Author: dianemickler@bellsouth.net

He was in the world and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize Him. John 1:10

There is a television series entitled, Undercover Boss, where the owner of the company sometimes goes undercover disguised as a staff member. The boss works alongside the employees unrecognized and gets to experience the daily pressures, problems, frustrations, and successes of the staff. They also see people as they really are. For example, the frog might turn out to be a prince or an ugly duckling could prove to really be a swan.

It is also an opportunity for the Boss to become familiar with the employees and see first hand their strengths and weaknesses and what things are and are not working. In other words, the Bosses get to understand a little better those who work for them, and get an opportunity to know them as people instead of just names or faces.

A few years ago Randy and I had the opportunity to visit St. Petersburg, Russia with its elaborate palaces, beautiful countryside, and friendly people. Unfortunately, the underlying feeling we had as we went on guided tours, ate in restaurants, and talked with the people there was that there was a hesitancy to share too much about their own feelings and experiences in the country. It was as though Undercover eyes and ears were everywhere. Technology is so advanced and these people were so intimidated that it was easy to believe their fears were real.

The concept of an Undercover boss prompted me to ask, “Would we all act or speak differently if we knew Jesus was undercover working here alongside us? How would our conversations go at the family table if we thought He could be undercover there? How would we treat others in our daily lives? Would our language change? Would our motives be different? Would we be willing to let innocent men, women, and children suffer? Would we step up to defend some of the things happening in our country, our community, our church and our world? How would we deal with life if we knew the Kingdom of God was here right now?”

When Jesus encountered the woman at the well in John 4:10, He says, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is who asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him and He would have given you living water.” Jesus is among us and is waiting for us to ask for the living water He offers.

God is undercover in this world working, and He will reveal His plan throughout the generations. He has a kingdom right here, but we have to have eyes to see and ears to hear. The Word became flesh and lives among us.

Alfred Hitchcock used to get a kick out of doing cameo appearances in his movies. Sometimes he might be a man on the train with the stars, maybe just a man on the street, but he loved stepping out from behind the camera to do a cameo. God sometimes does a cameo for me in the form of a redbird, a hummingbird, or something else which has significance for me.

For Mr. Hitchcock stepping out for a moment was fun, but he never had to learn the lines, put in rehearsals, or nurse aching feet and backs. For God sending Jesus as an undercover boss was different. It was no cameo, but rather a life long assignment. He experienced everything we do from our weaknesses, our limitations, our highs and lows, everything from the cradle to the grave. Jesus is like the undercover boss who puts on his overalls and gets his hands dirty. He understands what we all go through in this life.

It’s interesting that there are those employees who don’t recognize their boss undercover, and they treat him like the new junior. They have no idea who they are talking to, but instead of being angry, the boss understands.

It was that way with Jesus. The crowds followed him while he was preaching, teaching, feeding them, or healing them, but when they were challenged to leave everything and follow Him, they abandoned him, but He still gave His life for them.

The powerful religious leaders were offended by Him and jealous of Him. They accused and convicted Him of crimes he didn’t commit, his friends abandoned Him, and He was unjustly punished with a tortuous death, but He still died for them.

The good news is that death could not defeat Him, and it can’t defeat us. Jesus has walked in our shoes, but now He’s back in charge of this world. Just like the undercover boss who sheds those overalls for a suit, and goes back to work, He is here for us.

When this world beats us down, it’s comforting to know that Jesus will give us a sympathetic “hearing” when we ask. He stands between us and God, and that should give us the confidence to know that our prayers are being answered. God is there to offer grace when we need it.

The undercover boss gives gifts of encouragement, forgiveness, and understanding to his loyal employees, but God’s gifts are far greater. The name Jesus means, God Saves, because He will save us from our sins. The cross is our promise!

That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height – to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:17-19

One of the very first songs I can remember learning from my Mama as a child was Jesus Loves Me. She sang it to all three of us girls in our early years, and I remember her singing it to our children and even our grand children. It’s a song that everyone can sing from memory, and it has the power to unite us as Christians. The history of this simple children’s song carries a much more intriguing and deeper powerful message in the words than most of us realize.

