Life Lessons I Learned From my Grandma: Happiness Leads to Peace

June 01, 2016 by Dan Weaver

Anyone who knows me knows that I had a very special relationship with my grandma, Ruth Cutsinger. I have shared many stories with you about her life and the lessons that God has taught her. Many of you know that my grandma went to live in Heaven on Sunday, May 22, 2016 at 2:45 am. Even though her earthly body has passed away, I know that her spirit continues to live on in Heaven. I know she is at peace, and I know that she will guide me as I continue my journey on this earth. My grandma always loved to tell the stories of her life and of all the miracles that God performed for her while she was here. She would often tell her stories over and over, and anyone new to her life would eventually hear the stories. When she would tell her stories, you could literally see the amazement in her eyes as she recounted the miracles that God performed for her. As we all know, any good story is worth repeating, so I will be sharing my grandma’s stories with you all once again. I hope that her stories will continue to touch all of you and that you will share the miracles that occurred in her life with everyone you know. My grandma touched so many lives while she was on this earth, and I know that her stories do not end with her death. In fact, her stories are just beginning; they are just in a different form now. Having had such a wonderful grandmother in my life has brought me immeasurable peace and PEACE MATTERS.

Happiness is something that we all strive to achieve in our lives. We spend much of our lives trying our best to be happy. When it eludes us, we feel that we must be doing something wrong and when we do have it in our grasp, but it slips through our fingers, we desperately try to get it back. Many times in searching for happiness we find that the search makes us unhappy. We mistakenly believe that in order for us to be happy, everything in our lives has to be perfect. We think that if one thing is not right, than we cannot be happy.

When I think of happiness and being happy, I almost always think of my grandma and how happy I have felt when I have spent time with her over the course of my life. When I think about what happiness looks like, I see her face. That is not to say that other people, activities, and possessions do not make me happy. I have been so blessed to have wonderful people in my life. I have been blessed with activities that make me happy, and I have been able to acquire collections that have made me happy. However, when I think of how to be happy and how to hold onto happiness, I think of my grandma.

The happiness that she has felt for the majority of her life has sustained her through the trials and tribulations that we all face. Through all of the storms of life, she has maintained her sense of happiness. As many of you know, my grandma’s time on this earth is drawing to an end. I can literally see her fading away. I know that one day soon, she will no longer be physically present in my life. I have learned so much from watching my grandma live her life, and now I find myself learning even more lessons from her as she faces her death. To say that she does not struggle daily with her weakened body would be untrue, but the one thing that continues to be a presence in her life is her happiness. You see, my grandma learned long ago that life does not have to be perfect for us to be happy. She learned that even in the darkest of times we can still experience happiness I can see the happiness all over her face every time that I get to visit with her. The happiness that she feels has given her peace over the current situation that she is facing, and in turn her happiness has given me peace.

Since I have not lived as many years as my grandma, I struggle to maintain my happiness as I watch my grandma’s body weaken and her quality of life diminish. To be honest, the sadness I feel is sometimes almost too much to bear. I fight everyday to keep the sadness at bay, but it creeps in when I least expect it. When this begins to happen, I look to my grandma to show me the way, just like I have for most of my life. When I look to her, I am able to grasp some of the happiness that she still has and I know that one day soon, the happiness that she has had will be passed on to me.

Often when we lose someone who has been so important to us on this earth we feel as if a part of us dies right along with her, but I have decided to refuse to look at it that way. A part of me will not die with my grandma; a part of her will live on in me. That is true for all of us who have lost someone dear to us. When I think about it like that, it does help. I know that my grandma’s presence will be felt in my life for as long as I live. I know that the lessons I have learned from watching her will guide me as I live my life, and I know that I will pass those lessons on to others. So you see, my grandma’s earthly body will cease to exist but her spirit and legacy will live on forever.

As I have watched my grandma prepare for her death I continue to be amazed by her strength and faith. As I have watched her say good-bye to people, I have seen the strength and wisdom in her eyes. I have heard the words she has spoken and seen what they have meant to the people to whom she is speaking. I too, have been told good-bye and I find myself repeating the words she spoke to me over and over again. When I do this, I feel her strength and faith begin to fill my spirit, and I know that her words will always be with me.

