Counseling Corner - April 2011
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Counseling Article
April 2011
by Donna Ridge

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Spring has sprung. So the saying goes. Winter is past and many of us are saying Hallelujah. It has been a difficult winter. I for one am looking forward to seeing the trees blossom ( I feel for the allergy sufferers) and the crocus and daffodils peeping their heads through the ground. The air is fresher and more fragrant. The earth displays its colors with the different spring flowers. The laws turn green and the birds return to the area.

Thank God for the seasons and for the seasons of our lives. I am not just talking about the different phases we go through as we travel through this life, I’m also referencing the seasons of hardship and the seasons of joy. Ecclesiastes tells us that to everything there is season. If you notice it always says the not so good times and then the good times. In the counseling office it is true that most of the time the counselee is there because they are going through a difficult time. Let me remind you (and myself) that there is always hope. Sometimes God shuts one door so He can open another. Granted while we are walking through it we may forget that. Let me reiterate –THERE IS HOPE.

As spring has sprung let us meditate on the goodness of God and the blessings He has bestowed upon us. Let us thank God for His goodness and mercy to us. Look for Him in the midst of the storm and you will find Him in the situation. He is always working on our behalf in times of hardship and in times of joy. He has sent us His Holy Spirit to lead us, guide us and be with us on this journey through this world.

Donna Ridge
 
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Do not fear for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name and you are Mine! When you pass through the waters I will be with you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched. Nor will the flame burn you. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy one of Israel, your Savior." - Isaiah 43:1b-3