Category: Faith Lived Out

  • How are you doing with all the uncertainties and unrest around us? 

    Blog. Woman. worried. 4.20Many of us find our peace and patience running low. Nameless fears lace through every day and wake us in the night. 

    We tell ourselves I've always been good in a crisis. The only catch with that is that a crisis has a beginning and an end.

    The situations playing out for us in the news and all around us promise to continue for a long stretch–and we know it.

    That makes it worse.

    How can we stay on track day-to-day?

    Awhile back I ran across a yellowed newspaper clipping of a piece by long-ago columnist Frank Crane. Just reading the title took me back to when I was a young mother who struggled to keep up with the demands of our daily life. 

    Even so, I never missed reading a column titled, "Dr. Crane Says" in our daily newspaper because he spoke to my heart. I appreciated his practical advice and down-to-earth wisdom.    

    Every year or so the paper would feature his longer piece, "Just for Today" because year after year, it was his most-read column.

    This piece made good sense to me then, even though it challenged me. It still does because truth never gets outdated. 

    Here it is in the original version: 

    Just for Today 

    Here are ten resolutions to make when you awake in the morning.

    They are Just for One Day. Think of them not as a life task but as a day’s work.

    These things will give you pleasure. Yet they require will power. You don’t need resolutions to do what is easy.

    1. Just for Today, I will try to live through this day only, and not tackle my whole life-problem at once. I can do some things for twelve hours that would appall me if I felt I had to keep them up for a lifetime.

    2. Just for Today, I will be Happy. This assumes that what Abraham Lincoln said is true, that “most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” Happiness is from Within; it is not a matter of Externals.

    3. Just for Today, I will Adjust myself to what Is, and not try to Adjust everything to my own desires. I will take my family, my business, and my luck as they come, and fit myself to them.

    4. Just for Today, I will take care of my Body. I will exercise it, care for it, and nourish it, and not abuse it nor neglect it; so that it will be a perfect machine for my will.

    5. Just for Today, I will try to strengthen my mind, I will study. I will learn something useful, I will not be a mental loafer all day. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration.

    6. Just for Today, I will exercise my Soul. In three ways, to wit:

    (a) I will do somebody a good turn and not get found out. If anybody knows of it, it will not count.

    (b) I will do at least two things I don’t want to do, as William James suggests just for exercise.

    (c) I will not show any one that my feelings are hurt. They may be hurt, but Today I will not show it.

    7. Just for Today, I will be agreeable. I will look as well as I can, dress as becomingly as possible,  talk low,  act courteously, be liberal with flattery, criticize not one bit nor find fault with anything, and not try to regulate nor improve anybody.

    8. Just for Today, I will have a Programme. I will write down just what I expect to do every hour. I may not follow it exactly, but I’ll have it. It will save me from the two pests Hurry and Indecision.

    9. Just for Today, I will have a quiet half hour, all by myself, and relax. During this half hour, some time, I will think of God, so as to get a little more perspective to my life.

    10. Just for Today, I will be Unafraid. Especially I will not be afraid to be Happy, to enjoy what is Beautiful, to love and to believe that those I love love me.

    (Copyright, 1921 by Frank Crane)

    One more thing …

    I never want to confine my thinking of God to only 30 minutes a day because he's not "out there" or "up there." Over and over He promises to be with us every minute of every day.

    He is our loving God. Because he loved us enough to send his only Son (John 3:16) we're free to ask his help any time of the day or night. Period. Whenever we feel anxious and unsettled we can go to the Lord and let his peace quiet our hearts. 

    Long ago God spoke to his people through his prophet Elijah. His words still ring true for us today: 

    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   

    You and I are never alone. That's true even if we live alone. We can make it through whatever comes if we allow God's promises be our bottom line. 

    Trusting, too, 

    Lenore

    Ten well-tested principles for happy living

  • Every day of every year newscasters report the latest bad news of the day. Tornadoes. Floods. Fires. Blog. Hurricane. FL. 10.18

    Most often disasters occur far distant from our daily lives, so we can breathe a sigh of relief.

    So we pray for the victims and we also thank God, especially if the "whatever" is far enough away to miss us and our family. 

    There's no place to hide from the seemingly endless procession of mystery viruses. The never-ending scary headlines. Unrest within these United States of America.

    No wonder low-level fear lurks within us, waiting to spring. We do our best to tune it out and paste on a calm, happy face.

