Diane Mickler's Blog

Do not worry! Matthew 6:31

There are several friends of ours who love to do jigsaw puzzles. In fact, they enjoy them so much, that there is constantly a partially solved puzzle on a table in their homes with the missing pieces scattered all around!

I am not great at the huge jigsaw puzzles, but occasionally, while standing there, I try to find the correct piece to add just for fun! If I can see the picture on the box, I have a much better chance of getting the piece to fit. At this particular house; however, the box with the picture on it was not there! Suddenly, I had no hope of getting this one in the right place!

Life is a lot like trying to put a puzzle together without the finished picture. When things happen, we tend to do one of two things: we either blow the whole situation out of proportion, or we look at it as “no big deal!” I’ve heard these called “awfulizing or minimizing.”

In the course of our life in the ministry, I tended to be the one who awfulized a lot! Our very first parsonage was in the small town of Newborn, Ga which is a “suburb” of Covington. The house was built in 1848, was there during the Civil War, and was the birthplace of Charles Allen a famous minister.

In those days, the minister’s family did not see the parsonage before moving day. When I opened the front door on that June day in 1978, I began “awfulizing.” Needless to say I could not see the big picture.

When my parents arrived to help us move in, my mother opened the door, and immediately burst into tears! I got my “awfulizing” honestly. She didn’t see the big picture either.

After several months of “awfulizing” during which time the kitchen sink fell in, a brick from the fireplace fell into the den, and we did a lot of cleaning and crying, we finally invited the parsonage committee to come take a tour of the church’s house! We wanted to show them the big picture!

It turns out, they had no idea of the state of this parsonage! The men on the committee immediately wanted to fix everything, the women wanted to get all new furniture plus a washer, dryer, and dishwasher which we had been without. They saw the big picture, and we were able to work together.

God subtly taught me that this wasn’t about having everything we needed when we needed it, but rather teaching me how to trust Him and wait for Him to reveal the big picture. These people became our family, and some of my most precious memories are of them and this church.

As humans, we have a limited understanding of God’s big picture of our lives. Without His assistance..we never will. People today have a tendency to try and figure out why things happen as they do using our own thoughts and theories. If we want to understand the big picture, we have to go to the one who created the puzzle in the first place.

The truth is “awfulizing” and “minimizing” never go away. Just like worry, it plagues us constantly. When one issue is resolved, there is always another one waiting to take its place. It’s a fact of life, and we can’t change it.

We can only comprehend so much about God and His plans. Does anyone know where they will be in 5 years, how about next year, next month, next week, or tomorrow? We can make our plans, but who knows if they will fit into God’s big picture. We must trust Him.

Thankfully, God is a God that is unlimited. He isn’t held to time. He isn’t held to place. He knows all about the plans for our big picture – He even created it. The grace of God that brought us through the last “awfulizing” situation will be with us in the next one, and the next one.

We all have a tendency to worry about the future. Whether it’s money, relationships, or the state of the world, we worry about uncertainties instead of letting God show us our big picture in His time.

There’s a story about Death walking toward a city, and a man stopped him and asked, “What are you doing to do?” Death said, “I am going to kill ten thousand people.”

As the days passed, the man warned everyone he could think of about Death’s plan. At the end of the day, the man saw Death again and said, “You said you were going to kill ten thousand people, and yet seventy thousand died.” Death replied, “I killed only ten thousand. Worry and fear killed the rest.” 1502

Notice what Jesus said about the things we worry or “awfulize” over most: Do not worry. Your heavenly Father knows that you need these things. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you. Proverbs 31:33

God’s plan for each of us is perfect because He has the ultimate perspective.. The big picture is in His hands. We just need to watch while He finishes the puzzle!

So shall my word be that goes out of my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:11

One of the most helpless feelings in the world is to be driving in a sparsely populated area and notice that the gas gauge is almost on empty! No gas stations in sight! You wonder how in the world you ignored the gauge when there were plenty of gas stations around? Nobody likes to be running on empty in that situation.

Just before World War II at the Tournament of Roses parade, the Standard Oil Company had a beautiful float entered in the parade. It was covered in red roses. The theme that year was, “Be Prepared.” In the middle of the parade, the oil company’s float came to a screeching halt and the rest of the parade stopped with it!