So you see, we can be happy when things are not perfect. We can hold onto to the happiness that all of us have been promised even in the midst of the storm. When we refuse to let the happiness escape from our spirits regardless of our current situation, we will feel better mentally, physically, and spiritually. I have not attained this level of happiness yet, but I truly believe that I will get there one day. We can all attain that level of happiness, the kind that does not fade away, if we put our trust in God and truly believe that His plan is perfect. It will be difficult to do, but if we keep at it, we will get there. True happiness that comes from God will help all of us experience peace and PEACE MATTERS!

~Dan~

In loving tribute:

Ruth Cutsinger

10/12/25-5/22/16

The battle has been won!

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

May 31, 2016 by Dan Weaver

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 other 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~

In loving tribute:

Ruth Cutsinger

10/12/25-5/22/16

The battle has been won!

Life Lessons I Learned From my Grandma: On Her Own

May 30, 2016 by Dan Weaver

On August 21, 1998, my grandpa, Norman Cutsinger, suffered a heart attack while mowing the lawn at the church that he and my grandma, Ruth Cutsinger, attended. At first my grandpa seemed okay. They took him to the local hospital and did some preliminary tests. They decided to send him to a bigger hospital in St. Louis, Missouri for further evaluation and treatment. When he arrived in St. Louis the doctors decided to do a heart catheterization, which is a fairly routine procedure. He said his good-byes to the family and went for the test. Soon, the doctor came out and said that my grandpa had suffered another heart attack. He was on life support and in a coma. They said the likelihood of him waking up again was very slim. My grandma had just recovered from colon cancer and now she was facing losing her husband. They had been together for thirty-seven years after finally reconnecting in 1961. My grandma sat with my grandpa for what turned out to be the last week of his life.

Finally, on August 28th, the doctors told my grandma that there was no hope and that it was time to disconnect my grandpa from life support. My grandma, being the strong person she is, accepted the doctors’ advice. She sat with my grandpa for the last time as he drew his final breath. I remember waiting for my grandma to come home after my grandpa had died. I really didn’t know what to expect. I had seen her go through a lot of trials in life but never something like this. When she came through the door, there she was, with her sad, but familiar smile. She once again had the strength of an army with her. I know now her strength came from God and the angels that He had surrounding her that day. She immediately began planning my grandpa’s funeral. She knew what she had to do, and she was prepared to do it.

While at the funeral, I sat once again, in amazement at my grandma. She smiled and laughed and actually comforted other mourners. She was a pillar of strength in the midst of the worst storm of her life. You see my grandma had never been alone. She was married at the age of 16, and she had never lived alone or even spent the night alone. My grandparents owned two houses. One house was on a lake and the other one was in the country on a busy highway. Everyone knew that my grandma was afraid to stay by herself, and we did not know what she was going to do. However, my grandma knew. She was going to sell both houses and move to a small house in town. Selling the lake house would be easy. The houses on the lake sold quickly, and that is what happened. The house on the highway was different. People came to look at it, but no one seemed to be interested. My grandma was becoming very frustrated and could not understand why the house was not selling. She knew in her heart that she could not stay there. Finally, one morning she surrendered it to God. She told God that if He wanted her to stay in that house she would. She let Him take control. That is exactly what God was waiting for. Three days later, her house sold.

She immediately began looking for a house in town, which presented more frustrations. All the houses in her price range needed too much work, and my grandma was not up to that. My cousin, Tim, was building houses at the time, and he told her that he could build her a house that would fit her needs perfectly. My grandma decided to take him up on his offer and began looking for a lot on which to build in town. One day, she was driving around and God told her to drive down North Douglas Street. My grandma argued with God and told Him that she did not want to go that way. God insisted, and my grandma finally did as she was asked. When she drove down the street, she found two lots for sale about which she had not known. When she called her relator, she was told that a couple had tried to buy the lots for the full asking price; however, the owner would not sell the lots to them. My grandma was undeterred. She asked the relator to call the man and see if he would take less money for the lots. The realtor did as she was asked and called my grandma back. She said, “You are not going to believe this, but the owner said he would take $4,000.00 for the two lots.” The asking price was $8,000.00. The relator could not understand why he had had a change of heart, but my grandma knew why. God intended those lots for her.

