Why We Have to Do Hard Things: I'm on The Speckled Goat

If you've been hanging out around these parts for very long, you probably know that I like things in life to remain at one setting: easy. I like slow mornings with multiple cups of coffee. I like to have a soft, cushy chair, a smooth, fluffy blanket, and I like to relax- it's my favorite after-school activity 😋

There's something to be said for spending time resting and relaxing. In fact, it's very healthy. But relaxation can turn into laziness and laziness can turn into not wanting to do anything that's difficult, that's challenging, or that stretches us.

We have to do many hard things in life, so living in a way that stands opposed to anything difficult just isn't going to cut it.

Today, I am a guest over at The Speckled Goat. I am honored to be working with Ally, who is one of my favorite bloggers.

So please take a little extra time to head over to The Speckled Goat to read more about why we have to do hard things, need to do hard things, and why doing hard things is good for us.

Waiting Out the Storm ( A Guest Post by Julie Moore)

Happy humpday, friends! Today I have a special treat for you! One of my favorite blogging friends has kindly agreed to be a guest here at The Peculiar Treasure. So please welcome Julie Moore and let her sweet spirit and awesome take on life fill your hearts today!

My family and I sat in the car facing the vast Pacific Ocean, taking in the intense lightning storm playing out in front of our windshield.  The brilliant display crackling out from the darkness was both terrifying and awe-inspiring.

Earlier in the day, Jon, the spark plugs, and I had driven to the coast for one of our beloved family drives.  Having eaten dinner in the car while watching the sun set over the water, we had been about to head home when a threatening storm suddenly unleashed its fury.  Rather than risk driving home in perilous conditions, we chose instead to wait out the rain and lightning before leaving.

And in doing so, we inadvertently became spectators to one of God’s breathtaking displays of His power.  In an odd way, it was more comfortable to sit through the storm than it was to try to get away from it.

Had we not simply waited out the storm, not only would we have put ourselves at needless risk, but we also would have missed the amazing beauty of the lightning bolts striking through the darkness down to the water.  We would have missed this unexpected blessing.

Look for God's Hand

All too often, I want to rush through the storms in life.  My only goal is to get through them as quickly as possible so that I can get back to a comfortable place again.

But after witnessing the storm that night, I began to wonder - by simply trying to survive my life’s hardships, am I missing opportunities to see God’s hand at work?  

What points of beauty, areas of spiritual growth, and lessons from the Lord am I losing by not embracing and fully living through my trials when they come?

When my son Turbo was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, it was one of the hardest things I’ve gone through to date.  And yet, it was also one of the times when I most clearly saw the Lord at work.  While I’d never choose to go through another experience like that, I also don’t want to miss out on the beauty of those kinds of hardships, either.  

Life is full of waiting, hardship, and struggle.  But for the Christian, there can also be comfort, both despite and because of those trials.

Let’s embrace the storm together.  We never know when we’ll get to witness another brilliant display of God’s glory!

Meet Julie!

Julie Moore is wife to Jon and homeschooling mommy to four spark plugs, one of whom has Type 1 Diabetes.  She blogs at The Hallway Initiative, where she encourages Christian ladies to praise the Lord during times of waiting and hardship.  Her mini email series, "Savoring the Savior (Even if You Don't Feel Like Celebrating)" begins November 15th. Be sure to check that out, along with her Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram accounts.

How to Include Children With Disabilities At Your Church (A Guest Post)

Hello, friends! Today on The Peculiar Treasure, I am welcoming Kabrina of Imagination Signing. She and I are doing a blog post swap, so after you read her post here, hop on over to her blog to read my post on what we can learn about courage from the book of Joshua!
This post by Kabrina is so needed and informative, and I am glad to have her as a guest!
Happy reading!



Have you ever wondered how your church handles and includes people with a disability? Did you know that only 50% of people with disabilities decide to even walk into the door of a church? (Harris Poll)This is an issue that is difficult for many churches to wrap their minds around because it is vast, there are many different disabilities, and, because of separation of church and state, churches are not “required” to adhere to the American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA).To narrow down this big topic, we will be discussing children with disabilities in the church and some basic starter ways to include them in your programing and events.These families have one or more children with a disability, but most of the parents do not have a disability. The parents of children with disabilities are under much of the same stress other parents are, however, they have the added worry of people accepting their child for who they are not what they look like or what they can or cannot do. It is nerve racking enough to walk into a church where you know no one and drop your child off, but having to worry about how church staff as well as other parents and children view your child can be painful, especially when there is a lack of education about inclusion of those with disabilities.

[bctt tweet="Making the church more accessible should be a main priority for all churches" username="@imaginationsign"]

Making the church more accessible should be a main priority for all churches in order to follow the mission set forth by Jesus in Mark 16:15. This mission states “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.“So how do we include these families, make them feel welcome, and give their children the attention and accommodations they need without breaking the bank or stretching ourselves to thin?

