Category: Life Lessons

Have you ever known someone who constantly takes a reading on their state of happiness?

I have, and they never seem to be at peace. Their self-examination goes on 24/7:

How am I feeling about life today?

Am I as happy as I could be? If not, why not?

Something must be wrong, or I would feel like smiling all the time.

Maybe I’m depressed. Maybe I need to see someone with some answers or get on some meds.

All I ever wanted out of life was to be really happy. Is that too much to ask?

Some years back a University of Denver study reached what seems an implausible conclusion: The more a person wants to be happy the more likely it is that this individual will be unhappy.

How do you think those with the highest desire to be happy and the least amount of stress in their lives almost always rated themselves?

Here’s the real shocker: These individuals considered themselves to be less happy than other study participants.

That doesn’t sound right, does it?

These researchers finally concluded that people who deal every day with lots of stress and difficulty do not expect to be happy all time. Therefore, they’re not surprised when they aren’t.

Once all the findings of that study were analyzed only one conclusion could be reached: Those who cared for others and did more for others rated themselves higher on the happiness scale than those who didn’t.

Probably it comes down to simple logic. Individuals who live with personal challenges often feel it takes every ounce of the physical and emotional grit they possess just to get through each day.

They have no time or energy left to delve into the question, Am I happy today?

I suspect you and I are not so different from those who participated in that study

When things are going well and we’re feeling more relaxed we have time to wonder how we look and why that neighbor isn’t nicer and why we can’t communicate better with our spouse or our teenager.

Often that’s when we find leeway in our schedules to focus on our own flaws–and everyone else’s deficiencies, too. Whether real or imagined, such thoughts are like gnats at a picnic. They keep us agitated and blind to the bounty and the blessings in our lives.

That’s when we may begin to wonder if we’re “really happy”.

Some thoughts from a marriage and family counselor in private practice

I once attended a workshop where a veteran professional counselor remarked that with new clients, there seemed to be an urgency to announce early in their first appointment that they are depressed.

When she asks how they know that’s true, they answer with something like this: “Because I want to be happy more than anything else–and I should be, because there’s nothing really wrong with my life.

“But some days I just feel blah. I don’t feel happy inside, so that must mean something is wrong. I must be depressed, so I know I need counseling and I probably need medication, too.”

This counselor said when clients come in with that mindset, they sometimes find it hard to believe that nobody lives a life that’s 100 percent happy, 365 days a year. Once they come to understand the truth of that it’s like turning on the light in a dark room. Their faces light up and they can smile.

Fact: True depression is serious. It can be debilitating and hard to treat and there are many variations.

This counselor’s comments point to an important truth for parents

For every human being of any age, some days are good, some not so much. That’s life.

This means we do our children no favors when we frequently ask, “Are you feeling happy?” Or when we tell them they should be happy.

This may sound a bit radical, but I believe it’s good for children and teens to experience some everyday failures and disappointments during their growing-up years. Of course, it’s good and right for parents to be loving and supportive, but let’s not suppose we can shield our kids from everything. As they deal with what comes, they become more resilient.

They learn to cope and work out solutions. This helps youngsters and teens feel confident about their own strenghs.

Give your kids a lifetime gift

That’s what it is when parents help their children learn to take each day for what it is. Teach them to search out the good in every day, even when they think they had a “bad day”. That’s how they grow more resilient, able to remain calm, whatever comes.

The writer of Ecclesiastes capsulized that very truth in Ecclesiastes 7:14:

When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other.

This we know, whatever the situation:

Whatever comes into our lives, God is with us in the midst of it and we never walk alone–unless we insist upon it. He tells us so, over and over, in His written word, The Holy Bible. Here are two verses that tell us that plainly:

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

So do not fear, for I am with you. do not be dismayed, for I am your God. Isaiah 41:10

Great thinkers echo similar principles. Long ago, plain-speaking Abraham Lincoln spoke about how we humans evaluate our state of mind and no one has said it better:

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

The bottom line question to ask ourselves every day, whatever our age or life situation, is this: What will I choose to think?

Learning, always,

Lenore
Could Tracking Your Happiness Levels Make You Unhappy?

August 22, 2026
Getting through each day sometimes seems like more than we can handle, even when life is good. Even when we’re doing what we want to do and we know it’s good and worthwhile.

Back in the wonderful-but-hectic days when we were rearing our four girls, our daily newspaper started running a syndicated advice column titled, “The Worry Clinic,” written by a Dr. George Crane.

