Mothers

Mothers are very important to all of us.  That is the common thread that we all share.  We all have a mother.  There are a variety of mothers in our lives.  Some of them are biological, and some of them are not.  When it comes right down to it, it doesn’t matter how the mother came to be in our lives. What matters most is that they have filled that position in our lives, and they have provided us with love and support.  God wants us to appreciate and love our mothers.  God wants us to remember that we would not be who we are had it not been for our mothers.   

Our mothers love us unconditionally.  It has been said that a mother’s love is next to God’s love.  Mothers never give up on us.  A good mother will sacrifice everything she has to make sure that her child is happy or has what he or she needs.  Mothers love unselfishly, and they do not expect to receive much back from their children.  A mother would fight to the death for her child if she had to.  Mothers shape us into the people that we become.  They teach us the difference between right and wrong, they teach us how to love, they teach us to work hard, and they teach us to have a relationship with God.  

When I think about mothers, I think about how blessed I have been.  In some ways, God has given me five mothers.  Each of these women has played a very important role in my life, and each has mothered me in many different ways.  Today I would like to take a few minutes and honor each of them.  

My mother, Darlene Weaver, has been the best mother that a son can have.  She has loved me at my best and at my worst.  She has supported me and been there for me when no one else was.  She is the first to forgive me, the first to encourage me, and the first to take care of me.  She taught me the importance of faith and prayer through her example and blessed me with many talents and interests.  Everything I know how to do today, my mother taught me.  She has given me a love of decorating and has taught me everything I know about making a house a home.  She has taught me how important family is, and she has taught me that unconditional love is something that a few people possess.  

My grandmother, Ruth Cutsinger, has been the best grandma a kid could ever want.  She has always had time for me and has always been patient with me.  She never puts unrealistic demands on me and is always just happy to get to be with me.  She has taught me how important God is and how we should lean on Him in all situations.  She has shown me, through her example, what a strong person is.  She has taught me to be brave and to trust God.  She has taught me to laugh and not to take life too seriously.  She has helped me develop my sense of humor, and it has carried me through many difficult times.  

My aunt, Pauletta Hammers, has always played a very important role in my life.  She always took time to spend with me when I was a child, and she never acted like I was a burden.  She has supported me, encouraged me, and taught me that people can still have strength and faith in God even when they have a chronic illness.  She has taught me to work hard and never to let how you feel physically get you down for very long.  

Jeff’s mom, Donna White, has taught me that a mother will fight for her child at all costs.  She has taught me that when the chips are down we can always turn to our mothers.  She has taught me that strength and courage come from within and when it is necessary to show that strength and courage we need to do it with boldness and grace.  She has taught me, through example, to make sacrifices for the ones you love and to always be there patiently waiting for them to seek out your help.  

My good friend, Diane Nadaf, has taught me to laugh.  She has taught me that laughter really is the best medicine.  I have faced many difficult situations in my life and Diane has always been there for me.  Regardless of how difficult the situations I was dealing with were, she some how managed to make me laugh.  I have always been very thankful for that.  She has taught me that even if someone is not related to you, they are still a part of your family.  She has taught me that friends can be just as interested in you as your family, and they can play a hugely important role in your life.  

So, as you can see, I have been blessed when it comes to mothers.  They are all different, and they all have different strengths, but they have helped shape me into the person that I am today.  These five women will always be very important to me, and they will keep me going and keep encouraging me even when we are separated.  That is the wonderful thing about mothers.  They never leave you, they never forsake you, and they fit perfectly inside you heart.  I am so thankful that God has blessed me with these women, and I hope that they feel the same about me.  

Never forget how special your mother is.  Never forget how God has blessed her with the ability to love unconditionally and unselfishly.  Never forget that God wants us to learn valuable lessons from our mothers and that He wants us to honor them every day of their lives.  Mother’s occupy a very special place in God’s heart, and He wants us always to remember that.  So, make sure that you let your mother know how much you love her and appreciate her, not just on Mother’ Day, but everyday.  If your mother is no longer with you, honor her by telling someone about her and by living the life that she taught you to live.  As long as we remember and honor our mothers they will never die.  They will live forever in our hearts and in the hearts of the people we tell about them, and this will bring us peace, and PEACE MATTERS.    

~Dan~

(L to R) My Grandma Ruth, my mom, and my Aunt Pauletta

(L to R) My Aunt Pauletta, my Grandma Ruth, and my mom

(L to R) Jeff's parents, Bob and Donna White, Jeff, and me 

Diane with Parker and Peyton 

Rejection

Rejection, who of us has not experienced it? It is a part of our daily lives.  It has been since the day we were born.  It may seem to be an unfortunate part of life, but how we deal with it is what separates us from everyone else.  When we were babies we dealt with rejection and disappointment by crying until we got our way.  I am sure we all know adults who still do that! Sometimes the rejection we experience seems insignificant, and sometimes it is absolutely heartbreaking, but we should deal with it the same way every time we encounter it.  I like to think that rejection is God’s way of saying, “Not yet” or “I have something better planned for you.”  It is admittedly difficult to remember that.  We have all wanted something so badly that we didn’t think we could be happy without it.  Maybe it is a new house, a new possession, a new job, or a spouse.  

When we do not get what we want it can devastate us.  We start questioning everything and even blame ourselves.  We say to ourselves, “I am not good enough.” “I am not pretty enough.”  “ I am not smart enough.”  The list goes on and on, but all we are doing is making ourselves feel worse.  We have all heard that we should thank God for unanswered prayers.  Sometimes I bristle when I hear that, but when you think about it, it really is true.  If we always got what we wanted we wouldn’t work harder, and if we never had to experience rejection, we would not be able to appreciate the things that we do get.  

Rejection should strengthen us, not defeat us.  Rejection should inspire us, not deplete us of all our creative ideas.  We really should be grateful that God says no to us sometimes.  I believe He wants us to thank Him when we are high on the mountain and when we are low in the valley.  

So, the next time you experience rejection, face it bravely and remind yourself that this is not the right thing for you and really believe it.  Take stock of your life and regroup.  Often when we think that things could not get any worse and we feel our lowest, God is preparing us for the wonderful things that are yet to come.  There sometimes has to be a “no” before the life changing “yes.”  So, don’t look at rejection as a negative thing. Look at it has the beginning of something bigger and better.  Rejection can sometimes bring important, life altering change into your life that will bring with it a greater sense of happiness and peace and PEACE MATTERS.

~Dan~  

The Change Within

There comes a time in all of our lives when we need a change.  It is sometimes a hunger inside of us that we cannot explain or sometimes we have gotten ourselves into a bad situation and we know that in order to go forward we have to change.  Sometimes the change we desire is not for us but for someone else.  We see that they need help, but we do not know how to help them.  We often do the only thing we can do; we pray.  We pray that the person will change and decide to make better choices.  We pray diligently for the person for weeks or even years.  Sometimes we see immediate results but other times we do not see results at all.  When we do not see the results that we want, we question our faith.  We start to believe that God is not hearing us or that He is not answering our prayers. 

However, the change within anyone has to be wanted.  Major life changes usually do not happen over night.  I am not saying that God is not capable of changing someone in an instant, but He often does not work like that.  Sometimes God has to allow us to experience a terribly difficult time to help us realize that we need a change in our lives.  We have to get so low that our only option is to look up.  When we get to that point God is always waiting patiently for us.  Then and only then can the change occur.  When we reach the point that we feel we have no other options, we are ripe for God to communicate with us and help us get our lives back on track.  The same can be said for the people that we are praying for.  We can pray for them, and we should pray for them, but they have to get to the point that they are ready for their lives to change.   

