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~

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.