Author: lbuth0511de28fc

Awhile back a group of us were talking about growing up.

We found ourselves dissecting whether how we grew up influences who we are now.

Some said it does, but "Nick" disagreed, "Not me. I'm a self-made man. I'm an adult and I decide how I want to live."

"Ellie" spoke softly, "That's not as easy as it sounds. My mom used to freeze us out when we misbehaved. I hated that!

"Once I had children, without even thinking about it I found myself going all cold and silent when they acted up. Thank God I realized where that came from.

"Even so, it took me a lot of years and a lot of prayer to learn to stop myself and stay calm. For me, those old patterns from childhood die hard."

Heads nodded all around the room.

Then "Linda" said, "I see that in my husband. He's just like his dad. Neither one of them can turn off their work and just relax."

After that everyone in the room had a story of how their growing-up years influenced them as adults. Sometimes in a good way, sometimes not.

We leave imprints on our children, too

Most of us start out wanting to be good parents. We intend for our daughters and sons to grow up healthy and balanced, with sound values and faith that will carry them through whatever comes.

The trouble is we're human. We slip up and give way to our feelings. Our frustrations spill over into everyday family life.

Without even trying, our kids pick up the best of us. And the worst of us.

What about all those "little talks" when we think we're teaching them about right and wrong and how to live? Family counselors say they're not so memorable.

What about social media?

Yes, the many forms of social media play a big part in the lives of many young people–and often not for good. Yet all the research from countless well-documented studies come to the same conclusion.

Parents are the most important influence in a youngster's life.

What impacts our children most deeply is how we live and what we say all those everyday times we think they're paying no attention.

Parenting would be easier if we were rearing peas in a pod

God created each of our children (and each of us) one-of-a-kind. That's a wonderful thing and who would want it otherwise?

Practically speaking it means what you learned with Child A probably won't work as well with Child B.

Whether your children came by birth, adoption or through marriage it helps to remember that God gave you each child.

Even if you can't quite figure out one of them.

Even if another one "drives you crazy."

What's more, He equips you to be the mom or dad who loves and helps shape these particular young individuals.

Take courage from knowing that through it all God is teaching and growing you as an individual.

As one observer put it, children grow up. Parents grow deeper, wiser, much more understanding of human nature.

Viewing our own parents through an adult perspective

It helps to take a fresh look and realize our mother and/or father dealt with stresses and problems we didn't see and couldn't have understood.

Our imperfect parents made mistakes, just as we do. They coped as well as they could manage. Loved their kids as well as they were able.

Don't we do the same?

You and I can count up all the ways our inadequate mom or dad hurt us and/or let us down and spend the rest of our lives nursing our pain.

Or we can sift out the good and give thanks, then pray our children will do the same for us.

Drawing strength whenever we need it

Anytime you think you're in over your head, remember who gifted you with each child. Remember who your children are–and who you are:

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:13-14 NIV

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 NIV

Program your mind for your life now

Spend some time in your Bible. When you find a verse that touches your heart, find a way to hang onto it. Write it down. Enter it into your phone or your computer, wherever you can find it quickly.

Even better, store at least a few in your memory. Then you'll be ready whenever old thinking creeps in.

Whenever you feel shaky or uncertain I promise it will help to read those verses aloud or just in your mind.

Think of it as planting a new reality in your mind and heart.

Think of it as finding a way to forgive the past and move on.

Still learning, too,

Lenore

How parents influence their children–for life

July 8, 2020
Many of us wake up every morning feeling anxious and drag our load of uneasiness to bed with us, too.

No wonder. Every day "they" announce some new reason to be afraid.

Disturbing news seeps into our awareness, even though we think we're tuning it out. "What ifs" buzz around in our minds like pesky gnats, hatching into fears for our children and ourselves.