Change is scary, and we tend to resist it because we are afraid of what we do not know.  We sometimes mistakenly think that what we know is safer than what we do not know.  We can become stuck in a life that we are not meant to live.  When we are open to change and our lives begin to improve, we realize how desperately we needed the change. The more changes we make the better we feel, and we want those good feelings to continue.  You see, even though God is a miraculous God, He wants us to do some of the work for ourselves.  That includes changing our lives.  He can and will greatly assist us when we decide to make changes in our lives, but that change must begin within each of us. We have to have faith that change can occur.  We have to have faith that God will lead us to and through the change.  We have to want the change to occur and be open to hearing the voice of God.  

So, if you are desperately searching for a change, look to God.  He has been waiting for you to get to this point.  He will guide you and help you make the changes you need to make in your life.  He will also place other people in your path to help you.  If you are praying for someone else to have a change in his or her life, do not give up.  Keep praying, but realize that the person has to want the change to occur.   When they are ready for the change, God will be there waiting for them and it will happen.  We just need to continue to pray that God will lead us in the right direction.  Change will come when we are ready for it.  It will bring us so much joy and peace and PEACE MATTERS.

~Dan~

The Power of Prayer

When we are praying for something, we desperately want the prayer to be answered.  Some of our prayers are answered immediately, but others take time.  God wants us to remember all the times that He has heard and answered our prayers.  This is a helpful activity for all of us, especially when our prayers take a long time to be answered.  

When we reflect on all the prayers that God has already answered for us, it will build our faith and make us realize just how much God has been listening to us and how often He has answered our prayers.  It is kind of like counting our blessings, but instead we are counting our answered prayers.  Doing this will sustain us during the difficult times and serve as a constant reminder of the power of God.  I would like all of us to start counting our answered prayers.  We should all get a notebook and start keeping a list of the prayers that have been answered during our lives.  I believe that this simple activity will change all of our lives.  It will cause us to reflect on the wonderful things that God has already done for us, and it will serve as a testament to the generations that follow.

It will help us to be more thankful for all the miracles that God has performed in our lives.  Many times, we spend a lot of time praying for something and when the prayer is answered we say, “Thank you” and move on.  I think sometimes we take God answering our prayers for granted.  I believe that God wants us to stop and reflect on how wonderful it is to have a prayer answered.  I believe that He wants us to give Him the credit for answering our prayers, and I believe He wants us to share His power with other people.  When we share what God has done for us with others, it builds our faith and it will build the faith of the people we share it with.  

If you are like me, you remember things more when you write them down.  This answered prayer journal will help us remember all the prayers that God has answered.  I believe we will find ourselves revisiting the prayers of the past and reflecting on how awesome God really is.  

So, let’s all start today.  All you need is a notebook and a pen.  All you have to do is start thinking about all the prayers that God has answered for you and write them down one by one.  It will do us so much good that I believe it will be something that we do everyday.  I believe that it will change our lives and like anything that is good for us, we will want to encourage others to do the same thing.  During our lives, we will be able to fill notebook after notebook with all the prayers that God has answered for us. God wants us to be a witness to the world, and keeping an answered prayer journal is just one of the many ways that we can do that.  I plan on starting my journal today, and I hope you will do the same.  God has and will continue to answer your prayers.  Never forget that, and never let your faith waver.  God is in the prayer answering business, so keep praying and keep believing that He will answer your prayers and once He does, do not forget to share the good news with the world.  It will change your life, and it bring you peace and PEACE MATTERS!

~Dan~   

Doing the Right Thing

We have all been taught that we should always do the right thing.  It sounds very simple and most of the time it is.  We have been taught to treat others with respect, not to tell lies, not to use bad language, and to take care of the people we love and ourselves.  However, there are times when doing the right thing is hard.  Sometimes doing the right thing will make us uncomfortable.  It is not that we do not want to do the right thing, but there are times when doing the right thing is scary.  We all have had to do things that we would rather not do. Just thinking about having to do it makes us nervous.  We feel sick to our stomachs and we are scared.  As we are preparing to do the right thing, we feel as though we have lead in our feet.  Moving becomes difficult, and we want to turn the other way and run.  God has given all of us free will.  He wants us to do the right thing and places the right thing in our hearts, but He is not going to force us to do anything. 

Often we avoid these situations, and sometimes we are so scared that we do not do them.  When this happens we feel bad about ourselves.  We feel that we let ourselves down.  More importantly, we feel as if we let God down.  God is never really disappointed in us.  He knows from the start what we are going to do, but if we do not do what He asks us to do, we will be forced to repeat it over and over again until we do it. 

There was a time in my life when I was in a situation where I knew that there was something that I had to do, but I was petrified about actually doing it.  I dreaded the event during the weeks that were leading up to it.  I prayed about it daily and had other people pray about it too.  I knew that I was doing the right thing, but it did not make it any easier.  On the morning when the event was to take place, I awoke feeling nervous and scared.  Everything in me told me not to do it, everything that is except God.  I truly wanted to run the other way.  I knew that once I did this, my life would never be the same again, but God kept whispering in my ear, “You are doing the right thing.”  All day leading up to the time when I had to do the right thing, I kept hoping God would put the breaks on the operation.  He did not and thankfully He gave me the courage to invoke the plan.  I was so scared, and it was truly the hardest thing I have ever had to do, but I did it and it truly saved my life. 

From the moment I did it, up until right now, my life began to change for the better.  My relationships with the people I love were strengthened, my courage was renewed, and my walk with God grew stronger and deeper.  When we are asked to do something that is hard, we have to do it.  God will give us the strength and courage.  He will wrap us in His peace and keep propelling us forward.  Once we conquer this fear and realize that it has made our lives better, it will make the next challenge we face a little easier.  It will also strengthen our faith in God, and we will realize that without Him we can never truly do all the right things. 

So, keep going forward, keep doing the right thing even if it is hard.  Keep following God and let Him guide your steps.  He may lead us into situations that are difficult, but He will not leave us during those times.  In fact, He will pick us up and carry us to the other side.  When we get to the other side, the peace and hope that will fill our lives will be so worth all the nervousness and fear we had when we set out to do the right thing.  Truly trying to always do the right thing will bring more peace into our lives and PEACE MATTERS!

~Dan~

Living a Good Life

We all want to live a good life.  We all want to be happy, and we all want to feel like we are doing the right things with our lives.  We all have goals, and we want to surround ourselves with the people and the things we love.  Living a good life is important to all of us, but sometimes we do not completely understand what it means to live a good life.  We often think that if we have a good job, a nice house, nice clothes, and a nice car, that we are living a good life.  While those things are good and should be considered blessings, those things are not necessary to live a good life.  

Having a good life is a way of living.  We should all live in such a way that we are a blessing to others. We can do this by reaching out to our fellow man, by lifting them up and by helping those in need.  When it comes to being a blessing to others, it means that we sometimes have to set aside what we would rather be doing and do something that will help someone else.   We can be a blessing to someone by calling and checking on them for no apparent reason.  We can take time out of our day to visit with or do something nice for someone.  

Often, we forget how important we are to our family and friends.  We get so busy in our own lives that we do not take the time to spend with the people who love us.  We sometimes feel as if we do not have the time to devote to our family and friends, and we become frustrated when we are asked to do something with them when it seems we have many other things that we need to do.  We all seem to have our priorities a little lop-sided.  We think that the way to a good life is to work hard so that we can obtain all the things that we desire.  