Even after she bought the lots, people tried to tell her she was making a mistake. They told her that it was not a good place to build, but my grandma again was undeterred. She knew that God wanted her there, so she continued with her plans. On May 1, 1999, my grandma moved into her new house.

My grandpa had only been gone a few months, and my grandma had made a life change with what seemed to be little effort. She had done so with the faith that God would take care of her just as He had done all her life. She still lives in that house today and has always been at peace there, proving that when God leads us somewhere, even if other people think we are wrong, we will find peace.

Peace is what God wants for all of us. He wants us to trust Him and have faith that He has a plan. He wants us to submit to His will and follow His lead. He is often waiting for us to submit to Him. Once we do, He can take over and work things out in His time. Once we surrender to God, we will begin to experience peace. If we allow God to be in control, then much of the worry and fear that we experience can be eliminated. Faith is a scary thing, but we are always rewarded for having it, and that reward is peace. Without peace in this life, we have nothing.

So, the next time you are struggling and becoming impatient because you are waiting for something that has not yet happened, think of my grandma and hand it over to God. Truly submit to His will. Let Him be in control. It will bring you a peace that goes far beyond your understanding, and PEACE MATTERS.

~Dan~

In loving tribute:

Ruth Cutsinger

10/12/25-5/22/16

The battle has been won!

Life Lessons I Learned From my Grandma: Colon Cancer

May 29, 2016 by Dan Weaver

Thanks to Katie Couric and her late husband, a lot of attention has been brought to the diagnosis and treatment of colon cancer. Colon cancer is the 3rd most diagnosed form of cancer and the 4th leading cause of cancer related deaths. Early detection is crucial, and when detected early, colon cancer is 90% curable. These facts and figures may seem unnecessary to the story that I am getting ready to relate to you, but they are important to the millions of people who will be diagnosed with colon cancer during their lifetime.

The realness of colon cancer was brought into my life in October, 1997. My grandma, Ruth Custsinger, had been plagued with pain in her side for most of the summer and early fall. She was no stranger to pain, but this pain seemed different. She was seventy-two years old, and she had been through cancer before. She had spoken to her doctor about the pain, but he did not seem alarmed. Colon cancer in its early form does not present pain. However, my grandma knew something was wrong. She insisted that her doctor schedule a colonoscopy for her. He reluctantly did as she asked, and I believe it saved her life.

You see my grandma did indeed have colon cancer. I remember the day my mom told me. I thought to myself that my grandma had already been through so much. We were all worried and scared. All of us, that is, except my grandma. She once again showed strength and faith. I really think she was so relieved to find out that there was a reason for her pain. She carried the pictures of her cancer in her purse and would show them to people. It was as if she were proud, but I think it was her way of warning people of the dangers of colon cancer. My grandma was scheduled for surgery, and the part of her colon containing the cancer was removed. I went to visit her in the hospital after the surgery, and there she was lying in bed. Her familiar smile and laugher filled the room. She was completely at peace and didn’t seem worried at all.

I was going through a difficult time with my job. I had just started a new teaching assignment and was away from home, and had a very difficult group of kids that year. My grandma seemed more concerned for me than herself. After the surgery, she was told that the cancer was localized and small. The doctors could not understand why she had been in pain, because the cancer was in its beginning stages. Of course, my grandma knew differently. God had allowed her to experience the pain so that she would have it checked out. Had she not experienced the pain that every doctor told her she should not have felt, her story may have turned out quite differently. My grandma was scheduled for chemotherapy, and she began it soon after the surgery. As we all know, chemotherapy can be a very difficult treatment to go through, and my grandma had struggles to face with her treatment. She endured those struggles with her characteristic strength and good humor.

As I said before, I was dealing with my own issues, and my grandma was very aware of that. She and I talked a lot on the phone while she was going through chemotherapy. The treatment was keeping her from sleeping so she would call me. She was so worried about me and praying that God would improve my situation. I was worried about her and praying that God would heal her. We were each going through our own struggles. They were completely different, but they made us feel the same. You see a trial is a trail. It may look different, but the feelings are the same. I find it amazing that in a time when I should have been comforting my grandma, she was comforting me. I believe that God knew that she and I both needed something else to focus on while we were going through our own trials. My grandma didn’t focus as much on her cancer because she was thinking of me, and I didn’t focus as much on my own struggle because I was thinking of her.

