Category: Uncategorized (Page 14 of 26)

One beautiful Fall day, several years ago, while visiting with an elderly friend, I snarked, “Folks at that house down the road were just sitting on the porch in rocking chairs! It is Wednesday! How do they have time simply to sit on the porch rocking? In the middle of the day!?” Full disclosure; I was in the midst of writing my doctoral dissertation. The theme of my dissertation was—now get this—“Time Management….” My every moment—among work, family, and working on this degree—pressed my timeframe. My friend said quietly (and politely), “Maybe they were taking a break from the hard work they had been doing.”

How blind we can be when we are all-consumed in a project (or our own little fiefdom). Rest is important for the human body; mind, and spirit. No! It is vital. Most of us don’t get enough actual rest. Before I started writing this week’s installment, I needed to contact a businessman about a matter for tomorrow. But it was after hours. My daughter said, “Text him. He’ll respond, even after hours.” And that is true. Work hours have virtually morphed into the captivity of cyberspace—crashing into our circadian rhythm. CNN reported on a sleep study where…participants (who) were in good health, with no history of diabetes or shift work, (lack of rest could) affect circadian rhythm…

Multitasking is a myth. Merriam-Webster’s definition of a myth is appropriate here; a popular belief or tradition that has grown up around something or someone. This pretty well describes the enduring mantra of multitasking. It is not possible to multitask—not if you take a task seriously. The human mind is marvelous! And ideas, memories, and other visions swirl there. But to focus on something important requires focus and accountability. The distracted driving issue—especially using a cell phone while driving—should be sufficient evidence. I won’t beat this horse to death, but you get the point.

Many health studies reveal that most Americans don’t get enough rest. The results tend to hover between thirty and thirty-five percent of our population suffers from sleep deprivation or stress. Rest is vital for better mental health, increased concentration, and memory, a healthier immune system, reduced stress, improved mood and even a better metabolism. (INTEGRIS Health, Oklahoma). This is not news; ancient writings point this out. When God created all things he rested. And the record that God rested is “carved in stone.”

And the medical community chimes in;–A lack of sleep at night can make you cranky the next day. And over time, skimping on sleep can mess up more than just your morning mood. Studies show getting quality sleep on a regular basis can help improve all sorts of issues, from your blood sugar to your workouts. (Webmed). So. It seems important to take rest seriously. A variety of contemporary companies already provide ways for employees to take a nap, rest breaks, etc. during the workday.

The Bible offers seven different passages saying—Six days you shall labor and do all your work—–rest is warranted. This passage is found in a variety of unmistakable ways—and they are not all simply quoting Exodus 20: 9; This message is found in different passages in the Bible, and/or different contexts. So there we have it—from ancient wisdom down through modern medical messages; Take a rest!

©Copyright Willis H. Moore 2022

There are several hardwood trees in our front yard. Between the house and street a half dozen Oak and Hickory nut trees tower over our driveway. The summer-time shade they provide is excellent; that and cool breezes make for a pleasant respite after tending flowers and such. Abundant nuts fall from those trees. I lived in South Georgia most of my life—among ubiquitous Pine trees; their needles fell year round. Hickory and Oak trees shed nuts and leaves shed in the fall. They fall with a vengeance; the nuts can be hazardous, in that they don’t “give” when stepped on—which can be somewhat like stepping on a skateboard.

Hickory nuts are tough; I used a framing hammer and a small anvil to crack one open. It hardly seems productive to work so hard for the meager meat from one nut. I did, however find an experiment, on YouTube that kinda solved the problem. The clip is more than ten minutes long,(it is hilarious!) but they cracked (pun intended) the Hickory nut code—in a manner of speaking. If you are really hard up for a Hickory nut “fix,” you might find their experiment helpful.

Last year, our Oak trees “blessed” us with a virtual carpet of acorns!—far more than the squirrels could eat or store! I like a variety of nuts, so I wondered if acorns could also be made edible(when I was a child, I tried one; Yuck) ? Recently an article in The Old Farmer’s Almanac showed up; it gave directions for roasting acorns. The process is long and convoluted. I have not yet tried it, but it promises results; good results, it says.