What happened? The float committee which had, spent countless hours making sure every flower was in place, which had spent literally days making sure that the music was just right, that the sound system was adequate for the task, had simply forgotten to fill the float engine with enough gas. That’s right, the Chevron oil and gas company float had run out of gas! It was running on empty!

The directors of the Chevron float had done everything well, but they had neglected to use their company’s vast resources of oil. They had neglected to do the one thing needed to finish the work of that day. The parade waited while somebody ran to get a gallon of gas.

There are times in this life when we might feel that we are running on empty. There are times when the unexpected circumstances of life take all our energy and leave us feeling empty. It can be spiritual, emotional, or physical depletion that can leave us feeling exhausted, confused, and just basically wiped out.

Forrest Gump ran, just because he liked running, for 3 years, 2 months, 14 days, and 16 hours across America. Maybe for sometime now, we are like Forrest Gump, just going through the motions, with no meaning or purpose. We do it just because we think it’s what we are supposed to do. We are running on empty.

The late Adrian Rogers once shared how we live our lives like a car. We fill up the tank and take off never thinking of our need for fuel/power again until we are running on fumes and the tank is empty.

This life is not easy, there is so much pain, suffering, heart break, and sickness that we forget to remind ourselves that every day is a gift from God that we will never have again. I think God would have us fill up our tank every day by remembering the value of this day. Don’t run on empty.

First, resolve to experience and enjoy each day and try not to tackle our whole life’s problems in one day. Next, be agreeable. Try to be courteous and considerate of everyone in your path. Don’t run over those who might be running on empty.

Then, try to have a plan and a goal for the day. We might not follow it exactly, but have one anyway. Having a plan and a goal will save us from two of the most bothersome enemies – hurry and indecision.

Finally, don’t be afraid to love or risk. Endeavor to enjoy all of God’s blessings and believe that every seed we sow in God’s kingdom will be multiplied back to us many times over.

When we let ourselves run on empty, it’s like working outside God’s will for us. We wear ourselves out and end up having nothing to show for all our efforts.

We get out tank filled when we allow ourselves to stop, renew our fellowship with God, and allow Him to direct us.

God knows how draining life can be, so don’t run on empty -remember to fill up!

Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13

In the early years of our marriage, Randy and I pretty much lived a pretty frugal life while he finished Emory and I taught school. Vacations were pretty much non existent, but the summer that he graduated, we (he) decided to take a road trip in our little Datsun pick up truck up to some northern states of America.

This part of the country (as I later learned) was chosen because of the battles which had been fought during the Civil War. Randy was a history/political science major until his plans changed, and he still has a passion for any kind of history.

As we stood that day on the fields of Gettysburg, and I listened as he outlined that battle for me in detail, I could not fathom all the soldiers who laid down their lives for their comrades.

Many years later, as we stood on the shores of Normandy looking in awe at the now serene stretches of beaches, it was unfathomable that this was the setting of one of the biggest battles in World War II. The total loss of life was estimated to be over 200,000.

Memorial Day started during the Civil War when women began decorating the graves of soldiers who had died in that war as a way of honoring their dead. Today we celebrate Memorial Day as a holiday set aside to honor all American personnel who have died in every war in this country’s history.

When Dwight D. Eisenhower was President of the United States, he made it a habit to tour the great battlefields which are part of our history. Fields such as the battle of Gettysburg, the Battlefield of Valley Forge, and hundreds of others like these have become hallowed soil where thousands of Americans have died either to preserve freedom, prevent aggression, or keep in tact the union of American states.

During a tour of the Battlefield of Valley Forge where the President was being shown from one historic spot to another, he made this statement at the conclusion of the tour: “This is where they got it for us!”

What did he mean? He meant that those men and women and thousands of others in all the wars that America has fought, purchased by their blood, the freedoms that we enjoy today.

These battlefields of the world today are hallowed and holy to every American, and we should pause to give them our highest honors humbly realizing the sacred trust that these, our war dead have handed to us.

How do we honor today the freedom that has been bought by the blood of these courageous men and women? First, live a life that an American ought to live, one that is based on Christian principles. Remember that our forefathers founded this country on those principles.

