Diane Mickler's Blog

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1

During this forty days of Lent, it has become clearer than ever to me that just like these days to Easter are a journey, our every day life is also a journey. The nation’s problems and unrest, the international state of wars and human suffering, even the weather seems to have added twists and turns to the journey our lives take every day.

Sometimes we feel as though we are attacked on all sides by a new situation, daily inconveniences, unexpected problems, people who seek to deter us from our mission, illnesses among friends, and even the loss of someone. Sometimes it seems that the constant setbacks cause us to stumble and fall. Wouldn’t it be great if there were a way to go back and fix the things that have happened along our journey so that things would turn out the way we had it planned?

I have always enjoyed the movie, Back to the Future with Michael J Fox. In the movie, Marty McFly (Fox) is accidently sent back from 1985 to 1955 in a plutonium powered DeLorean when an experiment by his eccentric scientific friend goes horribly awry. Marty is charged with a journey where he must make sure his parents meet, fall in love, and marry, or he will cease to exist. In the process of the journey, he manages to change a few things from the past which end up making his life and his parent’s life a good bit better when he comes back to the present. It’s an enjoyable work of fiction, but things like that just don’t happen.

If there was ever anyone who could have changed the journey of his life, God could have done that for Jesus. He could have spared Him the rejection, the emotional trauma, the endless days of walking and healing, the spiritual agony, the betrayal, the temptaion, and the crucifixion, but He would have missed the miracles, the healings, the love, and the resurrection.

God was in control of the journey that His son would make for our salvation. Jesus knew He had a hard journey ahead of Him, and God had prepared Him to expect that.

Just like Jesus knew some things to expect on His journey, it would probably help us to be mindful of some things on this journey that I think we should all expect. First, we will experience opportunities and opposition. When God opportunites present themselves, sometimes opposition will present itself as well. Sometimes others will attack us on our journey to achieve these opportunities, but we can be sure that their attack should be considered a form of respect. It means that they consider us a high value target, and they can use the attack as a way to upset the plans that we have been given by God.

Next, people will hurt us. These people are usually needy (self centered), negative, distracting, draining, or doubting. They want to pull us down instead of lifting us up. The Christian thing to do is to encourage them, love them, help them, but never be influenced by them. When the journey with them becomes impossible for us to give them a hand up without pulling ourselves down, the only answer is disconnecting graciously and turning them over to God.

Finally, people will help us. When God has a job that needs to be done, He calls someone to do it, but He seldom calls us alone. Through our ministry, God has put many new ministries in our path, but fortunately, He always helped us to recognize that there are many things we can’t do alone. Not everything is our gift, so we should always ask others who are more qualified to stand with us and help. Paul spent an entire chapter in Philippians acknowledging the people who had helped him fullfil God’s vision when he said, Everytime I think of you, I give thanks.

A journey is defined as a process of experiences, challenges, and discoveries along the way to our life’s destination. As travelers we are constantly encountering new people, places, and experiences that shape who we are and what we become. copied

Our journey is now and ongoing. We have a chance this year to contemplate our journey up to this point and add expectations. Unlike Marty McFly, we can’t change the past, but we can improve the present!

Prayer: Dear Father as we continue our journey today, strengthen our mind, body, and soul to be aware of your tasks that are set before us. Thank you for others who surround us on this journey! In Christ’s name. Amen.

Say only what helps, each word a gift. Ephesians 4:29 The Message

The warm weather and the promise of spring makes me think of how much I always have enjoyed being around water. Growing up in our small town, we were fortunate to have Lake Seminole about eighteen miles from our childhood home. Our Daddy bought a boat during our growing up years mainly because our Mama loved water as well, and she loved to water ski! They named the boat after each of us girls, The San-di-kay.

During the summer months, Saturday and Sunday afternoons would find our family, our relatives, and lots of friends at the lake. Our Daddy was the “Captain” of the boat which meant he pulled skiiers all afternoon. It didn’t matter who you were, if you got in line on the dock, he’d drop off a couple of skiiers and pick up a couple more!