All I knew about “Dr. Crane” was what the tiny blurb at the bottom stated, that he was a licensed, professional counselor. (Even so, I always took what he said with the proverbial “grain of salt.)” I didn’t always agree with him but often I found helpful insights and ideas. When we moved from the area, our new daily newspaper didn’t carry “The Worry Clinic”column, so it felt like finding a lost friend when this piece popped up on my Google feed.

Immediately my mind flashed back to the first time I pored over these same words and the truth of them grabbed me. I clipped his column and taped it to a cupboard door. I read this lifeline at least once a day, always asking God to help me stick with it. Little by little I noticed myself feeling more calm, more settled. More positive about my life, even though our family hubbub went on as usual.

I think Dr. Crane’s words still lay out clearly how to find our way through whatever may come into our lives.

This is stated to be an exact reprint of Dr. Crane’s original piece, which now is in the public domain.

  JUST FOR TODAY

Here are ten resolutions to make when you awake in the morning. They are Just for One Day. Think of them not as a life task but as a day’s work.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

                                                       (Written by Dr. George Crane in 1921)

I pass this on because at least to me this piece presents a “road map”to help us navigate more calmly through this world that so often seems to be going off in all directions. It’s how I want to live and look at life and it echoes Psalm 118:24.

This is the day that the Lord has made;

let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Still learning–and relearning.

Lenore

Helps for Coping with Today–and Every Day

July 9, 2026
Have you ever sunk into feeling sorry for yourself?

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

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

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

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

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

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

But what? Where?

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

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

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

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

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

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

The marvel of God's power

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

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

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

And yet the people grumbled.

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

The truth that hit home

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

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

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

That day nothing changed, but everything changed.

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

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

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

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

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

I asked God for strength, that I might achieve;

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

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

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

I asked for riches, that I might be happy;

    I was given poverty, that I might be wise.

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

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

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

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

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

    I am among all men most richly blessed.

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

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

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

Lenore

Change Your Life By Changing Your Mindset

May 14, 2025
Someone wise said the only people who know all about rearing kids are the ones who never had any.

I found that to be true and I'll bet you have, too.

Not long after we hold our first child any illusion that little ones effortlessly fit into our plans vanishes like a puff of smoke. Fact: Babies and children of any age change everything.

No wonder being a mom–or a dad–often feels like groping our way through a cave with barely a glimmer of light.

We stumble. We sweat fear. We pray, never quite sure we're on the right path. We never lose sight of the fact that the people we love most are depending on us.

So we carry on, loving our kids the best we can and coping the best way we know how.

Most of all we keep on praying.

It's a wonder-full, wearying way to live

Forget those "experts" and celebrity parents on TV who ooze love and joy. Somehow they conveniently forget to mention the size of their staff and how many nannies they employ.

Who hasn't watched one of those movies or TV shows where the nannies bring the oh-so-adored children in to join the the adults for a time, like 15 minutes or half an hour. (Betcha any one of us could be wise and joyful for limited time periods …)

Real-life parents mostly make do on their own. And get tired. Exhausted, really. Tired of coping. Tired of putting everyone else first.

I remember when our girls were young. I found myself in a long gray spell and couldn't put my finger on the why of it or shed the heaviness that weighed me down.

Then I ran across a rhyme

Just two lines, but they shocked me into right thinking:

Two men looked out through prison bars;

One saw mud, the other saw stars

That simple couplet spoke truth to my heart. As never before, I realized that what I "saw" and how I judged it came from inside me.

No matter what the situation, always, I choose what I focus on and how I call it. So do you.

At first I didn't like knowing that, but then I realized the power of it.

We all live our lives one moment at a time. How we see it and how we call it is up to us.

So look up and take heart

Whatever problems you face right now, however overwhelmed you may feel, you never walk alone. Not in this moment. Not in any future moment–unless you want to.

If today you need a shot of encouragement, many of us Christians especially love this Bible verse because we know by experience this promise is true:

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

So take a deep breath, smile and put on your "God-Glasses." The last chapter of your life–and your children's lives, whatever their ages–has yet to be written.

Why not choose to see what's good and focus on His mighty power within you–and them? And don't forget to thank the Giver.

Trust me, that small adjustment can make a big difference–for you personally and for your family. I know this is true because I've lived it–and it's still my daily goal.

I'm thankful for you, dear reader. Thanks for stopping by!

