Category: Faith Lived Out

  • Even though I live in California, winter's dark mornings and short afternoons drag me down.  

    Blog. Sad woman. SAD. 1.15Forgive me, all you Midwesterners and Easterners who deal with REAL winter. I admit it, I'm a wimp.   

    When the days start getting shorter my energy levels drop and I gradually notice that I feel less cheery. I hear hot cocoa and a crackling fire calling my name.

    Once people called it "the winter blues."

    Now it's known as "SAD."

    How about you?

    If your days feel gray, too, the experts tell us we might have SAD. – Seasonal Affective Disorder. The farther we live from the Equator, the shorter our daylight hours and the more likely it is that we have S.A.D. 

    That may sound like a fake condition, but here's what the Mayo Clinic website says about how shorter daylight hours affect our bodies: 

    The specific cause of seasonal affective disorder remains unknown. Some factors that may come into play include:

    • Your biological clock (circadian rhythm). The reduced level of sunlight in fall and winter may cause winter-onset SAD. This decrease in sunlight may disrupt your body's internal clock and lead to feelings of depression.

    • Serotonin levels. A drop in serotonin, a brain chemical (neurotransmitter) that affects mood, might play a role in SAD. Reduced sunlight can cause a drop in serotonin that may trigger depression.

    • Melatonin levels. The change in season can disrupt the balance of the body's level of melatonin, which plays a role in sleep patterns and mood.

    If you want to read more about SAD go to http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seasonal-affective-disorder/basics/causes/con-20021047

    Avoiding the downward slide

    The problem is when we feel down, our thoughts are, well, less positive.  

    And have you noticed how one dark thought begets another? I like the way that brilliant poet, "Anonymous," puts it.

    Your mind is a garden,

    your thoughts are the seeds.

    You can grow flowers or you can grow weeds.

    All day long, with no conscious effort we drop "seeds"–random thoughts that come and go–into our minds.  

    Those fleeting thoughts become the background noise of our lives

    We tell ourselves we pay no attention to street noise, for example, except we do. We can't help but register it at some level. 

    I've found it takes a lot of discipline and prayer to overcome letting my mood go dark.   

    It helps to keep telling myself what I know is true:  

    Whether we think we're happy or not depends on what we ask ourselves. And tell ourselves.

    Whatever our situation–and whatever the season–our thoughts determine how we live and relate to the people around us.

    Dealing with down days

    Let's face it, some days we're in the pits–even in the midst of summer. 

    It helps me to write Bible verses that lift my heart on sticky notes and post them around the house. Storing verses in smartphones and tablets allow instant access, too, as do index cards tucked in a pocket or purse.  

    For starters, here are verses that speak to me:   

    • "I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?"  –Jeremiah 32:27
    • 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
    •  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak . . . those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.  –Isaiah 40:29, 31
    • Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he [or she] is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!  –2 Corinthians 5:17
    • Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. –Ephesians 3:20-21 

    I know of no better way to drive out the dark than to focus on the Son and bask in God's love for us. 

    Why not share some of your favorite verses in the Comments section below?

    Still growing, 

    Lenore

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  • Even though we know education has changed radically, most of us think we pretty much know what's being taught. Even sex education classes, which used to be controversial, have become routine in most public schools. 

    Besides, we can trust the carefully-chosen books our local schools give out to students. Right?

    Blog. McGraw book. 9.14health9n-1-webMaybe not.

    Back in August one mom in Fremont, CA, bothered to read this new textbook, slated for use this fall with 9th graders in Fremont Unified School District high schools.

    She was shocked by the section on sex–and said so. She told others and more parents demanded a look-see. Protests grew.

    One mom said, "The main thing is this book treats the kids as adults and the content is adult. For a 14-year old kid, to introduce him to these things, I don't think it is right at this stage."

    What things? Listen to a dad: "When I looked at the book, I couldn't believe the topics that were in there. . . Bondage? How is that a healthy thing to teach a ninth-grade student?"

    That's not all

    Your Health Today is published by McGraw Hill. Board members who spent $204,600 to purchase it pronounced it a textbook on healthy living, with one section devoted to sex. One says a poll of students revealed many ninth-graders in their schools already are sexually active, so they need to know "the facts." 

