In reflecting back on our lives and faith journeys, most of us could list some times and places that like Peter, James, and John, we have experienced a mountaintop high, holy moment.  You know, those times when you feel so close to Jesus, those times when you are full of the Holy Spirit, those times when you witness the amazing and a miracle right before your eyes, those times you think that it cannot get any better than this, those times that you do not want to end, those times when you think for a moment, that everything God is saying to you is crystal clear. 

     Hopefully we have all experienced those happy, mountaintop moments in life that remind us of our joy in the Lord, and perhaps even give us some good memories and smiles to get us through some rough times.  But that is the truth of our lives isn’t it?  The rough times do come, and those mountaintop moments don’t last forever.  Jesus taught Peter, James, and John that as much as they might like to stay on the mountain, they couldn’t.  They had to come back down towards the valley.  But the good news is that Jesus came with them. 

     Our lives are full of mountaintop high, holy moments and low, painful, valley moments.  Some of you may be feeling like last year and the beginning of this year has been one continuous valley with no mountain in sight.  Do not fear, because Jesus didn’t stay on the mountain either.  Jesus is still just as close to us in the valley as on the mountaintop.