Category: Positive outlook

  •     Perhaps like me, you're a bit weary of all the election day hoopla. It's hard to think of anything else, isn't it? But today's the day it ends. Within a few days we'll have the final count and then the new chapter begins. This morning Bob and I read Psalm 8, which seems to fit the day perfectly. Maybe you'll find that true, also. Right now we're reading from Eugene Peterson's The Message.  Today his fresh, modern language led me to look at David's words with new eyes. Perhaps it will do the same for you:                                   Hubble. Star forming region LH 95

    God, brilliant Lord, yours is a household name.

    Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you; toddlers shout the songs That drown out enemy talk, and silence atheist babble.

    I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous, your handmade sky-jewelry, Moon and stars mounted in their settings.

    Then I look at my micro-self and wonder, Why do you bother with us? Why take a second look our way?

    Yet we've so narrowly missed being gods, bright with Eden's dawn light.

    You put us in charge of your handcrafted world, repeated to us your Genesis-charge, Made us lords of sheep and cattle, even animals out in the wild, Birds flying and fish swimming, whales singing in the ocean deep.

    God, brilliant, Lord, your name echoes around the world.          (The Message)

        I had to go back to the Hubble site**, of course. It brims with glorious photographs that do, indeed, display those macro-skies, dark and enormous, with "sky jewelry" like that above. (See another eye-popper in my post of October 28, "Finding peace in the midst of … whatever.")

        Astronomy never was my passion of mine. In fact, I paid scant attention to news of the Hubble space project. But the Hubble website features awesome, entrancing images, free for the looking–or downloading.  Try it, you might like it! 

        Then give a thought to the One who set all that glory and wonder in place so long ago.

        Remember, election days come and election days go. He hasn't changed, hasn't moved, hasn't given up on this world … so let's rejoice!

        Lenore

        Your comments welcomed! Did you check out the Hubble site?

        *Image shown: Star-forming Region LH 95 in the largest Magellanic Cloud. www.hubblesite.org

        

                                                                                            

    Let’s broaden our view on this election day, 2008

  •     Maybe it's my imagination, but it seems the mood of people around me borders on tense. It's as if we all had gone on a Starbucks binge and now can't "come down" from all the caffeine. And it seems this is an equal-opportunity malady, affecting members of both parties equally.     

        Whatever the final results of tomorrow's election, some of us will be disappointed. But think how blessed we are to live in a country where we actually get to vote on our leaders! In so much of the world people only get to vote with their feet, as they flee from power-hungry individuals and armed forces. Over-crowded refugee camps teem with desperate people who left their homelands to save their lives.                                                                             

        Our founding fathers possessed wisdom beyond Rushmore their own, I believe. They set up the United States as a nation where each citizen is free to get involved and free to vote for candidates of their choice. We can voice our opinions without fear of being carted off to prison. Each of us can help shape the community we live in, by volunteering for worthy causes, by supporting what we believe in, and even by the way we live our lives.

        Under the U. S. Constitution, that's our right. More accurately, that's our privilege. So if you haven't voted yet, be sure to cast your ballot at your local election site tomorrow! 

        If history proves anything, it's that this nation is bigger than any one man who ends up being elected President. By the way, it's worth remembering that those Presidents labeled "good" when elected didn't always turn out to be that. Several Presidents who were trashed throughout their administrations later were described as "great" by historians. Even Abraham Lincoln faced constant ridicule, name-calling and criticism during his Presidency.

        Who can predict what lies ahead, whether for this nation or in our own lives? None of us. Maybe right now you're traveling a hard path and hope seems a foreign concept. Even then, in every situation, we can be at peace. I love Billy Graham's well-known illustration.

    "The storm was raging. The sea was beating against the rocks in huge, dashing waves. The lightning was flashing, the thunder was roaring, the wind was blowing; but the little bird was sound asleep in the crevice of the rock, its head tucked serenely under its wing.

    That is peace: to be able to sleep in the storm! In Christ we are relaxed and at peace in the midst of the confusions, bewilderments and perplexities of this life. The storm rages, but our hearts are at rest. We have found peace–at last!    

        The lesson for us all: Peace does not depend on externals.

        I wish you peace, every day!

        Lenore

        Your comments welcomed!

