A WOMAN'S VIEW ~ Lenore Buth

Ten well-tested principles for happy living

How are you doing with all the uncertainties and unrest around us? 

Many of us find our peace and patience running low. Nameless fears lace through every day and wake us in the night. 

We tell ourselves I've always been good in a crisis. The only catch with that is that a crisis has a beginning and an end.

The situations playing out for us in the news and all around us promise to continue for a long stretch--and we know it.

That makes it worse.

How can we stay on track day-to-day?

Awhile back I ran across a yellowed newspaper clipping of a piece by long-ago columnist Frank Crane. Just reading the title took me back to when I was a young mother who struggled to keep up with the demands of our daily life. 

Even so, I never missed reading a column titled, "Dr. Crane Says" in our daily newspaper because he spoke to my heart. I appreciated his practical advice and down-to-earth wisdom.    

Every year or so the paper would feature his longer piece, "Just for Today" because year after year, it was his most-read column.

This piece made good sense to me then, even though it challenged me. It still does because truth never gets outdated. 

Here it is in the original version: 

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 any one that my feelings are hurt. They may be hurt, but Today I will not show it.

7. Just for Today, 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.

(Copyright, 1921 by Frank Crane)

One more thing ...

I never want to confine my thinking of God to only 30 minutes a day because he's not "out there" or "up there." Over and over He promises to be with us every minute of every day.

He is our loving God. Because he loved us enough to send his only Son (John 3:16) we're free to ask his help any time of the day or night. Period. Whenever we feel anxious and unsettled we can go to the Lord and let his peace quiet our hearts. 

Long ago God spoke to his people through his prophet Elijah. His words still ring true for us today: 

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   

You and I are never alone. That's true even if we live alone. We can make it through whatever comes if we allow God's promises be our bottom line. 

Trusting, too, 

Lenore

Best of Times or Worst of Times? It's Your Call

Every one of us may answer that differently but still, we would prefer our lives to run along smoothly. 

Please raise your hand if that describes your life. Hmm.

Okay then, let's consider the question from a different angle. Did you ever consider what your tough times taught you? Or watch that play out for someone else? 

I learned a big life lesson from our long-ago friend Bill. He and his wife were part of a small group of friends who got together every couple of weeks. We often talked about our lives, our problems and how we as Christians could deal with them. 

Whatever the situation, Bill's opinion seldom wavered. He believed the trials that test our will and our strength created a situation where our faith could shine through. 

Plain-spoken Bill always managed to insert his favorite truth:

"When the rubber meets the road, what's inside us will show up."

Then a huge pothole opened up in front of Bill     

When our group met that week Bill seemed distracted. Finally he said, "This has been one tough week and I'm glad it's over!" 

Then Bill spelled it out for us:   

As a building contractor, he had survived more than one economic challenge by barely hanging on. Then demand picked up, so he hired a few sub-contractors. Two of them never showed up and the third guy did shoddy work.  

Then building materials were delivered to his warehouse and on inspection turned out to be sub-standard. 

In one of his buildings careless renters set their apartment on fire, which spread to adjoining units in another building he managed.

"All this in one week?" I asked.

"Yeah. Problems are nothing new, but usually I have some breathing space."  

Somebody asked how he managed to keep going and keep on trusting, even when it seemed everything had turned sour.

Bill thought a bit, then said, "Guess I have enough smarts to learn from life and trust God to get me through."

Then the rubber hit Bill's road, big time 

His doctor delivered a shock. Results of recent tests showed that Bill's "little problem" was a life-threatening health crisis.

He sought out the best medical treatment he could afford. Extensive surgery and arduous treatments followed, but Bill followed instructions precisely. He and his wife came to church as often as he was able, Bill walking slowly and leaning on a cane. His face looked pale and drawn, but still he smiled. 

Still spoke faith and encouragement to the rest of us. 

Again and again my husband and I watched this one man lift the spirits of everyone who glimpsed him or who was within range of his voice. 

"Hey, it's just life," Bill would say. "God is in charge and I am at peace. I'm keeping my eyes on Him. However He works it out, I win." 

That's true for the rest of us, too

We moved several months later but the last I heard, Bill had recovered his health and energy.

I think of him when I read again what the Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4:11-13:

 ... I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.