This isn't the first time cause for anxiety slithered into our world, it's just the most recent display. Perhaps you, too, have wondered how fear got such a hold on our culture. I think Oswald Chambers, who wrote My Utmost for His Highest, explained it best:

"When you fear God, you fear nothing else. When you don't fear God, you fear everything."

Fear of God means standing in awe of who he is and what he can do

The Bible makes it plain:

For thus says the Lord, who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!) "I am the Lord, and there is no other." Isaiah 45:18 ESV

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10 ESV

In our "enlightened times" the very idea of God and even more, of Jesus as the Savior of the world, seems to have been declared irrelevant.

Thank God individuals still can profess their faith and some we see and hear on our screens regularly do so, but that's a small percentage of the whole.

Looking for peace in all the wrong places

None of us are immune to fear. It's part of being human.

If you're having sleep problems, you have lots of company. Physical therapists report most patients complain of tight shoulders and neck problems. Why? Because that's where so many of us unconsciously hold our tension.

Even the calmest among us will admit to an underlying low-level sense of concern that won't leave.

That's why we need to remind ourselves over and over that ultimate power rests in God's hand, not with Covid.

Here's what Jesus told his followers–and if we're Christians, this includes us

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, nor let them be afraid." John 14:27 ESV

The Apostle Paul had every reason in the world to be anxious, but he told the Philippians in Chapter 4:6-7 ESV:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

His peace in our hearts and minds is ours for the taking. But here's the question: Are we willing to give up feeling anxious?

That sounds like an odd question, but for some individuals, living all churned up with anxiety means feeling more alive. More in touch with their emotions and with what's going on in the world, a bit more sensitive than people around them who don't seem as troubled.

More faith verses

Some of us grew up believing we shouldn't "mark up" our Bibles. Once I broke free of that lie I discovered what a joy it is to underline verses that speak to my heart, verses like these.

The LORD is my light and my salvation–whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life–of whom shall I be afraid?   Psalm 27:1 NIV

Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me. Psalm 50:1 NIV

When I am afraid I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. Psalm 56:5-6 NIV

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 NIV

You gotta put the good stuff in if you want to get the good stuff out

That folksy sense saying applies in all of life, especially to our minds.

Adult or child, what we feed our minds is what we live out.

Always, always, the greatest answer for troubled hearts is found in John 3:16-17.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Filling our minds with thoughts of God's mercy in sending Jesus to be our Savior is the remedy that shrinks our deepest fears and fills us with calm.

Even if. Even when. Even though.

Lovingly,

Lenore

Helps to staying calm in fearful times

July 1, 2020
It's hard not to feel the heaviness, isn't it?

For months we've chafed under quarantine restrictions this Covid-19 pandemic pushed upon us.

We live by new rules, trying to protect against exposure to this frightening, ever-changing virus. We long for someone who can lay out what will come next, but it seems no one can.

Not even the multitude of Experts.

Once we thought that was a lot to deal with

Now many U.S. cities have become war zones. We've watched newscasts that showed the tragedy of human pain and resentment and lost dreams that boiled up and spewed out violence in so many cities. Perhaps we've witnessed it firsthand.

For many people the bigger crisis is worry over money–or lack of same. Jobs that may or may not be there when "all this" is over. And what about schools? Sports programs?

Some mourn the death or continuing isolation of one dearly loved.

What to do? Where to go with all this pain? Take it to our Best Friend.

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18 ESV

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew ll:28-29 NIV

This touches us all

It hardly matters where we live. Fear wafts through the air we breathe and sleeps with us each night.

Our best antidote is to focus on who we are in Jesus. Remember what he said?

Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. John 14:1 ESV

Read those first two words again: LET not.

Jesus is telling us we have a choice. Don't fancy up the guest room in your mind to make room for fear. It cannot stay unless you allow it entrance.

One who came through the worst of times

Viktor Frankl spent 1942-1945 as a prisoner in four Nazi concentration camps, including Auschwitz. All his family died in those camps, including his pregnant wife.

