Category: Facing Challenges

It can happen to any of us at any time. We reach our limits. Of patience. Or money. Or hope.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” we may say to a friend. Or to ourselves. Or to God.

Our life may be good, at least from the outside, but disquiet nibbles away at our hearts.

That’s a lonely place to be.

Sometimes we also feel distant from God. We can’t seem to pray or feel connected to the Lord we love, whom we know loves us.

Then we have two choices: We can wrap ourselves up in our frustration and fretting–OR change the way we look at our life.

I hear you saying, “Talk is cheap. You don’t know how hard it is for me!”

No, I don’t. But I know how hard it is for me to climb out anytime I let myself get mired in that pit. Then I have to relearn an old lesson that I learned the hard way.

Call a halt!

By now I easily spot the red flag thinking that leads me into risky territory. It comes sounding harmless enough, just random phrases that stoke my fears or my pride, words like these:

What if ____ ?

Why doesn’t he–or she– ____ ?

Why must I always ____ ?

How long must I put up with this?

Where is God in all this?

Thoughts or words like this pull us down as surely as gravity makes the apple drop.

It took me awhile, but I finally learned to catch myself and say, “Stop!”

I don’t have a never-fail “system,” but usually I ask myself questions that run something like this:

Q: What if? A: Why tie myself up in knots about something that may or may not happen? IF or when the situation changes, I will deal with it then.

Q: Why don’t they care? A: Maybe they do. Each individual may be speaking and acting in ways that feel right to them.

Q: Why must I always ___? A: Stop with the “poor me” stuff! Is it really always? Think of times this other person gave in or came through, even when it cost them. Did I discount that simply because they didn’t react as I would?

Q: How long must I put up with this? A: Think. Am I really the only one “putting up with this”? Or does it work both ways? What’s a mutually fair way to handle this?

Q: Where is God in all this? Even those times I feel far from him, I can know that in Jesus Christ I am never alone and abandoned.

Over time I’ve learned that even though I’m the only one who hears it, when I restate the situation in a more balanced way it calms me and helps me think straight.

Fill your mental reservoir with the Good Stuff

I freely admit it took years of reading and praying–and trying and failing–before this finally became my way of thinking. I know now to make my mind switch over to what lifts my heart and eases the tension in my shoulders.

Many people advise using positive affirmations, but that doesn’t do it for me. I’ve tried repeating phrases like, “I am at peace with the world,” or “I am calm in every circumstance.”

Before long my inner nag taunts me with, “Oh yeah?”

I found it true for me that real peace comes when we connect with the Source:

“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, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27

Other Bible verses to lift us up

When we feel swamped, it helps to repeat truths like these.

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear …    –Psalm 46:1a

I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?   –Jeremiah 32:27

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

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. —Philippians 4:13

Put the Good Stuff in and gradually you’ll feel the heaviness in your spirit melting away. Even if everything about your life situation stays the same, you will be changed

And I know this for sure: That makes all the difference.

(I’m just passing on what I keep relearning)

Lenore

How to find peace when life feels overwhelming

April 25, 2026
We forget sometimes that everything starts with envisioning something that’s not yet reality.

Still, what sane person would stand before an enormous expanse of rough granite mountain and imagine he could hammer it, beat it or blast it into submission?

Only one: Gutzon Borglum and he was 60 years old when he began this project in 1927.

People called him a fool–and worse–but that didn’t stop him. Neither did South Dakota’s howling winds, thunderstorms, rain, frigid temperatures or blizzards, all of which he and his helpers experienced.

Borglum simply refused to give up on his dream. His vision for that enormous expanse of granite became a burning passion. It took over his life until he drew his last breath in 1941.

(To get some idea of the scale, take a look at those pine trees at the bottom of the photo. They’re not seedlings.)

We visited Mount Rushmore National Park when our four girls were growing up

For a long while we stood there transfixed while eagles circled high above our heads.

Before us were these four faces, each one 60 ft. high. It seemed we could look into the eyes of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln.

Somehow it felt as if their eyes followed us when we walked from one side to the other. We spent a lot of time there, poring over the information booklet.

The inescapable question: How on earth did they do that?

“They” wouldn’t have done any of it without one man and his “crazy dream”

Gutzon Borglum and his determination made it happen. It’s that simple. Borglum, age 60, drilled the first holes in 1927.

Over the next 14 years he and 400 other men blasted away and chipped away more than 450,000 tons of granite from the face of the mountain. One exhausting day followed another.

