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If you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, “Be taken up and thrown into the sea,” it will be done for you! Matthew 21:21

Our family is very fortunate to have lived in the same house for all our thirty two years in the East Cobb area. Our neighborhood is very dear as it is a sweet combination of the “older’ established families and the new families with children ranging in age from babies to college students.

Monday as I was watching the middle school kids sit and wait for the bus (which was late because it was the first day), a mom walked over and said, “Please pray for me and my girls. They are all in middle school this year, and I’ve heard middle school years are the worst! Kids can be so mean!” Before I caught myself, I said, “Worst three years of my life for each of my kids!”

Walking back home, my mind went back to the days I taught kindergarten when those innocent little faces appeared; some excited, some terrified, some crying, and others just in shock! Each one of them were so precious, and as teachers, we had no information upon which to base their educational wants and needs so we began our journey to know each child individually. Our job was to teach them, build self esteem, love them, dry tears, teach them to tie their shoes, offer help when they needed it, “learn them” as one father told me, and do our best to communicate with their parents strengths, weaknesses, or achievements.

Theses children all entered our classrooms on equal footing. In those days, it was rare that a parent called the office and requested a certain teacher, and if they did, they were not promised anything. There is a great difference between being an advocate for your child and being controlling. Parents used to be tolerant of all the new children and would never demand that some children be separated from friends because it might influence their child in a bad way. This was something that they trusted the teacher and their child to handle. Life is going to present us with many different people, it’s best to learn how to handle it early. Believe me, we, as teachers, were smart enough to separate those who needed it ourselves!!

The words, “My child would never do a thing like that” were rarely heard. Parents taught their children composure and self respect along with respect and courtesy to their peers and teachers. Teachers emphasized three things from kindergarten through high school; self control, integrity and humility, and they expected parents to do the same. Kids won’t remember everything you say, but they will remember what you taught them and how you made them feel!

The word if is a conjunction, a part of the English language which joins together or connects, and it is defined as in the event that or allowing that. My thoughts as we enter a new school year turn to the parents more than the students. If a teacher can say, “Oh, no, she/he is just like her/his mother” or “I can surely see his/her Daddy’s habits written all over him/her”, and not mean these things in a positive way, there is a problem which might reflect on those parents. If a child doesn’t have the integrity to fight their own battles, there might be a problem. If your family doesn’t teach humility, watch out! If you feel entitled to better treatment than your neighbor, what would Jesus think of that? If you feel that practice isn’t necessary to play the game, what does that say about sportsmanship?

We certainly live in the era of entitlement, but what does that teach our kids about life? I love the poem by Rudyard Kipling entitled IF. It is as true today for young men and women as it was when it was written, and applies to all. These words pretty much say it all.

If you can keep your head when all those about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you. If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you but make allowances for that doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, or being lied about, don’t deal in lies, or being hated don’t give way to hating, Yet don’t look too good or talk too wise. If you can dream – and not make dreams your master; If you can think-and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two imposters just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop to pick them up with worn out tools; If you can make one heap of all your winnings, And risk it on one turn of pitch and toss, And never breathe a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your term long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you except the Will which says to them, “Hold On!” If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with Kings nor lose the common touch, If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds worth of distance run, Yours is the earth and everything that’s in it And- which is more – you’ll be a man, my son! If by Rudyard Kipling

Give instruction to the wise and they will become wiser still; teach the righteous, and they will gain in learning. Proverbs 9:9

One of the best things about growing up in South Georgia was that almost everybody in our small town could make a delicious pitcher of sweet tea. There is a method, indeed an art, to the process to make it just right. Even though it sounds simple, the devil is in the details. I’ve never seen two people make it exactly the same way, and if you ask any person in my hometown they can recall immediately who they believe made the best!!

One thing I have learned about Southern cooks and pretty much cooks everywhere is that people are happy to give you their recipes for their specialties, but many times they forget to include their secret ingredient or the one thing that makes their dish extra special

I had been married and cooking for a few years before my Mama remembered to share a few of those with me. For example, fresh peas and butterbeans are cooked in much the same way, i.e., fat back, water, salt and pepper, but mine never tasted quite as good are hers. Years later she shared that she always puts a pinch of sugar in to give the fresh vegetables just the right taste. Her secret ingredient was important.

