Category: Faith

Do you ever feel as if people hardly notice what you do? Or say?

We all have days–or down times–now and then. That's when we remind ourselves what we know is true. God created us

Have you ever noticed how each link in a chain needs the others or else it can extend no farther than its own length?

It's an imperfect comparison, but God links us to the people around us, too. In ways we may never know, He uses us in the lives of others to carry out His purposes.

We have no need to understand how for that to be true.

All we need to do is trust and pray, then leave the specifics to Him.

Looking at one "chain" through the wide-angle lens of time

In 1824 an ordinary man, Edward Kimball, felt "someone" should start a Sunday school class for boys in a poor neighborhood of Boston.

No one else seemed interested, so even though he didn't view himself as qualified, Kimball took on the task. At first he felt clumsy in his teaching of the Bible, but young men started coming.

An 18-year old shoe clerk attended and came to faith in Jesus Christ as Savior. His name was Dwight L. Moody.

Not long after, D. L. Moody moved to Chicago and established a successful shoe business. Later, he started a Sunday school class, as well. Over time, weekly attendance grew to 1500.

Even though Moody was poorly educated, he felt called to preach the Gospel. Before long, wherever Moody went, huge crowds turned out to hear him.

When Moody spoke in Great Britain, one who came was a pastor: F. B. Meyer.

Meyer went home a changed man, with a new view of the Christian faith. He altered his preaching style and soon Meyer, too, began to draw crowds.

Eventually Meyer came to the U. S. to preach and one who heard him was another preacher: J. Wilbur Chapman.

Chapman decided to become an evangelist and went from city to city. His audiences grew and soon he needed an assistant.

The young helper Chapman hired was a baseball player, Billy Sunday.

After awhile, Billy Sunday became an evangelist, too, and preached in the South. He held prayer meetings and people came. In 1894 he held a prayer meeting in North Carolina.

One who attended his North Carolina prayer meetings and came to faith was Mordecai Ham. He resolved somehow he would reach people for Jesus. Ham, too, began preaching the Gospel throughout the rural areas of North Carolina.

In 1934 a 16-year old farm boy with nothing to do came to one of Ham's revival meetings.

That young man's name? Billy Graham.

We live our todays, but God sees time from the beginning to the end

God used each of these "ordinary" men to impact countless lives. For eternity.

They were links in His chain, even though they had no idea that was true.

He uses us, too, although we may not see how. You and I may think what we do for the Lord is small and insignificant. But there's no telling what GOD will do with our humble efforts.

So if today you're dragging and feel you have nothing to offer, no place, no purpose, take heart.

If you believe in Jesus as your Savior you can know for sure, that God IS using you.

Right now.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. –Ephesians 2:8-10 NIV

Read that last sentence again and let it sink in to your heart and your mind.

". . . prepared in advance for us to do."

All we need to do is live our lives, free of anxiety about figuring out what we should be doing for Him. God's got it all covered, so be at peace.

Growing, too,

Lenore

Feeling insignificant? Not true! We’re all links in God’s chain

October 10, 2018
Perhaps the most shocking thing about another school shooting is that we're not so shocked any more.

This is the world we live in. Try to make sense of. Weep over. Pray for.

Over and over people in the media and Experts of all kinds tell us that whoever the current perpetrator happens to be is "disturbed."

Why? Blame it on any of these: "Has a record of being in trouble." "Came from a dysfunctional home." "Grew up without a father." "Had physical or mental challenges." "Lived in poverty." "Had alcoholic parents." "Lacked good role models." "Fell through the cracks."

Take your pick.

Looking deeper

Name any underlying cause you choose, whether on that list or not. All are disadvantages, not justification for violent behavior.

Otherwise, countless individuals over the centuries could not have survived such circumstances and yet gone on to achieve, sometimes notably.

If all that mattered were the trappings of one's growing-up years, then every child of wealthy and famous parents–the more, the better–would be perfectly adjusted and living a life to be admired.

News accounts and celebrity mags provide endless evidence this is not so.

How do we find our way?

First we face the anguishing reality of life: The list of things we have control over is quite small.

For example, this latest shooting took place in Parkland, FL, a high-income community considered by residents to be safe and therefore, secure.

Obviously not. It's not the neighborhood. It's not how large our income. It's not being able to give our kids "all the advantages."

Rather, security flows out of knowing:

Who/what we believe in

Where we–and our children–can turn for reassurance

The foundation we are building our lives on is unshakable

Security rests on what's within us, not on what's around us.

