Diane Mickler's Blog

Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. Proverbs 31:28

It is that time of year where we offer our love, thanks, and appreciation to the Mothers in our lives. We all have a mother whether she be biological, adoptive, foster, or just a person who exhibits the qualities of a Mom to us. This year, our extended family is fortunate to be able to welcome a brand new Mom as we celebrate the birth of our niece and nephew’s first baby. Litte Daphne has made her entrance, and she has caused us all to celebrate the joy of new life and motherhood.

When God created male and female in His own image, He made them different and unique. That uniqueness doesn’t make one more important than the other, but it simply helps them to complement each other. And so, within the woman God created the ability to create children, and the deep desire to nurture. When a woman doesn’t have a family to nurture, she often uses that gift to nurture others.

This nurturing instinct explains why long before women were accepted as doctors, they were nurses. Before they were accepted as professors, they were teachers in school classrooms. When someone was needed to hold an office together, women were employed as secretaries. Only later when their full talents were recognized and honored did the world realize that women are both nurturers and intelligent business people.

Erma Bombeck is famous for many things, but she was very sensitive to Mothers. She wrote of mothers who for one reason or another don’t get to fulfill the traditional role, and she wrote of Mothers who have lost a child and the loneliness they feel on this day. She also wrote of the attributes of Mothers. One of the best tributes she wrote is entited When God Created Mothers, and I’d like to share it today.

When God created Mothers, He was in his sixth day of “overtime” when the angel appeared and said, “You are doing a lot of fiddling around on this one.”

And God said, “Have you read the specs on this order? She has to be completely washable, but not plastic. Have 180 moveable parts… all replaceable. Run on black coffee and leftovers. Have a lap that disappears when she stands up. A kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg to a disappointing love affair. And six pairs of hands. “

The angel shook her head slowly and said, “Six pairs of hands – no way.” “It’s not the hands that are giving me problems,” remarked God, “It’s the three pair of eyes that Mother’s need to have.” “That’s on the standard model?” asked the angel. God nodded.

One pair that sees through closed doors when she asks, “What are you kids doing in there?” when she already knows. Another in the back of her head so that she sees what she shouldn’t, but what she has to know, and of course the ones here in front so she can look at a child when he or she goofs up and say, ‘I understand and I love you’ without so much as uttering a word.

“God,” the angel said, “get some rest, tomorrow…” “I can’t,” said God, “I’m so close to creating something so close to myself. Already I have one who heals herself when she’s sick…can feed a family of six on one pound of hamburger…and can get a nine year old to stand under a shower.”

The angel circled the model of the mother very slowly and sighed, “She’s too soft.” “But tough,” said God excitedly. “You can’t imagine what this Mother can do or endure.”

“Can it think?” asked the angel. “Not only can it think, but also reason and compromise,” said the Creator.

Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger over the cheek. “There’s a leak,” she pronounced. I told You that You were trying to put too much into this model.”

“It’s not a leak,” said the Lord. “It’s a tear.” The angel asked, “What’s it for?” “It’s for joy, sadness, disappointment, loneliness, and pride,” said the Lord. “You are a genius,” exclaimed the angel.

Somberly, the Lord said, “I didn’t put it there.”

Happy Mother’s Day to each and every Mother! It’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it!! God has equipped us, and what a rewarding job we have been given!

And in Him, we were also chosen. We were destined to live to the glory of God, His purpose, by His will, so that we who were the first to set our hopes on Christ might live for the praise of His glory. Epheisians 1:11

This past week, the world resounded with shock as we woke up early Monday morning and learned of the death of Pope Francis! Just the day before we saw him ride through the crowds on the “Pope mobile”, touch the hands of many, and give an Easter address in Saint Peter’s Square at the Vatican. He seemingly ignored the advice of his doctors to avoid crowds and rest. Although he appeared visibly weak, his determinationto do God’s will and bless these people one last time was foremost on Easter Sunday. It is reported that his only regret was not being able to wash the feet of prisoners during his final visit.

We make all kinds of assumptioms as to the timing of his death. Many say it was a coincidence, maybe it was fate, or just luck that he died after he had taken, what I call, a “victory lap” on that Holy Day.

We tend to use words to try to explain things we don’t understand, however; there are three words that should never be in a Christian’s vocabulary: luck, coincidence, and fate. We should replace them instead with the word, Providence, which means to see in advance and to provide for. The word generally refers to divine guidance or care, and it usually describes prudence and fore sight. I think God’s providence was at work in his life and in his death.