Yet they kept on. Finally, in October, 1941, the Mount Rushmore National Memorial was officially declared done.

Sadly, six months before that date, Borglum died of an embolism. His son Lincoln Borglum headed the faithful group of family members, craftsmen and laborers who brought the project to completion.

Because Gutzon Borglum refused to give up his “crazy dream”, the United States of America has this national treasure, Mount Rushmore.

What’s your dream?

Some of us have kept chasing around a tired old dream for years. By now we’ve convinced ourselves our “mountain” is ay too huge and we waited too long. We have no chance of succeeding.

Or maybe we’ve said, “But that will take ___ years. If I start now, by the time I finish I’ll be ___ years old.”

Find your obvious answer in another question. “How old will I be in ___ years if I don’t do it?”

Here’s a promise of God that we can cherish at any age:

   As your days, so shall your strength be. –Deuteronomy 33:25b

Maybe it’s not too late

For starters, here are five people who got a late start.

Andrea Bocelli was told he was “too old” to sing at age 48, but he started singing anyway.

Susan Boyle, an unknown woman from a very small town in Scotland, made it on “Britain’s Got Talent” at age 48 and wowed everyone. You know the rest of her story.

Julia Child didn’t start cooking until age 40 and began her long-running PBS cooking show at age 51.

Harlan Sanders had a couple of other careers before he founded Kentucky Fried Chicken at age 65.

Grandma Moses never picked up a paintbrush until she was 75–and never took a lesson, yet she became famous.

How about you? If not now, when?

It doesn’t matter whether your dream is as big as Mount Rushmore or as small as mastering the perfect batch of fudge.

What matters is that we don’t assume we’re licked before we start, just because we didn’t begin years ago. At any age and any stage of life, goals and dreams give us a reason to keep going.

As for strength needed to do so, only one Source never gives out. That’s what the Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 4:13. Some of us know the truth of this promise first-hand, because we trusted it when we thought we had no strength left within us:

I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.

Who knows what you and I may yet do or how we may bless the world?

As someone put it, “If you woke up this morning it’s a sign God still has something for you to do on this earth.”

That “something” might sound small, such as aiming to be one of those people who cheers everybody up simply by speaking about what’s good and hopeful. (Don’t you love people like that?)

But first we need to get in the habit of looking for what’s good. Any of us could do better at that if we simply stay aware and put in a bit of effort. It gets easier if we remember it is God who guides and enables and gives strength for each day, to all who trust him and ask in faith.

Now let’s be ready to get outside our personal comfort zone. And let’s get going!

Working on it, too,

Lenore
Who Declared Your Dream Is Impossible?

April 8, 2026
Have you ever sunk into feeling sorry for yourself?

I confess to being, um, a little bit familiar with that unfortunate state of mind.

Like the time my husband got transferred in his work. He had studied and worked hard, hoping a move up would come through–and it did. He couldn't stop smiling.

I was happy for him, truly I was, but I couldn't quite share his exhilaration. I grieved inwardly about leaving our friends and the community I loved.

My sweet husband? "Yes, but Honey, you know I can start right in and you read the contract. We'll be okay."

Logic told me he was right, but logic didn't change my heart. Yet I absolutely knew God arranged this position for my husband, so …

I kept reminding myself surely He would have something good waiting for me, too.

But what? Where?

Once the moving truck unloaded our stuff in our new home, well, you know the routine.

Right away my husband had a "place" in our new community. He packed his days with appointments and meeting new people. I kept busy unpacking boxes and finding a place for this and for that. At last it felt more like our home, at least inside our four walls.

Every day I pored over the local newspaper, trying to get a fix on the place we were living. One day I noticed a small listing for a community non-denominational women's Bible study. What did I have to lose?

The next day I grabbed my Bible and drove to the host church. To my surprise and delight, parked cars stretched for blocks in all directions.

Near the closing time all our small groups gathered in the auditorium so the teaching leader could expound on our assigned lesson from the Bible book of Exodus. She vividly recounted the story of God freeing the Israelites from captivity in Egypt.

That day the familiar story from Sunday School sounded brand-new to my heart.

The marvel of God's power

You may remember how God set the children of Israel free from slavery in Egypt. Soldiers in chariots came after them all the way to the Red Sea, but before they got there, God parted the waters so His people could walk on dry land across the seabed.

Once the Israelites were safely across, God released the waters. The pursuing Egyptians, along with their horses and chariots, were lost.

Now God's people were free, but all they saw around them was dry desert and wilderness, but God did not abandon His people. He provided Manna every morning and flocks of quail every twilight, plus pure water.

