Hard Times

escape hatch

2020 has continued to be a difficult year of hard times.

The rise of COVID-19 and the restrictions in place to slow the spread of it have added a new layer of complexity to this year’s hard times.

My personal hard times this year involve the loss of a grandmother, a coworker, and now a beloved pet.

I could not travel to be with family when my grandmother passed because of COVID restrictions.

My coworker’s passing from cancer came shockingly swift after the point of diagnosis.

And my husband and I, along with a veterinarian’s guidance, had to make the tough call to say goodbye to our sweet Molly, an Australian Shepherd mix.

I have also been dealing with an injured bicep that makes it challenging to do not only my day job, but also my writing pursuits and basic household chores.

My body and soul ache.

COVID-19 restrictions add to the stress of it all.

There are days when, much like the cat in the picture above, I desire to find an escape hatch.

It is not unusual to go through hard times. Everyone does.

How can our study of Joel help us put our current hard times into perspective?

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Heartbreak

heartbreak

Processing Heartbreak

What in your life has caused you to experience heartbreak?

As I write this blog post I am waiting for an update on the status of my 99-year-old grandmother who is in her final hours of life on this earth. If things were “normal” across the globe I would have already boarded a plane to travel 1200 some miles to be with her and other family members. But with COVID-19 restrictions in place my family is having to process heartbreak isolated from each other.

Interestingly, this week’s study  involves a call to process heartbreak.

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