Oh, come on, that's too simplistic

If you doubt that, read a few biographies of individuals who overcame big odds.

I met one of those over-comers when he spoke at a business meeting. At the time he was "just" a surgeon known for separating conjoined twins. Since then he retired and now Dr. Ben Carson has been appointed secretary of Housing and Urban Development.

That's quite a long journey from growing up in a single-parent family, living in a public housing project for years and playing with rocks found along the railroad tracks as he walked to school.

What brought him through all that? He credits what he learned from his mom, who always left home before he got up and often came home after dark because she worked two jobs.

(You can read their story here:) http://awomansview.typepad.com/a_womans_view/2017/03/take-heart-mom-you-are-your-childs-biggest-advantage-in-life.html

Shoring up our inner defenses

It starts with taking charge of what we feed our minds and therefore, what we give out to our families.

If healthy food builds healthy bodies–and it does–then focusing on Jesus and His love for us, His strength within us, will build strength within us and our children.

In time of crisis what's inside us is what inevitably will come out of us.

If we feed ourselves–and our loved ones–fear, it will be fear.

If we feed ourselves–and our loved ones–talk of God's strength within us, what comes out of us will be courage and peace.

Put the good stuff in

We're never too old or too young to grow in faith. Even small children easily learn "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so," especially if we sing it with them.

Talking to Jesus is natural for young children and they love knowing they can pray in any scary situation, "Jesus, help me!"

Kids equipped with these plain truths from early on know that someone loves them, no matter what. They know they're not alone.

Does that make trouble and danger go away? Maybe not. But it does reassure youngsters (and adults, too,) that they're not alone and forsaken.

When life bumps us around we draw on our reserves

If we're to have a store of courage and strength to draw on we need to regularly deposit Truth into our memory banks. Truths from God's written word, the Bible, like these favorite verses.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  –Psalm 46:1

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

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

These three are just for starters. You'll find many more as you read your Bible. Underline the verses that speak to your heart. Memorize them or list them on your SmartPhone. Find your way to be able to find them quickly.

The bottom line: How shall we live without fear?

As usual, we get to choose. We can watch the news and look around and live in fear.

OR we can live by faith in the Lord of heaven and earth and we can teach our children the truths of Scripture.

Like taking the right turn at a crossroads, that makes all the difference.

So let's speak faith, not fear. Let's live with courage, trusting God all the way,

Lenore
How can we–and our children–live without fear in a world of horror headlines?

February 21, 2018
The other day I heard a story that touched my heart and it's too good to keep to myself.

There are a couple of versions, but they all trace back to fact. Take yourself back to 1920s, when people paid and often traveled great distances to hear dramatic speakers recite poems and speeches.

Here's the story. Step into this scene and enjoy.

Friends of one much-acclaimed actor and orator threw a lavish party in his honor. More than a hundred guests attended, all dressed in their best finery.

Each guest felt privileged to be present since the famous guest traveled extensively and drew large (paying) crowds wherever he went. One of the guests asked, "Would you kindly favor us with your rendering of the Twenty-third Psalm?"

At once the great man in his designer tuxedo and multiple gold rings launched into a dramatic rendition, complete with well-practiced flourishes and gestures. At the end the audience gave the speaker a prolonged standing ovation.

Then from the back of the great room an older man dressed in a well-worn suit stood and asked, "Might I also speak this Psalm?"

With permission given, the gray-haired man slowly, carefully made his way to the front of the room. Surprised guests sat politely, prepared to be unimpressed.

Then the old man began to speak and a hush fell over the room. Listeners sat with tears streaming down their cheeks and many began weeping loudly. Once he finished the roomful of listeners sat without moving for several minutes.

Later someone asked the great orator why the audience showed such different responses to hearing the same Psalm. He answered, "I know that old man, so I know the reason.

"You see, I know the words. But that man, he knows the Shepherd."

Right about now seems the perfect time to revisit Psalm 23

Back then the older man would have quoted the King James Version, so that's what you'll read here. Yes, we now have other translations and paraphrases, but let's remember that for many years the KJV served as an English textbook in many of our schools.

So take time to drink in these beautiful words. They are true for you and for me, as much now as from the beginning–and forever. As Jesus said in Mark 13:30: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away."

Psalm 23

¹The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

²He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

³He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

⁴Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

⁵Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Just the words themselves are comforting, aren't they?

