A WOMAN'S VIEW ~ Lenore Buth

Let's not let talk of the "downward spiral" drag us down!

    I don't know about you, but I'm tired of the continual doom-and-gloom talk everywhere we turn. I don't think it helps any of us.

    You know how it goes. One reporter will say, "If ... then ... and then ... we could ... ." 

    The other talking head responds, "And that could lead to ... which would mean that ... and then ... we'd have ____ more layoffs, which would mean ____ more people couldn't make their mortgage payments. Foreclosures will skyrocket in our area!" 

    Nobody seems to notice--or care--that everything starts with that little word, "if."

    For two minutes or so they've drummed up emotion and fear. Their facial expressions and tone of voice make it plain doom is imminent! Yet not one real thing has occurred. 

    It's way too easy to get sucked in to this whirlpool of misery. When I do it's no time until I'm venting to my husband ... or vice versa. Soon we're forecasting personal doom based more on someone else's conjecture than on fact. 

   That quickly snatches the sunshine out of a room ... or a life.

    So let's not join that crowd. Here's my proposal for coping with what comes. First, let's get a realistic grip on what affects our own lives and concentrate our energies there. Manage as wisely as we can, cut expenses where we can, appreciate what we already have. Living bountifully has nothing to do with having money. It's all about how we view our life.

    Second, let's look at what really matters and focus our attention there. Most of us would say that people matter more than things. So let's invest ourselves in other people. It costs nothing to speak encouragement or give someone a hug ... and most of us could use more of both.

    Finally, let's count our blessings ... over and over again. I think that's more than ticking off a list. Let's form a new habit: Pay attention to what is, more than longing for what isn't. Each time we do we'll feel more confident, more sure of our life, more at peace.

    When  we share a life, whether with a spouse or a child, little aggravations often cloud our vision. It helps to set them aside for awhile and look at this person with a stranger's eyes. Do we spot virtues we had been ignoring? Remember, small virtues count. (Ever forgotten to put out the garbage when your husband was out of town? Then you know what I mean.) If you feel shortchanged, ask God to enlarge your perception.

    If you live with those recording devices a.k.a., kids, remember that your attitude(s) become theirs. Your fear(s) become theirs ... even when they never say a word or ask a question. No child ever is oblivious to their parents' state-of-mind.

    Finally, when it comes to fear, whether of recession, depression, or a change in government, let's remember who's in charge. Today I got an e-mail you may have received at some point, one with beautiful photography and a meaningful message. It points us to the verse in the center of the Bible: Psalm 118:8. This is the perfect motto for you and me in these troubled times ... or any time.

It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man.

    Next time we're tempted to sink in despair, let's go back to this verse and pitch a tent.  Fortunes come and go. Governments rise and fall. Only One was there before the beginning and will be there after the end. Only One has proven to be absolutely trust-worthy over time. He's the one who watches over us and who blesses your life and mine.

    By the way, here's the address for that video I referenced above: 70670-TheBibleDV.pps (2473KB)   (Sorry, you'll need to copy, then paste it to access it.) Enjoy! 

    Have a refreshing weekend!

    Lenore

    What do you think about this? Your comments welcomed!         

 

    

 

Let's celebrate what makes us "America!"

    If you lived halfway around the world, would you be waiting for the inauguration of Barack Obama as President of the USA?    

    Probably so. Many will cheer because he'll be our first African-American President. But there's more to it than that. All over the world people marvel that in the United States, power passes from one administration to another without riots, without wars or assassinations. Instead, we have parades and parties, all of it broadcast freely--in its entirety--over national television and radio. If you or I could find a way to shoe-horn ourselves in among the one million plus people who plan to shiver away many frigid hours, we could at least be in Washington, D.C., to be present.

    After all, this is America! We take it for granted, forgetting this is rare. Not many countries in this world change parties or governments so calmly.

    We are blessed, bountifully. We are free to rant and rave about what's wrong with this country, or with whatever the current administration happens to be doing--or not doing. We can march and carry signs. No one comes to cart us off to prison. This is America.

    After eight years as President, George W. Bush will become a private citizen and quietly go home to Texas. Throughout his years in office our nation faced many challenges, beginning with September 11, 2001, before he had been in office a year. He leaves when we're in the middle of one of the biggest crises, and his popularity ratings are at their lowest. I wish him and his wife, Laura, much happiness in this new phase of their life together. 

    I am sad for him ... and for her. I believe he did the best he knew how, with what he knew at the time. Since he often professed his faith, I take him at his word that he sought God's guidance every day, then went forth and did his job.

    By now I've lived long enough to know that's all any of can do, whether we're a President, a parent, or a paper-hanger. 

    I almost always know more afterward than I did at the time I had to make a decision. Later, sometimes much later, I find I have a better grasp on what was involved. Perhaps I've come to understand the wider picture, or I know the people involved better than I did, or I'm simply wiser and more seasoned. Alas, I cannot go back and live it over. Neither can President Bush.

    Neither can anyone else. Whoever coined the term, "Hindsight is 20/20," said it well. 

    I have no idea how history will view his Presidency. It is interesting to remember that the press and people universally trashed Abraham Lincoln almost every day he lived in the White House. He was hated by both the North and the South. The names they called him make the labels hung on George Bush look tame. Yet he calmly stood his ground, never wavering, because his passion was for justice and freeing the slaves. 