The Westminister Confession of Faith written in the seventeenth century states: God, the great creator of all things, doth uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things from the greatest even to the least by His most wise and holy providence. Basically, God is in charge – not us!

Many of us can look back on our lives and see the hand of God’s providence in many situations. It could be a road taken, a decision that was made, or even an incident that had the profound hand of providence upon us. Peter Marshall was saved by tripping on a tree root when he was walking near a cliff on a foggy night, Randy changed his life’s path after a near death car accident, and a handful of people stepped out in faith to build a new church. These are situations where we see God’s providential hand.

God’s providence stands over and above our actions. Even Joseph was the recipient of God’s providence when he was betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery. His brothers tried to destroy him, but instead their efforts put him on the throne of Egypt and fulfilled God’s will. Later Joseph said, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result.” Genesis 50:20

Then there is the most heinous act of Judas’ betrayal of Christ which turned out to be about the best thing that ever happened – Christ’s atonement for our sins on the cross.

We, as human beings, have a limited perspective of the providence of God. Paul points out that we know “only in part” (1 Corinthians 13:9). When we get to heaven God may explain it all – or not. Until then we are left to just trust Him.

Often I have not known where I was going until I was already there. I have had my shares of desires and goals, but my life has come to me or I have gone to it mainly by ways of mistakes or surprises. Often I have received better than I deserved. Often my faintest hopes have rested on bad mistakes. I am an ignorant pilgrim crossing a dark valley. And yet, for a long time looking back, I have been unable to shake off the feeling that I have been led. Wendell Berry from his book, Jayber Crow

When we look back over our lives, I think the paths we have taken will be full of the providential hand of God. Rest in peace, Pope Francis, and thank you for being a man of faith and compassion.

He is not here. He has risen! Mark 16:6

Peter Marshall was a Scotish-American preacher who began his short, but remarkable career in a rural Presbyterian Church in Covington, Georgia. Although, he was quickly called to Westminister Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, then to New York Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC, and ended up as Chaplain of the U.S. Senate, I’ve always felt a kinship with he and his wife, Catherine. Our first appointment was in that same small rural community on the outskirts of Covington just a few miles from his first church, and I can identify with the bonds that are formed in these small communities as well as the trials.

It was this connection that prompted me to read some of the sermons preached by Dr. Marshall, and the book, A Man Called Peter, which was written by his wife, Catherine after his death at the young age of 46. The movie by the same name was released in 1955, and it was nominated for an oscar.

Dr. Marshall always ended each day by saying to Catherine, “See you in the morning!” rather than just the typical good night,sweet dreams, or sleep tight.   On the night on which he had his fatal heart attack, and the EMT’s were loading him into the ambulance, he held Catherine’s hand and said  his final words to  her which were, “See you darling!  See you in the morning.”

I love the fact that good-byes were never in his vocabulary because he knew there was no reason to bid another Christian a final good bye.  He was comfortable with the certainty of death, and he was confident that we will see each other in the presence of Jesus one sweet day.  

I also love the mental picture of seeing Jesus in the morning when the dew has fallen, the air is clean and sweet, and everything is quiet and still.  Could there be a more perfect example of heaven?

We have just experienced the glories of Easter, the hallelujahs, the hymns of resurrection, the flowers on the cross, and the large congregations gathered to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.  It has been such a celebration, but I wonder how many of us really think about the significance of the day.  Jesus fulfilled his promise, rose from the dead, and says to us, “See you in the morning.” Imagine thinkiing someone dear to you has died only to discover they are alive!

On February 27, 1991, Ruth Dillow was at her home in Kansas when she received the bad news from the pentagon that her son, Private First Class Clayton Carpenter had stepped on a land mine in the Persian Gulf and was dead.  Ruth was feeling a lot like the women who came to the tomb on that Easter morning with their hearts full of sorrow.  Three days later, Ruth got another call, and the voice on the other end of the line said, “Mom, I’m alive.”  Just like the women at the tomb who heard the words, “He is not here.  He has risen.  Jesus is alive!” Ruth witnessed a miracle!

We, as Christians, have just witnessed the miracle of Easter. Those that have left us already and arrived in heaven are witnessing a powerful display of His love. They are experiencing a sense of joy and peace, comfort and support, grace and forgiveness, and a sense of belonging which we can only imagine at this point.