And yet the people grumbled.

Exodus 16 tells us they looked back fondly to Egypt–and slavery–because they liked the food better.

The truth that hit home

In her talk our study leader kept looking around the room to be sure we all felt included. Then came her concluding applications. It seemed she looked right at me when she asked, "Are you wandering around in a dry, dusty wilderness of your own making?"

I gulped. Then she asked, "Are you murmuring against God because the specifications of your life are not exactly as you would choose?"

She couldn't have known, but her words described exactly how I felt about our new life, the one God had given us.

That day nothing changed, but everything changed.

Once I took my eyes off Poor Pitiful Me and looked for the good in our new situation I found quite a lot.

My husband said he got his wife back–and here I thought he hadn't noticed.

I've never forgotten that lesson: Look for the good, whatever the situation

Recently I ran across an old prayer I've loved for years, ever since I happened on it in a souvenir shop.

The original was found folded and tattered in the pocket of an unknown Confederate soldier, a casualty in the U.S. Civil War, 1865:

I asked God for strength, that I might achieve;

    I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.

I asked for health, that I might do greater things;

    I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.

I asked for riches, that I might be happy;

    I was given poverty, that I might be wise.

I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men;

    I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.

I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life;

    I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.

I got nothing that I asked for, but everything I hoped for.

    I am among all men most richly blessed.

Those simple, eloquent words still touch my heart every time I read them because they remind me of all the times I, too, got "nothing that I asked for, but everything I hoped for."

I wish I could say I never lost sight of that truth, but one thing I know for sure. When I focus on the Giver's goodness it's much easier to keep a sunny mood.

My friend, I pray that you find many blessings in each day!

Lenore

Change Your Life By Changing Your Mindset

May 14, 2025
Every one of us may answer that differently but still, we would prefer our lives to run along smoothly.

Please raise your hand if that describes your life. Hmm.

Okay then, let's consider the question from a different angle. Did you ever consider what your tough times taught you? Or watch that play out for someone else?

I learned a big life lesson from our long-ago friend Bill. He and his wife were part of a small group of friends who got together every couple of weeks. We often talked about our lives, our problems and how we as Christians could deal with them.

Whatever the situation, Bill's opinion seldom wavered. He believed the trials that test our will and our strength created a situation where our faith could shine through.

Plain-spoken Bill always managed to insert his favorite truth:

"When the rubber meets the road, what's inside us will show up."

Then a huge pothole opened up in front of Bill

When our group met that week Bill seemed distracted. Finally he said, "This has been one tough week and I'm glad it's over!"

Then Bill spelled it out for us:

As a building contractor, he had survived more than one economic challenge by barely hanging on. Then demand picked up, so he hired a few sub-contractors. Two of them never showed up and the third guy did shoddy work.

Then building materials were delivered to his warehouse and on inspection turned out to be sub-standard.

In one of his buildings careless renters set their apartment on fire, which spread to adjoining units in another building he managed.

"All this in one week?" I asked.

"Yeah. Problems are nothing new, but usually I have some breathing space."

Somebody asked how he managed to keep going and keep on trusting, even when it seemed everything had turned sour.

Bill thought a bit, then said, "Guess I have enough smarts to learn from life and trust God to get me through."

Then the rubber hit Bill's road, big time

His doctor delivered a shock. Results of recent tests showed that Bill's "little problem" was a life-threatening health crisis.

He sought out the best medical treatment he could afford. Extensive surgery and arduous treatments followed, but Bill followed instructions precisely. He and his wife came to church as often as he was able, Bill walking slowly and leaning on a cane. His face looked pale and drawn, but still he smiled.

Still spoke faith and encouragement to the rest of us.

Again and again my husband and I watched this one man lift the spirits of everyone who glimpsed him or who was within range of his voice.

"Hey, it's just life," Bill would say. "God is in charge and I am at peace. I'm keeping my eyes on Him. However He works it out, I win."

That's true for the rest of us, too

We moved several months later but the last I heard, Bill had recovered his health and energy.

I think of him when I read again what the Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4:11-13:

… I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

I can do all this through him who gives me strength. NIV

Paul's "circumstances" were no slice of angel food cake. Just read 2 Corinthians 11:16-33 to read of Paul's floggings, beatings, imprisonments, shipwrecks and being left for dead many times.

Was that how Paul learned to be content?

Surely Paul must have had times of feeling alone and abandoned

That's when he clung to Jesus, as he wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:7-10:

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this 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.