    Feeling uptight about tomorrow’s election?

  •     Today's the day to flip over calendar pages. On one of ours, the November quote repeats that principle so often presented and hashed over on television shows. It goes something like this. If we send out positive thoughts we'll have an effect on the world around us. Then somehow positive results will flow back to us.

       It made me think of times when I've faced a challenge and a friend would say, "Well, I'll be thinking positive thoughts for you," or, "I'm sending positive energy your way."

        Every time I truly am glad they care about me and wish me well. It's good to be loved.

        Still, that calendar quote set me to wondering whether the theory makes sense. Do any of us  possess the power to "activate the world" around us?"                                        School girls. pigtails. pinafore

        Well, yes … and no. Maybe like me, you grew up hearing your mother say, "If you're nice to them, they'll be nice to you."

        Sometimes it seemed the other kids hadn't grasped that wisdom, but usually Mom's wisdom worked. Or at least, it helped. We moved several times during my growing-up years, so I'd find myself the "new kid" once again. There was nothing to do but grit my teeth and quiet my knocking knees, then paste on a shaky smile and trudge off to school.  

        Positive thinking isn't a new concept. Books presenting that same theory have been around for years. Way back in 1938, Napoleon Hill wrote the book, Think and Grow Rich, which is about the "law of attraction." Ever since, writers and speakers keep finding inventive ways to say it. (Then they get interviewed on talk shows, like "Oprah!")

        That agrees with old sayings we've all heard, like, "Good neighbors make good eighbors." "Treat others with respect and you'll be respected." "What you give out, you'll get back." Etc.

        Actually, the thinking goes back even further than the Thirties. Some wise person said everything we label "new wisdom" can be found in the Bible. Consider these:

        Whatever one sows, that will he also reap.  –Galatians 6:7

        So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.  –Matthew 7:12

        I think I'll stick with the wisdom of Scripture, because frankly, I'm not sure I want to rely on myself and my own power. I don't trust my ability to "send out positive thoughts," so as to "activate the world around" me. I need something–someone–bigger than me. Maybe that's why one of my favorite verses comes from Matthew 19:26: With God all things are possible. 

        That reassures me far more than counting on myself. How about you?

        Here's to sorting it out and knowing what to believe in,

        Lenore

        Your comments welcomed!

            

        

    Thinking about positive thinking

  •     Have you noticed the stunningly beautiful full moon the past several nights–and early mornings? Astronomers could tell us why the moon seems closer and fuller this time of year, but not me. I remember Midwestern October moons glowing yellow or orange. I used to think they looked almost close enough to touch. Here in the Sacramento area, at least this year, it's knock-your-eye-out- white. I love full moons, and I'm always a bit sad to see them wane.

       I stood and marveled at it the other night. Not for the first time I thanked God for the orderliness of the moon and the sun. Every morning the sun comes up–and sets every evening. Every night the moon rises, even when we can't see it. No matter how crazy everything seems to be in the world, there they are, showing up on schedule. Somehow knowing that reminds me there's more going on in the world than the stuff that makes the news … or even in my life. 

       I find it totally amazing that astronomers can predict the exact time of the rising and setting of the sun, the moon, and the planets–and the phases of the moon. Since the moon afffects the tides, they know the exact time when the tide will come in and when it will go out. Yes, I know it's science, but nevertheless, the absolute predictability of all this blows me away.

        My mind always goes to the first chapter of Genesis:

    And God said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth. And it was so. God made two great lights–the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night.       He also made the stars … And God saw that it was good.              –Genesis 1:14-16    

       Ever since, in every continent on earth, people have been looking up into the expanse of the sky. They stare at those two great lights–and at the stars–and say some variation of what I've been saying, "Wow! Look at that!"

        Don't miss the sky show. Take it as reassurance that no matter how bad the predictions on all sides, the world will go on. How do I know? We have the sun in the morning and the moon at night, that's how.

        And behold, it is very good!

        Lenore

        Your comments welcomed!

        

    It’s a free show … overhead!

  •     Quick, now! No time to think! If you had five minutes to evacuate your home, what would you want to take with you?