Next, be aware of the price of freedom. When we get too many generations away from those who fought and died for our freedom, we tend to forget and take our freedoms for granted. We think every country lives this way, but life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are precious gifts.

Finally, remember that we have an obligation to teach our children what it cost others for the freedom they enjoy. Don’t allow the history of this great country to be forgotten.

Billy Graham tells a story of a young Korean boy whose spine had been torn away by a shell blast. He was unable to change his position; and if he lived, he would spend the rest of his life lying on his stomach. The medics patched him up, and as Mr. Graham held his hand the young man said, “It was worth it all if it will keep America free.”

Remember the courage and bravery of our soldiers and spend some time today thanking God for their courage, bravery, and service. These people are part of an elite group that must never be forgotten. Remember, they “got our freedom for us.”

The battlefields of the world today are, or should be, hallowed and holy to every American, and we pause on this Memorial Day to give them our highest honors, humbly realizing the sacred trust that these, our war dead, have handed to us. Billy Graham

But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles. They run and don’t get tired. They walk and don’t lag behind. Isaiah 40:31

I am not sure where the time has gone, but it is sobering when the kids that Randy had a hand in baptizing, confirming and marrying years ago now have children graduating from high school, college, and celebrating other milestones in their lives. These families have soared on eagles’ wings in so many ways, and we are so happy to congratulate the graduates and their families this year!

The verse above is one of the most famous in the Bible because it offers a message of endurance and hope. It promises that those who trust in God will have their energy renewed enabling them to overcome challenges without becoming weary.

In Exodus, God asks the people of Israel to remember the days in the wilderness where there was nothing to drink. He opened up a spring of fresh water and stepped in to save them. He swooped down and bore them on eagles’ wings, in other words, He delivered them.

These graduates have had family, teachers, friends, and in most cases, a loving church that has born them on eagle’s wings during these years. They have been protected, guided, and loved.

That sounds wonderful, but what does “I bore you on eagles’ wings” mean anyway? Take the Mama eagle for example. She will make a nest eight feet by eight feet and fill it up with sticks, leaves, and animal fur in order to make a cozy nest for her chicks.

There will come a time, however, when the chicks will begin to get a little less comfortable. At that point, the Mother eagle will take them to a great height and drop them. The eaglet will begin to flutter. He’s never done this before, and he doesn’t know what to do! He continues to flap his wings, but he’s headed down fast!

As the little eagle plummets to earth, Mama eagle watches, and what does she do? She swoops down and catches the little eaglet right before he hits the ground. She takes the eaglet back up to the original altitude, and she drops him again. Once more, she watches as he falls and just before he hits the ground, she swoops down to save him. She bears him up on eagles’ wings!

That’s exactly what God does for us. The new chapter awaiting each graduate is one that offers new beginnings. One chapter is closing but that ending offers a springboard into a new and purposeful journey. In this new chapter, I believe, He would have us stay rooted in our faith and focus on our personal gifts in order to serve others while glorifying God.

God wants a long life filled with joy and happiness for each person and specifically each graduate. Just like the Mama eagle, God understands that each one of us will fall in life, and He will be there to catch us when we do. No matter what it takes, God will bear us up on eagles’ wings, and He will teach us to fly.

The best commencement address I’ve ever heard was delivered this past week at the University of North Carolina by Eric Church. Armed with only a guitar, he used the six strings of the instrument to deliver his 13 minute address with a faith and confidence that humbled his audience.

He spoke first of the need for a solid foundation as the graduates depart for careers. The foundation is our faith, and he encouraged the graduates to never let the world undo it! He emphasized the importance of family, and the need to remember them even when the busyness of the world and/or a career gets in the way. Remember your people!

Eric talked about the hard seasons that will surely come, and the people in this life that will stand by us no matter the difficulties. He encouraged the graduates to be a part of a community in order to have a place to belong and never forget to give of yourself.

Finally, he implored them to be original. Don’t follow the ways of the world. If the chord sounds wrong, don’t play it. Rather, write your own song. God will bear you up on eagles’ wings as you find your way.