God wants us to serve our fellowman. We have each been given that job. We are supposed to support each other, pray for each other, and build each other up. When we do so, we not only bless the person we are helping, we bless ourselves as well. God knew that my grandma and I needed each other. The reason was not even remotely the same, but He knew that we needed to comfort each other. I know that my grandma certainly comforted me during that time, and I hope that in some way I comforted her too. I cannot express to you how important it is that we help each other.

That is what God wants. He has given all of us unique talents and gifts to better equip us to do His work. Even when we are struggling ourselves, God wants us to reach out to others and help them. I truly believe it is part of the healing process and that it is a win-win situation.

We never know what a phone call, email, text, or card can do to lift someone’s spirit. We all need to know that we are not alone and that someone identifies with our struggles. Of course we always have God. He will never leave us, and He will always comfort us, but He wants us to rely on the people He has placed in our lives too.

So, the next time you are going through a struggle and you think you are alone and the only one having a difficult time, think of my grandma. She could have turned inwardly and been only concerned about herself, but she reached out to others, and in the process helped herself. God truly wants us to be at peace, and He has given us so many ways to achieve it. Helping others is one enormous way of receiving and giving that peace. So, go out and help someone. It will bring you and the other person a lot of peace, and PEACE MATTERS.

~Dan~

One last thing . . . if you are experiencing any kind of issues with your colon or experiencing any abdominal pain, see your doctor. If your doctor does not seem concerned, see another doctor. Insist on having a colonoscopy. It could very possibly save your life.

In loving tribute:

Ruth Cutsinger

10/12/25-5/22/16

The battle has been won!

Life Lessons I Learned From my Grandma: Breast Cancer

May 28, 2016 by Dan Weaver

In 1980, 640,000 women in America were diagnosed with breast cancer. Unfortunately my grandma, Ruth Cutsinger, was among them. It all started on July 4, 1980. My grandparents always had a big family reunion at their lake house to celebrate the day. It was a big event, and my grandparents planned most of the summer for the special day. My grandma was always very busy in the days leading up to the 4th. On the morning of the 4th, she was getting ready to start her busy day when she found a lump in her breast. She was fifty-four years old. We all know enough about breast cancer to know how terrifying a discovery this must have been for her. I am sure her mind began to race, and the fear of the unknown set in very quickly. I can only imagine the thoughts that raced through her mind that morning. “I can’t be sick”, “I am sure it is nothing”, or “What am I going to do now?” may have been some of the first thoughts she had.

However, my grandma, being the strong woman she is, went on with her day. She hosted the party that everyone was expecting, and she was happy, smiling, and laughing most of the day. After most of the guests had left, my grandma took my mom, Darlene, in the bathroom and showed her the lump. I can only imagine the fear my mom felt that evening as she realized that her mom might be sick. I am sure she was gripped with the realization that she may have to give her mom up to this dreaded disease. However, my mom, being the strong woman she is, rallied around my grandma, and they devised a plan. My grandma immediately went to see Dr. Fox. He did some preliminary tests and then scheduled her for a biopsy. He told her if it turned out to be cancer, they would take care of it while she was under anesthesia.

The day of the biopsy, my grandma went into the hospital not knowing what her fate was. She would not know until she woke up. She could wake to find that the lump was benign and that she was fine, or she could wake to discover that she did indeed have breast cancer. When my grandma did wake up, her worst fears were realized. She did in fact have breast cancer and Dr. Fox had performed a radical mastectomy. He also removed several of her lymph nodes because they showed signs of cancer as well. It would have been very easy for my grandma to become discouraged and lose faith, but she had been through tough times before, and God had always been with her, so she faced this trial with the same dignity with which she had faced all the others.

