Category: Jesus

  • The debate never ends.

    You know the questions: Hasn't psychiatry replaced religion? How can the Bible, written so long ago, be relevant for today?

    After years of medical practice an American psychiatrist named J. T. Fisher offered his opinion.

    "If you were to take the sum total of all authoritative articles ever written by the most qualified of psychologists and psychiatrists on the subject of mental hygiene, ifBlog. Jesus. sermon on the mount. 7.10 you were to combine them and refine them and cleave out the excess verbiage, if you were to take the whole of the meat and none of the parsley, and if you were to have these unadulterated bits of pure scientific knowledge concisely expressed by the most capable of living poets, you would have an awkward and an incomplete summary of the Sermon on the Mount. And it would suffer immeasurably through comparison.

    "For nearly two thousand years the Christian world has been holding in its hands the complete answer to its restless and fruitless yearning. Here rests the blueprint for successful human life, with optimum mental health and contentment."

    — A Few Buttons Missing: The Case Book of a Psychiatrist, by J.T. Fisher, M. D., and L.S. Hawley

    Obviously, Dr. Fisher liked long sentences.

    True, but he didn't waffle and spoke in definite terms. (Kind of refreshing, don't you think?)

    He referred to Jesus' words in Matthew 5:1 to 7:29, commonly known as the Sermon on the Mount. Exactly where Jesus spoke these words remains uncertain. Many scholars think the crowds listening to him sat on the gently sloping hillside at the northwest corner of the Sea of Galilee.

    Read through these verses and you'll find much that's familiar like the Lord's Prayer. Phrases often used by believers and non-believers are here, too, like "salt of the earth" and "let your light shine."

    Suppose we could consult Dr. Fisher 

    We might ask for a prescription to stay sane in the midst of the craziness all around us.

    Based on his writings it's likely he might answer:

    • "Read a few verses from the Sermon on the Mount every day.
    • "Spend some time thinking about what you just read, then live it out.
    • "Do this every day and your mental and emotional health will improve greatly."

    Any of us can fill this prescription and take this medicine–with or without medical insurance. You see, there is no co-pay. It' has been paid in full, in advance, for every human being, for all time.

    Let the debate rage on–and it will

    Let it swirl around you, but don't let it color your outlook on life. Counter it with verses like these:

    "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? … Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? … Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."           Matthew 6:25, 27, 34

    I know from experience that if we focus our minds on Bible truth it's an effective way to stay calm.

    What matters most of all is that we know Jesus, the One who spoke those words and offers us peace-in-the-midst.

    Or as Dr. Fisher put it, the One who holds out the answer to all our restless and fruitless yearning: Himself.

    He knew an old truth that's still true now, even with all the advances in knowledge and technology: It matters what we allow into our minds. 

    In a time when our choices are dizzying, here's to filling our minds with the Good Stuff!

    Still learning,

    Lenore

     

     

    Psychiatry or the Gospel, which one brings mental health?

  •  If Messiah fills the air waves and our arms are getting soreChristmas-bells-clipart

        From the Christmas cards we've written, but we've still a whole lot more,

        Yet we're feeling jolly, hanging lights and holly on the door,

        The secret's out, there is no doubt, it's Christmas time once more.

     

    If the family's acting funny and we're fuming just a bit

        While we're hunting for the bunting that will surely be a hit,

        Christmas shopping has us hopping, we're about to lose our wits,

        And the object that's a project has turned out to be the pits.

     

    If we have no whammy bunting, only clammy hands and sighs

        'Cause we're sick of spending money. Isn't funny, isn't wise.

        So we go into a huddle, still we muddle, agonize,

        While our dreams of finding "perfect" self-destruct before our eyes.

     

    If we'll pitch the lists and flowcharts, let our hearts start thinking small,

        No more reading. What we're needing won't be found within a Mall.

        All the best stuff is the real stuff. Nothing changes, after all,

        It's still love that makes gifts matter, 'spite of chattter in the hall. 

     

    So at Christmas time and all the time, this wish comes from my heart:

        May great joy reign, May all your pain and all your stress depart,

        And may every day be one you say, "I cannot wait to start!"