    Over 1,700 parents objected to the "facts" depicted. They signed a petition to remove the book, which covers sexual positions, fantasies and games, how to use vibrators and sex toys, bondage with ropes, handcuffs and blindfolds–and more.

    Like how to tell your sexual partner(s) about previous sexual partners.

    Like how to find sex websites and where to buy various equipment.

    When school officials and board members finally met with the standing-room-only crowd of protesters, comments went on for hours. Later it was announced the book will not be used this fall.

    I don't live in Fremont. Why should I care?

    If you, like me, believe what's taught in the schools affects our society, either now or in years to come, it matters.

    We all need to pay attention and be informed, then speak up. If we don't, who will?

    But let's be constructive instead of critical. Let's appreciate the many good teachers who day-after-day do their best to instruct and care for students. Let's encourage parents and teens in our community and church who are trying.  

    Even if our children are grown we have a part to play. Suppose instead of negative comments we daily prayed for harried parents and teachers–and teenagers–who are dealing with life as it is today.  

    Living God's way in today's warped society is hard. A good word from you or me could recharge them not to wimp out.

    Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.                –1 Thessalonians 5:11

    We are here today and this is the world we live in

    This one school made the news, but that doesn't mean it's the only one using questionable teaching materials or practices.  

    Here are links to earlier posts that talk about that.  

    http://awomansview.typepad.com/a_womans_view/2013/08/get-your-kids-ready-for-the-new-gender-attitudes-at-school.html 

    http://awomansview.typepad.com/a_womans_view/2011/10/are-you-female-male-both-or-neither.html  

    We are not alone!

    It helps to be informed with current information and terminology, presented with a Christian perspective. The books I know best are in the well-respected Learning about Sex series from Concordia Publishing House, now in its Fifth Edition. (See link and more info in right-hand column.) 

    If all this sounds daunting, let's remember this.

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

    Growing, too,

    Lenore

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  • Maybe you never thought about Maya Angelou until now, after her recent death, when everyone's talking about her.

    Maybe you wonder what's the big deal?

    I sometimes disagreed with her views Blog. Maya Angelou. 6, but I admire how she came through a harsh childhood and grew into a calm, balanced woman of accomplishment.

    How did she do it?

    I think it traces back to her stable, loving grandmother, who spoke faith and hope into this hurting little girl. When Maya was three her dysfunctional father plunked her down to live with his mother-in-law, then four years later snatched her backto live with her mother.

    When Maya was eight, her mother's boyfriend raped her. She confided in her older brother, who told the family. The rapist was tried, convicted and jailed.

    For one day.

    Shortly thereafter, someone murdered him. Blaming herself for the man's death, Maya stopped talking . . . for five years.

    The two siblings were sent to live with Grandma, who provided a solid home, frequently reassuring them of Christ's love for them.

    How does one survive such experiences?

    We can learn a lot from Maya about overcoming pain. Her writings and interviews reveal what kept her from bitterness.

    • Faith in God:
      "I believed that there was a God because I was told it by my grandmother and later by other adults. But when I found that I knew not only that there was God but that I was a child of God, when I understood that, when I comprehended that, more than that, when I internalized that, ingested that, I became courageous."
    • Take the long view:
      "You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” 
    • Choose to take a positive view of life:
      "You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”

      "If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude."

    • Forgive:  
      "You can't forgive without loving. And I don't mean sentimentality. I don't mean mush. I mean having enough courage to stand up and say, 'I forgive. I'm finished with it.'

    • Be authentic:
      "If you have only one smile in you, give it to the people you love. Don't be surly at home, then go out in the street and start grinning 'Good morning' at total strangers.”
    • Be kind:
      "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
    • Recognize your impact on others:
      "Each of us, famous or infamous, is a role model for somebody, and if we aren't, we should behave as though we are — cheerful, kind, loving, courteous. Because you can be sure someone is watching and taking deliberate and diligent notes.”
    • Remember that life is a gift:
      Maya's prayer: "I want to thank you, Lord, for life and all that's in it. Thank you for the day and for the hour, and the minute.”
    This kind of transformation can't be accomplished on our own
     
    Maya's story reminded me of this verse, which reveals her secret.
    Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.  –2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)
    Maya Angelou was far from perfect, yet she was forgiven. In Christ, she was a new creation, freed from bitterness and hate.
     
