Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

If I say, ‘I will forget my complaint, I will change my expression, and smile,’

• Job 9:27

Does it please you to oppress me, to spurn the work of your hands, while you smile on the plans of the wicked?

• Job 10:3

When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it; the light of my face was precious to them.

• Job 29:24

The New Boilerplate

My wife filled a small book with “Angel” on the cover.  It was hidden with a box of crafting things.  On 18 July 2025, I thought I had posted the last of these.  But this little angel book held a prayer, followed by 71 quotes.  So, the “with a little help” series is back in business for a while.  And it will be fun for me.  She did not attribute any of the quotes.  The first, next week’s installment, is from James A. Garfield, the 20^th president of the USA.  The next one is disputed, with some thinking it originated with Teddy Roosevelt and others saying Fred Astaire.  After the prayer, these might be on the lighter side.

Her quote

“Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been.”

• Mark Twain

The Discussion

The Scriptures are the total of the verses in the NIV with the word “smile.”

All three quotes are said by Job.

But I think that God smiles.  He loves us.  We do goofy things.  We say goofy things.

God is bound to smile on occasion.

How can you say, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” with a frown on your face?

And I have noticed people on television lately.  When you are a news person giving bad news, smiling may not be the right look, but some of the old news people have a hard time smiling.  If they try to smile, you can see the pain in their faces.

Do not worry about the laugh lines.  God is in control.

SMILE!

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory