Author Archives: Amanda Manney

About Amanda Manney

Hi friend, thanks for stopping by! I'm Amanda. I am a pastor's wife and a homeschooling mom who has a passion to encourage women to faithfully step every day into what God has for them.

God Uses Trials to Develop Iron in our Souls

4 Replies

photo credit: Kalen Emsley

Deserts and Prisons

We can’t always make sense of what God is doing in our lives. Sometimes, though, we can begin to see a pattern in the way God deals with people. In the Bible, God sent people to prisons and deserts. Joseph, John the Baptist, Jeremiah, and Paul all went to prison and Moses, Elijah, and David spent time in the desert. A desert and a prison have the same effect– you are cut off from everything you know, the comforts you are used to, and thrown into an entirely new set of circumstances, totally dependent on God.

It’s in the prisons and deserts of life that we learn an entirely new way of depending on God. It’s the place where God begins to show us more of Himself. It was in the desert that God called Moses from the burning bush to return to Egypt and free the Israelites. God revealed the next stage of Elijah’s ministry to him during his time in the desert. When Jeremiah was imprisoned, God spoke to him and gave him the amazing words we comfort ourselves with still today.

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not. Jeremiah 33:3

Job’s Story

We see another example of this in the book of Job. While Job’s story doesn’t take him to a literal prison, his circumstances were similar. God took away everything from Job and left him destitute. Job gets to know God in an entirely new way. Job no longer knew about God, he knew God personally. At the end of his trial, Job had this to say.

I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Job 42:5

Captivity

There’s an interesting verse at the end of the book of Job that captured my attention recently.

And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before. Job 42:10

I think it is so interesting that God calls Job’s testing captivity. It gives us a glimpse into the way God deals with us in trials and testings. The word captivity we can understand. It’s the idea of being a prisoner. God allowed Job to be a prisoner during his time of testing. The time of testing came to an end, and God restored Job’s wealth to him and gave him more children.

What brought about the end of Job’s testing? What happened to Job that God said, “Ok, that’s enough. You passed the test.”?

Iron in Our Soul

I’m not completely sure but I think David may give us a glimpse of it in the Psalms. There’s a really interesting verse in Psalm 105 that talks about Joseph’s time of testing.

He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant:

Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron:

Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him. Psalm 105:17-19

The phrase he was laid in iron literally means “his soul came into iron.” He developed iron in his soul. Joseph was not the same person when God finished testing him. What does it mean to have iron in your soul? It carries the idea of spiritual “toughening up.” God knows that we can’t stay the way we are and hope to serve Him faithfully for a lifetime. Life is just too hard. So He sends us into captivity, times of testing to toughen us up, so we will stay faithful in the long run.

Times of Iron Strengthening

I know in my life personally, Matt and I are not the same people we were when we started our church seven years ago. God has used these years of testing to toughen us up, not to have a hard heart but a tough skin. Matt often says that we need to keep a tender heart but grow a thick skin. The ministry is tough. People can be cruel. God does things we don’t understand. If we want to get through all that, we have to keep a tender heart to the Lord but toughen up a little bit. We can’t let hurtful comments, bad days, and heartbreak keep us from what we know the Lord called us to do.

I don’t know what you are going through, but I know that God allows times in our lives when we are held captive and tested beyond what we think we can manage so that He can put iron in our souls.

A Heart of Iron

Two dear friends of mine are in such a time right now. They both have cancer and are clinging to God during this time. They are totally dependent on God as their worlds have come crashing down. As I pray for them and hurt for them, I am watching the iron process taking place. Somehow they are stronger than they were when they started; they have more faith and grace than what they started with. I am watching as God takes them through this process and is refining them and changing them.

I wonder if that’s what Pharoah saw in Joseph when Joseph stood before him in the palace. He saw a man fresh from prison, but he saw in this young man a heart of iron.