She also faced it with humor. This is something which my grandma does extremely well. My mom tells the story of how she was at my grandma’s house helping her recover from her surgery. My mom made the bed and left one of the pillows off so that my grandma could use it on the couch. When my grandma walked by the bedroom, she dryly said, “It looks like that bed had a mastectomy.” When my grandma went to be fitted with a prosthetic, she did so with a sense of humor. My mom says that she and my grandma laughed uncontrollably that day. My mom said she sat in amazement watching my grandma. Here she was a relatively young woman who had just lost her breast and she was laughing and making jokes. Her actions that day brought my mom a lot of comfort, and my grandma turned what could have been a traumatic day into a good memory that my mom has always remembered.

God blessed my grandma in so many ways, but he blessed her with a sense of humor that has sustained her through some of her most difficult times. He blessed her with the ability to smile through the pain and comfort others when she was the one who really needed to be comforted. In so doing, she received more comfort than anyone else could have given her. Her positive attitude was contagious, and no one could be sad or worried when they were around her. God had given my grandma His hope and peace long before she had to endure this newest trial. He had taught her through example that He was in control and that all she had to do was lay her worries at His feet.

This is what God wants all of us to do. He wants us to face each challenge with faith, hope, and peace. He wants us to trust Him and let Him be in control. He wants us to comfort others and be an example of what a person who possesses His peace acts like. Nothing is too big for God and in turn, nothing is too big for us if we have God with us. He promises that He will never leave us or forsake us, even in our final hour. He will carry us through the trials in our lives and will give us the peace that will sustain us. When we have God’s peace, we can truly face anything. We can face every trial with the knowledge that He is in control and it will make those trials not seem so big and, we will be an example to other people. Thankfully, my grandma made a full recovery from her breast cancer, and it did not return. She is 90 years old now and is still living her life with a smile on her face, joy in her heart, and faith in her spirit. She would face other trials, but her faith would not waiver.

So, the next time you face a challenge that you think seems too big to overcome, think of my grandma. Put a smile on your face, make a joke, and have faith that God is in control. Believe that all things are possible through Him and let Him lead the way. It will bring you peace even in your darkest hour, and PEACE MATTERS.

~Dan~

In loving tribute:

Ruth Cutsinger

10/12/25-5/22/16

The battle has been won!

Life Lessons I Learned From my Grandma: A Love Story

May 27, 2016 by Dan Weaver

When my grandma was very young, she met a boy at church. His name was Norman Cutsinger. She loved him very much, and he loved her too. They really thought they would get married one day, but you see, Norman’s family didn’t think my grandma was good enough for him. My grandma came from a very poor family and Norman’s family looked down on them. It didn’t stop him from loving my grandma, but it made things very difficult. Norman loved his grandma very much, and she advised him to stay away from my grandma, and then his mother died during childbirth when he was 18. These events greatly affected Norman, and he decided to move to Colorado to live with his aunt. Not only did he move to Colorado, he married someone else. This devastated my grandma. She could not understand what happened. She thought that Norman loved her like she loved him. She was unaware of the pressure that he was getting from his family, so she thought she was the problem. She thought she was not good enough to love.

After Norman got married and moved away, my grandma followed suit and married my grandpa. My grandpa was a good man, but his relationship with my grandma was never very good. I think in some ways, he could never be Norman, so they were doomed from the start. They tried to make a life together and stuck it out through the good times and bad. They had three children, the oldest a boy, Paul Jerry, died before he was two. Then my aunt Pauletta was born and finally my mom, Darlene. When my grandma was pregnant with my mom, Norman moved back. You see, his marriage had not been good either, and after trying to make things work for several years, he is his wife divorced, and he moved back home. My grandma saw him one day, but at that time she was still married to my grandpa, and she was getting ready to have another baby.

Eleven years later, in 1960, my grandparents decided the best thing for them to do was end their 18-year marriage. My grandma took my aunt and mom and moved into an apartment. My grandma did not have any money, but there were people placed in her path to assist her. Her mother kept telling my grandma that she needed to call Norman, but she was afraid and hesitated. Her mother kept insisting and even said she would pay for the phone call. So, one day, my grandma mustered all her courage and called Norman. When he answered, she asked him if he remembered her. He said yes, but he told her she was several years late. My grandma immediately thought that she had made a mistake, and that she should not have called Norman; however, he told her that he was still single. She told him they should get together sometime. Norman said that maybe they should, but he was very non-committal.

