Ghosts And Goblins

On October 25, 2020October 20, 2020 By roberthansen1317In Christian lifeLeave a comment

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This didn’t turn out like I wanted but you can get the drift.

Ghosts and goblins don’t scare me.

Werewolves? Nah.

Vampires don’t either.

What about bears and lions you ask? Not in the least. Most of the time if they attack they are only protecting their territory or their young. Now I must say I have never been in front of a ten foot tall, mad mama bear but sitting here in the comfort of my home I am not afraid.

What about snakes? I will admit they get my heart going but not really afraid of them. Again, I have never come face to face with a black mamba or a king cobra but, for now, I can say I am not afraid.

Spiders? Not at all.

Most animals are the same. They wake up, they search for food and water, they sleep. Add breeding when it’s that time.

Monsters don’t scare me either. I mean if you can’t outrun Frankenstein or the Blob then shame on you. Yes, I know there are faster monsters out there but I am not scared.

You want to know what really scares me?

People.

People scare me more than anything else in this world.

They are unpredictable.

They can look you in the eye and lie to you.

They can say they will never let you down and two seconds later they let you down.

They can be your best friend one minute and your worst enemy the next.

They can take you for granted.

They can say they will love you til death parts you and then leave for someone else six months later.

They can do unimaginable things when they feel desperate. Back then into a corner and they can be worse than a king cobra.

They can hate you for no other reason than the way you look.

Yes people scare me more than ghosts and goblins. Yes they scare me more than any other thing in this world. But I have seen some hope.

I have seen people jump in front of a bullet to save a total stranger.

I have seen people spend hours in a hospital room holding a loved ones hand.

I have seen people give so much of their time to help the least of them.

People scare me. But I have hope. I have a dream that people will love more than they hate. That they will stand by their word. That when they commit they understand what that truly means.

People can be more unpredictable than any animal I know. But, unlike animals they can also do more good than they can imagine.

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People Are People by Depeche Mode –

Who Am I by Michael Sweet –

People Are Crazy by Billy Currington –

People Change by For King & Country –

The People I Know by Eric Hutchinson –

People Loving People by Garth Brooks –

Adewemimo the White Throated Guenon

On January 9, 2018January 9, 2018 By roberthansen1317In Christian life, Short storyLeave a comment

“Hi there. I am glad you found me. I’m not as easy to find as I used to be. I know the Guinean Forests aren’t an easy place to get around. Trust me, I know. Living in trees when the trees disappear because of deforestation is hard. Luckily, my family and I are in a protected area now but I worry too much damage has been done. Did you know at one time we were considered extinct? Then someone found a few of us that remained and here we are.”

“What’s that? You like my fur. Thank you, but unfortunately so did many humans. That is another reason why we are almost extinct. People hunt us for our unique red belly and white front legs. I am hoping we can make a come back and be removed off the endangered species list.”

“Oh my dear, don’t cry. I feel more sorry for the female humans than I do for us. We are animals, but you are humans. I have seen some bad things from up in my tree. Things I would never want done to any of my species. I have also seen hope and grace.”

“I have seen young girls sell themselves to make money. I have seen women kidnapped and forced to marry men they don’t know. I have seen children born into the most terrible situations. I have seen many women crying and at the edge of desperation. They don’t know what I know but I am going to tell you. It’s something that has been told for thousands of years but not all are allowed to hear it.”

“How did I hear of this great news? One day I was foraging for fruit and this woman saw me. She said hello and I said hello back. She said her name was Missy and she was from this place called The United States. I told her my name is Adewemimo, which means the crown washed me clean. Missy said that was a beautiful name and started to tell me about this man named Jesus.”

“I wasn’t for sure I wanted to know since it was about a man and the only thing I knew about man was no good. They nearly killed all my kind and I have seen how they treat human women as possessions but I listened anyway.”

“This man wasn’t like any man I had known. Missy told me how compassionate and loving this man was. How much he loved me and everyone, especially you. She told me how gentle he was and how he died for us. His death covered our sins, washed them white as snow. ”

“Hey, I told her that’s like my name. The crown washed me clean. I really liked that.”

“I asked her why she was here in Nigeria. She told me about this place her and her husband, John, started called Grace Gardens.”

“At Grace Gardens the women are taught about God’s love and how valued they are. They are taught that they are not worthless and that they are loved so much by God. They are taught how God sent his son Jesus to die for us. That he forgives us for all our mistakes and sins and that they are not their past. They are treasured and are the daughter of the King.”

(image credit David Bowman)

“I was mesmerized. I wanted to know more about this man. He was not like any other man I had known. Missy would visit me often and tell me more. When she wasn’t with me I would go to Grace Gardens and check it out myself. I was amazed at the difference in these women’s lives. The women I saw not too long ago in despair were now smiling and laughing. They were learning how to read and write and were being taught vocational skills. They were given advice and prayed for.”

“Unfortunately, not all women stay. Some leave because they do not think they can overcome the way they live. They can’t comprehend how much Jesus loves them.”

“Their situation, like mine and many other animals like us that are endangered , can be changed. Mine can be changed if people stop hunting us and see the value we have to the environment. If they give us a chance to live, we can rebound our population.”