We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. NIV

Are you wondering about the "jars of clay?" Paul knew Scripture backwards and forwards and was referring to Genesis 2.

That's where God created the first human being (Adam) out of the dust of the earth, remember?

Our friend Bill lived the truth of Paul's words

Even on his worst days, this down-to-earth guy presented a ready smile to the world. We Christian friends knew what kept Bill going. He drew on the light of Jesus and the strength of Jesus within him.

Like the Apostle Paul, Bill kept his eyes on Jesus rather than on himself and what was going on in his life. When he slipped up–and he did, of course, being human–he went back to what he believed, asked God's help and began again.

With evidently no self-pride or aim to impress, Bill simply lived his life as a man who depended on Jesus living within him to get him through his days.

You know that saying that we believers are to be "little Christs" in the world we live in?

Bill just being Bill lived out that truth and everyone around him wanted what he had.

He believed the truth of Ephesians 2:10 every day

It's all ours for the taking, if we, like Bill, keep our eyes on the One who promises to enable us and be our strength:

My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. Psalm 73:26 NLT

He depended on God and His power, not on his own–and said so. He left everyone who knew him an unforgettable model for living.

Simply said, Bill chose to have the best of times–even in his worst of times.

I pray your life is good, my friend, and your heart is at peace,

Lenore

Best of Times or Worst of Times? It’s Your Call

October 23, 2023
Maybe you've noticed this phrase here and there on gift shop plaques and posters and wondered where it came from.

It traces back to a motivational poster printed by the Government of the United Kingdom in 1939 as Hitler's troops were rapidly advancing through Europe and it seemed inevitable that Great Britain would be invaded.

Some months later the Nazi Blitz actually began. A woman I knew was in her twenties at the time and worked in London office. She told of her experiences. "Night after night the Nazis rained bombs on London and other vital towns and seaports and mortars boomed. Every night we headed for the safest place to be, which was in a bomb shelter or in a subway (Tube) tunnel. Truth is, hardly anyone really slept.

"Our lives settled into a dreary, endless routine. When mornings finally came we dragged ourselves up to the streets and picked our way through the rubble, determined to carry on with our work as best we could."

Strangely, Hitler never invaded the British Isles. Even the keenest military experts never could explain why he didn't seize his advantage and put his troops on this island nation.

Brits who believed in God proclaimed with confidence, "It is purely by grace, God's grace."

If we have eyes to see we'll know that explanation also fits our lives

As we comb through our personal history we find times when things "worked out," although we couldn't explain how or why.

At some later point we may discern a sort of pattern we couldn't make sense of at the time. Perhaps we finally spot a connection in what had appeared to be haphazard occurrences. "Ah, coincidences," we say.

My friend, with our loving God and his people there are no "coincidences."

Our bottom line is the same as Christians in all times have found to be true: It is by God's grace. Remember Romans 8:28?

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Did you catch that? ALL things

The goods. The bads. The boring hours that tick by too slowly.

The growing and exciting times. The times we waited for a diagnosis and prayed for a miracle.

The will-this-never-end periods. The how-did-it-all-go-by-so-fast years.

ALL of it.

You and I never will understand everything that comes into our lives. We cannot because only Almighty God is all-knowing. Only He knows the end before the beginning.

As Christians we can be sure of this: Our gracious Lord loves us. HE will work all things together for our good. In His time. In His way.

This is true even if it seems that right now, nothing in our life makes sense.

All He asks of us is that we keep putting one foot in front of the other, keep trusting him and live our days in faith.

Handholds for our hearts

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

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

Whatever is going on in our lives, in every moment of every day we have all we need.

God still holds the world–and us–safe in the palm of His loving hand. This means you and I truly can Keep Calm and Carry On through whatever comes.

Living it out, too,

Lenore

Advice that Fits Every Situation: Keep Calm and Carry On

March 11, 2023
Many experts think that phrase should be banished forever because how can a child or young person develop a positive self-image if they get fed discouragement?

This theory was not always considered mainstream. When I was growing up, for example, we youngsters understood the meaning of "Life is hard" because adults specialized in using it when we came with complaints. "You didn't get as big a cookie as he did?" or "So you didn't get the grade you thought you deserved?" Then came an answer with a refrain that seldom varied: "Too bad. Well, life is hard, get used to it."

Don't get me wrong. Most adults I knew, like my parents, were kind and loving. Teachers might be strict, but we knew they cared about us. Grandparents, neighbors and every grownup I knew seemed to think it their duty to give us kids a needed realistic perspective on life. That's why we so often heard, "If you expect life to be easy, you're in for a big let-down."