One of my favorite hymns was written by Father Michael Joncas, a Catholic priest and composer. The hymn was written in 1976 and is based on Psalm 91. Its famous chorus promises that God will raise you up on eagles’ wings, bear you on the breath of dawn, make you to shine like the sun, and hold you in the palm of His hand. This is my prayer for all the special graduates in our lives.

God bless you all! We are thankful for you and excited for all the things ahead!

God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out; His merciful love couldn’t have dried up. They are created new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness! Lamentations 3:22-23

A few years ago, Randy and I made a trip through Yellowstone National Park on our trek out west, and one attraction was at the top of our list – Old Faithful.

There are more than 300 geysers in Yellowstone National Park which accounts for approximately half the known geysers in the world. One of these geysers, however, stands above the others – not because it’s the largest and not because it’s waters reach the greatest heights, but it is by far the most popular.

Its popularity is due to one thing – it’s dependability or faithfulness. People stand in long lines under the hot sun to see it because, according to a precise schedule, it shoots a stream of boiling water more than 120 feet into the air. You can almost set your watch by it. According to an old prospector who traveled the region with Native Americans in the 1800’s, the geyser was given that name because it is regular in its eruptions. That’s why it’s called Old Faithful. People are attracted to faithfulness.

Faithfulness is defined as the quality of being steadfast, loyal, and consistently dependable, in relationships, duties, or obligations. It implies an unwavering adherence to promises, vows, or truth.

Faithfulness requires making 100 percent of your effort 100 percent of the time. The Bible is full of those who showed unwavering faithfulness to God and to His promises. Ruth showed unwavering faithfulness to her mother in law and followed her to a new land. Noah’s faithfulness was shown during the building of the ark. Daniel stayed faithful even in the Lion’s Den and refused to stop praying.

We see faithfulness put to the test in this world of ours today. Right now, we are in the midst of a mid term election, and citizens are desperate for politicians who will carry out all of their campaign promises. Anything less than that will never be good enough because it reflects their failure to be totally faithful and completely dependable.

Faithfulness requires several things of us. First, we must be loyal and committed to God. We have to keep His covenants, and act in line with His word no matter how difficult it may seem at the time.

Next, we must be faithful in the small things in life. Faithfulness in the little things is how dependability begins, grows, and matures. Rev. James Merritt tells this story: “The other day, I asked my beautiful wife if she married me for my looks?” She replied, “No, I married you for your brains – it’s the small things that matter.” Longfellow once wrote, “Most people would succeed in small things if they weren’t troubled with great ambition.”

Finally, we must show perseverance in turning menial jobs into vitally important ones. Even though we weren’t all born with the same talents, each of us are gifted in some way. Every one of us are born with an equal responsibility to utilize his or her abilities at full capacity.

Years ago when the U.S. Marine Corp was first formed, officials gave considerable time to contemplating a fitting motto. They finally chose the Latin phrase semper fidelis, a phrase now engraved on the mind of every Marine. The phrase means Always Faithful. Just like the Marines, we must always be faithful to God regardless of the cost.

Just like Old Faithful, God wants to be able to count on each of us to be dependable and faithful. He deserves only our best!

Great Is Thy Faithfulness was written in 1923 by Thomas O. Chisholm, a former Methodist minister. Despite poor health and financial difficulties, he wrote the hymn as a personal testimony to God’s daily steady faithfulness.

Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father. There is no shadow of turning with Thee. Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not. As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be. Great is thy faithfulness, Great is thy faithfulness, Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand hath provided. Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.

I’ll pour robust well being into her like a river, the glory of nations like a river in a flood. As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you. Issaiah 66:13

The coming week will be filled with special thoughts and deeds for our Mothers. There are many things we can say about Mothers. We can talk about their love, their gentle spirit, their endurance, and their kindness, but there is one thing that I hold dear about these special people, and that is their “being there”heart.

They are there when we are born, when we cut our first tooth, take our first step, start school, graduate, start a job, and the being there characteristic just goes on and on.

There are many examples of the being there quality of Mothers. Mary, the mother of Jesus, is the ultimate example of being there. She was there when He was an infant, there when He performed His first miracle, there when He faced his trials, and she was there when He died upon the cross.

