Diane Mickler's Blog

The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails – given by one shepherd. Ecclesiastes 12:11

I will fasten him like a nail in a secure place, and he will become a throne of honor to his ancestral house. Isaiah 22:23

For want of a nail the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse was lost; and for want of the horse, a rider was lost, being overtaken and slain by the enemy. All for want of care about a horse shoe nail. Ben Franklin

During the long months of quarantine, Randy and I found some entertainment on Netflix. The series Heartland became a favorite of ours because, not only is it a heartwarming story about a multigenerational family, but also, it has been interesting to learn about the heart of horses. It is amazing to see them in the light of their different personalities, expressions, temperament, and love for each other and their human family.

Each horse has their own set of problems, suffer hurt, abuse, have a sense of humor, hearts of love, memories of good and bad committed against them, and many more human like emotions.

It’s interesting that in the 1973 Kentucky Derby, Secretariat (the winner), was the last to leave the starting gate and trailed the race until the stretch when he made his move. It is said that most horses are worn out by the first 3/4 mile mark, but they run the last l/2 mile on purely on heart. Secretariat won that race by exemplifying heart, but imagine the possible consequences if his shoe had been missing a nail.

The above proverb reminds us that seemingly unimportant acts or omissions can have grave and unforeseen consequences. Small things matter. A horseshoe without a nail can be catastrophic to the horse and its rider. It’s almost impossible to believe that because of a missing horseshoe nail, a kingdom would be eventually lost.

A nail, as small as it is, can be an example of a few things. First, the nail can puncture. Jesus had holes in his hands and feet from nails driven there by those who would punish Him for His beliefs. Sometimes in this life, there are those who try to punch a hole in everything in which we believe. It hurts, but sometimes the only way we can truly know what we believe is when we are forced to defend it.

A nail also usually leaves a scar. Jesus used those scars on His hands and feet to prove to His disciples that He was the risen Lord. Jesus was rejected, criticized and even despised, but because of those scars, He is now the cornerstone or foundation of everything.

A nail is an example of strength. When holes are punched in our life, we get scars, but we also change and grow. God is then able to build us up and fill us with strength and a life that is so much better than we had before.

A nail can also be an example of endurance. Once we have endured the pain, the scars, and found the strength, we find a new commitment to draw on His grace and keep moving forward regardless of circumstances. We realize we can endure!

Finally, a nail speaks of security – it fastens things together. When things are nailed together, it is the nail itself that makes the pieces secure.

The story is told of a man who attended a tent revival meeting and every night tried to give his life to Jesus. Yet, as he left each evening, Satan came to him to try and convince him that if he didn’t feel changed, he wasn’t redeemed. After many nights of the same scenario, the man drove a nail into the ground where he had knelt to accept Christ. As he was leaving, Satan tried his usual tactics to dissuade the man. The man quickly returned to the nail in the ground, pointed to it and said, “Satan, do you see this nail? This is my witness that God has forever accepted me.” Satan departed from him and the man never experienced doubts again. Still Small Voice

The take away for me is, nails can puncture, nails can leave scars, but nails can also symbolize strength and endurance, and nails can speak of security. If we look at the nails as only holes or scars, we miss the beauty they can bring from nailing us as Christians together and making us secure in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior. Don’t neglect the nails in this life; but rather, build on them.

You are hopeless, you religion scholars and Pharisees! You keep meticulous account books tithing on every nickel and dime you get, but on the meat of God’s law, things like fairness, compassion and commitment, the absolute basics, (the necessary weights) you carelessly take it or leave it! Matthew 23:23 The Message

Probably twenty plus years ago, some of our couple friends decided that it would be fun for all of us to learn to scuba dive! There was among us a dive master, an assistant dive master, and the rest of us who did not have a clue! There are many things which a diver needs. I learned that among these necessities are a mask, flippers, a snorkel, an air tank, and a weight belt.

As we learned the basics of scuba diving and prepared to fly off to the Caribbean where we would take a test, become certified divers, and do some diving, I remember wondering why we would need a weight belt? The weight belt is interesting because it has pockets where one can add weights or take them out depending on how much weight is needed to keep a person submerged. I ascertained that I had more than enough weight on my body to do the trick so it probably wasn’t necessary for me,

The day of our first dive arrived, and as we “geared up” on the boat, the weight belt I wore seemed unnecessarily heavy, so I reached in and took out a couple of the weights. We entered the water, did our slow descent, and began to enjoy the beauty around us. Slowly, I noticed that it was taking an inordinate amount of energy for me to stay submerged and keep up with the others. As I floated closer to the surface and further away from the others, it dawned on me that some weights just might be necessary weights.

