Margaret Diane Kollmansberger was born May 10, 1941, in Dallas, Texas to Margaret Elizabeth Cox and Charles Joseph Tucek Jr. (brother of Msgr. James Tucek) and died on August 3, 2016, in McKinney, TX. Diane grew up in Oak Cliff and attended St. James Catholic School and Our Lady Of Good Counsel High School. She was a graduate of East Texas State University in Commerce where she pursued her dream of teaching elementary special education children for Garland ISD. She was married to Anthony (Tony) Kollmansberger where she raised 10 children. She loved her church, The Community of God's Delight, family and friends, and her beloved husband Tony. Her children are Dusty Reichert, Dennis Reichert, Kurt Kollmansberger, Douglas Reichert, Keith Kollmansberger (deceased), Chris Kollmansberger, Debora Murray, Kevin Kollmansberger, Joshua Reichert and Benjamin Reichert. She had 23 grandchildren and 41 great-grandchildren to leave a legacy.
Diane taught us many things in our journey in life, spiritually and physically. How our relationship with the Lord and with people were that journey. In her last days, she would remind us that, "God will take you where you've never been to deliver what He wants you to do."
Here are Diane’s contributions to the PTL and the website:
Gall to Drink by Diane Kollmansberger
(Praise the Lord! August/September 1994)
They gave him a drink of wine with gall, which he tasted but refused to drink. (Matt. 27:34)
Reflecting on this verse from Matthew stirred up thoughts within me. As a matter of fact, gall-flavored wine is offered to me in my thoughts more often than I care to admit. These thoughts will sometimes consume me, keeping me from the light of Jesus and his words. What is this gall, which I have chosen to drink? It is memories from long ago that place me as a victim of someone else. These memories, which I reconstruct, give me power over my "enemy." I will in fact share these memories with others when I need sympathy or want to share a better story. You can be sure, the scenario will place me advantageously with my opponent and, depending on my need at the time, portray me as a wise, loving individual and the other as a gruff ogre.
One amazing fact about gall: It seems to stay with you forever. Why is it I cannot remember tomorrow's dental appointment, or yesterday's dinner menu? I can, however conjure up incidents that occurred as a young child which will portray me as "poor pitiful Pearl." One thing is for sure, all of us are offered wine flavored with gall in our lives, and usually on a daily basis.
Sometimes, the Lord brings these incidents to mind in order to perform his miraculous healing of memories. When this is the case, we can chose to give these memories to him, at which time he will bring us tremendous peace, allowing us to forgive the other and love them with his love. This can be a special time in our relationship with Jesus and with our fellow man. However, the Lord is in control; we are not.
When Jesus was offered this wine flavored with gall, he was in tremendous pain, vulnerable to the offer. He could have received the wine, justifying that it would make him feel better. He did, however, refuse and we must as well. Reveling in pain and hurt will never make us feel better, even when we place ourselves as the winner. The past is the past, and should remain there to be forgiven and healed. Forgiveness and healing allow God to hold us in the hollow of his hand, loving us with a gentle Father's love.
When we are offered a drink of wine flavored with gall we are given two choices. We can taste and accept, keeping the memory frozen in time. Or we can taste and refuse to drink, allowing the Lord to use it for our good. I take comfort in the fact that I am given the choice. With God's strength, I will refuse.
Fear of the Lord
by Diane Kollmansberger
(Praise the Lord! October/November 1994)
Fear of the Lord — The very words would cause me to shiver. How is it that we are asked to fear the one that we are so wont to love? Fear and love would appear to be dichotomous. I am afraid of the dark. I fear heights. I fear the sharp teeth of my neighbor's German Shepherd. Love is not wasted on any of these, at least not by me. I love and cherish my husband. I love and nurture my children. I love my brothers and sisters in the Lord. Yet never once have I had any cause to fear them. The fear/love of God has always perplexed me.
Reading in Proverbs shed a little light on this mystery — very little, I might add. Proverbs 8:13 reads, "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil."Likewise, God makes promises galore in his word to those who fear him. His promises alone were enough to entice my fear, if that is what he wanted. We are promised prosperity, land, friendship, wisdom, goodness, kindness, deliverance from death and the list goes on. Promises, however, did not explain the need for fear, nor how to achieve it.
The dichotomy began to close as I read one of the most wonderful, if not the longest love songs ever written. Psalm 119 (all 176 verses) revels in David's love of the law. David's passion for obedience to the law, his delight in meditating on God's law day and night induced the same enthusiasm within my heart. It also revealed a little secret to me, which I will share with you. Is not the hatred of evil and love of the law the same thing? If I love the law with all my heart, if I consider its wonders, if I am consumed with longing for the ordinances of God, I am hating the evil, which is what he requires of me.
