A Woman's View

Swap anxiety for Easter peace and then never let it go!

Take a nap, take a walk, take a pill, it's still there.

Blame it on anything or on nothing, it makes no difference. It's an indefinable sense that somehow we don't quite measure up. The feeling gnaws away at us and refuses to budge.

Peace is available . . . if we ask

Lasting peace and hope are as near as our breath, because everything changed that first Easter. That's when Jesus set things right between God and us.

Now all it costs us is believing the Good News of the Easter Gospel. We say something like, "Please forgive me, Lord, for my sins. I know I cannot live a perfect life, but I want to belong to you." We give him all our failures and mistakes and uncertainties.

Our loving Father answers, "What sins? My only Son paid your debt in full. My darling child, I love you."

It's as if God looks at us through one of those camera lenses that filters out the haze and sees his perfect Son.

The cross was God's way out for you and me

He sent his one and only son, Jesus, not just to live among us, but to suffer and be nailed to the cross and die. For you and me and all the world, because on our own we cannot meet God's standard for holiness.

Jesus died in our place, so we can live free from guilt and fear of punishment and hell.

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

On that Friday we call, "good," Roman soldiers nailed God's Son to the cross and let him hang until he died.

His grieving followers and family watched with aching hearts as Jesus died an agonizing death and then his lifeless body was laid in the tomb.

We had nothing coming but punishment, yet God's gift to us is forgiveness, with no strings attached.

Jesus didn't stay dead!

Every week our pastor always asks during the children's message, "Did Jesus stay dead?"

The kids fairly shout, "No! He rose! He came back, alive!"

Over a period of days Jesus appeared to his followers and friends several times. He called them by name and spoke with them. He ate with them and they touched him. In Matthew 28:20, Jesus told them, "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Later, while he was blessing them he was taken up into heaven. Even so, Jesus is with us. His Spirit lives in the heart of every believer, every minute of every day.

Impossible? It would be if Jesus were merely a great human teacher, as he's often described. But he is true God, and we cannot explain God, the unexplainable.

The youngsters at our church know that. So when our pastor asks, "And where does Jesus live now?" they answer, "In my heart!"

One more question from the pastor always follows. "So what happens to us when we die?" The children answer, "We get to live with Jesus in Heaven!"

That's why we celebrate Easter.  

We can swap anxiety for peace. For good.

Jesus living within us means we are never left alone to fear what comes next. Not even death, because we know that's not the end of our story, either.

It's only the beginning of the good stuff.

So take a deep breath and relax. Let yourself believe and feel the peace of being loved and accepted by God, without any ifs, ands or buts.

Now there's peace that lasts through whatever life may bring.

Easter Blessings, every day,

Lenore

Comments, please.

Note: You can read the eyewitness accounts of Jesus' last week on earth for yourself in the Bible. Turn to Matthew, chapter 21 to the end; Mark, chapter 11 to the end; Luke, chapter 19 to the end; John, chapter 12:12 to the end of the book.

Want to change your life? Change your thoughts

I know, I know, that sounds too simple. I wouldn't believe it, either, if I hadn't lived it.

You see, for years I lived by circumstances.

Too often my mood rested on factors such as whether I got up with a headache. Whether it was raining. Whether the baby wailed or my husband seemed anxious.

The typical stuff of every day could turn me depressed or grouchy in no time.

Times like that I wasn't much fun to live with.

Oh, I did apologize with my well-worn apology. It went like this, "Sorry, Hon, I can't help it. That's just the way I am."

Enter "The Worry Clinic"

Then our daily newspaper started running this syndicated column by Dr. George Crane. Three times a week I devoured every word, but in the beginning I carried on a running argument with him in my mind.

I checked Dr. Crane's New York Times obituary. He wrote that column for over sixty years, until shortly before he died in 1995, at age 94.

Dr. Crane, a trained psychologist and a physician, always described his advice as "old-fashioned horse sense."

Which it was, I suppose. I remember one of his oft-repeated statements word-for-word.

"Act the way you want to feel and soon you'll feel the way you act."

The first time I read that it made no sense, but it opened my mind a crack. He had a favorite theme, that what we feel stems from what we think.

Here's a loose translation of how Dr. Crane explained the process:

You can change your thoughts as deliberately as you change stations on your radios or channels on your television sets. Switching your mind to another frequency is just as easy. All it takes is some practice.

That bumped me up against an uncomfortable fact I didn't want to face. I kind of liked being able to justify myself with,"I can't help it. That's who I am."

First I was shocked. Then I prayed.