Our Mama spent countless hours in the water teaching all of us to ski. She’d float around with us while Daddy circled around with the ski rope. Her instructions were simple: Keep your skis together, lean forward, and let the boat pull you up! Most importantly, if you fall, drop the rope!! If you get up, stay behind the boat, don’t try to cross the wake! Before she was finished with us, every one of us was slaloming, skiing with her, and crossing the wake!

The wake is defined as the wave a boat generates as it moves through the water. It is also said that the wake is the path you leave as you move through the water. It’s fun to cross back and forth across the wake once you become an accomplished skiier, but it can be treacherous and daunting for a novice. Many a new skiier has tried and fallen.

A wake can also be applied to our life when we think of it as the path we leave as we move through life. The results can be positive or negative, but each of our throw out some kind of wake. If we are breathing, we leaving a wake. If you are a skiier, you know that when you look behind you, your ski has left a wake of its own. Behind the wake of a boat, people are either skiing and having a great time or they have fallen and are in need of help.

What is the wake we will leave behind us in this life? Think of the people we most enjoy spending time with and describe them. Are they grumpy? Are they bitter? Are they negative? Probably not. The people who leave a wake like Jesus would do are celebratory, passionate, kind, loving, caring, and compassionate.

In our daily life, we need to be conscious that our wake will affect everyone we meet. We will either leave them better off, worse off, or unaffected. Phillippians 2:3 reminds us that we should do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but, to the interests of others. In you relationship with one another, have the same mindset as Jesus.

Our wake will be affecting people long after we are gone. and we may never know what the wake will look like. Everybody that we come across daily is fighting a battle of some kind, and we may be the one person that crosses their path who is able to speak a word of encouragement, concern, or caring. Don’t let them down.

It’s not always convenient to leave a wake that shows God’s graciousness and love to others. Graciousness is like our clothes; we have to put it on each morning and wear it all day. Thoreau says that it is not until we are lost that we begin to understand each other.

During the next thirty days of Lent, remember we are leaving wakes for others wherever we go! Be conscious of the impact our wakes have on those around us!

Dear Lord, thank you for guiding us as we make our wakes through life. We trust you to direct us on this remarkable journey.

There is more to come: we continue to shout our praise even when we are hemmed in with troubles because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for what God will do next! Romans 5:3-4 The Message

It never seems to fail that every time I have to be somewhere at a certain time, things just don’t go as planned. Lately, the thing that has caused me the most frustration is road construction. The “improvements” on Johnson Ferry Road have resulted in many unexpected delays, and I especially love it when I round a curve only to see the signs that announce, “Lane closed ahead” and “Expect delays” It seems that some warning before the actual closure would be helpful!

This happening caused me to ponder the nonsensical verbage we use in our daily lives. For instance, why do we call the morning commute to work and the evening commute home, “Rush Hour”? It’s interesting to think of “rushing” through traffic when no lane is open and nothing is moving!

Just like road crews who put up “Expect Delays” signs, sometimes we all feel that God has put that same sign out for us in our lives. You will “expect delays.” For some reason, February has always been the month our family dreads because in hindsight, we remember so many “delays” or frustrations that are associated with it. It seems the shortest month of the year should be the easiest, but nothing ever happens as we expect! The good news is that so far, the delays have been followed by unexpected blessings.

There are three things I try to remember always but especially during this month! First, Jesus never said that following Him would be easy. When we attempt great things for God, it just seems that we can expect delays and even difficulties. Sometimes delays help us to develop and mature. Sometimes delays enlarge our capacity for receiving and strengthening our committment. Think of Abraham and Sarah, for instance, they had to wait twenty five years for Isaac to be born, so why should we think our answers should be instant?

Next, we have to persevere in order to receive. It is so hard for us to patiently wait because we are accustomed to having everything we want instantly. We just google it or use an app on our phone to speed things up, but we can’t use a shortcut when it comes to perseverance. God needs us to push through the pain to get to the gain on the other side. Keep on asking.

Finally, the end result of our faith during our delays is inheritiing a larger territory. The children of Israel had to wait forty years before entering the Promised Land. Although their faith was tested, God delayed the entrance, but He never denied the request. God uses time to qualify us for His best blessings.

As we remain persistent in prayer even when we are dealing with delays, it’s only a little while before we realize that our breakthroughs, healings, and miracles are on the way! Trust God’s timing!

Prayer:

Today I declare that all obstacles in my life are not fighting against just me, but they are going aginst the God of the universe who gave me my life mission and purpose. With this truth, I will continue to move forward with boldness and anticipation knowing that with you on my side, God, I have the majority and nothing can stop me from seeing Your vision come to pass in my life. Thank you, Jesus, that my freedom is here, that my moment is now, and blessings are upon me. Amen (copied)

Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. Colossians 3:14

The Super Bowl is history, Taylor made the game, and the Chiefs are once again champions! Now, Valentine’s Day is upon us, and this year, we have the unique opportunity to celebrate Ash Wednesday on the same day! This rariety offers us a chance to celebrate the people we love while celebrating the greatest love of all. Love is used as a verb during these events showing love in action.

One of the most meaningful parties in the kindergaten school year was always the Valentine’s party. It was a fun process for the children to create their own box in which to receive the Valentine cards which were sent to them from their classmates. Each child had their own list of the names of every one in the class which they would use to address each valentine with TO: on one line and FROM: on the other. Besides being fun, it was a great lesson in writing, letters, and spelling. The delight on their faces as they read and opened each Valentine was always fulfilling for them and us teachers. The love and acceptance they felt was so touching.

The gift of Ash Wednesday coinciding with Valentine’s Day this year is somewhat like a giant Valentine from Jesus to us. Ash Wednesday gets its name from the burning of the Palm branches from the previous year’s Palm Sunday processional. The ashes are made into a paste and mixed with olive oil to make the paste used to draw a cross on the forehead. The ashes remind us that dust we are and to dust we will return.

The journey of Lent before us is a time to build up our relationship with God. We have forty days to discover and walk through the ways and the degree to which Jeuss loves us. We prepare our hearts for the incredible offering of love that Jesus made on the cross for each of us. It is said that the greatest grand gesture of love in the history of the world was when Jesus stretched out His arms for you and for me on the cross. Love is a verb!

The one time of the year when chocolate takes the shape of a heart is the time we celebrate love. It’s heartwarming to see real love in action. The kind of love that isn’t self centered or self indulgent, but rather the kind of love that is sacrificial and selfless and only meant to be given away.

Chocolate filled heart boxes are everywhere as signs of our affection for those loved ones in our lives. Consider the ashes of Ash Wednesday as God’s committment of love and sacrifice to us.

This week we have a chance to recommit our time, energy, love and passion to the things John Wesley thought would honor God. He said, Do all the good we can, by all the means we can, in all the ways we can, in all the places we can, in all the times we can, to all the people we can, as along as ever we can.

It’s so fitting to celebrate Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday together this year. No one’s life is all chocolate, even those who we are sure have it all together. No one’s life is all ashes even though we can sometimes feel that way. Our lives are a blend of both chocolate and ashes just like wheat and weeds that grow together or sheep and goats that graze together. God has joined us together and His love is abundant enough for us all.

As we start our 40 day journey and pilgrimage, it is an individual journey for each of us. As we celebrate Valentine’s Day by biting the chocolate ears off the bunny, remember the ashes on the forehead and that Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday are pretty compatible. May we taste the chocolaty sweetness of the abundant life God offers even as we wash the gritty ashes of our messy life away. copied

This year, let’s make love a verb!

The believer replied, “Every promise of God proves true; He protects everyone who runs to Him for help. So don’t second guess HIm – He might take you to task.” Proverbs 30:4-6 The Message

February is here and with it comes what I like to call, the month of speculation. We speculated on whether or not the Ground hog would see his shadow this year, (he didn’t, so now we speculate on an early spring), we are speculating on who will win the Super Bowl, and we are speculating on whether Taylor will make it back from her tour in time to be at the big game. The half time show and commercials this year come in a distant second to the hype and speculation over the romance of Travis and Taylor.