We all tend to depend on getting our food “off the shelf”—usually pre-prepared, often processed. We may have lost the knowledge of 1) wonderful— inadvertently homegrown —foods right at our doorsteps; or 2) how to prepare delicious foods that can result. A few tasty and good-to-eat foods come to mind; Pokeberry, Dandelion, Purslane, Wood Sorrel (leaves look a little like three-leaf clover), —your County Extension agent can tell you more. A caveat is that our dependence on pesticides and processing may create some health problems.

This is not a poster for Environmental issues (though I am not above doing one!), —but it could be one. I’m speaking about God’s extravagant provision for us. God’s creation and procreation provide abundantly for all creatures. Far more seeds are produced than necessary; more leaves, blossoms, needles and sprouts. It is extravagance in a good sense; to provide for the continuation of all Creation. More than needed are produced so that a few might thrive.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if humankind did likewise; I mean, could we produce more kindness than could ever be hoped for; more love than anyone anticipated; more caring for our communities than could ever be expected!? Doesn’t the writer to the Hebrews put it wonderfully? “…Let us out do each other…” ( in these things.). There is always more that we can do to make life better for each other. We simply need to pay attention.

It should not take a disaster like Hurricane Ian to bring out the best in us—caring, cooperation, helpfulness, and compassion—such as came forth over the last few weeks. These things should fall as spontaneously as the nuts fall from the trees! We have abundant capacity; nay, we have extraordinary capacity! We simply need to give release to it—maybe like an Oak or Hickory Nut tree releases showers of nuts.

©Copyright Willis H. Moore 2022

Several years ago, I visited Estonia. I was unaccustomed, but amused, to see road signs posting “Watch out for Moose;” I was also unaccustomed to seeing large piles of stones at the edges of cultivated fields; there were piles of stones at the edge of almost every field I saw. The land was very stony; in order to grow crops in their fields, farmers gathered offending stones into piles beside their fields. Usually they left the pebbles that were small enough that farm equipment could navigate through them. It was large enough a task just to remove the large stones and boulders, not to mention farming such brutal soil.

Nevertheless Estonian farmers had beautiful, productive crops. I could only imagine the back-breaking, long hours of work that went into clearing stones from their fields. But the necessity of growing food for themselves and their animals was a powerful internal motivation. As John Wayne said in the western movie Stagecoach, “A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.” A statement not restricted to the male persuasion; any one of us, facing stony ground against seemingly impossible odds, hopes to rise to the occasion. (Which often) happens when someone performs at a higher level when faced with a new challenge. Sometimes situations arise that are impossible to prepare for, and people need to rise up to the occasion. (Quoted from TedXMileHigh).

The Apostle Paul pointed out that those who live by their own way, and not by faith, put a stumbling stone in the path of their, and others,’ spiritual journey (RWV “The Revised Willis Version). And of course our current vernacular is replete reminders that we can become a stumbling stone in someone’s journey. On another occasion, Paul gave the Church of Galatia a proper scolding, taking them to task about how they were being stumbling blocks (My term here). Then he offered positive guidance to them by teaching them about—- -fruits of the Spirit, as an authentic means for centering their lives.

Stones also have positive meanings. The Vietnam Wall, although much sorrow and many tears, are experienced daily as throngs of visitors tarry there. That stone memorial stands with permanent reminders of lives sacrificed in answer to the Nation’s call to duty. In a powerful, far too inadequate a way, it represents our Nation’s thanks for their loyalty. As Bob Dylan sang, …how many ears must one man have, Before he can hear people cry? Yes, and how many deaths will it take ’til he knows that too many people have died?

There is for me, a prominent mention of stones is in the book of Joshua. After forty years, and generations of wandering in the wilderness, the Children of Israel finally crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land. By then Moses had died, and Joshua was their leader. At their crossing, Joshua commanded one man from each of the twelve tribes bring a stone from the riverbed. The twelve stones were placed as a memorial to their crossing. Joshua said, when your children ask you “What do these stones mean?“ you can tell them about this miraculous victorious crossing. (Emphasis Added). The story lives on from the stones.

©Copyright Willis H. Moore 2022

Sorry! But if you were expecting a meteorological treatise—this isn’t it. This is a “My whether,” or a “your whether;” you know the kind—you face a choice, or dilemma. Somehow, you must decide whether to choose this or that, or it will be decided for you. I remember as a child, standing in front of the glass display case of candy in my grandfather’s country store—trying to decide; “whether” to get one of those double “Mary Janes” or a chocolate covered bon bon, with the one coin I had. It was a weighty, well, “Whether!”