The words were written as a poem by Ana Warner during the Panic of 1837, who, because of a family financial need began writing poems and stories with her sister, Susan, to add to the family income. The idea was from their novel entitled Say and Seal which tells the story of a little boy, Johnny Fox, who was dying. His Sunday School teacher comforted him by taking him in his arms, rocking him, and making up a little song which was Jesus Loves Me. The hymn writer William Bradbury read the words and composed a childlike musical score to go along with them. It became the best known children’s hymn on earth.

The Bible tells us that even when we aren’t worthy of love, Jesus loves us anyway. He created us in His own image, He cares for us, and He is there for us always, but especially during the times when we feel weak. He loves us so much that He gave His life for us to save us from our sins.

When John F. Kennedy and the men of PT 109 were rescued in the Solomon Islands, one of the crewmembers, William Johnston, went topside and gratefully sat beside his island rescuers. He smiled. They smiled. He tried to talk, but, what do you say? The islanders had been raised in a Christian mission, and Johnston had gone to Bible School as a child. Johnston took a chance and began to sing Jesus Loves Me. Those aboard found something that united them as they joined together one by one in singing Jesus Loves Me.

As our community and our world watch in horror and despair as the people of the Ukraine flee their country because of the Russian attacks, the thought of Christians all over the world being able to unite their hearts and minds around a unifier is somehow comforting. Just like the Coke commercial that declares, “I’d like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony”, my prayer is that the assurance that Jesus Loves Me could unify us all in peace.

Jesus came down to earth knowing that He would sacrifice himself and die for us. This is perfect love, something from which we could all benefit acknowledging, and for which we should all be grateful.

Years ago, a large Atlanta church invited a 92 year old retired minister to preach. After a warm introduction, the minister moved slowly and deliberately to the pulpit, placed both hands on either side of it, and looked at the congregation. The church was silent as they waited for him to speak. He began, “When I was asked to come here today to talk with you, your minister asked me what was the greatest lesson I had learned in my 50 years of preaching. I thought about that question for a few days, and it boiled down to just one thing that made the most difference in my life and sustained me through all my trials. The one thing that I could always rely on when tears and heart break, pain, fear, and sorrow paralyzed me. The only thing that would comfort me was this verse: Jesus loves me this I know, For the Bible tells me so, Little ones to Him belong, They are weak, but He is strong.” When he finished, the church was so silent, one could hear his shuffling feet as he returned to his seat.

In this world of today, we all need to hear the reminder that Jesus Loves Us with our faults, our imperfections, our sins, our unloveliness, our failures, and even our hatred. Jesus loves us, this I know.

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. John 14:13-14

Years ago when the Miss America Pageant was at its zenith, one of the most popular questions asked of the contestants was, “If you could have anything you want, what would it be?” The most popular answer was, “World Peace”. That answer would certainly fit our situation in today’s world!

We are dealing with the Russian invasion of the Ukraine and seeing horror stories of what those people are enduring. How far will people go for the sake of power, wealth, narcissism, and control? We are experiencing some of the same problems with crime, inflation, fear, hatred, and lack of compassion for our fellow man right in our own country and neighborhood. It’s hard to believe the world around us has come to this.

With those thoughts in mind, if we change that question above to fit a Christian’s thought process it would be, “If you could ask God for anything, what would it be?” I think we would all agree, we would like to feel at peace not only with the world, but with so many things life seems to throw our way.

The question is, why don’t we ask God for help with those things that are causing us so much pain and sorrow? The story is told of a Father and daughter who were out for a walk. The little girl’s shoe strings needed tying, and the Father admonished her to please tie her shoe before she tripped. Inadvertently, the little girl became so frustrated in trying to tie her shoe that tied it in a knot. As her father watched, she tried in vain to get that knot out of her shoe in order to retie it. The more she tried, the worse it got until she was in tears. Her father was standing right over her, why didn’t she ask him for help? Why not just look up and ask him to help tie her shoe rather than going through all that distress?

Asking is really a basic part of our life. It is defined as saying something in order to receive an answer, permission, or information. If we don’t ask questions of others about their background, their hobbies, their likes and dislikes, or their faith, then we will never truly know them. It’s the same with God, if we don’t ask, we will never know what kind of Father He is to us. Asking is the way we learn. If we don’t know we can ask God, we are going to settle for trying to work things out on our own.

We tend to forget to ask God daily what He would have us do with our day. Even the disciples were guilty of not asking God for His advice. The feeding of the five thousand is the only miracle Jesus performed which is recorded in all four gospels. There are minor differences, but all the gospels are similar on the occurrence.

Jesus had withdrawn to a solitary place, but the crowds from the surrounding towns followed him. The Bible says, “He had compassion on them and healed their sick.” Evening was coming, and because the place was so remote, there was no food. The disciples had an easy answer, “Send them away to a remote village and let them buy food for themselves.” None of them ever asked Jesus if He could in some way feed the crowd. They even argued with him when He told them to feed the crowd. Jesus took the five loaves and the two fish, gave thanks, and broke the loaves. The number of people fed that evening were five thousand. The basics of believing is knowing that we can just ask God.

First, be specific when you ask God for something and ask in Jesus’ name. Even though God already knows what you need and want, He wants us to ask. When we are specific, the bond between our Savior and ourselves becomes stronger. F. B. Meyer says, “It is much better to claim a few specific things than to make twenty vague requests. “

Next, trust that God that will act according to His will, and continue to praise Him while He’s working. If you don’t believe God has heard your prayer and is acting, the prayer loses power.

Finally, be patient. God’s timeline is not ours. Remember, there is a reason He has not answered in our time. One day we will laugh at the seemingly impossible situations while we watch with delight at how God will open a path through our Red Sea. (copied) His timing is perfect.

This week we begin the forty days of Lent. Perhaps this year we need to do something different in preparation for Easter. Rather than giving up something, let’s begin to ask God everyday for what we need, then wait and see. As the psalmist said, “I am confident of this; I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.” Psalm 27:3

My faith looks up to Thee, thou lamb of Calvary, Savior Divine. Now hear me while I pray, Take all my guilt away, O let me from this day be wholly thine. lyrics by Ray Parker

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1

Everything in the heavens and the earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore You as being in control of everything. 1 Chronicles 29:11 from The Living Bible

Years ago in preparing for an International flight, I became a little nervous thinking about pilots and how they handle these long flights especially over the ocean. Several of my friends are flight attendants, and even though they assured me that it was routine, all kinds of scenarios played in my mind.

Just as many passengers, I assumed that the pilots fly the plane for the entire duration of the flight. After all, isn’t that why we have them in the cockpit behind a locked door? In my research, however, it was stated that pilots actually only “fly” the plane from ten to fifteen per cent of the time. They do the takeoff, get the plane to a certain altitude, do their flight check, and turn on auto pilot. If all goes well, then about 2000 feet from the landing approach, they disengage the auto pilot and land the plane. The rest of the flight is controlled by the Flight Management System and the Air Traffic Control tower. (My pilot friends might disagree, just relaying my information). The pilots are irreplaceable, but with the advent of computers, the Control Tower is actually in control.

That certainly doesn’t exclude emergencies such as US Airways Flight 1549 whose Captain Sully was trained and capable of making manual decisions and piloting planes in emergencies. His expertise saved all 155 passengers on board after ditching the plan in the Hudson. There are many other stories of heroic pilots and crew as well.

Randy’s grandmother only flew once to my knowledge. On that flight, the pilot walked down the aisle welcoming passengers while the plane was in flight, and when he got to her, she said, “Oh, Honey, thank you, but who are you?” When he informed her that he was the pilot, she said, “Oh Lord help us! If you are here, who, pray tell, is flying this plane?” This is a perfect example of how we want to be sure we know who is in control of everything in our lives, and how we sometimes fall to pieces if we don’t know the details.

Who’s in control of this life? We are only human, and we like to think and believe that we are in control of our lives, but the fact is that there are a multitude of things out of our control. Life has a way of throwing obstacles in our way which we can’t control. The good news for Christians is, just like the pilot, we may be in the cockpit, but God is in the control tower.

When we are spinning out of control, there are three things that we might need to remember about God’s control.

First, because God is in control, we can rest in the promise that He has a plan for our lives. There is an old saying, life is what happens while we are busy making plans. Who hasn’t made plans only to have them changed? We all have those things which aren’t planned occur, but if we take the time to include God in the plans we make, He will direct us to His plan for our lives.

Next, because God is in control, He has a purpose for us. Problems and hardships come and go in our life most of the time seemingly without a purpose. However, in hindsight, we can see how God has used them to get us to the place and use us for the purpose for which He has designed us. Our response should be to look past the pain to see God’s ultimate purpose for us.

Finally, God is in control, and He answers prayers. Every prayer we pray has an impact because God hears every one. When a prayer is uttered, angelic forces are dispatched from heaven. There is a confidence in knowing that if we approach God asking for anything according to His will, He will answer. It might not always be the answer we want, but we honor Him when we tell him exactly what we need and trust Him with the rest!

If we trust God’s plan, believe in His purpose, and trust Him to answer our prayers, He blesses us with opportunities to become creative. He helps us to change our attitude and know that God has us.

The more we believe in His control, the more we relinquish our control. God is in the control tower!

Oh Lord our God the Majesty and Glory of You name, transcends the earth and fills the heavens. O Lord our God little children praise you perfectly, And so would we. And so would we. Linda Lee Johnson

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:8

Today we celebrate a holiday set aside to emphasize the spirit and meaning of love. There are different kinds of love – everything from romantic love to love of family, friends, pets, country, alma mater, church, and multiple others. Love in any kind of relationship isn’t always easy, but rather it requires unselfishness and commitment on our part.

Love in any relationship has different qualities. One of the most important qualities of love is staying power. A few weeks ago, I read a story on Matthew and Kelly Stafford, the LA Rams quarterback of the new Super Bowl Champs and his wife. I am a fan of Stafford because he is a former Georgia quarterback, he’s had a rough professional road, and the story is heartwarming. Kelly was diagnosed in 2019 with a benign brain tumor which had to be removed surgically. After the surgery there was a long recovery as she had to learn to walk again. She gives one hundred per cent of the credit for her recovery to her husband as she says, “Matthew was right there by my side for every exercise and every step.” This kind of love has staying power.

Love is unselfish likened to that of the parable of the lost sheep. The shepherd had one hundred sheep, and lost one of them. He left the ninety nine to find the one sheep that had gone astray. Our Buford grand boys each got a bunny for Easter about two years ago. The bunnies, Stanley and Cotton, made their home outside with a condo like enclosure, fans, heaters, food, water, and lots of places to make themselves comfortable. It was a short time later when they realized that Stanley was blind, and he never left Cotton’s side while relying on him for everything. One morning, Stanley was gone. What happened to him is a mystery. Cotton wandered around for a couple of days in the cage, and then one morning he was gone as well. In trying to explain this, Ashley said, “If you were lost, wouldn’t you want someone to come after you?” What would make even a bunny go after the other? The answer is unselfish love.

Love also values the other person. According to the Bible, love is an active interest in the well being of another, and as such, it should never be confused with modern feelings such as sentimentality or gratification. William Barclay says, “Love is the spirit in the heart that will never seek anything but the highest good of its fellow man.” God’s command to love your neighbor probably sounds irrelevant in this world of police departments and force to uphold the law, but if we truly love every person because they are a person, we’d never desire to cause them harm.

Love is costly. Love takes goes out on a limb to help others, it takes a chance, it makes a statement, it leaves a legacy, it does unexpected things, and it can do things that steal your heart and are never forgotten.

Years ago at the end of a wedding where Randy was officiating and I was attending, he pronounced the couple man and wife, and the organ postlude began. I was horrified because the groom had not kissed his bride, so I began to furiously throw kisses toward Randy hoping he would understand the signals. Randy was so surprised at my outward show of affection that he began to throw kisses back. This exchange went on as the bride and groom were waking up the aisle. Finally, through many missed signals, Randy realized the omission. He stopped the music, had the congregation sit back down, and called the couple back down to the altar. When the confused couple were back in place he said, “Now, you may kiss your bride.”

The couple were thrilled with this wonderful end to their wedding and everyone in attendance could talk of nothing else. This emphasis on love made other brides ask for that same thing in their wedding! Nope, that was a one time thing!

It’s also costly as you give of yourselves to others. It’s love that feeds the homeless, it’s love that fosters children, it’s love that visits the sick, it’s love that gives to the poor, and it’s love that spreads Christianity. Christian love is the most costly investment you will ever make.

The good new is that God’s love is unchangeable, and He loves us even when we don’t see or feel it. “God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:5) This kind of love grows if we nurture it, develops if we feed it, and expands if we persist in it. Love needs staying power, love is unselfish, love is valuable, and it is costly. The good news is that God’s love never fails.

