It was a pretty spring day. Warm, sunny, and all the trees' leaves were rustling in the breeze. Suddenly, my visit to this dairy farm to inventory their pharmacy became less than a beautiful dream. Upon stepping out of our car, my partner and I were greeted by two, snarling Blue Heelers. We did not make eye contact, but managed to make our way slowly towards the main office. Inside, the farm manager was waiting for us. He was polishing one of his shotguns; something he insisted was a normal part of his day. In order to get to the farm's pharmacy barn, we were informed we would have to go through the chutes leading to the milking parlor. Being a rather sizable dairy farm, there were always cows in the holding bays waiting their turn to be milked. As an incentive to get the cows up to the gate, they would feed pure, green alfalfa hay inside the milking parlor; sweeter than any they could find anywhere else on the farm. A hired hand assured us with a solemn nod that he would not release any cows into the chute until after we had made our way across the shin-high, muck-filled chute and up onto the concrete pad for the pharmacy barn. What happened next was worse than we could have ever imagined!

Having grown up on a farm, my grandpa, and dad took me along to many tractor and truck pulls. I remember going to county fairs, competitions, and machinery shows all over parts of Michigan, Indiana, and Kentucky. Early on we only attended the stock (no post-manufacture modifications to the engine) pulls. These were largely the old timers' antique tractor pulls. I loved hearing those little, but mighty two-cylinder engines popping along as the load increased. One experience I will never forget.....my first super-modified tractor pull!

There is nothing I would trade for how I grew up and where we lived. It was the very beginning of so much that has shaped my life into what it is today. I was raised on a small, pig farm in rural Michigan. Life wasn't easy, and we had so very little, but there was an innocence, and a simplicity. People trusted each other, however naïve that may seem in today's world. When I moved away to Kentucky for college, my perspective of the world changed drastically! I was often taken advantage of for being so simple. People mocked my traditional, family roots, and cheated the old fashioned values relentlessly. I was not a believer yet, and so it wasn't long before I decided that I was not going to let anyone hurt me any more. Walls began to go up inside, and all around my heart to fend off future hurtful attacks.

Struggles. Our lives are riddled with them it seems. Whether we are battling spiritual attacks at work, amongst relationships with unbelievers, or closer to home - disagreements with relatives, rebellious children, addictions, feelings of worry, fear, insecurity and defeat, there are always problems. Although the Lord promised us troubles as believers, we can't help but wonder sometimes just what is going on?! Why don't I ever feel successful? Who is there to turn to for useful advice and understanding? Why do I feel stuck? Why is this all SO hard? Fortunately, our God has made many promises to us: never to leave us, never to forget us, to love us too much to leave us where He found us, to be our ever present help in times of need. How can we truly believe in these promises for our lives?

The Hillside Women's Ministry is looking for a few women that are interested in using their writing talents to help create  content and help keep women up to date about women's events here at Hillside Bible.  If you are interested in sharing spiritual truth and encouraging women through your writing, please contact the church office.