This week teachers and students return to their respective classrooms, and each is hoping and praying to find the secret ingredient to a successful and exciting year of learning. The secret ingredient can make all the difference for students as they seek to bond with their teacher, make new friends and connect with the old ones, and become life long learners.

Our country is striving to find the leaders who might possess the secret ingredient so badly needed to renew the spirt, bravery, and respect our country felt in the past. We want leaders that are willing to learn more. We want those leaders who don’t want to control us but rather to empower us to do bigger and greater things.

There are those searching for the secret ingredient to mend a broken heart after the loss of a loved one or friend. There are those praying for the secret ingredient to treat cancer. There are those who are praying for the secret ingredient to help them understand where God is when their family is torn apart by divorce or loss. There are farmers praying for the secret ingredient to provide food for their cattle and keep their family afloat financially.

There are churches looking for the secret ingredient to teach others the value of learning about God. It is said in the scripture that true wisdom realizes there is always room to learn more because there is no one who could ever exhaust all there is to know about Him.

So, what is the secret ingredient? I have heard that every one of us was born ignorant. We came into this world knowing nothing, and it’s up to us to gain knowledge. True wisdom always realizes and readily admits that there is always room to learn more. The only truly ignorant person is the one who thinks he or she has nothing more to learn. The secret ingredient is that we can learn something from anyone if we open our heart and mind to be taught.

It’s interesting that just like sweet tea, no two people find the same secret ingredient that works for them. I have found an interesting idea that just might solve the problem for everybody. It comes from Walter Edward Williams when he writes about the importance of “Somebody” and “Someone.” It essentially explains that for Somebody to succeed, Someone has to take the responsibility of making it work.

As a kindergarten teacher for thirty years before retiring, I and many of my cohorts are experiencing the joy of celebrating former student’s achievements. For example, one has just become a United States Marine, one has just gotten engaged, one has a successful business, and the list goes on. These and so many others have found the secret ingredient to life.

Jesus always preached that the secret ingredient to this life is love. Instruction and teaching are blessings from God to help us grow in this love and increase our knowledge and understanding. Character is known by its response to teaching. A wise man is a student of truth and wisdom that loves learning.

The secret ingredient in sweet tea is just a pinch of baking soda to keep it from getting cloudy. The secret ingredient to life is to love, continue to pray, and learn all you can!

Have a great new year teachers and students!

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self seeking, not easily angered, and keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge it will pass away. And now these three remain, faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. I Corinthians 13 selected

It’s hard to believe it, but at the end of this week, Randy and I will celebrate fifty years of marriage. It truly amazes me that God can take two totally different people, blend them together and make a union! It seems like just yesterday on a hot, sultry day in South Georgia that we said our “I Wills and I Dos” in the Friendship United Methodist Church in my hometown. As we exchanged our simple gold bands at the altar, I remember thinking of the inscription we had put inside both our rings, “The Greatest is Love.”

We had few future plans except for Randy to attend seminary, me to begin my teaching career, and us to live in an upstairs apartment of an old house in Decatur. We weren’t even sure at that point that Randy would decide to give in to the call into ministry. That call to the ministry is the last thing he or I would have expected for him, but when God calls, He won’t let go. Randy majored in political science thinking that one day he would enter the law profession. I thought he would make a great lawyer, and selfishly, I thought that would be much better than a life where the minister moves, lives in parsonages, and faces the uncertainty that is part of the Methodist calling.

At the time of our engagement, said to me, “I promise you when we get married, you will never be rich, but you will never be bored.” The fifty year mark has certainly proven that to be true!

All these years later, even though it was hard leaving each congregation, each (well, not all) the parsonages which became our home, and each piece of our heart we left, I wouldn’t change a thing. With each new congregation came new challenges, new perspectives, and new friends which left us with accomplishments, learning experiences, and a stronger love and memories for each other and every appointment.