My challenge to you and to myself is to not give up and throw in the towel. God is at work refining us. It’s in this refining process that we get to know Him in an entirely new way. It’s in these difficult times of testing that God is developing iron in our soul so that we can stay faithful for a lifetime.

Fall Mornings Make the Best Mornings

Leave a reply

Fall Mornings and Candles

Fall is here, and that means two of my favorite things- fall mornings and fall candles. I love getting up early on a cool fall morning, and I love fall candles! My favorite scents in my home right now are pumpkin cupcake, pumpkin apple, vanilla pumpkin marshmallow, pumpkin patch, spiced pecan, and caramel corn.

Morning Time Routine

Fall is the best time to incorporate a morning time routine. The kids are back in school, schedules are more structured, and the mornings are beautiful. There is nothing more perfect than a fall morning with a cup of coffee in hand, a candle burning, and a quiet time to pray, read the Bible, and journal.

If you have been wanting to start a morning time routine, this is a great time to get started. Each year, I use September and October to reboot my morning time routine. Usually, during the summer, I get a little sloppy with my routine. By the time fall comes, I am ready to get back at it. If you want to get back in the swing of things, follow these quick steps and you can be ready to get back to that morning time routine.

Quick Reboot

1. Buy a candle. Bath and Body Works and Kirklands are my favorite places to buy candles. Pick one that you love and brings a smile to your face.

2. Find a journal. I use my journal to write down my prayer list for the day and what I read and learned during my Bible reading time. I find I learn so much more when I use a journal than when I just read my Bible.

3. Pick a Bible study or reading plan. There are so many Bible reading plans to choose from. A quick way to get started is to read a Psalm or a Proverb a day, read one chapter of John each day, or choose a Bible study from the YouVersion app.

4. Pick a book to read. I try to read a chapter from a book each day when I am done with my Bible reading and journaling. Here are a few good reads if you are looking for one.

Everybody Always by Bob Goff.

Falling Free: Rescued From the Life I Always Wanted by Shannan Martin.

Nothing to Prove: Why We Can Stop Trying So Hard by Jennie Allen.

You Are Free: Be Who You Already Are by Rebekah Lyons

Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis

5. Just start. The best way to get into a morning time routine is to just start doing it and continue each day. You will find an excuse every day, but choose to overcome those excuses and stick to your morning time routine each day.

If you are looking for more details on developing a morning time routine, read my post My Best Tips for an Effective Morning Time. With just a little bit of work, mornings can be the best part of our day!

Stepping into the Water and Waiting for a Miracle

1 Reply

photo credit: Anastasia Taioglou

The Crossing of the Jordan River

Joshua chapter 3 tells the story of the crossing of the Jordan River. God came to Joshua and told him to prepare the people to cross the Jordan River. At this time of year, the Jordan River was at it its highest, overflowing its banks. God gave instructions to Joshua to tell the priests to step into the river. Once their feet stepped into the Jordan, the waters would part, and the Israelites could walk across on dry land. The priests had to stand in the water until everyone had passed over.

And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,)

And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan. (Joshua 3:15,17)

Standing Firm and Holding Our Ground

Rebekah Lyons author of You Are Free writes these words about the account from Joshua 3.

They stepped out in faith. (the priests)

They waited.

God moved.

They stood their ground until everyone was safe.

On that day there was partnership between God and man. God asked Joshua and the priests to step in, to stand firm, to hold their ground. God held back the waters as they remained steadfast.

I stopped and thought about those statements. This miracle only happened because the priests did their part. What would have happened if the priests decided it wasn’t worth the risk? Or what if they had grown tired of standing in the Jordan and decided to step out of the water before all the children of Israel got across? Scholars don’t know for certain how long it would have taken for everyone to get across, but some estimate it could have taken as long as 29 days!

Did the priests take turns standing in the water? I’m not sure how it all worked out, but I do know it was a supernatural act of God that could only be accomplished by the complete obedience of His people.

Standing Firm and Holding Our Ground

Rebekah poses this question next.