    Then a fire destroys a home down the street. Thieves empty a neighbor's house. A drunk driver hits someone crossing the street and leaves the victim paralyzed.

    Immediately our mind goes to That could be me! Or someone I love! We shudder and think, "Please, God, don't let that happen to me."

    But sometimes it does.

    What if what we dread hits too close to home to ignore?

    Pink slips or a business that doesn't make it ends the paycheck(s) we counted on. A dream dies. A lab test reveals a life-threatening illness. Someone we love dies.

    Once we stop reeling from the shock we realize there's no escaping this awful new reality. 

    And we cannot find one particle of good in any of it.

    At times like that we may feel abandoned, as if our Heavenly Father loves every other person on the face of the earth but us. We know that's not true, but still, our pain and fear weigh us down.

    Somehow, somehow we make it through one day after the other.

    When tragedy threatens–or strikes–what keeps people going?

    Counselors and TV personalities offer thousands of words of advice. Most of it boils down to, "Simply change the way you look at your situation. Visualize yourself as strong and fearless and refuse to think any negative thoughts."

    Yeah, sure.

    These "experts" would be out of business if any of us knew how to do this.

    Yet we needn't dissolve into a puddle of fear. Strength that goes way beyond our own is available at any time.

    God's strength.  

    Peace-in-the-midst is as available as the air we breathe

    The best antidote to fear–and the only one I ever found that works–is to fill my mind with Bible verses like these. I repeat them over to myself, aloud or silently. Here are a few I love: 

    "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."   Joshua 1:9 

    “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”   Philippians 4:6,7 

    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 

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

    "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 

    "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”    John 14:2  

    In good times or bad, we are not alone

    And we are not powerless. Jesus walks with us through whatever may come. Always. Every day. Every moment. Every second.

    Yes, the horror may come near us. Tragedy of one sort or another may change our lives, simply because we are human beings and we live in this imperfect world. We may feel we have no strength–physical, mental or emotional–to go on.

    That's the time to hang onto Bible verses like this:

     … In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.   Romans 8:37.

    As long as we keep our eyes on Jesus, whatever comes will not destroy us. 

    Count on it.

    Count on it!

    Trusting, too,

    Lenore

    You Can Stay Strong If Disaster Comes

  • Blog. Woman. Thoughtful 2. 3.24If you're a second-guesser like me, you wonder why we keep replaying what we should have said or done. 

    I got new insight the day I once again recited my failures–real and imagined–to my friend "Connie."

    She interrupted me with, "Cut that out already!"

    Then Connie smiled and told me how she stopped second-guessing herself. "Russ and I have three kids and we've moved around a lot. Early days I wasted too much time fretting about all the ways I coulda/shoulda/woulda been a better person.  

    "If I bawled out my tale of woe to Russ, hoping for sympathy, he would hug me and say, 'Aww, just let it go, Hon. It's no big deal.' Most of the time he was right.  

    "Still, I couldn't stop myself. Then another friend shared how she managed to stop dredging up times she wondered if she had said or done the wrong thing.   

    "She said talking to herself helped. Every morning she spoke Philippians 4:6-7 aloud and asked God to help her live out those verses. Whenever old regrets taunted her, she deliberately turned her thoughts back to those verses. Little by little she gave up blaming herself for being like every other human being who ever lived: Imperfect."  

    Finding help

    Later I read those Bible verses more slowly and let them play in my mind–and heart. It sounds too simple, but I felt more at peace after that. Here's Philippians 4:6-7 from the NIV:   

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

    Even now, the hardest of all for me is to leave my burden with God, so this verse speaks to me too:

    Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.     Psalm 55:22  NIV

    Forget overnight transformation 

    By now I've relearned this lesson often and my perspective on life has changed. I spend way less time on useless replays. If I do start second-guessing myself, I turn to Philippians 4:6-7 to recover my calm and peace.  

    These same verses from The Message paraphrase broaden our understanding of what the Apostle Paul meant:

    Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

    Be patient with yourself 

    I long to tell you I am perfectly calm, day after day, but not yet. Still, I have changed.

    Any time I catch myself replaying what is behind me I turn it over to my loving Father and say something like, "Sorry, I blew it again. Lord, help me leave the past in the past. Let me be done with all this angst."

