Category Archives: Trials

October 16, 2018 · 6:41 am

Glorying God Through Trials

Annie Johnson Flint, born in 1866, is well-known in Christian circles as a poet and songwriter. She composed over 6,000 poems and hymns. However, her life was far from one of ease.

Annie was an orphan. Her foster parents both passed away early in her life. She cared for a sister who was very frail. As a result, she was compelled to be dependent on the assistance of others. She lived with crippling arthritis. She was stricken with cancer. Yet the faith of Annie Flint Johnson was strong, as many of her hymns testify.

Consider the powerful message of this hymn that may be less familiar to us. Continue reading →

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July 7, 2016 · 7:27 am

4 Keys to Dealing with Trials

Praying through Trials

Alan Smith tells a great story about the grandfather who used to tell his grandson about his boyhood days of working in a blacksmith shop and how  he toughened himself to withstand the rigors of that work.

One story was how he had developed his arm and shoulder muscles. He said he would stand outside behind the house and, with a 5-pound potato sack in each hand, extend his arms straight out to his sides and hold them there as long as he could. Continue reading →

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April 2, 2013 · 7:42 am

How To Turn Tragedy into Triumph

UofL.DukeI’ve watched a lot of college basketball games. But none like the one Sunday evening between the University of Louisville and Duke.

It was the most shocking moment I’ve ever seen on a basketball court.  It literally sucked the energy out of the arena as 35, 657 fans who were wildly cheering one moment sat in stunned silence the next.  Continue reading →

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February 3, 2012 · 12:05 am

Turning Trials Into Triumphs

Sometime ago there was an article in USA Today entitled “Bad Times Spawn Great Start Up.” It documented some notable successes that have been generated out of the ashes of economic downturns.  Sixteen of the thirty corporations in the Dow Jones industrial average trace their origin to a time of recession.  Walt Disney lost an acting job as a movie extra and started his famous cartoon company in a garage during tough times between 1923-1934.  William Hewlett and David Packard teamed up in Silicon Valley in 1938 during the Great Depression.  And the world’s richest man, Bill Gates, dropped out of college during the recession of 1975 and began Microsoft. Continue reading →

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