Both my husband and I were used to it. We knew our parents and all the rest spoke out of their experiences during hard times. But my groom and I were convinced our love would conquer all.

No wonder we just knew our life together would be pure joy.

A few years later life handed us a huge object lesson

By this time we had discovered that love did not rule out disappointments and setbacks. Then came one that hit with no warning.

Picture my husband and me in our old Midwestern farmhouse on that freezing cold night of New Year's Day. At almost bedtime
our nearest neighbor called us. In a tense voice he said, "Look out your side window."

That's when we saw the flames blazing across the roof of our old red wooden barn, which painted the sky bright orange. My husband and I looked at each other, each with same thought: The cows! Can we get the cows out in time?

We grabbed coats and boots and skittered down the ice-coated drive area to the barn. Flames already were bursting through between the boards of the barn's side walls. The cows! Somehow we managed to push our terrified animals out the door in time and they slid and stumbled their way onto the concrete feeding floor alongside the barn.

There, cows, young calves and awkward "teenage cows" huddled together in a sad clump, mooing and bawling in fear.

Once they were safe my husband led me to a place out of the wind and we stood there, shaking with cold as we watched our picturesque old red barn burn. Five minutes later the engine of the volunteer Fire Department from the nearest town arrived. The firefighters kept watch until the fire burned itself out.

Several times I had run to the house and checked on our sleeping little girls, thanking God that they slumbered through all the sirens and shouts.

By 2 a.m. the crowd had gone home, taking with them their floodlights. Before long the cattle seemed to settle down, too. Quiet descended like a shroud.

My husband and I staggered back to the house, numb with exhaustion and cold. We two sat at our kitchen table holding hands and trying not to give way to tears as we replayed the scary night just lived and prayed for guidance.

We knew we wouldn't sleep. We also knew daylight would force us to take some kind of action.

What now?

First light revealed the pile of rubble where our barn used to be. Next to it stood our shivering herd of Holsteins–and it was milking time.

The thing about dairy cows is they can't be put off. They had to be milked twice a day. And what about feed? Both cows and calves needed to eat, but all the feed, hay and straw stored in that old barn–with its old, probably faulty wiring–was lost.

What were we to do?

Once again the phone rang and it was the same neighbor who alerted us to the fire. Now he kindly offered the use of an empty shed to shelter our cows from the weather and also would supply hay until we could locate a supply to purchase. Thank God!

After a hasty breakfast my husband and a helper herded the animals the almost one-quarter mile up the road to that farm. My husband, always good at improvising, figured out how to set up the milking equipment he rescued from fire. He and our neighbor agreed on the rent we would pay for as long as we needed his shed and also how to track the hay expense.

With that in place we knew we could make it.

Finding blessing in the loss

This may sound strange, but later we came to understand that we had a built-in advantage when tragedy struck. The fire didn't destroy us precisely because our parents harped on "Life is hard. Get used to it."

That old-fashioned perspective enabled us–despite our fears and uncertainty– to look at the fire as, "Well, that sort of thing happens in life." We prayed and held each other up and got through dark moments. Day by day we coped and it took everything we had in us at the time.

As we rebuilt over the months that followed we grew stronger, individually and as a couple. We saw clearly how God guided us and gave us strength, so our faith grew, too.

Now we took a softer view of our parents, a.k.a., the "crepe-hangers." Before, we assumed they simply didn't understand that with a good attitude and overflowing love and by using our brains, we could fend off crises. After the fire we came to understand they spoke timeless truth.

All along they were trying to ensure we would not be crushed by life's ups and downs.

What do today's youngsters need to survive?

Today we're all about "love," believing that's the way to infuse strength and self-confidence into children and teens. Many grow up hearing, "Look at you!" "You are amazing!" "You are so smart!" "You deserve to be happy!" Teens and young adults hear, "When you find your bliss, your work won't even feel like work," Etc.

Here's a shock: "Bliss" isn't always bliss-full. Finding the "right" work does not ensure you'll never have a frustration or disappointment. The best of times still come with down days sprinkled here and there. Even finding THE perfect love comes with adjustments like each one putting the other one first. (If you find that easy, three cheers for you!)

Truth is, life is hard and nobody's life is trouble-free. The best job in the best place still frustrates once in awhile. People sometimes let us down because well, every human being is imperfect in one way or another.

All this convinces me it's not a bad thing for children and teens to understand that life comes with joy and pain. Best of all is when they also know deep-down the saving love of Jesus and that he will enable them to survive what comes. That gives them a solid base for building a life.