The songwriter Charles Austin Miles wrote the beautiful hymn In The Garden in 1912. He was inspired by the Biblical account of Mary Magdalene’s visit to the empty tomb of Jesus and her encounter with the resurrected Christ “in the garden.”

The words give me a picture of what the words, see you in the morning might mean to us. I come to the garden alone; while the dew is still on the roses, and the voice I hear, falling on my ear, the Son of God discloses: And He walks with me, and He talks with me; And He tells me I am His own. And the joy we share as we tarry there, no other, has ever known.

This Easter promise is given to every Christian, and it says, see you in the morning.

It is true! The Lord has risen! He has risen indeed! Luke 24:34

This week we, as Christians, experience Holy Week. The week takes us from the Last Supper to the arrest of Jesus and subsequent mock trial,through the crucifixion, and finally to the resurrection.We experience a roller coaster ride of emotions as we walk through the week.

Many times, but especially during this time of year, I am extremely aware of things in this world that tangibly show the presence of Christ. Early Friday morning as I looked out the kitchen window, I saw the first hummingbird of the season. He drank from one feeder and then quickly buzzed by the others on his way to inform his friends of the find! These small creatures are poof of God’s presence in this world!

These “presences” remind me of the great sacrifices Jesus made on my behalf, and the crown He has for all of us in glory. Only one man who promised to rise from the dead kept his promise, and that man is Jesus. There are countless examples of others who made this claim, but Harry Houdini, the magician, is one who promised he would come back from the dead and talk to his friends. Some of his friends actually consulted mediums to see if there was any word from him from beyond the grave! There never was!

In order to keep His promise to us, Jesus suffered a horrendous death on the cross. The nails which pierced him represented all of our sins. He took on and felt the pain of our envy, anger, shame, discouragement, guilt, bitterness, and unforgiveness. Through all the suffering, not once did Christ use His powers for personal comfort. With just a word, He could have transformed the hard earth into a soft bed, hurled the spit of His accusers back in their faces, and paralyzed the hands of those who drove the nails into his flesh, but He didn’t. Instead, He cancelled the record of the charges against us and took it away by His suffering and death on the cross.

Satan set God up in order to bring him down, and for three days, it looked like Satan had won. Then, on the third day, Jesus rose from the dead and turned Satan’s plans upside down. He disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities and shamed them publicly by His victory over the cross. The resurrection is ultimate proof that He is Lord!

The greatest proof of the resurrection is found in the transformed lives of people all over the world. The story is told of the first world meeting between Bush and Putin where President Bush wanted to be sure they connected on a personal level. In order to do this, Bush brought up a story he had read about Putin. The story goes that Putin’s mother had given him a Christian cross, and Putin had it blessed while he was in Jerusalem. Bush had been touched by the story.

Putin told a story in response. He said that he had taken to wearing the cross, and one day he set it down in a house he had been visiting. Strangely, the house had burned down and all Putin could think about was that his cross was lost in the ruble. He visited the site after the fire, and he motioned for a worker to come to him so that he could ask him to look for the cross. The worker walked over to Putin, stretched out his hand, and showed him the already recovered cross.

Putin said to Bush, “It was as if “something” meant for me to have the cross,” inferring that he believed in a higher power. Bush replied, “President Putin, that’s what it’s all about, that’s the story of the cross.”

The story of the cross is that God intended it just for us.

The songwriter A.J. Ackley puts it like this: “You ask me how I know He lives, He lives within my heart.” Today Christ is working in this world. The thing Satan feared the most, the birth of the church with the power to change the world through the gospel has come to pass.

As we anticipate the celebration of Easter, I encourage you to look for the presence of God in the everyday things of this life.

Happy Easter!

The disciples brought a donkey and a colt, laid their clothes on them, and Jesus sat on them. A very large crowd spread their own cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the tress and spread them on the road. The crowd went ahead of him, and those that followed shouted “Hosannah to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosannah in the highest.” Matthew 21:7-9

There are many things I think about when I think about a parade. The parades in this day and time usually are led by a band. Loud music is played while onlookers cheer and clap. There are probably majorettes and flag twirlers who stop to do a small routine along the way, and the crowd goes wild!

Dignitaries and other important people ride by in convertibles or on floats and throw out candy to the crowd. The children in the crowd race to catch a glimpse of them and try to grab as much candy as possible. There is constant cheering and excitement!

The crowds for our parades these days are made up of many different people. There are parents, children, friends, school mates, grandparents, and many different onlookers who come for many different reasons.