    That's what enabled her to be able to say, "I forgive. I'm finished with it"–and mean it.
     
    You and I can have the same newness of mind and spirit. It's the gift that comes with believing in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior (John 3:16-17.)
     
    Trusting, too,
    Lenore
     

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  • Blog. Woman. thoughtful. 11.13Sometimes a chance conversation teaches us a lot. Like the day a friend talked about her childhood.

    "Our family was poor when I was growing up," she said, "but I never knew it.  

    "I remember the year Dad was out of work. Mom suddenly announced she was really tired of fixing turkey every Thanksgiving and announced our First Annual Rice and Beans Festival.

    "We kids made silly paper hats out of grocery bags. Mom dug up some old candles and sent us out to pick up pretty leaves to decorate the table. Before we ate we went around the table and each of us, even my bratty brother, said our own thank-you prayer.

    "Guess we kids forgot we didn't much like rice and beans because we stuffed ourselves. After dinner we had a contest to see how many blessings we could name, then played games.

    "We all still talk of that as the best Thanksgiving ever.

    "Friday nights were special, too. We always had popcorn and Kool-Aid. Then we'd sit around and watch TV together or play games. I know now that's all we could afford, but as a child it felt like a party every week.

    "Whenever the power went out, Dad would clap his hands and say, 'Let's celebrate!'

    "He'd light candles while Mom made peanut butter sandwiches. Then he'd spread out an old blanket and we'd sit in a circle, like around a campfire. We'd sing camp songs and one of us would make up a funny story, then the next one in the circle would have to keep it going.

    "We had so many good times, so much laughing–small wonder I thought we must be rich. My parents simply knew how to make the most of every little thing.

    "I hate to admit it, but my husband and I and our kids have a lot more stuff now than my parents ever did and we never celebrate any of it."

    +++++++

    That conversation stayed in my mind for a long time. Obviously, her parents were super-gifted with a thankful spirit. They have a lot to teach . . . me. 

    A lovely old hymn speaks truth to my heart. How about yours?

    For The Beauty Of The Earth 

    For the beauty of the earth,

    For the beauty of the skies,

    For the love which from our birth

    Over and around us lies,

    Lord of all, to thee we raise

    This our grateful hymn of praise.


    For the beauty of each hour

    Of the day and of the night,

    Hill and vale, and tree and flower,

    Sun and moon and stars of light,

    Lord of all, to thee we raise

    This our grateful hymn of praise.


    For the joy of human love,

    Brother, sister, parent, child,

    Friends on earth, and friends above,

    Pleasures pure and undefiled,

    Lord of all, to thee we raise

    This our grateful hymn of praise.

    Blessings to you, my friend, at Thanksgiving and every day,

    Lenore 

      

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  • You probably heard about the Utah coach who suspended his entire football team a week before their big homecoming game.

    Coach Matt Labrum had known players were being disciplined for being disrespectful and skipping classes. When some were accused of cyberbullying, it was the last straw. Blog. Coach Labrum 2. 9.13

    He decided his Union High team needed a wake-up call.

    Labrum told all 80 players they were suspended and to turn in their jerseys. The new emphasis would be on building character and only those who earned the privilege to play would make the team.

    He describes it as "an emotional moment on all sides."

    Coach Labrum told the Deseret News, "We need to focus on some other things that are more important than winning a football game."

    The players got the message. The next day, Saturday, at 7 a.m., all players turned up at Roosevelt Union High, as directed. Labrum explained that to earn their way back they'd need to perform community service. Practice hours would be devoted to character classes.

    Blog. Utah H.S. team. 9.13Right away the players dug in, cleaning up streets, pulling weeds and volunteering at local senior centers. At Monday's character class players were instructed to list their personal character weaknesses–and did.

    Several said they now realize it's a privilege to wear their uniforms and represent their school. Senior running back Gavin Nielsen said, "This helped me realize, it's not all about football."

    Thumbs up for parents and the community for supporting the coach. And yes, the team will play in that homecoming game.

