God has given us that ability.  We may see their shortcomings, but we love them anyway.  This ability makes us stand up for our families at all costs and to defend them when we need to.  

God wants us to have a close relationship with our families, and He wants us to depend on them, much like we depend on Him.  He wants us to support them, and He wants them to do the same for us.  God gave us families so that we could experience the kind of love that He can offer us here on earth.  

So, cling to your family, cherish them, support them, and defend them.  Always try to appreciate them and always strive to get along.  If you do have a disagreement with a family member, try to resolve the issue quickly.  Be slow to anger and quick to forgive.  We all need our families. Our families can bring us peace, and PEACE MATTERS!    

~Dan~

Recognizing the Truth

We have all heard that the truth will set us free.  We have been taught from a young age that we are supposed to tell the truth, and we try to teach others the same concept, but when it comes to being truthful with ourselves, we often fail.  We are great avoiders.  We want to project a certain image to others and ourselves, so we often live in denial.  Living in denial does not lead to peace.  We think that it does, because when we live in denial we have a sense of false peace.  It is a sense of false peace because we are just delaying the inevitable and we are making our suffering private.  

We live in denial about a multitude of things.  Our marriage is falling apart, our spouse has been unfaithful, our child is on drugs, our child is getting a divorce, our child has a disability and will never lead an independent life, our father has a drinking problem, or our friend is taking advantage of us.  The list goes on and on.  For every situation we find ourselves in we make excuses and live in denial.  

We refuse to face them for a variety of reasons.  It is often because of shame and pride.  We want everybody to think our lives are perfect and that we have all the answers.  We think that if people really knew the truth they would not respect us or want us in their lives.  We sell people short, so the private suffering continues.  Many times, our denial is so deep that we do not even let God in.  We just keep living our lives and trying to deal with these situations the best way we can.  We make excuses and justify the situations in a million ways.  This goes on for so long that it eventually starts to affect our lives, and we find that we have no peace.  We begin to turn inward and pull away from everyone we know including God.  So the question becomes why would we want to face these situations on our own?  

God has placed people in our lives to help us, and even when we feel like we cannot lean on the people in our lives, we can always turn to God.  He is always there for us.  He will provide comfort and hope for us.  The first thing we have to do, though, is be honest with ourselves and admit that there is a problem.  Once we admit that there is a problem we are on the road to recovery.  The second step is to bring the problem to God and let Him direct our path.  If we allow God to direct our path in these situations, it will help us have confidence that we are doing the right thing.  God wants us to face our problems.  He does not want us to live in denial.  God wants us to wake from our slumber, face reality, and take the appropriate course of action.  

It will be difficult to face the reality of the situations because many of us have spent years hiding our problems and living in the altered reality that we have created.  Dealing with a problem with truthfulness and honesty will eventually lead to peace.  When we truthfully confront the situation with God’s guidance, we will come to terms with the situation, accept it, and our peace will be restored.  We have to pray to God and ask Him to help us.  He will help us.  God is powerful, and He can change any situation in our lives if we let Him.  

Praying to God doesn’t mean that the answer will be what we want, but it will be what we need, and God will even give us peace over the answer that He knows is best for us.  When we truly have peace in our lives and truly have faith in God and believe that He knows best, we can have peace over every situation, no matter how difficult it may be.  God can make a way where we think there is no way. We just have to let Him guide us and let Him solve the problem in His time.  

I know how difficult facing reality can be.  It is embarrassing, scary, and humbling, but we have to do it.  If we do not face reality and bring our private struggles to God, we will never have peace over it, and we will always struggle with it.  There comes a time in all of our lives where we have to lay the burden of denial down and say, “This is me.  I am flawed, but I accept my flaws.”  When we do that and take it to God, we will be on our way to peace.  When we face the reality of life we can be more honest with ourselves and others.  Others will find inspiration in our struggles and will look to us to see how we deal with them.  Hiding our problems from God is never a good idea.  He knows the truth anyway.  

So, let’s all try harder to face reality, to admit that there is a problem, to take it to God and let Him handle it.  When we do that we will be free of the shame, the embarrassment, and the fear.  We will have hope and peace in our lives, and PEACE MATTERS!