Lately, I have been humbled by the being there quality of another much less famous mother by the name of Elsa Mendoza. Elsa is the mother of Fernando Mendoza, the quarterback of the Indianna Hoosiers who won the Heisman Trophy and led his team to a National Championship.

A few days ago, Fernando was the number one draft pick of the NFL picked to go to the Las Vegas Raiders as the first overall pick. Normally, the players and their families gather together in the arena of the chosen city to await the results of the draft, but because it has become increasing difficult for his Mom to make trips, the family gathered at home with her. She is confined to a wheelchair, and the disease contines to progress. In other to allow her to be there for this moment, the family opted to stay together at home to await the results.

Elsa was diagnosed with multiple schlerosis in 2008, but she and her husband did not tell their three boys until 2019 when a Covid diagnosis exacerbated the MS. Elsa balanced work, raising her boys, and setting an example of “being there” for them even while living with MS.

Being a mother is not an easy job, but if we view our role as an assignment from God, and we view it as having eternal consequences, it becomes an honor. Mary’s assignment was serving as the earthly mother of the Son of God and to be there for Him.

Our roles might never be equal to that, but we all need to possess qualities to be there for our children and others, First, being there for our children involves a committment to be the best we can be. Set a great example, and never settle for less.

Next, being there includes loyalty. Being there as a mother might involve putting your children ahead of other minor things, and always accepting the assignment as a priority. It is worth the sacrifice.

Finally, being there includes dependability. They, as well as others, should know that we can be counted upon to live up to the trust and expectations placed upon us. It’s an assignment that has to be taken seriously.

During the second World War millions of Jewish people were killed during the holocaust. Solomon Rosenberg, his wife, two sons, and his parents were arrested and placed in a concentration camp. The rules of the work camp were simple, as along as you could work, you were permitted to live. When you become too weak to work, you are exterminated.

Rosenberg watched his parents marched off to their death, and he knew the next one would be his younger son, David, because he had always been frail. Every evening Rosenberg would return to the barracks after hours of labor and frantically search for his wife and sons. When he found them, they would huddle together and thank God for another day of life.

One day upon his return, he found his oldest son crying. He told his father, “Today, David could not do his work, so they came for him. He was afraid and cried.” Rosenberg was frantic, and said, “Where is he? “Momma took his hand he told his father and said, “There’s nothing to be afraid of, David. I will go with you.”

When God gives us an assignment, He will enable us to do things we never thought possible. Faith enables us to get above circumstances and look to Christ who is over all.

This is the being there part of Motherhood. God says, I will be there with you.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms in my life!

In their hearts, humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps. Proverbs 16:9

Some of us are old enough to remember the days before seat belt laws. Even though their history began nearly two centuries ago, it has only been in the last few decades that the safety feature has become a mandatory law.

Growing up, I can’t even remember seat belts in our cars, and I know even if they were there, we didn’t use them. In retrospect, if we had used them, my sisters and I might have avoided being thrown around in the car as a result of my Mama’s driving! It’s a miracle we survived!

I can’t imagine getting on a plane and not seeing the Fasten Seat Belt sign illuminated, and the crew’s persistent reminder to “keep your seat belts fastened.” The precaution is taken because we never know when turbulence might hit, and we need to be anchored in and connected to the movement of the plane.

Turbulence is defined as violent irregular motion characterized by rapid shifts in velocity and pressure. In avaition, it is characterized by abrupt jolts causing the aircraft to rise, drop, or shake unexpectedly. We might use synonyms such as instability, disorder, unrest, or agitation to describe the effect of turbulence in life situations.

Randy and I were living in Bowdon in 1978 when a young history professor from West Georgia College in Carrollton began to visit our small church regularly. His name was Newt Gingrich, and later that year, he went on to beome the representative for the 6th district in Congress. We enjoyed following his career and always appreciated his friendship and support.

When we moved to Marietta in 1988, he renewed his friendship with Randy, and during the the 1990’s, he invited us to attend the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. as his guests.

This trip involved a flight from Atlanta to Washington, and although, I was no stranger to flying, I do not do well with turbulence. The flight was relatively uneventful until we got close to the airspace around D.C. Suddenly, the plane began to drop sharply, bounce back up, and drop again.