I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.

I can do all this through him who gives me strength. NIV

Paul's "circumstances" were no slice of angel food cake. Just read 2 Corinthians 11:16-33 to read of Paul's floggings, beatings, imprisonments, shipwrecks and being left for dead many times.

Was that how Paul learned to be content?

Surely Paul must have had times of feeling alone and abandoned

That's when he clung to Jesus, as he wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:7-10:

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair, persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.   NIV

Are you wondering about the "jars of clay?" Paul knew Scripture backwards and forwards and was referring to Genesis 2.

That's where God created the first human being (Adam) out of the dust of the earth, remember?

Our friend Bill lived the truth of Paul's words

Even on his worst days, this down-to-earth guy presented a ready smile to the world. We Christian friends knew what kept Bill going. He drew on the light of Jesus and the strength of Jesus within him.   

Like the Apostle Paul, Bill kept his eyes on Jesus rather than on himself and what was going on in his life. When he slipped up--and he did, of course, being human--he went back to what he believed, asked God's help and began again.

With evidently no self-pride or aim to impress, Bill simply lived his life as a man who depended on Jesus living within him to get him through his days.

You know that saying that we believers are to be "little Christs" in the world we live in?  

Bill just being Bill lived out that truth and everyone around him wanted what he had.

He believed the truth of Ephesians 2:10 every day

It's all ours for the taking, if we, like Bill, keep our eyes on the One who promises to enable us and be our strength:

My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.    Psalm 73:26  NLT

He depended on God and His power, not on his own--and said so. He left everyone who knew him an unforgettable model for living. 

Simply said, Bill chose to have the best of times--even in his worst of times. 

I pray your life is good, my friend, and your heart is at peace,

Lenore

Is it time to do an attitude adjustment?

No matter who we are, whatever our age or life situation, the unpredictability of life can get us down. 

The truth is that sometimes life is hard.

That's true even for those of us who are Christians. I am and I trust God's many promises to be with us and to be our strength. Perhaps you do, too.

When trouble comes knocking we cling to these Bible promises as a drowning person to a lifeline. We long to take God at his word and yet ... sometimes we feel very alone and headed for disaster.

Our desire is to be strong and immovable but we feel tossed around like driftwood.

That's the time to turn to God's promises in the Bible. For example, one that's cherished by many believers is God's promise to the Israelites after they had been exiled in Babylon. It's from Jeremiah, Chapter 29:11 (NLT):

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." 

To find our footing, grab onto these truths and refuse to let go

Life often feels like too much to handle on our own. That's when it helps so much to share the load with our best Friend, Jesus, and turn over our fears and doubts to him. Prayer is nothing more than talking to him as we would to a friend we can trust.

It's good to remind ourselves that all through life our attitude--our mindset--determines how we react and how we deal with whatever life hands out.

It's exactly as the writer of Proverbs said in 23:7a:

As he thinks in his heart, so is he.  --NKJV

This verse applies to every one of us: As we think in our minds, so we are. When we truly absorb that into our minds and hearts it's not long before we become more aware of how consistently that principle works. 

Is this easy to do? No. We first need to set aside our "logical thinking" and acquired theories and be ready to trust as simply as small children do. Only then will we be ready to put our hand into our loving Heavenly Father's hand and walk in faith.

It's often helpful to make lists and write down what we know is true with a pen and paper. There's something about the act of writing our thoughts down on paper that helps us clarify patterns and shows us when we're chasing our tail rather than getting closer to finding answers.

The bottom line: How we react to what comes can strengthen us in our struggles or ramp up our fears.  

No one can take away our power to choose how we think

That's been true from the beginning because God creates only one-of-a-kind human beings. No one else makes us think a certain way. That freedom belongs to each of us alone.

Chuck Swindoll, well-known Christian pastor and writer, wrote a lot about attitude in one of his most-loved books, Strengthening Your Grip.

Here are some quotes--and paraphrases--taken from that book:

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than the past. More important than education."

More important than how much money we have--or don't have.

More important than failures or successes.

More important than what other people think or say or do.

It is more important than our age or the state of our health.

Attitude will make or break a company. A church. A marriage. A family.

I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it. 

Every day we choose the outlook we will put on for the day

Chuck's conclusions are true for you and me. Every day of our lives we choose our attitude and then our attitudes rule our lives.

Our perspective on any situation rules how we think about it. 

If you doubt that, consider a common "for instance" like this. Picture yourself dragging around and feeling depressed--and maybe not knowing why. Then comes an unexpected phone call, a text or an email that lifts your heart. In an instant your gloom and sadness turn into smiles.

Often nothing has changed except the way we look at our life. 

Putting it into practice day by day

Over the years I've learned that what I say to myself just after I wake up makes a difference all day long. Those first thoughts set the tone for my waking hours. 

During those waking-up moments I often take a mental inventory. I can say to myself, Oh, I wish I could stay in bed all day! I am not looking forward to the same old, same old of my life. I need a break! 

Or I can think, This is the day the Lord has given me as a gift. I WILL rejoice and be glad in it! (Psalm 118:24)

Thanking God for being able to breathe and walk and talk doesn't take away any aches or morning stiffness I might experience. What it does is shift my perspective just a little bit. It reminds me that every day of my life is God's gift and in Him I live and move and have my being. (Acts 17:28) 

This slight twist to how I start off my day shifts my thoughts to a more positive track and makes the whole day better.  

Moment-by-moment, we choose where we park our minds

I don't know about you, but this is the lesson I seem to need to relearn, over and over.

As I think in my heart, so I am--and so is my life.

Here's to all of us being teachable. All. Our. Days.

Lenore

Did your parents tell you, "Life is hard"? Count yourself lucky!

Many experts think that phrase should be banished forever because how can a child or young person develop a positive self-image if they get fed discouragement?

This theory was not always considered mainstream. When I was growing up, for example, we youngsters understood the meaning of "Life is hard" because adults specialized in using it when we came with complaints. "You didn't get as big a cookie as he did?" or "So you didn't get the grade you thought you deserved?" Then came an answer with a refrain that seldom varied: "Too bad. Well, life is hard, get used to it."  

Don't get me wrong. Most adults I knew, like my parents, were kind and loving. Teachers might be strict, but we knew they cared about us. Grandparents, neighbors and every grownup I knew seemed to think it their duty to give us kids a needed realistic perspective on life. That's why we so often heard, "If you expect life to be easy, you're in for a big let-down." 

Both my husband and I were used to it. We knew our parents and all the rest spoke out of their experiences during hard times. But my groom and I were convinced our love would conquer all.

No wonder we just knew our life together would be pure joy. 

A few years later life handed us a huge object lesson 

By this time we had discovered that love did not rule out disappointments and setbacks. Then came one that hit with no warning.

Picture my husband and me in our old Midwestern farmhouse on that freezing cold night of New Year's Day. At almost bedtime 
our nearest neighbor called us. In a tense voice he said, "Look out your side window."

That's when we saw the flames blazing across the roof of our old red wooden barn, which painted the sky bright orange. My husband and I looked at each other, each with same thought: The cows! Can we get the cows out in time?

We grabbed coats and boots and skittered down the ice-coated drive area to the barn. Flames already were bursting through between the boards of the barn's side walls. The cows! Somehow we managed to push our terrified animals out the door in time and they slid and stumbled their way onto the concrete feeding floor alongside the barn. 

There, cows, young calves and awkward "teenage cows" huddled together in a sad clump, mooing and bawling in fear. 

Once they were safe my husband led me to a place out of the wind and we stood there, shaking with cold as we watched our picturesque old red barn burn. Five minutes later the engine of the volunteer Fire Department from the nearest town arrived. The firefighters kept watch until the fire burned itself out.  

Several times I had run to the house and checked on our sleeping little girls, thanking God that they slumbered through all the sirens and shouts.  

By 2 a.m. the crowd had gone home, taking with them their floodlights. Before long the cattle seemed to settle down, too. Quiet descended like a shroud. 

My husband and I staggered back to the house, numb with exhaustion and cold. We two sat at our kitchen table holding hands and trying not to give way to tears as we replayed the scary night just lived and prayed for guidance.  

We knew we wouldn't sleep. We also knew daylight would force us to take some kind of action.

What now?

First light revealed the pile of rubble where our barn used to be. Next to it stood our shivering herd of Holsteins--and it was milking time.