~Dan~

Reflections

As the old year silently passes away and the New Year rises over the horizon, we often get reflective about the past year and our minds are drawn to the memories that the old year possessed as our hopes for the New Year begin to emerge.  I, like all of you, find myself reflecting on the past year and my mind is flooded with memories.  Many of the memories of 2015 are good ones.  As I focus on the good times of 2015, I cannot help but remember some of the challenges that 2015 held for me too.  All of our lives are made up of memories.  Our memories and the events in our lives help to shape us into the person that we are and into the person that we are yet to be.  Every experience we walk through, the good and the bad, make us the person that God has always intended for us to be.  It is difficult for us to realize that when we are walking through this life, but when we take a moment and reflect on all our experiences, we can see God’s hand working in our lives, and we can see that all of our experiences were intended to make us better people.  They have given us faith, and they have taught us that God has a plan for all of our lives.  

When I reflect on December 31, 2014, I am amazed at the progress that I have made through God’s help and guidance.  I remember being very reflective on New Year’s Eve of 2014.  I remember thinking of all the trials that 2014 brought my way.  I was making my way out of the hole that I was in, but I had no idea just how much God would do for me in the new year.  As 2015 dawned, I was filled with more questions and doubt than anything else.  I felt the hope and trust growing inside of me, but it was not fully realized.  I did not know it at the time, but I was on the cusp of a breakthrough that would change my life and set me on a course of newfound peace.  

I remember sitting in my apartment alone that New Years’ Eve and sending out a text to all the people I love.  I cannot completely remember the words of that text, but I thanked people for their support and the love that they had shown me during 2014.  I acknowledged that I knew that I had made mistakes and that I knew that I had to improve the life that I was living.  I ended the text message with the following quote.  "We ain't what we should be, we ain't what we gonna be, but at least we ain't what we was."  This was a quote from an episode of Designing Women that I had always enjoyed and it had really touched me the first time I heard it back in 1999.  It seemed very fitting for where I was in my life.  That is the thing that all of us need to remember about our lives.  We may not be who we should be, we may not be who we are going to be, but at least we are not who we were.  

We all should live our lives trying to improve ourselves, and in the process we will improve the lives of the people we know and eventually the world.  We often forget that change takes place one person at a time.  It is not something that happens overnight.  It is something that starts off as a distant goal and with each day that we try to live a better life, the change gets closer and closer until eventually we can see the change and then we start helping others try to change.  This life is very reciprocal.  One life touches another and another and another.  

2015 turned out to be a very good year for me.  It was the year that I found peace.  It was the year that I began to understand what all of us are called to do.  It was the year that I began to change, and in turn I began to change my world.  None of this would have been possible without God and the love of so many people.  None of it would have been possible without taking that first step in faith knowing that everything was going to be okay and that God had a plan.  I am far from where I hope to eventually be, but I am so thankful for every single step that I have taken so far on my journey to peace.  It has been a journey that has taken 43 year, and I know that I still have many more years to go through on my journey to complete peace.

None of us will ever experience complete peace here on this earth, but we can all have more peace in our lives than we do in this very moment.  That should be the goal for all of us.  Peace is the key that unlocks all the hopes and dreams that we all have for our lives.  Peace is what allows us to get up in the morning and face the struggles of the day with joy in our hearts and a smile on our face.  Peace is what helps us reach out to our fellowman and make the world a better place.  Without peace we have nothing.  Peace surely does matter.  

As I think about the year 2016, I am filled with excitement and anticipation to see what God has in store for me.  I know that there will be many good times, and I know that there will be difficult times.  There will be great highs and terrible lows, but through it all, I know for the first time in a very long time that God will be right there walking beside me and encouraging me to keep going.  I also know that if the way becomes too bumpy He will pick me up and carry me.  Just knowing that brings peace to my spirit and allows me to continue to have the hope that God has instilled in me during 2015.  

I am also excited to see where this blog goes in 2016.  I hope that it will continue to grow and I hope that it will continue to touch lives one person at a time.  Whatever happens in 2016 we all need to remember that God has a plan and that there are no coincidences in this life.  God is with each of us every single minute of every single day of our lives.  

I would also like to take moment to thank all of you for the love and support you have shown me since I began this blog in June 2015.  I could not ask to have been treated any better, and each time you visit and like the post or leave a comment, I feel your encouragement and it gives me the courage to keep going.  Many of you will never know what your words have meant to me, so all I can say is that I sincerely thank each of you from the bottom of my heart.  

I also ask that you help me spread the word of peace in 2016.  We can all make a difference, and we can all bring more peace to the world.  If you know of someone who you think would enjoy visiting Peace Matters, I hope you will share the blog address with them.  I hope you will continue to visit when you can, and I hope that you will continue to do your part in making the world a better place.  This may not be Heaven, but while we are here, we can make it feel a little more like Heaven.  

