Spirtual

December 13 2023

Through Him, We Will Be Comforted

Doug Gould Spirtual, Uncategorized anxiety, chemical imbalances, control, faith, learned behaviors, reinforcement of repetition, surrender, trust in the Lord

I’m speaking from my own struggles, and I felt like this needed to be shared.

Did you know that an estimated 2.7% of the U.S. population experienced panic disorder (PD), 7.1% had social anxiety disorder (SAD), and 9.1% were impacted by phobias?

In August 2023, almost 32 percent of women and 25 percent of men had symptoms of anxiety disorder.

So, what is it about us that creates this condition? Now, before you fill up my phone or email with comments, please hear me. I have no doubt there are many that suffer from chemical imbalances in the brain which can affect cognitive behavior. However, most human conditions are created by “learned behaviors.” Therefore. we condition our behavior through reinforcement of repetition.

So, the question is what produces anxiety and the answer is as simple as “we desire control.”

This need for control creates the idea that we must look for tangible answers to tangible problems. However, God doesn’t work the way we think or act the way we act.

Yesterday, my very dear friend, Gary, texted me this quote:

“So, you’re thinking God needs supervision.”

This was his response to me after sharing with him my concerns regarding some of our needs that we have at the ROC Recovery Center and how much of an effort that I’m trying to make in order to meet these needs.

Anyway, he got me thinking last night that what concerns me concerns God. We are even instructed in the book of Matthew, where Christ says:

“Come on to me all who are burden and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

It is sometimes a disconcerting truth for many Christians that even though we belong to God through faith in Christ, we still seem to experience the same problems that plagued us before we were saved. We often become discouraged and bogged down in life’s cares.

Thankfully, He has given us the same solution He gave in both Psalms and Peter’s letter. “Cast your cares on the LORD, and he will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall” (Psalm 55:22), and “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

Now watch this….the word “Cast” comes from the Greek Word which means “to thrown upon”. ….this throwing is the exact same description of the action that the Isarealites behavior depicted in Luke 19:35 when we read, “And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it.”

In others words, friends, the revelation is this: Think about it. Ready? We are told to throw our cares, our worries, our doubts, our troubles “upon where Christ NOW SITS, not upon the colt. BUT NOW ON HIS THRONE.

Let God be you Supervisor. Give it up and give it over. Trust God.

December 9 2023

The Problem with Doubt

Doug Gould Personal Development, Spirtual anxiety, depression, doubt, faith, falling into sin, fear, God's keeper, God's power, isolation, security in Christ

Devotional:

“That you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9).”

“Take the helmet of salvation.” (Eph. 6:17)

The Key to Conquering Doubt is to Focus on the Preserving Power of God

Doubt comes to Christians in many ways. After you’ve sinned, your conscience might hiss at you, saying, “Surely you’re not a Christian. You don’t deserve His mercy. You’re not good enough. How presumptuous to think God could ever use you!” Such doubts are common among Christians who focus on their performance rather than God’s power.

All too often we’re quick to acknowledge God’s power to save us but slow to understand His power to keep us. To complicate matters, many Christians believe they can lose their salvation, so they live in constant fear of falling away from the faith. Still, others have never learned what Scripture teaches about their security in Christ. They’re so intent on pleasing God through their own efforts that they lose sight of grace and drift into a subtle works- righteousness mentality.

Your Performance Doesn’t Determine Your Standing in Christ; Your Standing in Christ Determines your Performance

Jude said, “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy” (v. 24).

Able: Greek Word defines it as: “To Speak of Power”

All too often when trouble strikes, we begin to play the fiddle music of “self-pity.” What follows are verses of fear, doubt, anxiety which often leads to behaviors of isolation which stimulates depression.

The word “keep” is translated and literally means “to be secure in the midst of an attack.”

“Stumbling” refers to falling into sin.

If you put the entire definitions together we see and should hear something like this:

God is powerful enough to prevent you from stumbling into sin and falling away from Him—no matter how intense Satan’s attacks might be. He will continue to protect and cleanse you until the day you enter His glorious heaven perfected.

So, the next time you find yourself with doubt, just remember that even though we live in a world that seems out of control, WITH GOD, nothing is out of HIS CONTROL. So, relax and be still, trust HIM.

