An old saying to help you think about making the best of a less than ideal situation is: “Whatever your lot is life is, build something on it!” Another phrase I’ve learned to use is “I’m living in the land between.” I first heard the phrase in a book written by Jeff Manion and at […]
en·dur·ance n The power to withstand hardship or stress The state or fact of persevering Continuing existence When you’re in the middle of adversity or your personal marathon, I don’t care who you are, you’re in denial if at some point you don’t have to tap into some strength and staying power in order to […]
The journey of pain and suffering is a lot like the journey Frodo was asked to take in the classic work written by J.R. Tolkien entitled The Lord of the Rings. In that series of books and award winning movies, Frodo was given the burden and responsibility of carrying the ring over treacherous terrain to […]
There is an amazing sight you see when you drive through Lytton, BC at the point where the muddy Fraser River meets the clean Thompson River. When this happens it is called “confluence” which means “a flowing together”. Let’s use this picture to describe two contrasting parts of life that often touch – the muddy […]
Grief drives men into habits of serious reflection, sharpens the understanding, and softens the heart (John Adams). Part of learning to dance with adversity and find hope in painful circumstances is to have a framework to help you deal with the losses that come into our lives (whether they be as traumatic as a death […]
One practice useful for processing life’s experiences of trauma, pain and adversity is journaling. Truth be told, it`s been a practice of mine for years and has only grow more valuable during this season of adversity and recovery. Journaling can take on many different forms (be it paper or electronic) and be used for a […]
There’s a Jewish saying that goes: What soap is for the body, tears are for the soul. Have tears been like soap in your life? During this season of recovery, tears have been my friend. They have been a release valve for pent up frustration, a way to cope with physical pain, a natural response […]
One place I had to go in my journey of healing and recovery was back to the scene of our accident. I’ve been back there emotionally and eventually will go back physically when my mobility allows it. Our brokenness and hurt was the result of driver error – the inattentiveness of one person who ran […]
How would you define “blessings”? The dictionary defines “blessing” as: the act or words of a person who blesses a special favor, mercy, or benefit a gift bestowed by God that brings happiness the invoking of God’s favor upon a person a prayer said before a meal Generally, blessings are thought of by most as […]
To live is to experience change. When we choose to change, it usually goes smoothly emotionally. When change is thrust upon us and turns our lives upside down it can result in an emotional ride that is filled with a mixed bag of emotions. Many years ago, some wise people who watched this change journey […]