I find speaking them aloud soothes my spirit, especially when I'm feeling troubled. If you haven't already made this practice your own, I hope you'll try it.

And may you, too, know the Lord as your Good Shepherd. Let Him lead you through and restore your tired heart.

I promise you He will.

Lovingly,

Lenore

Real faith always shines through–and communicates

January 10, 2018
Are you finding it difficult to get into the spirit of Christ-mas? Me, too.

Consider this an intervention.

Take a few minutes to watch these preschoolers answer questions. (I dare you not to smile.)

Charming young children, unscripted answers, what's not to love? Oh sure, they were a bit fuzzy on the details.

Still, in their innocence and simplicity they have the essence of the miracle of Christmas: Jesus came.

Jesus Christ, truly and fully God from before Day One of Creation, chose to come to earth as a human child, born to a human mother.

Jesus, born as a baby in a stable in Bethlehem (Luke 2:1-20.) Born like any human infant to a human mother. Mary, who was a virgin and chosen to be his mother. You see, Jesus was the Son of God. (Luke 1:26-38.)

Joseph's part in the story was that the angel told him he would be Jesus' earthly father and he then married Mary (Matthew 1:18-25.)

Have we heard these readings so often we forget it's a miracle story?

What gets into us adults that we lose our marvels?

Blame it on thoughts of shopping and decorating and keeping up with family traditions. They shout so loudly they drown out the quiet meaning of Christmas.

Do you recognize these questions?

What will I give her? And him?

How much will these gifts cost? Am I spending enough to show I really care?

Will they like what I give them??

I simply have to cook and bake all the family favorites when they come home because that's what they expect. That's what makes it Christmas.

Christmas cards and letters! I need to get them written and mailed in time! And what about photos?

I'm exhausted already. How will I ever get it all done in time?

It's that last question that gets us down

Here's what I've learned over the years–with help from friends and family members.

The best and most lasting gift any of us can give is our love and encouragement. These cost zero dollars.

What we spend–or don't spend–is unimportant. Even young children who clamor for the latest toys on TV always lose interest in any item after a few days.

Recognize that adult and young-adult children are adults and young adults. They will manage to cope even if we don't fulfill their favorite gift requests. (We do, don't we? We know their gifts come with love.)

Cooking everything from scratch does not prove love.

It's a sure thing that this will not be the only chance our loved ones will have all year to eat a good meal.

We can decide to start a new family tradition. Making it easier on ourselves will make it calmer when we're together. (No guilt because Mom looks exhausted.) That makes it more fun for all the family.

Truth flash: Our kids don't come home for the food

Whatever the ages of our children, they come home for the love.

What they long for most of all is affirmation as individuals. The reminder that they belong. The confirmation that we, their parents, love them as they are.

We say it aloud: We love them as they are. That's the biggest gift we can give our adult children.

Are they perfect? No, they're human. Like their parents.

Do we like them as people and/or appreciate their sense of humor or whatever? Then we say so.

Are we pleased or proud about something they've done or are doing? Let's commend them and cheer them on, even if we've said the same thing before.

Are they going through a hard time or a scary passage in life? Let's reassure them that they're not alone. Jesus is with them, every step of the way. (Even if/when they know it, it's good to hear us speak it.)

First, last and always, let's tell them we pray for them every day and we know God's watching over them. (Then let's keep our promise.)

But nobody ever did that for me

Sadly, that's true for many of us. We still may long to hear such words from our own parents. Some of us never will, either because our parents have died or are out of our lives, or because they're incapable of opening up about their emotions.

Then we have a choice. We can grieve and bemoan what we lack.

Or we can forgive our parents and start fresh. Their ways don't have to be our ways.

We give our children and those that matter to us a great gift when we simply say those words of love we ache to hear, not just once, but often.

And in the speaking will be the healing for us and a blessing for them.

God still uses ordinary people

God used ordinary people, Mary and Joseph, carry out His plan. People like you and me.

Jesus told us we are to be salt and light in the earth. We ordinary people are to "season" the world around us and shine the sunshine of God's love where we are.

That starts right where we are. Married or single, with or without children, there are folks around us who need us to live true to who we are in Jesus.

Christmas is more than a season. It's the miracle of God come to earth to live among us.

Christmas is all about God's plan

It's about Jesus, God come to earth in human form, to be our Savior and Lord.

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

Dear reader, this year when you hear the Christmas story may you feel the awe and wonder of a little child. Jesus came for you!