Lenore

About being a parent–and how we look at our lives

February 5, 2025
Let me pass on a lesson I learned along the way–and isn't that the way we all learn?

I'm making progress because awhile back a new friend said, "You always wear the hint of a smile. What's your secret?"

I thanked her for that delightful compliment, of course. Right then I couldn't come up with anything better than a glib "Well, I guess I have a lot to smile about."

Later on an incident from years ago popped into my head and suddenly I knew the answer to that question.

It sounds strange, but sometimes big truth comes from unlikely sources.

On that ordinary, life-changing day I was so completely focused on my list I didn't really look at the other shoppers milling around me

That is, not until one of them stopped me by tapping me on the shoulder. The tiny elderly lady looked concerned as she said, "'Excuse me, Honey, but you look so sad I had to stop. Is there anything I can do for you?"

Sad? Me? Baffled, I said something like, "I'm sorry, ma'am, but what do you mean?"

"Well, judging by the expression on your face, I figure you must be dealing with something really heavy. I'm so sorry! Just wanted to tell you things hardly ever are as bad as they seem. So cheer up, Dearie, and never, ever give up hope!"

With that she smiled again, then patted my shoulder and scurried away.

I stood there speechless

All I could think was, what on earth was she talking about?

A few steps later I ran into my reflection on a mirrored pillar near me and took a hard look. I did look, well, grim. As much as I hated to admit it to myself that little lady wasn't exaggerating.

I heard her words in my mind for days. So did the question that refused to be stilled: What do I communicate to others around me?

Always before I thought of myself as a happy person. Now I couldn't escape the obvious: That's probably not the message the people around me picked up.

What could I do?

I decided to start with the way I deliberately set my lips, even when I was alone.

Just as importantly I would pay attention to the words coming out of my mouth.

Now I had a plan. From that moment on I would

wear a happy expression

look for the good and

speak encouragement.

I soon decided that wouldn't matter unless I lived it. If I wanted this to become a habit, my new behavior had to be all day, every day.

So I paid careful attention to the expression I wore. To my surprise, before long I didn't need to remind myself so often.

I also concentrated on looking for and speaking the good. Soon that became more routine, too–but I still have to watch myself.

Always, always it's easier to sink into a down mood than to stay in an up mood.

Nothing changed, but everything changed

Before long I realized I was more fun to be around, even for myself. My same old, same old life felt happier, too.

Could it be this simple?

All I know is that old song holds some real meaning:

"Put on a happy face…and you will be happy, too."

It's not the whole truth, for sure, but it's a beginning.

Like that tiresome saying, you can't journey a thousand miles if you never take that first step.

Looking for Bible backup?

For me, "thinking good thoughts" won't keep me going for long. Here's one specific verse that speaks to the subject.

A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed. –Proverbs 15:

There's more, of course. Whatever our situation, we Christians always have reason to smile.

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

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. -Romans 5:8

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him. -Romans 15:13

With love and prayers,

Lenore
Found! A Simple Way to Improve Your Mood

November 12, 2024
If you're a second-guesser like me, you wonder why we keep replaying what we should have said or done.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Finding help

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

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

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

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

Forget overnight transformation

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

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

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

Be patient with yourself

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

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

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

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

Think on these things

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

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

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

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

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

Loving the adventure of life,

Lenore

Simplify Your Life: Be Done with Old Failures

March 22, 2024
When you look into a mirror who looks back at you?

Is it you as you really are or is it the person you think you should be?

This may seem a silly question, especially since it's a given that every one of us keeps growing and changing all through our lives–until one considers how many people rate their self-worth on the number of "likes" they get on social media. It's as if one's value as a person depends on what other people think of that individual.

By this logic, someone I never met–and likely never will–gets to tell me if I'm acceptable or not and whether my opinion is valid.

At the very least, isn't this un-American?

And if that's how we choose to live, doesn't it mean we hand over control of who we are and what we think to other people? To strangers?

With so many opinions floating around in our heads do we even know who we are?

Years ago–in the midst of my adolescent flailing around to find myself–my mom passed on this familiar quote from Shakespeare. She also briefly noted this truth offers a solid standard to live by:

This above all: to thine own self be true,

And it must follow, as the night the day,

Thou canst not then be false to any man.

Even then I heard the inner click that signaled I needed to hang onto this truth.

Over time I realized my need for this to be true was as much a part of me as the color of my eyes. It explained why I could be troubled about some little cruelty among classmates or about suffering in a far-off country I could barely pronounce. Other kids my age just shrugged and said something like, "Aw, who cares? What does it matter to me?"