Hard times and problems have been the making of many an individual. Those who hang in there grow–and their inner strength grows. The writer of the book of James knew all about that, writing in James 1:2-4.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers [and sisters,] whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. NIV

Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes you way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything. NLT

Those verses pretty much say it all, don't they?

Here's to joy in the midst of whatever comes!

Lenore

Did your parents tell you, “Life is hard”? Count yourself lucky!

February 16, 2023
The first word stops us, doesn't it? Everyday struggles.

Life is full of things (and people) that get in the way of easy days and a trouble-free life. What matters most is how we label our experiences–in the moment or years later–and that's up to us.

Take hardship, for example. At any age or stage of life, hardship is real–and it's hard. Some who experienced it seem unable to move past an inability to cope with the ordinary ups and downs of living. Others, endowed with a different temperament, take their hardship and grow stronger. For them, being stretched to the max again and again worked the ability to persevere, whatever the circumstance.

Privilege is real, too. Some build on it and use it as the starter for what they later accomplish as individuals. Others who were born into privilege–or got there by their own efforts–morph into adults who lack ambition and see themselves as always-blameless in a blaming world.

Any time spent watching daytime TV makes it obvious that one's status and position can impair one's vision. This is old news. Poet Robert Burns who lived in the 1700s makes that clear:

"Oh would some power the giftie gie us, To see ourselves as others see us."

The question is, how will we view our lives?

Many individuals acclaimed as heroes and people of strength grew up in humble circumstances. President Abraham Lincoln always leads my list. He came from a poor family and lacked the advantages so often considered essential to success.

Rather than lean on that as an excuse, Lincoln learned from it. Later he summed up a foundational truth of mental health using his customary simple words:

"Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."

It's humbling to think of it that way, isn't it? His words imply that each of us wields at least some power over our happiness, even if we lack resources and haven't had a break in forever.

What's more, we alone pronounce ourselves either happy and content or miserable and hopeless.

That last truth hit me with new force when I read this line from Author Paul David Tripp:

"No one is more influential in your life than you are because no one talks to you more than you do." —New Morning Mercies.

The root issue: What are we aiming for?

Often it is not what first appears obvious.

Think of news reports that feature individuals whom we might think were born into or in some way came to be endowed with many advantages in their life. That would inspire gratitude in them, right?

Not necessarily. Sometimes these folks tell another story. They judge people around them–even those who showed love and care for them–to be unsupportive–and they won't let it go. They lash out with words and actions that reveal their mindset to be, "Get even" and "Hurt them more than they hurt me."

Few among us would consider this a good way to restore relationships or make a fresh start. Before we get to feeling superior we need to ask ourselves, "What about us? How do we handle our wounds and our woes?"

The late Viktor Frankl lost everything and everyone he loved in the Holocaust, yet he forged an enduring response to that question while imprisoned. He credited this mindset with enabling him to survive that Nazi hell-hole:

"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves."

Frankl's strength came from realizing that whoever we are and whatever our life may be, we still retain absolute power over how we view it.

Timothy Keller, a Christian pastor, recently stated the same truth:

"What determines whether you enjoy your life is not a particular set of circumstances–though you should change evil circumstances if you can–but ultimately it is how the heart responds with them."

The point is …

We're not meant to live our lives governed by what has happened to us or what is happening in our lives or even what may come in the future. Struggles of one kind or another pop up and recur in everyone's life. It's how we deal with them that makes the difference.

Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.   –Author Carl Bard

We're not the first and we will not be the last to face everyday struggles. That makes it wise to get our minds in gear and be ready to counter discouragement with lasting truth.

For starters, here are some Bible promises I keep going back to. I pray they will speak to your heart, too.

No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you through it.   1 Corinthians 10:13 The Message

"Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10 ESV

[Jesus said] "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." John 16:33

Dear Reader, may you know His peace in whatever comes,

Lenore

Everyday struggles: Millstone or stepping stone?

January 26, 2023
I've loved Christmas since I was a little girl singing and "saying my piece" for the Christmas programs at church and school.

No matter how much styles and times change, Christmas still brings with it beautiful trees and wreaths and lights of every color. People smile for no obvious reason and there's a happy frenzy that makes us feel more alive, whatever our age.

One of the joys of Christmas is touching hearts across the miles, whether by phone, texts or Emails and Christmas letters. Time and distance melt away and it's as if we had seen each other just last week.

What's your favorite Christmas decoration?