Enlist Volunteers That Have A Heart For Those With Disabilities

This is the first, and easiest, step for churches of any size, to accommodate children with disabilities. By having these type of volunteers on hand, a church can take the collective knowledge of the body and build from it. Because these individuals already have a heart for those with disabilities they will, more than likely, have some understanding of disabilities from experience or formal education.In a survey completed by Melinda Ault Ph.D. at the University of Kentucky in 2010, 90% of parents surveyed said that a church community that was accepting of those with disabilities took the stress out of attending church, however, only 80% of these parents found that acceptance at the churches attended.How sad would you be if you desperately wanted your child to learn about Jesus with other children, but could barely walk in the door without a scoff or a stare from, not only people around, but leadership and volunteers as well?

By having dedicated volunteers, you not only give a more welcoming atmosphere to these families, but other people in the church have someone to point these families to- making the message the same across the board instead of some people knowing the right resources and others having no idea.

Make Sure Basic Communication And Mobility Needs Are Met

The ability to get where you need to go and communicate with the people around you is an essential need for everyone. Those with wheelchairs will need access to an elevator, ramp, or wheelchair lift to get to areas of your church that have stairs. Individuals who are blind will need braille signs and/or assistance from another individual and those who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing will need Closed Captioning or an interpreter.That can all seem very daunting, but there are many ways to go about placing these resources in your church. Ramps for wheelchairs start as low as $110 and can be easily installed and removedfor convenience. Closed Captioning can be done while a message is taking place on screen by church leadership or a volunteer and reaching out into your church body may reveal an interpreter or a student training to be one that would be willing to volunteer. Finally, Braille signs can be easily made and start at just $14 a piece.

Ensure The Child Is Included During Service

Children, especially young children, do not understand that certain words and actions can hurt another person’s feelings. This is especially true when someone seems different. What a great teaching opportunity for all children about being loving to all people though! Leaders do not need to feel like they need to follow the child around if they do not seem to need it or it has not been asked for, but it is wise to stay in arms and ears reach away. This allows for the leader to easily step in and address any conflict or confusion that may occur.

For Example

Situation: You have an autistic child who is not super comfortable with other people touching him when another child comes up to give them a hug.

Talking Point(s): Explain to the child who wanted to give a hug that sometimes not everyone wants a hug right away, but that they can play together (rolling a ball back and forth, playing cars, playing with dinosaurs, making a meal with pretend food, etc.). Show the children how to play together and get them started on an agreed upon activity.

Take Away: This gives the child with autism the ability to get comfortable in the environment while teaching the other child about differences and playing with someone else in spite of the differences. Allowing these children and families to have the resources needed to participate is such a blessing to them as well as to the church body. Every person deserves the ability to walk into a church and hear about Jesus and accessibility should not be a hindrance.


For more information please visit: 
1. Disabilities and Faith-- http://www.disabilitiesandfaith.org/
2. The Church and People with Disabilities by Peggy Johnson
3.Joni and Friends International Disability Center http://www.joniandfriends.org/
4. Mission Frontiers-- http://www.missionfrontiers.org/issue/article/the-deaf
*You can also contact me by email at imaginationsigning@gmail.com with any questions.

Why I Had to Take a Selfie and Get Over Myself (Guest Post by Marsha Apsley)

I got a selfie stick for Christmas last year.  I can't believe that's something I would have ever wanted?!?  I'm still figuring it out!  Do you have one?

About a year and a half ago I felt called to begin sharing my story in this online space and the journey of faith and fitness that I had been on most of my life. The most difficult and vulnerable part? Posting a selfie! Technically I'm not a pro at it (I took 15 this morning to get a decent one! lol!), but it was the struggles within that I had to fight (and still do!).

#FearlessFriday on The Happy Journal

Hi everyone! Today, I am a guest over at The Happy Journal sharing my testimony on #fearlessfriday.

I am a person who feels things before I think about things. I use my emotions as my guide and I struggle to remember that just because I feel something, doesn't make it true. This is something that plays a big role in my walk with God. It also left it's mark on my testimony, and that is what I'm sharing over on The Happy Journal.

I would love it if you'd hop on over and read it!

Simplicity is More Than Just a Catch Phrase (A Guest Post by Susannah Kellogg)

Simplicity is such a catch phrase these days.  If you head to Pinterest you'll see hundreds, if not thousands of pins that are letting you in on the simple way to do such-and-such or how to live a simple life.  I could spend hours flipping through all the blog posts those pins lead to and be stuck in on a rabbit trail for days!  Sometimes simplicity gets to be a little too overwhelming.  There are just too many ways to be simple and, honestly, a lot of those ways take a lot of time and work...  Pretty much the opposite of true simplicity. 