However, we often forget that building relationships with our family and friends is a very important investment.  The material possessions of this world will fade away and wear out, but our relationships with our family and friends will remain with us throughout our lives.  Spending time with people is time while spent, and it will bless their lives and in turn it will bless ours.  

It is also very important for us to do charitable acts.  It is important for us to give to worthy causes, and to try and help those in need as much as we can.  When we sacrifice and do for others, we will once again be blessed for it and God will send the good that we put out back to us.  It is like my mom always says, “You cannot out give God.”  The bottom line is this: We should always do what we know to be good and right by others and for ourselves.  

So, let’s all try to live a good life by doing for others and being a blessing to them.  Let’s lift each other up and go out of our way to do nice things for the people God has placed in our lives.  Let’s spend quality time with the people we love.  It will do them a lot of good, and it will help us more than we realize.  Living a good life by doing for others will change our lives, the lives of the people we touch, and eventually the world.  Just imagine for a moment what the world would be like if we all went out of our way to do something nice for someone and we all tried a little harder to build each other up instead of tearing each other down.  It would be a world that we would all be happier living in, and we would all experience more peace.  So, let’s all make it our goal to change the world one kind act at a time.  It will make all the difference in the world, and it will lead all of us to peace and PEACE MATTERS!

~Dan~  

We All Need to Feel Like We Belong

We all know what it feels like to be alone.  There has been a time in all of our lives when we have felt isolated or excluded in some way.  When we feel isolated, it makes us feel bad about ourselves and makes us see the world in a negative way.  When I think about feeling isolated or alone, I think back to junior high.  I think most of us can relate to the feelings of awkwardness and isolation of being in junior high.  Unfortunately, there are some people who have never outgrown their junior high behaviors, and we encounter them throughout our lives at one time or another.  

Sometimes people revert back to their junior high behaviors and exclude others or make them feel as if they do not belong.  We are not called to exclude anyone for arbitrary reasons.  We should always strive to make everyone feel like they belong.  When people feel like they belong and are accepted, it helps them feel more peaceful about life, and it makes them feel as if they are not alone.  Humans are not meant to live in isolation.  None of us are meant to be alone.  God wants us to have people in our lives who make us feel important and loved, and He wants all of us to make others feel the same way.

One of the most hurtful things we can do to someone is make them feel rejected or excluded.  We are all called to accept people, and we can do this by treating them warmly and with kindness.  We should never underestimate the power and the benefit of a simple smile and greeting.  When we smile and greet others warmly, it can make an enormous difference in their day and even in their lives.  We should work very hard to be friendly and show love to everyone.  We should always do our part to make those around us feel included and accepted.  We should always do our best to lift up our fellow man and show love and kindness. When we do that, we will always get it back in one way or another.  It is very important for us never to exclude people based on what they look like, what their job is, how nice their possessions are, where they live, whom they love, or what they believe.  God wants us to accept everyone.  He wants us to show kindness and make everyone feel like they belong and are important.   

A simple smile and a wave can do a world of good for someone who is feeling like they do not belong.  Trying to get to know someone on a personal level may very well surprise us.  We all make assumptions about people based on outward appearances.  We never really know what they are like on the inside until we take the time to get to know them.  We may find that their outward appearance does not reflect their inner positive qualities, and we may find that we are more alike than we originally thought.  We may find them to be one of the best friends we could ever have, and we would have missed out on that blessing had we not taken the time to get to know them on a personal level. 

So, let’s all try harder to include everyone.  Let’s try harder to smile more and to greet people with kindness and understanding.  Let’s not exclude anyone from our lives based on arbitrary things, and let’s do our best to get to know someone from the inside out, not the outside in.  Let’s make a conscious effort to seek out the people we encounter who look like they feel isolated and alone and try to make them feel like they belong and that their lives have value.  We all know people who always seem to be alone and who do not seem to fit in.  If we do this, it will bring peace to their lives. It will not only bring them peace, but it will bring us peace too, and that feeling of peace will spread and grow and it will eventually change the world.  Having peace is that powerful because PEACE MATTERS.

~Dan~  

The Joy of Knowing

We all have had times in our lives when we have felt alone.  We have found ourselves thinking that we have nowhere to turn and no one to talk to.  We have felt isolated, and we have felt like we are walking through life with no one to guide us or help us through the difficult times.  God wants all of us to know that He is our constant companion.  God has been with us since the beginning of our lives, and He will be with us until the end of our days.  He will never leave our side, and He will never turn His back on us.  If we can truly understand this and believe it, we never have to feel like we are alone again.

When we live our lives with this knowledge, it should bring us the utmost peace and comfort.  It is true that we may never understand all the things that happen to us during our lives, but God always has a plan and a way to help us overcome any and all adversity that we will face.  God wants us to view Him as our best friend.  Many of us have been taught that God is something that we should fear.  We should never be afraid of God.  We should see Him as someone who loves us unconditionally and someone who always wants the best for us.  We should all remember that we can talk to God about everything that happens to us. God wants us to come to Him like we do a friend.  He wants us to share our thoughts and get his advice on all the decisions that we make.  Knowing that we can do this should fill all of us with joy because we can always count on Him for anything we need.  God will always be with us, and He will always guide us through our lives.  When we finally do realize that this is the type of relationship that God wants to have with all of us, it will truly change our lives.  

I know that it took me years to realize that God wants to be my friend.  I remember the day that I finally made that connection, and I cannot tell you how it changed my life.  I find myself talking to God every day, and I miss getting a chance to talk to Him when life seems too busy.  I truly view Him as my friend, a friend that I can always depend on, a friend who is never too busy for me, and a friend that will always give me sound advice.  I find myself seeking out his opinion about everything that I do.  I find myself telling Him about the good things that happen during my day and about the bad things that happen.  I find myself longing to hear from Him and wanting Him to guide every step that I take.  

I no longer feel alone.  I can truly say that I feel His presence with me everywhere I go.  I know that He is walking with me and that He is always listening to me, even when I am not directly speaking to Him.  I do not worry as much as I used to about decisions that I have to make because I know that He will help me make the right decisions.  God truly does have everything under control, and He will always guide us to make the right decision.  

God even has a sense of humor, and He wants us to laugh and enjoy life.  He wants us to be happy, and He wants us to have fun. God wants us to talk to Him about the things we like and even get His opinion on the activities in which we participate.  God wants to be a part of our daily lives.  He does not just want to see us on Sunday; He wants to see us every single day.  He wants us to talk to Him like He is our friend.  That is really what God is.  He is the best friend that any of us can have. 

So, if you find yourself feeling like you are alone and like you have no one to talk to or to turn to, start talking to God.  He is right there next to you.  He is waiting for you to say something.  You are not alone.  You are never alone.  Let that sink in for a moment while I say it again.  You are never alone!  God is with you.  He is with you right now.  He is with you at work, at the grocery store, in the car, and while you are cooking dinner.  He is everywhere you are and you can talk to Him anytime you want and He will talk back to you.  That should fill your heart with joy and peace and that should make you feel so much better about life.  God does not want us to feel like we are alone.  He wants us to allow Him to occupy a big part of our lives, and He wants us to find the joy that comes from knowing that we are never alone and that we can turn to him for anything.  So, talk to God.  He is sitting there right next to you right now waiting on you to talk to Him.  Do not be afraid of God.  He knows everything about you, and He still loves you.  You should never feel ashamed or afraid to talk to God.  It will bring you peace, and PEACE MATTERS!

