Be Brave....

 "The new year means nothing if you're still in love with your comfort zone."

"Nothing changes if nothing changes."  Eric Thomas

About 3 or 4 years ago, I made a decision to begin to say yes more to things that scare me, things that make me a little uncomfortable, things that may make me change or learn something new.  I did it as a type of New Years resolution.  This one year resolution has now turned into a life habit-- one that has enhanced my life greatly, in many ways.  And don't get me wrong, I still weigh the pro's and cons, but I take a good look at the "why" part of my reluctance.  Am I reluctant to try this new thing because of a risk?  Is it a real risk, or just an excuse because I am scared to try, or I'm feeling insecure, or it may mean that I have to change (even if that change is for the better).

"I literally have to remind myself all the time, that being afraid of things going wrong isn't the way to make things go right."

"You don't have to have it all figured out to move forward."

"Normality is a paved road:  It's comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow on it."  Van Gogh

"You will not experience all life has to offer you or begin to experience life at it's fullest as long as you are satisfied with mediocrity."  Eric Thomas

"Don't live the same year 75 times and call it a life."  Robin Sharma

This willingness to stand at the edge of the cliff and at least peak over the edge to see what lies beyond has brought a richness to my life that I greatly value.  Because I have been willing to force myself to step out of my comfort zone, I have discovered new passions.  I have traveled to places and experienced things that have added knowledge, understanding, and joy to my life.  I have formed rich and deep friendships with people who challenge me in good ways.  I have found more compassion.  I have found miracles that I might have previously overlooked.  I have found deep faith.  I have expanded my life more than I thought was possible.  There is a fulness to a life that pushes past my comfort zone.

"If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you."

And yet, even knowing all of this, I still find myself reluctant to say yes.  Hesitant to say yes to challenge, to change, to growth.  And the root of all this is fear.  Fear of what lies beyond the edge.  Fear of what this change might mean for me.  Fear of looking too deeply into myself.  Fear of what others may think or feel.  Fear of what may happen.  But I am learning to practice using my "brave muscle."  With each new yes, that muscle grows stronger.  And I am finding that what I fear most is missing out on great opportunity because I am simply afraid of trying something new.

"Never be afraid to try something new, because life gets boring when you stay within the limits of what you already know."

And the more I flex that "brave muscle" the more discontent I grow with living an average life.  I hope that I learn something new every day until the day I die.  I want to live a full life.  I want to fill my life with new experiences.  I want to continue to shift and change into the full potential of what God created me for (or as close as I can get to that potential while still on earth).  And I want my son to learn this lesson at a younger age than I did.  I want to teach him how to live life bravely, fully, and with anticipation of doing what God wants him to do.  And I want to teach him to not fear what God has in store for him.  Instead, to embrace it and lean into it, knowing that there is something there for him.  Something that will make his life richer in ways he doesn't fully comprehend yet.

So today, I want to encourage you to live life bravely.  To not be content with average.  To push your boundaries.  To face challenge and change with the knowledge that you do not face it alone.  Pray for wisdom to make good decisions.  Say yes to what God is offering to you, even if it is scary.  Even if it feels like you are being stretched beyond what is comfortable.  I want you to be brave!

"Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified;  do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."  Joshua 1:9

"Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you;  he will never leave you."  Deuteronomy 31:6

I'll leave you with a few photos of the ocean.  The ocean is an interesting thing.  It inspires many different feelings in people.  Some people fear it.  Some people fear what it contains, what lives in it.  And some people, dip their toes in it to experience it in a perceived "safe" way.  And that may be fine for some.  But to me, the best part of the ocean is what lies beneath the surface.  And there's only one way to experience that-- you have to fully immerse yourself in it.  Only then, by taking the risk, can you see all the beauty and wonder it contains.

365 New Days, 365 New Chances

I was clueless in 2014 about what my goal was or should be for the year.  And I can say that I am really glad to be done with 2014, for in a lot of ways and various reasons, it was a really challenging year.  In others, it was a fantastic year.  I'll take the good with the bad, and hopefully I learned something.  To be honest, I wasn't really seeking out a new "theme" for 2015.  I was just busy limping toward the finish line of 2014, with hope that 2015 would be calmer.  It's not that 2014 was bad, but you know how some years are just harder than others?  2014 was one of those.