*Related Post: Who Can Have Simplicity?*

What is Simplicity?

All that being said, simplicity is my heart song!  I'm not talking about all the tips and tricks you find on Pinterest, I'm talking about the way my life is lived on a day to day basis.  Simplicity means we only keep a limited number of toys for my son.  Simplicity means preparing freezer meals to throw in the crock pot every day.  Simplicity means going on cheaper dates with my husband so we can go on a few expensive dates a year.  Every choice I make goes back to my key heart song - living a simple life.

Simplicity in Our Faith

Simplicity is at the heart of my faith too.  All too often I hear people - even Gospel believing Christians - expressing faith in a "Jesus and..." sort of way.  They'd never straight up say it but it's in the depths of what they believe.

Maybe you've heard it too... Statements like "No homosexual person can be a Christian" (Wait, aren't we ALL sinners in need of God's grace?) or "I don't want to get to Heaven and have God tell me that I did *fill in the blank* wrong" (Just a second, if we've accepted Jesus' payment for our sin doesn't God view us as blameless?)

It breaks my heart to hear additions to the Grace of my Savior. I feel as though it makes light of what He did on the cross.  What does it take to truly be a part of our faith?  Well, Romans 10:9 says it best "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."  That's it.  It's simple!

Related Post: It's All About Grace

Of course, as the Holy Spirit comes into our lives He will begin changing our hearts to be more like Christ!  We should be desiring less of sin and more of Him.  That doesn't affect our salvation one little bit but it's just something that will happen when we have a life that's regenerated by Christ!

I want to keep simplicity at the center of my faith.  Grace is all that's needed.  I'm not going to add anything to the Gospel.


Go take a look at Susannah's Blog to see my post on "How Trusting God Makes Things Simple".

BIO:

I'm Susannah, blogger at Simple Moments Stick – a lifestyle blog focused on marriage, parenting, and faith.  The two men in my life are Nate – who’s the hottest worship pastor I know – and our precious, stubborn, opinionated, amazing one and a half year old son, Caleb.  I spend my days caring for Caleb, connecting with women through blogging and IRL, and crafting for my Etsy store: Simply You… and baby too – pretty much my dream job!  My heart behind my blog is to connect with other women around the country (and world!) to love on and encourage one another.  Come on over and get to know me better!

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An Attitude of Praise and Thankfulness (A Guest Post)

The following is a guest post by Kristie Hillway of IntoHimSee. You can check out her blog here, and I would highly recommend you follow her on Instagram. Her account is one of my favorites, and that is actually where she and I started getting to know each other. If you are looking for a super-encouraging-Christian-cool-kid to follow on Instagram, Kristie is your girl!

You know when things just aren’t going your way and it frustrates you?
Work messed up your pay and your behind on your bills,
Your husband/wife didn’t do the favour you asked,

Your kids aren’t listening and are driving you up the wall,

You lost your job,

You’re going through a break up,
Your car broke down and you now you’re stuck…
These are all things that can cause us stress.

Praising God and thanking Him when things are difficult is hard for us. For some reason we like feeling sorry for ourselves and we allow our circumstances to rule us.
Last week I had a number of things happen that really stressed me out and upset me. I allowed myself to marinate in that frustration and I developed a stinker of an attitude!

My boyfriend and I were driving home the other night after a meeting at his church and as I sat there, leaking my horrible attitude. He stopped and asked me what I was thankful for. Then he asked me what my favourite parts about God are and then He got me to pray and praise God and tell Him what I think of Him. At the start I struggled, but after naming a few things I was thankful for and talking about what I love about God, something shifted. Joy entered in.

When I looked beyond what I was feeling and made a decision to thank God and praise Him, it allowed room for the Holy Spirit to raise me up.

“When you complain, you remain. When you praise you are raised.” -Joyce Meyer

If we choose to just sit in our problems and complain about our life, God cannot move within us because we are standing in the way. And how can you see the good that God is doing in your life if you’re just focusing on what is wrong with your life?
Complaining will stunt your growth.
But when you praise God, He raises you up! You might still be in a frustrating situation, but taking your eyes off that and putting them on God, who is so good, gives Him the space to work within you and it releases such joy!

The atmosphere in the car that night shifted as soon as I started praising Him. Suddenly I was not speaking out negative things and complaining, I was full of joy and thankfulness!
My situation has not changed, but my attitude certainly did! And as soon as I was able to stand and praise God and thank Him continually, He lifted me out of that situation.

Praising will raise you. Complaining will hold you down.

In a world that is constantly changing, it is so important that we hold tight to our God is unchanging- the same yesterday, today and forever. And He is so, so good and so wonderful.
He is worthy of our praise. And an attitude of thankfulness will take you far in the Kingdom.