Several weeks went by and my grandma grew very impatient and was beginning to lose hope. Then one day while she was cleaning the floors in the apartment and not looking her best, there was a knock on the door. The date was April 1, 1961 and that knock would change all of our lives. When she answered the door, there stood Norman. Everything seemed to fit into place all at once. He had come back into her life after all those years, and they still very much loved each other. They picked up right where they had left off and were married on April 20, 1961.

This drastically changed my grandma, aunt, and mom’s life. They had a stable, loving home, they had plenty of money, and they had a man who loved them more than anything in the world. The events of that day in April changed my life too. Had Norman not come into my grandma’s life, my mom and dad would have never met, and I would have never been born. I would have not known what it was like to have a grandpa, and what a grandpa he was. No kid could have ever had a better one. There were no steps in our family, just love. My grandma was married to Norman until he died in 1998. They had a wonderful life together, and he took care of her. In fact, he is still taking care of her, and has made sure that she is comfortable and secure in her old age. It is funny how life works out sometimes. There are many times that we may find what we need when we are young, but we are not ready to receive it. If we did receive it, we would not appreciate it. Sometimes we have to experience how difficult things can be when we go the wrong direction in our lives to appreciate how right everything feels when we go the right direction.

God teaches us these lessons everyday. We have all wanted something immediately. When we do not get it, we do not understand why. It upsets us, challenges our faith, and makes us question God. It may be something that we need, but God is not ready to give it to us. It’s not that He wants to be unkind, but He wants us to be patient. There is a lesson in the waiting, and God wants to teach us that. There is also a lesson in the receiving of a gift after wanting it so long. If we did not wait and work for something, we would not appreciate it as much. We would have missed some of the blessings and faith builders that were on the path to finally having what we had wanted all along. God wants us to be patient. He wants us to have faith in Him and truly believe that His timing is perfect. He wants us to have the desires of our hearts, but he wants us to be in the position to receive them and appreciate them. He wants us to see that He aligned our path perfectly to receive the gift.

So, if you are waiting for or wanting something, and you cannot understand why God has not provided it yet, think of my grandma. She wanted something for most of her life, but God was not ready for her to receive it. When she was ready to receive it, she was older and wiser and could truly appreciate that gift. She could see God’s hand in leading her to the gift. It made her a stronger person, it taught her to be patient, and it strengthened her walk with God. It also brought her unimaginable peace and gave her a firm foundation to face the trials in her life that were yet to come. So, be patient with God. Let Him lead the way. Trust His timing and get ready to receive the peace that He wants all of us to have because PEACE MATTERS.

~Dan ~

In loving tribute:

Ruth Cutsinger

10/12/25-5/22/16

The battle has been won!

Life Lessons I Learned From my Grandma: The Loss of a Son

May 26, 2016 by Dan Weaver

My grandma, Ruth Cutsinger, married my grandpa, Paul Van Eckhout, on February 14, 1942 when she was only sixteen years old. She married my grandpa right after WW II started. It was a scary time in the history of our country, but it has often been said that that generation was the bravest of any that has ever lived, and I believe that is true.

Not long after my grandparents were married, my grandma become pregnant. She gave birth to the first of her three children on May 30th, 1943. The baby born that day was a boy whom they named Paul Jerry Van Eckhout. My grandma was overjoyed with the birth of her son. He was a big boy from the start, and as the months went by he continued to grow. My grandpa was stationed overseas, so my grandma and Paul Jerry lived with my great-grandma. During the winter of 1945, Paul Jerry became ill. He didn’t seem to be getting better, and the doctor could not explain why. The doctor seemed to think that Paul Jerry had a cold, but my grandma felt differently. She worried about Paul Jerry, but he slowly seemed to be getting better and he was growing, so she trusted that everything would be okay.

On February 27, 1945, Paul Jerry was sitting on the floor playing. He was picking up clothespins and placing them in a Mason jar. He stopped playing and reached for my great-grandma. She picked him up, and he died in her arms. I cannot even begin to imagine my grandma’s pain and grief. Here she was a 19-year-old girl. Her husband was away fighting in a war from which he may not return home, and her son had just died in front of her. My grandma had to bury Paul Jerry by herself since my Grandpa was unable to come home for the funeral. She did have her mother with her and I am sure that helped, but she had to feel so alone and devastated as she laid her little boy to rest. They say that losing a child is one of the worst events that anyone can experience. There seems to be no meaningful explanation when something like that happens.