The dictionary says that when we speculate, “we form a theory or a conjecture about a subject with no firm evidence.” It is so easy to play let’s speculate when a topic or thing comes up and no one really knows the answer, but we are all eager to participate.

For instance, our regular pool gang has been guilty of playing let’s speculate. There is a chance for this game whenever a certain guy who comes to the gym regularly decides to get on his phone to have a loud conversation, while walking around and around the pool deck. The behavior is so bizarre that when he is in there, we play let’s speculate! We ask questions such as, “Where do you think he was raised? Who has to talk on their phone constantly in public? Why would someone come to the gym only to walk and talk on the phone? Why would someone expose everyone to his conversation? Why would someone be totally oblivious to the annoying looks he’s getting?”

We could make a full length mystery movie at this point just from the ideas we have speculated. Sometimes the speculation becomes more and more outrageous. In our game, this guy has become everything from a frustated business man, to an illegal business owner, to a spy who spends all his time on the phone as his cover. The truth is, nobody knows the answer to any of our speculations.! We are just guessing and will never know the truth!

In this world of today, it is so easy to speculate about things of which we will never find answers. Things like: “Why do bad things happen to good people?” “Why can’t this world find peace?” “Where is God in all this?” “Why is Satan so powerful in this world?” “Will my life be better tomorrow?” “What will life be like for Christians in the future?”

The disciples questioned Jesus about many things to which they had no answer. Instead of answering, He told the them not to waste time speculating on things of this world but rather to be about the business of spreading the gospel.

If we liken this to a court room, we see that speculation occurs when a witness offers their opinion or makes educated guesses about what transpired; however, the witness may not testify about a matter of which he has no personal knowledge.

Jesus is like the witness in a court of law in that a witness is someone who can testify to what he or she has experienced or knows first hand. The witness here is not council for the defense or the prosecution but rather our Saviour who knows all. In Jeremiah 29:11, He says, for I know the plans I have for you, plans to take care of you, not abandon you, and give you the future you hope for. For this reason, there is no need to speculate! God’s got this!

Don’t waste this month in speculation, rather use this time enjoying God’s promises to us!

The disciples then rendezvoused with Jesus and reported on all they had done and taught. Jesus said, “Come off by yourselves. Let’s take a break and get a little rest. Mark 6:31 from The Message

When Randy and I got married in 1972, we received many gifts of what I like to call, “special occasion” items such as china, crystal and silver. However, one of the gifts that I enjoyed the most then, and still enjoy today is a crock pot. Before I left for a long day of teaching, I could just throw meat and vegetables in there, turn it on low, and it was ready and delicious when it was time for dinner.

In later years, the microwave became the way to cook a quick dinner, but it always lacked the flavor that slow cooking provides. It’s so easy to just microwave when we are in a hurry, but we sacrifice some so much the delicious elements that crock pot cooking provides.

It’s sometimes the same way with us in our lives. We like the advantage of having the ability to communicate quickly through emails, texts, and tweets, but the disadvantage is that it doesn’t cultivate in us a desire to think about things deeply. Just like the microwave, we lose much of the flavor a slower crock pot pace can provide.

A few days ago I was visiting with a friend who has been forced to slow down because of injuries. She had looked at the long recovery as a burden, but she has now realized that the crockpot life gives one a chance to slow down and catch up on the special things in life. Things such as reading a good book, compiling old pictures and writings, and taking time to reconnect with friends are so valuable.

We can’t microwave our personal growth; it takes a crock pot. When we take the crock pot method, we can gain a few things. First, we gain confidence in making decisions. There are many times when a snap decision is made, and it is something we regret in hindsight. We wonder if we made the right decision. and we become filled with doubt. When we use the crock pot method, we have time to think through our decisions and defuse any doubt. It can also give us confidence in making the next decision.

Next, the crock pot method gives us time to clarify the big picture. This encourages us to go back and ponder the things we’ve done and what we’ve seen. In order to keep from making the same mistake over and over, we have to stop and evaluate the process we used that led to our mistake. In other words, it helps us to see the whole picture and learn from it.