    Whenever the nagging thoughts resurface, I repeat the Philippians verses already mentioned and of course, Philippians 4:8:

    Finally, brothers (and sisters,) whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.    ESV

    Think on these things

    Whatever else is happening–or not happening–in our lives, we can only find the good if we look for it and fix our thoughts on Jesus instead of ourselves. 

    The bottom line, of course, remains the same. When we trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are forgiven for all our failures, all our sins. Period. 

    That's why we can trust promises like Romans 8:28:

    And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good.

    Anytime we catch ourselves worn out from running on our mental  hamster wheel of regret, it's time to call a halt. For most of us, our failures in living are more likely an annoyance than a crisis. In other words, they are not worth all the drama.

    Loving the adventure of life,  

    Lenore

    Simplify Your Life: Be Done with Old Failures

  • If you're like me, you long to hear someone in the media look on the bright side of life.  

    You know, spend more time on what is good and right and true, if just for the novelty effect.

    Since that seems unlikely, let's help ourselves. It's still good advice to once in awhile stop and take a slow, deep breath, then exhale. Do it again. Feel your shoulders drop and your spirit rise? Good. 

    Now take another deep breath and thank God for something or someone in your life that gives you joy. From now on, keep your mind tuned to what is right in your life, rather than what's wrong.

    Past generations managed to get through hard times, whether national or personal–without falling apart, even when life was hard. How? Part of the credit goes to entertainers of the time. They kept everyone's morale up. 

    Here's one example from 1944, when it seemed World War II would never end

    Bing Crosby croons a song that caught on instantly–and still carries a useful message for us today.     

    Johnny Mercer wrote "Accentuate the Positive" in 1944, when Americans were bone-weary of World War II. With its upbeat rhythms and happy lyrics, this tune quickly proved to be a morale-booster.

    The song's instructions lay down a good track to follow  


    • Accentuate the positive
    • Eliminate the negative
    • Latch on to the affirmative
    • Spread joy up to the maximum
    • Bring gloom down to the minimum

    Perhaps this sounds like too much. Besides, where are we supposed to find the energy? 

    I've only found one Source that never lets me down and that's God. He won't let you down, either.

    The One who knows us best and even numbers the hairs on our heads is always there, waiting for us to turn to Him and ask for what we need.

    How would "accentuate the positive" play out in everyday life?

    Here are some starters:

    Give up keeping track of what's missing in your husband or wife, or your children or employer. (Or anyone else, for that matter.) Instead, look for what is worthwhile in them and what they do right, then talk about that.

    Let go of nagging kids over poor grades or annoying habits. Instead, point out to them their good temperament qualities–like kindness–and evidences of strong character, like follow-through and keeping promises.

    Stop replaying how tight finances are and bemoaning all the restrictions and things you can't afford. Instead, remind yourself what you are able to do and thank God for that.  

    At first it may seem no one notices, but don't quit. Little by little, your deliberate new outlook will catch on with the people in your life, especially your family. 

    Think what a difference that could make inside your own four walls.

    Always, we decide what we will emphasize

    "Accentuate the positive" means we focus on what's good and right and true in people and in our world. 

    For example, if everyone depends on us and it weighs us down, how will we view it? We can call it a burden. Or we can regard it as the privilege it is.

    Privilege? Yes, especially for parents. Moms and dads set the tone for their families. Children constantly listen and learn, wanting to know how they are to look at life and people. Happy parents make for happy kids who feel confident about life–and themselves.

    Wives and husbands probably won't label it as such, but each one supports their spouse emotionally, remembering it is who they are, not what they do. Every time they smile and hug–the more, the better–each one feels appreciated. Somehow that lessens the weight of worries and problems for each of them.  

    Good friends can do that, too, because we are meant to encourage each other.

    Even if we live alone, we set the tone for our lives. We can start our mornings by thanking God for another day. Or we can fixate on the constant news broadcasts and talk shows. When we choose the latter, it's easy to get caught up in thinking and talking about the evil in the world and in people.

    As usual and as always, it's our choice.

    Before that song came the Apostle Paul  

    I have no proof, but it may seem logical to think Johnny Mercer took his inspiration from Philippians 4:8:

    Finally, brothers–and sisters–whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

    Doesn't that sound a lot like "Accentuate the positive, Eliminate the negative, Latch on to the affirmative"?