~Dan~

An Understanding

Bad things happen in life.  That is just the way life is.  We all will encounter difficult times and we will face tragedies.  We will struggle to understand why we have to endure the bad things that happen to us.  Many of us may search for years to try to find the answers that we are seeking.  We will be confused and disheartened.  Our faith will be tried, and we may even become angry with God from time to time.  We will pray earnestly for answers, and we will look for signs and confirmation in everything that we encounter.  We will cry out to God and tell Him that we do not understand what is happening, and we will pray that He will reveal all the answers to us.  We will become discouraged when we feel like we are not getting the answers that we are seeking, and we will become frustrated when it seems that God is being too quiet and not talking to us like we want Him to.  

This is the time that Satan will try to convince us that God is not listening.  He will try to make us think that God has abandoned us and that He has turned His back on us.  This will make us feel even more confused, and many of us will want to give up and try to take matters into our own hands.  This is the worst thing that any of us can do.  God wants us all to know that He is not the author of confusion.  God is the author of peace and love.  The fact of the matter is there are some things that we may never understand. I know that sounds like a cop-out, but that is unfortunately the truth. 

However, it is during these times of confusion, searching, and lack of understanding that we need to lean on God even more than we have before.  It is during these times that we need to look to God for guidance and assurance that He loves us and He wants what is best for us.  Satan wants to convince us that God does not care about us and that He is just jerking us around, but that is yet another lie that Satan tells us to steal our peace and to keep us in bondage.  God knows that bad things happen to us while we live on this earth. After all, earth is not Heaven, and God never promised us that life on earth would be perfect.  He wants us to look to Him during these times so that He can give us the assistance that we need to face whatever struggles we encounter.  

One thing we need to understand, though, is that His assistance may not include telling us why we had to encounter the struggle that we face.  He can use the struggle to teach us lessons and make our walk with Him stronger, but we may never truly understand why it had to happen in the first place.  Our job is to lean on God and to trust Him.  Our job is to continue to seek Him out and let Him guide our steps even when we do not understand why something has happened.  God can and will give us comfort during these difficult times, and He will bring us through to a place of renewed hope and faith.  We just have to trust Him and not give up.  

So, if you are enduring a struggle right now and you are trying in vain to understand why it has come your way, stop trying to figure out the answer and reach out to God.  Stop asking Him why He has allowed this to happen and start letting Him ease your mind and bring you peace.  Take hold of His hand and know that He has everything under control and that He truly does want the best for you.  Never think for a minute that God has abandoned you or that He has left you stranded in the middle of a crisis.  He is right there by your side comforting you and whispering words of peace and encouragement into your ear.  Allow Him to guide your mind and your heart and let Him renew your peace and hope.  I know how hard life can be.  I know how easy it is to want to give up, but we cannot do that.  

I know how easy it is to listen to the negative voices and let them convince you that you are stuck and that there is no hope, but I am telling you, there is hope.  If you never hear another thing I ever say, hear this: THERE IS HOPE!  God is the answer that you are seeking.  God can bring you peace and joy.  Don’t turn your back on God. Let Him continue to lead your steps.  Stop trying to understand why bad things happen, and remember that God loves you and He will never leave you.  If we can all understand that, all of our lives will be so much better and peace will be abundant and PEACE MATTERS. 

~Dan~

Life Lessons I Learned From my Grandma: When the Journey Begins to End

Life is full of trying and difficult times.  That is true for all of us, even when we are trying our best to follow God and do His work.  When we experience difficult times, it is easy for us to become frustrated and think that God has abandoned us.  We may believe that when we are following God He should protect us and prevent bad things from happening to us.  When difficult times arise, we sometimes feel like God is letting us down and that He has turned His back on us.  When we feel this way, we can sometimes get mad at God and think that He is not keeping up His end of the bargain.  We get so frustrated during these trying times that we may even find it difficult to reach out to God.  Sometimes our faith wavers, and we feel as if we are alone.  

What we all need to remember during these difficult times is that God can and will give us peace over every situation that we encounter in this life.  We just have to continue to make God the focus of our lives.  God never promised us that our lives would be perfect, but He did promise us that He would guide us through the storms and He would give us peace to endure the valleys of life.  I have seen many people face struggles in life and still maintain their peace and continue to have faith that God has everything under control.  I have been blessed to get to witness this first hand by watching my grandma live her life.  She has encounter many difficult times in her life, but she continues to face those trying times with a smile on her face and a strength that can only be attributed to her faith in God. I have often watched her and thought to myself, “How does she do it?”  I have often wondered if I had the strength that she possesses.  I am not sure of the answer, but I certainly have learned through her where the answer can be found.

Once again, my grandma is facing a struggle in her life, and once again she is facing it with a smile on her face, a good sense of humor, and an unwavering faith in God.  I am trying to face this struggle along with her with the same faith that she has always had and honestly, I find myself struggling.  I am trying very hard to have faith and realize that God has a plan.  I know deep down that He does, but I have to be honest, there are times that I forget just how much He has everything under control.  I have been keeping this latest struggle very quiet for the last few weeks.  After seeing my grandma last night and thinking about it this morning, I have begun to realize that in keeping my struggle to myself, I am not allowing the gifts and words of encouragement that God has blessed others with to comfort me during this difficult time.  I have seen what God can do for people, and I have seen what sharing our struggles with others can do for all of us.  My grandma would be the first to say that we should share our stories with others in hopes that our journey can bring peace to others and show the miraculous workings of God.  So, I believe the time has come to let everyone know what is going on.  

My grandma, whom you all know I love very much and has been a huge influence in my life, is nearing the end of her time on this earth.  On March 20, 2016, she was diagnosed with kidney cancer that has spread to her bones and lungs.  I know that she is 90 years old and she has lived a very good life, but the reality of her impending death still hits me very hard sometimes.  I truly cannot imagine her not being in this world.  I know that she is going to be blissfully happy in Heaven and that she will spend eternity with God and will be reunited with so many of her loved ones, and I know that she and I will always be connected, but I know that our earthly relationship is coming to an end.  

Soon I will not be able to see her any more and I will not be able to call her on the phone to have one of our epic talks that makes us both repeatedly laugh out loud.  I know that I will not be able to see her smile and enjoy her wonderful sense of humor, or hear all of her stories one more time and honestly that makes me very sad.  I have tried to be strong and have faith and I am doing that, but I have mistakenly thought that having faith and being strong meant that I should not be sad about my grandma’s nearing death.  I am learning, be it rather slowly, that there is strength in showing emotion and in mourning the ending of something that has meant more to me than I can adequately express.

With all of that being said, I ask that you pray for my grandma.  Pray that God comforts her and brings her peace as she lives her final days on this earth.  I ask that you pray for my aunt and my mom as they lead their mother on her final journey, and I ask that you pray for me as I see the ending of my grandma’s life unfold.  Death is never the end of anything.  Yes, it is sad, but we all have to have hope and faith that there is more to life than we experience on earth, and I am 100 percent confident that there is more on the other side and that Heaven does exist and it is full of all the people we have loved here on this earth.  

It is like my grandma always says, “God will never leave us or forsake us.”  We may think that He has forgotten us, but He is with all of us all the time.  When I look back over the years and I reflect on all my grandma has meant to me, it fills me with such pride to know that I am her grandson and that her blood is flowing through me.  I am so honored to have gotten to share her stories with all of you, and I am so happy that many of you have come to know her through me.  On a recent visit with my grandma, I tried to put into words what she meant to me, and I found that my words were inadequate.  