There were loud gasps of panic, and I’m pretty sure one of us might have screamed a time or two!! I remember grabbing that seat belt and trying to get it a little tighter!!

It was at this time when the pilot came on the intercom and in a calm voice said, “Hello, this is your captain, we are encountering some turbulence.” Well, no kidding!! This was not news to anyone.

He calmly explained our situation, and that we were going to drop below the turbulence. I had my doubts at this point, but as it turned out, he knew what he was doing. The crew managed to take us through the turbulence, land the plane safely,and get us to our destination in one piece.

The same scenario can be true in life. We never know when some unexpected turbulence will come out of nowhere to disrupt our flight pattern, and we need to be anchored in with a close relationship, or a seat belt, to our protector and our Lord. We need a skilled pilot to get us through the turbulence and land us safely.

Like many of us in life, I was unprepared for the turbulence that day. So, how do we prepare for the turbulence that will certainly come our way in life. First, it’s good to be prepared. Just like a seatbelt prepares us for a sudden accident, being prepared helps us to be ready when things change. Most of us are either going into or coming out of tough times, so prepare yourself spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically the best you can!

Next, be attentive to those around who are suffering. God says that what we give will be pressed down for us, shaken up, and then turned into a double portion of blessing for us. Helping others is one of the greatest ways to get out of our own turbulent times. It feels good. It reminds us of God’s love for us!

Finally, be faithful and listen to God’s direction. Don’t give up. Don’t give in. Keep believing that whatever turbulence is affecting your life now will end. Sometimes the greatest blessings come from our most negative circumstances.

It wasn’t really necessary for the pilot to come on the intercom that day to tell us that we were experiencing turbulence during our flight to D.C. I think we all were pretty sure of that. He could have just manuvered out of it and landed the plane, but I was really glad to hear his reassuring voice.

It was good to know that he was still in control, and he had a plan for our safety and well being. God works a lot like that pilot in our lives.

There is always a reward for enduring the turbulence. To say that this event was a once in a life time experience is an understatement! I will never forget that time, and the faces that sat with us that day at our table. Randy was in heaven because Hugh O’Brien, aka Wyatt Earp, sat there next to him. I couldn’t believe Madelyn Albright sat across from me!

When Billy Graham walked out to center stage after President and Mrs. Clinton had been seated, the turbulence of the day was forgotten and the promise of God calling us to prayer was real.

The turbulence of the journey there was worth the blessings we received that day. So it is with life. The turbulence just means “we are still flying!!”

Summing it all up friends, I’d say you’ll do your best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious – the best, not the worst, the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you have learned from me, what you have heard and seen and realized. Philippians 4:8-9 The Message

Everyone I know wants to live the best life possible. I’ve never known a single person who wants to have a bad life, but what is the secret to living the best life?

When our small group posed this question, the answers ranged anywhere from happiness and good health, to friendship, family, and of course, love. We work hard to achieve the best life, but the reality is that most of us struggle to live our best life everyday. It just doesn’t seem to happen.

Living your best life consists of intentionally creating a fulfilling authentic life which aligns with personal beliefs, passions, and happiness. It involves prioritizing well being, personal growth, and being the best version of yourself rather than simply chasing material possessions or weath.

Sixteen years ago, Randy and I were fortunate to rescue a little dog named Rocco. He loved us from the moment he walked into our home, and he’s never stopped. Now Rocco has some heart issues, and arthritis (so do his parents), and he has begun to slow down.

As we contemplated a way to give him his best life for the rest of his life, we tried to think of ways to let him enjoy life, but make it easy for him. Thus, Randy now walks him as far as Rocco can, then Rocco rides the rest of the walk in his stroller. He loves it!! Everyone stops to talk to him, and he might even let them give him a rub! He’s living the best life!

Now, giving a dog his best life is a lot different from the way we would achieve ours. There are many keys to living our best life, and I have picked some of the ones that I consider most important.

First, it’s all about the attitude. One of our group members commented that if we wake up and promise to strive to be postive every day, it makes the day the best! Good relationships are the key. If we can live harmoniously within that circle, then we will find our best life.

Next, if we want the best life we don’t take revenge or retaliate when others don’t agree with you or hurt you in some way. Politicians could take a lesson from this one.

