Once upon a time life seemed so much simpler. All we had to think about was building happy and prosperous lives. But now the lives we worked so hard to have are unraveling before our eyes, if not entirely at least in key aspects that ripple inward and outward to all we touch.

Everything has changed. So much we used to take for granted. Now even the little things are in question, making us wonder whether we'll even be here tomorrow.

Those who can step back from their struggles are presented a grand opportunity to once and for all realize that every moment is a gift to be appreciated.

Sure, we always lived under the prospect that the Grim Reaper would one day swing his scythe, but most of us took for granted the sun would come up and we'd live another day.

Now even that little "certainty" is denied us knowing that tomorrow the roof could cave in and take us with it -- and the prospect that it will keeps staring us in the face.

It is that very realization that makes every moment all the more special, reminding us of a poem by John Dennison:

These times leading to Ascension are chances to remember how special life is, for it allows us the experiences by which we evolve.

The test before us is not if we will survive; that is up to God. Our test is how we will conduct our affairs if we do.

It challenges us to improve the quality of the lives we have, whether they are the ones we want or not. And to finally begin to live the way we know how once and for all.

For most of us, the quality that is at the top of that list is peace in our time.

Only once we have found our peace can we begin to build the world of our dreams in a way that doesn't carry the problems of today into the future we want to create.