The best way for me to explain it to all of you is to tell you what I said to her.  I told her that she has been the joy of my life and that she has given me everything.  She has taught me to have faith and to have hope.  She has taught me that God always has a plan and she has shown me how God can give us the peace to face anything in life.  I continued by saying, “When God comes to get you, I want you to go with Him and not worry about me.  I will be fine and I will continue to tell your story, and people will never forget the miracles that God has done for you.  I will see to that.”  Then I said, “One day, you will look into the distance and you will see me coming and when you do, I want you to run as fast as you can to greet me because seeing you run toward me will be worth the trip.”  My grandma always felt like she was not a strong person, but I am here to tell all of you that she is the strongest person I have ever known, and I hope some of her strength has been passed down to me.  That is my sincere prayer.  If I can be half the person my grandma has been, then I would consider my life a huge success.  

The end of this life is the beginning of something more joyful than we can ever imagine, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that my grandma will soon be basking in the greatness of that wonderful place.  I know she will be there to guide me as I continue to walk the rest of my path without her physical presence, and I know that she and I will always be connected and have a special bond that death can never take away.  When I think about that and let it sink in, it fills my heart with peace and PEACE MATTERS.

~Dan~ 

The Winds of Change

Well, we have finally arrived at our move-out date.  I have to say there have been times that I did not think that we would make it to this day.  There were days when I thought our house would never sell and even after it “sold”, there were times when I doubted that it would ever officially be sold.  There have been times when I thought we would not be able to find a place to go that would work for Jeff and me and the 2 Ps, and there have been times when I thought we would never get everything coordinated and packed up.  However, like so many things in life, when we tackle something one step at a time, each of those small steps eventually make one giant step.  God has repeatedly shown Jeff and me through this whole process that He does indeed have a plan and that He can make a way where there seems to be no way.  No one will ever be able to convince me that God does not care about everything that happens in our lives, the big and the small.  He wants to give all of us the desires of our hearts.  Sure we have to put forth the effort to make it happen, but if we allow Him to, he will guide every step we take.  I know without God’s help and guidance, none of this would be possible.  

As I sit here and look at my surroundings, the house does not even resemble its former self.  It seems so empty and void of personality.  Instead of focusing on that, I choose to look at it like this.  The house has been stripped down and is prepared for the new owners to have many years of happiness and to make memories here that will last a lifetime.  We are all just stewards of the homes that God has blessed us with, and when the time comes, it is our job to relinquish them to the next people who will enjoy the space we once occupied.  

The winds of change have definitely been blowing a lot around here, but we are very blessed to know that these winds are getting us one step closer to realizing our dreams.  Change can be difficult and scary.  Change is completely unavoidable.  It is like the song says, “The only thing that stays the same is everything changes.”  Jeff and I feel very blessed to be making this change together.  We know that if we hold on together, nothing is impossible.  So, as I end the last blog entry that will ever be written from this house, I want to remind you once again that nothing is impossible when we allow God to guide us, and we should always remember that God will never leave us or forsake us.  When we remember these words and truly believe them, we can all have peace and PEACE MATTERS.

~Dan~

Below are some of my favorite pictures of our house.  I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I have enjoyed living here. 

If These Walls Could Talk

This is the last week that Jeff and I will ever live in our current house.  We will be moving out on Thursday, March 31st, and we will officially close on Monday, April 4th.  We will be moving into a rental house for the time being while our saltbox is being built.  While I am filled with excitement and anticipation about this next chapter in our lives, I am also filled with a little sadness to be closing this chapter.  Life is often like that; every new beginning is usually ushered in by an ending.  

When I think back on the 7 1/2 years that we have lived in this house, I cannot help but remember all the good times we have had within these walls.  There were difficult times too, but the good times definitely outweigh the bad.  I think when we can say that, it means that things have been rather successful.  We are going to leave the bad memories of this house behind and only take the good memories with us.  That is something that we should all strive to do.  We all look back on the past on occasion and when we do, we should do our best to remember the good times and let go of everything else.  So, in my attempt to remember the good times, I am going to highlight a few of those today.  

We have had so many wonderful events in this house.  Our wedding reception was held here.  We had many Christmas Eve gatherings, birthdays for our parents and each other, and Mother’s Day celebrations.  We have had friends over and there was the time that a local antiques group came to tour our home.  We spent quiet evenings relaxing with the Ps and rang in many a New Year.  We soaked up the sun by the pool and watched the snow fall.  We had our Country Sampler magazine and our A Primitive Place & Country Journal magazine photo shoots within these walls.  Jeff and I aged a little bit in this house, and we discussed our future and planned our new house and wedding here.  Above all, there has always been love in this house, and we are so blessed and thankful to get to take that love with us.  A house is four walls, a floor, and a ceiling, but a home is a place where love, acceptance and hope dwells.  If these walls could talk, I hope they would tell the story of our time here using those words.  I hope they would say that happiness was experienced here and that peace was found.  I hope they would say that while negative things did occur, the good overshadowed the bad.  The future can indeed be a scary thing, but when we put our trust in God and allow Him to guide our steps, all things are possible.  God can make a way where there seems to be no way, and peace can fill all of our hearts and PEACE MATTERS.  

~Dan~

Below are some pictures of just a few of the good times that we have had in this house.  I hope you enjoy them.  

The Power of Words

It has been said that there is power in the words that we speak.  It is up to each of us to decide how we use those words.  We can choose to use our words to lift others up or we can use them to tear others down.  It is a conscious decision that we all make every single day of our lives.  When we choose to lift others up with our words, we bring peace to not only the lives of others, but to our own lives, and eventually the world.  

For almost a year now, I have been writing quotes to accompany this blog.  The quotes are inspired by my journey to peace, and I hope that they have brought peace to others.  Today, I am sharing some of my favorite quotes again.  I hope these quotes will inspire you to try to use your words to bring more peace into the world because PEACE MATTERS.  

~Dan~

When we use our words to heal others we bring peace to their lives and to our lives too and PEACE MATTERS.

When we shine the light of hope, love and peace on those who are living in the shadows there will be more peace in the world and PEACE MATTERS.  

When we respect others regardless of where they are on their walk in life we will have more peace and PEACE MATTERS.  

When we put goodness into the world it always comes back to us.  The goodness we sow will bring peace on earth and PEACE MATTERS.  

When we use our God-given gifts to bless others, there will be more peace in this world and PEACE MATTERS.  

When we each strive to be a blessing to others, there will be more peace and PEACE MATTERS.  

One kind act results in another and another and another bringing peace to our world and PEACE MATTERS.  

When we give of ourselves unselfishly, we will have more peace and PEACE MATTERS. 

We should all strive to make a difference in the lives of everyone we encounter.  Making a difference in this world will result in more peace and PEACE MATTERS.  

When we heed the call to do good for others, there will be peace on earth and PEACE MATTERS.  

Both Sides Now

This will be my last post about our wedding which was held on Saturday, March 12th.  I hope you have enjoyed reading some of the readings from our wedding, and I hope you have enjoyed seeing some of the pictures from our special day. 

Today I will be sharing pictures of our reception which was held at our house.  Most of you know that our house has sold and we will soon be moving into a rental as we begin building our saltbox.  Knowing that this would be our last big event in this house did make me a little sad, but knowing that it was our wedding reception made me very happy.  It was a wonderful way to say goodbye to this chapter of our lives in this house. 

The writing that I will be sharing with you today is entitled Both Sides Now.  I wrote this writing to read to Jeff during our ceremony.  When I gave it the title Both Sides Now, I really had no reason to do so.  Jeff and I had been talking about the song by Joni Mitchell when I began writing this and when I saved the document, I just used that as the title.  I did reference the song in the writing once, but other than Jeff, I am sure no one caught it.