Remember the old song that says…

“Many things about tomorrow, I don’t seem to understand, but I know who holds tomorrow, and I know who holds my hand.”

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December 9 2023

Did you Hear that?

Doug Gould Personal Development, Spirtual 49ers fan, courage, discomfort, purpose, surrender, trust in the Lord, Word of God

Introduction: The number 9 is a symbol of completeness of God and also a symbol of finality,
and it is used 49 times in the Bible. The Bible uses the word “adoration” 49 times as it
describes the perfect Gift of Christ. The Bible uses the expression “good news” 49 times.
What does this all mean? It means that God is a 49ers fan and He is pleased that they we’ll be
winning the Super Bowl.

Something to Consider?

Does God’s Word ever cause you discomfort?

When you read the Bible, does what you read make you feel uneasy?

Do you find when you listen to a sermon, that they seem to be aimed directly at you?

Well, if that answer is yes, there is a reason for it. The reason is you are experiencing the reality that the WORD of GOD is alive and can read your thoughts and judge your intentions.

Scripture: Hebrews 4:12

“For the Word of God is living and effective and sharper than any
double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and
marrow. It is able to judge the ideas and thoughts of the heart.”

When God Speaks to you, it is Always for a Purpose

God knows your heart and knows what you need to do to bring your life into conformity to Christ. We need to allow the WORD of GOD to conform and shape our lifestyle. WE DO NOT shape and conform our lifestyle to the WORD of God.

Listen, it is either all or nothing.

God knows what you need before you even ask….

When He knows we struggle with “sinful talk or communication,” we may hear or receive a
message on the tongue—The Book of James.

When we have a problem with showing forgiveness, the Word of God may confront you on the “standards” of Forgiveness….

When we struggle with Anger or Pride, we may hear a message from God’s Word on
humility…

BUT—Whatever we have in our lives that seems to be a struggle for us, or perhaps a word of
rebuke, or reproof, or a correction or an instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16), you can
be sure you will either hear or read a message about it.

I saw this saying the other day and it really spoke to me:

So how does one escape this uncomfortable feeling? IT’S SIMPLE, AVOID HEARING THE WORD OF GOD.

This is usually done by avoiding going to church and even neglecting to spend time in God’s Word. It can be done by a family member (wife) or a brother in the Lord. It can be done while driving and hearing a message on the radio-or better yet, that gentle nudge from the Holy Spirit. But whatever it is, if you are a follower of Christ, you can be sure you will be confronted.

GOD DOES THIS THROUGH HIS HOLY SPIRIT AND IT LOOKS LIKE
CONDEMNATION BUT IT REALLY IS CONVICTION—

Conviction is one of the first visible signs of the Gospel at work in someone’s life.

For a person to see his or her need for a Savior, conviction of this truth must happen so that the action of repentance can take place.

God gave us the Bible, His Word, so that we may hear from Him. So that we can be challenged.
So that we can be encouraged. So that we can be changed. Hebrews 4:12 is one of several
passages in the Bible that explains the power of God’s Word:

“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and
piercing as far as the division of the soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and able to judge
the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

Are you listening?

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July 22 2023

The Gift of Making Amends

Doug Gould Personal Development, Spirtual, Uncategorized amends, defining moments, fear, Having faith in difficult times, our walk with Christ, surrender, trust in the Lord

It was years ago when I heard this comment from a Pastor friend of mine. He said, “There will come a time in life when you will be faced with a decision; that decision will define you.”

During a recent bible study, I began thinking of that thought when I stumbled upon another two additional quotes regarding defining moments:

“When a defining moment comes along, you define the moment, or the moment will define you.”

“It has been well said that a crisis never made any man; it only reveals what he already is.”

That statement, in my opinion, is true if we allow it to be. It is my understanding of God’s Word, that although God allows man “free will” it is the free will of the other peoples’ behaviors that can annoy us.

In the movie, It’s A Wonderful Life, Clarence, the angel, says to George Bailey when he wishes that he had never been born and finds out that his own actions really did make an impact on others, “Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?”

Before the crisis a man will look at life one way; however, afterwards-and possibly forever-he will begin to see the whole world around him in a different way.