“The women’s lives can be changed If they can learn about Jesus and believe in Jesus and his love for them and that they are a daughter of the King. If they give Jesus a chance and welcome him into their hearts they can see how valuable they are.”

“They can not do that if there are not people like Missy and John and their children that share the love of Jesus with these women. Missionaries are needed around the world. They need your help.”

“Will you help me spread the word about these women who are in need of God’s love? There are women like this all over the world, not just here in Nigeria. Will you help donate to Grace Gardens so they can purchase a bigger safe house for women to stay. The need is great and they want to accept everyone that comes to them.”

“Thank you for visiting me. Thank you for helping and remember God loves you.”

http://servinginnigeria.com/ email: johncamiola@gmail.com

Grace Gardens –

Nansik, Grace Gardens –

Call It Grace by Unspoken –

Grace Wins by Matthew West –

You Are Loved by Stars Go Dim –

Learning To Be Found by Jason Gray –

This Is Amazing Grace by Phil Wickham –

Amazing Grace by Joey & Rory –

The Hunter & The Family

On November 21, 2017November 21, 2017 By roberthansen1317In Christian life, love, Short story2 Comments

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I am a hunter. Not just a hunter. I am THE hunter. I am paid, quite well I may add, to hunt. If someone needs to get rid of something, I am the person they call.

It’s a job. I have no emotions about killing another living thing. Many times I am saving many lives by killing a wild beast. A grizzly stalking hikers. A polar bear coming to close to town. A wolf or coyote attacking livestock. A rabid raccoon, a venomous snake, you get the idea.

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I have been asked to hunt another human but I cannot go there.

November 3rd. The day that would change my life. I received a call from a farmer saying some wild creature was destroying his livestock. He explained that the creature had a growl he had never heard before. There were nights where he thought he heard more than one. The hairs on his neck would stand up just recalling what they sounded like. Their appetites were endless.

I did all the necessary prep work. I tracked over the land looking for signs of where the creature could be living. I set traps. I found nothing. Not one single sign of where it could be. But the murder of the livestock continued.

I have never failed in my hunts and I was not going to fail this time.

November 6th. It was a full moon and it was the first time I caught a glimpse of the creature. It was not a site I would soon forget. In all my years of hunting, I had never seen anything like it. I can’t even really explain it. Sort of like Bigfoot but… I don’t know. Half gorilla, half bear, half man. Yes, I know three halves don’t make a whole, but like I said, I can’t describe it, it was faster than a cheetah, stronger than an ox, claws like Wolverine.

For the first time in my life, I was scared of something I was hunting. My mouth was dry, my palms sweating, my knees shook. I fired my rifle and for the first time in my life, I missed. It looked my direction and faster than I could blink, it was gone.

Why I continued to hunt this creature I can not say. Maybe it was my pride. Maybe it was ignorance. I start a job I finish it. That was it.

November 10th. Four days had passed and there was no sign of it. Maybe the shot I fired scared it off. I doubted that was the case.

I was right.

I was well hidden in the bushes. I smelled it before I saw it. Then it surfaced about thirty feet from me. I pulled the slide back to chamber the bullet, I put my finger on the trigger, and …The farmer was right, there was more than one. I didn’t even hear the one that snuck up on me. I went flying through the air.

I landed hard on my back. I scrambled trying to get to my feet, to get my bearings. I couldn’t find my gun. It knocked me to the ground again. I was on my stomach and I knew right then and there I was going to die.

I rolled over and it was standing over me. I saw the hatred in its eyes. It saw the fright in mine. It let out a scream that caused my blood to curdle. Then the other creature was there. It was a bit smaller than the one attacking me so I assumed it was the female. It was then I saw the third creature. Much smaller than the other two. I could only think it had to be their child. I could only think these creatures were going to be the last thing I saw in this life.

The female grunted something to the male and the males posture changed. A softness came to his eyes. I looked into the females eyes and saw not hate, but compassion. I saw love in her eyes. Then I looked into the males eyes and saw not only strength but I saw love also.

Then the three of them left.

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Why they let me live I had no idea. Maybe they thought I would not taste good. Maybe they could see something in my heart that I did not know was there. Maybe it was for me to be able to tell this story.

All I know was in that moment I saw animals in a different light. I saw that the male was only protecting his family. I saw that they were no different than you and me. I saw that they had emotions, feelings, and intelligence just like you and me.

Maybe even more than we do.

In that moment those creatures changed my entire life. Not only did I see all creatures in a new light, I also saw all humans in a new light. There were no more differences between races or genders. No differences in wealthy or poor. No differences in the strong or weak. I realized all humans were the same. All equal. We are all one. We are all in the same family.

I can never thank those creatures enough for how they changed my life.

Maybe them letting me live to tell my story will change your life. Maybe you will look past the outside and search for what’s inside someone.

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Different by Micah Tyler –

Let Love Win by Carrollton-

The Sound Of A Life Changing by Matthew West-

Love Is The Golden Rule by Michael English –

Ghosts And Goblins

On October 27, 2017October 26, 2017 By roberthansen1317In Christian life4 Comments