And for me,

Lenore
Learning about Christmas from a few preschoolers

November 29, 2017
If someone in a neon-green jacket pounded on your door and shouted, "Get out now!" what would you want to take with you?

Did you answer, "The people I love?" Me, too.

Who is ever ready for that?

Thousands of Texans lived out that scenario in the last few days as the slow-moving disaster associated with Tropical Storm Harvey grinds on.

We can't take our eyes off the surreal footage from Texas.

Our hearts ache as we imagine their pain. Their loss. Not only of possessions but of security. Their deep sadness as reality sinks in. What was will never be the same again. Even after the rain stops.

Never ever.

Are we ghouls who love to witness destruction?

Uh-uh. I think it's also the power of that little voice inside that asks, What if that were me? Am I strong enough to survive? To deal with whatever comes?

Then comes the thought that makes us feel guilty: Thank God that's not me.

At least, not this time.

One thing we know for sure. Into every life rain will fall and storms arise. Each of us will face event(s) or situations that feel like a personal tragedy.

That's life in this fallen world.

Texas Gov. Abbott said on-camera that we all deal with challenges, but what defines our lives is how we respond to our challenges.

He ought to know. At age 26, Abbott was out running and a falling oak tree left him partially paralyzed. He's been in a wheelchair ever since.

Each of us has our own definition of "tragedy." How we respond will depend on who we are and what we stand on. What we believe.

Where do we find hope when the waters are rising all around us?

Phrases from an old hymn seem penned for the misery going on right now in Texas:

"My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus' blood and righteousness . . .

"His oath, His covenant, and blood Support me in the whelming flood . . .

"On Christ, the solid Rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand."

Rescue may not fully come and yet we must go on. That huge oak tree crushed Greg Abbott's spine. Despite skilled surgeons and rods of steel he could not walk again.

Losses comes in a variety of ways. A loved one dies and no amount of grieving restores life.

A job goes bye-bye or a business goes bust and we lose what we've known as "everything."

All we can do is watch and pray as our "normal" crumbles around us.

What we have is a Rock to stand on

Shelter in our storms. Refuge in our floods. Strong arms to hold us up when we falter.

The sure knowledge in our hearts and minds and yes, in our souls, that we are not hurting alone. Our Lord sees and hears and hurts with us.

After all, didn't He watch His Son suffer and die on the cross?

Didn't Jesus weep when his friend died?

"When every earthly prop gives way, He then is all my Hope and Stay."

The striking fact is how often these people in Harvey's wake speak of praying. Of trusting God to take care of them. Of "doing unto others, as the Bible tells us to do."

These are people who are standing on the Rock because they know Him–and they witness of Jesus Christ to the watching world.

Looking at Texas prompts us to consider our lives

It's good if we do so once in awhile, just to help us keep a balanced view of what really matters in life. Survivors almost always echo the same thought: "Our family is safe and that's all that matters. Somehow we'll get through this."

If that's true for adults, how much more for children.

To a child, Mom and Dad themselves are home and security. It's like the saying on gift shop plaques that reads:

"Home is wherever I am with you."

That's the bottom line for parents and kids and for all family members.

"Things" are not what makes for a good life. To know that's true all we have to do is check out the lives of the rich and famous

Right perspective restored

Whatever the situation, whatever our personal tragedy may be, if those we love are okay and we know our loving Father is watching over us, we are safe and secure.

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

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

Texan or not, even in the midst of trouble we have reason to give thanks. Life may never be the same and yes, it may be hard. But it is good because we possess what matters most. Life itself is a gift.

Be at peace, my friend,

Lenore

How to get through tragedy when it comes your way

August 30, 2017
Some of us think we must not have what it takes to be involved in the "Big Things" of life.

We seem to end up doing all the stuff other people don't want to do.

It's not that we mind doing it so much, it's the one constant that nags at us and drags us down:

No one seems to notice.

We're the ones who wash the dishes and pots after church suppers, then gather up the bundle of used dish towels, etc., and take them home. Of course we bring them back clean–bleached, if necessary–and folded.

No one seems to notice.

At home, with or without a paying job, we're on call to do the endless good things needed to keep our kids growing in the right direction and our home and family strong. We do it all with love and it's what we want to do. Still . . .

No one seems to notice.

It would be great if we were selfless and those around us spoke their appreciation, at least every now and then. That often doesn't happen.