The story is told of a man who became angry with one of the airport employees who was handling his luggage. For several minutes, he belittled the employee and criticized his every move. Surprisingly, the employee didn’t seem bothered by the criticism and remained calm.

After the man moved on from the counter, a woman approached the employee with her baggage and asked, “How do you put up with such injustice?” The agent replied, “It’s easy. That guy’s going to New Delhi, but his bags are going to Chennati.” Remember, Jesus said, “Vengance is mine.’

Then, if we want to live our best life, we must control our tongue. Someone once said, “The first screw that goes loose in a person’s head is the one that controls the tongue.”

A young man was sent to Socrates to learn oratory or how to speak. On being introduced to the great philosopher, he talked so much that Socrates asked for double fees. “Why charge me double?” asked the boy. “Because,” replied the great man, “I must teach you two sciences: one, how to hold your tongue; the second, how to speak. The first one is much more difficult.”

If we want to have our best life, it’s important to control how much you speak, because I guarantee you, if you say the wrong words, you will have a bad life!

Finally, to live our best life, we need to forget what is evil and just do good. Be peacemakers. We live in a hostile world where people are constantly trying to make life miserable for us by putting us under pressure, and even causing us great suffering.

We look to the scripture above and realize we are told by God to be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kind hearted, never repay evil for evil, and hold our tongue!! With all that’s happening, what’s our incentive to strive for the best life?

Our incentive through it all is that the eyes of God are upon us and he watches us with omnipresence and hears our cry. He meets our needs. He will help us achieve our best life if we are willing to do the things He asks.

At the close of kindergaten class every afternoon as the kids waited with their back packs for dismissal, we sang a little song together to end the day on a positive note: “We’ve had a good day, we’ve had a great day; now kiss your brain.”

Make today not only a good day or a great day, but the best day!

For we did not follow cleverly devised tales when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty! 2 Peter 1:16

Last week, the USA successfully launched and brought safely home the Artemis II and its astronauts. The historic journey around the moon, took the four astronauts further into space than any humans in history!

Their safe return clears the way for the next stage of the Artemis program which aims to land humans on the lunar surface and eventually build a permanent base on the moon.

Upon seeing the moon from their spaceship, the astronauts described the sight as magnificent, awe inspiring, unbelievable, and a close up experience that defies black and white photos by revealing subtle colors and immense detail. I can’t imagine such majesty!

The Bible describes majesty as the incomparable greatness, splendor, and supreme authority of God. It describes His inherent glory, power, and holiness that demand reverance. The term signifies God’s transcendence over creation, and it’s embodiment in Jesus Christ. Who, but God could create a universe that is so resplendent that it defies the human’s ability to take it in?

The greatness of God is not always recognized or appreciated. We tend to take for granted the way day turns to night, the way seasons change, the moon, the stars, the beauty and majesty that He created. Only when we take time to stop and focus on this earth, can we see it’s majesty.

The appreciation of God’s majesty in His creation of mankind is also many times ignored. The story is told of a young child prodigy, Joshua Bell, who was, at the age of 39, an internationally acclaimed virtuoso. Bell had filled symphony halls where tickets sold for $100 each, but on January 12, 2017, he was just another beggar. Bell sat in the Washington DC subway station at 7:15 on that workday morning competing for the attention of busy people on their way to work.

The scene was set up as part of an experiment in context, perception,and priorities as well as an assessment of public taste. In a setting such as this, at an inconvenient time, would beauty and majesty transcend?

Joshua positioned himself against a wall beside a trash basket wearing jeans, a long sleeved t-shirt, and a baseball cap. From a small case, he removed a small violin, which was a Stadivarius worth over four million dollars. Placing the open case at his feet, he began to play. For the next 45 minutes, Bell played the music of Mozart and Schubert as people streamed by.

Most hardly noticed. In fact, only 27 people out of thousands who walked past stopped to throw in money. At the end of the day, Bell had a total of $32.17 in his violin case.

One man who was riding the escalator turned to see from which direction the music was coming. Of 40 people interviewed that day, John Picarello was the only one who recognized that “whoever is playing that violin is a superb violinist.” He knew Joshua Bell and his work, but he didn’t recognize him or his great musical ability.