(As you might guess, this temperament quality never earned me the title "Miss Popularity.")

When I came to know myself better I realized the people I admired most were those who seemed to share this same need to be authentic.

When my husband and I met I sensed an inner honesty in him early on. Over a lifetime I found that to be always true. Yes, we disagreed sometimes, as all couples do, but each of us learned to respect the other's right to hold a different, well thought-out opinion. I knew I could trust him to be honest with me and he knew he never had to wonder if I were being truthful with him.

This mutual acceptance helped each of us feel more secure with ourselves and who we were. It also tremendously strengthened our marriage relationship.

United we stood

As parents we tried to anticipate what would be coming next and talk it through so we would be prepared for what came next. Our girls soon learned it was pointless to try to play one parent against the other to wangle permission for something we hadn't discussed. Our standard reply would be, "Sorry, but your dad (or mom) and I need to talk it over first."

This didn't stop our four lively, ever-changing daughters from trying. Or mounting campaigns complete with informing us that "all the other kids" already had their parents' okay.

We would listen patiently as they pleaded their case and then often say what they didn't want to hear: "Sorry, Hon, but we can't say Yes. We love you very much, but that wouldn't be for your best and that's what we're here for."

They still wailed (not wanting to appear too easy) but their pouts didn't last long.

Did they appreciate at the time that we were trying to be good parents? Not hardly.

Muddling through life

Isn't that what most of us do? None of us knows the precise path that lies ahead of us, so I'm guessing we do the best we can and try to do what's right.

I'm a Christian and I've learned that life is not about what I know, nor how good I am. How can I be sure? This may sound way too simple, but I trace it back to a simple faith song I learned as a young child. The song begins like this:

Jesus loves me, This I know, For the Bible tells me so.

These simple truths of faith have been for me like a solid railing that's in place beside a slippery path so all I have to do is grab hold and hang on tight as I walk.

Want something solid to hang onto for yourself?

Here's a trio of truths to start with:

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

(Note the "whoever." This promise is for everyone. Everywhere.)

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye on you. Psalm 32:8

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Once I got it straight in my mind that I am a child of God and He loves me, any uncertainty about figuring out who I was gradually cleared up and life got easier. Although I never got that Miss Popularity crown, it's okay. I know who I am.

I wish the same for you, dear reader,

Lenore

Let’s Be True to Who We Are

July 17, 2023
We seldom think about the messages we send the world, but we should.

I got a shocking reminder of that truth one day when I was out shopping. A smiling white-haired lady who looked a bit like my late grandmother put her hand on my shoulder and said, "Aw, Honey, it can't be that bad."

I stared at her in confusion and said, "Excuse me? I don't know what you mean."

Eyes twinkling, she smiled and said, "Well, I noticed you look like you lost your last friend. I just want you to know whatever the trouble is, you'll get through it and it helps to smile. That's all.

"Now you take care of yourself, Sweetie. Whatever's going on with you, it's just life. Sometimes life is hard, but you can do hard, I know you can. You'll be okay."

I thanked her for caring, still mystified.

Then I passed a mirror–and stopped short. She was right. I did look grim.

Do you ever do that?

That day I realized I probably wore that face more often than I knew. Whether I label it "concentration" or "preoccupied," that face was not a good idea.

First, because pinching up one's face leads to (gasp!) wrinkles.

Second, because what people read on our faces affects their moods.

Third, because if we say we have the joy and peace of Jesus, we'd better look as if we do. Otherwise our words of faith sound empty.

Fourth–and just as important–it's not fair to the people in our world.

As someone said, we owe the world a happy face

Why? Because you and I affect the people around us. Our families. Our co-workers. Strangers in stores.

Each of them is walking around and dealing with their lives and their problems, which may be all they can manage at the moment. Why should they have to dredge up strength to keep from "catching" our bad moods?

If you're a mom or dad you probably know that when we parents crackle with tension our kids walk on tiptoe around us.

And if we live in Tension City our children pattern the behavior as the way to live. Our uptight way of coping with life becomes their "normal."

Yes, but "Nobody knows the trouble I seen . . . "

That old spiritual speaks truth, doesn't it? No one can know or feel exactly what another person is living with. As the song says, nobody knows our hurt and pain but Jesus, who says:

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28 ESV

"Heavy laden." Don't we feel that way sometimes?

The NIV translates that verse:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Whether we're feeling overworked and over-stressed, weighed down by cares or stuck in a situation we cannot change, He can give us rest.

