A WOMAN'S VIEW ~ Lenore Buth

Here's help for when life falls apart

For a moment or two, let your mind wander and picture this . . . 

You finally managed to buy your longtime dream, a home deep in beautiful, wooded mountain country in California.                         

Tranquil lakes and streams. Towering evergreens up close or on the next hill. Room to breathe. Peaceful, blessed quiet, except for the calming sounds of Nature all around. 

However you spend your days, whether hiking one of the many trails that thread through the forest or just sitting in your front-porch rocker, you're at peace.    

Several times a day you think, All those years I (or we) worked hard to get here and it was so, so worth it!

At night, looking into the deep blue sky and counting stars or watching the logs in your fireplace ebb down into embers, you say, "Life couldn't be better. What a blessing!" 

And then comes the horror

For some, it came late at night, for others, in broad daylight. 

Engrossed in what you were doing--or perhaps sleeping soundly--you're roused by someone pounding on your front door.

There stands a frantic smoke-blackened firefighter. He yells, "You must leave! NOW! You only have minutes! You have no time to grab any belongings. Just go!  

"Get your family members and RUN!"

For any of us, life as we know it can fall apart in an instant

All it takes is a phone call. A bad fall. A car accident with devastating injuries. Biopsy or lab test results we prayed never to hear. Someone we love hit by disease or a heart attack. Or a devastating injury. Or death that claims the earthly life of one we thought we couldn't live without. 

Or it may be "impersonal," such as a business closing--and with it, the end of a job or career that enabled us to pay the bills. Job changes that call for retraining--or starting over. A landlord that sells the home we live in, leaving us with nowhere to go that we can afford.

Whatever the cause, many of us have lived it, sometimes more than once.  Or we know someone who has. In times like that, tragedy can overwhelm our spirits and snuff out hope.

How do we go on? 

Whatever comes, we cling to Truth that outlasts any trial, any catastrophe

When we're in pain because our world is falling apart, it feels natural to lapse into anxiety and fear. We're tempted to pull our pain around us like a warm quilt. Why not? Everyone would understand.  

Here's the question each of us must answer for ourselves: Is that really how we want to live?

Most of us would answer "No."

Still, how do we hold it together? How do we find strength to go on?

Answer: We do the hard thing: We fight for it. 

We deliberately--as if we were changing channels on a TV--fill our minds with reminders from the Bible that our kind and merciful God has not turned his back on us.

We repeat the verse or verses aloud if that's the only way to drown out the fear. We whisper them at night when we cannot go to sleep, sometimes over and over until sleep comes. 

Start with reassuring Bible verses like these

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.   --Psalm 46:1-2

The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.    --Deuteronomy 31:8

I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.    --John 16:33

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.    --Isaiah 41:10

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

Make these verses--and others like them--the refrain of your life

Promise yourself you will stop saying--and thinking, "I don't know how I will get through this."

Say instead, "With God's help, I will get through this. Moment by moment. Day by day."

When fear intrudes--and it will, mentally shout "Stop!" and emphatically turn your thoughts to the One who loved us enough to die on the cross so that we can be at peace with God. 

He is the One who told his followers--and us: "Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." --Matthew 28:20. 

We do not walk alone.

We do not face our troubles on our own.

Whatever comes into our lives, God will give us the strength to get through whatever comes.

In every situation, we depend on Him, not on ourselves. And so we survive--and get through--whatever comes.  

Hanging on tight,

Lenore

Are You Wondering Whether Prayer Works?

A lot of people do. How about you?

The other day a friend told of not being able to find her cell phone charger. "I took my house apart. I went through every place I could think of, but I absolutely could not find it.  

"Finally I remembered to ask God for help. About two minutes later I realized I hadn't checked the wooden box on my counter. I checked the box and there it was. I think God was just waiting for me to ask so He could answer my prayer."

Is it really that simple?

Not quite. That would be a sort of "push-button God," wouldn't it?

Some of us have learned over the years that yes, God does hear our prayers. We may not always get the answer we prayed for, but one way or another, He will give what we truly need. Or we get a "wait" and feel forgotten. Only later will we understand that God did answer our prayers--and in the best way possible. We just hadn't recognized it at the time.

We can be certain of this: God does want to hear what's on our hearts: 

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.   -Philippians 4:6 

Do we pray only about the Big Things? Or everything? 

Another time I was with a group of friends and one who lives alone told about trying to change a light bulb that refused to budge. "I was about ready to give up," she said.