As adults, “whether” decisions can still be difficult for us, sometimes even cataclysmic. Over the years, we all have faced making difficult educational, vocational, social, and varieties of other decisions; nearly all of them face a “Whether.” Some decisions may have hinged upon deciding to make an apparently innocuous phone call, or responding to a voicemail. Reflecting on some decisions we may wonder how different would life be now, on this side of that decision.

No decision is made in a vacuum. Back in the mid 20th century, Vance Packard wrote a book, “”The Hidden Persuaders.” It was an “early warning,” in a manner of speaking, about how Madison Avenue—-and its iterations—manipulates our choices. It is much more so now. Everything we come in contact with tends to guide our choices; media, colors, placement of products, message contents, even the flowers placed around buildings are there with a message. We know that, and mostly have learned to filter our choices for the better.

It is a bit harder to make purely personal decisions, especially in the ubiquitous Social Media realm. We know this, but often ignore what the manipulative algorithms choose for us through the content that gets into our electronic devices. But we often tend to make Faustian deals with the Internet and find ourselves in a love-hate relationship with it. Britannica says, a Faustian bargains are by their nature tragic or self-defeating for the person who makes them, because what is surrendered is ultimately far more valuable than what is obtained, whether or not the bargainer appreciates that fact.

There are better ways to bring joy and richness to life than relying on the “Hidden Persuaders.” Changing our playgrounds and playmates can be a dramatic start. It takes intentional effort and clear decision making to move the narrative of you life more into your own realm. The Apostle Paul offers superb guidance; Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould. It’s a little like a visit with the doctor; “Doctor, it always hurts when I do this!” to which the doctor says, “Then stop doing it.” It is a silly retort, but with punch. We tend to create much of our own sorrow or joy. Choose joy.

When Jesus spoke of life’s difficulties and worries, he admonished his followers to take one day at a time. Each day, he said, will have worries of its own, without adding to worries you already have. Jesus taught his disciples to recognize the gifts and splendor they enjoy daily, and to receive them joyfully. How quickly and easily we overlook the better side of our daily “Whethers!”

©Copyright Willis H Moore 2022

The poet Robert Frost, at his writing desk, noticed a speck on the white sheet before him. He paused. Was it a a drop of ink, or a bit of dust? While he paused, he noticed the speck move, and he contemplated its presence and movement; He said,

I have a mind myself and recognize
Mind when I meet with it in any guise
No one can know how glad I am to find
On any sheet the least display of mind.

Reading these lines of Robert Frost’s opens myriad thoughts; How often have I glossed over a fecund opportunity portending to expand my universe, because I did not pay attention!? A spot on a paper, a loose brick, a discolored roof, a dangling Oak leaf, or a simple, if brief, refreshing, cool breeze stirring a sultry summer evening; any one could be a peek into a fresh world of contemplation.

There was once an intellectual exchange between Jesus and a Jewish lawyer. This brilliant leader had sincere questions for Jesus. Questions so deep and so personal that he risked ridicule from his peers, and therefore, under the cover of darkness, sought out Jesus for answers. He expected deep, intellectual answers. As usual, profound answers are often disarmingly simple; Jesus said to this young man, “listen, Nicodemus. Listen to the Wind, Nicodemus. It is not as complicated as you think it needs to be. Listen to the wind. Pay attention.”

Naaman, a highly regarded General in king of Aram’s army, had Leprosy, an apparently incurable skin disease. Naaman heard that the prophet Elisha could heal him. King Aram sent Naaman to Elisha, loaded down with gifts of wealth, hoping to pay for his healing. Here again, the simplicity of Elisha caught this mighty man unprepared. The healing was so simplistic that Naaman almost refused it.

Maybe you too, have moments such as Robert Frost or Naaman; you almost missed a moment of magnificence. I know I have. A glimpse of grandeur need not be that rare. Too often, as do I, maybe you think you don’t have time to tarry, to ponder petty—or thought to be petty—moments. By wearing such blinders we can miss a moment of golden epiphany. There is a Greek word that captures the essence of such a moment; kairos a time when conditions are right for the accomplishment of a crucial action— such as seeing your child take that first step. Oh, you will see other steps, but that first step. once taken, is gone.