    Like a wise parent, Coach Labrum provided "tough love" along with tender love

    Real life is more than football, too. More than winning awards. More than appearance or talent or cleverness or being an honor student. More than getting into the "best" colleges or making a lot of money.

    Parents brag about these things, but they're not what matter most. 

    Otherwise we wouldn't see a steady news parade of individuals with "all the advantages" who are a mess, living out empty lives.

    How do we help our kids develop right attitudes?

    It starts with helping our kids grow strong from the inside out. Strong enough to make it through life even when they're away from us.

    Strong enough to do the right thing, even when everyone else is doing wrong.

    It takes loving them with our whole hearts. That's the easy part. The hard part is setting clear limits–and enforcing them. Every time.

    Keeping that balance often feels like trying to walk a tightrope and know we need help. We'll find it if we ask. No fancy words needed. A simple, "Help me, Lord, please," is quite enough.

    The sooner we start, the better. If we follow through every time, our kids soon figure out Mommy means business and they may as well obey the first time.

    Finding our way through

    Our call as moms is to help our children grow into people ready to live without us. That often feels like two steps forward and one step back.

    It's not all about us.

    A solid base of faith and being involved in a strong church which teaches Bible Truth can make all the difference. Here we'll make friends among people who share our values. So will our kids.

    Children who know Jesus loves them feel more secure in a harsh world. Knowing their Best Friend is always with them is way better than a cuddly teddy bear.

    As youngsters grow into adolescence hanging with Christian kids who support them in making right choices can aid our teens in staying on-track.

    The Bottom Line

    Being a parent takes all we have and then some. We walk in faith and pray every step of the way.

    I used to think that meant I was weak. 

    Now I know it's exactly the right position to be in.

    Lovingly,

    Lenore

     

     

     

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  •  Am I excited? You betcha.

    The longest pregnancy in the history of the world is about to end. Delivery date is near, about June 7th, and I'm getting anxious to hold my "baby" in my arms, um, hands. I already know this one will not look a bit like my husband or me.         

    But anyone who takes a good long look will know she's mine.

    Maybe you already guessed I'm talking about my new book. Want a sneak peek at the cover? Here she is–and I think she's beautiful.

    She has a rather long name. Godly Moms: Strength from the Inside Out.


    Godly Mom COVERThis "baby" came to be because I love being a mom and I've known so many great moms. 

    Somehow these days being a mother seems to get less respect. Think of that expression, "I'm just a mom."

    As if. As if any mom is "just" anything. 

    During the growing-up years of our four girls, I wasn't sure. Now I have a longer perspective. We moms leave our imprint on our children, sure, but also on generations yet to be born.

    That's not a "just!"

    Now I know by experience as well as by faith that when we struggle and stumble and pray, "Help me, please!" God hears. He helps us through.

    Godly Moms is the book I yearned for, but never found

    This is my fifth book, but the first time I've had such a clear sense I had to write it.

    That's because I talk to many moms, wonderful moms, who are trying with all that's in them to be good mothers. They often feel so immersed in motherhood they fear they're losing who they are and imagine any flunkie could do what they do.

    I well remember that feeling.

    Now I know for sure that being a mom matters more than any mom ever knows while she's in the middle of the hectic years and falling into bed every night, exhausted.

    My passion is for moms to understand this in-the-midst, rather than later on as they look back. 

    In my small way I want this book to provide the reassurance I so much longed to have. 

    A mom has lasting influence


    What's more, we get to choose whether that will be positive or negative.     

    God puts us moms and our children together. That's just as true for mothers who adopt and with stepmoms.

    Someone reading this is saying, "You wouldn't talk that way if you had my child. That kid is driving me crazy!"

    Oh yes I would. I walked that same stormy path for years and prayed for strength all day, every day. That's why I read and studied about parenting and family relationships, which turned out to be a great blessing.

    At the time I didn't realize how much I was growing within myself and in faith and knowledge. You might say our daughters provided me with an ongoing personal growth program and I wouldn't trade those years for anything. Truly, I thank God for them–and for our family.

    Godly Moms: Strength from the Inside Out. What's that all about?

    Maybe it sounds intimidating to you. Not to worry. 