Are there places where God asks us to stand firm and hold our ground?

I read that question and stopped. I read it once more and had to stop and think about it. Then I began to unpack it.

Sometimes God asks us to step into the overflowing waters. It doesn’t make sense. We step in and it’s wet and dirty and mucky. Not only are we supposed to step in, but we are supposed to stay there and hold our ground.

Most of us can handle stepping into the water, but staying there? No thank you. I think the craziest thought in all is that the priests had to step in and stay there for everybody else.

Even if we manage to step into overflowing waters and stay there, I think the last part does us in. We are supposed to do it for others, not for ourselves. God asked the priests to hold their ground for everybody else.

Standing in the Waters

Has God asked you to step into the water and hold your ground for somebody else?

Sometimes God chooses people to stand and hold their ground for those who aren’t strong enough to do it themselves. Maybe that’s you. Maybe it’s me. Will we choose to step out in faith and wait for God to move? We can’t give in and throw in the towel because we get weary or frustrated. We are holding our ground waiting for God to work a miracle in our lives and in the lives of those around us. If we give up now, we will miss when God comes through and does the impossible. If you want to quit and need some encouragement, read my post When You Feel Like Quitting.

So today, remember the miracle of the crossing of the Jordan River.

They stepped out in faith.

They waited.

God moved.

Now, fill in your name.

___________________ stepped out in faith.

She waited.

God moved.

Feeling Frustrated? 5 Steps to Combating Frustration

Leave a reply

photo credit: FuYong Hua

Feeling Frustrated

Sometimes we don’t want to stick with what God has called us to do. We grow tired, discouraged, frustrated, and feel like it’s not worth the hard work. For all of us, it’s something different.

Sometimes the frustrations of motherhood take all our energy and leaves us empty. Sometimes it’s ministry that depletes us. We feel like we don’t have anything left to give. There’s little progress to see, and we don’t feel like we are making a difference. Maybe it’s our job. We feel like we are giving everything we have, but it’s just not enough.

Feeling Weary

I felt this way recently. I felt tired. Maybe that’s not the right word. Weary. Do you ever grow weary in life? Weary of trying to make the right decisions, of trying to make everybody happy, of needing to try harder and do more? And yet the harder you try, the worse it seems to get?

A few days ago in my morning time, God encouraged me with this verse.

Therefore seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we faint not; II Corinthians 4:1

God used this verse to remind me that whatever God has given us to do, He will give us the grace to accomplish it. A few verses later, God tells us how we can do our ministry without fainting or quitting.

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. II Corinthians 4:16

Though we feel like we are falling apart on the outside, we can strengthen ourselves internally. Frustration doesn’t have to control us. How can we strengthen our “inward man,” our heart?

5 Steps to Combating Frustration

Spend time each morning reading, journaling, and praying. This is the most important step. God can strengthen our hearts and encourage us when we spend time with Him. If you need inspiration to get started with a morning time, read my post on tips for an effective morning time.
Listen to encouraging and uplifting Christian music. Just as music soothed the spirit of Saul in the Bible, music can soothe our spirit. When I am really irritated and can’t seem to settle, I turn on the Laura Story station on Pandora or the K-Love app on my phone. Rather than staying frustrated, Christian music helps calm us and turn our focus back to God.
Take a nap or go to bed early. Sometimes we just need sleep. It’s amazing how good a nap or a few extra hours of sleep can help us regain perspective and composure.
Spend time with friends or family. Find somebody that is uplifting and encouraging to spend time with. Go grab coffee with a friend, have a game night with a group of friends, have your extended family over for a meal, host a dessert night with friends from church. Do something that pulls you out of your thoughts and head and helps you focus on others.
Get out of your environment. Take a vacation or a day off and drive someplace away from where you live. Often when Matt and I are frustrated, we will use our day off to drive out to Lancaster, PA. It’s about an hour and a half from where we live. Just getting away from the city and out into the country brings us peace. Sometimes we just need to get away from our problems physically to be able to handle them emotionally.