During those early years I had to do things that I swore I would never do. Things like teaching children’s Sunday School classes, forming and leading the children’s choir, playing (picking) the piano, and hosting groups in the parsonage. I had to sometimes (when the expectations of the minister’s wife were too high) voice the words to members, “I didn’t marry the minister, I married the man.” When we have occasion to revisit some of these churches, the memories flood back, and I can see vividly that what I thought was such a burden at the time turned out to be the greatest blessings of my life.

Each home gave us a chance to work with a parsonage committee as we bargained for a dishwasher, a washing machine, air conditioning, and even a new piece of furniture. Each congregation took us in as part of their family. We celebrated with them, laughed with them, cried with them, and grieved with them. They welcomed each of our children and nurtured them during our time with them. Each name of members of churches brings back memories of our experiences with them. When you have an occasion to face uncertainty together, stick trials out together, and love together, you find the strong love of people who looked to their side in suffering and found the other person there.

Through it all, there is one person with whom you get to share experiences, talk things over, discuss needs, and plan for the future. It makes you realize how important it is to choose your life’s mate carefully. This one decision will bring either 90% of your life’s happiness or 90% of your life’s misery.

Marriage, in my perspective, is a lot like a soloist and the accompanist that perform together. The soloist sets the tempo and the accompanist follows in order to keep the two together. There are times in life where one is the soloist and one the accompanist. It takes the two being willing to play each role that makes life together either heaven or hell.

On this special occasion, I would say I have learned many things, but a few stand out. First, marry only for love. Next, never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them. Thirdly, build on mutual sacrifice. Finally, forgive quickly for life is short.

Happy 50th Anniversary, Randy. I love you lots! Thank you for making life exciting!

If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. John 15:7

When we look back over the events of the years since the pandemic began, we realize that during this time we’ve done a lot of biding our time until this whole epidemic passes. We got immunized, boosted, and still we find that the whole thing just keeps reconfiguring itself.

Everybody who keeps a calendar, either an old fashioned paper one or the ones we keep on our devices, knows that we check this almost daily to see what’s on the agenda for that day or week. Nobody had Covid-19 on their calendar. It caught us totally unaware, and we were not prepared for all the ramifications it would produce. It is in these hard unexpected times that our identity is forged, and we learn the value of abiding.

Abiding has different synonyms such as bearing, enduring, tolerating, and suffering. It seems that during these last few years, we have began to identity with these as we learn the value of abiding. Abiding means to stay or remain. The word makes us think of home, the place where we find joy, acceptance, encouragement, support, protection, purpose and rest. Abiding gives us a chance to treasure God’s word and renew our pledge to accept it as our highest authority, our compass for direction, our counselor in making decisions, and our benchmark for every relationship and action.

As disciples, our faith will always be put to the test, and it is in these times that we experience the true definition of abiding as we “take up residence and live in” and continually receive, believe and trust that Christ is everything we need. In short, we become a container for God’s spirt to live within us and affect every area of our lives from relationships, to health, to decisions, to marriage, and struggles. Abiding reminds us to remember that every word of God is flawless and to turn to it for guidance. (Proverbs 30:5)

Each of us have to make the decision to abide in Him wherever we are in life. Oswald Chambers said, “Make the determination to abide in Jesus wherever you are now or wherever you may be placed in the future.” Many of us have abided with our family, friends, and with others in the faith during times of death, illness, chemotherapy, surgery, stress, relationships, emotional struggles, health, decisions, and handling overwhelming problems. There’s no way to hurry up the process, so the best advice is to abide and let God work.

So, how do we learn to abide in Jesus? The best way to illustrate abiding in Jesus is to liken it to a tea bag. When you put a tea bag in hot water, something happens. As the tea bag abides in the water, the tea begins to flavor the water until it takes on the taste of the tea. The longer the tea bag abides in the water, the stronger the color and the flavor of the tea. That’s what happens when we abide in Christ and He abides in us. The longer and the deeper we go with Him, the more His presence will permeate our lives. (copied)

I read recently that there are three things we need to do to abide in Jesus. First, we should walk by faith and let Him be the guide. Next, we should spend time focused on Him, the Bible, and His will. Lastly, we should live intentionally as we show others by our example.