There are some who scoff at science research and call it “learning more and more about less and less.” But if scientists, such as Dr. Amber Schmidtke PHD had not already been tracking the early evidence of COVID-19, who knows how much worse the devastation of the Pandemic would have been. I have friends here at Emory University and at the CDC who daily do work that would drive me nuts; so much meticulous work and yet, they are treasures beyond measure. It gives a whole new nuance to words of the song, Little things mean a lot.

Crystal Gayle made the song, Little things mean a lot famous. Here are a few lines from the song; Give me your arm as we cross the street
Call me at six on the dot
A line a day when you’re far away
Little things mean a lot. Crystal Gayle:

Life is made up of little things; cells in your body are building blocks, seconds in a minute constitute hours, and every breath you take, adds to your life— Little things—even “a considerable speck”—mean a lot. What speck has spoken to you?

©Copyright Willis H. Moore 2022

My grandmother’s brother, Uncle Jule, lived next to the Central of Georgia Railroad track that ran through the middle of Oconee, GA. As a child, I visited him and Aunt Eula a few times. Main street separated his picket fence from the railroad track. I remember the Central of Georgia locomotive 509 whooshing by; the deafening sound of its six-wheel steeldrivers pumping mightily. It was awesome. It was the beginning of my fascination with trains.

Almost in the blink of an eye, diesel locomotives replaced the old steam engines. Or so it seemed. I Never lived near a railroad track, and when Uncle Jule died, the transition of locomotive types missed my attention—but not my fascination with trains. Over the years, I became friends with a few people whose fathers were railroad men. Their stories kept the magic of trains alive for me—that and the memories of model train pages in the Sears Christmas book.

Memories have a way of tattooing themselves into our brain; time, place, surroundings, thoughts at the time, scents, even colors and sound. This Sunday, September 11, 2022 will refresh in vivd ways the Twin Towers Tragedy. For some it not only lingers longer, but also in painful ways recounts vivid memories—where they were and what they were doing. For most of us, we too, relive vivid recalls of 9:11 a.m. 9-9-11. And yesterday, Thursday, September 8m 2022, (this time a bittersweet memory) added yet one more graphic memory milieu to our trove: The Queen is dead.

Such dramatic, world encompassing, memories do not happen every day: November 23, 1963, the assassination of John F. Kennedy, June , 1968, the assassination of The Rev Martin Luther King, Jr. April 4, 1968, the assassination of Robert Kennedy, August 19, 1972, August 2, 1990, the start of the Gulf War. —to name a few. As do many (maybe most) of you I recall vividly where I was, the ones with me, and many other details.

Memorials and public expressions of the memory of such loss and sadness are observed. These memories not only honor those whose lives were lost, but also offer the opportunity for contemplating the repair of our souls; both individual and collective. To be sure, a moment of silence, a wreath laid at a monument, not even parades are sufficient to solace such grief. But it is something of a pin put down marking the spot—-an acknowledgement of the mortality of us all.

Being mortal gives us an indelible connection with our fellow human beings. It offers opportunity for us to grieve with those who grieve and to rejoice with those who rejoice. As a means of marking our mutual humanity we place memorial stones. There is a long history of such markers. There are a couple of places in the Old Testament that stand out to me; The first is Jacob’s encounter with God, where he marked what he called Bethel-“The House of God.” The other one is when upon crossing into the Promised Land the Lord directed them to place memorial stones as a means of teaching future generations the significance of this crossing.

I am a member of The United Methodist Church which observes only two Sacraments; Baptism and Holy Communion. In the Sacrament of Holy Communion, the words of Jesus,, “…do this in remembrance of me,” are spoken. We do not hold that something magical happens as the incantation is given, but we do acknowledge the Presence of God, a the power of that Presence as we remember the sacrifice Jesus made for all. Memory is a powerful motivator. Last week Uvaldi, Texas came alive out of powerful memories of the 21 of its students and teachers were gunned down in their school last year. It was powerfully bitter-sweet.