We can do no great things only small things with great love. Mother Teresa

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8 Whoever has a bountiful eye will be blessed, for he shares his bread with the poor. Proverbs 22:9

This week I learned a great lesson while watching The Magic of Belle Isle, a wonderful movie about life. An older gentleman was attempting to teach a teenager to look closely at things all around her and use her imagination to see things of beauty with her eyes rather than technology. The scene was a dirt road overhung with trees in a small town. When he asked, “What do you see?” She replied, “Nothing”. He changed the question and asked, “What don’t you see?” At that point, she could name things that were not there.

The exercise was so eye opening that it has encouraged me to make it part of my daily routine. Now when I walk outside really early in the morning, I make a mental note of what I don’t see. Some mornings, I don’t see rain, I don’t see a plane in the sky, I don’t see hatred, I don’t see busyness, or I don’t see children waiting for the bus.

Sometimes it’s what we don’t see that can prompt us to re examine our daily conduct. When’s the last time any of us have sat down in a restaurant, in a meeting, at a party, or even in church and not seen our phones either in our hand or closely by? When’s the last time any of us have seen conversation or laughter in these places not interrupted by technology? When is the last time we sat with acquaintances or friends and not seen them through judgmental eyes? When is the last time we passed by a homeless individual and have seen their struggles through eyes of compassion? When is the last time we stopped in our day to think of someone else? We seem to be a generation that is losing the art of communicating with others, and seeing others as God sees them. We are guilty of not seeing the hurt, frustration, loneliness, and despair so many feel.

The truth is that when we view this world through our own sight, the vision is distorted. When we ask God to show us what we don’t see, it’s like the blinders are taken away, and we can see clearly. Lately, I confess to having stumbled a lot in this area of what I don’t see.

This past week as Randy was having a routine test, I settled into the lobby of the Doctor’s building with a good book to wait. The place where I chose to sit had four chairs (strategically apart), and a table in the middle. Almost immediately two guys came and sat in two of the chairs. One had coffee, and I needed coffee, so we spoke, and he directed me to it. I judged or saw them to be there killing time between appointments.

As they interacted, it became apparent that they were brothers, also waiting, and they were worried. They asked about me, and I asked about them. It turns out their Dad was having hip replacement, and since I’m an expert on that, I began to reassure them while painting a positive picture. They smiled, but it was obvious this wasn’t routine. It seems their Dad had broken his hip and damaged muscles and nerves when he was twelve years old and lived in Ecuador. He is sixty now, and he has walked with a limp and lived in pain for forty two years. This surgery, though complicated, would change his life. I didn’t see that when I looked at them. I asked their Dad’s name and told them I would pray for him. Their faces lit up and their eyes filled with tears at this point. It seems they are Christians, but their Dad is unsure. Their last comment as we left was, “Dad will be so thankful for the prayers.” The boys text me every day with updates, and he is now home and doing better. Now, I see.

A woman swims at the pool with us on occasion. She never shares her lane, wears ear buds, never looks up, and ignores people when they try to ask her if she will share. We assumed she was either very rude or just didn’t want to be bothered. We didn’t see that she is deaf until she began to sign to a woman in the lane next to her. She is just trying to exist in this world with out the benefit of hearing. Now we see.

Although Jesus preceded the high tech age, He was in constant demand. The multitudes of people pursued Him at all hours of the day and night. Even with all the different needs around Him, Jesus was able to see the individual needs of those who called on Him for healing, comfort, and direction.

In the picture above, what don’t you see? In the lives of those you love, what don’t you see? When you see those whom you don’t understand, what don’t you see? Jesus would have us open our eyes and see the hurt, pain, but also, the goodness around us. He has lessons for us if we can only see them. No matter when you don’t see Him, God is always there.

But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

Our family lived and grew up in a small rural south Georgia town where most everyone knew each other. Almost every business in town was owned and operated by at least an acquaintance, if not a friend or extended family member. For example, my uncle Wallace owned People’s Supply, a tractor dealership and supply. My uncle Hudson owned the Firestone dealership in town, my Mama owned and operated Mi’s Cards and Gifts, several of my good friend’s parents owned the Piggy Wiggly, Woody’s Oyster Bar, and Davis’ Jewelry and Gifts as family businesses.