The closer we get to God, the more we will want to do what He says. Abiding in Christ daily requires dependence on the Holy Spirit. When we do what He says, we will begin to abide in His blessings.

In Christ alone my hope is found. He is my light, my strength, my song. This cornerstone, this solid ground; Firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love, what depths of peace; when fears are stilled, when strivings cease. My Comforter, my all in all, Here in the love of Christ I stand. In Christ Alone by Adrienne Camp

In Thee O Lord do I put my trust; let me never be put to confusion. Psalms 71:1

When God calls you to a higher purpose, nothing can stop what He has set in motion. Isaiah 14:27

It is pretty commonplace for us to get an offer either by email, letter, or phone offering new or updated services for our phones, television, cars, appliances, etc. that contain the words, if for any reason, you don’t like the service, you can cancel it at any time! Usually, as a bonus, we have ninety days to make up our mind. That’s really a contrived ploy because who can remember to cancel after ninety days??

There are many times when the option to cancel it is advantageous such as a credit card we don’t need, a purchase we ordered that is superfluous, or maybe even a reservation that we are unable to fulfill. When the ability to cancel it is used for necessary purposes, we are glad to have that option. When canceling it isn’t hurting anyone, there’s no problem, but what if it is harmful to others?

There is a cancel it phenomenon or “cancel culture” as it is called today that is sweeping through our nation, our communities, and our lives. This new mindset demands that someone who says or does something that someone else might find offensive, must be silenced or totally cut off. It could be anything that doesn’t adhere to the opinions of others. This kind of cancelling has resulted in people losing their jobs, their careers, their reputation, and it can even result in threats.

Our governing bodies, our schools, and even our churches are cancelling the history upon which they were built, all because those things might be offensive to those in this day and time. Once we change our history, can we ever reclaim the things that made us the people we are today? Do we get a refund on the sacrifice, blood, sweat and tears that was poured into the establishment of these things?

We have seen canceling recently in the lives of politicians, nominees for the Supreme Court, comic strips, and even Dr. Seuss has been a victim. All this because someone got offended! This is not to say that there aren’t things which should be cancelled, but this new culture seems driven by a kind of self righteous behavior on the part of many, and it is very scary.

The world is quick to cancel people, their beliefs, and their thoughts these days, but even though it seems a new fad, this desire to destroy others is as old as mankind. We only have to look back in the Bible where Cain cancelled Abel, where Joseph’s brothers tried to cancel him, where Jezebel attempted to cancel Elijah, and on and on throughout the history of the Bible to see it.

Jesus probably faced the cancel culture more than anyone else. It was this kind of culture that hated Him so much that they eventually crucified Him. When He was nailed to the cross this same culture rejoiced, and the soldiers gambled at the foot of His cross for his garments. This was thousands of years ago, but it is happening among us today. It leads us to wonder what will happen to a culture who cancels Jesus in their lives? In this cancel culture, it seems that when people make a decision to cancel someone or something, it is cancelled for life and never considered again.

Jesus, on the other hand, surrounded himself with people who had been cancelled in that day and called them friends. He had a tax collector, a betrayer, a prostitute, and a thief in his circle of friends. He was never willing to cancel even the baddest of the bad, the worst of the worst, or the most evil of the evil. He even went so far as to give his life to cancel sin so that we all might be forever forgiven.

The story is told of an older woman who lived in a small town. Everyone there called her Crazy because she was known to walk around town talking to herself. She even believed she could talk to Jesus. A new minister moved into town and upon encountering her on the street asked, “Would you do me a favor and ask Jesus what was the last sin I confessed to Him?” “Certainly,” the woman replied. The next day the minister saw her again and asked, “Well, what did Jesus say?” The older woman replied, “Jesus said He doesn’t remember.”

Cancelling sin is only one of the many things Jesus has done for us. In this cancel culture, we would do well to remember His example.