Finally, the crockpot method helps us to take a good experience and make it a valuable experience. It is said that we learn from experience. I would say that we learn from a valuable experience. An experiencee is valuable when it informs and equips us for what lies ahead.

In the above scipture, the disciples had been teaching and preaching, and they were on a microwave high when they reported all they had done and seen to Jesus. The Bible says that people were coming and going all around, and the disciples hadn’t even had time to eat. Jesus recognized that they needed to take a crockpot moment and process all they had seen and heard. He encouraged them to take a break and rest.

When we are in a constant hurry, it is a sign of an unprioritized life; one that is putting second and third things first. Jesus commanded us to rest every seventh day, but we want everything done today and we don’t have time for rest and reflection, so we use microwave maturity. In the process we are exchanging wisdom for information and depth for breadth. Just like crock pot cooking, depth comes slowly.

Jesus says Conme to me all ye who are weak and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Just like the disples, we have to learn that following Jesus can’t be done at a sprint; we can’t go faster than the One who’s leading. So, try some crock pot mentality this week, and savor the life giving experience of God’s grace and love.

Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:31

The project with top priority for me during these cold days of winter is cleaning out closets in the house. It is so easy to allow unused items to accumulate, and I have to really discipline myself to get it done. This past week as I emptied closets and went through items, I found things that my kids had worn years ago, little dresses Ashley had worn in my sister’s wedding, some of my Mama’s coats, and even some of the sweet little clothes I wore as a baby. My Mama kept everything!!

When I run across these items, it brings back a flood of memories, and I am tempted to pack them all back up, open the closet again, and put them right back to tackle another day. It’s important at times like these to be cathartic. When we are being cathartic, we are experiencing a process of cleaning out or releasing strong emotions according to Webster’s definition.

While assembling all the items to be donated and fighting the temptation to “rethink” parting with many things, it occured to me, that life can often be just like this experience. We are all guilty of harboring different emotions in our lives. Things such as resentment, unforgivness, anger, fear, guilt, and worry. We push the emotions into the closet of our lives and postpone dealing with them.

The thing is until we are cathartic and deal with whatever it is, we can’t move forward as we should in our lives. We have to get whatever emotions that bother us out of our lives and not look back. Don’t open the bag and take back all the things we have just closed up to give away. There comes a time when God says, “Because of the plans I have for you, you must put these things out of your life.” It seems straightforward enough, but it is not easy.

I take comfort in knowing that I am not the only one who has trouble being cathartic. I have a friend who says of situations that brought anger or hurt, “Just when I thought I was over it someone brings it up again, and it all comes roaring back into my life.” Yes, it’s not easy.

So, how do we clean out our closet and never look back? How can we be cathartic? First, it might be helpful to share the frustrations of the situation either with a close friend or even a counselor. Small groups can serve as counselors many times by providing confidants in which we can vent feelings, anger, and hurts that have been pushed down inside and pour it out.

Next, we need to set ourselves in a new direction. When we spend too much time focusing on ourselves, we get discouraged. We need to get our eyes off ourselves and try looking at the ways God can use us. He wants to give us a new purpose and a new direction!

Finally, we have to forgive ourselves for any perceived failures or mistakes. Whether it’s one mistake or failure or one hundred of them, God will pick us up and help us start all over again if we only ask.

Being cathartic doesn’t mean we have to let go of everything. Sometimes it just takes a little reorganization of our closets, our drawers, and our priorities. Start with one small thing at a time to achieve the goal.

Being cathartic helps us not only clean out our closets, but clean out our heart and souls as we take stock of our spiritual lives, our views on the world, and our sense of purpose. What things do we hold onto and what things can we clean out? Pray for guidance, wade into the clutter, and then let the cleaning begin!

Jesus reprimanded them, “Why are you such cowards? Such faith hearts?” Then He stood up and told the wind to be silent, the sea to quiet down: “Silence!” The sea became as smooth as glass. Matthew 8:26

This past week multiple storms passed through our area and the Southeastern United States bringing with them heavy rain, winds, and even tornados in some areas. When my sisters and I were growing up in South Georgia, storms were pretty severe in our area, and in order to weather them we practiced some very scientific methods to prepare ourselves for the worst of it.

