John Kennedy, Jr. died in a plane crash at which time he was piloting. He died because he did not have his instrument rating. That means that he had not learned to fly by watching the instrument panel on the dashboard of his plane. When one doesn't have that knowledge, they basically fly by eyesight, what they can see.

During this time of the pandemic, many people are afforded more down time than they normally have. My question and encouragement to each of us is, are we taking advantage of this time by turning some of it into solitude with God? Henri Nouwen called solitude… “the furnace of transformation.”

I have said many times that one of the most effective attacks that Satan, our adversary, has inflicted upon our world and society has been that of the abusive or absent father. You might ask, why is that so effective? It is effective because inside every one of us is a mental picture of God. Christian counselors and Christian psychologists have proven that the image we have of God is most often determined by the image we have of our own fathers.

Last night, right before I went to bed, my mind was drawn to Psalm 91. Frankly, I had forgotten about the part that speaks of "the pestilence" in this chapter. The original Hebrew word is Dever and it means a destructive plague. As I read, I thought, how applicable to our times. Our country has not seen anything like this since 1918 and of course, that was a totally different time. Sadly, many today are absolutely paralyzed by fear.

It is amazing that when we become a Christian, the first months and years are filled with thanksgiving and gratitude. Equally, it seems that the gratitude we had the first year, like the morning tide, recedes each year proportionally from that first year of gratefulness and appreciation.

Thus far, we have seen that grace in the face of difficult relationships begins with a pure motive, seeking to reconcile, not win, or control. The second word on this roadmap is "peaceable." As I view this, I think this speaks of one who is not abrasive, judgmental, harsh or vindictive when seeking to resolve a conflict. That person truly comes in peace, seeking to understand rather than to win an argument.

The Lone Ranger creed was once as familiar to boys in America as the Boy Scout oath. Written by Fran Striker, it was the kind of creed that felt good. The creed stated: "I believe that to have a friend, a man must be one." Being a friend is not always an easy task. Handling relationships that are difficult is even a more delicate process.

Hercules, according to legend, grew increasingly irritated by a strange, menacing animal that kept blocking his path. In a fit of anger, he struck the animal with his club, killing it. Yet, as he continued his path, he encountered the same animal, each time larger and more menacing than before. At last, a wise messenger appeared and warned Hercules to stop his furious assault.

How do you respond to those relationships that really "bug" you? How do you respond when others mistreat you? How do you respond when others criticize you or talk about you? How do you respond when others put you down in a meeting or at a social gathering? How do you respond to the person at your work or school who is constantly taking jabs at you?

How do you respond when others mistreat you? How do you respond when others criticize you or talk about you? How do you respond when others put you down in a meeting or at a social gathering? How do you respond to the person at your work or school who is constantly taking jabs at you?