And then one morning while praying, God brought to mind the following verse:

"See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up;  do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."  Isaiah 43:19

Hmmm.  Interesting.  And I felt that somehow, this verse was an important clue as to what God has in store for 2015.

But, God being God, and knowing me and all my humanness, was apparently not satisfied with my response.  Low and behold, the sermon at our church the next week started out with:

"Be alert, be present.  I'm about to do something brand new.  It's bursting out!  Don't you see it?  There it is!  I'm making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands."  Isaiah 43:19 the Message

And my ears perked up and took notice.  And the next few verses were read in the sermon:

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you."  Ezekiel 36:26

"He who was seated on the throne said, I am making everything new!" Revelation 21:5

Ok, I'm beginning to get the picture.  Even I am not that obtuse!  But apparently I still wasn't getting it because the next day a friend posted the Isaiah 43:19 verse on their page.

So I was now beginning to understand that this verse is going to be significant in 2015.

We were invited to spend New Year's week at a friends house in the Outer Banks.  It was a wonderful trip full of fun, friendship, and time spent making great memories together.  But I took the opportunity to walk the beach each day and repeat and pray that verse, over and over.  Trying to get that verse imbedded way down into the marrow of my bones, into the deepest reaches of my heart and soul, and into all the nooks and crannies of my brain.  The pessimistic side of my brain started to whisper to me, "Be careful.  Not every new thing is a good thing."  But I immediately re-read the verse and the second part, "I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland," stuck out.  Those are good things.  Good promises.  And I refuse to let doubt and fear steal the promises of God away from me.

So, I say all this to encourage you.  We have 365 new days.  365 new chances.  If you are discouraged, I encourage you to meditate on these verses.  Let them sink in.  Let them be a prayer that you repeat daily or even hourly.  Look expectantly for the good things that God has in store for 2015. Look for new opportunities.  Look for new roads in the desert.  Look for new rivers of life giving refreshment in what was once a wasteland.  Go boldly into 2015 with expectations that new blessings will manifest themselves in your life.  Go forward with joy.  Go forward with peace.  Go forward knowing that the God of the universe is directing your path, and He has good things planned.

I am praying that 2015 be filled with days of New Things for all.  Have a blessed 2015!

I'll leave you with some photos of a new day dawning in the Outer Banks.

Don't Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle...

I readily admit that I am one of "those" people.  You know, one of the ones who gets giddy over the Holidays.  I enjoy the whole process, from decorating the house, to baking the cookies, to the music and lights, and dinners with friends.... I just love the whole thing.  And I especially love giving gifts to people.  It's my thing.  Oh, and did I mention that I just I love it?

But seriously, there are people out there who are trying to harsh my Holiday Happy.  They are the ones who complain about the people who put their lights and decorations up early (mine go up at Thanksgiving).  They are the people who complain about the Christmas music being played too early-- really?  So, let me get this straight, you would rather listen to some crappy, depressing song with questionable lyrics  instead of  Christmas music?  They are the people who complain throughout the Holidays about the crowds, the shopping, the nativity scenes, etc....  These are the same people who get all bunged up about whether I say Happy Holidays or Merry Christmas.  And for the record, I say both, because more than one Holiday takes place in the November to January time period.  Whatever. These are the same people who complain about commercialism (it happens, but I think it isn't as prevalent as people make it seem).  They complain about the gifts they receive.  They don't like the gift, or feel like they can't compete with the gift giver (who says it's a competition?), they complain about having to go out and get the gifts in the first place.  They complain about being slighted by family.  They complain about gathering with family.  They complain about traffic.  They complain about the food.  They complain about not having enough time... Complain, complain, complain....

And to them, those who are trying to drag down my Holiday/Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year happy I say this:

Don't get your Tinsel in a Tangle.