Jesus’s entrance into Jerusalem makes me try to guess what it was like for Him. He rode on the back of a donkey, covered with cloaks of the disciples, and witnessed the crowd waving their branches and laying their own clothes down for the donkey to walk upon.

Although there were no bands, the Bible says there were “Hallelujahs”, “Hail the King,” and “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,” being shouted from the crowd. The whole town threw a party complete with a parade when Jesus came to Jerusalem on that day.

The people were much like the little boy who missed Palm Sunday at church because he was sick and had to stay home with his mother. When his Dad returned from church, he was carrying a palm branch. The little boy was curious and asked, “Dad what are you doing with that palm branch?” “You see,” said the dad, “when Jesus came into town, everyone waved palm branches to honor Him, so we got palm branches today.” “Oh man, ” the little boy said, “the one day I miss church, Jesus comes to town.”

In the above scripture, the people praised Jesus, but many of them praised Him for one of two basic reasons. First, they praised Him because of His miracles. He had healed the sick and raised the dead. These praised Him because He was serving them.

The second group of people praised Him because they saw in Jesus a way to be politically delivered from the Romans – to be set free as Israel had been set free from Egypt. They were all about the attitude, “What can you do for me, Jesus?”

The crowd on that day was made up of different people who had different agendas. Many gathered, threw down their coats, their palm branches, and shouted praises because it was the popular thing to do. It was trendy. Some were there with sincere motives, but on that Friday, there motives disappeared as they joined the mob shouting “Crucify Him.”

Jesus was the only one in that crowd on a mission, and that mission was to suffer and die on the cross for the sins of those he saw around him that day. The cloaks spread on the ground were only for the donkey – Jesus’ feet never touched any of them. I can imagine His agony as he thought how many times He had tried to get through to these people by sending prophets, working miracles, and preaching. He knew they were cheering because they needed him to tend to their agendas.

Jesus closed his day by visiting the temple there in Jerusalem. The scriptures say “He looked around and then left with his disciples to Bethany to the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus” to spend one of his last nights with close friends. He had fulfilled the scripture.

As we celebrate Palm Sunday this week, we should all be careful not to come to worship with any kind of personal agenda, but rather come with the mission of worshipping our Lord and leave with the mission of telling others about the sacrifice that He has made for us.

One man died for everyone. That puts everyone in the same boat. He included everyone in His death so that everyone could also be included in His life. 2 Corinthians 5:14 The Message

This past week, I had a chance to chat with a nurse at one of my doctor’s offices while I was waiting. Surprisingly, she enjoyed talking as much as I do, and when we moved through the usual conversation, she let me know that her daughter plays basketball for Pitt State. She went on to say that her daughter is a substitute for the team, and that she would probably get no playing time in the Final Four game on that night. I ended up watching the game and found her daughter on the bench where she remained until the final four seconds when she got into the game. It made me think of all those who sit on the bench but still put in the same amount of work without the recognition. Being a substitute isn’t easy in this life.

After my thirty years of teaching, I began to fill the gaps of my time after retirement by occasionally being a substitute teacher. I admit that I knew that substitute teachers provide the perfect excuse for students to break all the regular teacher’s rules, but I never imagined how stressful a day could be for the substitutes. It’s like the students had a meeting to dream up plans for things they could do to upset the routine of the day. I know they plotted because in their minds, a substitute doesn’t know their names, they don’t know their parents, and most importantly, they won’t be back the next day. The substitute had no authority. We were considered a stand in for the regular teacher. We weren’t the real deal, rather we were just a substitute.

A substitute is defined as a person or thing acting or serving in place of another. In this case it is another trained indiviual who comes in the absence of the regular teacher and is to facilitate learning.

There are other instances of being a substitute. In 1863, two years after the beginning of the Civil War, Congress passed The Enrollment Act which required every male citizen between the ages of 26-45 to enroll in the Army as a way of providing fresh manpower. However, the Policy of Communication allowed a drafted citizen to pay $300 to opt out of service. Grover Cleveland and John D. Rockefeller were two famous Americans who used this act. The act generated a huge amount of resentment especially between the wealthy and the poor who couldn’t afford to opt out.

The Power of Substitution Act was even more devasting. This policy allowed a draft eligible man to NOT join the Army if a substitute, that was otherwise exempted, could be found. It ended up causing massive problems because the troops chosen by substitution ended up being too old, too young, or in poor health. The policy was later abolished because the perfect substitute didn’t exist.