Some of you may be there right now. It may be a health problem, and unless God intervenes, there’s no hope. Perhaps, it’s a serious marital or family problem, a financial problem or a desperate need for work. It may be a personal problem, such as loneliness, guilt, anger, bitterness, or anxiety. It could be some life-dominating sin, such as alcohol, drugs, pornography, or gambling. But whatever the crisis may be, how is it defining you?

Now to fully understand this passage of scripture and how this relates to our walk with Christ today, let us examine this defining moment more closely for in the Book of Genesis we read:

Genesis 32:3-6 “Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4 He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my lord Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. 5 I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes. 6 When the messengers returned to Jacob, they said, “We went to your brother Esau, and now he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.”

It was Jacob that cheated Esau out of his birthright over a bowl of stew. This family puts the funk in dysfunctional. He then proceeded to impersonate his brother, Esau, and trick his father, Isaac, on his deathbed, who was old and unable to see.

Yet, 20 years later, Jacob was met with a defining moment. Jacob heard that his brother, Esau, was traveling to meet with him. So, Jacob, not knowing the intention behind Esau’s visit, sent messengers to meet him, for he was unaware if Esau was coming as a brother or an enemy.

Upon his meeting, Jacob’s moment was that of reconciliation. How do we know this? He begins by showing and expressing humility when he says to his brother “your servant Jacob.” He then proceeds not to brag about what he had gained in his life but to offer his amends through his own material gain.

The Gift of Making Amends.

Isn’t it funny how the pains of yesterday’s past can cripple our behaviors today?

I am a firm believer that we are not defined by our past. If we continue to live our lives through our past behaviors, then we will have no JOY of the Present.

Jacob was in fear in meeting his brother, Esau, because of his past behaviors toward him but humility of making amends softened the heart of Esau.

Allow me to give you a couple of points on what fear does immediately when it hits our brain:

Fear creates a “fight or flight” reaction – immediately! This causes us to either run from facing the issues or modify our behaviors, so we don’t think about it any longer.
Fear creates distractions – Fear creates distraction, which is absolutely a scheme the enemy wants us to do in our lives. If the enemy can distract us from using the mistakes of our past then we will not spend time with God in the present. The longer we keep our mind’s eyes on the problem instead of the solution, the enemy wins! We should be reminded everyday with what we read in Proverbs.

Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.

So, what can we learn from this?

God must break us of our self-dependence, so that we can cling to him through our brokenness.

Brokenness and humility lead us in having a heart of surrender.

Before God can use you in this defining moment to a pathway of blessings, we must be broken – Why? Because all of us have this innate ability to put our trust and security in something that is tangible -stay with me—so what happens-Jacob sends his entire family across the river and he finds himself alone—

Before God could deliver him from the hand of his brother, he had to deliver Jacob from his own self will and self-reliance.

Many times we think the real enemy is our opposition when the real enemy is our own nature that needs to be surrendered.

So, here is our defining moment! If we come into the proper relationship with God, of clinging to Him in our brokenness, then we have power with Him.

We prevail with Him when we allow God to prevail over us.

April 24 2023

The Greatest Recovery Program of All

Doug Gould Personal Development, Spirtual faith, forgiveness, God's grace, Having faith in difficult times

As you know the ROC Recovery Center is a Christ-centered recovery program that offers men, women, and youth everything they need to succeed on a journey to freedom and long-term sustainable sobriety.

In making Christ at the center of our recovery, we see that all things come from His teachings. The freedom from bondage of addiction is just another one of His many gifts. But that doesn’t mean the road isn’t going to be met with an occasional obstacle or two.

ROC Recovery Center offers an approach in cleaning up the wreckage of our past that is free from shame and judgement so we can be free from addiction.

Step #1: We Admitted That We Were Powerless Over Alcohol—That Our Lives Had Become Unmanageable

The bible says:

“I know, O LORD, that the way of human beings is not in their control, that mortals as they walk cannot direct their steps”

Jeremiah 10:23

David faced this dilemma many times in his life as well. In Psalms 38:4 David admitted that he, too, was overwhelmed by sin when he writes:

“For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden they are too heavy for me.”