The thing about dairy cows is they can't be put off. They had to be milked twice a day. And what about feed? Both cows and calves needed to eat, but all the feed, hay and straw stored in that old barn--with its old, probably faulty wiring--was lost.

What were we to do?

Once again the phone rang and it was the same neighbor who alerted us to the fire. Now he kindly offered the use of an empty shed to shelter our cows from the weather and also would supply hay until we could locate a supply to purchase. Thank God!

After a hasty breakfast my husband and a helper herded the animals the almost one-quarter mile up the road to that farm. My husband, always good at improvising, figured out how to set up the milking equipment he rescued from fire. He and our neighbor agreed on the rent we would pay for as long as we needed his shed and also how to track the hay expense.

With that in place we knew we could make it. 

Finding blessing in the loss  

This may sound strange, but later we came to understand that we had a built-in advantage when tragedy struck. The fire didn't destroy us precisely because our parents harped on "Life is hard. Get used to it." 

That old-fashioned perspective enabled us--despite our fears and uncertainty-- to look at the fire as, "Well, that sort of thing happens in life." We prayed and held each other up and got through dark moments. Day by day we coped and it took everything we had in us at the time.

As we rebuilt over the months that followed we grew stronger, individually and as a couple. We saw clearly how God guided us and gave us strength, so our faith grew, too. 

Now we took a softer view of our parents, a.k.a., the "crepe-hangers." Before, we assumed they simply didn't understand that with a good attitude and overflowing love and by using our brains, we could fend off crises. After the fire we came to understand they spoke timeless truth.

All along they were trying to ensure we would not be crushed by life's ups and downs.

What do today's youngsters need to survive? 

Today we're all about "love," believing that's the way to infuse strength and self-confidence into children and teens. Many grow up hearing, "Look at you!" "You are amazing!" "You are so smart!" "You deserve to be happy!" Teens and young adults hear, "When you find your bliss, your work won't even feel like work," Etc.

Here's a shock: "Bliss" isn't always bliss-full. Finding the "right" work does not ensure you'll never have a frustration or disappointment. The best of times still come with down days sprinkled here and there. Even finding THE perfect love comes with adjustments like each one putting the other one first. (If you find that easy, three cheers for you!) 

Truth is, life is hard and nobody's life is trouble-free. The best job in the best place still frustrates once in awhile. People sometimes let us down because well, every human being is imperfect in one way or another.

All this convinces me it's not a bad thing for children and teens to understand that life comes with joy and pain. Best of all is when they also know deep-down the saving love of Jesus and that he will enable them to survive what comes. That gives them a solid base for building a life.  

Hard times and problems have been the making of many an individual. Those who hang in there grow--and their inner strength grows. The writer of the book of James knew all about that, writing in James 1:2-4.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers [and sisters,] whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.   NIV

Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes you way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.  NLT

Those verses pretty much say it all, don't they?

Here's to joy in the midst of whatever comes!

Lenore

How to stay calm, even in times of fear

Has it ever seemed to you that every talking head is infected with the same "virus"?

I'm not talking COVID or Omicron here. This one seems confined to the mouth because every other word the speakers utter proclaims new reasons to live in fear.

Even news from halfway around the world affects us. Then come the disquieting reports that hit us where we live. Another warning, another shutdown, another loss of something or someone we thought we could count on. Over and over and over.

Even if we think our life probably won't be affected, an inner fear takes residence inside us. What if that happens to me? Or someone I love?

Logic asks, why should any of us imagine we're exempt? We do, after all, live in the same troubled world.

Christians, too, are susceptible to fear and questioning

Some of know what it's like to be shaken to the core and certainly, none of us is bulletproof. Over time we may begin to doubt even the foundation of faith we've rested on all our lives.

In quiet moments we may ask ourselves questions like these: 

• Is God really watching over me and those I love?
• Have I lived a good enough life to know my salvation in Jesus Christ is truly certain?

If today you're feeling weighed down by uncertainty, it's a good time to go back to what the Bible tells us.

God promises to protect us

His words are sure--and timeless. Take Psalm 121, especially verses 5-8, here from the ESV:

The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right side. The sun shall not strike you by night, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forevermore. 