It's the only rest that lasts.

Eight hours of sleep or a nap refreshes temporarily, but deep-down rest for our hearts can be found only one place. In Jesus.

Life. It will wear us down, but Jesus lifts us up. Always.

The key is to turn our thoughts and our hearts to Him instead of getting mired in the problem-of-the-moment.

He's the One who carries us through each day on His shoulders, who turns our mourning into dancing.

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

If we keep our eyes on Him we can be at peace, even during the hard times–and our faces will show it.

As that kindly lady in the store put it, "Whatever's going on with you, it's just life. Sometimes life is hard, but you can do hard, I know you can."

My friend, you can do hard, I know you can.

I wish you peace and joy in Jesus, today and every day,

Lenore
Be careful what your facial expression broadcasts

October 17, 2022
Some time ago I wondered aloud to a wise friend about what makes each of us–and our kids–tick?

Her "Mayberry" answer came quickly. "Well, nobody does nuthin' for nuthin'–even kids."

Was that poor grammar? Sure, but don't miss the truth of it.  Every one of us, no matter our age, always has a reason for what we do–even when we don't admit it to ourselves:

We expect to get some kind of payoff

If you want to see that principle lived out, simply observe a young child in action.

Nobody has to teach youngsters how to go after what they want. They're experts at it. After all, they have lots of time to study the grownups around them and figure out what works.

I watched one skilled practitioner in The Art of Getting What I Want the day I was stuck in the returns line of a local store behind a mom and her daughter, age 4 or 5.

The bored little girl announced she wanted a toy perched atop the "Put Back" cart.

Mommy says "No," so the child begs and gets refused each time. Then she throws a classic hissy fit.

Mommy stands firm: "No! You heard me. No!"

Little Darling screams, "But I WANT it!"

Mommy refuses to budge, so out come the tears and wails. Still no results.

Then comes the charm blitz. Sobbing, the preschooler sidles up to her mother and hangs on to her leg. "P-l-e-a-s-e, Mommy, Darling? Pretty please with sugar on it?"

Mommy sighs, then says to the clerk in a resigned tone, "Just add it to the other stuff. Okay?"

Turning to her daughter, she says, "Now this is absolutely the last time! Do you hear me?"

At which this small master manipulator flashes a big grin to all of us, then skips around in circles until Mommy finishes.

Tactics become more subtle by adolescence and adulthood

Over the years we become more careful and diplomatic but we still do what we do for some kind of reward:

To get what we want–or to get our own way

Because we like the feeling of "winning"

To make us look good in someone's eyes

Because we hope it will strengthen a relationship

We believe in what we're doing. Whatever the cost, we think the end result will be worth what we put into it

Motivation toward a goal or benefit is not wrong, it's just part of being human. To keep this principle in the back of our minds helps us to understand ourselves and others.

If this sounds new and strange to you just let it simmer in the back of your mind. Some time later you may replay recent interactions with other people. You may have an aha moment and gain new clarity into an interaction that puzzled you.

Self-honesty is hard, I know, but take it to the bank: Always, always, always, there is some kind of benefit in what we do–even if it's just self-satisfaction.

For some, a negative payoff can feel "right"

Perhaps you worry about someone who over and over seems to fall for a person who doesn't treat them well. You and everyone who cares remain baffled as to why.

Or you may know an individual who repeatedly starts afresh and seems on the way to succeeding. Then this person messes up and has to start over, again and again and again.

Why?

Counselors say it often traces back to messages they picked up as children such as: "You're no good." "You'll never make anything of yourself. You're a loser." "You're such a disappointment to me."

These individuals may unconsciously sabotage their efforts in order to make those predictions work. For them failure feels like a kind of success because it reinforces what they've always "known" about themselves. "A-ha! I always knew I was a loser and didn't deserve to be happy."

Once again they settle back into familiar territory. It's what they've always known of themselves and feels somehow comfortable.

What about the rest of us?

It's not childish to want and need some kind of reward, but we don't always get it. Then what do we do?

Ever thrown a pity party for yourself and decided comfort could be found in a hot fudge sundae, even though you were on a diet?

Ever nursed the feeling you do everything for everybody, but no one even notices? One day you come home with shopping bags–for yourself–and wonder why.

Ever picked a fight with your husband (or wife) just to get some kind of attention because you were tired of them being wrapped up in their stuff and ignoring you?

We're more like kids than we want to admit.