Mine would be the Christmas star because it shone its light on the stable in Bethlehem where Mary and Joseph found shelter, then laid the Christ Child in the manger.

We put a star up for many years, on our house, wherever we were. It was nothing fancy, just a long string of lights threaded through screw eyes on our back deck pillars and on the upright cross beam. All anyone saw from a distance was our twinkling star, rather like this photo.

The story behind our star traces back to another time, another place, another star. We were in a new town and knew we'd be moving on, but had no clue where my husband's job would take us next. Or when. To me it felt like waiting for the other shoe to drop.

(Did I mention I'm not so good at waiting?)

That first December in our "home-for-awhile" someone erected a huge Christmas star on a distant hillside. I could see it shining clearly in the darkness every time I turned off the freeway. As I drove the mile or so to reach our home it seemed I headed straight toward that star.

Often I drove those streets in tears. Tears of gladness that despite all the commercial hoopla someone, somewhere, still cared about the Christ Child and the star that brought the shepherds running to Bethlehem. I confess to tears of self-pity, too, wishing we knew what would come next and asking God (again) to fill me with patience.

That far-away star calmed my heart. It was as if "somebody" placed that star there just to remind me that Jesus Christ was born to bring me peace, too!

Peace that lasts, whatever the circumstance. Every day of the year. Whatever comes – or doesn't.

(Jesus said) "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give it to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." John 14:27

Experience teaches us it's impossible to know what will come next in our lives

A letter, a phone call, an unexpected, unwanted diagnosis can turn our lives upside down in an instant. Most of us have lived at least one of those circumstances at some time.

Over the years I've gained a new appreciation for that familiar phrase, "Life is fragile. Handle with care."

That maxim stops too soon for us Christians. I think a better motto would be, "Life is fragile, but whatever comes, I can be at peace because God loves me and He has the last word."

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

We can count on the One who knows the future

Here are some much-loved verses to post on our mental bulletin boards. They fit every day of our lives.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:9

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

The Christmas gifts we cannot buy

All these are the gifts of God because of that Baby born in Bethlehem so long ago and laid in a humble manger.

The fully human child who also was fully God. I like the way John, the writer of the Gospel of John, lays it out for us:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. John 1:1-5

Beautiful words but to our human minds, a mystery we cannot ever understand. How could we? This is God, not just another human being like us. Our call is not to explain, but to believe.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Keep your focus on the star

The star that led the shepherds and later the Wise Men to Jesus, the One who is the light in our dark world. The One who points us to God, the Father, even now.

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6

Because He came on that starry night, when we have Jesus in our hearts you and I can live in peace, even while not knowing what comes next in our lives.

It is enough.

My friend, may you know the JOY of Christmas every hour of every day – and night – all year long!

With love,

Lenore

Take a broader view of the Christmas star

December 16, 2022
No doubt about it, a frog is an unlikely life coach. And yet …

Why not set aside your logic for a few minutes and enjoy a modern fable? (Original source unknown)

Once upon a time some frogs arranged a competition to see which one could make it to the top of the highest tower in the land.

Everyone with good sense hooted because, how far could an ordinary frog expect to climb? Nevertheless, a big crowd gathered on the appointed day to watch these hoppers make fools of themselves.

Once the race got underway the onlookers got excited. Young and old jumped up and down and cheered loudly.

(Or jeered, just as loudly.)

An old-timer said, "Any fool knows this is impossible. In the first place, it's a silly idea. Everybody knows frogs are made for jumping, not for climbing."

Someone else said, "You can barely see the top of that tower. They will never make it to the top. Even the strongest frog could do that!"

Soon some of the smaller climbers gave up, exhausted. Before long others started dropping out. Only a few of the more determined kept climbing.

All along the crowd kept hollering, "It's too much! You'll never make it! If you keep on you'll have a heat stroke for sure!"

One by one, more frogs dropped out and gave up trying.

Yet one kept going

The lone adventurer inched his way higher and higher, panting hard. The crowd down below grew silent, each one holding their breath and whispering to each other, "How can this be? Everybody knows that loser never won a race in his life."

At last the "loser" frog stood at the very top. Then he sat down on a ledge to rest, relishing the view from up high.

By now everyone was cheering and clapping, including the skeptics. Even the frogs who dropped out along the way couldn't help themselves. They clapped, too.

After awhile the winning frog started his descent, pausing every so often to look around and wave and smile.

Once the winner reached solid ground the clamoring crowd surrounded him, many patting him on the back and saying, "I knew you could do it!"

Just then a reporter from KFRG-TV pushed his way through

He thrust a microphone in front of the winner.