Despair lurked everywhere, waiting for an opening. After awhile he decided yes, he lost everything, but the Nazis would never, could never get the last word because he still controlled his mind. In later years Frankl wrote this:

"Everything can be taken from a [person] but one thing: the last of the human freedoms–to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."

That quote comes from page 86 of his best-known book Man's Search for Meaning. When Dr. Frankl died in 1997, that book already had sold over ten million copies. It's still in print and has been translated into many languages.

How shall we live in this time of crisis?

Here we are in what seems one of the worst of times, but like Viktor Frankl, we are free to choose how we will respond.

Will we live by faith

Or will we live by fear?

In every situation and every time, how we answer that question will shape the rest of our life.

To live by faith in this crisis time does not mean we ignore all the guidelines and blithely assume God will watch over us anyhow.

Rather, we love and trust our gracious and merciful Lord and we treat other people as we want them to treat us. We follow Government guidelines because the Bible tells us to. (Remember Romans 13:1?)

We live by faith, knowing and believing that God is still in control, even when it seems everything is falling apart.

But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God." My times are in your hand.  Psalm 31:14-15a ESV

What are we to do with fear that still follows us around?

Post a guard at the door of your mind and shut out fear with the Truth.

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7 ESV

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 ESV

Human wisdom says that's too simple. Faith says that's how it works, even when progress seems slow.

Two steps forward and one step back is still one step forward. And so we grow.

Anytime fear seems to be winning call on the One who calmed the seas and ask him to still the storm in your heart.

And be patient with yourself. It takes time to lay down new track on the pathways of your mind.

Still learning,

Lenore
Choose faith and life instead of fear

June 4, 2020
"What's your greatest strength? Your greatest weakness?"

That question stumps many of us, at least for awhile.

Professional counselors tell us that most personality traits have two sides, just as coins do.

But there's more to this truth:

Neither our strengths nor our weaknesses are all good or all bad.

I learned this first-hand when a good friend and I agreed to co-chair a women's event.

Everyone admired "Sue" for her faith, her cheerful attitude and her efficiency. (Okay, the truth is we envied her these strengths.) To the rest of us, this lovely woman "had it all together" in every area of her life.

Working with a saint

Sue and I were friends and I liked her a lot, but I secretly felt a bit intimidated and uncomfortable around her. She came as close as anyone I could think of to being a Proverbs 31 woman.

In short, Sue was everything I was not. Everything I wanted to be and kept resolving to be, but never quite achieved.

No wonder I so often viewed her as "right" and myself as "wrong."

Now we two Christian women were to work as a pair. Well, why not? We were adults and we might even be a perfect match, right?

Wrong. We drove each other slightly nuts

Sue wanted to nail down all details four months ahead of time. I considered that way too early and typically responded, “Don’t worry. It will all come together.”

I enjoy last-minute inspirations and the surprises that come when something “works out.”

Master planner Sue found that a foreign concept. She couldn't rest until her multiple lists had every single box checked. Only then could she feel confident the event would go without a hiccup.

After awhile I gave up trying to put her off and adapted to her style of planning. Before long we had planned every detail and lined up people for every task, with months to spare.

Sue's frown lines eased and so did mine. It felt good to have every minute of the event planned, so good I vowed–again–to mend my evil ways.

The great day arrives

We arrived early, both of us certain everything about the big day would go smoothly.

Enter Reality, a.k.a., the usual glitches that accompany any big event.

People who agreed to bring this or that arrived empty-handed. Others who were scheduled to handle various tasks never showed–and they hadn't called with an excuse.

To my great surprise, Sue could not adjust. She froze, except when she sputtered. It was as if she couldn't think how to function and deal with the moment.

I, the last-minute type, quickly came up with a Plan B and found substitutes for people who didn't show. I sent others to quickly purchase what was missing.

That day I simply did what needed to be done, as always, and no big deal. No one seemed to notice anything missing.

Breakthrough!