Gwen Kendall Hall, a relative of mine did consummate research into the origin of my home church, The Deepstep United Methodist Church. She discovered that one of John Wesley’s ordinands held a class meeting in the home of a church member, launching the church. Her research was so thorough and detailed that the United Methodist Historical Society designated Deepstep United Methodist Church a historical site. Although this sign is not a stone, it is yet one other way of marking significant mileposts in the life of that church. Here’s the Marker.

©Copyright Willis H. Moore 2022

The Vietnam War began to boil over in the late 1960’s; communal stress infected the USA like an epidemic, intensifying the “Cold War” gloom—that still hovered like The Sword of Damocles. Hardly anything steals joy more than living under the specter of fear! Enter—Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-in, bringing torrents of laughter. It was created in September 1967 to be a one-episode, idiosyncratic, slapstick, television comedy show. It touched a deep cord of human hunger for humor in the American public! Its unbridled sheer laughter was both sunshine and refreshing rain for our parched souls. Four months later, launched as a series, Laugh-in exploded onto TV unseating a Monday night mainstay, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. After Laugh-in, many of the original comedians—such as Goldie Hawn and Lily Tomlin became solid comedy personalities.

Good humor is vital to a healthy life. A solid precursor to the idea that humor-helps-health, may be found in the Book of Proverbs:it is good medicine—a happy heart tends to be a healthy heart. But hold your horses here; let’s linger on the laughter matter: Almost everyone enjoys a good joke, or humorous story. Vacation misadventures often become treasured family humor stories, told and retold for years.

And then there are the “Dad Jokes!” (“Bad Jokes” —my daughters call them.) There are tons of Dad Joke books—some better than others; bookstores have whole sections of jokebooks. People love to laugh—especially, a good belly-laugh. Laughter is like refreshing rain of a dry field; cleansing, nourishing, and refreshing

Humor should never be used to embarrass, belittle, or otherwise cause hurt or harm in any way. Appropriate laughter can loosen tense situations, and often brings cogent insight to discussions. Whether you’re guffawing at a sitcom on TV or quietly giggling at a newspaper cartoon, laughter does you good. Laughter is a great form of stress relief, and that’s no joke. A good sense of humor can’t cure all ailments, but data is mounting about the positive things laughter can do.(The Mayo Clinic).

An ironic episode of laughter in Bible is in the book of Genesis; Sarah (90 years old) overhears messengers telling her husband, Abraham, that she would get pregnant and bear a son. She couldn’t hold it back. Sarah laughed! Abraham apparently had not told Sarah, that he, too, had laughed earlier when the Lord told him, 1) that at 93 years old—and childless— he would become the father of nations and , 2) that—Sarah would bear him a son! Abraham laughed—-as Sarah would later when she heard that news!

Their laughter was not entirely joyous humor—-it came as much from disbelief as derision of this bizarre news. To paraphrase Mary Poppins, “….a little bit of (laughter) makes the medicine go down…” However, after little Isaac was born, lots of laughter likely filled the tent as he grew up. The Bible is peppered with references to laughter (not all are warm-fuzzies). These verses from Psalm 126 illuminate the joy of laughter; The Israelites had experienced a dramatic change of their circumstances. God had blessed them mightily; their immediate response was joyful laughter!

Let this truism linger long: Laughter helps tide us over in the dark times of life whether through pain, sickness, grief, loneliness, disappointment, frustration or anger. Paige, my late wife, always recognized that she was not the only one suffering. Often she said, “Everyone is dealing with something.”, thus we focused on filling life with laughter. Yep Laughter is like a good medicine!

©Copyright Willis H. Moore 2022

My seventh grade history teacher was fresh out of the Marines. He was also the principal of the school, and the coach for the girls’ and boys’ basketball teams. Whenever I attempted something I thought too difficult for me, he pushed me; afterward he would remark with an affable grin, “Now, was that hard!?” I usually blushed and thought, “Well it wasn’t as difficult as I had first thought..”

Some years ago, while my in-laws were visiting we watched an acrobatic performance on TV. A young lady was completing a series of seemingly impossible body contortions throughout her performance. Upon her successful completion of those difficult moves, my father-in-law said, dryly, “She didn’t learn to do that since just last Thursday!” Almost anything a person does with great success, routinely starts off with some degree of difficulty; a child learning to walk, learning to ride a bicycle, learning Latin, or performing brain surgery; little, and usually difficult steps are the beginnings of success.