"Congratulations, Mr. Frog! This is quite a feat and we want to feature you on tonight's Evening News. Earlier on we heard some people yelling that this tower was too high and you could never make it. A few told me you were out of your league. Nobody remembered a single time you competed in anything before this race.

"Yet you signed up and you didn't give up. What kept you going all the way to the top?

The winner thought a minute before he answered.

"Well, somehow I really believed I could do it and it felt right. So I made up my mine no matter what anyone said, I wouldn't let it bother me. I just glued my eyes and my attention on where I wanted to go.

And the moral of the story is …

Every now and then we run into a discouraging time in our lives or someone we love has problems. Try as we might to say the right thing, all our words come out wrong. Our regrets and second-guessings yammer at us when we try to sleep.

Or we can get caught up in in the world around us, the endless warnings and forecasts of hard times ahead. What will become of us? Anxiety threatens to eat us up.

There's no better time to be like that frog and ignore any voices that would drag us down.

P.S. for believers …

As we run our race, we keep our eyes on the One who said:

"Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

One more thing

What we say–to ourselves or to others–matters. Words have power. Words can lift and inspire.

Words also can crush egos and flatten dreams.

The tongue has the power of life and death… Proverbs 18:21

Whether we're speaking to ourselves or to another person, we get to choose our words.

Every. Single. Time.

So let's choose wisely.

And this is no fable,

Lenore

Fearless frog reveals winning strategy

September 24, 2022
It's the time of year when flags and fireworks and patriotic songs remind us we live in a free country.

It's a good time to ask: How about you and me? Are we living free?

Each of us will answer that question differently.

And real freedom has very little to do with the circumstances of our lives. Keep that in mind as you read these words from a man diagnosed with cancer:

    "I'm a forward-looking person but also a living-in-the-moment     person So I wake up every day expecting to have a good day. It     may sound trite … but life as you get older is about 20 percent of     what happens to you and about 80 percent how you react to it." –Nick Charles

You've probably heard that sort of thing said before. I have, too, but never with more power.

Nick Charles said it when he was close to death–and knew it

Whether he was a Christian I don't know, but he spoke truth that applies to every one of us:

How we react to what happens to us determines our lives.

It's like that old advertising slogan: "It's what inside that counts." How we react and respond flows out of what's inside us, in the core of our being.

I confess it took me way too long to really grasp this truth, but I gained a new understanding when I read an old book, Man's Search for Meaning, by the late Viktor Frankl, M.D., Ph.D.

Before World War II, Frankl, his wife and his parents lived the good life in Vienna, Austria. Then the Nazis invaded and like almost six million other Jews, they were sent to a Nazi concentration camp and immediately separated.

Viktor Frankl never saw any of them again

Right away the Nazis took away everyone he loved and all Frankl's possessions, even his wedding ring. At losing that precious reminder of his "before" life, he thought for awhile he could not go on.

Then as if a light bulb went on in his mind (a gift he later felt came from God) a great truth became clear to him and from that moment on, Viktor Frankl knew he would survive Auschwitz.

Although he remained a prisoner, Frankl realized that no matter how the cruel guards mistreated him, only he possessed–and would possess as long as he breathed–the power to control his thoughts.

He summed it up in this statement

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

Viktor Frankl in a death camp. Nick Charles close to death from cancer. Both of them very much in crisis mode, yet both expressed the same point:

We cannot control everything in our lives, but we do control what we think about it.

What we think about the circumstances of our lives dictates how we respond to what comes our way and to the people in our lives.

Knowing that gave them new courage to face what came next.

As usual, the Bible said it first

For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he …. Proverbs 23:7 KJV

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.   Isaiah 26:3 ESV

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

Reread those verses and think what God gives to each believer to empower them to live fully and live free.

It's a bit sobering to realize what that means

It takes just three words to sum up this principle: It's our choice.

WE hang the labels on what happens to us.

WE choose to park our minds in a lousy place or in a good place.

WE decide how we will respond to what comes into our lives and to the people in our lives.

It doesn't matter whether we are young or old, rich or poor, in or out of crisis. Once we know this and really believe it is true, it can change our life.

As Viktor Frankl put it, it's the one freedom no one can take from us. It's the way each of us can "live free," unhampered by the idea that we are prisoners of circumstance.

And for those of us blessed to be living in the Land of the Free it's like the icing on the cake.

May God bless America, our beloved Country, now and in the future!

Praying, always,

Lenore

You can find real freedom in any situation

July 3, 2022