A WOMAN'S VIEW ~ Lenore Buth

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 Do You See Yourself?

If someone asked, "Tell me about you and your life," how would you answer?

We all have a mental picture of who we are.

Maybe we lost track of where it came from but we're used to it and it feels like fact. Every moment this inner picture either lifts us up or drags us down. 

Our thoughts--and our words--can hem us in or set us free. 

Does that sound like an exaggeration? Take a listen

Sometime back a popular radio talk show host announced the day's topic: "Are you a victim?"

He introduced his guest, a professional counselor, and then opened the phone lines. One of the first callers was "Rita," whose tears kept interrupting her story  

"Am I a victim? Absolutely! Last fall I was beaten up and raped. That attacker ruined my life!" 

Asked about her family or friends, Rita replied they kept trying to reach her and her fiancé still wanted to marry her. 

"I don't want to see any of them!" she sobbed. "Everyone just feels sorry for me, so I don't go out. Anywhere. With anyone.

"They tell me I'm depressed, but why wouldn't I be? My life was good and I had a happy future planned with the man I love. Now I know I will never be the same. I can't ever be the same.

"Once you become a rape victim it changes everything."

"Mindy" called next

She said, "I was raped, too, by a neighbor I thought I could trust. That horror followed years of my stepfather molesting me.

"Like your last caller, I saw myself as a victim. I lashed out at anyone who came near me and kept asking, 'Why me?' Night and day I hugged my pain around me and inside, I shivered in misery.

"After a long time I realized I had lost myself. When I thought of myself as 'the victim,' I locked out everything and everybody. I decided I didn't want to live like that anymore, so I searched out a good counselor and worked on building a new life. A better life.

"I want to say to the woman who just called, it's true you never will forget what happened. But you decide what you will do with this experience.

"You can rename it, like, call it a pothole in the road you were on. Everyone has those. Hitting a bump in the road can give you a bad jolt and leave you shaken, but it doesn't have to stop you in your journey--unless you let it.  

"I hope you can hear me. I know your pain, I really do because I've been there. I came to understand that I was choosing to see myself as injured. Damaged. Powerless.

"Forgive me, I know this sounds harsh, but that awful man did not make you a victim. You are doing that all by yourself."

Could there be meaning for our lives? 

Here's my number one takeaway: 

In every situation, how we think and speak of ourselves not only impacts our lives, but can determine our lives.

Once we plug that into our thinking it can help us deal with whatever comes. 

Whatever the reason, we all have times we feel unworthy and unlovable. Some of us ache with regrets over past or current failures or problems we can't fix.

Some of us loved and counted on a person who let us down in some way. Some of us constantly replay hurtful conversations that haunt us. Some of us got a raw deal from an employer or a co-worker and can't let go of the injustice. 

Whatever is on our personal list, here's the truth in all of it: All these circumstances are the ordinary stuff of life.

Simply put, life can be hard. How do we live with the day-to-day?

Always, the same truth applies

We get to choose how we label--and view--our lives. And ourselves. Every. Single. Time.

We can stay in the "pity pit" and be stuck with its lousy view. We can vow to trust no one ever again, as a way to protect ourselves.

We can put up emotional walls against being wounded, essentially living as loners, even within a marriage. 

Or--and I know this may sound too simple--we can dig deep and decide to leave our heavy load behind, with the One who knows our everything and loves us still:  

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed ... There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus ... "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid." 

John 8:36, Romans 8:1, John 14:27  -ESV

Millions of believers around the world know that no other way brings real inner peace  

Faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savior gives us a new identity: "Child of God, Washed Clean and Set Free by Jesus."

This identity cancels out harmful labels, whatever they may be. It enables us to let go of what weighs us down and to finally be at peace. With God. With ourselves. And with the people in our lives. 

It's as Jesus said to his followers in John 14:27:

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Praying for you, my reader friend,

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

Are you still living by old messages?

Sometimes it can be a challenge to know what really drives us.

When good friends get together the conversation can wander into unexpected territory. Roadside bombs may litter the way.  

Like the time a group of us started talking about being parents and occasionally wondering why we do what what we do.

"Honestly, sometimes it's like my mother has taken over my thoughts--and my mouth," said "Kim." "It's as if I don't know if it's me talking or if I'm just a replay of my mom."

"Angie" said, "I know. When I was a kid what I hated most of all were the times my brothers and I would misbehave or maybe, disappoint her. Then my mom would go all cold and silent. 

"I vowed if I ever had children I would never, ever do that! Makes no difference. I love my kids, I really do, but when they act up I can feel myself going all cold and icy. My throat actually closes up. It has taken me a very long time and a lot of prayer to change at all and even so, I still have to watch myself."

Peeling back the layers

"JoJo" said, "I wish I had understood before we married how much my husband is like his workaholic father. I think then at least I would have been prepared, sort of."

After that everyone chimed in with their own story about negative messages and patterns that still influenced their lives.

In no time gloom settled over us like a black cloud.  

That's when "Annie" broke through with a bit of sunshine. "Okay, enough! Let's not get stuck on the past and how our parents messed us up. I'll bet we all can remember good things, too.

"Take my parents, for instance. They made lots of mistakes, but they were crazy about each other--and it showed. They laughed a lot and my friends always wanted to come to our house. What sticks with me is the love and the laughter. Am I the only one who thinks her parents did a good job?"

That's all it took to turn the conversation around. Soon every one of us found several ways our parents blessed us--for life.

We leave imprints, too 

From the beginning we all intend to be a good parents. We want our daughters and sons to grow up healthy and balanced, with sound values and faith in God that will carry them through. We aim to be the best mom or dad any kid ever had.