     Now he's known as our greatest President, the role-model and inspiration for President Obama. 

     I did not vote for Barack Obama, but as our elected President, he merits our full support. I pray his administration will succeed mightily. I do think it's wonderful that an African-American man rose to the Presidency, and I pray it will heal the old wounds and animosities. We are, after all, the United States of America. That implies we, the people, too, are to be united.

Since he has said he is a Christian, I'm guessing he, too, will pray for God's guidance each day. Then he'll go forth and do his job, the best he knows how, with what he knows at the time.

    As always, I'll pray God's wisdom and leading for our President and for all those who lead our nation. As always, I'll try not to expect perfect performance. (Does that look anything like expecting his decisions always to please me?) 

     I'm thankful our new President loves his wife, Michelle, and their two daughters. I'm thankful he talks about respect and honoring authority, about the value of working and finishing school. President Obama and Michelle have the platform to be powerful role models and to inspire many, young and old. Their positive comments about family may turn around some alarming trends in our society. I'm thankful they're Christians. 

    As we enjoy the pomp and circumstance of another Presidential inauguration and the hoopla surrounding it, let's give thanks. We are privileged to live in the greatest nation on the face of the earth--and let's not forget it. What's more, let's talk it up! Let's speak hope and reassurance when others are talking gloom and forecasting doom! That will cost us zero, but pay big dividends in so many ways, in our lives and in our communities.

    Because you and I and all of us together are the United States of America, not just our new President. 

    Won't you join me in daily asking God to bless and protect the United States and our leaders? And enjoy the festivities!

    Lenore

    

A New Year's resolution for mothers: I will bless my children this year ... and all their lives through

    That sounds like a pointless statement, I suppose ... or maybe wishful thinking. Yet isn't that what we all long to do, from the day our children are born? 

    Becoming a parent is like tapping into a vein of miracles. What parent hasn't fixated on tiny fingers and toes, imagining the future of our children? That miracle never stops, because all through their childhood years we marvel as we watch our kids change and develop.     

    Some of us start off on this adventure feeling confident. After all, we've read stacks of books and observed all the ways other moms and dads mess up. We have no doubt we can avoid all those pitfalls. As a friend put it, "The only time I had all the answers on how to raise kids was before we had any."

    New parents often burst with pride. Others panic, afraid they're not ready. One new mom said, "I feel like I've been appointed 'it' for everything in my child's life!" 

    Actually, that's not so far from the truth. After we become parents it's up to us to provide TLC, food, shelter and guidance, 24/7. Which one of us ever feels ready for that?

    Before long we realize  we have more questions than answers. That state-of-mind turns out to go on all through our children's growing-up years, even though we're growing and stretching, too.

    So how do we "bless our children?" We give them what every human being longs for: the sense of being accepted and loved without ifs, ands, or buts. Some of us have experienced that and possess an inner security our entire lives. When we haven't, we may spend our lives trying to live up to what we think our parents wish we were. 

    Most of us would judge that freedom to be a lifetime gift, but how do we give it?

    It seems to me it's more than just saying, "I love you," over and over. We also study each child, not just their behavior, but their strengths and weaknesses. (If one or more of your children seems out-of-sync with you, or challenges you, welcome to a very large club.) As we do that we're more able to cooperate with who they are, the individual God made them to be.

   How do we "cooperate?" Imagine you want to play an instrument. You don't make music with a violin by blowing on it and you can't play a clarinet with a bow. Even gifted performers still need to respect the inherent qualities and capabilities of their instrument. So they study and they learn and they practice until they can bring out its music. 

    No two kids are alike, not sisters or brothers, not even twins. Each of us is one-of-a-kind. We bless our children when we allow them be who they are and find ways to help them develop the "music" inside themselves. To do that we keep on learning and growing--and praying--so we can parent them in ways that fit with who they are. 

    By now you're wondering if my husband and I always followed this excellent way as we reared our four girls. We loved them dearly, and we tried with all our hearts and all our might, but we  failed in lots of ways. We still do. Why? I've never found a better explanation than the Pennsylvania Dutch saying I spotted on a hearts-and-flowers wooden plaque: 

"We get too soon old and too late smart."

     Parenting turns out to be a lifetime growth opportunity. Who knew? So we  start where we are, taking a good, long look at our children and ourselves. If we feel in over our heads, we seek out guidance. That may be a trusted, comfortable friend with older children, one who can mentor us and give us a wider perspective. It may be our pastor or a counselor that's been recommended. (First take time to check and be sure the lives of people you turn to stack up with what you want for your own.) 

    We give our kids a solid place to start from when they know we value them as individuals. Of course we need to plant the other good stuff, too, for balance. Is this easy? Almost never. Yet I've found that God is faithful to supply us with fresh strength for each day. One more thing. As we help our youngsters develop into the people God made them to be, we're doing the same for ourselves.  

   Through the days of this year, let's do more than speak our blessings to our children and families. Let's be a blessing, as well.

   When you doubt your capacity, remember that our needs never outstrip His supply!

    Lenore

    Agree or disagree? Your comments welcomed!