The faster we move our focus off of ourselves and back to God and others, the faster our frustration will fade.

Books I’m Reading Right Now

Leave a reply

My Favorite Pastime

I love reading! It’s my favorite pastime. I read pretty widely and read several different books at the same time. I am always scouring other sights looking for book recommendations, so I like to share good books I’m reading with others in return.

I’ve read a lot of books this year so far. Here is a peek into what I am reading this week.

Book Recommendations

I Second that Emotion by Patsy Clairmont. I love Patsy Clairmont. She is funny, witty, and always an encouragement. This book is no exception. It randomly covers several different topics and emotions. It’s a fast and fun read.
You are Free by Rebekah Lyons. I am just a few chapters into this book but really enjoying it. I think it’s similar to Nothing to Prove by Jennie Allen. Rebekah writes about her struggles with depression, panic attacks, and anxiety. I love reading people’s stories, so I love that she is so open and honest about her life and struggles.
The Traitor’s Game by Jennifer Nielsen. Jennifer Nielsen is one of my favorite authors. I have read almost all of her books. Her Ascendance Trilogy is one of my favorite series of books! Matt got me her newest book, The Traitor’s Game for my birthday. I am almost halfway through it and loving it. Kestra, the main character, is kidnapped by rebels and blackmailed into helping them. It’s fast-paced and exciting. I can’t wait to finish it.
The Valiant by Lesley Livingston. I just finished this book and loved it. It’s historical fiction, set in the time of Julius Ceasar. The story is about a female gladiator who fights for Julius Ceasar, her enemy. Cleopatra also appears in the book a few times. Fallon, a gladiatrix (female gladiator) must fight for survival and for her freedom. She knows if she can capture the hearts of the people, she can buy her way to freedom. But lots of people don’t want that to happen. It’s a thrilling read and a great finish.

If you are looking for more book suggestions, check out the summer reading list I made. Happy reading!

Stopping the Pity Party

Leave a reply

A Pity Party

Recently, I had a party. It was a party that no one else was invited to. It wasn’t fun, and it wasn’t pretty. There were no decorations and no cake. It was a good old-fashioned pity party. Ever had one of those?

Often, it seems to surprise us. We seem to be doing okay handling life’s problems and frustrations, and then bam! We start thinking about the unfairness of a situation, how our feelings got hurt, or how things aren’t working out. Before we realize it, we’re in the midst of a full-blown pity party.

The Danger of Self-Pity

Self-pity is a dangerous tool that Satan uses over and over again to bring us to our knees and make us ineffective. Patsy Clairmont, in her book I Second that Emotion, says

Pity is not pretty. Pity is emotional quicksand. I can think of no other feeling that will take you down as quickly. (Patsy Clairmont)

Once we reach the stage of a full-blown pity party, we might as well throw in the towel. We’re done. Self-pity keeps us from stepping into what God has for us, and it keeps us from focusing on those around us. When our problems become too big to us, God becomes small to us. When that happens, Satan has us right where he wants us.

David’s Problems

If anyone deserved to have a pity party, it was David. He was anointed by Samuel to be the next king of Israel, putting him in the bullseye of the current king, Saul. Saul threatens David’s life, and now David is on the run.

If I were in this situation, I would be swallowed up in self-pity, I’m sure. I would complain to God. Why me? Where are you, God? What is going to happen to me? Why can’t you just wipe out Saul?

David does have times where he questions God and pours out his frustration to Him. In Psalm 56, we find evidence of this.

Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me. 1

Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High. 2

Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil. 5

They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul. 6

Shall they escape by iniquity? in thine anger cast down the people, O God. 7

David’s Turns his Focus Back to God

Yet David turns quickly from his negative thoughts and focuses his attention back on God.

When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me. (vs. 9)

David understood the power of crying out to God for deliverance and trusted that God would deliver him. I love his boldness. He says, this I know. My favorite part of this verse is the next five words that come out of David’s mouth. …for God is for me.