I hope that all of you have a wonderful New Year, and I hope that 2016 will bring you more peace, and I hope that you will begin to share the peace you have in your heart with others so that it will spread.  I cannot predict what 2016 will be like for any of us, but I can guarantee you this, God will be right there with us guiding our steps, encouraging us with His words, and illuminating our paths.  That certainly brings me peace for the New Year, and we should never forget that PEACE MATTERS!

~Dan~  

I wish all of you a happy and healthy New Year.  I pray that 2016 is the best year you have ever had and I pray that peace will flood your life and your spirit because PEACE MATTERS.  Happy 2016!  

Do Not Resist the Urge to Do Something Good

As the Christmas season draws to an end, many of us find ourselves suffering from a certain amount of post-Christmas depression.  It seems that all of our efforts went into making this Christmas the merriest and best and when it is over, we feel a sense of loss or feel somewhat let down.  As we begin to take our Christmas decorations down, our houses do not appear as bright and cherry as they did before.  There seems to be a sense of darkness with the absence of all of the lights that once occupied our homes.  Many times, we feel this sense of darkness in our own lives.  We begin to feel a little lackluster, and it seems that there is not as much to look forward to as there recently was.  When we think about the coming months, all we can really focus on is the long winter ahead, and there doesn’t seem to be much of anything exciting to look forward to.  

This is a very common emotion that most of us feel to varying degrees, but this is an emotion that God does not want us to experience.  As I have said before, God wants us to feel as if everyday is Christmas.  God wants us to carry the spirit of Christmas with us all throughout the year.  One way that we can keep the Christmas spirit alive is by doing something to help our fellowman.  God is constantly urging us to do something good for someone, and we should answer the call instead of resisting the urge and ignoring the thoughts of goodwill that enter our minds on a daily basis.  

Imagine for a moment, if you will, what the world would be like if we all did all the good things that we feel like we are supposed to do but often do not end up doing.  If we all answered the call every single time we felt the urge to reach out to someone, there would be an abundance of goodwill for everyone.  We all need to remember that it is God who is causing us to feel drawn to do the good deeds that enter our minds, and we should strive hard not to suppress them.  These good deeds can take many forms, and often they do not require much of us.  Maybe we feel the urge to call, text, or email someone just to say, “I am thinking of you.”  Maybe we feel like we should donate money or unwanted things to a charity.  Maybe we feel drawn to give of our time to a sick friend or relative, an animal shelter, or a shelter for people who are less fortunate than we are.  Maybe we feel like we should smile at a stranger, open a door for an elderly person, or stop and help someone who is having car trouble.  Maybe, for no particular reason, we feel like we should send a card or a small gift to someone who means something to us.  Maybe we feel like we should take our neighbors a pie or cake.  

Whatever the urge is, when we feel it we should understand that the urge to do something good is coming from God.  When we feel the urge to do something good, we immediately start making excuses as to why we should not answer the call.  The most common excuses are that we are afraid the person will think we are crazy, that doing the good deed will take up too much of our time, or that the person may get too attached to us.  We all need to understand that these are lies that Satan tells us to keep us from doing the good things that God wants us to do.  If Satan can stop one good deed, then he is happy.  We have to not allow the lack of confidence that Satan tries to instill in all of us to keep us from doing the good that we are all called to do.  When we do answer the call and do something good for someone and it makes him or her feel special and loved, we will also feel special and loved.  When we continue to have a giving spirit all year long and not just in December, the lives of the people who our good deeds touch will change, and they will feel better about doing good for someone and the cycle will continue and eventually the world will be a better place.  

So, if you are struggling with the post-Christmas blues and wondering how you can keep the spirit of Christmas alive for a little longer, start answering the call to do something good for someone every single time you feel it.  If we will all live our lives with a giving spirit there will be no post-Christmas blues, just post-Christmas joy.  Now, doesn’t that sound a whole lot better?  We can all answer the call. and we can all make the world a better place one good deed at a time.  Living our lives with a giving spirit, heeding the urge to reach out to our fellowman, and spreading God’s love will lead all of us to peace and PEACE MATTERS.

