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motivation

Consider it pure joy

How can anyone consider it pure joy when we face trials? How can anything good come from the pressures and challenges in our lives?

James 1:2-3 Consider it pure joy.

Untested faith is unproven. How can you know if your faith holds without putting it into practice? In a story, a hero without a trial is a hero without a story. How can the hero save the day if there is no problem to confront?

We don’t like trials and tribulations. Yet, problems have benefits. We need them. So when it comes to trials of various kinds, consider it pure joy.

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Inspiration Cartoons motivation

Why couldn’t I see that?

Have you ever thought that? I can spend a long time on a puzzle, trying this and that solution. I may conclude there is no answer.
But when the solution finally comes, it seems so obvious. It was staring at me the whole time. Why couldn’t I see that?

Alas, we may be convinced we are stuck when that may not be the case. Don’t believe you are permanently stuck!

Illustration of a skier stuck in the snow. I drew this for Illustration Friday. This week's word is "snow."

A good story leads us to believe the plot is going one way when it swerves the other. And yet, the ending is believable. It leads us to say, “Why couldn’t I see that?” We love a creative plot twist.

The world is searching for a solution to life’s puzzle. You may have the one unique story that can inspire someone and cause them to see there is a solution after all. You may prompt them to say, “Of course! Why couldn’t I see that?”

Categories
Parenting Cartoons

Life Can Be as Messy as a Stinky Diaper

In the early stages of parenting, a stinky diaper is the worst thing that can happen. As your kids get older, other stinky things occur. Yes, life can be as messy as a stinky diaper!

life can be as messy as a stinky diaper sketch
  • You’re not quite sure if the friend your child is hanging with is a good influence.
  • You’ve overcommitted and now you and your spouse are supposed to be at four different events at the same time.
  • You’ve stretched the checking account so far you could make a lethal slingshot out of it.

It doesn’t take much imagination to see the problems and distractions around us. The bigger challenge is to address the messy situations before they get out of control.

Categories
motivation

You are Never Permanently Stuck

We have the tendency to think that where we are at right now is where we will be for the rest of our lives. But we are never permanently stuck. Sure, today may be a puzzle for us.

  • The future is unknown
  • It may have always been this way
  • The trend points to the current outcome
  • There is no obvious solution

We can feel like a skier that is stuck in a snowbank.

Illustration of a skier stuck in the snow. I drew this for Illustration Friday. This week's word is "snow."

Discouragement can make us feel like giving up. We feel panic or a feeling of panic or despair well up within us.

Categories
motivation

The Benefit of Problems

Happy Monday! Are you dreading it? Do you have a feeling there will be problems today? On one hand, I hope this day will go well for you. But on the other hand, I encourage you to embrace the benefit of problems, for there are a few.

Expect problems and eat them for breakfast.

Alfred A. Montapert

That quote may not sound optimistic. You may be asking, “Why should I expect problems? Aren’t they the reason I’ll have a bad day?”

My answer is that we need problems to grow. Every problem is a challenge and every challenge is a learning experience.

strict female teacher with book pointing at scribbled blackboard
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

We have this mistaken notion that when we are in school, our goal is to answer enough of the questions on a test so that we never have to solve another one. Where did that come from? When school is done well, it prepares us to answer problems. A test in the classroom can prepare us for tests out in the real world.

Problems Exist

Problems exist, and that is good! Every opportunity came from a predicament that needed to be solved.

  • Thomas Edison had no need to invent the light bulb if gas lights were safe and efficient.
  • If a horse and buggy was fast and cheap enough, there would be no need for automobiles.
  • If humans had brains as fast as computers and we could handle all the data ever created, there would be no need for the electronic kind

That doesn’t mean all trouble is good or that it will make us feel great. There are some headaches that are out of our control. But there are others that have an answer within reach if we remain determined to stick it out and address the issue.

When trials come, consider if this is an opportunity. Is it something that requires a short-term or long-term solution? Instead of dreading them, let’s embrace the benefit of problems and eat them for breakfast!