The rain and hail has been crazy this past week! I'm kind of a fair weather runner, so I've not been faithful to my running shoes lately. It's not that I don't like running in the rain, but I worry more about cars coming down the road and slipping and sliding in the mud.

I was sure our garden drowned. Today we had a little break in the weather, so we went to investigate. Unbelievably there are signs of growth from most of the seeds we planted.

I thought long and hard about perseverance and the staying power necessary to succeed. Some days I feel defeated and want to give up. But I always go back to my personal motto. You see, I have this picture of a hurdle hanging on my wall with two words above and below it: Obstacles? Opportunities.

I try to remind myself that no matter how bad I think things are, there's always someone else out there who is in a worse situation. I have my health. I have my family. I have my faith. I have a house. I have food. I have clothes.

It's the difference between needs and wants.

Like those little sprouts that are hanging in there without drowning, I can turn every obstacle into a growth opportunity.