Test patterns are used to assess the picture quality of television sets and monitors and to assist in picture adjustment and troubleshooting. In the past, when television programmes were not broadcast around the clock, test pictures were published at times of day when there were no programmes on. To the layman, they simply look very structured and colourful. For the expert, it is recognisable whether there are problems, for example, with certain colour channels or the like. Thus, errors can be found that would otherwise not be discovered because they are hardly visible in the actual application or are not obvious enough.  So such images serve as a health check of the system. In our everyday life - so it seems to me - such pictures, regularly applied, would also be helpful. I think they would protect us better from burnout, stress, wrong work-life balance etc. Do you think you could design or find such a test picture for yourself?

I wish you an extraordinary day!

I recently read in Mark's account of Jesus that he went to a lake, taught many people there and then, at a customs station, invited the customs officer to go with him. Before that, Jesus had already invited other men. I imagine how the first ones invited were proud to belong to this teacher who spoke there at the lake in front of many people. On the political context: the country was under foreign occupation by the Romans and customs officers were indeed members of the people who collaborated with the occupiers. So presumably Jesus' invitation to this customs official did not exactly cause enthusiasm but rather horror or anger among those first invited. But the boss was in the lead. So everyone had to arrange themselves accordingly for this new learning community. Challenging. Maybe you also have people in your environment whom you would not choose yourself and who challenge you. Consider it as an opportunity for growth.

I wish you an extraordinary day!

According to the official definition, 'disputed' means: "not yet clarified, not yet decided; open to different interpretations". There is an inherent dispute in the German term. This means that something has not yet reached consensus for all those involved, that there are still different views, opinions or opinions. This is often the case in sport, for example in football, when it has to be decided whether a foul really was one or not - contentious situations. Who or what decides? One seeks the truth. But at what price? I think it is a negotiation between a serious search for truth and yet the broadest possible agreement. The lines are probably notoriously blurred. If you find yourself in a contentious situation today, think about what serves general peace in addition to the serious search for truth. Perhaps this is more important and more reconciliatory.

I wish you an extraordinary day!

A parrot is a colourful bird and it generally has the reputation of having the ability to talk like humans. However, it is said to mainly repeat what it has heard from humans. Thus, the actually beautifully colourful bird with its outstanding ability becomes a kind of scold. People who simply imitate others or talk after their own mouths are called parrots because they do not have their own opinions but repeat those of others. In my opinion, this does an injustice to the parrot. Its actually extraordinary ability is defamed and put in a false light. The fact that it is able to repeat human words is outstanding. It is not his destiny to answer like a human being - and yet this seems to be expected of him. Today, make sure that you do not expect more from people around you and also from yourself than is correct. Rather, appreciate what is available.

I wish you an extraordinary day!

If we saw a kangaroo in our garden, we would probably be totally surprised and excited and wouldn't know how to behave. But if we lived in Australia, the incident described would be nothing special. This is how we can feel about many things in everyday life: Things we experience, behaviour we exhibit, etc. that just seems - as we call it - normal. But for others it can be unusual, perhaps even extraordinary. It is the same with certain abilities that have been given to each and every one of us. They are not simply normal or self-evident, but specific. Therefore, I encourage you for today to consciously notice things that you are good at, that you are good at or character traits that you possess, to be grateful for them and perhaps to look at them from the perspective of someone who would like to have them but does not. This will certainly give you a different perspective on your life and yourself as a person.

I wish you an extraordinary day!

When I see open-air swimming pools and green lawns and smell the wet grass, I am immediately transported back to my childhood, not only in thoughts and memories, but also emotionally; as if I were there again. But I need a trigger like seeing or smelling such an outdoor pool to be taken back. Just the thought of it is somehow not enough. Such memories, which can also be quite different and perhaps triggered by the smell of a Christmas market or the sight of mountains, the sea, etc., are richer than just thinking about it. In a prayer in the Bible it says in a subordinate clause "and do not forget the good things God has done for you." I think that's what it's all about: reliving that gratitude, not just thinking about it. I wish you success in this today.

I wish you an extraordinary day!

When I was a child, the scissors grinder used to come to our house from time to time and sharpen our blunted scissors and knives. Then the blades were razor-sharp again. Sharp blades were - and still are - much better. In the Bible, sharp knives are used as an image for words. If you transfer that, then words can also become blunt. I think one source of this is fatigue. Peter denying Jesus comes to mind. Shortly before, he couldn't keep awake with two other friends, so he was totally overtired. Was that perhaps why he was unable to be strong and resilient when it mattered? Perhaps he would not have denied Jesus less tired. Why don't you look out for such dulling factors in yourself and try to eliminate them - or else to avoid any negative consequences through targeted grinding actions such as perhaps more sleep?

I wish you an extraordinary day!

I am fascinated by church windows, especially those by Chagall and similar artists. I can look at them for hours and feel as if I have been transported into a story without words. Church windows like these are especially beautiful when you see them from inside the church. When the light comes in from outside and makes the colours glow and the pictures come alive. I believe that this also happens when we can see ourselves in the light of God's love. I believe it changes something of us from within, touches something inside, as nothing else can. This goes beyond words and can hardly be described, only experienced. I wish you that you can have such deep inner experiences again and again. I am sure that this is why artists like Chagall were able to create such brilliant works of art. It was their way of letting the inexpressible speak.

I wish you an extraordinary day!

In our environment, there are numerous frequencies that permanently surround us. However, we do not perceive them with our natural senses. Radio signals are an example: they are omnipresent, but only when we switch on a suitable receiver do they become perceptible to us. But there are also other sensors that partly react to frequencies or signals, although they are not made for this purpose: thus, for certain receivers or sensors, interfering frequencies can appear that are intended for other receiver systems. They are not intended to interfere per se, but they can interfere negatively with other systems. One must then protect the corresponding systems from such frequencies or neutralise these other frequencies. We need exactly the same in everyday life with the flood of information from daily news, social media, etc. so that we have enough capacity for natural, interpersonal encounters. Are you succeeding in this?

I wish you an extraordinary day!

To a certain extent, a scale has a kind of counterweight, where you have to adjust the counterweight equivalently, so that the scale is in balance at the end. In our linguistic usage, i.e. the German language, this is also expressed just like this: equal-weight. So equal weight. In other languages this is called "balance", i.e. equilibrium in a similar expression in German. When I look at my life and that of those around me, I notice that many people - myself included - are rarely in balance and feel balanced. Today, anyone who does not talk about being stressed is almost classified as sick or lazy. But we need balance. Nature, the creatures, and all of us were created for balance. Today, pay attention to areas where there is imbalance and, out of love for yourself, try to bring them into a good balance.

I wish you an extraordinary day!