By Erin Elizabeth Austin

Discouragement. Despair. Depression. What do these three words have in common? In a word: hopelessness. That’s a word which packs a punch. Just hearing the word paints a mental picture that leaves a person feeling sad and alone. Personally, I believe hopelessness is why antidepressants were created. No one likes to feel like there is no hope because it means there is no possibility of improvement or resolution to a problem. I've experienced times in my life when I thought all hope was lost, and those days truly were the darkest days of my life.

It’s easy to grow discouraged and believe there is no hope when it comes to suffering and living with a chronic illness. We know what tomorrow holds for us physically. It’s a reasonable assumption to think the day will be filled with sickness, pain, and fatigue because that is the life of a person living with an illness. Yet as depressing as that thought can be, it still doesn’t begin to compare to a day we read about in Scripture – the Day of No Hope.

By La-Tan Murphy

There was a time in my life when I assumed too much, too soon. I had the idea that if I worked hard and made wise decisions, life would be easy-breezy! Yet shortly after the economic recession, my husband and I were left in the rubble of financial despair. We were devastated, to say the least. We thought we were doing all the right things that would inevitably lead us to financial security. What we now know is that God has a far better plan, even though we can’t always see it right away. Tough times seem to cloud our spiritual vision. We don’t understand why God chooses some inexplicably painful events to be sifted through His hand and into our lives.

Yet it was during this painful season of life I learned some very important and life-changing lessons. One of the most important lessons I learned is to never base my joy on external circumstances but on my powerful source of daily help – Christ Jesus. He was the constant One who carried us through many dark days and remained faithful even when our hearts were filled with questions. I have also learned the importance of resting on the promises of God’s Holy Word. My emotions were steadied as I exercised His truths instead of floundering in my own ideas and grandiose thoughts, which by the way, left me feeling fearful and in despair each and every time. I learned to ask God for wisdom. He tells us in James 1:5 if we lack wisdom we should ask Him and He will give generously to all without finding fault. 

By Erin Elizabeth Austin

Macaroni and cheese. Chicken and dumplings. Chicken Noodle Soup. Chocolate Chip cookies. Can’t you almost taste these amazing foods? There’s just something about these particular foods we find comforting when the week has been long and our day has been hard. They remind us of days gone by when we were younger and our moms and grandmothers would express their love for us by making a home-cooked meal. Unfortunately, we’re no longer ten-years old, and sometimes, comfort food doesn’t quite ease the pain of a difficult day. So what’s a person to do?

Have you ever wondered if there’s such a thing as heavenly comfort food? I know this sounds strange, but think about it for a moment. God is the God of all Comfort, is He not? He alone knows all of the hurt, heartaches, and brokenness we experience. When no one else knows the extent of how much we’ve been hurt by a particular person or situation, God does. He is also the One who created humans and had the forethought to create us so that we would find comfort, love, and joy in something as simple as a home-cooked meal. So doesn’t it stand to reason God has His own version of comfort food for His children?  

By Josie Siler

We all know that we have good days and bad days. In fact, there is one routine with which we are all familiar. It starts off with a string of bad days, followed by a good day. On that good day we do as much as we can, trying to get caught up on all of the things which didn’t get done during the bad days. We do too much, push our bodies too far, and inevitably end up with more bad days.

Over the last three months, I have had more bad days than good. I was plagued with one sickness after another, but I am finally feeling better and able to reenter the world, cautiously. I need to be wise about the things I do and the places I go so that I don’t get sick again. In fact, as I’m writing this, I’m barricaded in my room because my poor roommate has the stomach flu. I have to make difficult decisions and say “no” to many things. One thing I have said yes to is work, mostly because I have my own office and I can lock people out! I have consistently been back at work for a couple of weeks now and it is stressful. I work at a church part-time and this is a very busy time of year for us. I have more than my usual responsibilities and they were getting to be more than I could handle.

By Erin Elizabeth Austin

“Are you tired, rundown, listless? Do you poop out at parties?” Does anyone recognize this quote? If you don’t, picture Lucille Ball holding a big bottle of medicine called Vitametavegamin on the I Love Lucy show. I often joke I need to buy some Vitametavegamin to help my body feel better. During those times when my body doesn’t want to cooperate, I am definitely tired, rundown, and listless! And forget pooping out at parties; I rarely make it to the party because my body crashes long before I am able to get there.

When it comes to sickness, people are willing to try anything if they believe it will make them feel better. Desperation makes a man willing to do whatever it takes to solve his problem. Unfortunately, there are few solutions to life’s greatest problems, sickness included. More times than not, “solutions” are like Vitametavegamin. If you remember that particular I Love Lucy episode, there was actually very little vitamins, vegetables, and minerals in the medicine. It was filled almost completely with alcohol. Yet knowing this doesn’t stop us from longing and searching for the ultimate answer to our problems.

Recently, I was reading my Bible in Matthew 5 from The Message translation. This passage is usually referred to as The Beatitudes or The Sermon on the Mount. As I read The Beatitudes, the truth of what Christ said that day struck me. Never before has this passage spoken to me in such a powerful way. For the first time, I felt like Matthew 5 was written just for me. So for the next several weeks, I would like to share with you what God showed me through The Beatitudes.

