Struggle Your Way to Success

Struggle Your Way to Success

Only take heed to yourself, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes saw, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your children and your children's children. Deuteronomy 4:9 World English Bible

I don't know about you but I don't like to reflect on the
negative or bad things in my past.

I try to live my life with optimism and zest believing that
the best is yet to be and tomorrow is another day.

So, I have purposely avoided thinking about hard times...

...or in other words...


...Struggles.

Our NC House [remodeled after we moved]

Being winter here in Oklahoma has made me think back to some "less pleasant" times I had in North Carolina.

I had forgotten - well, blocked it out of my mind - how cold it used to be in our 900 square foot house.

 We had a small wood stove but it wasn't enough heat for the whole house.

 We had to supplement it with a portable kerosene heater.

 Don't you just love the smell of kerosene in a 5 gallon can?

 Well, that leads me to remembering I had to go to the gas
station and purchase the kerosene and probably spill some
on your shoes or hands.

 Then you lug it out of the trunk of your car [yes, no truck
back then] and carry a heavy 5 gallon container of stinky
kerosene to your back porch.

 Then you get on your hands and knees and get a handheld
siphon pump to move the kerosene from the can into the
little stove.

 Again, more possible spills.

 So, that portable heater was one we put in the kitchen
or carried into our really cold bathroom.  That way we
kept the house moderately warm.

Let me mention just a few more memories that have popped into my
brain when I've had to face the idea of a cold winter in a cold house.

Struggle Your Way to Success

Our old house was ... old!  In fact it was originally
part of a larger plot of land where the owner had
built a mother-in-law type house within ear shot
of our house.

 The problem was this little M-I-L house had to share
our water and our pump!  So, when the electricity
went off or I had to fix part of the well our neighbor,
Mary, had no water!

And, our pump was not a submersible pump!  It was
an exterior pump located in part of our enclosed back
porch where we kept our washer and dryer.  Can you
say "No insulation?"

So, guess what?  We had to have ANOTHER portable
kerosene heater in our laundry room so the pump and
the plumbing would not freeze during the winter.

And you know when you are most likely to run out of
kerosene? At night..when it's cold...when you are ready for bed.

Oh, and I had to also have a stead supply of dry wood
to place inside the woodstove because one kerosene
heater in the house was not enough to heat the whole thing!

So, a lot of my spare time was devoted to wood and
kerosene.  No wonder I have forced this memory to the
back recesses of my mind!

Struggle Your Way to Success

Well, time has passed. We have lived in Oklahoma and Louisiana since then
and have enjoyed having nicer paying jobs and nicer living conditions!
I no longer struggle with kerosene heaters or woodstoves!

At the time this was all I knew to do and all that I could afford:
Fill up the heater with kerosene!

Perhaps you are struggling with a situation.  It might be finances, or
relationships, or occupation, or even spirituality. Don't give up!  Don't quit.

There is a better day coming.

You can struggle your way to success! So, don't quit!

Want more examples of those who have struggled their way to success?
You want proof?

How about Kevin Knecht, Tony Rush, Lawrence Tam, or David Wood?  These
are all inspiring individuals who have gone from bankruptcy or homeless living in
a van to being leaders of Empower Network.

What should you do?  Check out the links I just provided for Empower Network.
Click on the banner below NOW.  Get started today for only $25.

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You can struggle your way to success!