Time's a'wasting

I became aware how our children reflected my moods. Before there was one sometimes-mopey mom. Now four sometimes-mopey copycats lived in the same house.

No wonder I pounced on Dr. Crane's "horse sense."

He primed readers not to expect an overnight transformation. The captain of an ocean liner can't turn 180 degrees all at once, he said Neither could we.

But, he promised, we could turn one degree, 180 times.

Before I had prayed for God to change me, then waited for it to happen.

Now I understood my part of it was to act in faith. That is, I needed to pray and trust, yes, but then move ahead and act as if God already answered and changed me. As time went on these actions began to feel "natural."

After awhile I could see how small, incremental moves brought big benefits. Home became a happier place--for all of us.

Branching out from Dr. Crane

I read the Bible and underlined verses. I haunted the public library and brought home stacks of books on personal growth, marriage and parenting. I took notes when something "hit me and fit me," as a friend used to say

Older books, newer books, it didn't matter. I devised my own criteria.

1.) Did the principles in this book conflict with what I believed as a Christian or with my personal values? (If so I set it aside.)

2.) Did the author use jargon or explain concepts in plain English?

After years of reading and living, here's what I know is true

• It's not the circumstances of our lives that determine our mindset; what matters most happens between our ears.
  
• Our emotions do flow out of what we feed our minds, just as Dr. Crane said.
  
• We are not alone. The power to help us change is available. All we need to do is ask.

The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace. --Psalm 29:11

Now, what do you think?

Blessings,

Lenore

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

 

If Messiah fills the air waves and our arms are getting sore

    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. 

 

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)  (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.  --ohn 14:17 

 

So . . . Merry Christ-mas!

Lovingly,

Lenore

    

Light up your life

Will anyone who thinks we're living in discouraging times, please raise your hand?

Okay, we're all agreed.

But whatever is--or isn't--going on in our lives, this is the only time we have to live in. 

We can wallow in what's wrong and wail out our rage.

We can kick and scream and holler, "No!" like a toddler. But all we'll have to show for it will be mascara tracks down our cheeks.

We can carry signs and protest. For that we get sore throats and tired legs.

Or--or--we can decide to brighten the corner we occupy.

How can I, when I feel so empty and hopeless?

Here's what I've found. When I'm feeling dry and dusty, it's suseless to try to dredge up joy from inside. Faking it sounds, well, fakey.

We start by putting the good stuff in.                             

There's no better "stuff" than what we find in the Bible. The Bible is as essential to our souls and spirits as pure water is to our bodies.

That's why people all over the world read the Bible to get their bearings for each day. No matter how shaky life feels, the truth of the Bible stands firm.

There is no one perfect time and way, but rather what works for each of us. Some people wake up before their families so they can read and study without interruption. People read the Bible on their desktops, laptops and tablets. Some download the Bible on their smart phones or Kindles and read a few verses several times a day. Some listen to CDs of the Bible as they drive.

The power is in God working through the words, not in the how and when and where we read.

What will this do for me?

It's like a bank account. Depositing Bible truths and promises in our minds gives us something to draw on when we're feeling overwhelmed. I like to underline verses that speak to me and ponder them. When I'm running dry, I go back to ones I've marked in my old NIV Bible. For example:  

In Matthew 11:28, Jesus said:   "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."                                        

In John 14:1 & 27, Jesus said:   "Let not your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me . . . 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."                         

Romans 5:8 & 8:1-2:   But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us . . . Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.   

Psalm 29:11:   The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.                                                                                                           

Psalm 34:4:   Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me.    

The Bible reminds us we're not in this alone

Verses like these wash over our anxieties and reset our internal guidance systems. They refresh our hearts, like a splash of cool water on a hot day.

These days I need that. How about you?

Lovingly,

Lenore

Here's proof that labels and diagnoses need not define a life

Sometimes problems crowd in on us, don't they? That makes it a good time to remind ourselves about a few of the individuals who actually faced the big hurdles.

You probably know of Joni Eareckson Tada, who as a teenager was paralyzed from the neck down in 1967 when she dove into a too-shallow lake and broke her neck. During her initial bout with depression she found a deeper faith in God and also a new calling. She speaks to groups, does television interviews, has authored fourteen books and is a fine artist. God has used her to bless countless people with or without physical challenges. (Google her name to learn about the organization she founded, Joni & Friends, a resource and advocacy organization in the disability community.)

History is full of overcomers who chose to keep going instead of giving up. One man, raised in extremely humble circumstances, became a storekeeper and went broke. After that he ran for office and lost election after election. We know that "failure" as Abraham Lincoln. 

How about the student labeled "mediocre" in chemistry, whom we know as Louis Pasteur, the scientist?

