Treasures in the Hard

Category

January 30, 2020

What You Need to Know About the Unknown

The unknown. At times, this weighs hard on everyone. For those prone to fear and anxiety, the concealed creates a vast depth of despair and dread. Worry mounts and distress moves in, crowding out peace and joy. A myriad of facts and certainties, from science and math to the details of our work and daily lives, establish a sense of security and build a false confidence that we are in control. But without warning, the “what if” flags start popping...

January 23, 2020

Ticking Away

One hard in life we all face is the swift passage of time. Spoken with a mixture of surprise, anxiety and lament, the phrase “time goes so fast” echoes through days and decades. We cannot corral enough time to accomplish ”all the things”. What time we have we often hurry along by focusing on some future event or phase of life, while the moment we are in slips by with little notice. We can’t wait to be a teenager. Blink,...

January 9, 2020

When Normal Wanes, Where is God?

One of the great things about the string of pearl activities from Thanksgiving to New Years is the change of pace and scenery. They bring sparkle, glitter and delight into the ordinary; flooding our days with specialness. Yet, one of the difficult things about the holidays is also the change of pace and days flooded with specialness. We haven’t lived “normal” for weeks. Routines are smashed and drug through the mill. We’re snatched from our intentional, thought-out schedules and thrown...

December 12, 2019

When All is Cut Away, What Remains of Christmas?

While many scramble to conquer the chaos, yet warm with excitement anticipating celebrations of the Christmas season, sometimes an opposite scenario befalls us. Life has dealt a blow and nothing is normal. The season drags by, filled with pain and loneliness. Uncertainty and dread are our companions. We hear no echo of laughter. Carols have lost their warmth and sparkling lights mock the darkness swirling around us. Numbness escorts us to gatherings. Fear replaces peace. Sorrow deadens joy. When all...

December 5, 2019

Crushing Christmas Chaos

Ah, the holidays. We dream of a season filled with gentle snows, glittering lights, enticing smells, carols streaming, gifts wrapped with perfection, a flawless tree filled with memory-inducing ornaments, and hugs, smiles and laughter spilling over in endless traditions and activities. Ah, the holidays. Well. Shelf that Hallmark movie, because the reality often paints quite a different picture. Across the country, women are tasked with expectations and responsibilities that would turn any action-hero into a blubbering wimp: Pinterest-laden projects, tradition-building...

November 28, 2019

Give thanks? Even in “this”?

Thanksgiving. A crushing hard. How do these mesh? God’s Word encourages us to “give thanks in all circumstances” and to “always give thanks for everything”. Does that include this mess? This pain? When darkness seeps in and our dreams lay shattered. When finances are wrecked, our hope stagnant, our bodies diseased and broken. Being thankful seems a far stretch and somewhat ludicrous. Nothing in our circumstance stirs thankfulness. Yet, living with a thankful heart is important to the Lord. In...

November 21, 2019

Does Your Life Align with God? How to Live Cruciform

One hard we all share is keeping our lives aligned with God. Bombarded with choices and tasks, our focus slips off Him, and we soon assume mastery over our life. We sideline the Holy Spirit and march through our days, and therefore our lives, making one decision after another without consulting the One whose perspective remains true and all-encompassing; whose wisdom holds both our eternal best, and the best for His Kingdom, in hand. As we move on, out of...

November 14, 2019

3 Steps to Bust Through Roadblocks of Inadequacy and Jealousy in Serving God

At times the hards we wrestle are not circumstances, but questions. One of those questions asks, “How can I, with all my shortcomings and issues, be effective in the kingdom of heaven? How can I, with my background, life experiences, and limitations, serve God and others?” Two roadblocks hindering our service are feelings of inadequacy and jealousy. Apprehensions of “not good enough” can stem from what we perceive about ourselves, or perhaps others have told us. We lack in education...

November 7, 2019

4 Steps to Avoiding the Marital Pit of Sexual Sin

Few among us have lived untouched by the fall-out of sexual sin in a marriage, either directly or indirectly. Many forms of sexual sin exist that haunt a family, including but not limited to: pornography, lust, emotional attachment, adultery. Whatever weapon Satan uses, the resulting inflamed wounds are the same:  betrayal and broken hearts. (If you are this one, feeling the sting of betrayal and picking up the pieces of your broken heart, you can skip to the last paragraph...

October 31, 2019

A Springboard Truth toward Forgiveness

A hard brought on by the actions of another leaves us gritting our teeth and fighting feelings of vengeance. A hard brought on by a fellow believer adds a whole different level of hurt, perhaps coupled with disbelief and anger. Knowing we share this journey with real people who have real issues, just like we do, comforts us. However, when an attitude or weakness in them hurls pain our way, the sting is a bit sharper and the hurt a...