Seriously, just stop it.  Stop.  Do you not realize that the Christmas season is a gift?  It's a gift given to  EVERYONE.  Really.  Everyone can have this gift.  God gave the gift of his son to everyone.  Not just those who deserve it (for which I am grateful).   This gift was given freely so that all may know what true love looks like.  Jesus is the ultimate gift.  There's no "outdoing" this gift.  And this amazing gift costs me nothing, yet gives me everything.  And when I truly take a minute to just stop, and contemplate how amazing this gift is, my only response is overwhelming gratitude and joy.  How could I not love this seasonal reminder of God's extreme, radical, all-out love for me and all of human kind? And, how can I not share this joy unspeakable with those around me?

I share this joy as much as I can.  Sometimes all I can do is smile at those around me.  Believe me, when you are stuck in a long line at the store, this is a great gift you can share.  And it is easy and costs you nothing.  I can share an encouraging word with someone.  I can bake cookies for those I love and hold dear, as well as for a few strangers with whom I have brief contact with over this Holiday season.  I can volunteer.  I can give to charity. I am greatly aware that I alone cannot change all that is wrong in this world (poverty, war, abuse),  but I can at least do my part to bless as many people as I can-- believing that God somehow multiplies the little I can give.  I invite friends over for special dinners filled with good food, great company, and shared love.  I can purchase gifts for my friends and family that I know will bring them joy.  I don't do this to receive anything in return.  I have already received the greatest gift anyone could ever give me.  Instead, I am doing this because God has blessed me, and I firmly believe that it is my job to share these blessings with others. I do all this not out of a need to be recognized, but instead out of a need to recognize all that God has done for me.  And I do not let feelings of insecurity, guilt, or shame take away the pleasure of offering up what I can to others.  Even if it feels inadequate, or small, or insignificant.  At each point in my life I have firmly  believed that God has placed me where I was/am, with the resources I had/have, to bring specific blessings to others.  I pause now for a sidebar piece of unsolicited advice: I ask you to receive any gifts you may get this season with gratitude and with love, not worrying about competition, or expectancy, or guilt.  When you react to a gift with guilt or anything other than love, you ruin the best part of the gift.  It's a gift.  Receive it as such.  And move on.  Do not feel compelled to reciprocate in kind.  Often, a simple, heartfelt, thank you is all you need to give.

My happiness stems from being greatly loved and from sharing that love with others to the best of my ability.  So, I'm not going to be bothered by the fact that you may believe differently than I do.  I am not going to concentrate on the "wrapping" of the gift of this season, instead, I choose to focus on the gift itself, which is love, made flesh, in the form of a child who came to change the world.  So, Happy Holidays!  Happy Thanksgiving!  Merry Christmas!  Happy New Year!  And may joy, peace, and most of all love surround you this season!

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."  John  3:16

And I love how the message words this passage:

"This is how much God loved the world;  He gave his Son, his one and only Son.  And this is why:  so that no one need be destroyed;  by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.  God didn't go through all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was.  He came to help put the world right again."  John 3:16 the Message

Life's to short to drink Nasty Eggnog

I haven't been blogging very much lately because I made a promise to myself that this year I would really enjoy the Holiday season.  To take the time. slow down, and savor all the activities and events.  

And so I have been busy "savoring" the season.  Making sure that everything I do--everything I participate in-- is done with the intent of doing it well and with an attitude of appreciation and a focus on enjoying fully the experience.

And this leads me to one of my favorite holiday time treats... eggnog.  I know it's not good for you.  I know it is sugar and calorie ladened.  To which I say...whatever.  My son shares my great love for this treat.  But, knowing that this treat is not the best for us, I tried to "have my cake and eat it too"  by purchasing an eggnog that was healthier.

This healthier version stated the following right on the bottle:

Made with natural milk

Made with natural eggs

80% less fat

75% less cholesterol

60% fewer calories

Hmmmmm.... sounds good.  Plus it came in a semi clear container which allowed me to see that it actually had the right eggnog "consistency."  Other healthier substitutions tend to be runny which translates to awful.  So, I happily slapped that eggnog in my cart and brought it home. It usually only takes my teenaged son about 20 minutes to discover the new cart of eggnog in the fridge (it's like he can smell it), and about 2 days to snarf it all down.  