I am sure that my grandma questioned why God would take Paul Jerry away from her. I am sure she felt alone and that her life was over. I am sure she struggled with what God’s plan was for her life at that point. She may have even been angry with God for forcing her to go through such a terrible trail, but she did go on. She showed the strength that the rest of her generation had, and she kept going because she had been taught to do so. She kept going because she had been taught to trust God and to have faith in His plan for her life. The events of that day in 1945 have haunted my grandma all of her life. She is 90 years old, and she has never gotten over losing Paul Jerry, but she has continued to live her life and, God has certainly blessed her for that. She has continued to praise God and do His work in spite of the many trials she has had to face. That is not to say that she has not questioned God and wondered why Paul Jerry had to die.

She did make peace with it one Christmas Day, however. It was in the early nineties, almost fifty years after Paul Jerry died, and she was praying. My grandma, like all of us, gets a little sentimental on Christmas and she was thanking God for all the blessings in her life. She began thinking about Paul Jerry and wondering why God had taken him from her. God spoke to her and told my grandma that had Paul Jerry lived, he would have been the right age to have to fight in the Vietnam War. She knew how terrible that would have been for her and she would have had to deal with the worry of her son not returning from a war. I am sure my grandma still would have rather had Paul Jerry with her though, and then God reminded her about how many grandsons she had. You see the next two children my grandma had were girls. She never had another son, and she often wondered why, but God had blessed her with five grandsons. God said to her that day, “I may have taken Paul Jerry from you, but I gave you five boys to help take his place.”

I remember listening to my grandma tell this story that Christmas morning and how she was filled with joy at her revelation. I couldn’t help but be reminded of Job in the Bible. God allowed terrible things to happen to Job, but he praised God anyway and God blessed him with far more than he had ever lost. My grandma continued to praise God when she lost Paul Jerry and God blessed her with far more than she had ever had. That is what God wants all of us to do. He wants us to trust Him and have faith that He knows what is best for us. Even when we cannot understand why something so terrible could happen to us, he wants us to praise Him anyway and give Him thanks for everything that happens in our lives, the good and the bad, and He will bless us for it.

So as you go through your daily life and things happen that you do not understand, no matter how small or big, I want you to remember my grandma and the millions of people like her. I want all of us to remember that God is in control and that we should continue to praise Him no matter what trials may come our way. If we can praise Him in all things, the love He has for us will sustain us and give us peace, and PEACE MATTERS.

~Dan~

In loving tribute:

Ruth Cutsinger

10/12/25-5/22/16

The battle has been won!

Prayer for Peace

May 19, 2016 by Dan Weaver

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~Dan~

Giving Our Burdens to God

May 17, 2016 by Dan Weaver

It is impossible to live in this world and not experience situations that burden us. We carry these burdens around with us everywhere we go. We think about them both night and day, and we talk about them to anyone who will listen. We try to solve them on our own, often in vain. There are times when we carry our burdens with us for years. They weigh us down, and they can impact every aspect of our lives. We live, eat, and breathe our burdens on a daily basis. Sometimes they become such an enormous part of who we are that we do not want to let them go. We sometimes even mistakenly allow our burdens to define who we are.

People will advise us to lay our burdens down. We have held on to these burdens so long that it actually makes us mad when this happens. We think that if we surrender our burdens that we are giving up and the situation will never be resolved. Often we take our burdens to God through prayer. We spend countless hours on our knees asking God to move on our behalf. We are doing what God wants us to do when we take our burdens to Him. However, how many times do we pick the burdens back up and take them with us after we pray? God wants us to bring our burdens to Him and leave them with Him. We are not supposed to pick them up and take them with us.