David had such absolute confidence that God was for him. He doesn’t tiptoe around this truth, hoping and praying that God was for him. He boldly stakes his claim that he knew God Himself was in his corner.

Victory from Self-Pity

The best way to get out of a pit of self-pity is to remember, as David did, that God is for us. We are not a victim of our circumstances; we are children of God. He has perfectly created us and designed us to handle the lives He has given us. So it’s time to take a deep breath, surrender our feelings and frustrations to God, and step forward into what He has for us. God’s got this. He’s for us, and if He is for us, who can be against us?

photo credit:

Shedding the Hero Complex

Leave a reply

My Favorite Superhero

If you had to pick a favorite superhero, who would it be? I love all the Marvel and D.C. Comics movies. I love watching the good guys crush the bad guys. If I had to pick a favorite, I think I would pick Captain America. He always shows up to save the day. He always does the right thing. No matter the odds, no matter how hopeless the situation, Captain America always rights the wrongs.

The Real Hero

We often forget who the hero in our life is. We have been duped over the years by thinking we are the hero in this story called life. We run around trying to fix people. We spend our time running from one hurt and broken person to the next, pouring out ourselves. We love others, encourage them, try to help them, while thinking that we are the hero in their story. But we have the story turned around. The hero is not us, and it’s not the church. The Hero is Jesus Christ.

We are to introduce people to Jesus. Jesus is the only One who can save us, forgive us, redeem us, and bring us hope and peace. Jesus is the Hero in each and every story.

Getting Tired of Being the Hero

We find ourselves getting discouraged and weary of helping and loving people. We want to stop the pain and the hurt that comes from loving people, from ministering to people because they only hurt us in return. We give and give, only to find no one to give back to us. We give until we are spent and have nothing left to give, yet no one seems to notice or care. It’s no wonder that so many pastors walk away from ministry, faithful church members leave the church, and people get hurt, offended, and fed up with the church.

Paul’s Confession

Paul understood this concept of being spent for people. He understood loving people and being there for them during their time of need. He also understood that the more he gave himself away to people, the more he gave his love away, the less it was returned.

And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. II Corinthians 12:15

The Solution

The only way to keep giving and loving others is to remember that we can never be everything that people need us to be. We have to shed the hero complex and realize that we can not fix other people, no matter how much we want to. We have to remember that only God can. Love them, empathize with them, walk through tragedies with them, but always remember to continually point them back to the true hero, Jesus.

photo credit:
Porapak Apichodilok

Knowing When to Wait and When to Move Forward

3 Replies

Wait or Move Forward?

One of the things I have struggled with over the years is knowing when I am supposed to wait on God and when I am supposed to move forward with something and take the next step. I think that’s because it’s constantly changing. There have been times when God has clearly led me to wait on Him and be patient. There have been other times that God has shown me that He wants me to take the next step.

No matter how many times He has had me do both, it’s still something that I really struggle with. If I am not careful, I lean too hard one way or another.

Waiting on God

There are several verses in the Bible about standing still and waiting on God. Here are a few.

And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you today: Exodus 14:13

Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you. II Chronicles 20:17

Hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God. Job 37:14

Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord. Psalm 27:14

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: Psalm 37:7

My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. Psalm 62:5

Most of the time, I feel that God is urging me to wait, be still, stand still, and wait for him to work. But then sometimes God shakes things up.

Everybody Always

I have been reading Everybody Always by Bob Goff. It is such a great book! I highly recommend it. While I was reading it a few days ago, some of the phrases leaped off the page at me.

What a shame it would be if we were waiting for God to say something while He’s been waiting on us to do something.

So many times we are waiting on God to take the next step. We keep praying and praying, but we don’t get any answer. His voice is silent.

He’s so confident we already know what to do next that He’s willing to be silent even when we ask for His voice.