Or a boy called "too stupid to learn," who went on to develop the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. Albert Einstein became known as the father of modern physics and was one of the most prolific minds in human history.

Then there's the boy called dull and hopeless, who flunked the sixth grade, the one we know as Winston Churchill.

Tell a youngster who loves to sketch and draw that he has no talent. He surprises everyone by growing up to become famous as Walt Disney.

Take a couple who survived a Nazi concentration camp and feel their pain when he is paralyzed from the waist down at age four. They could not know their boy would grow up to become internationally acclaimed concert violinist, Itzhak Perlman, who consistently plays to sellout crowds. 

Could a person born with cerebral palsy who never managed to speak clearly ecome a minister and a much-in-demand public speaker? Ask David Ring, who speaks to over 100,000 people every year at conventions, in churches and at gatherings. His recurrent line is, "What's your problem?" (Google his name if you want to know more about him and hear the details of his story.)

I read a list like this and ask myself, "What's your problem?"

Suddenly everyday frustrations shrink to their proper place.

After all, peace does not come from problem-free living. Once again the Apostle Paul says it best, in Philippians 4:7:

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Here's to joy-in-the-midst,

Lenore

What do you call yourself?

The words we choose to describe ourselves and our lives determine how we think of ourselves. Our view of ourselves dictates our view of life and
therefore, what's possible for our future.

I am not exaggerating.

While listening to a favorite radio show I heard a clear illustration of that. The host introduced his guest, a professional counselor, and spoke with her awhile. Then he opened the phone lines so people could question her. The topic of the day was, "Are you a victim?"

A couple of callers related tales of marital conflict, abuse, strained relations with parents and the like. Then came a woman who struggled to tell her story. "I am the victim of a rape and beating last year. That attacker ruined my life."

I could hear the pain in her voice and I couldn't tear myself away from listening.

After a few moments I took notes.

Asked whether she had family or friends, the caller said, yes, her family kept trying to reach out and her fiance still said he wanted to marry her.  "I don't want to see them--or anyone else," she said between sobs. "I know they simply pity me and I don't want their pity, so I don't go out.

"People tell me I'm depressed. I suppose it's true, but why wouldn't I be? My life was good and I had a good job. Now I can't work and I'll never be the same. Once you're a rape victim it changes everything."

Who could argue with that?

The next caller sounded strong and confident. She said, "I was raped, too. That followed years of being molested by my stepfather. Like your previous caller, I saw myself as a victim. I was so angry! I kept asking, why me? I hugged my pain around me like a warm blanket.

"Then one day I realized I had lost myself. So long as I considered myself 'the victim,' I locked out everything and everybody. I was tired of living that way. From that day on I built a new life. A better life.

"I want to say to the woman who just called, it's true you won't forget this. But you decide what you will do with this experience. You can rename it. Call it a bump in the road, which everyone has. If you stay in your present thinking you are letting this bump in the road become a fork in the road.

"Hitting a bump in the road can give you a bad jolt, but it doesn't have to stop you from your journey.

"See that one event as a fork in the road, however, and it changes the direction of your life. It means you turn away from who you were. Instead you choose to see yourself as injured. Damaged. Powerless.

"I know your pain, I really do. I hope you can hear me. Forgive me, I know it sounds harsh, but that awful man did not make you a victim. You're doing that all by yourself."

When she hung up, the radio host and the counselor said nothing for what seemed a long time.

I understood why.

Perhaps these two women sound like extreme examples and they are. I think their story clearly illustrates how what we think determines our lives.

Maybe some of us feel unworthy and unlovable today, for whatever reason. Then it's a good time to think on this Bible verse, which provides the remedy fo leaving the past in the past.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he (she) is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!                                          --2 Corinthians 5:17

'Nuff said.

Lovingly,

Lenore

How to avoid drowning in the sea of bad news

I don't know about you, but I long to hear something good in the news .

Maybe you've wondered why TV newscasters and newspaper headlines usually lead with crimes, tragedies and misdemeanors. Trace it back to an often-quoted slogan of the news business, "If it bleeds, it leads."

Their findings show that readership and TV viewership go up--way up--when they feature bad news and speculations about doom that lurks just ahead. 

That means we feed on a steady diet of this kind of stuff and our anxiety inevitably builds.

Suppose we focused on God's faithfulness instead. Whatever our finances or life situation may be, He brought us to this day we are living.

That's something my grandmother never lost sight of. I last saw her when she was ninety-nine, two years before she died. Her face shone with peace as she said, "God never left me alone for a minute."