    Doubts and fears still may surface now and then

    I've found it helps to go back to God's promises, for example:

    By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.  Psalm 42:8  ESV

    God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth gives way and the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea.  Psalm 46:1-2 ESV

    In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety.  –Psalm 4:8 ESV

    Over the years I've learned I need to be watchful over my moods and to deliberately pick out what's good in life and to thank God for it. 

    The ancient wisdom still holds: A thankful heart is good medicine.

    Wishing you joy!

    Lenore 

    Find a Lift for Your Day–and Your Heart–Here

  • When Nick Vujicic speaks–and he does, all over the world–people hang on every word. They can't quite believe that this man is saying what he's saying.

    Blog. Nick Vujicic. 7.17Certainly I found that to be true.

    Some years ago my husband and I heard Nick speak and afterward joined the crowd around the stage. His smile lit up the room.

    Since then I've seen him on television and just recently on YouTube.

    Always, I marvel how every day he triumphs over challenges that would drive many of us to curl up in the corner and wail.  

    And then there are his remarkable parents. Three sonograms gave them no warning their child would be born with problems.

    Imagine their shock to find their newborn son possessed no arms and no legs, only a sort of a "foot flipper" at the bottom left of his torso.

    What would you do?

    No doubt many well-meaning people told Nick's parents that raising their severely handicapped child would be too much for them and they should turn him over to the professionals.

    They paid no attention.

    That plucky pair took their baby son home and somehow loved him into a remarkable wholeness of spirit. 

    They did more than love him absolutely. They gave Nick a lifetime gift.

    They instilled in him the sense that he was bigger than the obstacles he faced.

    They assured their son he could trust God to make a way for him and use him. Somehow. Somewhere. Some way.   

    Still, it was years before Nick believed it wholeheartedly for himself. 

    The boy with the hard name and the weird body

    Nick Vujicic (VOO-yee-cheech) was born in Melbourne, Australia, in 1982. As you would guess, being taunted and bullied were everyday occurrences.

    He says, "I often came home crying and told my parents, 'I hate school! The kids make fun of me!'

    "My parents always said, 'Don't pay any attention. You're God's creation, fearfully and wonderfully made, and we love you. You just smile back and talk to them and play with them as much as you can.' After awhile things got better, but I often felt depressed.

    "I accepted myself after I read about the blind man in John 9.  I read how Jesus said the blind man was born that way so that the works of God would be revealed through him. I said to God that if He had a plan for that man I certainly believed that He had one for me.

    "That's when I totally surrendered the idea of ‘needing to know the plan’ and trusted in Him one day at a time." 

    Would you describe Nick as "disabled?"

    Most people would. Here's what he says about disability: "We all have brokenness. Mine just shows more than most people's.

    "Fear is the biggest disability of all. Fear is simply False Evidence Appearing Real. Courage is doing what's in front of us, even when we're afraid."

    Asked how he finds courage to keep going every day, Nick smiled. "I thank God for what I have instead of complaining about what I don't have.

    Nick says, “If God can use a man without arms and legs to be His hands and feet, then certainly He will use any willing heart!”


     God answers Nick's heartfelt prayers

    For years Nick wondered whether any woman ever could or ever would love him. Then God answered his lifelong prayers for a godly wife and a family of his own. 

    He and Kanae fell in love and then married on February 12, 2012. Blog. Nick V. and Kanae. 10.23

    And now they have four beautiful children.  Blog. Nick V. Children. 10.23

     

    (To read more of his story, go to his website: www.lifewithoutlimbs.org or Google his name.) 

    Nick Vujicic often quotes a favorite verse.

    "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

    Dear reader friends, that same promise applies to you and to me, every bit as much as it does to Nick. If we compare our problems to Nick's we may feel we have no right to complain, but we are human. Inevitably, we will have times when we feel broken and downhearted. Even then, in Jesus Christ our hope and our future is secure.

    Let's resolve to live our lives, too, by the sure and certain promises we find in God's Word. 

    Lenore

     

    You Can Soar Above Your Challenges

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

    Blog. Construction worker. 4.14Please 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

  • No matter who we are, whatever our age or life situation, the unpredictability of life can get us down. 

    Blog. Thoughful woman. 5.20The truth is that sometimes life is hard.

    That's true even for those of us who are Christians. I am and I trust God's many promises to be with us and to be our strength. Perhaps you do, too.

    When trouble comes knocking we cling to these Bible promises as a drowning person to a lifeline. We long to take God at his word and yet … sometimes we feel very alone and headed for disaster.