There are times in life when our burdens or trials seem like weights which encumber our lives, cause us undo stress, and hold us submerged in anxiety and apprehension. It would be so easy to reach in that belt of life, take each weight out, and rid ourselves of the trouble.

There are so many things we would miss in this life if we took away all the necessary weights. We would miss the weight of life’s journey. Life’s journey can be wonderful, peaceful, positive, but it can also be difficult. No one ever said the journey of life would always be easy and sometimes it is exhausting, but if we look at life as happening for us instead of to us, it is a blessed time of discovery. Take that weight and turn it into a blessing.

We would miss the necessary weight of compassion. Love in action or compassion should be the center of every Christian’s life. Expressing empathy for one another’s struggles and suffering isn’t enough. We need to turn that empathy into action as we show our compassion and love in concrete deeds of love.

Patience is a necessary weight. It is so hard to exercise patience especially when a wrong has been done to us. The scriptures teach us that just because we don’t understand what God is doing, does not mean that He doesn’t have a plan. The best place to learn patience is from God as we realize how patient He is with us all the time.

The necessary weight of forgiveness is a heavy one to bear, and it would be so easy to take that weight out of our belt and live in unforgiveness. Yet, how many times does Jesus forgive us on a daily basis?

Perseverance is a necessary weight. Even in the darkest times, God promises enrichment to any person who perseveres through hardships. As Christians, we encounter many obstacles to our faith, but Jesus inevitably overcomes if we just persevere. God calls us to look beyond the burdens or cost and persevere to the rewards.

At the end of our dive adventure, we had an opportunity to participate in a shark dive. Unbeknownst to me and some of the others, the purpose of this dive is to gather on the bottom of the ocean, kneel on the sand, stay perfectly still, and watch as hundreds of sharks attack a lowered frozen chum of fish. The weight belt is the only thing that stands between you and the hungry sharks. How grateful I am that I added some weight that day and stayed securely anchored on the bottom

There are times when we are tempted to lighten the load by ignoring the necessary weights of this life, but if we do, we will miss the beauty that is found during the struggle.

Julius Richter said, Our burdens (weights) sometimes seem like a tombstone hung around our necks. Yet, in reality is simply the weight necessary to hold the diver down while he is searching for pearls.

For there in the journey and stuck in the sting, the struggle, the struggle, is what gives you wings. Karen Kingsbury

Then Jesus said, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets. And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish.” Luke 5:4,6

Our PaPa and Ida had a beautiful cove lake house on the river when I was growing up. They would usually end each day by motoring on their boat out a little way from shore and catch a mess of bream. The fish were a really nice size, and just big enough to clean, fry with some hushpuppies, and enjoy for our supper. Instead of taking me with them in the boat, PaPa routinely stationed me on the end of the dock to fish because he didn’t want a novice ruining his special places. The fish he brought in were always bigger than the ones I could catch from shore. When I complained about never catching fish as big as he did, he admitted “the deeper you fish, the larger the fish”.

I think God works like that. The deeper we go in our faith, the bigger the rewards. Everything we do to cultivate a deeper walk with God and a deeper relationship with others and our family produces bigger rewards. Take for instance parents that put their children to bed with a routine that includes prayers and time together. Parents might not really know what they are doing while they are doing it, but it’s more than a routine, it’s building a family.

In order to go deeper, the first thing you need is “Jesus in your boat”. When Peter invited Him in, he caught more fish than ever before. Jesus will bless anything you give Him, and that will eliminate our fear of failure and worries about the results. Use Jesus in your boat of life to go deeper, and He will give you everything you need.

We can go deeper by giving Him our career. Too often we think we can separate our secular life from our spiritual life, but this prevents God from blessing our business or job. God is the CEO of the universe, and He promises we will prosper and succeed if we invite him to be our partner.

Go deeper by cooperating with God’s plan for our lives. Sometimes our own plan has to fail before we are willing to accept God’s plan for our lives. Instead of letting our own feelings control us, we should exercise faith in the promise of Christ. The results will be amazing!

