This one goes out to all our fellow fearful ones. We hear you. We see you. And Trina shares about how she is like you in this. This is another honest and vulnerable episode. We talk about our fears and then point out some Scripture passages that have been quite significant and helpful in the hardest of days. 

Let's try this again. We recorded about 15 minute of the episode only to realize the microphone was not plugged in! But...here we talk more about the book by Thomas Boston called "The Crook in the Lot."  Why is this happening and how should we respond? He gives about 8 or 9 possible reasons for us to consider but than talks about waiting and depending on the providence of God. Before starting, we prayed that this would encourage at least just one person. 

Thomas Boston wrote a book based on Ecclesiastes 7:13-14. His writing on suffering, on this crook in the lot - came from his own life's experiences. Honestly, I read this book differently and carefully in light of the background - the immense suffering he and his family faced. He walked through suffering before he wrote about it. In this episode we consider five point on the nature and working of God in the area of suffering. We'll cover some other points from the book in next week's episode. 

After another update on our vegetable garden, we talk about marriage expectations. We decided to read several quotes from Tripp's book on marriage and offer some personal reflections. Oh, and there is this one quote by pastor John Piper that has come up dozens of times over the years and has really ministered to us and has sustained us in the darkest of days. 

We had written down notes for another episode but we started talking before recording - and before we knew it, we put those notes aside. And we just went with this one idea of lacking. We feel that we are lacking and if we are not careful - this takes over our perspective. In this episode we offer another honest approach to this. Why do we feel like we are lacking and how should we address that. 

Our marriage started with a three year long distance relationship. Here we tell part of our story. Was it good? Yes of course. Was it hard? Most definitely. Those are not opposites, they are both part of our story. We need to give thanks for the good, and regarding the hard - to give thanks that God was good to us in the midst of all that. Oh, by the way - we ended up laughing more in this episode. 

In this episode, we discuss the joys of missing socks as well as an article with a distasteful title. Really. But it does get your attention. In this article, JI Packer speaks on warped ideas about sickness but then offers some helpful reflections based on II Corinthians 12. Weakness is when and where God works maybe the most in our lives. It is not a waste, not something to be avoided. It will not be comfortable but we hope this will be encouraging to you. 

Do we think too much and too highly about health? What happens when we lose our health? How much of our identity is rocked? Without realizing it, I wonder if we assume that our identity is wrapped up on our health. But, we need to guard ourselves from that. Here we mention and critique some wrong ideas about health, and then offer some counsel on how to help others in this regard. Look out for that final illustration about the appetizer. 

This is not about fixing your prayer life. In trauma or long seasons of suffering or in the middle of anxiety - how can you pray to the Lord? Here we address those situations honestly but then point you to some good news. Something often forgotten but very much needed for those facing the hardest of days. 

The Christian life is a tension, between the first and second coming of Christ. We already have life, but the fullness of life is still coming - and we have assurance of this because of the resurrection of Christ. This brings hope - especially in the hard seasons of suffering. Here we share some Scripture, point out some important doctrines, offer helpful illustrations and implications for daily life.