~Dan~ 

The Best Christmas Ever

For today’s post, I am sharing the first writing that I ever did.  I had no idea when I wrote this story in 1999 how many stories and articles that I would eventually write.  I wrote this story sixteen years ago and gave it to my parents as a Christmas gift.  I had long ago forgotten about writing it until one evening last week when suddenly the memory of writing it came back to me.  I texted my mom and asked her about the story, and she told me that she had just seen it a couple of days ago.  She sent it to me, and I retyped it so that I could use it as my Christmas Eve post.  I did my best not to change the story as I typed it.  I did fix a few things like typos and misplaced commas, but for the most part it is in its original form.  

When I first reread it, I was quite surprised that the tone of the story is very similar to many of the posts that I have already written for this blog.  I know that I should not have been surprised, but I was.  This story and the letter that served as the introduction is proof that God continues to talk to us even when we are completely unaware of it and that His words do not change with time.  The only thing that really changes is our understanding of His words and our willingness to listen to His voice and go where He leads.  I hope you will enjoy this story, and I hope that it will help you achieve a little bit more of that much sought after Christmas spirit.  

                                                                                                                         December 25, 1999

Mom and Dad, 

This is a very special season in the history of our family, a time to be together and to show our love for each other through gifts.  As you know, the most precious gifts are those that come from the heart.  This is one of those gifts.

This story is based on a time in our lives long ago.  It’s about the most precious gift of all, the love shared within a family.  It’s about two parents who never knew the meaning of selfishness and sacrificed to provide for their family.  It’s about having faith in God and resting in His wisdom.

This story is not a masterpiece and if you look closely, you will find many mistakes, but it came from my heart.  I hope that it somehow brightens your day.  I hope that you always know that your many sacrifices have not gone unnoticed or unappreciated.  Always remember, God has a plan.  He always does, but sometimes people forget and try to make their own imperfect plans.  People can only see a little way down the road, but He can see the whole trip.  I dedicate this story to both of you with all my love.

Dan

The Best Christmas Ever

The wind was unusually bitter as Darlene went to her car in the deserted parking lot of the grocery store where she worked.  Darlene had just worked the night shift, and the Thanksgiving rush had worn her out and made her feel much older than her 36 years.  Darlene had decided a long time ago that she would be a stay at home mom, a decision not very popular in the early 1980s.  But the situation she and her husband, George, were in now completely changed her plans.  George, a hard working coal miner, had been laid off a few years before.  The only way for their family to survive was for both of them to get minimum wage jobs to try to make ends meet.  

That night the wind sent a cold chill through Darlene.  An even colder chill was felt deep in the pit of her stomach.  The cold weather was an all too real reminder that Christmas was coming.  This would normally fill Darlene with warm thoughts, but on that night it brought her terrible dread.  For at home in their beds were three little boys.  Darlene thought of how much she loved those boys.  They were “the apples of her eyes.” She would have gladly given her life for them.  She and George wanted to give them everything, but finances seemed to make that impossible.  At this time of year it didn’t seem like enough to just clothe them, feed them, and provide a warm bed for them.  They wanted to make all of their Christmas fantasies come true.  

When Darlene arrived home, she went in to check on the boys.  They were fast asleep and had been for quite some time.  As tears filled her eyes, she whispered a silent prayer, “Dear Lord, provide for my boys this year.  George and I need your help desperately.”  Darlene finally got into bed after doing the dishes, packing lunches, and doing a load of laundry.  When she lay down in bed, she began to fall asleep when suddenly she was awakened by hundreds of ideas.  

Christmas was the season when anything was possible, and in the early hours of that morning Darlene really began to believe it.  She took mental notes of all the things she needed to do.  As she began to fall asleep again, she whispered another prayer, “Thank you Lord, I know everything will be okay.”  

The next month seemed to fly by.  Darlene and George were busy with their jobs and trying to raise their boys.  Still, somehow, they each found time to complete, one-by-one, all of the projects on Darlene’s list.  It seemed, at times, they would never finish.  Deep down they both knew they would.

Soon it was Christmas Eve, and the boys were in their beds trying desperately to go to sleep.  When the last gift was wrapped and placed under the tree, Darlene and George stood back in awe.  “This sure doesn’t look like a Christmas Tree of a family who was without money.  In fact, it looks like a tree of a prosperous family,” they thought.  Darlene and George went to bed satisfied and thankful for their many blessings.  