       Then at day's end, let Christ, our friend, speak peace deep in your heart:  

     

    (Jesus said) "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." –John 14:27; For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders, and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  –Isaiah 9:6  

     

    So . . . Merry Christ-mas to you and yours! May your heart be filled with JOY because you know the Babe in the Manger came for you–to be your Friend and to set you right with God.

    Lovingly,

    Lenore

        

    It’s Christmas time once more! (with apologies to all you poets)

  • Quick! What comes to mind when you think of that first Christmas in Bethlehem?

    Probably we picture Mary and Joseph beaming their love at the newborn Baby while a bright star overhead shines its light directly on the stable.

    We often see illustrations that include a semi-circle of sheep, cows and donkeys that may seem transfixed as they gaze at those human intruders into their world.

    How lovely, we think. 

    Reality would not have been so neat and tidy.

    I’ve been around cows and sheep. That shelter would have kept out the cold night air, true, and the animals would have given off heat, but animals give off something else, too. Let’s just say that stable would not have smelled of incense or fragrant spices.

    Mary and Joseph never would have chosen such a place.

    Yet that lowly stable was God’s appointed place for them that night.

    Sometimes life is like that for us, too, isn’t it?

    Even when we trust in God. Even when we’re doing what we believe is right. Living our faith. Believing. Trusting. We end up in a place we didn’t choose and we think, that’s not right. Then days or months or even years later, we see the pattern hidden from us in that time.

    Think how often we pray and then make what seems a good move. Maybe we go to the right.

    God, however, has another direction in mind. Somehow before long we find ourselves going left.

    How can this be? Are we not in charge of our lives?  

    Answer: Not as much as we think and this turns out to be a very good thing

    My husband and I got a big lesson in how this works some time ago. For many years we operated a successful modern dairy-grain farm in central Illinois. Life was good.

    Then a series of events and people contacts came together in a remarkable way and we left it all behind. Oh sure, we prayed for guidance with all our hearts, more than ever before in our marriage. We came to know, absolutely know, that God was leading us.

    For a few months that seemed wonderfully true and we brimmed over with praise and joy.

    Then one thing after another fizzled out. There we were in our new life, in that new place where hardly anyone knew us–or cared about us–asking each other and God, “Why?”

    We had followed what felt like clear guidance, so it made no sense. At the time.

    Later we could see God’s leading in all the twists and turns. Had our original plans worked out we never would have arrived in the good place God planned for us.

    Through it all we learned to trust Him in a deeper way than we ever had before. We came to understand that HE knows the way, even when life seems to make no sense to us. 

    How much more true that was for Mary and Joseph!

    Joseph and Mary believed God in what seemed an impossible situation. They believed He went before them, no matter what.

    Yet there they were, on that journey to Bethlehem because the Emperor decreed every citizen must go to their town of origin. No exceptions.

    Joseph walked, leading the donkey while Mary, in her ninth month of pregnancy, most likely sat on its back. 

    Even before they reached Bethlehem she felt the first pangs of labor. Despite Joseph’s frantic search, there was no room for them but in that stable. 

    And God lit up that humble place with His light and His love.

    He can light up our lowly places, too

    Every one of us occasionally spends time in situations we would not have chosen. All we can do is keep putting one foot in front of the other and pray God will bring good out of our pain and confusion. Pray He will bring healing of body, mind and spirit.

    Christmas reminds us nothing is impossible with God.

    Because Jesus was born that night you and I can have hope in the midst of our dark times, the times we can’t see the way ahead but still must keep on walking. 

    God comes to us at just the right time, just as He did in Bethlehem that starry night long ago.

    Here’s the Good News for you and for me and for all the world:

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

    That verse sums up why we say Jesus is the Light, the One who shines His love and peace into our dark world.

    My friend, may HE bring you light and life and peace and JOY, at Christmas and all through the year ahead! It can be yours, just for the asking. Merry CHRISTmas to you and yours!

    Warmly,

    Lenore

     

    How can we relate our lives today with that long-ago first Christmas?

  • 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
     

    Related articles

    How moms and dads are like Michelangelo
    A trio of simple steps to living more happily
    How to make it through the day? Here's a plan, just for today
    Where can we find joy and peace in dark times?

    Learning about life and perseverence from Maya Angelou

  • Peel away the tinsel and take a fresh look at Christmas

  • 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?                                    
    Blog. Desktop clutter. 9.12

    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?