There are certain standards that I use to determine what I write: Is it True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, and Kind? More importantly, does it exalt Christ as the True Hero? My prayer is that when others read what I write that they will learn to love God’s word as I do, and also desire to live it out loud so their world can see it. My discomfort with sharing my life and struggles through writing what I do has greatly diminished all because of the grace and mercy that God has shown to me. My aspiration is to inspire people to endure, and that because of what I write and the way that I share all that I do, that if at least one person will say that they didn’t give up because of what they witnessed God do in my life, all glory to God. My heart’s prayer is found in *Psalms 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable and pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my [firm, immovable] rock and my Redeemer.* I share my heart, fears, and failures in hope to encourage other believers that struggle in similar ways that I do, because one thing I have come to understand is that we all struggle in one way or another, and it seems very few are willing to admit it, and even fewer are willing to step out of their comfort zone to help others through their trials and tribulations. I realize that I live my life imperfectly, and that’s where God’s grace comes in and gives me peace. I wrestle with the tension between desiring to honor God alone and the thought of writing anything that would dishonor Him or bring notoriety to myself. Exalting Christ is my heart’s desire. I don’t want to gain followers, but I do want to disciple others by letting those in the world around me understand that they can be truly changed by the power of God’s Word. There are times when I feel that I get pushed to the edge of difficulty and fear falling, but I also believe that God has prepared me for such a time as this. Charles Spurgeon said, “God is too good to be unkind and He is too wise to be mistaken. And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart. When you are so weak that you cannot do much more than cry, you coin diamonds with both your eyes. The sweetest prayers God ever hears are the groans and sighs of those who have no hope in anything but his love.” My BeLoved, I pray you have been encouraged by what I share. And if so, please feel free to share with others. In Christ Love, douglas.

To any who are interested, please feel free to reach out to me with prayer requests, questions, encouragement, or for information on how to come alongside me in financial support of the ministry activities that God has entrusted to me at pastord.blog@gmail.com