This mortal experience was never meant to be easy. It was meant to be a school, but

a school full of joy and wonderful learning. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, we are troubled

on every side. Have you ever felt that way? Yet not distressed. We are perplexed, but not in

despair, persecuted, but not forsaken, cast down, but not destroyed. Paul sounds like he is

talking to us and our day, not to the people living in Corinth in the first century AD, or was he

talking to both? Let's explore this together. Welcome to Meridian Magazine's Come Follow Me podcast.

We're Scott and Maureen Proctor, and we are delighted to be with you again this week. Thanks to

our friend Paul Cardol, who shared his music so generously to open and close this podcast. Oh,

and will you please continue to share this podcast with friends and family members? Just send them

to ladderdaysaintmag.com forward slash podcast. Thank you. This week's lesson is entitled,

reconciled to God, and it covers second Corinthians chapters one through seven.

You know, my friends, there's something you may not know about Maureen's background. She was one

of the writers of the spoken word for the tabernacle choir for 15 years. There was a team of four

writers, which meant that her turn would come up a little more than once a month, 13 times a year.

I remember one particular season Maureen when Spence Conard gave you some feedback.

Can you tell us about that? As you know, Scott, a lot of those spoken words were quite autobiographical.

So during one particular season of my own personal trials and challenges,

I hadn't realized that each time I was about to write another spoken word, what came to me with

something about enduring trials and challenges in my own life. Of course, I didn't mention my

own life just the general topic. So I would write another one on that particular topic. Spence

came to me one day and said, Maureen, are you having a hard time? Has this hard time lasted about a

year? It seems like all you ever write about is trials and tribulations. I think you need to pick

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