It sounds strange but that day became a gift to me. For as long as I could remember I had prayed to "be more organized," but never managed it for more than a week or two.

I previously viewed Sue as a sort of poster child for being in control and I admired her.

Now I saw the downside of her more orderly personality. She had to plan and had to stay on schedule or be flummoxed.

I'm the opposite, always ready to interrupt what I'm doing to listen and I'm quick to adapt. That's good, but being easily distracted gets in the way of finishing what I start.

Could my natural approach to life–which I labeled "disorganized" and saw as a weakness–be in its own way a strength?

Every personality type has both strengths and weaknesses

This truth pours balm on marriage and family relationships and can help defuse tensions on the job.

First we pray to see other people and ourselves as we are. That may take awhile, because growing always does.

Eventually we realize that it's okay for them and for us to be who we are.

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. –Romans 15:7 NIV

Consider it one small step for peace with others–and with ourselves.

God makes us one-of-a-kind, remember?

As usual, the Apostle Paul gives us wise counsel.

In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. … Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. … And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. –Romans 12:6 LNT; Colossians 3:12-14 NIV

Let's not settle for "live and let live." That's too shallow and we miss too much.

May we learn to appreciate the people in our lives and their individual strengths–and extend the same courtesy to ourselves.

Most of all let's rejoice that God made each of us. As we are. For a purpose.

Still learning,

Lenore

Discover your pluses

May 28, 2020
Here's a handy acronym to remember: W.I.A.T.

It stands for Wrong Ideas Appearing True.

Every one of us carries around at least a few of them in our subconscious.
They lodge down deep, below the level of our awareness. We may have acquired them long ago, which explains why we have a hard time recognizing mistaken thinking.

Yet these WIATs probably influence us more than we realize.

They color our thinking and our mood

They influence our behavior

They govern the way we look at events and individuals

Some WIATs are silly and we know it

Yet even rational, intelligent people still may accept them as truth. Most of us know at least one person who believes something like this:

Always leave a building through the same door you entered or it will bring bad luck

Never say something is going well or you'll jinx it

If you say you're happy it guarantees you soon will be unhappy

WIATs can be contagious

We spread them to our family and friends as easily as the flu virus.

I think of the young woman friend who always removed every Kleenex pack, umbrella, etc., from her car before she'd leave it for maintenance. When I asked why, she answered, "Well, you know how mechanics are. They'll steal you blind every time."

When did she get that idea? Here's her answer: "Oh, everybody knows it's true. It happens all the time."

"Not to me," I said. "I've never had a problem, neither has anyone in our family."

That stopped her for a moment and then she said, "Well, it happened to my dad. After that he never left his car or truck at a garage or loaned it out without first emptying it out. He warned me to be careful and so I am."

Most of us can't identify the origins of our WIATs so easily.

Be on the alert for notions that don't stand up to logic

We do it all the time. Haven't you ever said something and then asked yourself, Now where did that come from?

Think how often we say something like this:

I can't wear that color.

I could never do that. I don't have the brain/talent/strength for such things.

She would never want to be friends with me.

Sometimes we can trace our bogus thinking back to one of our parents and their thoughtless remarks.

That's not surprising, because children usually accept without question whatever our moms or dads say. Those words, true or false, can dog us for life.

Starting over

Now's the time to clear out old wrong messages and replace them with truth. After all, aren't we wiser now?

Here's a place to start:

Next time you put yourself down, stop and say out loud–or think–"That's not true!"

Replace the faulty thinking. State what is true, based on what you know today and your own logic

Repeat as often as needed

Yes, I know it sounds too simple, but it works. Just stick with it until you've banished old thinking that's wrong.

(It's true. I've lived these strategies long enough to see many of my WIATs fade away.)

Revamping our wrong notions, once and for all

If we realize we're stuck in old thinking that hurts us more than helps us, it's time to leave it behind.