The word substitute seems to have some bad connotations, but not in the Bible which clearly teaches that Jesus was born to be our substitute. The Message in II Corinthians 5:21 says it this way; “For our sake, he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

We know He substituted for us on the cross, but how can we explain this deep love? We want to ask, “What does His love look like?” Look at the cross. If you had been the only person who ever lived, Jesus would have died just for you. But “what does his love cost?” you might ask. The answer is, Nothing! It comes with no strings attached. You didn’t do anything to deserve it, and when you mess up, you don’t forfeit it. Nothing can come between us and God’s love. Romans 8:23

Jesus was the perfect substitute which God sent in to take away our sins, and this sacrifice offers to each of us a path to forgiveness and reconciliation. The right substitute can win eternal life for us all. The best news is this substitute does know your name, He does know your parents, and He will be back every day for all of eternity!

The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. 1 Timothy 1:5

The whole point of what we are urging is simply love -love uncontaminated by self interest and counterfeit faith, a life open to God. 1 Timothy 1:5 The Message

This life offers us many moments in which we can celebrate our life so far, and in which we can laugh and remember the times shared with friends and loved ones which make life so special. This past week, I was able to celebrate a big birthday with some of my dearest friends. There was much laughter as we sat around a beautiful table to enjoy a “Swan House” type meal. I’m sorry, but there is no better lunch than chicken salad, frozen salad, quiche, and sweet tea!

During the jubilant conversation, one friend said, “I just have to tell you all that, as I look around this table, the one thing I love about you all is that you are real.” I loved that description of friends who are real about their life, their heart, and their faith. There’s nothing that we have been through in this life in which these girls are not there for each other.

When we are real, we emphasize authenticity, honesty, and living a life that is aligned with one’s true self, before God and others, encouraging transparency and rejecting facades. The Bible says that being real means being genuine and authentic and that God wants us to be who we are.

When Jesus picked His disciples, he did so after a night in prayer on a mountainside where he was seeking God’s guidance. In the morning, he called them together, and picked the twelve that were to be His apostles. These disciples came from various backgrounds including fishermen, a tax collector, and a zealot. When Jesus chose these men, He wasn’t looking for the strongest, the most handsome, or the most brazen. Rather, He was looking for real people. He chose people who could be changed by His love, and then He sent them out to communicate this love to others.

These disicples became His inner circle or His friends. They walked together, talked together, faced the elements together, ministered together, healed together, preached together, and I can imagine that Jesus could be real with them. Even though these men were real friends, in the end, one denied Him, one betrayed Him, and only one stood at the foot of the cross when He was crucified.

Jesus frequently went to a garden of ancient olive tress known as Gethsemane with His disciples to pray. On the night before His crucifixion after celebrating Passover, Jesus took His disciples there. At some point, he took three of them – Peter, James and John – to a place separated from the rest. Here, Jesus asked them to watch with Him and pray so they would not fall into temptaion, but they fell asleep.

Twice Jesus had to wake them and remind them to pray so they would not fall into temptation. This is especially poignant because Peter did fall into temptaion that very night when three times he denied knowing Jesus. These men were real friends to the Master; however, just like many of us, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Mark 14:38)

When we are real, there is no imitation and nothing artificial, but rather we are genuine. One of my favorite children’s books is The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery William Bianco, and it has a few paragraphs which offer insight into being real.

“What is real?” asked the rabbit when he and the skin horse were lying side by side near the nursery fender before Nana came to tidy up the room. “Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick out handle?”

“Real isn’t how you are made,” said the skin horse. “it’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become real.”

“Does it hurt?” asked the rabbit. “Sometimes,” said the skin horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are real, you don’t mind being hurt.” “Does it happen all at once like being wound up,” the rabbit asked, “or bit by bit?”

“It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the skin horse, “it takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or have to be carefully kept. Ususally by the time you are real, all your hair has been loved off and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints…and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all because once you are real, you can’t be ugly except to people who don’t understand.”

This part of the book is a beautiful metaphor for the value of authenticity and vulnerability. When we allow ourselves to become more real it is a blessing to those around us.

Don’t be obcessed by getting more material things. Be content with what you have. Since God assured us “I’ll never let you down, never walk off.” The Message Hebrews 13:5-6

It is feeling a lot like spring everywhere we go. The weather is warmer, the flowers are blooming, and the stores are displaying all the new spring fashions. When we think of spring, many of us begin to turn our minds toward “spring cleaning.” This is the annual event where we spruce up our homes inside and out after a long winter of the doldrums due to inactivity.