Demanding perfection of ourselves–or others–is a waste

It's well to remind ourselves that we are, by definition, human and therefore, imperfect. (Isn't that why we need a Savior?)

But it's no surprise that at least once in awhile we'll think, I am really tired of being taken for granted.

Or perhaps we just sigh and think, at least I came through. Again.

I'm not perfect, but at least I was faithful. Lord, make me content with that. Thank you for strength to keep going.

As Christians, you and I know every day is a gift from God. The strength we need to live our lives is a gift, not a given.

If we forget that, we have only ourselves to depend on.

We can't know how God will use our small efforts

If you're a longtime reader, you'll know I like focusing on inspiring people. Let's look again at how God used some ordinary people.

Edward Kimball had no particular talent, but he decided to do what he could with love and with faith. He started a Sunday school class just for teenage boys in a poor Boston neighborhood.

A 19-year old shoe clerk, Dwight L. Moody, attended and came to faith in Jesus. Later, Moody established a successful shoe business in Chicago.

D. L. Moody, though poorly educated, started a Sunday school class and attendance grew to 1500 each week. Then Moody began to preach the Gospel and huge crowds turned out to hear him.

When Moody preached in Great Britain a pastor, F. B. Meyer, attended and went home a changed man. His new view of faith led him to alter his preaching style. Soon crowds began coming to hear him.

Eventually Meyer came to the U. S. to preach and another pastor, J. Wilbur Chapman, went to hear him. Chapman became an evangelist, going from city to city.

Soon he needed an assistant and hired a young baseball player: Billy Sunday. Billy Sunday became an evangelist. In 1894 he held a prayer meeting in North Carolina.

Mordecai Ham attended and came to faith, then resolved to reach people for Jesus. He began preaching the Gospel throughout the rural areas of North Carolina.

A 16-year old farm boy came to hear him: Billy Graham. You know the rest of the story.

You and I cannot know how God will use us in the lives of others

I think of Bill, whom I knew since I was growing up in the Midwest. After retirement he and his wife moved to the small city near their farm.

As he had throughout his life Bill took on small tasks. Pulling weeds on the church lawn. Sweeping up after events. Volunteering at a historical site to mow the grounds.

At his memorial service a number of younger people told how every Sunday after church Bill talked and laughed with them, then slipped each kid a stick of his favorite Blackjack gum.

One man spoke for many when he said, "The high point of every Sunday was talking with Bill. He always cheered me on and I knew he cared about me. I always chewed that stick of Blackjack, even though I didn't like it then and still don't. But it came from Bill and that was enough for me.

"I loved that simple, good man who loved me. I know now Bill kept me coming to church and kept me on track."

A stick of gum, you can't get much smaller than that

Day in, day out, this is what matters for eternity:

Our God-given call is to be faithful and to love. The rest is up to God.

Here's a lift for our tired hearts:

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people…   —Ephesians 6:7 (NIV)

[Jesus said] "If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones… "                                                 –Luke 16:0 NIV

Speaking to others about Jesus the best way we know how. Offering a child a stick of gum and a listening ear. Cleaning up pots and pans and doing laundry. Little things by themselves, every one of them.

But who knows what God will do with your "little things" and mine? Only God. And that is enough.

Strength and joy to you, my friend, day after day.

Learning, too,

Lenore
For those times you feel no one notices what you do: Take heart!

October 19, 2016
Does God still work miracles today?

I don't know your definition of a "miracle," but this news story fits mine.

Meet Ruby Graupera-Cassimoro and her newborn daughter, Tally.

You are looking at a woman who had no pulse for 45 minutes.

It happened September 23, 2014, at Boca Raton Regional Hospital. Ruby, age 40, had just undergone an uneventful cesarean to deliver a healthy baby girl.

In the recovery room she complained of shortness of breath, then suddenly went silent.

This second-time mother's heart stopped

For the next three hours a team of doctors and nurses worked tirelessly, using chest paddles and compression. During the final, discouraging 45 minutes Ruby registered no pulse at all.

At some point it was determined she had suffered a rare amniotic fluid embolism. This can occur when fluid that surrounds a baby in the uterus escapes into the mother's bloodstream and heart, clogging it, creating a vacuum and stopping circulation.

At last doctors called family members into the operating room so they could say their goodbyes. Physicians told them they could do nothing more for Ruby and they were ready to pronounce her dead.

Nurse Julie Ewing accompanied the family out of the O. R. They all held hands and prayed, with the nurse on her knees.