We had maybe four gas stations (which we referred to as filling stations) in town, but we always frequented Mr. Woodrow Jernigan’s Gulf filling station on the corner of Highway 84. When you pulled into the filling station to fill up with gas, Mr. Woodrow (or Steve) always checked your oil, checked your tire pressure, and cleaned your windshield. They kept track of your maintenance schedule, and when you drove away, you knew everything was full and had been checked out! That was the service they offered for everyone! Oh, how far we have come from those days!

When the tank in your car is full and you’ve had a full check up, you tend to feel safe and secure because you know that you should be equipped to reach your destination.

The fruits of the spirit represent a destination to which we all should aspire. These fruits are a list of the characteristics which those who belong to God should display. The first three- love, joy, peace -are inner qualities which reflect our relationship to God. The next three – patience, kindness, goodness – reveal themselves in our attitude and actions toward our neighbor. The last three – faithfulness, gentleness, self control – reflect how we should conduct ourselves in view of the duties, opportunities, and obligations that arise in our daily lives.

Sometimes our “tank” of these fruits becomes empty, and we need to visit the filling station to replenish them. Running on empty in our daily lives can lead us to feeling distanced and removed from God’s influence in our lives.

There are things that can prevent us from visiting the filling station in our daily lives. First, we “forget to remember” to pray every day and specifically ask to have our lives filled with the spiritual gifts. We forget that God is always there waiting for us to refill the things we are lacking.

Secondly, we often say “no” to God when He is dealing with us about a specific area in our lives. I can’t help but snicker at parents and grandparents (us included) who allow the children to say “no” when they are told to do something. We know what’s best for them, yet, sometimes we allow children to make grown up decisions. We need to remember we are God’s servants, not His advisors.

Next, if we aren’t filled up, we allow doubt and fear to paralyze us in our efforts. God is the driver when you are on this journey of life. Take the fruits of the spirit with you. He knows where this life is leading us and how long it will take to get there! Don’t doubt him or question him. His destination is worth the trip!

Consider the consequences of not filling up when we are in need of the fruits of the spirit. Could we consider ourselves a Christian if we were completely lacking in love, always unhappy and miserable, always racked by worries and fears, always impatient, always unkind, completely dishonest, completely untrustworthy and disloyal, aggressive, bullying, unstable and completely lacking in self control? This would be our lives without the grace of God and the presence of the Holy Spirit within us.

Eugene Peterson expresses it best in The Message. But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard–things like affection for others, exuberance for life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Legalism is helpless in bringing this about; it only gets in the way. Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what every one else calls necessities is killed off for good – crucified. Galatians 5:22-24

My prayer is that we visit the filling station often and come away full of the fruits of the spirt.

Fill my cup, Lord. I lift it up, Lord. Come and quench this thirsting of my soul. Bread of heaven, feed me ’til I want no more. Fill my cup, Fill it up and make me whole. Jessy Dixon

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. Deuteronomy 33:27

This past summer our family had an unexpected chance to visit Jamaica for our family vacation. It was a last minute COVID induced trip, and although, we were a bit skeptical, it ended up being one of our favorite trips.

Included in our plans was an excursion that was billed as “Swim with the Dolphins”. I’m not sure about the others, but when I pictured this dolphin swim, I saw a white sandy beach, crystal blue water, dolphins swimming around, and our family swimming along with them.

Then reality always set in. When we arrived at the entrance to the Dolphin Swim, we entered through a building and were led outside to a bay like area where a hoard of people were donning lifejackets and being told to wait on benches in groups. Can you say, “tourist trap”? As I looked at the faces of our family, I knew they were all thinking the same thing.

When our time came to enter the water with our dolphin trainer, my impression began to change. All around us in a huge area were other groups of people in small groups with their own trainer. There was laughter, dolphins swimming everywhere, applause, and exclamations of “Wow”!

The very first thing we did with our dolphin was swim out a little way from the group, turn and put out our arms in front of us. The trainer instructed us to hold our arms there until she swam into them. That dolphin swam right into our arms and stayed there while we held and hugged her. The visions I had of swimming with the dolphins quickly became the reality of dancing with one, holding one in my arms, and riding holding her fins!!

When that dolphin swam into my arms and patiently waited for me to hold her and let me hug her, I thought how much God would enjoy us doing the same with Him. The picture of Him holding out His arms and waiting for us, but not pushing us, so He can enfold us there came to life for me!