The trouble is we're human and life is hard. 

For many of us the necessary, non-parenting part of life takes up a lot of our time and energy. We end up too tired to listen enough or laugh enough, let alone be the wise and wonderful parent we imagined we would be.

We rush here and there, trying to be all things to all people. Inevitably, we fail at that because it's an impossible standard.

All the while our children are growing up. And storing up memories.

What I know now--and wish I'd known in the beginning

The truth can be so obvious we could miss it altogether.

Every child ever born, no matter where, no matter when, will experience good times and not-so-good times during their years from birth to adulthood. 

What we--and our children--do with that depends on us as individuals. What we--and they--remember also is affected by personality. Who knows but that may play as big a part as what was factual.  

That's not to imply any of us--or our children--are lying.  

The friend who recalled her laughing mother and father said, "Oh, they weren't perfect, but these are the memories I choose to carry with me. My sister was there at the same time, but she doesn't remember those years the same way." 

Raising children is a challenge. It always was

Most kids grow up with little awareness of the pressures and hardships their parents had to deal with. So did we.

You and I look back from who we are and what we know today--and make judgments, fair or unfair. Some of us keep digging to uncover ways our imperfect mom or dad failed us--and then we nurse our pain.

Why would anyone do that? Motivations vary, but for some, it provides a built-in excuse for ... whatever. One example would be if we can blame our parents then obviously, it's not our fault.

This may seem a convenient way out when we fail, but there's a downside: 

Any time I declare myself a victim I also declare I have no power, no control over my life and my circumstances.

Now, really, is that any cause for celebration?

What if? 

What if we laid down whatever burdens drag us down and just live freely in this day? We can, you know.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he [or she] is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.  2 Corinthians 5:17  ESV

Once we are ready to be free of living with old hurts, the Apostle Paul lays out our how-tos:

. . . clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.   Colossians 3:12-13  NIV

We are human, we make mistakes. So did our parents.

You and I survived our parenting, however flawed it may have been. We may even be stronger because of what we had to overcome. 

Instead of stuffing down hurtful memories of childhood, let's sift out the good and thank God for it.

(And let's pray our children will do the same for us.)

Blessings and joy,

Lenore

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

Let's stay grounded and choose courage instead of fear

What are we to do when every day's news breaks our hearts?

We can play "Let's Pretend" while the sun shines. But when we wake with a start at 2 a.m. the familiar chorus of inner taunts and fear kicks in.

What then?                                                                      

First, let's plug into reality and consider it well. Every media outlet operates by a universal slogan of the news business: "If it bleeds, it leads." Pay attention next time and you'll see that's true. What's good and uplifting is usually one or two minutes pieced in at the end

Second, yes, we can find a lot to worry about, a lot to disagree with. No matter which "side" we're on. Even when we struggle to keep an open mind.

But here's what matters most. The Lord of heaven and earth, the Creator of everything seen and unseen, has not turned his back on us. He watches over us. 

How can we be sure? He tells us in His written word, the Bible. 

My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip--he who watches over you will not slumber.   Psalm 121:3-4

It's time to equip ourselves so we don't lose heart

It's not a stockpile of guns we need, but a storehouse of promises. Words from the Word.

Words that lift us up rather than weigh us down.

Over the past few years I've discovered anew how much it helps to arm ourselves with Truth. I don't know why this verse particularly speaks to my anxious heart, but I've probably repeated it to myself a thousand times:

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.  Joshua 1:9 NIV

Over and over, day and night, driving in my car or doing chores--or in the middle of the night--that verse quieted my heart and my fears.

The value of Scripture vs. repeating affirmations, mantras and power statements

Talking heads on TV and "name" authors tell us we need to cultivate the habit of regularly repeating positive statements like this to ourselves: "I am strong. I am brave. I will be fine, etc."

It may help. A little.

What helps more is to turn the eyes of our hearts to God's Word and know it has power. 

Here's 2 Timothy 3:16 ESV:

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. 

Whether we spend hours in deep Bible study or only manage moments here and there, God's Spirit works through Scripture and changes us.

Living by the news trains us in fear.

Living by the Truth trains us in righteousness.

It reminds us who we are in Christ: God's righteous people, set right with God not because of what we do or think but because of what Jesus Christ accomplished on our behalf.  

What helps most is to focus on power beyond our own 

First and most importantly, if we believe in Jesus Christ as true God and the Savior from sin:

• We needn't fear God is just waiting for us to slip up so He can lower the boom on us.
• We needn't view our problems as punishment. 
• We have eternal life. Now.

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16  ESV

If we depend on our "higher consciousness" or our "good thoughts" for strength, we'll stay mired in the swamp of fear that pervades our national thinking right now.

If we take God at His word, we can live free.

God hasn't abandoned the United States of America 

His hand of blessing and mercy has been on this nation from the beginning. How else could this "Grand Experiment" have survived?

Our Founding Fathers were great men, yes, but they were ordinary human beings. Almost without exception they were Christians and trusted God. For example, George Washington said: 

"You do well to learn our arts and ways of life, and above all, the religion of Jesus Christ. These will make you a greater and happier people than you are."

What's needed most is individuals who quietly speak reassurance and faith  

Giving in to fear won't make us or anyone around us calmer.

It won't do one iota to make America a stronger nation.

However the upcoming elections turn out, whoever wins, whether final results cause us to applaud or weep, God will not turn away from us or from the United States. Life will go on.

By God's grace--and mercy--we will survive.

[Jesus said] "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows."  Matthew 10:29-30  NIV 

So let's leave fear behind. May we who believe in God be known as the people who speak courage and peace into fear.

Trusting, too,

Lenore