All my debts – cancelled; Satan’s threats – cancelled; Sin’s effects – cancelled; For the ransom was paid. Lyrics to Cancelled Worthy by the Gaither Brothers

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. Blessed are the people he chose to be His own. Psalms 33:12

America is living proof that the above verse is true. No nation has been more blessed than America, and our forefathers knew and believed in this verse from Psalms. Our nation was founded with a noble purpose and a godly intention. We are reaping the blessings because of the seed that was planted by the people who came to these shores seeking freedom, justice and liberty. They also brought with them the Bible and the faith in God which sustained them. The pilgrims came with the words, “For the glory of God, and the advancement of the Christian faith.”

Some of the greatest leaders of this nation were also strong believers in God and in our Lord Jesus Christ. George Washington made no secret of his Christian faith. During the Revolutionary War, he issued a call for divine services each Sunday and said, “To the distinguished character of a Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of a Christian.” When a stranger came to the Continental Congress and wanted to know which man was George Washington, a friend replied, “He is easy to spot. When the Congress begins to pray, Washington will be the tall man who will go to his knees.”

The Declaration of Independence declares in part to “..the laws of nature and of nature’s God ‘insist’ that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

Great men such as Dwight Eisenhower once declared, “Without God there could be no American form of government nor American way of life.”

So, where is that kind of faith in this day and time? When we ask God to bless America, what have we done to earn His blessings? Although many may not realize it, the secret of America’s greatness was her belief and her faith in God

We are the only country which displays In God We Trust on our currency, has a minister to open the legislature with prayer, and has a Thanksgiving Day to offer thanks to God. Blessed is the nation which receives God as Lord and Savior, but Psalm 97 reminds us that nations that forget God will be cursed. We are beginning to see the truth of this in our nation today.

We have taken prayer out of our schools, dignified adultery, and glamorized immorality. We have come to the place now where we call good evil and evil good. So, why are we letting this happen in our great country?

William Highland says, “The United States has never been less threatened by foreign forces, but never since the Great Depression has the threat to domestic greatness been greater.” We now live in a country which has the largest crime rate, the highest rate of divorce, and moral decay.

All we have to do is look at the headlines in the paper to know that Satan is alive and well and working in this country. Paul Harvey once wrote a column entitled, “If I Were the Devil”, and here are some of his thoughts. If I were the devil, I would begin my campaign with a whisper like the serpent saying the Bible is a myth. I’d infiltrate unions and urge more loathing and less work. I would evict God from the courthouses, the schoolhouse, and the house of Congress. Then, in His own churches, I would substitute psychology and politics for religion and defy science. If I were the Devil, I’d just keep doing what I’m doing, and the whole world would go to hell as sure as the devil.

During the darkest days of the Civil War as Abraham Lincoln was sitting in the Oval Office, the Secretary of War said to him, “I do not believe we have anything to worry about, God is on our side.” The President replied, “Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side, my great concern is to be on God’s side.”

My prayer for this Fourth of July is that we as a country get back on God’s side. Then and only then can we pray for God to Bless America.

Happy Fourth of July and God bless America!

He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3

It has become a routine thing to see people walking around with braces on their knees, canes in their hands, pushing walkers, wearing sports tape on their arms, knees, etc., or wearing boots on their foot for some kind of injury. It is also routine to ask about their injury, offer condolences, wish them a speedy healing process, then go on about our daily routine and forget that encounter. That is just human nature.

It doesn’t really affect us much unless it happens to us. About four weeks ago, I felt a sudden pain in my right foot. It was so strange because I don’t remember doing anything to cause this, and I didn’t have any pain when it occurred. As a friend of mine likes to say, “You know your body is getting older when you go to bed just fine, and then you wake up injured.”

After a thorough examination on the outside of the foot by my resident doctor, he determined that since it was not swollen or bruised, all was well. I just probably rolled it over!

With that diagnosis in mind, I taped up the foot, put on comfortable shoes, and continued to walk on it for the next two weeks with a slight limp and some pain, but nothing unbearable. As a last resort, I visited a real doctor for an x-ray, maybe a cortisone shot, and an expected dismissal. Not to be. The x-ray revealed a break, but in his words, “Good news is you don’t need surgery. Bad news is you get to wear a boot for six weeks.”