    Our desire is to be strong and immovable but we feel tossed around like driftwood.

    That's the time to turn to God's promises in the Bible. For example, one that's cherished by many believers is God's promise to the Israelites after they had been exiled in Babylon. It's from Jeremiah, Chapter 29:11 (NLT):

    "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." 

    To find our footing, grab onto these truths and refuse to let go

    Life often feels like too much to handle on our own. That's when it helps so much to share the load with our best Friend, Jesus, and turn over our fears and doubts to him. Prayer is nothing more than talking to him as we would to a friend we can trust.

    It's good to remind ourselves that all through life our attitude–our mindset–determines how we react and how we deal with whatever life hands out.

    It's exactly as the writer of Proverbs said in 23:7a:

    As he thinks in his heart, so is he.  –NKJV

    This verse applies to every one of us: As we think in our minds, so we are. When we truly absorb that into our minds and hearts it's not long before we become more aware of how consistently that principle works. 

    Is this easy to do? No. We first need to set aside our "logical thinking" and acquired theories and be ready to trust as simply as small children do. Only then will we be ready to put our hand into our loving Heavenly Father's hand and walk in faith.

    It's often helpful to make lists and write down what we know is true with a pen and paper. There's something about the act of writing our thoughts down on paper that helps us clarify patterns and shows us when we're chasing our tail rather than getting closer to finding answers.

    The bottom line: How we react to what comes can strengthen us in our struggles or ramp up our fears.  

    No one can take away our power to choose how we think

    That's been true from the beginning because God creates only one-of-a-kind human beings. No one else makes us think a certain way. That freedom belongs to each of us alone.

    Chuck Swindoll, well-known Christian pastor and writer, wrote a lot about attitude in one of his most-loved books, Strengthening Your Grip.

    Here are some quotes–and paraphrases–taken from that book:

    The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than the past. More important than education."

    More important than how much money we have–or don't have.

    More important than failures or successes.

    More important than what other people think or say or do.

    It is more important than our age or the state of our health.

    Attitude will make or break a company. A church. A marriage. A family.

    I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it. 

    Every day we choose the outlook we will put on for the day

    Chuck's conclusions are true for you and me. Every day of our lives we choose our attitude and then our attitudes rule our lives.

    Our perspective on any situation rules how we think about it. 

    If you doubt that, consider a common "for instance" like this. Picture yourself dragging around and feeling depressed–and maybe not knowing why. Then comes an unexpected phone call, a text or an email that lifts your heart. In an instant your gloom and sadness turn into smiles.

    Often nothing has changed except the way we look at our life. 

    Putting it into practice day by day

    Over the years I've learned that what I say to myself just after I wake up makes a difference all day long. Those first thoughts set the tone for my waking hours. 

    During those waking-up moments I often take a mental inventory. I can say to myself, Oh, I wish I could stay in bed all day! I am not looking forward to the same old, same old of my life. I need a break! 

    Or I can think, This is the day the Lord has given me as a gift. I WILL rejoice and be glad in it! (Psalm 118:24)

    Thanking God for being able to breathe and walk and talk doesn't take away any aches or morning stiffness I might experience. What it does is shift my perspective just a little bit. It reminds me that every day of my life is God's gift and in Him I live and move and have my being. (Acts 17:28) 

    This slight twist to how I start off my day shifts my thoughts to a more positive track and makes the whole day better.  

    Moment-by-moment, we choose where we park our minds

    I don't know about you, but this is the lesson I seem to need to relearn, over and over.

    As I think in my heart, so I am–and so is my life.

    Here's to all of us being teachable. All. Our. Days.

    Lenore

    Is it time to do an attitude adjustment?

  • A lot of people do. How about you? Blog. Woman praying. 8.18

    The other day a friend told of not being able to find her cell phone charger. "I took my house apart. I went through every place I could think of, but I absolutely could not find it.  

    "Finally I remembered to ask God for help. About two minutes later I realized I hadn't checked the wooden box on my counter. I checked the box and there it was. I think God was just waiting for me to ask so He could answer my prayer."

    Is it really that simple?

    Not quite. That would be a sort of "push-button God," wouldn't it?

    Some of us have learned over the years that yes, God does hear our prayers. We may not always get the answer we prayed for, but one way or another, He will give what we truly need. Or we get a "wait" and feel forgotten. Only later will we understand that God did answer our prayers–and in the best way possible. We just hadn't recognized it at the time.