We should go deeper in our relationships and treatment of others. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (Matthew 7:12) has been largely ignored in this day and time. A kind word of love or acceptance goes so much further than disrespect or anger ever can. Many times those kind words offer hope to those who desperately need it and bridge the gap of anger and despair.

Finally, go deeper by standing on God’s promises. When we get God’s presence in our boat, His plan in our head, and His promises in our heart, we can’t fail. Start expecting God to act, and His promises will put new hope in our situation.

If we go deeper with God, there will be risks involved. Sometimes we think God has asked us to go too deep and we are content to stay in the shallow water, but we will miss out on so much! If we let His presence guide us, we will be blessed beyond our wildest dreams!

If we obey God in the small stuff of life, He takes us deeper and gives us bigger and better things. There’s only one thing to do when the reservoir of life is dry and shallow, build on His foundation and go deeper!

God of our Fathers, whose almighty hand; Leads forth in beauty all the starry band. Of shining worlds in splendor through the skies; our grateful songs before thy throne arise. Thy love divine has led us in the past, in this free land by thee our lot is cast. Be thou our ruler, guardian, guide and stay; Thy word our law, thy paths our chosen way. Daniel C. Roberts

There were seven key founding Fathers of the United States of America. The seven are said to be John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, John Jay, and James Madison. Some accounts add Samuel Adams to the key list. They all played critical and substantial roles in the formation of the country’s new government. These men were in large part responsible for a successful war for independence from England, the ideas celebrated in the Declaration of Independence, and the government defined in the Constitution of the United States of America.

It’s interesting that the group was composed of lawyers, farmers, merchants, businessmen, physicians, writers, and even ministers. They each added their expertise to come together to form this great nation. There were 56 who signed the Declaration of Independence. These men were motivated by their faith in Christ to pledge their fortunes, lives and sacred honor to the cause of freedom.

These founding fathers didn’t just write and plan a constitution, many of them wrote sermons, creeds, even hymns, founded Bible societies, Sunday Schools, and served God’s purposes for their generation. I am so grateful for the legacy they handed down to us as Americans.

If they could revisit the nation they helped create, the churches they left doing God’s work, the conversation in the homes of families today, the prisons housing so many, the homeless shelters which are filled, or even the schools where God’s name has been silenced, what would they think? Would they wonder why they and others fought and died so that so many of us might enjoy the freedom we take for granted?

They would probably quickly surmise that God’s place in this America has taken a back seat and that many people are confused as to His role in this country. It is apparent that as time goes by, we are pushing God further and further out of our society.

Did they fight for a country who has taken away our ability to express our Christian beliefs in a public arena? Did they fight for government control of our lives? Did they fight for educators to have the freedom to teach humanistic ideas of life? Did they fight for prayer to be removed from schools? It is a fact that the America they knew is but a vacant shadow of our past.

Where is our hope? It would make sense that if we know what makes a nation great, we would return to the things that made us great! Churches had a huge part in making America a great country. People were involved, they prayed, they made a vocal stand against anything evil, and they stood up for what was right. That should be the role of churches today.

In the mid 1970’s the US Marine Corp went through a rebuilding process where they were forced to eliminate from their ranks those Marines who were not committed to the Oath they took when they enlisted. The oath states: I, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the United States of America against all enemies, both foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of officers appointed over me, according to the regulations and Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God. Those Marines who didn’t comply were reassigned or asked to resign, and the Corp began the process of rebuilding with the truly dedicated men and women.

As my good friend and Marine Colonel said, ” The only one who is closer to a God than the Commandant is the Commander in Chief. Even when their Commander in Chief is one who is not respected by the troops for their actions, they respect the office and obey. Marines follow orders!”

Jesus has given this country a foundation of orders to be followed. Jesus Christ belongs front and center of all we do. God has baptized us with boldness and confidence for He is looking not for great people but for people, who will dare to prove the greatness of God. A.B.. Simpson

God Bless America!