Believe me, I know how difficult this is, but in order to have peace in our lives, we have to leave our burdens with God. This does not mean that we will not think about our burdens or that they will vanish from our lives, but we have to trust that God can resolve our problems and carry our burdens for us. We have to allow Him to resolve our problems in His own way and in His time. That is also a very difficult thing to do because we want our problems solved instantly. After all, He is God and we know that He can do that, but we would be missing out on the lessons that we need to learn if He did. He wants to carry our burdens for us, but He wants us to learn from the experience. He wants to build our faith, to teach us to wait on Him, to trust Him, and to believe that He is in control.

So, if you are carrying burdens around with you, stop. The weight of those burdens is keeping you from living the life that God wants you to live. You are missing out on the blessings that God has given you. You are allowing the burdens to steal your peace and your time. We have to give our burdens to God. We have to leave them in His capable hands and have faith that He will resolve them in His time. When we truly leave our burdens with God, the sense of peace that surrounds us will be incomprehensible and PEACE MATTERS.

~Dan~

Life Lessons I Learned From my Grandma: Happiness Leads to Peace

May 12, 2016 by Dan Weaver

Often when we lose someone who has been so important to us on this earth we feel as if a part of us dies right along with them, but I have decided to refuse to look at it that way. A part of me will not die with my grandma; a part of her will live on in me. That is true for all of us who have lost someone dear to us. When I think about it like that, it does help. I know that my grandma’s presence will be felt in my life for as long as I live. I know that the lessons I have learned from watching her will guide me as I live my life, and I know that I will pass those lessons on to others. So you see, my grandma’s earthly body will cease to exist but her spirit and legacy will live on forever.

~Dan~

Doubt

May 10, 2016 by Dan Weaver

Doubt is something that we all experience from time to time. There is perhaps no greater threat to peace than doubt. When we have doubt, we feel like life is hopeless and dreary. God doesn’t want doubt to take up residence in our hearts. Think of doubt as a little snowball. When it is sitting still it is harmless. Oh, you notice it, but it does no harm. If we allow the doubt inside of us to grow, the snowball grows. Our doubt becomes bigger and bigger. Pretty soon that little snowball has turned into an avalanche destroying everything in its path.

Doubt breeds doubt, and we all know people who walk around with doubt in their hearts. They are hopeless, and they cannot believe in anything. This life is sometimes hard enough when our faith is strong, but if you do not have faith or believe in something greater than yourself, then you cannot face the everyday trials that we all experience. It is like Santa Claus said in the film Miracle on 34th Street, “If you can’t believe, if you can’t accept anything on faith, then you’re doomed for a life dominated by doubt.” Those are simple words from a simple movie, but their power is enormous. It really is true too. If we cannot accept things on faith, the love, peace, and joy that is meant to fill our lives will never come our way.

How can we prevent doubt from stealing our peace? That is an age-old question that man has been asking for centuries. Our world has become so smart, and science has been able to explain so many things away, but we still need to have faith. You cannot see a sunrise or set and not believe in something greater than yourself. You cannot see the geese fly south for the winter and not believe in the power of faith. There are so many things that we accept on faith. Most of these things we take for granted and do not give them the weight that they deserve, but when we just stop and think about it life is full of signs of God’s presence and omnipotence.

So, the next time you feel the seed of doubt being planted in your heart, focus on the many miracles that you have witnessed. Focus on all the things that you have faith in. Allow yourself to become full of hope for the future. Because, you see, hope, love, and joy begin to melt that little snowball, and pretty soon it is just a puddle of water. The thing that we have to try very hard to do in this life is to never give up. We can never allow doubt to overcome the love and peace that has been promised to everyone of us. Lean on God, yourself, and the people that you hold dear when you experience feelings of doubt or just sit back and enjoy watching the sunrise and remember that every single day that we are on this earth is a miracle. Every single day you wake up is a gift. Faith and hope will always outweigh doubt and fear, and faith and hope will bring us peace and PEACE MATTERS.

~Dan~

Mothers

May 08, 2016 by Dan Weaver

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

May 05, 2016 by Dan Weaver

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

May 03, 2016 by Dan Weaver

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

April 28, 2016 by Dan Weaver

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

April 26, 2016 by Dan Weaver

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

April 21, 2016 by Dan Weaver

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

April 19, 2016 by Dan Weaver

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

April 14, 2016 by Dan Weaver

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

April 12, 2016 by Dan Weaver

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~