He never leaves any of His children alone for a minute.Anytime. Anywhere.

I propose we choose a fresh slogan for ourselves, "If it feeds, it leads."

Let's tune our minds and hearts to promises in the Bible, Truths like these.

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

He (she) who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."    --Psalm 91:1-2

(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

As you read you'll find verses that speak to your heart. When you do, underline them. Maybe you'll want to date them, too, either by specific dates or some note that will remind  you of events.

We could call it the "Good Stuff Diet."

Even a daily snack-size serving could change our lives.

Your thoughts, please.

Peace and joy,

Lenore

 

Flooding. Tornadoes. Misery. When challenges overwhelm, where do we turn?

Doesn't it seem like the cup of misery is overflowing lately? 

News reports continually feature shots of flooding along the rivers. Water  stretches for miles.

Every one of the homes now almost submerged was the center of family life not long ago. 

That water swirls with  mosquitoes, with snakes, some of them poisonous, and even a few alligators.

Those who've been flooded out and now live in shelters or with relatives can only watch and wait, knowing what they'll find when they get back in.

Thousands of acres of farmland are flooded, too Farmers can do nothing but wait, even though it's crucial for them to be able to get into their fields. If crops don't have a full growing season they won't be ready to harvest before the first killing frost.

Farmers can't forget how all this will affect their year's income. No crop, no income.

Then there are the tornadoes. You could snap photos like this all across the Midwestern and southern states. Destruction stretches for miles.

I won't say, "They lost everything," because it's not true. So long as their family members are alive and well, they have everything that matters, as so many of them said. 

But what can they do when their hearts are breaking? Where can they find strength to go on?

I only know one answer: Come to Jesus. Today I was on misery overload, so I did what I often do, played this Chris Rice song over and over. Somehow this song always speaks to my heart. I hope it blesses you, too.

Chris Rice, "Come to Jesus"

So, my friends, whatever challenges you face, may you find your answers in Jesus.

Peace and joy,

Lenore

As one woman told an interviewer, "It's all gone. Nothing will ever be the same."

If these scenes overwhelm you and me, think what it would be like to be in their shoes.

Are you bored? Maybe it's a blessing in disguise

Sometimes we all feel like a little kid who moans, "Nothing ever happens around here. I am sooo bored."                                                                                                                        
It took me a long time to learn to be thankful for boring days. 

Lately I've been reminded why I should.

Too many people I know suddenly found themselves wishing they could go back a day or a week or a year to before.

Before those medical tests.

Before that pink slip.

Before that stroke.

As if often does, life smacked them up the side of their heads and proved it can turn upside-down in an instant. 

I don't know whether these friends yearned for some kind of change, but that's what they got, big time. In a finger-snap they looked at their lives through different eyes.

Who wouldn't? Who doesn't? 

Webster's defines "boring" as "dull, tiresome, etc." The same old, same old.

But what's so bad about that? There's comfort in the same old, same old.

Too often I forget.

That's a good time to jot down what I value most and what/who I count on.  Then I notice I've just listed my blessings. They were there all the time, but I was blind.

With new clarity I understand again that life is fragile and I catch my breath. Do I pray? You betcha, with all my heart. Lord, please let me have more of the same old, same old. Help me stay fresh in the midst of the familiar.

I need reminding, which is why I love a quote from Mary Jean Iron. I found it years ago and tacked these words to my bulletin board. Maybe they will speak to your heart as they do to mine.

Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are . . . Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect Tomorrow. One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in my pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return.

Sounds like a restating of what the psalmist said in Psalm 118:24:

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Many people repeat these words every morning after they wake up. Sounds like a useful habit, doesn't it?

Peace and JOY,

Lenore

Find peace of mind despite the scarcity of hope

Are you troubled, convinced the world is a mess and there is no hope, no beauty?

Feast your eyes on God's handiwork one recent spring in a California canyon somewhere near San Luis Obispo. 

(Sorry, photographer unknown.)

I've loved this photo since I first saw it. I can't imagine a better visual for what Jesus said in Luke 12, starting at verse 22.

"Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes . . . Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these."

Maybe you suffer from the same malady as I. Worry. Oh, I can call it something nicer, but really, it's worry.

When I look at wildflowers, as in this photo, I feel the tightness in my shoulders ease up. The One who splashes these remote hills with extravagant beauty tenderly cares for all His creation.

That includes you and me.

Whatever we are dealing with today, we are not alone. The weight of the world does not rest on our shoulders. Count on it. His mercies are new every morning. (Lamentations 3:21-16)

Every day mercies and blessings surround us. 

Are we looking for them?

Here's to having eyes to see,

Lenore