“Reach for the sky!” That sounds like an old-fashioned game of cowboys and a posse, doesn’t it?

Not only do we need to reach for the sky, we need to seek divine counsel from above.

This world is filled with troubles and woe. Just turn on the news and it’s obvious. What isn’t quite so obvious is that perhaps we should turn off the news for a bit and recharge our spiritual batteries, which requires more than simply attending church weekly.

To combat the negativities and trials that surround us, we need to seek to have the spirit of peace, hope and joy as we navigate these troubled waters. We need to restore calm and undisturbed serenity, at least in small doses.

So how does that happen? First unplug—starting with technology. Go outdoors, and listen. There are sounds of nature even in the city if we attune our hearing to them.

Can you hear a bird chirping nearby? How about leaves rustling in the trees? Watch a no-longer green leaf drift and dance in pirouettes as it unhurriedly falls from its branch. Can you hear the crispy rustle of dried leaves skittering on the sidewalk or under foot?

Look at the sky. Even on cloudy days, the swift movement of the heavenly billows can be stunning. Become aware of the world around you.

A few hummingbirds still remain at the feeders. What a marvelous creation those tiny things are. Did you know their heart rate is over 200 beats a minutes?

Listen and watch for other signs of wildlife. There are squirrels nearly everywhere and their little cousin’s chipmunks, also known as ground squirrels. Gather persimmon seeds to halve and predict the winter.

Watch for the wooly bears (caterpillars) whose coats predict a mild or harsh winter ahead. Watch a few bugs. They are always busy; like I used to be.

Take a walk or like me a leisurely stroll—without electronic devices.

Look beyond yourself and see the world around you in a profoundly different perspective.

Even on a blustery day, stay inside and turn off everything. It soothes my soul to hear the steady tick-tock of the grandfather clock. The chimes are truly music to my ears.

This is a wonderful time to ponder, to reminisce of happy times and to pray. If you truly seek peace, then pray for fifteen solid minutes without asking for a single thing. Simply express your gratitude. It may require practice to get to that time limit but with it comes a sense of peace, gratefulness and blessing as we take time to recognize how truly wonderful life is.

None of these fleeting efforts will remove your challenges; however, it is helpful to place them into proper perspective.

Regardless of the outcome, the world will go on. It goes smoother if we turn our pain into power and sorrow into strength. Recognize that someone else is in control and concerns and cares won’t change the outcome, we can eventually learn to master ourselves—which is the only one we can truly dictate anyway.

Letting go of the burdening sense of overwhelming responsibility for others is the most liberating thing.

Oh, we continue to be concerned and pray, but we can only plea for them to change their course by making better choices. God will never force anyone—no matter how broken—to do anything. It’s not His will. We are creatures with free will while none of us use it wisely all the time.

We must recognize that trials and troubles will dot our path for our own good. The truth is that we need hardships. We need trials and struggles to pit our physical strength against.

We need tribulations to try our souls to form character; integrity, loyalty, and perseverance to make us compassionate human beings.

From infancy we need the moral training from dedicated parents that love and nurture our bodies and souls in the reality of human living.

We need restraints on our selfish inclinations.

We need limits to practice self discipline, we need committed teaching in sharing and caring in our family and community. We need the intimate bond of loving family ties that extend charity to the community and world.

Without this training in character, where man learns self sacrifice for the needs of others, a moral man does not use other persons for his own selfish gratification; we become like those who demand rights that exceed those of others. We are creatures of self-gratification and excess.

There would be no growth as courage is developed during times of ease or plenty.

So, reach up for the one who created it all. Reach for the sky, even if you never get off the ground.