Charlie says that "God gives us a choice when we face difficult circumstances." We can choose misery or "we can choose to face our trials with God's help, knowing that we'll come out the other side as stronger people for the experience."

A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into this world" (John 16:21).

Naive hope is based on wishful thinking, but a hope formed from suffering, perseverance, and character and rooted in faith in God is something else entirely. It is realistic, motivating, and awesome. It helps us see beyond the misery of the immediate to the possible. It is founded on the certainty of the Lord's love and power.

Failure is a reality; we all fail at times, and it's painful when we do. But it's better to fail while striving for something wonderful, challenging, adventurous, and uncertain than to say, " I don't want to try because I may not succeed completely.

God's purpose for us is not to make us healthy, happy, prosperous, and problem-free. His ultimate purpose is to conform us to the image of His own dear Son, that we might bear much fruit to His glory.12 And sometimes, in fulfilling that purpose, He allows us to be hurt.

Wounding, at best, only temporarily releases pain.

No discipline [wounding or pruning] seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.

My coming to faith did not start with a leap but rather a series of staggers from what seemed like one safe place to another. Like lily pads, round and green, these places summoned and then held me up while I grew. Each prepared me for the next leaf on which I would land, and in this way I moved across the swamp of doubt and fear.

The trees taunt you; the sand mocks you; the water calls your name... and they say golf is a quiet game

People are like tea bags—they never know their own strength until they get into hot water.

Simply because we do not run across goal lines, slam dunk basketballs, or hit home runs, doesn't mean we can't change the score.

Iteration, like friction, is likely to generate heat instead of progress.