God's generosity did not stop there. The Lord continued to answer the longing in my heart and did not leave me wondering. After all, if I love the law, and treasure its promises, how could I help but love the fulfillment of the law. Yes, Jesus, with all my heart, I seek you. You are the theme of my song, for those who love you receive light and great peace.
Fear of the Lord is a joy to me now. Fear of the Lord is nothing more than loving our dear Savior. How could I have been so confused?
Trust in Agony by Diane Kollmansberger
(Praise the Lord! December 1994/January 1995)
What is the purpose of pain? This is a question we ponder when we are in the midst of it. Unlike wisdom, kindness and gentleness, we are not prone to seek her (pain), nor the advantages of say, pain vs. pleasure. And yet, she approaches each one of us, changing us physically, mentally and emotionally. We are affected by her presence within our own person and within our brothers and sisters.
C. S. Lewis states, "God whispers to us in our pleasure, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain." Sometimes the Lord uses our brothers and sisters to do the shouting, giving us an opportunity to respond and grow through their pain. Such was the case of Bee.
Bee is an eleven-year-old girl who came to me quite unexpectedly. She had moved with her family from Nebraska. Unable to function in a regular academic setting, she was sent to my classroom for children with emotional problems. Bee was an abused child, mentally challenged, and searching for a place where she could be accepted and learn to grow. The first few days were a struggle, as I tried to find a niche for Bee. Her limited academic skills were easy to deal with. Her abused emotions were difficult to address.
One afternoon, as I was attempting to give Bee directions, she began to swing at me and shouted, "You don't know nothin' about my life!" It became necessary to restrain Bee, and it was awhile before she was calm enough to resume activity. However, her words kept shouting at me. For it was true, "I didn't know nothin" about Bee's life, for her life was too painful. There were too many variables to sort through. Finding a niche for her was too difficult.
What was the purpose of Bee's pain? maybe, it was only to awaken me to the actuality of her distress. However, I suspect it was more than that. Besides awakening me to the pain of a young girl, I was motivated to question its purpose. Sheldon Vanauken expresses in one of his books that, like Jesus, we can "trust in agony," giving pain meaning and power. It begins by my trusting that God is changing Bee into the young woman he wants her to become. Likewise, I know that trusting the God of Bee's pain opened a door of love for her, allowing her to say, "I love you." If I allow pain to be master, I become its slave. But believing and choosing to trust, I place myself at the service of the God of pain, and as Master, he transforms the facade into that which "can be considered genuine," genuine love for him.
Spring is here! by Diane Kollmansberger
(Praise the Lord! February/March 1995)
Spring is here with its obvious and beautiful changes. Blossoms burst forth, the earth turns green and a sense of wellness and loveliness is within us. Spring is a time when young men and women take breathless looks at one another. Likewise, graduates are making decisions, which will likely affect them the rest of their lives. However, those of us who have decided to marry (or not to marry) and have graduated and made our career choices are no less reflective.
Opportunities for change approach God's people creatively and realistically, much like spring bursts forth from God's earth. Change can be detrimental or life-giving, frightening or wonderful. We can reach out for change or run from the moment. As Christians, we should pray for change. We can pray that we will become world travelers (fantasy) or that we might be more loving persons (reality). Traveling is adventurous, exciting and mind broadening. Loving gives birth to passion, serenity, delight, foresight, compassion and affection. Fantasy opens our minds to creative ideas, dreams, desires. Reality opens our souls to painful and pleasant beginnings. Both are wonderful and life-giving, much like spring.
Momentous decisions for Jesus are empowering and powerful. Once our resolution has been completed, expect energetic and potent transformations to blossom within. Some things arrive with certainty. Spring appears each year, with its splendor and new life. Christ's life penetrates our hearts and souls, preparing us for life-giving change.
An Enriching Experience by Diane Kohlmansberger
(GodsDelight.org 2-17-13 40th Anniversary of CCGD)
A very meaningful event provided by CCGD was the Marriage Enrichment Program. It was a three-weekend study of ourselves, our spouse and the tools that would enrich our marriage. One particular weekend the weather became inclement. John and Mimi Sherwin kept in touch with the meteorology reports in order to make a decision as to whether we should stay and finish the retreat or leave early and arrive home before the snow turned to ice. The Sherwins decided we should be real troopers and continue to enrich our marriage no matter what.
As we left for home we drove the careful 20mph and arrived home safely. Tony and I quickly turned on the news to keep track of the weather. Much to our surprise we saw Phil Ward, on the highway, putting chains on his tires. The media approached him to inquire as to his mission on the highway in the storm. He explained that he had just come from a Marriage Enrichment retreat, and he found putting on tire chains "very enriching indeed."
That picture will be emblazoned on my memory forever.