While she was laying in bed that early Christmas Morning, Darlene found it hard to imagine that her boys were having more trouble sleeping than she.  Finally, six a.m. arrived.  Soon the bedroom door opened, and she heard tiny footsteps.  Without opening her eyes, she knew who it was, her youngest.  The older boys always sent him to wake them.  He was the most persistent, a quality Darlene was sure would assist him in the future.  He spoke in a child’s voice, but sounded much older.  “Mom, get up,” he said.  “It is Christmas Morning and Santa has been here.”  Darlene nudged George and said, “Did you hear that, honey?  Santa’s been here.”  Darlene and George wanted to jump out of bed and run for the tree, but it was Christmas, a time when tradition is very important.  So, they both acted like they couldn’t possibly get out of bed.  They even suggested that they all go back to bed and get up later that morning.  Well, their youngest wouldn’t hear of it and almost demanded that they get up.  

When they were all in front of the tree and Darlene and George saw the expressions on the boys’ faces, they knew that all of the hard work they had put in was well worth it. It seemed like the boys would never finish opening their presents.  Each new gift was greeted with a loud cry of joy, especially from the oldest and youngest, who had the most trouble controlling themselves.  Darlene and George could tell by the looks on their faces that they were happy and a little surprised.  The boys had always been aware of the circumstances and had often wandered to themselves what Christmas would be like.  It never, in their wildest imagination, was as good as this Christmas.  Throughout the day, the boys could be heard saying, “This was the best Christmas ever,” and it was.

It would not be until years later that the sacrifices of that Christmas would be truly realized.  Darlene and George had used their birthday and Christmas money that they had received from their parents.  Even though they could have used the money for themselves, it was never considered.  Darlene and George also made things for their boys, a tradition that would be carried on throughout the years.  

George finally got another job in a coal mine, and Darlene was able to quit her job.  The boys quickly grew up to become men, and they all went to college, another sacrifice made by Darlene and George.  The oldest child, Rob, became an English teacher at the junior high in their hometown.  Dan, the middle child became a special education teacher.  The youngest, Andy, will graduate, with honors, in the spring with a major in Political Science.  He will then go on to law school and become a lawyer.  Even though the boys are adults now, they still think of that Christmas when their family was struggling and they will still reply, to this day, that it was The Best Christmas Ever.  

The picture above is of my brothers and me.  (Left) Andy, (Center) Rob, & (Right) Dan

Post Script

As with any family, a lot has changed in the last sixteen years.  My dad was able to work for many years as a coal miner and never lost his job again.  He was finally able to retire in July 2015 after 44 years of being a coal miner.  My mom continues to make gifts for us each year and each gift she makes is truly a gift that comes from her heart.  She has been blessed with many gifts and she uses those gifts to bring joy to the people she loves.  

Rob was married in 2000 and has two grown stepdaughters.  He has been a wonderful father to his two girls and has given them a life that they would have never had had he not entered into their lives.  Sadly, we do not see Rob anymore.  He has chosen to live his life separated from us.  We all hope that one day he will come back and be a part of our family.  Until that day, we think of him and have fond memories of all the Christmases that we spent together as a family.  

Andy, who we now call Andrew, did indeed go to law school and he is a very talented and dedicated lawyer.  He met his wife, Amy, while they were both attending law school and they were married in 2004.  They have three children, Katie is 9, Jake is 6, and Tessa is 2.  The addition of these four people has made our family even better, and we have made and will continue to make many wonderful memories together.  

Of course, you all know me, Dan, the middle child.  I am still a special education teacher, and I also write and do photography for the magazine A Primitive Place & Country Journal magazine.  I met Jeff in 2002, and we will finally be married on September 17, 2016 after being together for 14 years, proving that love certainly is patient.  

When I look at how far our family has come in the last 16 years and think about all the good times and the bad times, the joy and the pain, the triumphs and the tragedies, there is one common thread that continues to bind us together, and that is love.  The love we share for each other is strong and real.  It has allowed us to overcome the bad times, the pain, and the tragedy.  It has made us appreciate the good times, the joy, and the triumphs a little more.  It has given us an ability to continue to move forward, always knowing that there is someone there to catch us when we fall.  It has reminded us that the love of family is a gift that God gives to each of us.  It is one of the many gifts that God has bestowed on us, and it is one that will sustain us throughout our lives because it is the memories of the good times, the sacrifices, and the thoughtfulness that we hold onto.  

Those memories remind us of the important things in life and remind us of the love that God has for all of us.  The love that God gives us will change our lives if we will just accept it and do our best to make the world a better place.  It is a love that will bring peace to this world and PEACE MATTERS!

~Dan~

From my family to yours, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and pray that 2016 will be a year of unyielding peace for you and your entire family.  May there be peace on earth because PEACE MATTERS!

Merry Christmas!