God’s everlasting arms are found beneath us, before us, and around us in this life of ours. When we picture God’s outstretched arms, we can see arms of protection. Just like a mother or father puts his arms around their child to protect them from danger, God protects His children. It’s sometimes hard to live in this crazy world where there are dangers everywhere it seems, but the scripture above assures us that God is our protector.

God’s everlasting arms also offer affection. As mothers we know that when our children or grandchildren have fallen or are hurt, we pick them up in our arms to comfort and love them. The Bible speaks of the shepherds who carry their sheep in their strong arms to offer protection and affection. I picture God embracing us with his strong arms and telling us how much we are loved.

God’s everlasting arms offer strength. The arms of God are strong. In times of need, it’s amazing how God sends special friends whose very presence give us strength and security. We can lean on the arms of friends with confidence that they are offering their strength when our own strength is failing.

The everlasting arms of God offer endurance. The human blessings of arms of protection, affection, and strength will not last forever, but we can be assured that God’s everlasting arms will never weaken or grow weary. The arms of God are underneath His children in times of sickness, sorrow, even death. When every earthly thing is gone from beneath us, when hands that we have held are unclasped, and we sink into what seems like darkness, we will find ourselves in the everlasting arms of Christ. copied

Just like our dolphins who were perfectly at peace in our arms, one day we will all have that same feeling resting in God’s everlasting arms.

What have I to dread? What have I to fear? Leaning on the Everlasting Arms. I have blessed peace with my Lord so near, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms. Leaning, Leaning, safe and secure from all alarms. Leaning, Leaning, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms. Lyrics by Elisha Hoffman

Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8

The image above was posted to Georgia Football social media pages late Monday night, and the only caption it needed were two goats (the goat emoji symbolizes the acronym for greatest of all time) and a handshake emoji! It’s an image that will live forever in Georgia Football history, and it came just moments after the University of Georgia won their second National Championship title Monday night in Indianapolis.

Vince Dooley, who is 89 years old, coached the Bulldogs for forty one years, and he was the only coach to win a National Championship. Now Kirby Smart, 46, will join him. The two met moments after the game to share a handshake and a few words! Dooley coached the Dawgs from 1964-1988, and he coached so many greats including Kirby Smart who played for him from 1995-1998. Oh the excellence we see here!!

It’s impossible to believe that forty one years ago, we were listening to Larry Munson call the Sugar Bowl game between Georgia and Notre Dame which would determine the National Champion. Great names such as Buck Belue, Hershel Walker and Lindsay Scott were players of excellence at that time! On Monday night, other names joined the list of excellent players. We will long remember and talk about Bennett, Mitchell, and Davis. Their spirit, determination, and desire will remind us of what it takes to achieve excellence.

Excellence is defined by Webster as the quality of being outstanding or extremely good. The Bible’s interpretation of excellence; however, is to be the best we can be with God’s grace. Excellence is not a gift, it has to be desired and sought after. God might give us the desire for excellence, but we have to cultivate it within ourselves. People aren’t born with excellence, they work for it!

Just as athletes work to attain excellence, so should we as Christians strive for it. Why should we even pursue excellence? According to the Bible, we should strive for excellence not because we are motivated to boost our ego or achieve success, but because God deserves no less. Just as there is no “I” in team, we do it for Him not ourselves. He has created created us for excellence and to pursue it for His glory.

I love hearing stories of athletes, business folks, lawyers, doctors, ministers, who pursue excellence because they follow the lead of those who have come before them and set goals they want to imitate. What better way as Christians to achieve excellence than to imitate Christ in this world, not for our own glory, but to point others to Him.

We need to pursue excellence to show others what a spirit of excellence can do in our lives, and in the lives of those around us. We’ve all had experiences with folks who sign on to do a job for which they are trusted, but they then disappoint us by doing the job half way. Professionalism or dedication to the job we undertake leads us to develop this excellence which others want to emulate.

We pursue excellence by living a life with integrity. We will all make mistakes, but if we have integrity, we own up to our mistakes and take the consequences. I loved that after Bennett’s incomplete pass was ruled a fumble, he commented, “I will not be the reason we lose tonight.” He took responsibility. Just as Martin Luther King led with integrity, we as people of God are called to live a life of integrity regardless of our situation, what others around us are doing, or who is not watching!

Excellence is fostered by resilience. Life is hard and hands us mountains to climb and in order to overcome these obstacles, we have to be resilient or tough!! That’s where faith and hope come in. Faith and hope links our present circumstances to our vision for the future. Resilient people have the capacity to move ahead in the midst of difficult circumstances.