This time, however, was different.  A couple of days after my purchase I looked in the fridge and discovered that the eggnog had barely been touched.  It had been opened and a glass or two poured, but it was still mostly full.  Keagan had had a very busy week, so I thought that maybe he just hadn't been home enough to drink the eggnog.  Yeah, more for me.  So I picked out a favorite cup and poured myself a half cup of eggnog, grabbed a homemade biscotti cookie, and settled in to enjoy my treats by the fireplace.  I took a bite of biscotti.  Yum!  Then I eagerly grabbed my cup in anticipation of washing down that yumminess of cookie with more yumminess in the form of my favorite eggnog treat.  I took a sip-- and thought, hummm.... maybe this eggnog doesn't go well with my choice of biscotti flavor.  So, I took another sip.  Nope, the problem wasn't biscotti.  This eggnog was awful.

Later on, when my son arrived home from school, I asked him about the eggnog.  He said, "I'm not drinking that stuff.  It's nasty."  And, I had to agree.  There was nothing redeeming about that eggnog. It was nasty.  It was undrinkable.  

Which brings me to my point,  life is too short to drink nasty eggnog.  You see, sometimes in life we look for the "better" option instead of just accepting that what we have already is good.  Even if what we have contains some "extra calories."  So, this Christmas I encourage you to take the time to stop and savor all the little moments.  That you truly take time to enjoy your days instead of rushing through them.  To enjoy what you do have, and not envy what you don't.  Have an attitude of gratitude.

Well, although I am not going to drink the eggnog, I am loathe to throw it away and waste the money.  So I have decided I will use it to make eggnog cookies.  Sugar  should help the flavor.  I hope it doesn't ruin the cookies.  And, I promptly went out and bought the unhealthy stuff, and had a glass with my son with no regrets.

I'll leave you with a few photos of some of the "Christmasy" activities I have been enjoying lately.  Have a great week!

Decorating Casa Benintendi

Wrapping presents...

cuddling with my cat by the fireplace.....

Making Christmas cards....

And baking cookies,  enjoying time with my husband and son, and eating amazing dinners with great friends!  Merry Christmas!

Beautiful, Beautiful ~

These last two weeks I have just been overwhelmed with gratitude.  I'm sure some of it's just the season we are in, but I think a lot of it is just God moving in my heart in an amazing way.

I have been feeling so grateful that I am brought to tears, overwhelmed, with God's goodness in my life.  I am telling you, every time I even begin to think about it, I am just awed by what he has done in 2014.

If you had asked me a month ago if I would have been feeling this way about the year 2014, I probably would have replied that I am grateful that this year is almost over.  Now, don't get me wrong, it's not that I haven't been grateful, but only in smaller ways.  Not in this big, overwhelming, all-encompassing way that I am feeling now.

In some ways this year has been difficult.  Hard.  Maybe a little discouraging in some areas.  Not just for me, but for many of my friends and family as well.  I have been a little overwhelmed at times.  About halfway through the year I had one of those "grit my teeth" moments where I thought-- If we can just trudge through this year-- it will get better.  Experience has taught me that you can make it through, it just sometimes takes a lot of hard and messy work to so.

And so, that is where I found myself the other day while praying over issues and problems surrounding my life and the lives of those dear to me.  And the more I prayed, the more I felt a sense of sorrow.  And then I just stopped.  I just stopped and sat there and listened.  And this verse came to me:

"I am still confident of this:  I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  Wait for the Lord;  be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."  Psalm 27:13-14

I will see.....I will see....  That's what it says.  Not I may see,  or once I'm in heaven I will see it.  Nope.  I WILL SEE.....in the land of the living..... That little verse began to worm its way around my brain and into my heart.  And I began to call out my thanks to God for the good I have seen, and the good I will see.  I started softly, slowly at first.  Unsure.  Hopeful, yet doubtful.  And slowly it built into shouts of praise and thanksgiving to a good and merciful God who works together all things for my good, for the good of my dear ones.

And now, even 2 weeks later, I can't even sit here and type this out without weeping tears of overwhelming gratitude and whispered sentences of praise.  And nothing in my messy life, nor my friends and families lives have changed yet.  it's still messy.  We are still facing hard issues.    And yet, everything has changed.

"Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder."  E.B. White

"Choose to be married to amazement."  Ann Voskamp

So, if you are finding  yourself in a "grit your teeth" moment, get ahold of this verse.  Repeat it.   I WILL SEE....... I WILL SEE........ I WILL SEE the GOODNESS of the LORD in the LAND of the LIVING.   In fact, turn it into a sort of prayer.  I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  I am confident of this:  I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

And now, "Wait for the Lord;  be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."  Don't give up.  Keep going.  Be grateful.  Look for it with expectancy.  Look for the goodness.  Be on the lookout.  Choose to be amazed.  It's there, and it's coming.

I hope you have a wonderful, joy-filled, grateful, memory making, Thanksgiving.

Words Have Power....

You all probably remember the saying, "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me."  And I think that we all know that's not true.  Words have power.  They have the power to uplift.  They have the power to discourage.  They have the power to motivate.  They have the power to inspire change. They have the power to tear down and destroy one's spirit.

My son has recently experienced this with a teacher who repeatedly tells his class that they are dumb.  Often.  And as I listen to several of the students who are in the class describe how they feel when this happens, my heart breaks for them.  And I am reminded to watch what and how I say things.  To remember that my words have power... and that I never, ever, want to make someone feel torn down by my words.

I've done similar blogs like this before, but I am feeling like people need to desperately hear these words again.  So, with this thought in mind, I want to share with you some powerful words that I hope make you feel loved, uplifted, encouraged, and inspired!

"God doesn't love some future version of you, God loves you as you are right now."

"You are loved beyond measure.  Though we are incomplete, God loves us completely.  Though we are imperfect, He loves us perfectly.  Though we may feel lost and without compass, God's love encompasses us completely.  He loves every one of us, even those who are flawed, rejected, awkward, sorrowful, or broken."

"I have too many flaws to be perfect, but I have too many blessings to be ungrateful."

"We are all in need of mercy."  Dieter Uchtdorf

"A beautiful day begins with a beautiful mindset.  When you wake up, take a second to think about what a privilege it is to simply be alive and healthy.  The moment we start acting like life is a blessing, I assure you it will start to feel like one."

"Unexpected intrusions of beauty.  This is what life is."

"Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy."  Anne Frank

"Just be yourself.  Let people see the real, imperfect, flawed, quirky, weird, beautiful & magical person you are."

"I am an imperfect person loved by a perfect God."

"I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety."  Psalm 4:8

"But you are a shield around me, O Lord; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head."  Psalm 3:3

"Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of overcoming."  Helen Keller

"Broken crayons still color."

"Failure is a bruise, not a tattoo."

"Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder."  E.B. White

"If you can't feed a hundred people, then just feed one."  Mother Theresa

"You are not defined by your mistakes.  You are defined by God.  He loves you no matter what."

"I'm absolutely convinced that nothing-- nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable-- absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us."  Romans 8:38 the Message

"I don't know your story but I can tell you God is faithful."

"But I trust in your unfailing love;  my heart rejoices in your salvation.  I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me."  Psalm 13:5-6

"There is more mercy in Christ than sin in us."

"May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight."  Psalm 19:14

"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;  the lord turn his face toward you and give you peace."  Numbers 6:24-26

Be encouraged this Thanksgiving.  If you find yourself feeling downcast, return to these words.  Let these words speak powerfully in your life.  And be grateful for powerful encouraging words.

You Can Do Hard Things... It's supposed to be hard

"We can do hard things."

I've been giving this quote some serious thought lately.  This quote is at once empowering and terrifying.  As I was pondering this quote and my reaction to it, I remembered a series of commercials for a certain office supply store that were centered around people in difficult situations simply hitting the "easy" button to solve the problem.

And doesn't  that longing for an "easy" button sum up parts of our current culture?  If there's an illness or disease-- we want a pill or medicine that will quickly take care of the problem.  The fact that there are many illness out there where this isn't the case (like Ebola) make us uneasy, fearful, and vulnerable. We long to win the lottery to solve all our financial problems.  We want our food fast and easy.  We want a raise at work without doing any more work.  We want our children to quickly come up with an answer instead of critically think about what the best solution would be. We want to lose weight now by taking a pill instead of actually doing the work to sweat it off.  I would say that our quest to make life "easy" is probably one of the driving forces in todays world.  And, I'm not knocking that quest entirely, because I just absolutely adore inventions and discoveries like electricity, gas heat, and google -- for they all make my life easier-- and I enjoy greatly their benefits.