I relate this story because this experience has taught me a lot about the healing process. Healing doesn’t happen over night, it takes time. Healing is defined as the process of making or becoming sound or healthy again. We all know that it takes time for bones to mend, wounds to heal, but it can also be a lengthy process for us to heal spiritually and emotionally at times in our lives.

Life brings so many occasions for “breaks” such as betrayal or rejection and wounds such as loss or abuse. Just like my foot, we often don’t know what we did to deserve the pain, rejection, or betrayal, and we don’t remember how, when, or why it happened. We don’t know we are injured until the pain is intense. Doctors can treat the physical wounds that we sustain in life, but only God can help us heal the spiritual and emotional wounds.

Just like physical wounds, spiritual and emotional wounds must be treated. Spiritual and emotional healing is a process, and even though God is the Great Physician, we have a role to play in the healing. Just as we would clean a wound or set a broken bone, spiritual and emotional wounds have to be cleaned and made right. Many of our these wounds are inflicted on us by others, but we make it worse by being unwilling to forgive. When we can finally start the healing that forgiveness affords, we can leave behind all the bitterness, pain, resentfulness and anger.

In Mark 8, Jesus heals the blind man in Bethsaida, but he didn’t do it immediately. He healed him over time by working with him, talking to him and asking him what he was experiencing. At first, the man said that he saw people looking like trees walking, but after more prayer and Jesus’ touch, he began to see clearly.

In our healing process many times it is hard to pray because we feel let down or abandoned by God. It is in these times, when Satan moves in to detract us from the healing process. Susie Larson says, “The enemy loves to see us shifting our gaze from God and His sovereignty to people and circumstances. It is at this point that we begin to reason that if they hadn’t done this or that, we wouldn’t be where we find ourselves nursing the wounds of betrayal or pain.”

God is sovereign, and only He can lead us through total and complete healing. The saying, accept what is, let go of what was, and have faith in what will be is the only way to heal. Let God lead us from strength to strength, and glory to glory.

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and prosper for us the work of our hands–O prosper the work of our hands. Psalm 90:14 and 17

During the years of my youth, it was necessary (or so I was told) for most in our family to learn to play the game of bridge in order to participate with friends and family. My Mama was in several bridge clubs, we always played bridge with our relatives on beach trips, and I was told it was good for your brain!!

Unfortunately for me, the game of bridge has changed a lot since I learned the basic rules and played. In our day, the rules were basic but functional. You must have twelve to fourteen points to open, sixteen to eighteen to open with a no trump bid, eighteen to twenty points to open with two of a suit, otherwise, you bid your longest and strongest suit, you don’t respond to your partner unless you can support their bid and have at least six to eight points or have opening points to change suits. Passing is always an option! The partners who win the bid, declare which suit will be trumps or whether it will be no trump!

The game has morphed into a much higher level of thinking and strategy these days. People play different conventions such as Stayman, Transfer, and Blackwood where you use a system to find out how many aces, kings, points, etc. your partner is holding. It’s all about trying to deduce what is in your partner’s hand and how the hands the two of you hold can blend to make a game. It’s a lot to learn for a novice like me, so I resort to the old theory of “bidding and playing” the hand I was dealt and hoping it works! Unlike my Daddy who used sign language to learn what was in his partner’s hand, the basic rules work for me.

When God called Moses, one of his first questions to him was, “What is that in your hand?” Moses was holding his shepherd’s staff which he used every day to tend and protect his sheep. Moses used it for one thing, but God had a different plan for the staff- a greater one. He had Moses use that staff to part the Red Sea and lead Israel into the Promised Land.

Just like Moses, sometimes God asks us the question, “What is that in your hand?” Is it strength, courage, honesty, leadership, love, hope, joy? What strength are we holding that we can use for others?

God doesn’t use conventions or trumps to help us find out what’s in our hand, but He does want us to use the talents, experiences, relationships, education, mind, and resources that He has given us to find our strengths that can be used for His service.

Martin Seligman talks about strengths, which are different for different folks, but he gives six categories in which most of us can find our own special strength. First, we should explore our own individual wisdom and knowledge. Things such as curiosity, love or learning, sound judgment and social intelligence. Think how many people could be influenced by sharing these strengths! We should count this as part of what’s in our hand.