For most women, the spring season involves the annual “switch out the closet” event which is basically replacing winter pieces of clothing, shoes, jackets, etc., with spring ones. Sometimes this can consist of just moving clothes from one closet to the other, but this year, things are different. This year our church is participating in a program which allows us to simplify our closets while at the same time, make a donation to Must Ministries. The first step is to grab a garbage bag. The program asks us to take one item from our closet each day for the forty days of Lent and put it in the bag. The bags will then be collected and distributed after Easter Sunday.

This idea has worked well for me because it’s not done all in one day, but rather I have forty days to sort through things. However, clothing isn’t the only thing we need to work on! We all have a need to simplify many things, not just material things, in our lives. We are bombarded on a daily basis with emails, phone calls, responsibilites, pressures, schedules, obligations, TV ads, and the weight of everyday life. We need to simplify and drop some of the load we carry.

On a recent radio broadcast, Dennis Rainey talked about Double Eagle II, the first hot air balloon to cross the Atlantic Ocean. The men piloting the magnificent craft caught an air corridor that carried them all the way across the Atlantic, but when they were just on the coast of Ireland, they flew into heavy cloud clover and ice began to form on the balloon’s outer shell. They dropped from twenty thousand to ten thousand feet in a matter of hours. They did everything they could to save the balloon. They began to throw out cameras, food rations, even a glider with which they had planned to land. At about four thousand feet, they radioed their position and then threw the radio overboard. Finally, they descened low enough to catch the rays of the sun, the ice fell off, and they soared to France. We all need to simplify and lighten our load so we can soar through this life.

The scripture above was written to tell Christians to be content with what they have and be comforted in the fact that God will never leave them. Charles Shedd pastored a large church with many demands. He and his wife created a simplicity list to share with the congregation. It’s a perfect reminder for me.

First, remember why you are here. We simplify our lives by putting God’s will first. Then, drop useless goals. Next, make sure you need to simplify. Sometimes our problem is inertia because we don’t do enough! Then, remember you can’t do everything. If God had intended you to be six people, He would have divided you up. Leave some of the jobs to others. Live one day at a time. Plan and hope for the future, but don’t live there. “Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matt. 6:34) Live well today and tomorrow’s strength will come.

Then, wherever you are – be there! Stop thinking that happiness comes at a certain time every day or with certain people. Live in the present. Next, develop a hobby. A change of activity keeps you fresh. Time spent playing is time well spent. My personal favorite is, You can’t slow the world, so slow yourself. Learn to gear down. When you can’t alter the pace, alter yourself. Finally, adopt the perfect pattern. Follow Him as He lives a mighty life in quiet confidence.

Thoreau said, Our lives are frittered away by detail…simplify, simplify. I think he means that we should discard the unnecessary and embrace a simpler more intentional life. Don’t get bogged down with material possessions and life’s pressures. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Phillippians 2:5

We all have garbage bags just waiting to be filled! Simplify!

If you say, “Hey, that’s none of my business”, will that get you off the hook? Someone is watching you closely, you know, someone who is not impressed with weak excuses. Proverbs 24:12 The Message

We are not quite a week into the season of Lent, and most of us are in the process of either fasting, praying, or “giving up” something in observance of the season. Unfortunately, many of us are probably already offering excuses about why the process isn’t working for us. We have tried it for a few days, and it’s just not working!

As a kindergarten teacher, my colleagues and I have heard probably every excuse imaginable offered by students as well as their parents to explain the inability to complete and turn in lessons on time. The most popular excuses were: I left it at home, I had a game last night, I forgot, and the ever popular, the dog ate it!

An excuse is defined as an attempt to lesssen the blame attached to an offense or to defend or justfiy an action. Many times we find it convenient to blame others when we lack the courage to accept the responsibility for our own behavior or mistakes.

The art of making excuses is not a new phenomenon. In Luke’s gospel, Jesus shares the story of a man who was preparing a great banquet, and he had invited many guests. It was the custom then, as it is now, to send formal invitations to such a special event quite a long time in advance. Then, as the actual date approached, a more personal invitation was extended.