    We can be certain of this: God does want to hear what's on our hearts: 

    Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.   -Philippians 4:6 

    Do we pray only about the Big Things? Or everything? 

    Another time I was with a group of friends and one who lives alone told about trying to change a light bulb that refused to budge. "I was about ready to give up," she said.

    "Finally I just said, 'Lord, I don't want to have to call someone to come for such a little job. Please help me!'

    "Then I decided to give it one more try. A couple of twists and that silly bulb came right out. I know it was just a light bulb, but that day it seemed proof that God was watching over me."

    People standing around her soon chimed in with their own stories of how they saw God's hand in their own challenges and also in various situations, past and present. Some were accounts of real crises and others of small, everyday things. In every case God brought the teller through the tough times.

    It didn't matter. We listened and rejoiced together that God is faithful and He really cares about each one of us. 

    This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.   -1 John 5:14

    The truth is God really works

    He can bless us with or without our prayers. It seems to me the value of us praying for everything that's on our hearts is twofold. First, it keeps us focused on our gracious Giver. Second, when we pray and things seem to "work out," it strengthens our faith because we know it's God answering our prayers and that reminds us that He loves us.  

    To put it another way, when we pray we look for His hand in our lives. We see Him already to work in our lives and therefore, we thank Him.

    We know because we know that it is God blessing us. Not luck and not coincidence.

    As for whether to pray only for Big Things or for everything, I vote for the latter. Listen to what the Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 4:6-7:

    Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

    Every moment of our lives it is as the song says: "He's got the whole wide world … in His hands."

    That includes you and me. God is with us and He is for us and He always, always hears our prayers. 

    May you know this and may His peace fill your heart! 

    Lenore

     

     

    Are You Wondering Whether Prayer Works?

  • What do you need to give you a brighter outlook on life? 

    Blog.Thoughtful woman 4. 10.14That's not a trick question, just something to consider. The answer may be closer than you think.

    Sometimes we need eyes to see, said she who often failed to do that. 

    What did that lead to? Mostly a feeling of powerlessness. I let anything from a gray day to someone else's bad mood "make" me feel angry or turn my day sour.  

    Or when my sweet husband and I were on different tracks I might say, "You just don't understand me."

    When our lovely but noisy children were being themselves too often I thought and sometimes said (yelled?) to them, "You're driving me crazy!" 

    Oh sure, I apologized. Profusely. Love covered over the moment and peace reigned again.  

    All the while I wished I had clamped my lips shut tight because my words caused pain in those I loved. 

    A random two-line quote opened my eyes 

    I don't know the source, but these simple words startled my thinking and spoke to my heart:

    Two men looked out through prison bars. One saw the mud. The other saw stars.

    At first I read that as a writer and thought, What eloquent writing! So much wisdom in so few words.  

    Before long the deeper meaning hit me in the gut. Every one of us, whatever our age or life situation, constantly makes choices. We–and we alone–decide that something or someone lifts us up or drags us down.   

    Turning that truth over in my mind made me cringe–and then pray. At long last (and about time!) I faced the fact: No one else makes me feel anything. Then and now my words and my moods are a do-it-yourself job.      

    What's more, whenever I tell myself that a situation or the words of another person "make" me mad, sad or depressed I surrender control over my emotions.  

     You might say that I put myself behind bars.   

    Can it be that simple?

    Certainly it varies from person to person, but one thing is true for all of us:

    Where we look and what we think colors every facet of our lives 

    Whether we see the best in life or the worst in life–and people–stems from where we fasten our attention and how we frame our thoughts. For example, do we believe (and say) that our marriage relationship is strong? Do we think (and say) that we have "good kids?" Do we customarily think that others treat us kindly?

    Everything hinges on what we choose to see and how we choose to think. Will it be stars or mud?

    Don't forget the sound track in your mind

    We all have one and it plays continuously. Pay attention and be on the alert for echoes like these:   

    • Why doesn't he … ?
    • Why won't she … ?
    • Why must he always … ?
    • Will she ever get it through her head that …

    Take it from me, if that plays in our mind for long it spawns thoughts like these:

    • If he loved me he would …
    • If she cared she wouldn't …
    • He knows that drives me crazy!
    • She did that on purpose, like she always does …

    This attitude spreads to how we view our jobs, our bosses and co-workers, our neighbors, our child's teachers and everyone else.  