Sometimes God is confidently quiet. He is confident we have all the information we need. We may not have had experience with the circumstances we’re presently facing, but He’s allowed us to experience a lifetime of other things to prepare us for what is coming next…The moment we take even a tiny shuffle forward, what God is already thinking about is is this: I love you. You’ve got this. You know enough.

Stop Waiting and Take the Next Step

His words really got me thinking. Think about this, the Red Sea didn’t part until Moses stretched his arm out over the water, Naaman wasn’t healed until he dipped seven times in the Jordan River, Goliath wasn’t killed until David picked out five stones and put one into a sling, blind Bartimaeus wasn’t given sight until he cried out to Jesus, the woman with an issue of blood wasn’t healed until she reached out and touched Jesus’ clothes, thousands of people would not have gotten saved if Peter hadn’t chosen to preach at Pentecost.

There are times when God wants us to wait, but there are other times when God wants us to stop waiting and take a step into what He has for us next.

How do we know which one we are supposed to do? Over the years, Matt and I have established some principles to help us make the right decision.

When to Stand Still and Wait

Stand still if you don’t know the next logical step.
Wait when you have no peace about moving forward.
Don’t make any important decisions when you are tired, lonely, discouraged, or depressed. If you feel overcome with any of these feelings, it is not time to take a step.
Stand still if you feel the urge to run, quit, or stop doing what you know you are supposed to be doing right now.

When to Take the Next Step

Move forward if God has shown you the next step. It may be just a tiny step in the right direction. The entire plan may not be visible, and you may not understand it, but you feel God leading you to take the next step.
Go forward when God lines up your circumstances to push you to take the next step. You may not be ready, but circumstances dictate a change.
Take the next step when deep inside your heart, you know God wants you to go in this direction. You may not be able to explain, but you know in your heart that God wants you to do this. He confirms it through reading His Word, through the preaching at church, and through wise counselors.

When God Leads You to Move

When you get stuck in life and can’t decide what to do next, whether to wait or go forward, go back to the last time God led you clearly to do something. Did you follow Him? Did you obey Him? Maybe that is where God is waiting for you.

God has a way of keeping our vision clouded until He suddenly lines everything up and we know what it is we are supposed to do next. Matt has a saying he often tells people… “When God decides to work, He will open a door so wide you can drive a Mac truck through it.” Wait until He makes it clear, then step through that open door and get ready to watch God do the impossible.

cover of book

Five Ways to Fit More Reading into Your Kids’ Summer

Leave a reply

Summer Break

I love summer! I love the break from homeschooling, the longer days, spending time in the sun, the kids playing outside all day, cook-outs, ice cream runs, and all the fun that summer brings. Summer is also a great time for our kids to fit in extra reading. The trick is being able to do it without them realizing it.

Not Losing Any Ground

We work really hard during the school year on reading, and I don’t want to lose any ground during summer break. I want them to be stronger readers at the end of the summer than they were at the beginning. We take the months of June and July off from homeschooling and start up again at the beginning of August. I really want my kids to get the most out of their summer break because it goes so fast! I don’t make them do math, worksheets, writing, or anything like that during the summer. The one thing I do want them to continue is reading. Reading can be fun and doesn’t have to be “schoolish,” so they can enjoy it even in the summer.

Below are some of the ways we fit extra reading into our summer break.