"Finally I just said, 'Lord, I don't want to have to call someone to come for such a little job. Please help me!'

"Then I decided to give it one more try. A couple of twists and that silly bulb came right out. I know it was just a light bulb, but that day it seemed proof that God was watching over me."

People standing around her soon chimed in with their own stories of how they saw God's hand in their own challenges and also in various situations, past and present. Some were accounts of real crises and others of small, everyday things. In every case God brought the teller through the tough times.

It didn't matter. We listened and rejoiced together that God is faithful and He really cares about each one of us. 

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.   -1 John 5:14

The truth is God really works

He can bless us with or without our prayers. It seems to me the value of us praying for everything that's on our hearts is twofold. First, it keeps us focused on our gracious Giver. Second, when we pray and things seem to "work out," it strengthens our faith because we know it's God answering our prayers and that reminds us that He loves us.  

To put it another way, when we pray we look for His hand in our lives. We see Him already to work in our lives and therefore, we thank Him.

We know because we know that it is God blessing us. Not luck and not coincidence.

As for whether to pray only for Big Things or for everything, I vote for the latter. Listen to what the Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 4:6-7:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 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.

Every moment of our lives it is as the song says: "He's got the whole wide world ... in His hands."

That includes you and me. God is with us and He is for us and He always, always hears our prayers. 

May you know this and may His peace fill your heart! 

Lenore

 

 

Does the Bible still matter in our time?

After all, it dates back over centuries. How could the Bible still be relevant today?

This may sound like a logical question to many. I got a lesson in the "how" of it when my husband got a job promotion that kept the man I loved smiling from morning to night. Why wouldn't he? For years he had studied and taken extra training to move him toward that goal.  

I rejoiced for him, truly I did, but I loved the place we were living. The place where I had established an identity and enjoyed interacting with other writers in the area.  

We talked but managed to skirt around this touchy subject. I asked myself what would it accomplish to complain and rob him of his joy? I knew the answer: Nothing good.

Somehow, some way I would learn to love this new place.

Once we moved into our new digs my husband settled into his position as if it were tailored just for him. Morning to evening he was engrossed and energized.  

Each day I watched his car fade from sight, then asked myself, Now what?

No answers came, but I clung to what I knew: Our loving God would not bless my husband and leave me, his wife, abandoned. I would wait. 

"Be still and know that I am God ..."  Psalm 46:10  NIV

Finding my place

A month or two later I learned of the local chapter of the same Bible study a friend "back home" had often praised. Because I always wished I had her excitement about the Bible I decided to give it a try.  

The next week I went to orientation and signed up. The teaching leader addressed the large audience of class members and us newbies, explaining the day's lesson based on Exodus, including Chapters 13 to 16.

She began with how God delivered the children of Israel from slavery

He parted the Red Sea and brought them across on dry land, a miracle for sure. Freedom! Yet soon they grumbled and complained against God's provision for them as they wandered in the wilderness.

Then she looked out at us and it seemed she looked directly at me. "Are you wandering around in a dry, dusty wilderness of your own making?"

At once I knew that I was! I was! 

Then she moved on to how the children of Israel yearned for the abundant meats and fresh produce back in Egypt--where they had been slaves. Our merciful God provided fresh, bountiful supplies of Manna and quail for each day, yet in no time they started griping about being tired of the same old, same old.

With her next question once again it seemed the leader fixed her gaze on me. "Are you murmuring against God's provision for you because it doesn't live up to your specifications?"

My heart started pounding. Immediately I knew the Holy Spirit had just spoken truth to my heart and mind through that stranger. I saw clearly that God moved us to that place for my husband, yes, but also for me. 

Don't ask me how I knew. I just did.

I drove home asking God to forgive me for my weeks of self-centeredness. When my husband came home I asked his forgiveness, too, but that darling man shushed me and folded me into his love. Finally, he had his wife back.

From then on I read the Bible with new eyes

Now I knew firsthand the truth of Hebrews 4:12: "The word of God is living and active ..." God's living Word spoke to me and changed me. For life.

Since then whenever I read the Bible I look for:

• What do these verses say? What do they say to me?
• What can I learn from this account, from these individuals, on ways to live--or not live?
• What principles can I use in my life? Right now?
• What's my takeaway?

Often these truths pop out at me. Other times I need to be quiet and ponder awhile, waiting for what comes to mind.

Or I think I know what a verse means and then find some new facet that's useful for my life. 