I have a serious concern to bring up with you, my friends, using the authority of Jesus, our Master. I’ll put it as urgently as I can: You must get along with each other. You must learn to be considerate of one another, cultivating a life in common. I Corinthians 1:10 from The Message

A formal greeting between strangers is usually some form of a handshake, smile, pat, or some other form of acknowledgement. The history of the handshake dates back to the 5th Century BC in Greece. It was a symbol of peace showing that neither person was carrying a weapon. Some even say it began in Medieval Europe where Knights would shake hands in order to shake loose any hidden weapons of their opponent. Handshakes were also a sign of trust and an acknowledgement that the person you were greeting was coming in a spirit of peace.

In modern times the handshake has evolved into a method of greeting and friendship. The gesture has been used throughout history at greetings, farewells, expressions of gratitude, cementing agreements, and sportsmanship, whether one wins or loses. I’ve always heard that you can tell a lot about a person by the strength and firmness of their handshake. The year long Covid virus has moved a normal handshake into a fist bump or other form of greeting thus limiting the special feelings that come with personal contact.

When we offer our hand to another we are symbolizing unity. The verse above speaks to that unity among Christians. Paul addresses the way the Christians there have divided themselves into factions based on which Christian teacher they follow. Paul urges them to be unified in and around Jesus Christ. After all, it is not a certain person that one follows that makes one a Christian, it is Christ that is at the center of it.

Paul sets up Christ as the standard for every thought and every judgment. Does that mean that people can’t disagree? Certainly not. In fact, he is saying that people always disagree, but disagreement does not have to mean division. The goal is not conformity but rather unity.

I love it when football teams gather in the middle of the field on any given fall Saturday to shake hands and toss a coin. Both sides play the game, and both sides want to win, but they will still be friends and continue to play the game no matter the outcome. They have unity of purpose and thought.

In this era of the blame game, the name calling, the gossip, the innuendos, the slander of innocent people, and the total disregard for others, wouldn’t it be nice if Christians united by giving up their individual egos and self interest so that the banner of Christ could be lifted up rather than lifting up one person or one cause!?

It would be a blessing to see a society where people refuse to blame others for mistakes that are made, a society where people are forgiving and not allowing bitterness, a society where people praise each other’s strengths instead of focusing on weaknesses, a society where people are conscientious, a society where people are dependable, and a society where people stay focused on the bigger goal. When we learn to work together, there’s no stopping us in any endeavor.

The songwriter and artist, Anne Murray sings it beautifully when she sings: Put your hand in the hand of the man who stills the water, Put your hand in the hand of the man who calms the sea. Take a look at yourself and you can look at others differently; By putting your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee. Lyrics by Gene Maclellan

John Wesley the founder of Methodism said it best: Give me your hand, I do not mean for you to be of my opinion, you need not: I do not expect it nor desire it. Neither do I mean I will be of your opinion. I cannot. Keep your opinion, I mine; and that as steadily as ever. You do not endeavor to come over to me or bring me to you. Only give me your hand. We must act as each is persuaded in their own mind. Hold fast that which you believe is most acceptable to God, and I will do the same. Let all these smaller points be put aside. If your heart is as my heart, if you love God and all humankind, I ask no more. Simply, give me your hand.

So you will need every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy whenever he attacks, and when it is all over, you will be standing up. To do this, you will need the strong belt of truth and the breastplate of God’s approval. Wear shoes that are able to speed you on as you preach the good news of peace with God. In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan. And you will need the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God. Ephesians 6:13-17

Years ago when we served Calhoun First Methodist, Ashley was into looking for the cocoons of caterpillars mainly because she wanted to put it in the “Box” on a Sunday morning so her Dad would have to open it and explain it during the children’s sermon. It would be even better if a butterfly flew out on that day.

We did find one, but that caterpillar was firmly nestled inside that cocoon. As we watched daily, the caterpillar began a struggle so great that it was exhausting for us. There was a valuable lesson in this struggle. The price of freedom, flight, and discovery is struggle, development, and finally breakthrough. The caterpillar has a purpose in becoming a butterfly.

Even Cicadas, though they are annoying us right now, have a purpose. They actually prune mature trees, aerate the soil, and once they die, their bodies yield an important nitrogen source for growing trees. Everything has a purpose.

God has given each of us certain relationships, skills, experiences and attributes that we can use to help Him fulfill His purposes in this life. If we let Him, He will cultivate talents in us that will serve His kingdom in ways we can’t even imagine.