Then doctors noticed a blip on the monitor

Could it be that Ruby's heart was beating again?

Yes–and it kept beating!

Despite 45 minutes without a heartbeat Ruby woke up. She showed no evidence of brain damage.

No bruises or broken ribs from chest compressions.

No burns from the four or five times doctors used electric shock to try to restart her heart.

Hospital spokesman Thomas Chakurda said Ruby's survival is a story of two miracles–her resuscitation and no serious brain damage.

"It’s 'divine providence,'" said Hospital spokesman Thomas Chakurda. "Today she is the picture of health. She's at home, perfectly healthy and caring for her newborn.”

So was she really dead?

Ruby told ABC News, "Oh, I was dead. My husband tells me, 'You were gray. You were cold as ice, and you were dead. You had no color in your lips.'"

In an interview with the Christian Post, Ruby said, "I don't know why I was given this opportunity, but I'm very grateful for it. God had the right people in the right place."

The inevitable question

Especially when we or someone we love is seriously ill–and we've prayed God would heal–the same question haunts us: Why doesn't God heal everyone?

I cannot answer that question. I wish I could.

What I do know is that God gives life.

All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made. –John 1:3 (ESV)

He knows the number of our days. (Read Psalm 139, especially verses 14-18, and be blessed.)

He loves people enough to provide a way for us to be at peace with Him.

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)

God's love for us is absolute and never changes, even when His answers to our prayers don't match our specific requests.

Whatever your situation, hang on to hope

I love what God said to the prophet Jeremiah in what looked like an impossible situation. To me, it's a verse to cling to in tough times.

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

Ruby's story shows us miracles still happen. Everything we know about God tells us how.

Comments?

Growing along with you,

Lenore

Related articles

How do we stay at peace when life broadcasts terror?

How to survive being a mom

Think there are no miracles today? Read this woman’s story

November 14, 2014
Peel away the tinsel and take a fresh look at Christmas

December 18, 2013
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.

One 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?

October 25, 2012
I have well, unhelpful habits I've been trying to shed for years. How about you?

Oh, I make good resolutions and they last a week or so. Then I slip back into my old routines, a.k.a., my old, comfortable habits.

That ones I just said I wanted to break.

Take one minor example from my list. I don't consider myself a particularly messy person but, well, stuff accumulates around me.

When our last child left home I expected our kitchen table and counters finally would stay clear. I envisioned living in a somewhat model home, with boring housework only a distant memory. My workspace would be a streamlined marvel of organization.

Imagine my shock to find things still piling up.

It's as one friend explained with her, "Law of the Flat Surface:" Any flat surface automatically attracts clutter, which will automatically attract more of the same.

Does that ever happen in your home?

It's worse when you're a writer

We writers clip articles from newspapers and magazines. We scribble notes to ourselves on whatever's handy, like paper napkins, to be sure we don't lose an idea.

Here's the problem. Somebody needs to sort those clipped-together piles and categorize and file. Technology helps, but 'ya still gotta do it.

Guess who.

At least once a month I vow I will never let it get ahead of me again.

At least once a month I fail.

I tell myself life and people get in the way and always take precedence. That sounds all noble and good, but it's not. It's my usual, comfortable excuse.

You see the problem here

The fact is this is who I am. Human. Humans are like this.

Aren't we?

It can feel overwhelming when we count up all the ways we miss the mark and let people down, even the ones we love.

Let ourselves down.

The Apostle Paul's spoke of that, too, in Romans 7:19-20:

For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

Sin? Oh, yes, that which keeps us from doing what God would have us do. As Jesus said in Matthew 5:48:

"Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Perfect? If you're anything like me, you can't even live up to your own standards, let alone the standards of a perfect God.

So, my friends, if salvation depends on us, we have no hope.

That's why we call the Gospels the Good News

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John wrote the Gospels, the first four books of the New Testament. They penned the story of Jesus' life, from before birth to after He died on the cross and rose again.

This verse is what many call, "the Gospel in a nutshell."

(Jesus said) "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." –John 3:16.

Even if we understand nothing else, these words tell the story of salvation.

It's that simple–and that glorious. If we have faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior from sin we need not live in fear of God's wrath over our failures. Jesus paid with His death on the cross for our sins.

Even those bad habits we have yet to overcome.

Lovingly,

Lenore

Do we have habits or do our habits have us?

September 19, 2012