Even the Apostle Paul described his own struggle with sin and his need for God’s deliverance when he wrote in Romans 7:24-25:

“What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Step #2: We Came to Believe That a Power Greater Than Ourselves Could Restore Us to Sanity

Hebrews 11:6 tells us, “He who comes to God must believe that He exists and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”

So, in Step 2 we are urged to acknowledge that recovery depends on “a power greater than ourselves.” To fully understand our dependence on God, we must examine our human sinful condition. We read in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

We have all sinned. We have all done things that are displeasing to God. There is no one who is innocent, therefore, since all have sinned, God designed a plan for man’s redemption. In Romans 6:23, we read:

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

There is a way out! The Lord reveals this as we continue to read verse 23: “But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Furthermore, in Romans 5:8, we see just how much God loves us:

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

But wait, there’s more!

Step #3: We Made a Decision to Turn Our Will and Our Lives Over to the Care of God As We Understood Him

How do I apply this step? In Romans 10:9, we read that this gift is free to anyone who seeks it.

“If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Romans 10:13 says it again, “for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sins and rescue us from eternal death. Salvation, the forgiveness of sins, is available to anyone who will trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Addiction doesn’t often have a direct cause-and-effect relationship to the person struggling with addiction. Not only will we have to expose our own shortcomings (sins), but we also have to examine and address the damage caused personally to us by the behaviors of others.

In other words, sometimes bad things do happen to us because we live in a world where man has free will to choose. This is when we offer to God our will, so that hopefully we will get to that moment to walk and live in complete forgiveness. One of Christ’s greatest teachings is forgiveness. This applies to us forgiving ourselves for our past mistakes, as well as forgiving others. This is why we celebrate the Life of Christ from death to resurrection. We live today because He lives.

We all can grow, change, and become what God has called us to be; however, we are not going to be able to do this unless we can let go of the past.

Christ’s forgiveness extends to people struggling with addiction as well. And when you make the decision to leave that life behind, the judgement that you might expect won’t be found in a Christ centered recovery program.

March 20 2023

Checkmate

Doug Gould Spirtual, Uncategorized facing adversity, faith, Having faith in difficult times, hope, peseverance

Many years ago (when I was in school), I asked my dad if he could teach me the game of chess. Of course, dad being such a great baseball coach, along with our family’s love for the game, seemed to infiltrate into each piece on the chess board. My Dad took the time to explain the name of each chess piece and their assigned responsibility (just like a baseball team). What I learned from this time with my dad was the art of looking ahead. To anticipate each scenario of what play my opponent may do. Although it sounds like a good idea of “learning to be prepared,” it also created in me what I like to call “anticipated anxiety.” Instead of just staying in the moment of what life brings on a daily, I began playing out in my thoughts a “what if” scenario. Don’t get me wrong, I think it is ok to be prepared, but when the pre-expectations that we produce in our thoughts do not meet up with reality, then, there is always a possibility of disappointment.

So, I must admit that I was not very good at the game of chess because I could never stay one step ahead or anticipate my opponent’s moves. Because of this weakness, I would often hear the fatal words, “checkmate!”

I came across a famous painting that once hung in the Louvre Museum in Paris, painted by Friedrich Moritz August Retzsch. This is a famous painting called, Checkmate. On the left (with the hat, the red feather, and the green cloak) is Satan. The young man on the other side of the table is in distress because he can’t move, and he thinks to himself that it is over, and the enemy says, “checkmate.”

However, there is more to this story. According to legend, during a group tour of the museum there was a chess grand master champion that came upon this intriguing painting. The grand master stared a long time at the chess board in the painting and finally noticed something surprising. As the tour group moved on to look at other paintings in the museum, the grand master champion stayed gazing at the painting and carefully examining each detail. He noticed the guardian angel offering an atmosphere of peace, in spite of the enemy’s sinister look while gripping a chess piece that once was owned by the man. He pointed at the poisonous spider crawling toward the man’s direction as if to attempt to cast a web of control. He felt the man’s apparent discouragement and defeat through his facial countenance which caused him to slump forward, indicating that he had lost all hope.

Though the devil seemed to be the obvious victor, the grand master chess champion noticed the arrangements hidden among the chess pieces on the board.

According to the arrangement of the pieces left on the chess board, his king had one more move. This fateful move would make him the winner of the game.