However, now that the wedding is finished, I think the title is very fitting. I can truly see life from both sides now. I can see life as a single person wishing I could meet that special someone, I can see life as a person just entering into a new relationship and hoping that everything works out.  I can see life as a person in a committed relationship with no real legal security, and now I can see life as a legally married person with all the rights and benefits that come with that.  It is like a line of the song says, "Something's gained in living everyday." Looking back on it now, I would not have missed one of those stages for anything, because each stage helped to create the person I am today, the person Jeff is today, and the couple we are today. When we see all sides of life and realize that every stage is part of the master plan and we realize that it is our job to accept God's plan and His will for our lives, we will have more peace and as you have heard many times and will hear many more times, PEACE MATTERS! 

Both Sides Now

Thirteen and a half years!  That is roughly 5,133.5 days!  Isn’t that amazing?  It has taken us 13 ½ years to get to this point in our lives.  However, in so many ways it seems as if it were just yesterday that I saw you for the first time.  I spent a big portion of our lives together feeling upset and bitter that we did not have the right to enjoy what we are doing today, but now standing here and knowing that we can actually legally get married, I realize that it was always intended to be this way because as you have understood right along with me, there are many valuable lessons to learn while we wait for something to happen.  I truly do not believe that we would appreciate the privilege that we have been given today if it had come easily to us.  I do not believe that we would value each other as much as we do had we been able to get married after two years of being together or even after ten years of being together.  This event in our lives, just like so many past events and so many future events to come, came to us at the perfect time and I am so very thankful for that.

As I thought about what I would say to you today, my mind was filled with a million thoughts and I was concerned that I would leave something out, so I apologize in advance for my long windedness.  From the second I saw you I knew that we would spend our lives together.  I know people say that all the time, but I felt it deep in my soul.  The world shifted on August 19, 2002 when our paths finally crossed.  All the experiences we had before that date were preparing us for our meeting.  We truly had to be in the perfect place at the perfect time to meet, and I will spend the rest of my life being amazed by that miracle.  It is the miracles of this life that help to keep us moving forward.  We have seen many miracles unfold in our lives together, and I know we have many more miracles to witness.   

I read a quote the other day by James Dean and he said, “Only the gentle are ever really strong.”  When I read this quote, I thought to myself, “That describes Jeff perfectly.”  The world has taught us that it is the loud and forceful people who are the strongest, but that is a complete fabrication.  It is the gentle people; the kind-hearted, generous, sympathetic, and loving people of this world who are the strongest, and you possess all of those qualities.  I still sometimes wonder what I ever did to deserve to have such a wonderful person in my life, but I am so happy and grateful to get to be a recipient of your love.  

As I think back over the years now, I can see how every event, the good and the bad, the joy and the pain, the triumphs and the tragedies, has been made so much better or so much easier to endure with you by my side.  We have overcome many obstacles, and we have endured many dark days to get to this wonderful bright day.  It is like Dolly Parton once said, “If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.”  We have seen rain, but we have seen rainbows too.  And on this day and all the days that follow I choose to focus on the positive things in life.  Sure, we will experience trials, sorrow, and pain, but now we know that we can still have peace and contentment, even in the face of adversity, because we know where true peace comes from.  

When I think about the Dan and Jeff of 2002 I can hardly believe that we were once those people.  We have changed and grown so much in the years that we have been together.  We are stronger, we have more faith and we have more hope.  We know who we are and we know where we want to go.  You have taught me so much over the years and I hope that I have taught you a little along the way too.  My grandma once said to me, “You can never love anyone until you first love yourself.”  You have helped me love who I am.  Seeing myself through your eyes has helped me realize that I am a good person and I do deserve to be loved and to be happy with the way my life is and that in itself is the greatest gift that we can give others and I thank you for giving me that gift.  

As I stand here today about to commit my life to you I can’t help but feel as if this is the dividing point in our lives together.  Sure we have been committed to each other long before today, but now in some ways it is a different form of commitment.  It is a commitment that is recognized by the law.  It is a commitment that our friends and family can be witness to, and it is a commitment that is also recognized and blessed by God and no one will ever be able to convince me otherwise. Because where there is love there is God and where there is God there is love.  As I stand here today I am able to see love from both sides now.  I am able to see the joy of love, and I am able to see the sorrow that comes with loving, but I whole-heartedly choose to continue to love because without love we truly have nothing.  Love truly does conquer all and love wins every single time.  

As you know, I am not the most demonstrative person and I may not show my love in the same ways that many people do, but if my love for you could be visible for just a second it would fill this room and we would all be swimming in my love for you.  It is that big and it is that real.  That is the thing about love, we may not be able to see it, but we can feel it and I hope you never doubt for a second just how much I love, respect, cherish, and admire you.  There is no better person on this earth than you and I hope you always feel the love that I have for you.  

As we begin the next leg of our journey together as a married couple, I am filled with anticipation.  I truly cannot wait to see what God has in store for us.  I know that we will be amazed and delighted. I know that in the twilight of our lives together that we will sit and look back on everything we have experienced together and it will all make perfect sense and we will see just how the plan of our lives unfolded right before our feet.  When the time comes for us to be parted on this earth we will know deep in our hearts that it is not the end of our love for each other.  Actually it will just be the beginning because love never dies and love endures all things.  

Well, I guess I should wrap this up, but I wanted to add a couple more things that I always want you to remember.  Always remember that nothing is impossible.  We may think that the valley is too deep or the mountain is too high, but when we follow our hearts and let God guide our steps we can do anything.  If it is meant for us, it will come to us.  It really is that simple.  My final thought for today came to me just recently when I was reading about Joey and Rory Feek.  Rory said something about his wife that really struck a chord with me.  I am paraphrasing the quote a little bit, but I want you to always remember this, “I might have the words to bring characters to life, but you have the character that brings my words to life.  Thank you for bringing character to my life and thank you for being the person you are.  Your love and respect for me has brought so much peace into my life and PEACE MATTERS!

~Dan~

Jeff's friend Jennifer who read one of the readings during the ceremony

Our friend, Toni, who also read one of the readings at our ceremony

Our sister-in-law Amy and our niece Katie

Our nephew Jake being Jake = )

Our friend Diane who read one of the readings and played the flute at the ceremony, Jeff's brother Greg and Jeff's friend Lynda who was one of our readers

My brother Andrew reading his speech to me

Jeff's friend Amanda reading her speech to him

Me introducing my friend Jerrah

Jerrah reading her speech to me

When Two Parallel Paths Become One

Today I am sharing something that I wrote for our wedding that took place last Saturday, March 12th.  This writing explains how Jeff and I met and I hope that it showed everyone at the service that he and I were always intended to be together and that our meeting was a miracle orchestrated by God. 

I am also sharing a few of my favorite pictures from the day.  I hope you enjoy the writing and the pictures.  

When Two Parallel Paths Become One

We are all walking along a path is life.  We often think the path we are walking is random and full of coincidences, but miracles often occur along the path to cause us to see things differently.  All things in life work toward a greater purpose, and it is not until we have walked further down the path that we can look back and see how each little curve along our journey has helped us to arrive at the place that we were always intended to be.  

We often hear people say, “I was just in the right place at the right time,” but we can all choose to believe that we actually were in the intended place at the intended time.  Imagine for a moment, two parallel paths moving forward.  Neither person walking his individual path knew the other person existed.  Both of these people were born and grew up in the same county in the same state.  They both were middle children, both of their fathers were coal miners, and both of them had the desire to become educators.  They attended the same university and upon graduation began teaching in towns in the same county.  They attended an annual teacher conference and sat in the same auditorium for years knowing nothing of the other person’s existence.  They both decided to earn a master’s degree at the same university.  