According to scripture, instead of receiving the invitation excitedly, the guests began to make excuses. The first said, “I have bought a field, and I must go see to it. Please excuse me.” Another said, “I got married, so I can’t come.” Still another said, “I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I am on the way to try them out. Please excuse me.” Not one person simply said, “I will not come,” rather they simply made up excuses to cover up the fact that they did not want to come.

We’ve all made excuses for things we either don’t want to do or things we are just too lazy to do, but we need to realize that excuses show the inability to accept responsibility and they are the hallmark indicator of the lack of character and maturity. We make a thoughtful list of things we might “give up” for Lent, but unfortunately many of us lack the determination to follow through to the end. We blame circumstances and the reality of life for our failure.

When God came looking for Adam in the Garden of Eden and asked for an explanation of eating the forbiddem fruit, Adam made excuses for himself and blamed everyone but himself for the failure to defend the Garden from the evil one. At this point, denial and blame entered the world.

A respected counselor wrote: All blame is a waste of time. Regardless of how much fault you find, it will not change things. The only thing blame does is keep the focus off you when you’re looking for reasons to explain your unhappiness or frustration. Blaming others is often just a way of avoiding the truth about yourself.

In the late ’60’s and early 70’s, the comedian Flip Wilson made quite a name for himself by popularizing the expression, The devil made me do it, through his character Geraldine Jones. Everytime Geraldine was tempted to do something that was totally unacceptable, her excuse was that the devil made me do it. The character Flip Wilson created was hysterical, but the excuses were far too familiar to most of us.

The Bible makes it clear that Satan can’t force his desires on humankind, but he can deceive us into making destructuve choices and excuses. When Jesus is in our lives, the devil can’t make us make excuses for our actions because we are listening to Him and making choices according to His will for our lives.

As we enter a new week in the season of Lent, remember the words of Benjamin Franklin, “He that is good at making excuses is seldom good for anything else.”

We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love Him. Romans 8:28

Most of us have heard of Murphy’s Law, and we probably have repeated it on many occasions, The law simply says, “If something can go wrong, it will go wrong.” The source of this law is Edward A. Murphy, Jr., who was one of several engineers who designed and experimented with a rocket sled for the U. S. Air Force in 1949 which was intended to test human acceleration tolerances. Of the 16 sensors that were installed, every single one was installed in the opposite way! In response to this Murphy said, “If there’s any way to do it wrong, he’ll find it!”

Murphy’s Law can be related to the Law of Variation. For example, “If you change lines at the grocery store, the line you just left will begin moving faster, and the one you are in will move slower; or as soon as you find a product you really like, they quit making it!” The general laws also include things like, “Nothing is as easy as it looks, and everything takes longer than you think.”

Murphy’s Law means different things to different groups. For instance, for men, it might suggest that “As the value of a tool increases so does the chance that it will be lost, broken, or stolen before the project is completed.” Women might suggest that “The smudge on the window is always on the other side of the glass and it’s always the highest window.” For seniors, the law might suggest that “Placing any item in a “safe” place guarantees that it will not be found again until long after it is needed.”

All of us can probably identify with Mr. Murphy at times. He was not an optimist, for sure, but we do live in a glass half empty kind of world. However, with this mindset, who can enjoy life if we think it has to be lived by this philosophy? Have you ever noticed that when people expect the worst, it happens?

Thankfully, God’s law totally disagrees with Mr. Murphy. The world might expect Murphy’s Law to operate in their lives, but at Christians, we need to resist that kind of thinking and think of things as God would have us see it. Here’s what God’s Law as opposed to Murphy’s Law might say. First, “If anything can go right, it will.” Secondly, “Nothing is as difficult as it looks.” Next, “Everything is more rewarding than it appears.” Finally, “If anything good can happen to anybody, it wll happen to me.”

The story is told of a businessman who came to speak to a small town’s Chamber of Commerce. His job was to help them see the positive rather than the negative of their community. He took a large piece of white paper and drew a red dot in the center. “What do you see?” he asked them. On person answered, “I see a red dot.” “What else do you see asked the businessman?” One by one the audience chimed in “A red dot.” Finally, the speaker said, “You have missed the most important thing; you missed the paper.”

We often let the negatives or the small things in life prevent us from seeing the positives. Think how much more we could enjoy life if we lived by God’s Law and not Murphy’s. God has a great life for each of us that he wants us to enjoy to the fullest. Instead of expecting the worst and blowing everything out of proportion, rely on God’s law and not Murphy’s.

As we begin the forty day period of prayer, fasting, and preparation known as Lent, remember all things work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.