Secondly, we should explore courage. This addition to strengths in our hand includes perseverance and integrity. Next, we need to evaluate humanity in our hand. The capacity for kindness, and the ability to show mercy is part of this strength.

Justice is the fourth strength that could make up our hand of strength. This includes the ability to bring about fairness and leadership. The fifth strength one could add to their hand is temperance. Qualities like self control, prudence, and humility are part of this strength.

Finally, transcendence where one possesses an appreciation for beauty, the expression of gratitude, the ability to hope, and the capacity for joy! We all have the capacity for each of these strengths, but the ones which resonate most with us individually make up the hand of signature strengths we have holding.

At this point, we can begin to understand our calling. We just celebrated Father’s Day and had the opportunity to celebrate the strengths that we see or saw in these hands of love and care. Thank you, Dads for using what’s in your hand to bless your children and families.

When we know what’s in our hand, God can use us to serve and glorify Him.

The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand. Psalm 37:23-24

Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Proverbs 3:5 from The Message

Sometimes the hype over an event or happening is so great that we just have to see it for ourselves to believe it. In this case, it was a movie. It has been a long time since a movie has struck such a positive chord with me, not only for entertainment value, but also for relevance to the times in which we live. It’s hard to believe that it’s been thirty six years (1986) since Top Gun hit the theatres and became such a popular movie. The country was grieving the loss of the Challenger astronauts, the Iran Contra Affair, and economic scares, so a movie which highlighted our country and its brave men and women was a reason to celebrate.

Likewise, the timing of Top Gun 2, Maverick has come out at a time when our country is suffering from inflation, shortages, gun violence, threats of national security, and fighting among our leaders. Sometimes it’s good to be reminded that although times, culture, and values may seemingly change, the truths from which we glean our heritage does not.

It was easy to identify with the changes in the generations, attitudes, and appearances of those people we remember vividly from the 1986 movie. Some changes are hardly noticeable physically, some are very sad, and some such as the attitudes of a younger generation can just make you wonder when we lost respect for our older generation and all their contributions.

In the movie, Maverick is like many of us as we grow older and our career goals or plans change because of circumstances beyond our control. We can find ourselves facing an uncertain future while dealing with circumstances or confronting mistakes or decisions that we have made in the past. We begin to wonder if we have any mission or purpose in life. Things can change just as quickly for us as it did for Maverick in the movie. He was called out of his safe place and picked to train a detachment of Top Gun graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has seen.

Maverick’s purpose was to energize, motivate, encourage, evaluate, and ultimately pick the best from the candidates to whom he was assigned. There are many quotes from the movie which rang true with me, but one keeps coming back to my mind almost every day. The men were doubting the ability of the F-18 fighter jet to execute the requirements of the mission at hand, when Rooster reminds Maverick, “It’s not the plane, it’s the pilot”. This is the perfect analogy as we move through life’s ups and downs. It’s not the situation, it’s who’s in charge of the situation.

It’s become obvious to me that how we handle our situation depends on whether we think God is our pilot or our co-pilot. In other words, who is flying this plane of life? Is it God or are we doing it ourselves? If God is our co-pilot as the motto states, then it infers that He’s piloting just in case we can’t handle everything ourselves. A marquee on a local church once declared, “If God is your co-pilot, change seats!”

If God is just our co-pilot, we will live in a constant state of anxiety thinking everything depends on us. We will also let our outlook on life be dictated by our surroundings or by our critics. Without the pilot, we will be a slave to the opinion of others rather than being secure in our faith and God’s plan.

On the other hand, when God is our pilot, things will happen to correct wrong doings. Instead of looking for someone to blame, it’s important to try and see the hand of God at work in our situation. When God is at work in us we can begin to see things happen. First, our future isn’t in the hands of others, it’s in the hand of God. Secondly, wherever God wants us to be, He will put us there. Finally, our God given assignment doesn’t call for the approval of everyone, but it does require our cooperation.