    A "godly mom" is a Christian mom who teaches her children to love Jesus and treats them with love, kindness and encouragement.

    "Strength from the inside out" means she knows the source of the help and strength it takes to rear children. She wants her kids to know that same inner strength and possess it as well.

    It's as 2 Corinthians 3:5 ((ESV) puts it:

    Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.

    By the way, that verse applies to me writing Godly Moms, too. I await its "birth" with a thankful and humble heart and pray it will be a blessing.

    With love from another mom,

    Lenore

     



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  • Twenty-four hour news sounds good, but there seems to be no escape. 

    The bad always outweighs the good, because every journalist knows that bad news sells.
    Dreamstime_xs_24201509 It becomes the background noise of our life and fear seeps into our subconscious.

    Think of the past few months. We can tune out faraway places, but what of the terror that comes closer to home?

    Movie-goers get mowed down in a Colorado theatre. School children in Newtown. Every school and college is on high alert, because some lone shooter may be ready to open fire.

    Then comes another Boston Marathon and what promised to be life returning to normal, even if just for a day. Then comes more horror. Bombs, killings and a major American City locked down in fear until the remaining shooter is found.

    Next a solid, unexciting fertilizer plant suddenly explodes in a quiet town in Texas. The blast kills at least 14 people and injures 200 or more, devastating a large section of West, population 2,500.

    That's Life in Twenty-first Century America

    Parents fear for their children. Schools are on high alert.

    Experts say to proect kids from viewing the violence. Parents ask how to do that when there's nothing else on television and every break carries a "teaser" for the news.

    How do we reassure our children when we're quaking inside? Where do we dredge up confidence when we have none left to give?

    The real question is, How do we live with this?

    I have no answers on my own, but I know where to look.

    In the Bible, of course. Hope and comfort thread through it from beginning to end. Take Psalm 121 for example, here from the New American Standard Bible: 

    I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;
    From where shall my help come?
    My help comes from the Lord,
    Who made heaven and earth. 

    He will not allow your foot to slip;
    He who keeps you will not slumber.
    Behold, He who keeps Israel
    Will neither slumber nor sleep.

    The Lord is your keeper;
    The Lord is your shade on your right hand.

    The sun will not smite you by day,
    Nor the moon by night.
    The Lord will protect you from all evil;
    He will keep your soul.
    The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this day forward.

    Let's take our cues from the Word instead of the news

    Imagine if we read or spoke those words every morning instead of turning on the news to see what's happening now.

    Suppose every night at bedtime we quietly repeated these beautiful words to our children. Before long they'll be speaking them with us. Instead of saying, "Have a good day," we could let this blessing echo in the minds of our families.

    The point is if we regularly take in fear, we live out fear. Some of us have internalized this constant low-level anxiety for so long we think it's normal.

    It's even worse for children, because they don't understand it and feel even more powerless than adults. 

    That's not the way we're meant to live.

    In case you wonder, yes, I struggle with this, too. I can build a whole scenario on "What if . . . ?"

    (I'm a writer, remember?)

    Events of the past week remind us again that life holds risks and earthly protection sometimes fails. Our security rests in the One who watches over us and neither slumbers nor sleeps.

    So we can live–and sleep–in peace.

     

    Growing along with you and trusting the One who keeps us,

    Lenore

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  • That's bad grammar, I know,

    but the phrase imprinted itself on my mind ever since I attended an anti-stress workshop years ago. The leader began with those words and had us repeat it after him, again and again.

    It's not a bad slogan for beginning a new year, especially after a year that featured lots of what someone labeled "stinkin' thinkin" on all sides.

    Borrowing from that workshop leader, I say, "Enough, already!"

    If we adopted that technique it would work like this

    The leader would ask, Do you think it's hopeless because you lack some essential qualities to reach your goals? He had an answer: God don't make no junk!

    Are you going through a rough patch in your marriage or in your job? Well, cheer up. God brought you and your spouse together and provided that job. And God don't make no junk!

    Are you feeling in beyond your depth with being a mom or a dad? Never mind. God obviously considers you able to handle it or He wouldn't have made you a parent. Besides, God don't make no junk! Count on Him to supply wisdom as you need it and strength for each day. 