Jesus came to set us free, but sometimes even Christians forget that whatever weighed us down in the past need burden us no more:

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. —Psalm 46:1 (ESV)

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he [or she] is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!          –2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

In Christ, WIATs lose their power over us. (That doesn't mean we'll never let wrong thinking take hold again.)

From now on let's hold all our ideas up to the light of faith and right thinking and what makes sense now. Let's be free of old thinking!

Learning along with you,

Lenore
Right Thinking Sets Us Free

May 14, 2020
Every news broadcast reminds us that just breathing could be dangerous.

Covid-19 is everywhere and it feels as if everything changed overnight.

We are smack up against the truth that life is hard and beyond our control.

It's astonishingly easy to be a sponge and absorb the constant stream of bad news and scary warnings on all sides.

Then we fall into the trap of expecting the worst, justifying it by explaining we just want to be ready for what comes.

Who wants to live that way?

Re-think your thinking

You and I cannot change the world or what's happening, but we can change where we fasten our thoughts.

Whatever our personal situation may be, here's what we know for rock-bottom sure:

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. –Hebrews 13:8

Does that make us immune to hurting when someone we love becomes ill or dies? Do we laugh at job loss? Do we feel nothing when crises wipe out retirement savings?

Of course not. The difference is we don't give in and park our minds in Pity Land.

If anyone knew about suffering, it was the Apostle Paul. Try reading his words aloud and listen with your heart.

For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this is all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed … Therefore, we do not lose heart.    –2 Corinthians 4:6-9, 16a

I believe every word of these passages, yet I confess, this "jar of clay" sometimes gets discouraged, too

That's why I love this phrase from Psalm 103:14:

. . . for he remembers that we are dust.

Whenever I start beating up on myself for not being the shining strong example of faith I want to be, I think of these wonderful words and remind myself I am only dust.

Imperfect.

Human.

But loved by God, who knows my weaknesses and loves me simply because I love Jesus. That means I can forgive myself and move on.

So can you.

We see what we look for

Once the question of who we are in Christ is settled in our minds we look at life from a different perspective.

We let go of the "victim mindset" and accept that life can be hard but like Paul, we may be down but we are are not destroyed.

Here's what God said to His people through Moses–and to you and me.

I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life . . . –Deuteronomy 30:19-20

That means every morning–every moment, really–we decide: Will I choose life?

Because that makes all the difference.

Still learning, too,

Lenore

Encouragement for our down times

May 3, 2020
Sometimes a look back helps us take courage for today, especially when it reminds us that God watches over us, too. Here's one to lift your spirits.

On a cold winter morning, January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 took off from LaGuardia Airport.

Almost immediately the plane hit a large flock of geese, which disabled both engines. Pilots and everyone watching knew they had only minutes to find a place to land.

Only one possibility existed, the frigid Hudson River.

Every watcher agreed the crew and all 155 passengers would surely die, either inside the sinking plane, or by drowning or hypothermia. Rescuers simply could not reach them in time.

Yet every person on the plane made it out and lived.

Reporters breathlessly recounted what they called "the miracle on the Hudson." The name stuck.

Survivors never doubted the truth of that catchy slogan. No "expert" could explain what kept that plane afloat long enough for the rescue.

The same two loving, powerful hands hold us

Rex Babin's cartoon in The Sacramento Bee illustrates a great truth for every believer.

The eternal God is your refuge and underneath are the everlasting arms. Deuteronomy 33:27

The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Psalm 121:8

Day after day our Heavenly Father watches over us–and our loved ones–with the same tender care depicted in this cartoon.

By faith we know that's true.

On good days it's easier to feel the warmth of his smile and His love for us.

But when the bottom drops out of our world

We may forget and take our eyes off Jesus when trouble comes.

These are extraordinary times. It's as if we've been dropped into this Covid-19 pandemic and we're wondering how we got here. We want to gather with those we love and hug them close, but we're not supposed to leave our homes.