Maybe someone has a God give athletic talent or musical abilities that can be used as a platform for His purpose. It could be our creative genius, our work ethic, or even our idiosyncrasies that God will use for His purpose. No matter what, we are to use our God given talents and create a purpose for our life and His kingdom.

Just as we all have different purposes, no purpose is better than another – just different. God created Fathers with a purpose in mind. These special guys are entrusted with serving as an example of the heavenly Father’s love for all his children. His love is sacrificial, kind, humble, honest, forgiving, faithful and selfless just as a father’s love should be. The job of being a dad is getting harder as society and its definitions and expectations change.

Fathers in this day and age are going to require the full armor of God to aid in raising their children in a Godly way. Truth will be required, faith will be tested, salvation will be questioned, and Biblical knowledge will be a strong ally to aiding Fathers reach their purpose in this world.

William Hodding Carter said: “There are only two lasting bequests that we can hope to give our children. One is roots; the other is wings.” When Fathers teach their children that they are loved unconditionally, those children have roots. They can stand up and handle whatever life throws at them. By the same token, when self confidence and encouragement are instilled in children, Fathers give them wings.

It’s paramount that children know that they are loved and accepted because of their unique worth. John McKay, the great USC football coach, had a son who was also a great football player for USC. When the coach was asked during an interview to comment on his son’s accomplishments, he said: “Yes I’m pleased that John Jr. had a good season this year. He does a fine job, and I am proud of him, but I would be just as proud if he had never played football at all.” His answer reflects his father’s respect for his son no matter the situation because the place in his father’s heart was secure and independent of his performance. Christ’s love is not performance based, it’s unconditional, unbreakable and unending. A Father’s love should be the same.

A Christian Father always keeps God’s purpose first. He knows a secular family, friendship, and country always lead to chaos and division. Purpose is our shield of armor. Frances Schaeffer said, “When man forgets his purpose, he forgets who he is and what life means.”

God’s armor is available for Fathers and for all of us. All we need to do is suit up and remember our purpose!

Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads.

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

This past weekend, we had an opportunity to spend a weekend with family at the lake. Holiday weekends have the reputation of being crowded, busy and crazy, and this was no exception. We set out with everyone to take a nice boat ride and tour of all the new construction around the lake, but we ended up dodging jet skiers, tubing participants and skiers, riding the wakes of other boats, and trying to navigate the safest way back to the dock.

The interesting thing is that the same waves that were a problem for us, were exciting for those on jet skis or tubing. It’s like the old saying, “The same sunshine that melts the butter, also hardens the clay.” In the middle of the waves, it’s hard to imagine that there is ever going to be calm waters just up ahead.

If you’ve ever been a water skier, then you know the two calmest times to enjoy the water and your ski is early morning, before the other boats arrive, and late in the afternoon when many have abandoned the day’s activities and the water is calm. There is a serenity, freedom, and peace that comes with that experience.

The problem here is waiting for that time of day. We need a calm resolve. Just like daily life, there is a calm to be found in certain places and in different things. We can live life in the busy fray of the outside world, or we can live life from the inside out and discover a calmness that overtakes us. Outside is loud, noisy, wavy, rough, demanding and can be ruthless. Inside provides that stillness and quiet where God whispers and gives us that calm resolve of confidence in Him and the expectation of divine aid. Living from the inside out rather than the outside in is the best defense in times of trouble. Our soul calmly waits for God.

There are times in our lives when the conspiracies of men, the circumstances of life, and the activity of the adversary go to work on our soul and we get away from that calm that comes from God who is our salvation and our defense. These are the times when we need the calm confident expectation of waiting for God to give direction, and show us His will and His purpose. We must stop and wait in the calmness for God to speak.

I love the words of Psalm 62 as found in The Message. It says so beautifully: God, the one and only, I’ll wait as long as He says. Everything I need comes from Him, so why not? He’s solid rock under my feet, breathing room for my soul, an impregnable castle: I’m set for life.

In the confident calmness of these verses, one realizes that rough waters don’t last, and when we see the end or the calm, we have gleaned wisdom for the next challenge.

For us, Christ is the hope of glory and calm. It’s best not to ever react out of emotion and start trying to figure out what to do. All we can do is focus on what we can do and trust God to do what we can’t. In other words, let God deal with the next step. The Lord is our salvation and defense, and a very present help in rough waters. We must wait at a calm place of refuge, strength and security. God is the very thing we need. He is our provision.

