It’s Winter in our world in the Northern Hemisphere. For many of us it is the time of severe cold and sometimes accompanying severe weather. In such times it is not good to awaken and find your heat source not functioning. That was the beginning of my day last Monday. We had a freezing cold night… I awakened to a faint pungent smell that could only come from a malfunctioning heat unit… I tested it and sure enough, it was putting out clouds of smoke and no heat… I shut it down and called my son who works on the unit for me. He had been ill for the whole weekend but would drag himself over to my house and see what he could do. It took all day… some prayer for help, right tools and guidance for both of us and some mercy for him because of his foot. He found the solutions, I found a tool that would work, he applied the effort and now the unit is working fine.
The previous week I had to scratch and pray to come up with funds for the bills that were due… Then Donna came home and I had to oversee her care and her needs as she tried to adjust to home after a six week hospital stay. I had been so busy that it did not seem like six weeks but it was… I had gone through the funeral for an officer… I had done two weeks of care for my little dog after she had surgery and needed close attention and intense care plus hand feeding of food and medication… Simultaneously, I had been through ten days of grinding demands for paperwork that had to be filed by a deadline causing me wear, tear and fatigue… All of this came immediately after the great experience of the ministry trip out of town on October 15th. One week in November I had to cancel church because of demands upon me and some of the congregation… The next week I could not leave my home because of the needs of my little dog so I had church in my house… Then the Vet said she was healing so well that the stitches and the cone collar were removed and she was well and free… It did not take long for her to be her old self again.
I learned long ago to prepare for battles and/or challenges to follow blessings… This was another of those cycles that occupy our lives and today I can say with abundant delight… It has all worked out well… and I am fine.
There can be many things in our lives that steal our peace and happiness if we allow them to be stolen from us. I learned long ago that my attitude could dictate how well my challenges were met, handled and resolved. Be temperamental and touchy and nothing goes well… Not even enjoyable events. Be tired, fatigued and dragged out and nothing goes well… Begrudge the time, effort, frustration and challenge of some situations and things that must be accomplished that take a great deal of time and effort before you can see any results and good results will continue to avoid you… Sometimes I must stop in the middle of something and walk away to a place of quiet to pray and gather my resources again… Sometimes I cannot stop and walk away… So in the middle of the trial or challenge I say a simple prayer, “HELP LORD!”… And the help comes to meet my need or to show me what I can do with the sticking place… Even with something I have laid aside and cannot find… Or something that has stymied me and must be left to percolate until the solution comes…
The solution to full living is to not make excuses but to ask and seek help… My Eternal Captain said, “Ask, seek and knock… ” when you are in these circumstances. I do and the answer or the assistance comes and I can get on with the effort that must be accomplished.
If you are not experiencing the love, peace, joy and daily help that has been promised, you are settling for less than what was intended for you to experience.
DETERMINE to settle for nothing less than the best results that the Creator has promised to you…
SEE/LEARN His written instruction of His will for you in this world (the Bible/New Testament)(not know what He wants – not know what to ask)… ASK for help from someone who knows His way better than you know it to show the written instructions to you…
ASK for clarification and understanding if you do not have it before you even start reading…
DIG & LISTEN to see how His instructions in His Handbook for Life (the Bible/New Testament) speak to you and lead you…
CHECK IT with someone else who knows from experience if you cannot get it alone…
APPLY the instructions you read that you have understood…
GROW IN KNOWLEDGE AND MATURITY as you gain experience from applying what you find in the written instructions…
THIS NEVER STOPS – Life is intended to be an ongoing learning and overcoming experience for your good and your gain as you learn and follow instructions. Be willing to apply the answers when they come to you!
Our Creator never intended you to live on your own by your wits and your knowledge alone. He wants to be closely involved in every day and every moment of your life to help you find the best ways, the best answers and to achieve the best results in the midst of that with which you have to deal… Even in Law Enforcement and in the Military… He never intended that you go through the difficult places alone… Never! That is the whole reason for this season in which we are involved… He sent His life to us in the Being of a Son who was put here to learn what it is like to live as a human and deal with life’s challenges and difficulties from birth to the grave… He lived as a man, learned as a student, taught how to live with the Creator whom He called Father… And experienced all of the adverse things that can happen to you in this life so that He could run to your aid when you need it… And He stands by, ready and willing to respond to you to do for you those things you cannot do for yourself and to help you learn those things that you can do that in this moment you do not believe that you can do!… You have but to communicate that you want that assistance…
You must ASK for what you need… SEEK the guidance for living by asking and studying… KNOCK upon or against any impediment or closed door to get it to open or be opened for you! He came to give life to you in such quantity as to give you more life than you personally need to the point of overflowing… Enough life for you that you will actually be able to give life away to others… He came to give but you must be actively involved in receiving, learning and applying what you learn in order for it to be working for you.