Majesty or greatness is not always recognized. Even when the divine majesty of Jesus was shining through him the world did not see it or undersand it.

There is one beautiful composition written byTom Fettke and Linda Johnson entited The Majesty and Glory of His Name. Our choir can sing it so beautifully, and the words and music give me chills each time I hear it.

When I gaze into the night sky and see the work of your fingers; The moon and stars suspended in space. What is man that You are mindful of him? You have given man a crown of glory and honor, and have made him a little lower than the angels. You have put him in charge of all creation; the birds of the air, the fish of the sea.

Oh Lord our God, the majesty and glory of your name, transcends the earth and fills the heavens. Oh Lord our God, little chilldren praise you perfectly, and so would we, and so would we.

The majesty of God is all around us. All we need do is acknowledge it and allow it to transcend all the less important things in our lives.

He replied, “Peter, I tell you, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.” Luke 22:34 The Message

I don’t know many of us who actually enjoy the sound of an alarm clock early in the morning. The wake up devices come in all kinds of different designs with different sounds. We can choose to wake up to sounds like an annoying beep, the radio, the sound of rain, the pounding surf, or even crickets chirping. In our small town, sometimes the rooster who lived down the street would wake the neighborhood with a loud cock a doodle doo!!

Years ago, when we traveled and stayed in a hotel, we would get a wake call from the front desk alerting us that it was time to get up and get going! Although most of us now set our wake up call to whatever program is on our phone, the purpose is still the same.

We have just recently passed through the Easter season in which themes of darkness and light, death and resurrection, despair and hope, fear and faith, and grief and joy have all been set before us. The season is a wake up call of sorts for many of us, as it forces us to take a look at our lives and re-evaluate all that God does and has done for us. We listen again to His story.

Peter also experienced a wake up call the night of the crucifixion. Jesus had told Peter that he would deny him three times before the rooster crowed, and he did. The Bible says that afterwards, Peter went out and wept bitterly. He had a wake up call.

Like Peter, we all have repeated failures. We promise not to give into temptaion, but we do. We promise not to judge, but we do. We promise not to forget the story of redemption and grace that we experience on Easter, but we do. We all need a wake up call in this life.

Theo of Golden, a wonderful book written by Allen Levi, gives the perfect scenario of a wake up call for two travelers on the road to Emmaus, and their experience with the risen Lord.

Jesus had been executed and news of his death had been widely circulated. The scene occurs on a road named Emmaus. Two strangers are walking together, we don’t know if they were friends, but their minds are full of thoughts and questions. The kind of thoughts and questions we all have whenever death or unexplained circumstances comes our way.

Those two were soon joined by a third. We don’t know if they welcomed him, but we do know that he joined them along the way. When he joined them, he asked what they were discussing. And so, they told him about the execution and death. The third man hijacked the conversation and told them a story -one they thought they knew already. He told them a story that we all think we know. One we think we have all figured out. The wonderful story that has, for many of us, lost any element of wonder.

The text says that Jesus opened the scriptures and told them about the everlasting God, about a world made good and beautiful, but now horribly ruined. He told them that story, and it reawakened wonder in those two travelers. They listened attentively and were so captivated, that when they reached their destination, they asked him to remain with them longer. Which he did.

At some point, those strangers realized that the mysterious walking partner was no ordinary man. He could tell them the story because He wrote the story. He was the story. We are told that their eyes were opened. They had a wake up call.

We all walk roads of different descriptions in life – the long and winding road, the road to ruin, easy street, the road less traveled, and along the way there are questions. There is news. There are concerns and fears. There are uncertainties that furrow our brows, trouble our souls, and break our hearts. That terrifies many of us, but God in his sublime goodness has always sent others, mysterious others, to walk with us to help us see clearly.

God does the same for us when bad news comes our way, when our heart is broken, or when sadness overwhelms us. He sends others to hold our hand, to walk with us, and pray for us.

After the worst night of his life, the sun came up for Peter. By God’s grace, he received a wake up call and ended up winning multitudes to Christ and building the church. Peter is proof that God will forgive, restore, and redirect our lives as well. All we need to do is listen for the wake up call to keep Easter alive in our hearts and lives all year long.