"Problems always bring opportunities, and opportunities always bring problems."

A thought by John C. Maxwell (2013-10-08) from his book, Sometimes You Win--Sometimes You Learn:Life's Greatest Lessons Are Gained from Our Losses (p. 156). Center Street. Kindle Edition.

There is a reason why God gave us a brain. He gave it to be used. For some Christians the knees are all they use. Prayer is very important but so is thinking. Problems give us so many opportunities to learn and grow. They also give us the opportunity to soar.

John give a tremendous illustration of this in the way an eagle meets the challenge of turbulent winds. He says, “Turbulent winds cause the eagle to fly higher… Turbulent winds give the eagle a larger view… Turbulent winds lift the eagle above harassment... Turbulent winds allow the eagle to use less effort… Turbulent winds allow the eagle to stay up longer... Turbulent winds help the eagle to fly faster.”

Think about how you can solve the problem and how you can use it. The problem that I have had in gaining weight has gotten me to step out of the rut that I had gotten into. I have changed my way of doing things and found a better more challenging way to live my day. I had gotten away from my extended times of walking and not listening to podcasts from great speakers. I am now being challenged again. I am stretching and learning and losing and enjoying. The problem kicked me out of my rut.

My Dad had a sermon whose theme was that God sends contrary winds that blow us to His designed destination. I have remembered that and striven to live by that for over fifty years.

Those turbulent, contrary winds in your life have a purpose behind them. Use your brain and your knees to find the reason for them.

What is the reason for the problem you are facing today?

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“There’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.”

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“Sometimes we think we’re stuck simply because things are hard.”

A thought by Matt Perman, from his book, How to Get Unstuck (p. 52). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the That is a possible trap for many, isn’t it? Matt says, “But if you’re continuing to make progress and aren’t experiencing huge snags, you’re not stuck. Rather, you’re in a dip. “A dip is a temporary hard slog that you will get through if you keep pushing and don’t give up. And pushing through the hard slog is actually the fastest route to the destination. In these cases, you will be especially tempted to bail. Be discerning and able to identify that you’re in a legitimate dip and you’re not a failure.” Matt says another trap to be careful of, “Some people are stuck and don’t know it.” He goes on, “Everything can be going your way, going smoothly, and going quickly. Everything feels and seems wonderful. Yet... you are still headed toward a dead end, a form of getting stuck, if you are leaving God out of t...

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