"Social distancing" leaves us without the human closeness that helps reassure us.

Instead we have tragedy and fear and scary numbers, over and over and over. And we can't help wondering, will our family members survive? Will we?

What will happen afterward–and what will life look like then?

No one can say and we quake within, wondering. But our loving Father says,

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:1

Our call is to keep trusting, whatever comes.

Counter fear with Truth

It helps to take time reading God's written word, the Bible, and plant his truths in our minds and hearts.

Repeating verses aloud can help us get through whatever comes. Remembering them when we wake with a racing heart helps quiet our anxiety.

You probably have your own favorites. Here are some of mine, all NIV unless noted.

Cast all your anxiety upon him, because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9

The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace. Psalm 29:11

You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3 NKJV

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

Our loving Father holds each of us safe and secure. And because of Jesus, he looks at us with love.

Yes, that goes beyond our human understanding–and it's meant to, for He is Almighty God and we are only human.

Today and every day, may you know His peace.

Lenore

Verse Concepts

The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

– See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/God,-Faithfulness-Of#sthash.mZBd0t36.dpuf

Lamentations 3:22-23

Verse Concepts

The LORD'S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

– See more at: http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/God,-Faithfulness-Of#sthash.mZBd0t36.dpL

How every day of our lives is our own “miracle on the Hudson”

April 17, 2020
Is the steady drip, drip, drip of negative news getting to you?

If you're like me, you're nodding your head in agreement.

TV newscasters constantly proclaim new reasons to panic–or at least be fearful. We "little people" struggle to distinguish between what's true and what's just another deceptive suggestion.

Here's a tip to save your sanity. For decades the maxim in the news business has been:

If it bleeds, it leads.

Obviously, politicians and wannabes live by this slogan, too. That's why so many of their speeches feature "If __, then __ ."

Conjecture soon is reported as fact by everyone who stands in front of a TV camera and then repeated by every broadcaster.

Soon the rest of us are saying to each other, "Well, it must be true because that's what I hear on all the TV channels."

Always, we get to choose. Will we panic or will we breathe deep and hang on tight to a realistic perspective?

What if it's real? What if it's close to home?

Certainly, this worldwide pandemic is real. No wonder we're nervous, maybe even running scared. Everything keeps changing, from one report to the next. All we can do is follow instructions and try to live healthy.

That may not be the whole story. We may face a serious problem or a scary illness. Or perhaps someone we know and love is having a hard time. We don't know how to help. We can't go where they are and just hold them close.

No matter what the situation, you and I still have the power to speak hope. To shine a ray of light into the life of a person who feels overwhelmed, whether in our family, our church or our community.

How? By staying in touch. By sprinkling words of hope into our texts and conversations. As we tell others to look on the bright side, we'll be encouraging ourselves, too.

This may not seem like much, but it can be huge

Our words matter. Think of tossing a stone into a pond and watching how the ripples spread.

Many great national leaders of the past understood that.

Take President Franklin D. Roosevelt, for example, elected in 1932, in the midst of the Great Depression. Love him or hate him, it took courage for FDR to say in his inaugural speech:

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself."

No doubt many thought he was mad. Yet his words lifted hearts all across the country and became FDR's most-remembered statement.

The effects of the Depression lingered for years. Then, nine years later, came Pearl Harbor and World War II.

The Brits were already at war and they needed hope, too

They got it from their prime minister, Winston Churchill. He regularly broadcast to his nation and his defiant words put iron in British spines.

Take his slogan, "KBO." That stood for, "Keep Buggerin' On."

That's exactly what thousands of Londoners did during enemy nighttime bombing raids. I knew a couple of those Brits. For months on end they spent every night in the city's subway tunnels, trying to sleep–on benches, on the floor, on the platforms. Every morning they dragged themselves topside and looked around at new destruction and piles of rubble. Then they dug in and cleared away wreckage and buried the bodies of those who were killed. All this besides keeping at their work, doing whatever it took to keep the country going.