We were all a little afraid of lightning, but the thunder was the most frightening. Everyone knows that light travels faster than sound, so we would wait until we saw a bolt of lightning, then begin to count “one Mississippi, two Mississippi,” and so on until we heard the thunder. According to our scientific Mama, that meant for each second we counted the storm was that many miles away.

I have read recently, however, that we had simplifed the process a bit. Evidently the total of seconds you count between lightning and thunder, you must divide that by five to determine when the center of the storm will hit! I still practice the old method of calculation, and it seems to actually work really well without getting the math involved!

Just like the storms in weather, storms come through every life and none of us are exempt. Most of the time these storms come with out advance notice, and we aren’t prepared for what lies ahead. Sometimes we think we would love some advance warning, but would we? Would it be better for us to be able to count down before bad times come in life and prepare, or would we really want to spend useless days worrying?

An unknown source said, Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. What would the knowledge of impending events do to our faith? The disciples from the above scripture experienced an unforseen storm, and these followers of Jesus were terrifed thinking they would die in the storm. All the while Jesus was in the hinder part of the ship asleep on a pillow. They awakened Him, and He rebuked the winds and the waves. The storm they were encountering was no surprise to Him, and He had it all in hand all the time.

We are much like those disciples when storms come our way, and we forget that God is still in control. Storms come in all areas of life including health, finances, friends, relationships, and so many other circumstances. There are reasons that we face storms in this life, but many times we don’t comprehend the purpose until after the storm has passed. Sometimes the storms come, and we never fully understand the exact purpose or reason, but our faith carries us through and we find our refuge and strength in Him.

I’ve heard it said that sometimes just the time we think things can’t get any worse, the storm in our lives intensifies. God knows how to get our attention, and in the midst of the greatest storm we have a tendency to wait until all our options have failed before we call on HIm. When we finally call on him, we realize that He’s been there all the time.

Years ago a storm devastated many families in Honduras. A reporter interviewed a woman who had lost everything. She said, “Yes, it was awful, and we have to start all over again, but the good news is that it brought our family back together again. We are closer than ever, and the community is bonding together like never before.”

The disciples did get through the storm and arrived safely on the other side. God wasn’t through with them yet! He had something else waiting beyond the storm. When the storms of life beat us down, it would be good to remember that there is life beyond the storm. God isn’t finished with us yet, either!

The words from a beautiful song say it best, When you walk through a storm, Hold your head up high, And don’t be afraid of the dark. At the end of the storm there’s a golden sky, And the sweet silver song of a lark. Walk on through the wind, Walk on through the rain, Though your dreams be tossed and blown. Walk on, Walk on, with hope in your heart, And you’ll never walk alone. Richard Rogers

This is the very day (year) God acted. Let’s celebrate and be glad! Psalm 118:24 The Message

This year as I was preparing the traditional New Year’s meal of black eyed peas, collard greens, sweet potatoes, cornbread, and pork, I remembered what a friend of mine does to enhance luck for the new year. This friend takes a shiny new penny (which has been sanitized), wraps it tightly in a small piece of foil and adds it to the pot of black eyed peas. The one who finds it is supposedly gifted with good luck for the upcoming year. It’s funny that something that would seem so obvious to see in a pot of peas is actually extremely difficult to find.

Randy and I ate the entire meal and did not find the penny. I stored the left overs, and it wasn’t until our second meal that it showed up! We celebrated our good luck while secretly relieved that we hadn’t ingested it without our knowledge.

The days of winter are upon us, and sometimes we long for things in our lives that make us feel that we are destined for a year of good luck! The days are short, dark, and sometimes lonely for many of us. It seems like a long time until spring.

The time from Christmas break until spring break was the longest for teachers and students during my career. We didn’t have all the “breaks” that are the norm these days, so we had to be creative and make each day special. In order to help make each day special, we named the days of the week thusly: Marvelous Monday, Terrific Tuesday, Wonderful Wednesday, Thrilling Thursday, and Fun Friday! Just like the penny in the peas, sometimes our good luck is hidden amongt the routine, rut, and busyness of each new day. It is up to us to make the days special.