Boil it down to its essence and it's this: God is faithful and HE watches out for us, 24/7. Whatever comes. For all our days. 

That's nice--for those who qualify. But what about me?

Start at the starting place: God is love. He loved us enough to make a way for you and me to be his children.

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  ESV

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

We call that "grace," God's forgiveness, kindness and mercy to us as believers in Jesus. We do not--cannot--do anything to "be good enough."  

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.    Ephesians 2:8-9  ESV 

It's God's love and mercy. Period.

Our Christian faith is no wispy theory that dissolves under pressure

We can stay calm, no matter what life dishes out--when we count on Jesus and his strength within us rather than our own.

I like the way The Message paraphrases 1 Corinthians 10:13:

No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it.

"He will never let you be pushed past your limit." HE never turns away from us.

Truths to help us keep going:

Our loving Father will never let us down

He will never let us be pushed past our individual limits. He made us so he--and only he--knows our precise limits.

He will always be there to help us come through whatever trial or temptation we may face. 

Knowing this deep-down equips us for whatever may come. It's as the Apostle Paul said in Romans 8:31:

If God is for us, who [or what] can be against us?   

Worrisome newscasts and scary news reports will continue. Scary tests and dreaded medical diagnoses will come into our lives just because we're human beings who live in an imperfect world.

In the midst of "whatever," we can be at peace  

Instead of giving in to fear, let's do a mindset makeover, reminding ourselves that HE is the one Source of security that never fails. 

How can we know that's 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   ESV

The One who was here before the beginning of the world and who will be here after the end is with us, every minute of every day.

Trusting, too,

Lenore

 

How to make it through the not-so-good days

Even when we know our life is good, it can feel overwhelming at times

Even if we're living out our dream. Even when we know we're blessed. Even--surprisingly--though we may be living our dream.

Today, when that old, old feeling strikes me, I go back to what I discovered as a frazzled young mom.

Living on overload was dragging me down. But how to get a grip? 

Was I praying? Absolutely. I could see God's goodness in our life, but most days I felt myself hustling just to keep up on the basics.

I needed more. I needed some sort of a practical action plan. A stronger, wiser way of looking at people and my life.

From that crisis point I went back to school, so to speak. Any tidbit of time I could manage I first read the Bible and fed my soul. I scoured our daily newspaper and clipped useful articles. I tore out magazine articles and pored over good self-help books. I kept a notebook where I copied out the best sections and jotted down notes.  

Enter Dr. Crane, who offered advice, free for the taking

His column ran regularly in our newspaper. His down-to-earth approach to life appealed to me. This professional's syndicated column, "Dr. Crane Says," ran in newspapers all over the USA. Later I learned his column already had been running for decades when I found it for myself.

Each time I found useful pointers for living. Even then I knew it was genius to take lengthy principles for mental health and boil them down to their essence, so that readers of any educational level could understand them.

Back then it seemed groundbreaking when Dr. Crane's  "Just for Today" piece appeared. Over the years I noticed he reran it periodically, always explaining it cut down on constant requests for reprints.  

The first time I read it I taped it to a cupboard door and reread it at least once a day. His simple wisdom painted a picture for me of what it would look like to live richly and feel I had some control over my life. It laid out a clear track that anyone could follow.

Recently I ran across this old friend again

Obviously, I'm not the only reader who prized Dr. Crane's practical wisdom. Since this piece now is in the public domain, I pass it on in its original 1921 version. May you, too, find these timeless words useful and helpful. Even today, they speak to my heart. May they speak to yours, too.                             

                                                        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 any one that my feelings are hurt. They may be hurt, but Today I will not show it.

7. Just for Today, 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. 

Even today, in 2021, the plan points us toward sound mental health, doesn't it? Most refreshing of all, there's not one word of controversy or fear or politics.

Does the list sound too daunting to master? First let's remind ourselves this is a list to work toward, not one one which we either pass or fail. It's like a road map that points toward an attractive destination. 

Besides, we're not in this alone. Today and every day, our Best Friend is with us and strengthens us. Here's the key Bible verse that proves that. 

I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.                                                               Philippians 4:13   

Just for Today, with God's help, we'll make it through.

Still growing, too, 

Lenore