The grand master called the curator and determined that the title “Checkmate” did not fit the scene because the forlorn-looking player actually had the ability to defeat his opponent. Though he didn’t realize it yet, his king had one more move.

As I read this story last week, I couldn’t help but to break down in tears, knowing that many times in my life, I have been in that position of despair – that I have allowed this game of life, and the enemy himself to lie to me, causing me to lose my trust in God, and therefore my HOPE.

See my friends, when you feel trapped, when you feel overwhelmed, when you don’t know what to do or where to turn, Satan loves to whisper, “Checkmate.”

When it seems that there is no way to carry on. When you find yourself trapped by your circumstances and don’t know which way to go. When it seems like you can’t move, and you have run out of chances, you’ve run out of help, you’ve run out of resources, and you begin to say to yourself, “What’s the use”-Checkmate!

The Bible says in John 10:10 “The thief comes to kill, steal and destroy.”

But notice that before he can kill and destroy, he has to steal. He must steal your faith. He has to steal your joy. He has to steal your hope. He has to steal your dream. But it is never over with God. The KING has one more move. When your life seems out of control, there is nothing out of the control of the King of Kings. The KING has one more move. It is never over with God.

So remember, what we read in Psalm 139:5:

“For the LORD will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.”

God knows where you are, and He knows who you are. He knows what you are going through and can see around corners. He loves you and He cares for you. There is nothing that God cannot do. So know that the King of Kings has one more move.

“And we know that, in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him”

February 25 2023

Keep Sowing Seeds of Faith

Doug Gould Spirtual faith, God working through others, helping others, let go of the results, seeds of faith

Keep Sowing Seeds of Faith

“It is better to preach five words of God’s Word than five million words of man’s wisdom. Men’s words may seem to be the wiser and the more attractive, but there is no heavenly life in them. Within God’s Word, however simple it may be, there dwells an omnipotence like that of God, from whose lips it came.”

-Charles Spurgeon

This past week, I must confess, has been one of the most difficult times for me. It is not because I don’t take pleasure in what I do for a living (ROC Recovery Center). It is simply because in today’s climate, people are hurting, and it seems to be getting worse. As I came home on Monday night, it was nice to be met with a hug in the kitchen as Lisa was preparing dinner, and of course, our two dogs were helping (not). I guess this greeting gave me a little more to hold onto, as if to just relax into her arms, and it felt nice.

That night, I sat on the sofa in my usual spot and sunk deeper into my recliner, along with my emotions. I could vividly see the faces of those today, and all I could feel was their pain. I began to wonder: Am I even making a difference? I thought to myself that sometimes I understand the pain because it may be very similar to what I experienced in the past. But for this particular night, it seemed like the oppression lingered a little longer. Then, I reminded myself of something I teach every week, and it goes something like this: If you change the self-talk, you can change the behavior.

So, I did what many of us do today – I retreated to Facebook. As I aimlessly scrolled through photos of someone’s dinner that they had made or another video of a sporting event, I was diverted by a new message icon light that alerted me.

I looked at the name, and although I didn’t recognize it, I decided to open the message and much to my surprise, it was exactly what I needed, although “Kathy” had no idea that what she wrote and sent to me at 10:37pm was the Lord working through her. Here’s what it said:

Hi Doug,

You don’t know me, but I just wanted to thank you. We recently moved back to Southern Oregon, and my path has crossed with several people lately who know you and have encouraged me to share with you how greatly the Lord used you to impact my life.

Many moons ago in the late 70’s early 80’s, there was a broken little girl and her brother, living in poverty in Medford. We had recently lost our sister in a tragic car accident, and our father left us, moving 2000 miles away. But through the church that my Grammy attended (Open Bible/REV Harsh) and her fervent prayers, we began attending. Our VW was always broken down, but that was ok because a school bus would pick us up for Sunday school. The school bus would arrive with a crazy, sold out for Jesus, red headed young man named Doug in the front. He would lead us in songs like “No you can’t get to heaven on a pair of skates because you will roll right past those pearly gates.”

You brought God to the center of Sunday school. The elaborate puppet shows, skits, storytelling, and fun songs burned in my heart, along with scriptures, God’s goodness and bible stories in a foundational way that has never left me.