All of this seems random and fairly commonplace, but then on August 19, 2002 those two parallel paths connected.  They connected at the intended time and at the intended place.  As most of you have already figured out, these two individuals walking these parallel paths were Dan and Jeff.  However, there is more to the story that makes this meeting even more miraculous.  Jeff was enrolled in his last class before he would complete his degree; Dan still had many semesters to go.  The class they were both enrolled in was intended for secondary teachers, yet Dan was an elementary teacher.  Dan spent all summer trying to get out of that class.  He searched for other classes to take, yet nothing worked into his schedule.  Up until the day the class met, Dan tried to change his schedule.  He went to class that night thinking this was the worst decision he had made and wondering why he could not get out of the class.  However, a few minutes before the class began as he was standing in the hall feeling intimidated by all the high school teachers surrounding him, he saw Jeff come around the corner and suddenly, Dan heard these words echoing through his mind, heart, and soul, “There he finally is!”  

So you see, we are not witnessing the marriage of two people who just randomly met.  We are witnessing the marriage of two individuals who were always intended to be together.  They complement each other perfectly, and when they stand together anything is possible.  In many ways their paths became one many years ago, but today the official merging of their paths can be celebrated and acknowledge by the world and by all of us in this room, proving once again that miracles happen every day.  We just have to have the eyes to see them.  When we see miracles unfold before our eyes, we will have more peace and PEACE MATTERS!

~Dan~

My parents Darlene and George with Jeff and me

Jeff's parents Bob and Donna with Jeff and me

Our wedding party:  (L to R) Our sister-in-law, Amy, our nephew, Jake, Jeff's BFF, Amanda, Dan's BFF, Jerrah, my brother, Andrew, our niece, Tessa (sleeping), and our niece, Katie

Jeff with his BFF Amanda

My brother Andrew and me

My BFF Jerrah and me

Amy, Tessa, Katie, Jake, and Andrew

My sister-in-law Amy and me

Jeff and me with my grandma Ruth

The Sunflower

Today I am sharing pictures of the flowers that we used during our wedding that took place in a small chapel on Saturday, March 12th.  We chose sunflowers.  We chose to use sunflowers because they have always been my favorite flower.  However, we also used sunflowers because there are many facts about the sunflower that we can apply to our own lives.  

The following is another one of the readings that I wrote for the ceremony.  This reading explains why we used sunflowers and what we can learn from them.  I hope you enjoy the pictures and the writing.  

The Sunflower

You may be wondering why Dan and Jeff chose to use sunflowers today.  Aside from the fact that sunflowers are very beautiful, there are many things about the sunflower that we can apply to our lives.  The sunflower is the only flower on the planet that tracks the movement of the sun.  If one were to drive by a field of sunflowers at varying times of the day, it would be very noticeable that the position of the sunflowers changes as the sun moves across the sky.  You see, the side of the sunflower that is not exposed to direct sunlight grows faster than the side exposed to the sun, and this growth causes the sunflower to bend toward the sun.  Another interesting fact is that the sunflower is actually comprised of thousands of individual florets that all grow separately but are joined by a common base which allows the individual flowers to create a flower that is far more beautiful than when they stand alone.  Also, the sunflower removes toxins from the soil and helps to purify the ground.  This is why many sunflower fields are planted in areas where chemical disasters have taken place.  

You may be wondering, “How can the sunflower apply to my life?” As you continue to listen you will understand.  Like the florets of the sunflower, we are all individuals.  We each possess gifts and talents that can make the world a better place.  However, when we stand together with a common goal to make the world a better place, we can do more good than when we stand alone.  When we stand together with the common goals of love, hope and peace we are very much like the florets of the sunflower because our strength and beauty is magnified when we are united in purpose.  

We all try to look at the positive side of life more than the negative side, and we believe that light always conquers darkness and that we all should be a light to the world.  We try our best to avoid the dark times that we all inevitably face in life; however, it is in those dark times that we grow the most.  The growth that occurs during the dark times in our lives causes us to bend toward the light just as the sunflower does as it continues to grow.      

When we spread the message of goodwill, love, hope and peace we remove the toxins out of this life, and we serve as a cleansing agent to our lives and the lives of others.  So you see, we can all be like the sunflower.  We can all live our lives in such a way that we do make the world a better place.  We can bring light to the world and we eradicate the darkness by sharing the light that God has shone on us.  From this day forward every time you see a sunflower think of Dan and Jeff.  Think of the words you heard today and think about how light always overcomes darkness.  When you see a sunflower, remember that we can all make the world a better place and we can all bring peace to our lives and the lives of everyone we meet and PEACE MATTERS!    

~Dan~

Life is a Vapor

As some of you may know, Jeff and I were married this past Saturday, March 12th.  We had a very small and simple ceremony.  We invited about thirty-five people who meant the most to us.  For the rest of this week I will be sharing pictures from the wedding.  We chose to have several readings during the ceremony.  I wrote some of the readings, and I will be sharing those with you as well.  The first reading I am sharing was the first reading of the ceremony.  It is entitled Life is a Vapor.  I wrote this reading to honor the individuals who have touched our lives, but who are no longer with us in the physical sense.  

The pictures that I will be sharing are of the chapel that we were married in.  The name of the chapel is Goddard Chapel.  It was built in 1918, and as you will see from the pictures, it was a beautiful place to have a wedding.  I hope you enjoy the writing and the pictures.  

Life is a Vapor

All of our lives are connected; one life touches another and another and another.  When one life ends, another begins. There is a constant ebb and flow of life, and while the life that we live on this earth is fleeting and often filled with uncertainty, the life that is waiting for all of us on the other side is everlasting and filled with the knowledge that everything makes sense. While this life is fleeting, we all leave an indelible mark on the lives of everyone we touch. 

James 4:14, says that life is a vapor.  When we hear this being said, we think it means that life on this earth moves quickly and is over in the blink of an eye.  However, we can choose to see the vapor of life in a very different way.  When a vapor is sprayed into the air, it comes out in a million different particles and each of those particles falls in different places.  Many times it is impossible for us to see where those vapors fall, but that does not negate the fact that they do indeed fall.  All of our lives produce vapor.  The things we do and say, the kindness we show, the words of encouragement we provide, and the love we bestow on each other are all parts of the vapor that we put into this world.  We often do not know where these vapors fall, and many times we do not see the results of all the goodness we project into this world, but that does not diminish the powerfulness of the vapor.  

At a time of great joy it seems very fitting to acknowledge those who are no longer with us in the physical sense.  Their presence is in our hearts and in our souls.  Even though we cannot see them, we can often times feel them.  Their lives have touched us and their vapor remains with us all the days of our lives.  It becomes part of the vapor that we pollinate the world with.  So you see, they may be gone from sight, but their lives and the goodness they touched us with continue to touch the lives of others.  We truly are all connected.    

Dan and Jeff wanted to use this time to remember the ones who have touched their lives.  As these names are read, they ask that you remember each of them and how the good things they did on this earth continue to have a positive impact on the world.

William Lloyd “Todd” White

Calvin Austin “Hoss” Weaver

Donald Taylor

Paul VanEckhout

Roy Lance

Norman Cutsinger

Judith White

Loueva Weaver

Irmadean Lance

Helen VanEckhout 

Parker McKenzie Weaver-White

May all of our lives be just as important as these before mentioned individuals and may we all spread the vapor of love, hope, goodwill and peace because PEACE MATTERS.

