SecondIron's Blog

Sharpening Iron to Live Second

When You Can’t See the Good in Things (Guest Post)

As I wrap up my month of November and the writing competition of NanoWrimo, first one has been quite an experience let me tell you. Anyway, I have been honored to have my blog taken over once again this time by my friend with a voice like the angels, Jordan Fortenboher. Jordan is a wife, soon-to-be-mom, blogger, and singer-songwriter. Her goal is to share hope with the world by writing honestly about her struggle with anxiety and how God is carrying her through it. You can read more of her writing or check out her music (including her latest album!) at http://jordanforty.com. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28, NIV) Sometimes, really hard things happen. Over and over, we see both worldwide and personal tragedies, struggles, and hardships. It can be easy to think life is cruel, especially in seasons when it seems like we deal with trial after trial after trial. Those difficult seasons are often when we wrestle with deep tensions: Is God really good? Why do bad things happen? Is God really Sovereign? Is He intervening, even when it doesn’t look like He is? In the middle of my own struggles, I’ve found myself wrestling with those questions and begging God to reveal why He would allow bad things to happen. And the verse above, Romans 8:28, was starting to bother […]

The Top 5 Reasons To Keep A Journal (Guest Post)

In recent years, the art of journaling is making a resurgence into people’s daily lives.  No longer is it a pastime just for children or artistic types, now journals are becoming a popular tool for people to use in different ways. But if you are trying to figure out if a journal would be a good tool for you, here are the top five reasons I have found to keep a journal. The memories you make you will be able to remember. You will be amazed as you record your daily life how things progress over time.  Your daily routine may look very different years from now.  Relationships that are new today may grow in ways you never imagined in the future.  You can see how your priorities change and how your goals play out in life.  Plus, the simple moments in life that we tend to forget about, such as morning walks or jokes told at dinner, can bring a smile to your face when you read about them again years from now. You will be surprised as what you ‘say’ when you start to write your thoughts on paper. The process of writing out your thoughts freely in a journal, not stopping to ‘edit’ your words, is an incredible tool for thinking things through.  Not only is it useful for venting about your troubles, it is a great tool for getting your ideas on paper so that you can find a solution and plan for what to do next.  This process brings clarity, […]

We Were Not Created to Be Happy (Guest Post)

The last two Wednesday night’s at Bible Study, Mrs. Laurel has been talking about marriage. That is a weird topic for someone like me, who is divorced and single. I do hope to be remarried one day though, so I went and took plenty of notes. This whole topic is what jumped out at me last night. A LOT of marriages end because someone “Isn’t happy.”  Well, guess what? You weren’t created to be happy anyway!  Mrs. Laurel said, “Happiness is a by-product of what God created us to BE, not DO. When you make happiness your purpose, you don’t feel like it’s enough once you reach it.” Happiness is based on circumstances. That’s why it doesn’t last. It can go away quickly. For example, maybe you want a new rug for your home, or new shoes, or to be a certain weight, or to have your hair a certain way, or spicy Chic-Fil-A nuggets, or the latest tech gadget…. you just KNOW you’ll be happy when that happens. Right? Wrong! Once you get whatever it is you think will make you happy, you almost immediately start thinking about the next thing that will make you happy. What we should be striving for is JOY! Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. Joy is actually already inside of you if you are a Christ follower. It’s not one of the things that God gives to certain people. Gifts and fruits of the Spirit are two different things. In my Christine Caine devotional book “Living Life […]