One thing is sure. I never come away empty. God's Holy Spirit makes sure of that.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.   Romans 8:26  ESV 

No worries about "doing it right"

It's no more complicated than this: Relax and be still.

All it takes is that we make the time and ask God the Holy Spirit to give us teachable hearts, to open the Word to our understanding and to reveal his Truth. Take a few notes--or don't. Then chew on what you've read throughout the day.

As for being in a Bible study group what's good is that we all learn from each other as we share how the Lord works in our lives. It can be the setting for sharing prayer needs and growing friendships, as well. 

All Scripture is inspired by God is and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives.   2 Timothy 3:16  NLT

Always, always, always, it helps to remind ourselves that as God's children through faith in Jesus, HE is with us and guiding us.

The surprise at the end 

God did have a purpose for me in that move. I stayed in the Bible study and became a group leader, where I found new meaning and made friends. Two and one-half years later my husband received another promotion. Once again I knew it fit him exactly right and once again, I regretted leaving behind what I had grown to love.  

This time I knew from experience that whatever God provided for my husband would also turn out to be right for me. 

God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.   1 Corinthians 1:9  ESV

Still learning,

Lenore 

How to shed the fear that keeps crowding in

WATCH OUT! DISASTER IS COMING YOUR WAY!

Variations on that theme run through every talk show and every news report. Whether it's the latest COVID variant or inflation or the weather, it sounds like everything is bad and getting worse.  

Many of us might nod in agreement.

This keeps us running scared and feeling unsettled. We're living out the old  cliché, "Waiting for the other shoe to drop," because no one knows what comes next. 

Or perhaps what troubles you and wakes you with a racing heart has nothing to do with any headline news. It's way deeper, down to your core. Maybe you can't even remember when the haunting started.

This brings the question: Is it possible to maintain a calm center, no matter what comes?

That's our job as grownups, isn't it? Especially if we're Christians.

Sure, but how?

How do we ditch living in fear? Whatever our challenge, it's always wise to begin with the basics: principles that are true, no matter who we are or what the situation. 

• Be watchful, yes, but fearful, no
• Focus our attention on facts, not rumors, nor on the endless "what ifs" 
• Do our best to live healthy by eating right and getting plenty of sleep
• "Think health" instead of "thinking sick"
• Speak peace instead of fear, knowing each time we do we reinforce the peace within us    

These simple things make sense 365 days of any year and we have power to carry them out right where we are.

Yes, but ... that doesn't sound like enough

I know. When we're feeling shaky inside and can't get to sleep at night we want something tangible. Authoritative. Something we can hold onto.

The truth is, calm that won't quit never comes from "out there." A government official or an "expert" with a string of degrees or even our trusted long-time doctor saying, "Don't worry," only quiets fear for a few hours. 

That's because we know the truth: Like us, they're only human and they only know what they know ... so far.

We want more. We need more. 

So where does that leave us?

How do we shed this deep-down fear that weighs us down? 

The "more" we seek comes from within. Each of us constantly fills our minds and hearts with something--and we get to choose what it is. This dictates our day-by-day question:

Will we feed the fear or feed the peace?

It takes no effort to stoke uneasiness. All we have to do is look and listen.  

To nurture inner peace costs us something. I'm not talking yoga or meditation or any of those self-help relaxation practices. As useful as they may be, they don't fear-proof our hearts for long.  

(How do I know? Over the years I've tried several of those methods.)

Here's what I learned from dealing with my own "hard stuff"  

First I had to gather up all the tormenting "what ifs" and stuff them into a box in the attic of my mind. (Yes, they kept creeping out but if I persisted, gradually they stayed put. At least most of the time.)

All day, every day I need to remember who I am. I am loved by God, simply because I believe in Jesus as my Savior. Period. That's what the Bible calls "grace."

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast.   Ephesians 2:8-9  NIV

Did I pray? Of course, and God always, always, always gave me strength and courage to face whatever came.

I drew courage from the Bible, too

For years I have underlined verses that touched my heart and spoke to my spirit. I also jotted down brief references on the blank pages at the back, in case I forget where they are. (These days I also have the Bible on my smartphone and often list my notes there.)  

Bible verses like these:

• The Lord will keep you from all harm--he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.   Psalm 121:7  NIV
  
  
• When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. ...   Psalm 56:3-4  NIV
  
  
• For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-control.   2 Timothy 1:7  NIV
  
  
• (The Lord said to Joshua)  "Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."  Joshua 1:9  NIV
  
  
• (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  NIV

As time goes by you will discover verses to add to that list

Look for verses that touch your heart because they speak faith and reassurance. Keep them at the ready for whenever you feel fainthearted about your life or about the future.  