However, the problem is that in our quest and desire for easy, we find ourselves shaken when things in life come along and remind us that life, in general, is not always easy.  In fact, often when we come up against the hard stuff, we become paralyzed because we don't think we can do hard.  We find ourselves discouraged.  It sometimes shakes the very foundations of our deepest held beliefs.  Sometimes we lash out in anger, believing that someone  has let us down (often that someone we blame is God).  We look for places to lay blame for this seemingly insurmountable wall that has suddenly arisen in our life.  We pace at the bottom of the wall, cursing (or at least grumbling) about this wall and it's placement-- unwilling or unable to search for harder solutions because we mistakenly believed that everything should be easy.

Well guess what?  I'm hear to tell you that there are times when it's not easy.  That life doesn't always revolve around easy solutions.  Life is not a flat, straight, perfectly smooth road.  It's bumpy.  It is full of potholes that jar your teeth every time you run over them.  There are times when the pavement ends and the way forward is on a steep, rocky, painful,  hard to conquer pathway.

Now I reach the point where you think I should tell you that this is where faith and belief in God comes in and takes care of all the hard things.  That it magically sweeps away all the hard in life and replaces it with nothing but a soft, fantastic, long-lasting summer of easy.  Hah!  I'm sorry, but that's just not true either.

"I thought faith would say, I'll take away the pain and discomfort, but what it ended up saying was, I'll sit with you in it."  Brene Brown

"Faith minus vulnerability and mystery is extremism.  Don't call it faith if there's no uncertainty.  If you've got all the answers, then don't call what you do faith."  Brene Brown

I sometimes think that maybe we mis-sell the truth about faith in God.  Or, maybe not mis-sell, but instead over-sell one aspect and sweep the rest of the stuff under the rug.  I can tell you now that if you  come to faith in God looking for God to be your "easy" button for life-- removing all the hard stuff--you are going to be disappointed and disillusioned.  

Don't get me wrong, there are times when God does step in and take care of the "hard" stuff.  But not every time.  And I'm not hear to discuss the whys and why nots around when and how God makes the decisions around making hard stuff easy versus walking with you through hard stuff.  Truth be known, it is often a mystery to me, this whole question of why and why not.  I simply do not know.  Sometimes, I may harbor a secret guess as to the why or why not, but I do not always know with certainty.

Instead, here is what I do know.  I do know that my faith journey requires me to openly be vulnerable. To openly admit that I don't have all the answers.  To release pride and embrace humility.   To trust God with all the parts that feel vulnerable-- easily hurt--to trust that He will work all things together for my good.  Sometimes it feels like I am blindfolded, and I am desperately holding His hand, trusting him to safely guide me through the maze of life without letting me hit a wall.  And that level of trust, at least for me, is one of the hard things in life.

But here's the other piece of news.  You can do hard things.  Really, you can.  And often, the reward for doing those "hard things" is greater, sweeter, more fulfilling than if you had simply hit the "easy" button.  Hmmmmm... do you think that God knows this about us?  Do you think He understands that part of the deep value of the human experience is encased in this work of doing hard things?    He created us, knows everything about us.  You bet He knows this.  

It is often the "hard things" that teach us the greatest lessons.  And, even though I know that to be true intellectually,  emotionally my first instinct is to run away from the hard and look for the easy button.   To stand at the bottom of the wall, grumbling, instead of doing the hard work of climbing over the wall, so that I can learn the useful skill of climbing, so that next time I can move on faster.  

Finally, what I want you to understand about faith in God is this,  that even though you may be in the middle of a hard moment, God is there with you.    He is sitting by your side, quietly whispering, "You can do it.  You can do hard things.  I'm with you.  I'm here.  Trust me."

I'll leave you with one photo today from the walled city of Dubrovnik, Croatia.   These walls have withstood many "hard" moments.  They have endured invasion and earthquakes, the rise and fall of many leaders.