Sometimes God’s greatest blessings come when the waters are rough and we are looking for the calm. It is in this time when God’s plan for us becomes clear. So stay calm and carry on!

David answered, “You come at me with sword and spear and javelin. I come to you in the name of the Lord Almighty.” I Samuel 17:45 The battle belongs to God.” I Samuel 17:47

When I think of giants, my mind always goes back to Jack and the Beanstalk! Jack, a poor country boy, trades his family cow for a few magic beans, which grow into an enormous beanstalk. Jack climbs the beanstalk and finds himself in the castle of a very unfriendly giant. After an encounter, Jack finds many goods that have been stolen from his family, a goose that lays a golden egg, and even a bag of gold in the giant’s possession. Jack takes back what is rightfully his. The giant chases Jack, but Jack is smart enough to scurry down the beanstalk and quickly cut it down sending the giant plunging down never to be seen again. The moral of the tale is good conquers evil. Jack is the good guy and the giant is, of course, the villain.

We all face giants in this life which can represent great difficulties, great hopelessness, or even great despair, and they stalk us everywhere much as the giant in our story. They can rise up in our families, our churches, our social lives, and even in our own hearts. If we don’t overcome them, they will devour us. Every time we face up to a giant and overcome them, we are made stronger. The Bible tells us in essence, to look to God and He will take care of the difficulties we find.

Sometimes giants seem unconquerable. David was told that Goliath was too big and too strong for him to ever conquer, but David refused armor, took his slingshot, gathered five stones, and called him out!! He declared that he came in the name of the Lord Almighty and needed no other weapon.

I think God tells us of some ways we can defeat our giants. First, in the scripture we see that God gave David the ability to see the giant, Goliath, through His eyes, and He allowed David to look past the size, the booming voice, and the condescending attitude of the giant. Once we start seeing the giants in our lives from God’s perspective, they begin to lose their power to intimidate us and control our emotions and mind. In short, we refuse to fear them; rather we realize that we only encounter giants when we are serving and following God’s will.

Secondly, God gave David the ability to rely on God’s strength instead of his own. When we encounter giants in our daily walk and hear of how huge and ferocious they are, remember God’s strength has never been defeated. We will end up stronger by trusting God to overcome them than if there had been no giants to defeat. We may think we are being persecuted, but God’s strength will never abandon us.

Finally, we must believe that God holds the power. His power is infinite, but that doesn’t mean that we are spared trials, conflicts, and giants. Paul is a great example of struggles which ended victory. Paul often told us that once he took the Lord Jesus Christ into his life, his struggles began. He felt “crowded from all sides but never defeated” to paraphrase 2 Corinthians 4:8.

When conflicts and giants come, many Christians expect to receive all the good things without a battle. However, God has no cheap goods on the heavenly market; nothing worth having is easily gained. Dare to believe, stand firm , and refuse to be overcome by those giants.

One of my favorite sermons that Randy ever preached was entitled, Giants. He left us with three things to remember that I relate to everyone. First, be who you are. Secondly, use what you have. Finally, trust God with what you need. That’s how you defeat those giants.

It shall be when these signs come unto you, do for yourself what the occasion requires, for God is with you. I Samuel 10:7

There are times in this life when time and circumstances present each of us with an opportunity or a need to revisit the beliefs we hold dear. It doesn’t happen often enough for me, but with Memorial Day at hand, a country and churches that are divided, hatred running amok, and kindness being forgotten, I sat down and pondered, What is it that I truly believe? What is it that makes me the person I am? What experiences in life have molded and assured me? I believe in many things, but I’m sharing just a few.

During the years when Jeff Foxworthy was at the zenith of his career with the The Blue Collar Comedy Club, we enjoyed listening to the Here’s Your Sign excerpts. The excerpts made fun of less than intelligent questions people ask. For example, “A man had a mess of bass on his boat as he motored to the dock on a lake. The passerby asked, “You catch those fish?” The man replied, “No, they just jumped in the boat and surrendered.” Here’s Your Sign.

First, I believe that Jesus sends signs and angels in our struggles that give us strength in the heat of the battle. These signs can be as small as a hummingbird who suddenly appears during prayer time to reassure us, or as huge as a neighbor who walks by and stops to give a hug and offer a prayer having no idea why she was called by God to do that.