Difficulties can make you stronger, more able to deal with the challenges of life. Notice that I said, “…can…” Simply being difficult, does not make it a curriculum for success or even overcoming an obstacle. But the opportunity is there, and may even be the precursor of accomplishment. Sharon Greenthal Blogged; The idea that “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” is based on the theory that by going through difficult experiences, people build up their strength for the next, possibly more painful event that may occur. While this may not be “the gospel” it projects much truth; Excellence is derived from skilled, dedicated effort; often failures open doors of opportunity.

Persistence suggests pay off when facing difficulties. President Calvin Coolidge said, – Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.

When Zach, my grandson, was navigating the ranks toward the rank of Eagle Scout, he had to overcome many difficulties along the Merit Badge route. Some more difficult than others. The most difficult is the Eagle Project. He found that having conquered the many steps to each Merit Badge, he was better prepared for this final difficulty.

Jesus told the story of a persistent widow, facing an intransigent magistrate who kept refusing to hear her case. But she never gave up. She persisted in bringing her case before that difficult man, until finally, he gave in. Her success, in face of what seemed impossible odds, was due to her unflagging zeal to overcome the stark difficulty of dealing with this official. Her facing such difficulty brings to mind Winston Churchill’s speech where he said, ““Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never— a more humorous echo of persistence, comes from Doris Day’s song,”High Hopes;”

Next time you’re found with your chin on the ground
There’s a lot to be learned so look around
Just what makes that little old ant
Think he’ll move that rubber tree plant
Anyone knows an ant, can’t
Move a rubber tree plant

But he’s got high hopes
He’s got high hopes
He’s got high apple pie
In the sky hopes.

I leave you with this profound comment on difficulty, from G. K. Chesterton; The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.(Chesterton was an English writer, philosopher, lay theologian, and literary and art critic.)

I am intrigued by the definition of “day” by Merriam-Webster: “the time of light between one night and the next.” It’s simplicity speaks expansively; chronology, cosmology, philosophy, even theology—percolate its significance. Give that a minute. Consider this; chronologically, a day lasts 86,400 seconds—but who’s counting!?

“Day” is an often used, hardly noticed—-word; A Day in the life of… a day’s journey….a day of work…a bad day,…a good day….a new day dawning…on this day in history…. on it goes. A pop song by Diana Washington, speaks volumes:
What a difference a day makes
24 little hours
Brought the sun and the flowers
Where there used to be rain

This morning over breakfast a friend and I discussed his children and my grands. Our time together brought out mock astonishment from both of us; how they have grown up so fast—one day they’re little—the next day an empty nest, so to speak. A day dealing with diapers, the next they’re gone. Hyperbolic, yes! But you have heard the common conversation comment, “Where did those days go!?” Difficult days do not seem to go quickly, and days of sheer pleasure seem to evaporate as mist before the rising sun.

We tend to have odd views of a day. Someone may say, “Well, back in the day….” —meaning years, or generations, or eons ago. But saying “On the day of 01/10 Umpteen, such and such happened nails down a precise happening. Or take the old Southern comment, “Y’all come to see us!” Which is a vacant invitation; whereas saying “Please come have dinner with us at 1234 Real Street on Juvember 9, at 5:00 p.m” —That is a day with a specific invitation.

On a more important scale, what does a day mean to you? Only you can decide its significance. At the risk of being morbid, the stark reality is that no one knows how many days are left in her/his life, yet knowing the death rate is 100%—-alone places high alert for claiming the moment. Carpe diem is Latin for “live in the moment” (RWV Revised Willis Version). Of course it is virtually impossible to make every moment of life the pinnacle of existence. But it is possible to think of a Day as metaphor of life; there is darkness and there is light. Darkness is overcome by light.

One of the creation stories the Bible exults about light; The light still shines in the darkness and the darkness has never put it out. Also, the most exciting day for Christians is introduced as “…the dawn of the first day of the week…” From the bedrocks of despair, this little band of Jesus’ friends soared to the supreme heights of hope—that Day.

Gloom doesn’t always explode into ecstasy, but despair never has the last word. It is fairly common for someone saying ‘goodbye’ to say, “Have a Good Day!” As Diana Washington sang, “What a difference a day makes!” —segueing Psalm 118:24 into our vernacular:This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

©)Copyright Willis H. Moore 2022