Let's be clear about one thing. We Christians do not remember and speak Bible verses as some sort of magic charm. Rather, those times when we quake in fear--whatever the reason(s)--such verses remind us who is really in charge and has the power to help us:

"For I am the LORD your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you."   Isaiah 41:13  NIV

He is speaking to you, my friend, and to me. In every occasion or dark corner of fear that comes upon us, now or in the future. We are not alone.

What more could we ask?

Thanking God with you,

Lenore

Will the real meaning of Easter please stand up?

What an odd mixture of Easter symbols we have in America...and probably all over the world. Bunnies, butterflies, baby chicks, eggs, flowers and green grass, chocolates in foil wrappings.

And once in awhile, a picture of a man hanging on a wooden cross.

But hey, isn't Easter really all about Spring and everything greening up, blooming, growing?

No, not really.

The deeper meaning of Easter

Easter traces back to the life and death of a man called Jesus, who was impaled on a wooden cross on a hill outside Jerusalem.

Heavy nails had been pounded through his hands and his feet. Blood trickled down his face, the intended result from Roman soldiers twisting together some thorny branches to make a crown, then pressing it down on his head.

Blood seeped from the wounds on his back, too, the result of being mercilessly whipped by soldiers with leather whips that featured bits of bone and rock imbedded on the ends.  

Onlookers moaned and wept to see the suffering of this man.  

But the story doesn't end there

Jesus said little during the nine hours he spent on the cross. Near the end, he cried out in a loud voice, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"  (Matthew 27:45)

Not long after, once again he called out in a loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."  (Luke 23:46)

At this point, for one who had been hanging on the cross for nine hours to be able to say anything in a loud voice was remarkable. A few breaths more and Jesus gave up his life as a human being.  

One of Jesus' followers found courage to ask permission to take down Jesus' body from the cross before sundown and Roman rulers permitted it. So Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the Jewish ruling council, took it down, then wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a new tomb cut in stone. The women at the cross followed and saw where Jesus' body was laid. 

Then because sundown ushered in the Sabbath, they hurried home so they could observe it properly.    

The sad day Jesus died became known as "Good Friday," because it led up to Easter 

Early on Sunday morning followers of Jesus went to his grave, ready to embalm his body properly. They pondered how they could move the heavy stone Roman guards set in place to block the entrance, then sealed it around the edges with sealing wax. What's more, Pilate, the Roman ruler, had told the soldiers to stand guard, day and night.

They tried to think how they could manage those barriers.  

Matthew 28 tells us when Mary Magdalene and the other Mary arrived at the tomb there was a violent earthquake. An angel of the Lord came down from heaven and rolled back the stone, then sat on it. The Roman guards were so afraid of him that they shook and passed out.

When these grieving friends looked into the tomb they saw it was empty, with only the cloth death-wrappings left behind.

The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid...He is not here; he has risen, just as he said...Go quickly and tell his disciples..."

What could this mean?                                

Who could know what it meant to "rise from the dead?" Every person alive, now or then, knows that dead means dead.

They hurried away from the tomb, headed for Galilee. Then suddenly (Matthew 28:9) Jesus himself stood before them and said, "Greetings."

Filled with joy, they clasped his feet and worshiped him. Jesus said, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

They could not explain it, but Jesus did not stay dead. This was not a ghost, not a spirit, this truly was Jesus, their friend and teacher. 

Jesus, fully human, born of Mary, was--and is--true God, as well

Now his followers saw and touched the same loved friend they had watched die on the cross, very much alive and in the flesh. He spoke with them. He ate with them. How could this be?

Jesus told them again how much he loved them and promised they would receive power to carry on his ministry. How would this happen? Through the power of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, which Jesus promised to send them. (And he did, just read the book of Acts and the rest of the New Testament.)

Even today, the same indwelling Holy Spirit lives within the hearts of everyone who believes what the Bible says and trusts in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

Maybe you're reading this and thinking, "Says who? Why should I take your word for anything?"

Please don't. Check it out for yourself. Pick up a Bible and read the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. (Don't miss John 3:16-17.) They all tell the story of Jesus and his life.

Each Gospel has a slightly different "flavor," since each was transcribed by a different individual. Matthew and Luke begin with his birth. Each one winds up with the sequence of events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his resurrection. 

It's worth reading the book of Romans, too, especially chapter 8, verses 1-4 and also verse 31 to the end of the chapter. 