Secondly, I believe that history provides us with an opportunity to learn. It’s important, and if we look closely we can find others before us who struggled with some of the same issues we face in our country, our churches, our communities and our families. In this country of ours, there are signs all around us that point us to the fact that God is being ignored by a great majority of people. The many men and women who fought for one nation under God and the important parts they played are being rewritten or even forgotten. I believe in truth, justice, and one nation, under God.

Next, I believe that God is with us even when He is quiet. I’m always encouraged when God sends visible evidence in answer to prayers or struggles, but I’ve found that it is even more appreciated and I am the most inclined to trust Him without it. His promise is more real and dependable than any evidence our senses may reveal. Saint Augustine said, Faith is believing what we do not see, and the reward for that kind of faith is to see what we believe.

Finally, love is a major part of what I believe. The love we feel for our spouse, our children, our grandchildren, our extended family, our friends is there even when we sometimes don’t express it enough. Love is the tie that binds us. God’s love for us is unchangeable, and He is just as loving even when we do not see or feel it.

Finally, I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried; the third day, He arose from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence, He shall come to judge the quick and dead. I believe in the Holy spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the Body and the life everlasting. Amen. The Apostles Creed

I grew up watching The Perry Como show because my Mama was a big fan. So, on Saturday nights, if we were home, it was mandatory. He wrote and sang the song, I Believe. Mama sang it many times, and the words are worth sharing.

I believe for every drop of rain that falls, a flower grows; I believe that somewhere in the darkest night, a candle glows. I believe for everyone who goes astray, someone will come to show the way. I believe above the storm the smallest prayer will still be heard; I believe that someone in the great somewhere hears every word. Every time I hear a new born baby cry or touch a leaf or see the sky, then I know why I believe. Perry Como

Look for signs of God’s love, truth, strength, forgiveness, and answers to prayer. Focus on what you believe!

Consider it a sheer gift, friends when tests and challenges (trials) come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well developed. not deficient in any way. James 1:2-3 The Message

One of my favorite movies is Forrest Gump. If you have watched it as many times as we have, you know that Forrest had some pretty severe trials in his life. Despite the trials, Forrest always seemed to make the best of every situation. My favorite line in the movie is, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you will get.” Trials are like that, we just never know what will come our way.

I really like Cara Wall’s words on the subject. There are basically three kinds of trials in this world. There are the ones God gives which almost always lead to wisdom; there are trials you force upon yourself and should have abandoned, and there are trials we create for others which are more complicated because it is impossible to know whose hand is guiding them. The only advice I can give is don’t ever shrink from those last trials. Run to them. Only in the quality of the struggle with one another will you learn anything about yourself. Sometimes that struggle is almost impossible to survive, but it is those trials which make a life.

During trials, our first job is to face them and still honor God in the process. We do this by tempering our words, our actions, our emotions and exercising perfect faith in God’s goodness and love during the trial. A person has only as much faith he shows in times of trouble.

Trials can tend to become objects of despair if we allow them. We then have a choice to make. If we simply lie down and allow them to crush us, they soon gain uncontrollable momentum. However, if we grab hold of them and seek to control the damage they invoke on us, they can take us on to being an overcomer.

Sometimes trials are sent to help us discover our true worth and gifts in this life. We can go through this life like a firefly who shows very little light except when surrounded by darkness, but through the trials, our light can shine while we discover our gifts and experience real growth.

Trials also come with revelations where God reveals His purpose for our lives and gives us new strength and responsibility going forward. It’s like a pair of shoes that is worn in places as we seek God’s will. You can tell a lot about a person by their shoes; where they are going and where they have been.” Forrest Gump

In life’s trials, we can hold onto one thing: We can trust God to carry us through the trials. He and He alone determines “the end from the beginning” so we can come out of this stronger and wiser.

That’s all I’ve got to say about that. Forrest Gump

All the way my Savior leads me, what have I to ask beside? Can I doubt His tender mercy who through life has been my guide? Heavenly peace, divinest comfort; here by faith in Him to dwell! For I know whatever befalls me Jesus doeth all things well. Yes, I know whatever befalls me, Jesus doeth all things well. All The Way My Savior Leads Me by Fannie Crosby