    Do you struggle with health problems? Do you or one of your kids have physical or mental challenges and you worry about what comes next? Take heart, you'll be able to handle it, because God don't make no junk!

    A look into what this means

    I thought of that workshop when I watched this wonderful YouTube a friend sent. Every time I play it, I smile through a few tears.

    And can you hear those words? God don't make no junk!

     



     

    I suggest we adopt a new slogan for 2013, one we can pull up anytime we're feeling unsure about life or the future.  

    God don't make no junk–and He don't make no mistakes, either.

    You and I can walk unafraid, confident we'll be able to handle whatever comes.


    For proof we can go deeper than that catch phrase and turn to Bible verses like this one, Psalm 29:11:

    The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his peoople with peace.

    "His people" includes any of us who love the Lord, so this promise is for us, too.

    Thanks for stopping by, my invisible friend. Hope you found something here that blesses your heart.

    Love,

    Lenore


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  • Right this minute there are big issues issues at stake in our Nation. 

    If you've read this blog for awhile you know I haven't waded in the murky waters of politics. I do so only because vital issues are getting lost in all the blather.


    Blog. Praying hands. Bible. 10.12One involves both our faith as Christians and our rights as citizens under The Constitution of the United States.  George Washington said, " . . . its only keepers, the people."

    That's you and me, my friend. We are the keepers of our Constitution.

    Are we paying attention?

    One major issue relates to the often-referenced First Amendment

    Amendment I was ratified December 15, 1791. Here's what it says:

    "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise therof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

    From the beginning word spread all over the world about America's Constitution and the rights it guarantees. That's why America shone like a beacon of freedom to my great-grandparents who wanted to worship God according to their understanding of what the Bible teaches and without government interference. In America they could live by faith without fear.

    That's always been true. Until now.

    Enter the new health care law, which mandates what employers must cover   

    Take Tyndale House Publishers and Hobby Lobby as examples. Since a Christian couple founded Tyndale House 50 years ago this firm has only published Bibles and Christian books. Their son, Mark D. Taylor, is the current president. Tyndale's 260 employees currently are covered by their employee health plan. Taylor, a Protestant, has no moral objection to contraceptives per se. However, as a Christian he believes it's against what the Bible teaches to provide Plan B (the morning-after pill), Ella (the week-after pill) and intrauterine devices to covered employees.

    Our Government says he must. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has ruled that health insurance plans must provide such contraceptives free of charge. Tyndale House is a for-profit entity. Therefore, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says this Company does not qualify as a "religious organization" and therefore, is not eligible for an exemption.

    (Tayor notes that even exemptions granted to nonprofit entities such as the Roman Catholic Church will expire after one year.)

    Fines for failure to comply will cost Tyndale as much as $100 per day, per employee. That equals $26,000 per day. $780,000 per month. $9.36 million per year.

    Tyndale management's only "crime" is wanting to freely exercise their faith without Government interference. They believe the federal government is telling them they must either violate their own conscience or pay fines that will put them out of business.

    It doesn't stop there

    Hobby Lobby was founded 40 years ago by a family working out of their garage on a $600 bank loan. The children, now adults, are involved in the business, which now has stores in more than 500 locations in 41 states. They believe it is by God's grace that Hobby Lobby has endured and aim to honor God and to treat their employees well with above-average pay and many benefits. They provide an employee health plan, but consider Plan B, Ella and intrauterine devices to be abortifacients. 

    Hobby Lobby gives half its pre-tax earnings directly to a portfolio of evangelical ministries. It has  given away and distributed over 1.4 billion copies of Gospel literature mostly in Asia and Africa. It sponsors the YouVersion Bible app for mobile phones, which has been downloaded more than 50 million times. Yet this is a secular, for-profit company.

    These business owners, too, believe requirements of Obamacare go against the Biblical principles on which their company was founded. Hobby Lobby's non-compliance fines could total $1.3 million per day.

    So Hobby Lobby reluctantly sued the Government in Oklahoma City Federal courts. Their lawyer cited their "deeply held religious beliefs" as individuals and business owners who seek an injunction to block enforcement of the new health care law. 

    In a piece dated October 24, 2012, The Washington Post, reported the U.S. government was urging the federal judge hearing the case to deny the request to block enforcement of the new health care law.