        Did you answer, "The people I love?" Me, too. In California we're in fire season most of the year, especially when we're in drought as we are now. We've seen the news reports. We know people just like us can be threatened by raging infernos that can leap across valleys and eight-lane freeways, or by floods that wash away neighborhoods. We all dread even thinking that we could be caught in a scenario like that.

        But it's good if we do so once in awhile, just to help us stay balanced in how we view life. Think of the many individuals who have faced such disasters. We see them afterward, when they're interviewed. They all 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. Whatever may be going on in your family,  remember one thing: To a child, Mom and Dad are security. So even if your family income drops, don't tie yourself up in knots with fear and guilt. Don't imagine that you're cheating your children.  Your kids look at you and feel safe. That matters more than the extras.

        Maybe you're waking up in the night, worrying about this economic news or possible lay-offs where you work. It helps to turn your thoughts back to what really matters. You may be living in tough–or tougher–times right now, and you don't see the end yet. Tempers may fray, moods may drop, the family may get tired of eating beans. But if you know the people you love most are okay, give thanks. If everyone is well, give thanks and celebrate! You possess everything that matters most. 

        After all, if "things" brought happiness, everyone who's rich and famous would be ecstatic … all the time. I haven't noticed that's true, have you?

        So look into the faces of those you love, who love you back, and be at peace.

        Remember, life itself is the gift! 

        Lenore    

        Your comments welcomed!  

      

        

    What would you do if…..?

  •      Fall is in the air, even here in northern California. Mornings come with a chill, even though a few hours later everyone peels off layers. I, for one, am not ready for long pants and sleeves, for jackets and real shoes.

        No matter. Soon it will be October, and tomorrow we'll be hanging Christmas wreaths.

        Isn't that just like life? Days and months gallop by while we're not looking. Then we notice … the toddler is a high school freshman. That letter we never got around to writing? Too late now.

        Sorry if I sound like a nag, but I'm nagging myself. You see, I'm one of those "busy" people, and I love it. Who wants to sit around wondering what to do with oneself? But once in awhile I realize with fresh clarity how easy it is to miss what matters most. 

        So here's the word for today, a gentle reminder for us all. Let's pay attention to the day we're living and revel in it. Let's look around at the people in our lives and ponder what they mean to us. Let's open our eyes and really see.

        No matter who we are, our lives consist of the sum total of those small moments. Each one counts. Sometimes we're captivated by the rich and famous in the media, but they really don't affect any of our lives. Come to think of it, that's a relief. Now we don't have to invest so much energy in trying to be "memorable." We already are.

        Let's savor the joy … while it's here.

        Lenore

        What do you think? Your comments welcomed!

    As leaves start falling …

  •     The rose. Did God ever make a more perfect flower? I've loved them ever since I was a child walking along country roadsides in Minnesota and stopping to inhale the wild pink roses that grew so freely.

        (Are they still allowed to grow there? Or have they been sprayed out of existence because they were somebody's weed? I do not know the answer.)

        So it's logical that from the beginning of our marriage we've had rosebushes. We're centered on a few for now and my husband tends them with loving care. Every now and then he comes in with an armload of gorgeous roses, which are growing in wooden half-barrels on our patio. (Yes, it works just fine.) Many named varieties have come and gone, for one reason or another. This one is a Grandiflora named "Gemini," which we both love. It's  beautiful, healthy and rRose for blog. 2. 9.08eliable. Perfect form, strong stems, shiny leaves. Pleasing fragrance and lovely in all seasons. Long-lasting in a vase.

    This would be the perfect rose if … if  it just didn't come equipped with those pesky thorns! Long, spiky thorns that easily pierce through skin. Short, fine thorns you don't even notice, but they embed themselves in finger tips.

        Ah, but this Gemini probably is our favorite rose of all the roses we've grown.  We've decided its beauty makes up for the nuisance factor. Isn't that a perfect analogy for life?

        Long ago I came across a quote that stopped me in my tracks. It still does. Maybe you, too, will find yourself mulling this over for awhile. Sorry, I don't know who said it, but the calligraphy was set up just this way.

    We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or

    Rejoice

    because thorn bushes have roses.  

     

        Whatever may be going on in our lives, here's to focusing on our "roses" and overlooking the "thorns."

        Lenore

        Your comments welcomed!

    Ever said, “This would be perfect if?” I have. …