Posts Tagged ‘Difficulty’
Pain
Pain. We avoid it at all costs. Julius Caesar said, “It is easier to find men who will volunteer to die than to find those who are willing to endure pain with patience.” The harsh reality is unsettling. All of us will experience pain at some point in our lives. It comes in many forms…physical…
Read MoreNavigating a storm
A rather poignant scene in the movie, “The Count of Monte Cristo,” finds the Count giving Albert a birthday blessing. An excerpt from his speech particularly got my attention. “Life is a storm, my young friend. You will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a…
Read MoreI don’t know how to proceed
Stress, problems, difficulties…put in your own personal synonym and you’ll still find the truth of the following statement: “These situations tend to bring out the best and the worst in people. “ You’ve seen it and you’ve experienced it. Hard times can cause some people to “rise to the occasion” and become more than they…
Read MorePreventing accidents
From what I understand, during the construction of the Interstate Highway system, several sections of roadway were engineered without curves or dips, resulting in straight sections as long as possible. One such stretch, spanning over 80 miles between Phoenix, Arizona, and Yuma, Arizona, was exceptionally straight. While this might sound like a dream, it also…
Read MoreWhat’s God doing?
What’s your first thought when things don’t go your way? Is it disbelief? Maybe it’s anger? Is it resignation to the situation? The reason I ask that question of you is because I ask myself the same question. I came upon a familiar passage that gives me insight and comfort in the midst of a…
Read MoreDouble edged sword
You’ve heard the expression “a double-edged sword,” right? In a literal sense, a double-edged sword is a sword that has two sharpened edges. You probably don’t have one unless you’re a Viking, but you’ve seen pictures and movies. Figuratively, a double-edged sword refers to “something that has both good and bad consequences.” Maybe you’re familiar…
Read MoreTrust
Trust is one of those words we often throw into a conversation when we’re uncertain about the future. It’s a great word. It can mean belief, hope, conviction, expectation, dependence, to depend on, to count on, or to be sure about. you get the idea of the depth of this amazing word. In the New…
Read MorePurpose in the pain
Sometimes life is just plain hard. People we love get sick. Governments do idiotic things. The news we hear is often negative. Careers don’t always work out. Kids don’t constantly express their love for their parents. Has it ever crossed your mind, “why?” Here’s a thought. Crisis and difficulty in your life have a purpose.…
Read MoreThe hero in all of us
Did you grow up with comic books? I certainly did along with many of my friends. I wish I had kept some of those old comics. Today they can be worth a fortune. I read that a 1938 Superman comic was found in the wall of an old house in Minnesota. It’s valued at $137,000.…
Read MorePraying for Ukraine
It’s hard to believe what we’re seeing right now. The country of Ukraine is being invaded and the citizens are in peril. Our mission agency, Missions Door, has several missionaries in the country, but you may not know that all of our missionaries are indigenous. In other words, Ukraine is their home and therefore they’re…
Read MoreElections
Elections weren’t generally popular during Bible times. Yes, ancient Greece was a “democracy” in theory, but according to Encyclopedia Britannica Online, it wasn’t until the 17th century that representative democracy used voting as the primary decision-making process. Leaders in the early church were chosen or appointed based on character. In fact, the selection of Elders…
Read MoreThe current divide in America
Are you deeply bothered by the current divide in America? I am. Winston S. Churchill once said, “When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.” I believe the true divide between people is internal. It seems to me that what we are observing in the world and America is first a…
Read MoreBruised for our sake
In the world of politics, there will always be those who say they “feel your pain” but have not actually experienced the pain and difficulty you may be going through. Their statement might seem a bit disingenuous. Jesus is no politician, but when He says He feels your pain, He’s lived it. Isaiah 42:3 says…
Read MoreWho you gonna call?
The coronavirus has left all of us vulnerable. What we “thought” we could control, our jobs, our health, our future, we now know what internally we all suspected. We really can’t control anything. We never could, but we would fool ourselves into thinking that we know it all and could do it all. So as…
Read MoreJust a little help…
I don’t think there’s anybody who doesn’t feel good when they help somebody out…even if it’s difficult or inconvenient. I remember getting a call from a friend who had car trouble. He called me for assistance. I have to say, I was a little reluctant to help…well…very reluctant. The reason was pretty simple. He was…
Read MoreLife’s uncertainities
I’m old enough to remember what happened on November 22, 1963. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. I was in grade school, but I remember the fear and uncertainty I felt. All my classmates felt it as well. I also remember September 11, 2001. Four coordinated terrorist attacks against the United States. This time as…
Read MoreWake up!
Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping and mourning; And rend your heart and not your garments ” Now return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness And relenting of evil. Joel 2:12-13 …
Read MoreYou’re not alone!
Despair and depression do something to you. The way you think changes. There is a strong tendency to be more self-centered focusing on your issues solely. The nature of depression is interesting. Here’s a quick primer. According to Web MD, most people feel sad or depressed at times. It’s a normal reaction to loss or…
Read MoreThe “halo effect”
Even a surface reading of the New Testament reveals that the Apostle Paul didn’t have it easy. It really didn’t matter what town he traveled to, his message was met with pain, rejection, and violence. In spite of that, he continued to spread the Good News about Jesus and some people responded and from those…
Read MoreI wish he didn’t say that!
When you hang with people for any time at all, you eventually get in a conversation or overhear a conversation where you say to yourself, “I wish they hadn’t said that.” Maybe you heard a spouse say in the midst of pain, “I married the wrong person.” Maybe they say something the seems out of…
Read MoreLiving in the “heat”
I was born and raised in Arizona. So, I generally don’t mind the heat. As a kid, we’d play outdoors in the middle of the summer. If we got thirsty, we’d go to the garden hose and take a drink. There was no such thing as bottled water. Now, the water that first came out…
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