Begin your day with the Lord’s Prayer/OUR FATHER found in Matthew 6:9-13 and also pay attention to v.14 &15. These are the Keys to the beginning of the Creator’s will in your life… Then ask Him to teach you what you need to know. Put yourself into training under His instruction… It may take a while but that is the beginning of receiving the gift He came to give to all people. ASK for the guidance to find the person or persons who will be able to help you learn HIS way and help you put it to use… That is one of His desires for you… But if you cannot find anyone where you are, let me know and I can send you some very helpful basic learning material that will get you started in the right direction if you have Microsoft Word on your computer.
Today I just finished the plan for a SHOP WITH A COP/CHAPLAIN program. Next Saturday several police officers, detectives, retired officers and seven chaplains will help 58 people (adults and children) have the opportunity to do Christmas shopping for gifts and groceries. Someone else furnishes the money, we chaplains find those in need and we then take them shopping at a department store with separate monetary gifts for each child, each teen and each adult plus enough for Christmas Dinner groceries for the whole family in each home. What a great blessing to spend money furnished just for the purpose of giving Christmas to needy families… And I have been blessed with this assignment for many years… It just gets gooder and gooder!
To all of you Peace Keepers, THANK YOU FOR GIVING TO MEET THE NEEDS OF EACH OTHER, AND STRANGERS THAT YOU DO NOT EVEN KNOW, ALL YEAR LONG!!! You manifest the true spirit of giving, even when you do not feel like giving. Some people think you do it for pay but I know better… You do it because if you did not do it there would be no life as we know it in this world. You do it for each other, YOU DO IT FOR THOSE YOU LOVE AND WHO LOVE YOU and you do it for people you do not even know… THANK YOU FOR CARRYING ON THAT WHICH OUR PREDECESSORS BEGAN AND PASSED DOWN TO US!… YOU HAVE DONE IT SO VERY WELL!
“BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!” ALWAYS be alert, watchful, suspicious and wary. Take the very best care of you as you care for and about others. See to the strength and well being of your spirit as well as all the rest of you. Your spirit must be strong for you to be successful. All of this is by your own choice… He has made provision for you but it is up to you to learn it, take it and put it to use for the best results possible.
Merry Christmas… Happy Hanukkah… Joyful Kwanzaa… Peace and Happiness no matter what you do or do not celebrate.
Call or write if I may be of any service… Or if you just want to encourage me… Feedback encourages all who write… It helps to know we are reaching someone who reads the message. My deepest appreciation to all of you who have responded with comments.
My son’s foot still hurts but he can do some work. My daughter’s wound is clean and almost closed. It is much better than it has been for a very long time. Thank you for care, concern, good wishes and prayer.
As it has always been… So it still is!!!
“VICTORIOUS WARRIORS WIN FIRST…
AND THEN GO TO WAR,
WHILE DEFEATED WARRIORS GO TO WAR FIRST…
AND THEN SEEK TO WIN.” Sun tzu
Training and practice are everything!
Without them, the best results are not obtained!
ONLY LIVE PEACE KEEPERS SEE THE VICTORY!!!
THEY SEE IT ONLY BECAUSE OTHERS HAVE MADE THEIR ETERNAL
PAYMENTS OF SWEAT, BLOOD, TEARS AND LIFE FOR THAT VICTORY!
WITH THE DEEPEST OF APPRECIATION AND RESPECT…
BE BLESSED (A CONDITION TO BE ENVIED)…
BE SUCCESSFUL… BE SAFE…
[My injunction to be safe means doing all you know to do as you do your job... it means
doing the best you can with what you have where you are using all your faculties to get
the job done well and with good results conquering evil and keeping or restoring peace...
it does not mean to avoid duty and honor... it does not mean to cower or allow anything
to hinder you in the process of duty according to rules, law and ethics... it means that if
the demand takes your earthly life you destroy as much evil as possible in the process.
That is my definition of being safe... doing the best you can and leaving the rest to God
or whomever else is responsible... being best employed for the sake and protection of all
the things and people that we hold dear.]
I represent, write for… and give the credit to:
God the Father (my Commander-in-Chief),
Jesus Christ the Son (the Eternal Captain of my life) and
the Holy Spirit of God (my Eternal Teacher, Keeper and Guide).
In Christ I live… with Him and for you I serve…
And I rejoice that you are there whether you are Christian or not…
For God, Country and the Peace Keeper…
D. R. (Don) Staton, Chaplain to Peace Keepers,
Surviving Peace Keeper,
Virginia State Police Alumni,
RETIRED Police Officer Virginia Beach Police Dept.,
Senior Chaplain and Administrative Chaplain VBPD,
Police Instructor,
Community Service Officer (Traffic Safety) VBPD
Blackwater Alumni
757-431-2190, chpln1@verizon.net
3709 Beacon Lane, Virginia Beach, VA 23452
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