Shaun: Excellent question! I don't believe that we should go out intentionally seeking obstacles so that we can grow through the resistance. I also don't think that we are to sit back and try to be comfortable. We are, as your pastor says, supposed to be obedient to the calling of God on our lives. When we do so the Bible tells us over and over again that by being obedient to Him we can expect massive resistance. It is in realizing that in God's perfect plan this struggle or difficulty, as we like to call it, is actually good for us. That is the shocker. This means that God has even arranged for those things that we term hard or unfair to be exactly what we need. Then, in struggling mightily against those obstacles for His glory, not ours, we can then point to His sufficiency in our lives, not our own strength, as the reason we made it through. In fact, the bigger the obstacles we mere sinful humans overcome, the more glory God gets for the victory. Therefore, we should not despair in hard times, but realize that nothing that comes to us does so without first going through God's hands. And instead of focusing on the struggles or our lack of comfort, we can instead focus on how God sustains us unfailingly through it all. His glory should be our highest goal no matter what opposes us.

Seattle Vacation Rentals: Thanks for the kind words. I am very glad you have enjoyed the book! Chris

Yes, Leah, you are definitely a RASCAL!! (Or, should I say, Rascallette?)

SJ: You are right. It all begins with purpose! Chris Brady

Josh: Yes, the Bible very clearly places emphasis and value on hard work. The old "protestant work ethic" that came to North America with the Puritans is, unfortunately, fading away with the continued slide of our culture. We need to get back to hard work as a virtue in itself. Chris Brady http://www.amazon.com/Chris-Brady/e/B004QQ64Q8

Matt: It seems a paradox to talk about a labor shortage when we have so much unemployment. But people like your father are in a unique position to know that that is the case. If we don't get back to respecting the value of hard work, we will go the way of the Romans who famously thought work was "below" any respectable man. They had it backwards, and it looks like we are heading there ourselves. Chris Brady

Crystal: I agree. It is great to see someone in the public eye, such as Mike Rowe, using his position to attempt to accomplish something more than just his own aggrandizement. His point is a very important one for us to turning our country around! Chris Brady