Penelope went to see vet brother this morning. He has the best pet bedside manner, always sweet to Penelope, calls her “Baby.” She had a terrible cough, sounded like a croupy baby all night long. She does this frequently from finding a minuscule piece of trash in the yard and scarfing it down. He always laughs and says she’s turned into a goose when he hears her cough. He wanted to know if she’d sneaked a snack from the litter box but I told him Kat is a yard cat. I watch Penelope like a hawk on her walks and never see her eat something but she’s an Olympic gold medal sniffer. I told him she was rubbing her head and scratching her ears, too,…yep had ear mites caught from her friend Kat so they both got medicine for mites. Penelope got a shot and antibiotic, too. She is high maintenance!

My Florida cousin sent me some great quotes this morning. I love this one and I’m pretty sure most of us have experienced it. “Sometimes God will put a Goliath in your life so that you can find the David within you,” Toby McKeehan. The story about David and Goliath teaches us about bravery and faith and to never underestimate an opponent. It also shows that pride is a downfall. Sometimes we just grind our teeth, put up our dukes, and fight our way through the darkness, trying to find the light by ourselves. But when we partner up with God and our prayers, we are better prepared for battle.

Bible scripture in 1 Samuel 17:45 quotes David, “Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel.” I think God tests our faithfulness by placing Goliaths on our paths. We really don’t know our own strength till we’re tested. God is always fighting on our side and we can use our inner courage and faith to overcome the trials that seem impossible.

We’re all courageously living in this fast paced world driven by the need of success, multitasking to get everything completed, technology driving our cars, social media capturing every moment of our lives. Malcolm Gladwell defines courage well — “Courage is not something that you already have that makes you brave when the tough times start. Courage is what you earn when you’ve been through the tough times and you discover they aren’t so tough after all.”

Scripture in Isaiah 41:10 reads, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.” Biblical scripture in Exodus describes God as a warrior, always protecting his children from their enemies. God gives us strength for fighting our battles. He fights for us when we lose our strength, rescuing us from our troubles. No matter what you are struggling with in your life, God will always be able to help. He will heal you when you’re hurting.

“Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.” — Winston Churchill