Your enthusiasm for Jesus was medicine for my little soul. You helped me realize that in HIM, I had a reason to laugh and smile, even with a severely dysfunctional home life. The many seeds you planted in my life, by God’s grace and my Grammys prayers, have been watered over the years. God has been so faithful. I know my story is just one of many at-risk kids that you impacted for Jesus.

Thank you for answering the call that God put on your life as a young man.

Until He returns,

Kathy C.

I must be honest after wiping the tears from my face, I simply said, “Thank you, Lord.”

That phrase, “the many seeds you have planted” pierced my heart, and at that moment, the oppression was lifted. Not because my client’s pain is gone, but rather, realizing that those seeds of faith – no matter how small they may look or seem – are actually very comprehensive. Within that seed, can produce a root, a branch, a leaf, a flower and like any type of seed, it needs to take time to develop, but it is all in there.

“I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So, neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives growth.” 1 Corinthians 3:6-7

As it is with the simple Gospel of Christ, the act of kindness or perhaps a simple scripture of encouragement, lies within that seed much more that the human eye can see. Within the truth of the Gospel, lies regeneration, repentance, faith, holiness, zeal, consecration, and perfection.

So, my friends, keep sowing. We may not, at first, see all its results, but give it time because someone may be coming by with the water to help that seed along further to its intended desire. You may not see it, but it is all in there.

January 20 2023

It’s a Wonderful Life!

Doug Gould Spirtual defining moments, hardship, perspective, suicide, vision

Something to think about…..

There comes a time in all our lives when we are faced with a decision that could be considered “that defining moment.”

I once heard this awesome quote, and it goes like this:

“It has been well said that a crisis never made any man; it only reveals what he already is.”

That statement, in my opinion, is true, but only if we allow it to be. I believe that there are defining moments in our lives where God will allow us to experience that test, that trial, that hardship, or that failure – not to cause us hardship, but to refocus our perspective on how we view the way we are living our life.

Here is an example of a “defining moment” for Phillip Van Doren Stern.

(Daytona Beach News-Journal)

It came to him in a dream, a story so stirring he remembered every detail the next morning. He was shaving when he mentioned it to his wife, and through the hot steam of the bathroom sink, she told him it was wonderful.

It was about a despondent, middle-aged man who stood atop a bridge on a snowy Christmas Eve and contemplated suicide. Suddenly, his guardian angel appeared and showed him what life would be like had he never been born. The man realized how many people he helped, how much better things were because of him, and suddenly, life wasn’t so bad after all.

Philip Van Doren Stern, a renowned Civil War historian and author, began to write the outline for his story in 1938, and though it took him five years to shape it, he knew it was certain to touch people. There was only one problem: The publishers wouldn’t touch his story.

So, in 1943, he took his book and wrote it as a 4,100-word, 21-page booklet that he sent out to 200 friends for Christmas. He called his story, The Greatest Gift.

The Author, Phillip Van Doren Stern, determined in his heart that he was not going to let rejection detour him away from his desire to publish his book. So instead of giving up, he readjusted his focus.

He altered his original writing and published a 21 page booklet himself and handed them out to 200 of his friends for Christmas. What happened next was God just being God and Phillip Stern keeping the vision alive.

That booklet came to the attention of RKO Pictures Producer, David Hempstead, who purchased the motion-picture rights for $10,000 in April of 1944.

After several screenwriters worked on adaptations, RKO sold the rights to the story in 1945 to Frank Capra’s production company for the same $10,000, which he adapted into the movie, It’s a Wonderful Life.

But what made Phillip Stern keep moving forward in spite of the numerous rejections from publishers?

I believe the answer is hidden inside the movie when we hear the angel, Clarence, say to George Bailey as he realized that suicide was not the answer:

“Strange isn’t it, George, how each man’s life touches so many others, and when he isn’t around, it leaves an awful hole.”

Before the crisis, a man will look at life one way, however afterwards and possibly forever, he will begin to see the whole world around him in a different way and possibly begin to see his life is truly “wonderful.”

I believe that you have been created by God and for God. That we have been given an opportunity to serve Him and bless others.

So, I want to encourage you today to give your life to Christ and trust Him. He truly is a God that loves and desires for you to begin seeing yourself as He sees you.

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”

Psalm 139:13-14