Five Ways to Fit More Reading into Your Kids’ Summer

Spend quiet time in the afternoon reading. On the days we are home, our kids take a rest in the afternoon for an hour and a half. It’s a chance for my little girls to sleep if they need it, and it’s an opportunity for my older kids to read. Malachi (8) and Madison (6) have to read for at least part of the time; then they can color or play something quietly in their beds.
Go somewhere fun and incorporate reading, but don’t let your kids know that’s what you are doing. We take trips to the library, Barnes and Noble, and used bookstores as apart of our family days throughout the summer. Whenever we do, I ask my kids to find a book to sit and read. Sometimes it takes some coaxing, but after a little while, they will grab a book and read. It’s a great time to get extra reading time in and discover new books.
Take books in the car to read. If we are going to be in the car for a while, I have my kids bring books along to read. They usually get bored enough that they will pick them up eventually and start to read.
Listen to audiobooks in the car. Audiobooks are a great way to pass the time when traveling. We listened to several audio books on our last trip to Illinois to visit family. Here are a few good ideas for audiobooks to get you started.
- The Chronicles of Narnia Series by C.S. Lewis. Focus on the Family’s Reader Theater Audiobooks of this series are amazing!
- The Pennderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
- Poppy by Avi
- The BFG by Roald Dahl
- Magic Tree House books by Mary Pope Osbourne
Save time for reading at bedtime. Have your kids go to bed while it is still light out, but tell them they can read in bed. When my kids do this, they see it as a privilege to stay up later. I see it as extra reading time!

Developing our children into life-long readers takes work, but summer can be an easy and fun time to keep moving towards that goal.

Handling Trials

2 Replies

Always Carrying Everyone Else

Are you the kind of person that’s always carrying everybody else? Do you encourage people when they are down, help others as much as you can, and stay strong for your friends and family?

Often, those of us who help everybody else don’t handle our own trials well. In the book of Job, we read about all that happens to Job in a short amount of time. He loses everything in one day, and his friends come to comfort him. Job’s friend Eliphaz speaks candidly with him in Job 4.

Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.

Thy words have upholden him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.

But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled. Job 4:3-5

Eliphaz says, “Job, I get it. You’ve always been the strong one. You’ve taught so many people, you’ve encouraged others, you’ve helped the elderly, you have always had a kind word for people who are having a hard time. But now, it’s your turn. You’re the one in the trial. Job, you’re the one who is in trouble now, and you’re not handling the pressure very well. You’re fainting; you’re failing.”

The Tables Have Turned

I read these verses in my morning time and stopped to think about them for a few minutes. I thought about how those words could have been said about me. These words are so harsh, but for how many of us, do they ring true?

We have taught God’s Word to others, we have encouraged those around us, we have stood by friends as they have faced tragedy and heartache, we have been the one to write the notes of encouragement to others. We have always been the strong one leading and encouraging those around us. But now, the tables have turned. Now it’s our turn to face hardships.

It’s so easy to be strong for other people, but when your own set of burdens and hardships push you down and the weight feels like more than you can bear, what do you do?

How Do We Handle Trials?

1. Get serious about your morning time. Spend time praying, reading your Bible, and journaling. The time you spend with God in the morning will be your sustaining grace and strength to get through. Often when we are going through a hard time, we start to pull away from God. Usually, it’s because we’re hurt and upset with Him, but now is when you need Him the most. Tell Him honestly how you feel, how you’re hurt, how you feel betrayed. Cling to Him. Satan wants to use this time of trial and testing to make you doubt God, question His goodness, and pull away from Him. Then he can move in and destroy you. Times of trial and testing are when we need to pull closest to God; it’s when we are the weakest and most open to attack. If you want some inspiration for morning time, you can read my post here for tips for an effective morning time.

2. Don’t go at it alone. You can’t make it on your own. Find a good support system. Your spouse, family, friends, or small group. Tell others what is going on in your life. Find those you trust, who can keep it confidential if you need them to. Let them carry your burdens with you. Keep them updated on how they can pray specifically for you. Let them know how they can tangibly help. Your friends want to help during times of hardship, but sometimes they just don’t know what to do.

3. Read books that encourage and strengthen your faith. Here are a few good ones, if you need some ideas.

Uninvited by Lisa TerKeurst
The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson
The Hardest Peace by Kara Tippets
Get Out of That Pit by Beth Moore
Daring to Hope by Katie Davis Major

Ultimately, remember that God loves you and is working out the details of your life for His purpose. Choose to see His goodness. Choose to trust that everything is working together for His glory and my good.

photo credit: Alexandru Tudorache