I enjoy making New Years resolutions, but Randy has decided that his resolution for the year is not to make resolutions. I think that the resolutions give us a chance to look back over the year, count our blessings, and resolve to live every day in this new year with a fresh look at the potential that lies before us. We get to view each day as a gift from God, and celebrate the fact that today is one of the most valuable gifts we will every receive. When we receive a gift, what do we do? We thank the giver, unwrap the gift, and enjoy it!

Many times we find excuses for not living up to the potential that the gift of each day can bring. We are much like the story of a man who put an eagle’s egg into the nest of a farmyard chicken. The eagle hatched and grew up with a brood of chickens. All his life he did what the chickens did; scratched in the dirt for seeds and insects, clucked and cackled, and never flew more than a few feet off the ground. One day he saw a magnificent bird soaring gracefully above him. He asked the chicken next to him, “What is that beautiful creature?” The chicken replied, “That’s and eagle, the king of all the birds. Don’t give him any mind because you could never be lucky enough to be like him.” So the eagle took the chicken’s word for it and went back to being a chicken.

Who other than God should tell us that we aren’t lucky enough to live up to our potential? Who has the right to tell us that we can’t succeed or make an impact in the lives of others? Instead of looking for good luck in this next year in a pot of black eyed peas, a four leaf clover, or a horseshoe, we should look for ways to fulfill our God given potential in this world. We can never get back the days or moments that we miss, so we need to celebrate every day in this life and the people that God has placed in our path. This year is to be enojoyed not dreaded or regretted.

We have already found our good luck for this year when we realize that God has given us the potential to do great things this coming year! We are destined for a great year because God is with us!

Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you shall receive that your joy may be full. John 16:24

It is hard for me to believe, but the Christmas cards have all been sent and received, the hectic shopping is over, the packages have been opened, the carols have been sung, the meals have been consumned, and it is time to welcome a brand new year. The year of our Lord Twenty Thousand and Twenty Four is here whether we are ready or not!

During the height of the celebration where the candles are lit, the hymns are being sung, and the night is peaceful and full of love, it is easy to experience the joy that Christmas brings. Then, the lights come on again, the hymns fade away, and the reality of a new year hits us. What will it bring? How will we handle all that’s before us? How can we keep the joy in 2024?

When Handel wrote the Hallelujah Chorus, he did so with failing eyesight and the threat of dying in a debtors’ prison because of the mountain of outstanding bills. When he was aked later how he was able to complete his masterpiece, he credited one thing – joy! He said that he felt he would “burst with joy” at what he was hearing in his mind and heart. His work ended up being a cherished tradition and also a means for raising money for the poor and destitute. The joy of the Lord is our strength in 2024.

Embarking on a new year is much like the thought of entering a new and unexplored land. We just don’t know what lies ahead. As we enter the new year, there is a scripture which describes best what we should stand upon this year. “The land which you go to is not like the land from which you have come. The land which you cross over to possess is a land of hlls and valleys which drinks water from the rain of heaven. A land for which the Lord your God cares. The eyes of the Lord are always on it from the beginning to the very end of the year.” Deuteronomy 11:12

The beginning of a new year always hits me hardest when I pack up all the special Christmas things that hold so many memories and put them away for another year. I find myself smiling and remembering the sweet combined with the sad because in retrospect I can see God’s hand in it all.

When I was growing up in UMYF at our hometown church, one of the favorite songs was I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart. Down in my heart. Down in my heart. I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart, down in my heart to stay. I find myself singing it at different times of the day, and it does bring joy! The joy of a new year might seem elusive at this point, but we don’t have to dread what lies ahead. This year we can open our hearts to experience God’s love, mercy, faithfulness, goodness, and favor in our lives.

This year can be a year of stress, sorrow and struggle, or it can be a year of God given success, self worth, and growth. This year just like every year, God cares and is faithful, and as Jeremiah says, His mercies are new each morning. The Bible says it best, The joy of the Lord is our strength.

Happy New Year! Let’s keep the joy in 2024!