    My grandmother would have said,

    "You're thinking yourself into a tizzy. Thoughts like that never lead to anything good."

    Fine, but how do we make a new start?  

    Just resolving to do so won't change us because our usual ways of thinking are as comfortable as an old pair of slippers. 

    In effect, we need to "rewrite our software," that is, lay down new habits and hardest of all, stick with them.

    The place to start is with the Manufacturer's Handbook, the Bible. (If it's new to you, start with one of the Gospels, the first four books of the New Testament.) Reading the Bible and talking to God in prayer helps us grow strong from within and implants new background music in our minds.

    Any time is a good time to open up with God in prayer, no special script required. It's just being honest with him about what's in your heart. Some people prefer a set time of day while many of us carry on a running conversation throughout the day.  

    Always, God hears us. Why? Because Jesus came to earth and set us right with God.

    For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.   John 3:16-17

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

    Day to day

    When we're changed from the inside out the way we talk and relate to the people in our lives changes, too. We naturally start looking for strengths instead of reasons to complain and our outlook on life gets sunnier.

    Here's a Bible verse that lays it out plainly:   

    Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.   Philippians 4:8  NIV

    One thing we know for sure: We find what we look for.

    Let's make this the time in our lives when we latch onto more reasons to smile and be thankful for the life we are living. 

    I'm praying for you–and for myself, as well,

    Lenore

    How do you see your life?

  • Are you thinking Christmas won't be the same this year? Feeling a bit rushed?  

    It's time for a break. Sit for a moment and catch the joy of these children–and adults–as you watch and listen to this YouTube of some years ago.

    First, a bit of background          

    It all started when James Barthelman and his wife moved from Nebraska to the tiny village of Quinhagak, Alaska, to teach. Quinhagak is a (mostly) Yup'ik Eskimo village, 400 miles west of Anchorage, with no roads to the outside world. At the last census the population numbered 699 residents.

    James was to teach in the village school, Kuinerramiut Elitnarviat School. 

    During the school year he and his fifth-graders came up with making this YouTube video as a school computer project that would involve both children and villagers. Barthelman filmed it, intending that this YouTube would go only to other Yup'ik villages in the area. 

    But it caught on and went viral

    By now well over 1.8 million people have viewed this lively performance, all of it synced with the recording of the Robert Shaw Chorale singing the "Hallelujah" chorus from Handel's Messiah.

    That one teacher in one small school never imagined how many people would be entranced by this video. 

    Quinhagak is a long way from Dublin, Ireland, where George Frideric Handel composed Messiah in 1741. At the time he considered himself something of a failure. Then during a 24-day period he composed the entire score of Messiah, for both choir and orchestra. He said he felt God gave him the music.

    Handel never could have foreseen how his music would endure.

    Nor that centuries later a teacher and a group of Inuit children would come up with such a creative performance, all of it synced with a recorded choir singing Handel's "Hallelujah" chorus.

    Consider this another reminder what God can do with the work of one individual 

    Although Handel composed many other musical works, only his "Hallelujah" chorus is sung and hummed all over the world. His Messiah is performed every Christmas season by choruses and choirs in huge cities and in tiny villages on every continent.  

    There's a lesson here for you and me

    As individuals and as moms and dads we cannot know what God will do with our work.

    Or the work of our children.

    I can't help thinking of this Bible verse.

    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

    That verse wasn't aimed only at Handel and other famous people. It speaks to you and me, too.

    Think you're on a treadmill and going nowhere?

    Perhaps today you question the value of your life. Maybe you're facing your first Christmas alone after losing a loved one.

    Maybe you're a mom and your family most often notices what you do when you don't do it.  

    Put a positive spin on that. Being taken for granted also means your family knows they can count on you.

    What's more, the family life you create and the love you pour into your days will live on in your children.

    Joy comes from giving ourselves fully, knowing that what we do matters, whether we see the end result or not.

    God is faithful. What we do in love will live on

    Believe it. Let that truth put fresh energy in your tired body.

    Someone needs us, needs our kind words, needs our encouragement. Whether we realize it or not, those are gifts, too.

    This Christ-mas season let's put aside our usual thoughts of hurry and pressure and think on the greatest Gift. 

    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  ESV

    Hallelujah!

    Lenore

    Here comes a Christmas heart-lift and a smile