In a post game interview with Alabama’s Bryce Young and Will Anderson, they tried to take the blame for the team’s loss, but Coach Sabin stepped in to set the record straight. Sabin said, “We would not be here without these two guys. These guys have brought us to this point, and our team is not defined by one game.” Now, that’s excellence!

It’s inspiring to know that excellence is being taught every day. The Georgia and Alabama teams are examples of this. Life is hard. Work for what you want, love the people around you, and bet on yourself. Give God the glory for your excellence. copied

Congratulations and Go Dawgs! Thank you for a great year!!

Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were influential, not many of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things, and the things that are not to nullify the things that are so that no one may boast before Him. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29

We live in a world today where people are consumed with love of self and self promotion. If we aren’t lifting ourselves up, we are lifting up our children, grandchildren. organizations, or businesses with the intention of earning bragging rights. It seems we’re always seeing stickers on cars that brag about something. Often the sticker is associated with a child’s honor roll status, a particular sport in which that child or grandchild excels, a promotion for a business, or a political statement. It’s human nature to want to share pride in or for something.

A sense of brag, as it was called in the 17th century, arose to mean declare or assert boastfully. Webster defines it these days as the entitlement to boast about something or a temporary position of ascendancy in a closely contested rivalry.

The closely contested rivalry happens for this household tonight. Tonight is the night The University of Georgia and The University of Alabama come together in a contest for bragging rights in the National Championship game. There is so much hype over this game no matter who plays, but this year is special!

Our Bulldogs have already lost once this year to the Crimson Tide, and as staunch Dawg supporters, we feel that the time has come for a win! There is a sense of allegiance that everyone feels to our own personal alma mater, but honestly, we would love nothing more than to win bragging rights for our Dawgs this year!! I’ve heard it said that nobody likes a bragger, but just this once, it surely would be sweet!

The only person I can recall who could get away with bragging about Alabama around Randy was Grace Bunke. How can you argue with an allegiance such as she had for the Tide? There was a special kind of sweet rivalry they shared, and even bragging rights were allowed between them.

It’s so easy to fall into the bragging trap even though it might start innocently enough. It seems that even in Jesus’ day people liked to brag. The above scripture reminds us that God didn’t choose those of wealth or power, the statesmen, or the orators to publish the gospel of grace and peace. He judges what men and what measures best serves the purposes of His glory. God doesn’t need us to brag about ourselves or our team, and He probably doesn’t like bragging at all unless we are bragging about Him and what He is doing.

In the 1950’s the question was asked on a game show, “What do people fear the most?” The answer then was polio, communism, nuclear annihilation, and not being loved. If we asked that same question today, the answers would probably be COVID, corrupt government officials, the power grid, pollution, and not being loved.

No matter the time, people fear not being loved. If we need to brag about something, let’s brag about the fact that God loves and accepts us. Eternal life starts right here on earth. Everywhere we turn His love surrounds us. When we brag on His love for us in our prayers and our life, conversations will open for others to see and feel that love.

The other question people long to be answered is, “Can I be forgiven?” In this life, we often do or say things to others that we regret. It would be wonderful to be able to brag about our power to forgive those who have wronged us by word or deed and to be assured that they would do the same for us.

We can brag about His forgiveness. God sent Jesus to do what we can’t do for ourselves. On the cross, He forgave us all our past, present and future sins. In Christ, we are put right with God, made holy, and set free.

This world seems to be set on dividing us, polarizing us, and underscoring our differences, but God’s people understand that it’s not necessary for people to believe the way we do in order for us to love them. It’s not necessary for the world to act like we do. We can brag about God’s people and how they serve Him.

This world isn’t bragging about the right things. Rather than bragging about our accomplishments, our wins, or our material possessions, let’s try bragging about God’s love, God’s forgiveness, and God’s encouragement. Then, the world will know we are Christians by our love, encouragement, strength, and forgiveness.

A big apology to all our Alabama friends and relatives, but we have to say, “Go Dawgs”. It’s not bragging (yet) just encouraging!!! Hopefully, when the dust has settled after this game for the ages, the chapel bell will ring all night long!!

We are one in the spirit, we are one in the Lord; And we pray that our unity will one day be restored; And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love; Yes, they will know we are Christians by our love.