In Brit-speak, they kept buggerin' on.

Another of Churchill's famous statements has hung above my desk for years: "Never, never, never give up!"

Throughout WW II, FDR and Churchill both held out hope and it shone as brightly in the gloom as a miner's lamp in a coal mine. No wonder people clustered around radio sets and hung on their every word.

Hope is as necessary for life as oxygen is for the lungs

Every day you and I broadcast to an audience–our loved ones or people around us–usually one person at a time. Do we more often speak words that lift that person's spirit? Or do we simply add to their load of discouragement?

Let's be prepared, ready with hopeful Bible verses that reassure. (If they speak to our hearts, chances are they will to another, as well.) Here are three for starters:

Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. –Psalm 62:5

Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint. -Psalm 40:31

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. –Romans 15:13

The Bible is a treasure trove. Why not keep track of verses that speak to you so you can pass them on?

And no matter what comes, let's smile and "K.B.O."

Lenore

How shall we get through this? Speak hope

March 26, 2020
Are we a nation of wimps or what?

It's as if we assumed our technology and enlightened thinking guaranteed our society wouldn't have–shouldn't have–big challenges that dodge easy solution.

That's understandable, I suppose, since for quite some time now, we've been strutting around feeling proud of all we have achieved. On our own.

This Corona virus, also known as Covid-19, has knocked us off our perch and brought us down to reality with a deafening thud.

Here's the shocker: As amazing as we may be, we are not in control.

This is not the first and it won't be the last time disease and disaster show up out of nowhere. We live in a sinful world, remember?

For example, in 1347-1352 the Bubonic Plague, a.k.a., Black Death, ravaged Europe and killed 25 million people, which was 30% to 60% of the entire population.

No treatment existed. A person who contracted the Plague either lived or died.

It didn't stop there.

Step back into Wittenberg, Germany, in the year 1527

You are Martin Luther and the dreaded Plague once again is barreling toward your town.

There's nothing to do but wait. And read your Bible. And implore God to keep you and your loved ones safe and alive.

Luther was known for spending hours in prayer and reading his Bible. During this time he pored over texts like Psalm 46 and drew on it to write, "A Mighty Fortress is Our God."

Here are the first two verses:

"A Mighty Fortress is our God"

A mighty fortress is our God,

A trusty shield and weapon;

He helps us free from ev'ry need

That hath us now o'ertaken.

The old evil foe

Now means deadly woe;

Deep guile and great might

Are his dread arms in fight;

On earth is not his equal.

With might of ours can naught be done,

Soon were our loss effected;

But for us fights the valiant One,

Whom God Himself elected.

Ask ye, Who is this?

Jesus Christ it is,

Of Sab-a-oth Lord,

And there's none other God;

He holds the field forever.

This hymn speaks to our fear and uncertainty, as well

After all, what can we do other than obey the Government directives that come out and try to stay healthy?

We Christians read our Bibles. We pray most earnestly that our loving Lord will watch over us and our loved ones.

Just as surely, we pray God's protection over our Nation and the world, and that he will keep medical personnel and caregivers safe.

And please, may we unite in prayer that God will guide all our leaders, whoever they are, in every level of authority.

Here are a few verses from Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. …

The LORD of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress.        Psalm 46:1-3, 11 ESV

Dear reader, I pray that you know the truth of these words and that you trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior.

And when fear wakes you in the night, call this verse to mind and be at peace:

"For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, 'Fear not, I am the one who helps you.'" Isaiah 41:13 ESV

Despite the unknowns you and I can choose to place our hope–our certainty–in the LORD. Today. Tomorrow. And for eternity.

Trusting, too,

Lenore

Holding onto Hope while we Hunker down

March 20, 2020
The day started off to be a good day. Sunshine. Warm temps. Blooming trees.