    The dilemma for employers is obvious. They either go against their faith and keep employee health plans in place or follow their conscience and go out of business.

    They either obey their understanding of what God says or what the Government says.

    Look behind the smoke screen and the endless blather on TV

    Numerous interviews and articles trumpet the same endless discussions about "women's reproductive rights," "contraceptive freedom," "bigots who want to ban birth control," etc. 

    This is not the issue.

    For the record, I am not against contraception. Opinions vary about the morning-after (up to three days after) pill and the week-after pill, which induce a woman's uterus to slough off an implanted fertilized egg. Those of us who believe life begins at the moment of conception view these meds as abortifacients. Intrauterine devices are devices placed in the uterus by a physician that in various ways interfere with a fertilized egg being implanted on the wall of the uterus. 

    It seems to me there are three questions:

    • In cases such as Tyndale House and Hobby Lobby, is our Government "prohibiting the free exercise" of the owners' religion as they understand it?
    • As individuals of faith, what do we hold to be true?
    • If provisions of this tax-supported new health care plan violate our personal religious views, will we vote for candidates who back it?
    • Will we speak well of business owners who abide by faith? Will we support them with our words and give them our business?

    Some words to think about  

    "The LORD gave me this message: 'I knew you before I formed you in your mother's womb.'"  –Jeremiah 1: 4  (NLT)

    For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, and I know that full well.   –Psalm 139:13-14 (NIV)

    But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.   –Joshua 24:15b  (NIV)

    My reader friends, let's be sure to thoughtfully, prayerfully exercise our rights as American citizens and VOTE!

    Praying along with you,

    Lenore

     

    When living by faith becomes a crime, what are we to do?

  • Young or old, every one of us needs someone to look up to.  

    Blog. Soldier mom returns. 5.12We need heroes in our lives.

    Memorial Day is all about honoring those who serve in the Armed Forces now and those who died to keep our Nation free. Certainly we can never repay them or their loved ones, so we clap and cheer, our emotions a tumble of pride, gratitude and humility.

    Then we stop talking bravery and get back to normal. 

    What about the other 364 days of the year?

    Maybe it's time we stop looking "out there."

    Heroes live all around us.

    They come in all ages, all sizes and all shapes. Think of military spouses who thanked God their husband or wife survived terrible injury and now pray every day for strength to keep going. Consider the mom or dad with a severely disabled child or a loved one who needs constant care. Try to imagine the anguish over what was lost. Yet every day they get up, smile and keep on showing love.

    Heroes, every one. One may live next door or even under your roof.

    Heroes keep their word. They hang on through hardship. They keep on loving despite disappointments and refuse to give up. They consistently affirm the good in others.Spend five minutes with them and we walk away feeling better about ourselves. Lifted up.

    Children especially need heroes

    From their youngest years, kids crave stability and trustworthiness. Faithfulness. Love that won't quit. Something to believe in that's as sure as sundown and sunrise. Just by being loving parents, imperfect and flawed as we all are, we fill their deepest needs. They feel safe and secure.

    That continues, even through their prickly adolescenet years. Every survey says that young people still pay more attention to their parents and how they live than to any media or sports star. Even when our grown children are well into adulthood they watch us, to learn how to handle life.

    That's our contuing privilege and it gives us purpose for every day we live.

    It's okay to feel shaky

    None of us can role-model goodness and courage every day of every year. But we can ask God's help, then go forth with trust and joy. I like this "road map:"

        Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.
        Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.     –Psalm 3:5-6

    Let's keep praying for our military personnel

    They serve our nation and they serve us. Their courage wavers, too. They get weary and weak and want to give up sometimes. They need our prayer support.

    It's personal in our family. One granddaughter is on her second re-enlistment with the Navy and scheduled for a Middle East deployment. Another completed her duty with the Marines Corps after a tour in Kuwait and one near Baghdad. Like all military parents our daughter and her husband wait and worry and most of all, pray.

    Others will continue to argue over the "rightness" or "wrongness" of war. Let us unite and thank God for those who serve in our Armed Forces and pray He will preserve this nation.

    With love from your fellow learner,

    Lenore

    Looking at the heroes around us