If God is our pilot, no one can prevent God from using us, blessing us, and giving us success except our own doubts and fears. Steven Huang says, “I can see God working through the heartache, and I have learned many lessons from what I have experienced. He needed to get my attention to show me where I needed to be.” It’s all about the pilot.

Let the pilot, pilot! It’s the only way to fly!

Jesus Savior, pilot me over life’s tempestuous sea; Unknown waves before me roll, Hiding rock and treacherous shoal. Chart and compass come from Thee, Jesus Savior, pilot me. Edward Hopper

Be generous with the different things God gave you, passing them around so all get in on it: if words, let it be God’s words; if help, let it be God’s hearty help. That way God’s bright presence will be evident in everything through Jesus, and he’ll get all the credit as the One mighty in everything – encores to the end of time. 1 Peter 4:11 from The Message

Many times when we are out and about during our daily lives, it’s not uncommon to notice two entrances to stores, hotels, apartments, or restaurants. One entrance is the designated entrance for customers or guests while the other one is clearly marked as the service entrance. The service entrance is utilized by those who don’t avail themselves of the services of the store, hotel, restaurant, etc., but rather provide services such as deliveries, storage, or maintenance for the above places of business. Most times the areas are clearly marked with signs.

A few weeks ago Randy and I visited South Carolina. It was a longer drive than anticipated because of road work, traffic, etc., so we were ready to arrive to say the least. We had been looking forward to this get away for a while, and I was especially looking forward to driving along the entrance road to the hotel. The pictures of the property on line were so beautiful that I couldn’t wait! Unfortunately, Randy was so anxious to just “be there” that he turned onto the first road he saw which was clearly marked service entrance.

We traveled the road with trucks that were there for maintenance work, trailers and mowers clearly there for the grounds, and even a golf cart or two filled with towels, etc. for the guests. No one seemed to really notice us because, after all, we were in a truck, too. In a couple of miles, we turned onto the road that I had been anxious to see, and truthfully, that road was not nearly as beautiful as the service road we had traveled.

Sometimes I think that’s the way it is in life. We don’t realize how much fuller life can be when we devote more of it to the service part and less of it to the receiving part until we’ve been there. It’s so much more fulfilling to serve others than to be the recipient. The service that I have in mind is the kind that completely focuses on the purpose and will of another which is not for my personal benefit. God seems to use us best when we are at our weakest, facing tough times, or discouraged and shows us how to use the service entrance of life.

In the book of Malachi, the Israelites asked the question, “What is the use in serving God?” It’s a question many of us have asked particularly when times are hard and our faith is tested to the breaking point. The psalmist answers that question by saying: “Praise the Lord! All who fear and trust Him are blessed beyond expression…such a man will not be overthrown by evil circumstances. God’s constant care of him will make a deep impression on all who see it. For he is settled in his mind that Jehovah will take care of him. That is why he is not afraid, but can calmly face his foes. He gives generously to those in need. His deeds will never be forgotten.” Psalm 112: 1-9 (selected verses) Our attitude toward service should be the same as Jesus’.

I can’t imagine what it would be like to work a customer service hotline these days! There is so much impatience, volatility, and selfishness, and unfortunately, it’s probably directed to the innocent person who answered the phone. I’ve discovered that respecting the efforts of those people gets better results every time.

In this world of today many of us who go into a restaurant, a store, a hospital, a school, a government facility, etc. will exit with one question, “What ever happened to service?” We are upset that there aren’t enough people to properly serve or provide service to meet our needs. It’s this same kind of sentiment that Jesus must feel as He watches all of us go about our lives demanding service without ever offering it.

The funny thing the story of us using the service entrance that day is that when we arrived at the hotel, we encountered many of those people we had passed along the way. Our encounter brought us in touch with the many people it takes to serve in order to make something successful.

When life seems to be handing us only tough situations, we only need to look at life and others through the eyes and heart of Jesus so that we can gain the heart and mind of what it means to serve.

Oh Jesus I have promised, to serve Thee to the end; Be Thou forever near me, my Master and my friend. I shall not fear the battle if Thou art by my side; Nor wander from the pathway if Thy will be my guide. John Ernest Bode