The first Beatitude is found in Matthew 5:3. Jesus said, "You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and His rule." The more common translation of this verse says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

I'll be honest; I've never understood what is meant by being poor in spirit. In the past, I’ve always thought of monks living in burlap sacks when I read this verse. “Poor in spirit” didn’t make sense to me. Yet I think anyone who reads this can say he knows what it means to be at the end of his rope. Be it sickness, loss of a job, financial hardship, a rebellious child, or mounting stress, we have all had those moments in our lives when we felt we had nothing left to give and weren’t sure how much more we could handle.

None of us like being at the end our rope. It means we have no control over our lives and don't know how a problem will be resolved, something that, if we’re honest, scares most of us. It's humbling when we come to the end of our ropes because we don't have the answers. We don't know how to solve the problem. And although we think it’s bad to admit we don’t have a solution for our dilemma, God says it's a good thing. It means we've finally come to a place where we know we can't keep going without God's help. We cry out to God for His help and intervention. In our desperate need, we look to Him and allow Him to take control of our lives and problems, which is why Christ said we are blessed when we are at the end of our rope. It is then we let go of our need to be self-sufficient and in control of everything that happens in our lives. When we do this, it opens the door for us to see God in a powerful and mighty way, something I think we could all agree we need. 

So whatever challenges you find yourself facing at this moment in time, maybe it's time to admit you don't have the answer to the problem. Allow yourself to come to the end of your rope. For it is there we open the door for God to reveal Himself in our lives, and then, we are most definitely blessed.

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." ~ Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message)

© March 14, 2013

By Josie Siler

One thing that I love about traveling to different countries is the opportunity to go on adventures I would never be able to go on in the United States. While in a country in North Africa, I had the opportunity to explore a cave with friends. We walked down many steps to get to the entrance of the cave. When we finally made it down we squeezed through the small hole our guide led us through. As we explored the cave with our guide (who only got us lost once or twice) it became apparent that we were not in a safe, well-lit American cave. We walked past large holes that would have been the death of us if we had not been paying attention to where our feet went. We climbed up steep inclines and slid down the same, trying to stop before falling through the open spaces.

We each had a flashlight as we entered the cave. At one point we turned them all off and sat in utter darkness and eerie silence. When we turned the lights back on, I was so grateful for them. As we began the trek out of the cave one flashlight was broken against the wall as we slid down an embankment. The others began to dim, one by one. As we huddled together near the remaining lights it became even more important to be aware of each step that we took. We all made it out of the cave, disheveled and covered in mud, but excited about the grand adventure we had and thankful for the lights that remained to the end.

By Sharyn Kopf

“Am I good enough?” How often do you ask yourself that question? We wonder if our husbands are happy, if our children are satisfied, if our employer will hang onto us through yet another round of budget cuts.

Over the last few years, I’ve been feeling oh so inadequate. For the second time in my life, I was let go by a company that saw the creative writer as a good place to start dissecting costs, leaving me unemployed once again. And, after weeks of encouraging consideration, an editor decided to pass on my nonfiction manuscript. Last, but certainly not least, as a still-single woman in her upper-forties, how could I not feel rejected by men? One guy actually seemed to be pursuing me quite enthusiastically for about a week recently, then . . . nothing.

And every time I’m hit by another failure, I hear the voices. No one wants you. You can’t do it. You’re not good enough. I know these words are from the Enemy, yet they ring so true and hurt so much. As Vivian said in Pretty Woman, “The bad stuff is easier to believe.”

So, for our peace of mind—and sheer sanity, for heaven’s sake—we need to reject the negative and not only find our way back to good enough, but to who we truly are in Christ.

By Josie Siler

Have you ever watched siblings imitate each other? Undoubtedly, the sibling being imitated will either love it and start a game of follow the leader, or he will become upset and hear “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery” from his mom when he tattles on his brother or sister. Often children imitate their sibling just to annoy them. Sometimes though, it is out of genuine love and awe of their big brother or sister. Children will also imitate the things their parents say and do, sometimes to the embarrassment of the parents!

In Ephesians 5:1-2 Paul tells us to, “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.” Like a child imitating his earthly father, we are to imitate our Heavenly Father, not just sometimes, but in everything we do. When it comes to loving others, we are to love them the same way that Jesus loves us. He left us an incredible example to follow; He loved us so much that He was willing to suffer a horrible death, sacrificing Himself so that we can have eternal life. Wow!

By Erin Elizabeth Austin

It’s hard to believe today is March 1, 2013! It feels like we just celebrated Christmas. There's an old saying which says, "Time flies when you're having fun." But truth be told, I've found time just flies. It doesn't matter whether or not you're actually having fun. Yet the problem with this is for those who have struggled through the past several months, it's easy to look back over the time and be disgusted with one's life and the progress which was made. When that happens, discouragement is usually close to follow.

It has been more than four years since I became so horribly sick that I had to move in with my parents and quit my job. I know what it is like to wonder if life will ever get better. For the person who is chronically sick, this is especially true. Having an illness is like riding a roller coaster. There are highs and lows, good days and bad days - times of suffering and times of joy. But the problem with this roller coaster ride is we never asked to get on this ride, and now that we're on we can't get off. Yet through my years of riding this roller coaster, God has shown me an important truth, and He did it by reminding me of a lesson I once learned in a science class.