Posts with the category “struggles”

Do you ever feel bogged down by life, exhausted by minuscule responsibilities, and stuck in the tedium of tasks, errands, and chores? If it isn’t one thing, it’s another.I, too, have found myself in this place. And often, when I’m tired and overwhelmed, I complain and argue about trivial matters with those I love the most. When I find myself in this rut, I’m often reminded of a short but powerful ...  Read More

"But now thus says the Lord, He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy On...  Read More

My husband and I sat on the balcony of a vacation home overlooking the Caribbean Sea. We were able to have deep conversations in this place. Feeling so removed from our problems, it was easy to put words into what I had been feeling for the last eight months.Overwhelming sadness.In June of 2022, we lost someone we loved dearly to a self-inflicted injury. How do you go forward with all the feelings...  Read More

Let me start with a confession. I am terrified of storms, especially tornadic ones.Recently, my husband and I were on our way home when a storm “broke” with blinding rain and pounding wind that made it impossible to see past the hood of our car.  Tornado sirens began to blare, a transformer exploded in a shower of sparks, and I went into panic mode! I was immobilized by fear and too afraid to driv...  Read More

It seems that as we live our lives, every stage has its struggles. When we are young, we struggle with being accepted by our peers. When we are teenagers, we struggle with love and heartache. This continues into adulthood, where it becomes more complicated with more struggles, too many to count. This life can be challenging. God did not say our lives would be free of troubles. He assured us that w...  Read More

I was only ten years old when I first heard the “C” word; cancer. My mom was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and the adults whispered information around me. I knew what was going on. My mother had a life-threatening disease. She was very sick.Mom required radiation in the summer of 1976, so five days a week, I drove her to a town 35 miles away. Cancer treatments at that time were rudimentar...  Read More

Where in the Bible is the promise that if we follow Christ, we will never have any struggles? That promise is not in my Bible. Once I accepted Christ as my savior, I was promised eternal life! I am forgiven for the mistakes and sins in my life; however, that does not mean I will not have struggles or frustrations.I do get frustrated, and if I am completely honest, I get frustrated a lot! That does...  Read More

I didn’t plan on being single with a one-year-old baby. I was married right out of high school at eighteen, and by February, I was pregnant at nineteen. Back then, my only aspiration was to be a great mom. I didn’t have that positively modeled for me growing up.As things go with people who don’t have great role models, I chose someone who abused me like I had been abused as a child. It took a few ...  Read More

We have a large quirky tree in our backyard. It has been badly scarred and mangled by storms. Branches, which survived breaking, hang contorted and deformed. This winter was uncharacteristically severe, with bitter cold and more snow than normal. The winds were strong and relentless. Still, much of our quirky tree stubbornly clings to its crunchy brown leaves.Life’s storms and trauma not only leav...  Read More

Struggles! We’ve all faced something that challenged our peace—big decisions, diseases, moves, and even our faith.In Job 7:1 (NLT), Job says, “Is not all human life a struggle?” as he recalls long, weary nights of suffering.Lately, I have been caught in one of these moments of struggle.  I am a caregiver to my husband, who has Alzheimer’s/Lewy bodies disease. I know this disease does not end well ...  Read More

Do you believe that the struggles we endure in life can help others if we allow them to? If we are open to it, our hurts can lead us to our most effective ministry.  As Christians, we know we will walk through many different valleys throughout our lifetime.  During these times, a godly response to rest in faith and hope will offer the peace that passes all understanding. We will find that our stor...  Read More

When it comes to suffering, I’m no stranger. Perhaps you have also experienced this or witnessed unspeakable trauma in person or via the news.There have been deaths in my family and among my dear friends. I’ve suffered much trauma at the hands of a husband, the one earthly person a woman ought to be able to trust, and afterward navigated the ruins of that relationship. I’ve suffered extreme financ...  Read More

“Even though the fig trees have no blossoms,and there are no grapes on the vines;even though the olive crop fails,and the fields lie empty and barren;even though the flocks die in the fields,and the cattle barns are empty,yet I will rejoice in the Lord!I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!”Habakkuk 3:17-18 (NIV)Life can be a struggle. Overworked and overwhelmed, we tick off a never-ending ‘...  Read More