~Dan~

Everyone Has a Purpose

We all have a purpose and a calling on our lives. I want you to let that sink in for just a second and hear it again.  EVERYONE has a purpose and a calling in life, and that calling comes from God.  We all find ourselves searching for that purpose.  Many of us have searched for our purpose for years.  We have tried different things only to end up not feeling fulfilled or important.  We have searched so long, sometimes completely unaware that we are searching, only to become more and more frustrated.  The only true way to find our calling is by allowing God to help us recognize it.  

God tries to talk to all of us in different ways.  How one person hears from God may be totally different than how another person hears from God.  How we hear from God is not that important.  The important thing is that we do hear God’s voice and that we try to be obedient to the things that He is asking us to do.  God wants to lead us to our intended purpose, and He can and will do that if we begin listening to His voice and letting Him guide our steps.  

Discovering our calling can be difficult and we often do not understand what it is.  We will know that we are living our purpose because it will bring us pure joy and fulfillment.  We all have jobs, responsibilities, and duties in life.  These may or may not overlap with our calling.  Being a mother, a teacher, or a nurse may be our job and for some of us our calling as well.  There may be some of us who have jobs that allow us to pay the bills but they may have nothing directly to do with our purpose and calling.  Being a musician, artist, writer, blogger, minister, or motivational speaker may be our purpose.  

We may never earn a living doing the thing that God has called us to do, but none of us knows how what we are doing may help someone else or make them happy.  Many of us have been called to make others feel better or happier in life, and we can do this by sharing our gifts and talents that God has given us with others.  We all have a gift or a talent.  We all know that deep down, but we often think that our talent or gift is not good enough to share with others.  When we do share our gift or talent with others, we do not always know just how much it has helped someone or made them happy.  It is virtually impossible for any of us to know how many people’s lives we have touched.  Although we do not always get the feedback that we crave for whatever reason, we should continue to use our gifts and talents and share them with others despite how much recognition we may receive from others.  

One of the most important things in life is to discover God’s calling on our lives and to use our talents to make the world a better place.  We all have that power within us.  We all have the power to change the world and to bring happiness to the people in our lives.  God has imparted gifts to each of us, and we need to use those gifts to bring happiness to others.  We should all make the most of what we have been given, and we should never think that what we have been given is not significant.  We may actually surprise ourselves when we start using our gifts to help others and we begin to see how happy others are because we have shared our gift with them.

Finding our purpose and our calling will ultimately lead all of us to peace.  Once we find our purpose and calling we will no longer feel that something is missing from our lives.  We will no longer search aimlessly for our purpose only to end up feeling increasingly empty.  God is the only way to fill the void in our lives, and God can fill that void with so many different things for all of us.  Just imagine what a better place this world would be if all of us felt at peace and fulfilled.  It would truly be a better and more peaceful place, and PEACE MATTERS.

~Dan~

Promises Fulfilled

I have written a lot about needing to listen for God’s voice.  We have talked about being obedient to God’s voice and letting Him guide our path, and we have talked about getting God’s opinion about every decision that we encounter.  God wants us to hear His voice.  He wants us to be obedient and do what He asks us to do.  When we do start hearing God’s voice and we are obedient, there are certain promises that God will make to us.  God wants us to let Him give us direction in our lives, and He wants us to follow where He leads. This obedience comes with rewards, and the rewards are great.  

The first promise we have when we show obedience to God is that our lives will begin to become more peaceful.  He will fill our lives with a new peace like we have never had before.  The troubles of the past will begin to fade away, and we will begin to see the world through new eyes.  We will feel at peace more than before, and we will worry less.  It is really quite simple; the price of peace is obedience to God.  To me, that sounds like a really good trade off.  When we do not have peace in our lives, we really have nothing and all we have to do to receive that peace is be obedient to God.  He will never ask us to do something that we are not capable of doing, and He will never lead us in the wrong direction.  

Another promise that God will make to us when we are obedient to Him is that there will be order in our lives where there appeared to be no order before.  When we are not following God, our lives will seem chaotic.  We will try in vain to put some kind of order into our lives, but it will be fleeting.  Just when we think we have order, something will happen to disrupt that order.  This will be a never-ending cycle until we start being obedient to God’s will.  Once we do that, order will be restored to our lives and things will begin to run more smoothly.  

The third promise that God makes to us when we are obedient to Him is that the path we are supposed to travel will become clearer.  As I have said before, we are all walking down a path, and God wants to be our guide.  When we are obedient to Him, the path will become more illuminated, and we will begin to see where the path is leading.  When we hear God’s voice, He will begin to reveal bits and pieces of where the path is leading and everything will become clearer to us.  This will give us the courage and encouragement we need to keep going and will cause us to want to be even more obedient to God’s will.  

The fourth promise that God makes to us when we are obedient to Him is that we will begin to see Him making a way where there seems to be no way.  I like to call this the Red Sea realization.  We all have encountered situations in our lives where there seems to be no possible way out.  God can and will make a way for us.  We all encounter mountains in our path and we think that we have come to a dead end.  God can make a way if we are just obedient and listen to Him.  He can lead us over, though, around, or even under the mountain if we just have faith and follow Him.  

Being obedient to God comes with many rewards.  These rewards may not be tangible, but they are far more precious than any material possession we could ever acquire here on earth. When we are obedient to God, He will give us a new life that is far better than the life we once had.  It will be full of peace and free of all the earthly worries that we once carried with us.  So truly listen for God’s voice.  Be obedient to Him and let Him direct your path.  It will be the best decision that you ever make.  It will bring you peace like you have never known before, and PEACE MATTERS.   

~Dan~

The Choices We Make

We have decisions to make every single day.  Many times we make them easily and without even thinking, but there are other times when we have to make difficult choices, and we really are not sure what we should do.  When we face a difficult decision, we can become weighed down by the choices we need to make.  We become so afraid that we will make the wrong decision that we become almost paralyzed, so we keep putting off making the decision for as long as we can which allows the difficult decision to consume us, and we begin to experience stress and a lack of peace.

Perhaps we have made bad choices in our lives and the fear of repeating a bad decision haunts us, and we struggle making even the smallest decision. We all look to others to help us make decisions and choices.  Sometimes we rely on the right people who give us sound advice, yet other times we rely on the wrong people who advise us poorly or with selfish intentions.  The best thing for all of us to do is to allow God to help us make the choices and decisions that we have to make in life.  

In the beginning, we will have to make a conscience effort to include God in our decisions, but eventually doing so will become a natural part of every decision that we make.  God wants us to consult Him about every decision, the big and the small.  No decision is too small or too big for God help us with.  When we allow God to direct us, our lives will be more peaceful, and we will make better decisions.  When we make God a part of our decision making process, we no longer have to be afraid of making the wrong decision.  God will always lead us in the right direction, and He will never tell as to do something that will not be in our best interest.  

It is very important that we are obedient and do what God says.  There will be many times that we will agree with Him and we will understand why He is telling us to do what He is telling us to do.  It is during these times that it is very easy to take His advice and to be obedient to Him.  However, there will be times when we may be confused by what God is telling us to do.  We may even feel like He is making a mistake or that we are not hearing Him correctly.  God wants us to be obedient even in these circumstances.  God can see the entire picture, and He knows how every single decision we make is going to affect the rest of our lives.  It is during these times that we have to trust Him and realize that He has everything under control.  I know that can be very difficult, but our faith and trust in Him will help us to be able to do as He asks. 

So, if you are struggling with making a decision in your life, even if it seems like a small decision, take it to God and let Him guide you.  Get in the habit of letting God guide all of your decisions and seek out His advice about everything.  It will restore peace to your life and PEACE MATTERS.

~Dan~