Finding a better way

We human beings never will have absolutely pure motives. As the Bible tells us, we are sinners, flawed and imperfect:

As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one; Romans 3:10

If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8

But God didn't leave us there.

God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. Romans 5:1-2

We remain fully human and we fail even ourselves, but we don't have to drag around a load of guilt. Because we're forgiven in Jesus we can leave our messes at His cross and be free of old, negative patterns. Because we belong to Jesus we are secure in God's love.

Now that's somethin' that really means somethin'!

Rejoicing with you,

Lenore
Here’s a help in understanding people

August 19, 2022
Sometimes God chooses unlikely ways to remind us we have a lot to be thankful for, doesn't He?

I won't forget the day I learned a lot by eavesdropping on someone else's conversation.

Let me explain.

One morning I stopped a local coffee shop and soon got jolted out of my private little pity party. (It wasn't much fun, anyway.)

The hostess seated me in a booth close to a table where two men seemed really intent on their conversation.

One man had a radio-announcer voice that carried, even though he spoke softly. I couldn't help overhearing and once he started talking I didn't want to miss a word. Besides, I wanted to finish my coffee and snack. I grabbed my trusty note pad and jotted down his key points.

Here's my best recap of his story

"I have one brother, the only family I have left. We've never been close, but we talked by phone once in awhile. We lived a couple hundred miles apart, so we didn't know much about each other's lives, but that was okay with both of us.

"One day I got a call from a Child Welfare worker in his city. She told me the police arrested my brother and his wife for dealing drugs. They took his three children out of the house and turned them over to Child Welfare.

"The social worker told me my brother's kids would go into foster care unless my wife and I took them. We were their only hope and she wanted an answer by the next day. I was speechless and my wife even more so. We talked and talked and cried and prayed half the night. At last we said Yes, thinking it would be short-term.

"Not so. Eventually my brother and his wife were convicted of running a drug ring and both got long prison sentences.

"It's been hard, hard, hard, even though we've talked to our pastor and friends many times and we've had family counseling. My 9-year old nephew adapted pretty well. My 11-year old niece keeps it all inside, but those two both call us Mom and Dad and really, that's what we are. We're the ones who are there and who will be there, and we love them. They all know that, even the 15-year old.

"She still has nightmares. She rebels in just about every way she can dream up, no matter what we do. We're coming to think perhaps what she needs most is beyond our ability, maybe some kind of special mental-health treatment for awhile, to help her heal.

"We've prayed and tried to pour out love, but we've also failed in a lot of ways. I think I didn't really know much about talking to God before this upheaval in our lives. One thing I know, we wouldn't have made it without God giving us strength, minute-by-minute. Sometimes we've thought we couldn't keep on, but God has brought us this far, so we trust Him for the future.

"Here's the wonderful surprise and extra blessing in all this. We missed seeing it for quite awhile. Then recently we thought back to the early days of our marriage when the doctors told us we never would have children of our own and we were crushed. Now here we are with three kids, two of them doing very well. Now we are at peace. In spite of all the pain, we have joy and we know we did the right thing."

As I rose to leave I glanced at the men and saw they both had tears in their eyes. They matched my own.

A change of heart

You won't be surprised to hear I walked out with a new perspective on challenges in my life, my heart brimming with thanks and praise.

Thanks for that man and his wife who opened their home and their hearts and changed the lives–and the future–of three hurting youngsters. (And their own.)

Thanks to God for supplying the love and strength they needed to give of themselves, day by day, and not count the cost.

Thanks that they can see the blessings and joy hidden within their daily sacrifices.

That conversation refocused my thinking in how to look at challenges in my life.

Like that couple, let's open our eyes to the joy!

The Apostle Paul well knew personal suffering but he also knew how to find joy. I love the way he sums up his secret in Philippians 4:

Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice! … Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers (and sisters) whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things . . . And the God of peace will be with you. (Selected from Phil. 4:4-9 NIV)

"Rejoice!" It's not a suggestion, it's more like a must. An attitude we choose.

"If anything is excellent or praiseworthy … " Paul is telling us that whatever comes we can search out some bit of excellence or cause for praise. IF we wear that mindset as we look for it rather than getting stuck in our problems and disappointments. IF we remind ourselves that our loving God never leaves us on our own.

We will find the good, not because we're so great, but because God is faithful to those who trust in Him.

Trusting, too,

Lenore
Why it helps us to remember what’s good and right and true

June 25, 2022