How could one sum up the Easter story? John's Gospel, Chapter 3:16-17 lays it all out for us:

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Are you looking for a more modern explanation?

One I think says it well goes something like this: 

Jesus had to be true man, because God cannot die for the sins of the world. God cannot die for any reason. He is eternal, without beginning and without end.

Jesus had to be true God because man cannot forgive sins or pay the price of sin for the world. Only God.

So what's the big deal about Easter? Just this: New life for the world. New life for each of us--eternally--free for the taking. 

Look around. Every new leaf, every bud and bloom, points back to the Source of life that never ends: Jesus Christ. 

All it costs is taking Jesus at his word.

"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."  Romans 10:10.

Life. To the full. Now and eternally. For me, that's the real meaning of Easter, because Jesus' resurrection proved the truth of what he said about himself. Now, there's reason to celebrate!

May you know for yourself the peace and joy that Easter's real meaning brings,

Lenore 

11 Reasons to Bring Your Kids to Church

Okay, I get it. Your mom made you go to church and you vowed you would never do that to your children.

Maybe it's time for a rethink. You may be cheating them--and yourself--by staying away.

How? Let's do a rundown:   

1. Where else can kids be surrounded by grownups of all ages who smile on them and love them even when they don't know their names?
   
   
2. Where else does a "holy terror" kid get loved, time after time, even when said HTK can't sit still, can't be quiet and won't stop pestering whoever sits next to him?
   
   
3. Where else do young children and adolescents interact with older adults--other than their parents--instead of just observing them from a distance?
   
   
4. Where else do youngsters carry on real conversations with adults--listening adults--who aren't relatives or friends of their parents? 
   
   
5. Where else in today's world do kids get a front row seat to watch and learn that it takes all kinds of people, each one playing their part, to keep things going?
   
   
6. Where else do children learn grownup songs and get to sing alongside adults? And where else would adults within hearing distance smile benevolently, even if a youngster sings off-key or messes up the words?
   
   
7. Where else can you feel you already know--before you've spent much time with them--many of the values of the people around you? 
   
   
8. Where else will the difference between right and wrong be so clearly reinforced to your kids?
   
   
9. Where else will they learn principles like "Love your neighbor as yourself," and "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," and all the rest? (These truths sink deep and become a personal code far more reliable than moods of the moment.) 
   
   
10. Where else will your kids learn that Jesus came to set things right between God and us humans, that he lived and died and rose again so that all who believe can call him Friend.?
    
    
11. In what other setting--besides at home--will your children be reassured over and over again that Jesus loves them? Or that he watches over them and is with them every moment of every day and night?
    

It's not "Go to church and do your duty," but rather, "Why cheat yourself and your kids out of the blessing and joy?"

Every mom and dad soon learns that our words don't mean much to our children if they're just words. What really counts with a child is, "Does this really matter to Mom or Dad? Or is it just something I'm supposed to do?"

That is, bring them with you to church, rather than just drop them off for Sunday School and then pick them up afterward.

Being part of a family of faith reinforces what you as a family stand for. It's about support and encouragement--for both your children and you as their parents. 

Bringing your kids to church is not just so they can hear the pastor's sermon and/or the children's message or go to Sunday School. It's also so they naturally grow friendships with kids you more likely feel comfortable with.

If you're a mom or dad, your fellow churchgoers are like your backup team.

Think about it. A church family is just that: Family

You may live a thousand miles from relatives, but if you're part of a local body of believers, you're plunked right down in the middle of family.

Family related by faith, not blood, who will be there when you need them.

Folks who if they see you talking to a friend and spot your toddler running across the parking lot, will immediately race after your junior adventurer and deliver your little one safely back to you.

Individuals with whom it's safe to talk. People who will care that you're running on fumes and feeling overwhelmed. 

It only takes one to hug you and remind you, "Take heart, it's not the end of the story yet. God will get you through this. I know that's true and here's how. ..." 

It's been this way since Jesus started it

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."  John 13:34-35

Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.   Galatians 6:2

Look for a church that's Jesus-centered and Bible-centered, where the pastor and people are real, that is, authentic.

Then go with an open mind and be as friendly as you would be if taking part in any kind of new activity. There's no better way to give your kids--and yourself--a solid base for living. No better setting in which to make new friends. Count on it as a place to grow.

• Why bring your kids to church? Because you love them.
  
  
• Why go to church? Because you love yourself.

Still growing,

Lenore