As I drove to my doctor's office a bit of anxiety caught in my throat, so my prayer held extra intensity. Lord, my times are in your hands. Please watch over me and our family. Keep me calm whatever he says and keep me safe, I pray.

Good lab test results sent me floating out of the office, my mind shouting Thank you, Lord!

Next I headed to a nearby big-box store, grabbed a cart and as usual, deposited my handbag in the kid-carrier.

I meandered through the store, then headed toward Checkout. That's when my heart stopped. My purse was not in the cart!

You can imagine my thoughts

My inner critic scolded: Idiot! You've heard the warnings from police. You know better.

I hightailed it to the Service Desk. Had anyone turned in a purse? No.

I recited my tale to the nice young man from Security. He took off to do a store walk-through. Rather than stand and wait, I walked through the store, too, but found nothing.

Back to the Service Desk to wait.

Security Guy returns. He found nothing. Calls his boss, who tells him to come view security camera footage.

I wait some more, leaning against a counter.

Security Guy finally returns and reports they saw nothing unusual or questionable on camera footage.

Well, it's just a purse, Ma'am. Yes, but . . .

What did I have in my handbag?

Billfold

Driver's License

I.D.

Bank debit cards

Credit cards

Cell phone

Auto key fob

Auto club membership card

House key

My business cards

Put another way, my handbag held my "life." When I had it.

As I mentally ticked off all the agencies I'd have to try to connect with my head started to pound.

What next?

Store personnel were kind. Could they call someone for me? Sure, except now that I have a smartphone I never have to remember a phone number, so I don't.

One daughter lives near me, but she kept her Midwest cell phone number through two moves and has no land line phone here. Forget looking up her number.

By then it was past noon and I hadn't eaten since early morning. No wonder I felt like I couldn't concentrate.

Thank God for a happy ending

Just then Security Guy came around the corner, holding out a black purse. Was it mine?

Yes! Where did he find it?

Answer, "I walked the store again and looked closer. Something didn't look quite right, so I investigated. I found a black purse wedged behind a display. I don't know how your bag could have flipped out of the cart because the strap isn't long enough to catch on anything. Please, Ma'am, check to be sure you have everything."

I did. Thank you, Lord!

Later I checked the cart and found no cracks big enough for my bag to slide through. How did it get on the floor behind a display? I'll never know.

The lesson to learn–for each of us

How could I make sure this didn't happen again? Here's my plan. (Feel free to borrow anything useful.)

Never, never, never deposit a handbag or billfold or cellphone in a shopping cart.

For women, only carry a cross-body bag or a waist bag–and don't lay it down.

Carry a list of essential phone numbers plus a bit of cash, separate from your bag.

OR carry cellphone, cash and key fob in a waist bag.

One friend suggested putting the list in a plastic bag and sticking it behind one's bra. Or in a sock or a pocket.

Another suggested using a small travel money pouch. They're easily available, they're flat and inconspicuous and can be worn underneath clothing.

For me, the point is to always have access to what I need to stay in touch with loved ones, be able to drive and unlock my front door.

It's up to me to be prepared. If not me, then who?

Was this a time God stopped watching over me?

I don't think so because He keeps His promises.

The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.  -Psalm 121:18

Besides, I didn't lose my "life" for good and I didn't have to call all those contact numbers to get licenses and cards reissued, nor have my locks changed.

I experienced a couple of trying hours, but my loss was temporary.

Was God teaching me through all this? Probably. (Doesn't He always?)

I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with my eye on you. –Psalm 32:8

Did this experience have a point? Yes. Loud and unmistakable: I need to be watchful–not paranoid, just watchful.

Make no mistake

I was humbled that day and embarrassed, but I don't consider it a waste. If nothing else, I can pass it on as a caution to others. People like you.

Perhaps you, too, have heard official warnings a million times and you didn't listen, either.

Maybe it's time.

Still learning, obviously,

Lenore
The day I lost my life and got it back. It could happen to you

February 28, 2020