Author Archives

Norma L. Brumbaugh

Inspirational Writer, Author, and Speaker

PO Box 6432, Chico, CA 95927
nlbrumbaugh@gmail.com

Keep a smile in your heart.

Posted on

Insightful Words of Wisdom

I listen when the written word speaks to me.

Three articles, three individuals, three messages. Each one said something that spoke to me. I love it when that happens. I could relate to what they had to say. Here are the three gems I read this week.

1. “Lead with love.”

Karlynn Holbrook , senior manager of organizational operations at Walt Disney world. Biola Magazine, Fall 2020

I was reading the Biola Magazine when I came to the alumni section that features Biolans’ impact in the world. Karlynn is a graduate of Biola who has worked up the ladder to her present position with Walt Disney World. In August 2019 , she received the Walt Disney Legacy Award, which is a peer-nominated award.

As a Christian it’s a challenge to be a Christian in a secular world. She says she leads with actions first to demonstrate her love for everybody. “‘Hey, I love on everybody! I want to see you be successful. … I’m not going to go down a moral low ground just because other people are doing it.’ And believe it or not, that stands out by itself.” The article ends with this statement. “We can (make an impact) when we ‘lead with love.'”

. . .

2. “Thank You, Jesus, that You love me so much, that You . . .”

Mary Carothers, Foundation of Praise Ministry, Praise News newsletter, June 2021

At 89, Mary said she starts her day like this. Upon waking, she says: “Thank You Jesus, that You love me so much, that You gave me this good bed – that I now have to leave. Thank You Jesus, that You love me so much, that You saw to it that I have this alarm clock.” As she staggers (her word) into the bathroom, she says, “Thank You, Jesus that You love me so much, that you gave me this bar of soap to wash my face and this cold water to splash on it.”

By the time she is in the kitchen, she is filled with joy and love. This practice of saying, “Thank You, Jesus, that You love me so much, that You . . .” gives her a spiritual lift even when she isn’t feeling up to it at first.

. . .

3. “Your body belongs to the Lord.”

Cec Murphey, semi-retired writer, ghost writer, speaker, and writing coach, Cec Murphey’s June Newsletter, 2021

At 88, Cec Murphey walks five miles a day. Up until last year, he ran several miles every day. When he was a younger man he had a wake-up call one day when the Lord spoke to him about how he was neglecting his body. He had gained thirty pounds. God got his attention with the thought, “Your body belongs to the Lord.”

Soon after that, he helped Ben Carson with his book, and then another Seventh Day Adventist book, and then another Ben Carson book. Eating clean is part of Seventh Day Adventist practices. Cec Murphey disciplined himself to make better choices. He changed what he ate, and he implemented a running regiment. It has paid off with good health and active engagement.

. . .

My Thoughts

Lead with love. That is what I want to do. I want to lead with love. You can’t go wrong if you lead with love.

Thank you Jesus, that you love me so much, that you’re going to be with me today, and tomorrow, and the next day. (I like this suggestion.)

Your body belongs to the Lord and I need to treat it as the Lord’s. My body is His temple. I need to respect His temple as I honor him with how I treat my body.

In Conclusion

Reading can be a game where you are looking for what speaks to you. You can underline it and date it, that way, the next time you read it you will remember what was going on in your life at that time. I used to do that with bible verses. I rue the day I lost my bible. It was tattered on the outside but well marked on the inside with years of notes. God speaks to us through His Spirit and His Word. He uses all sorts of things to minister to us.

Wise is the person who heeds God’s instruction.

Posted on

Tools for Parenting Well

I’m speaking for a baby shower this week. I thought of a lot of different angles I could take, including highlighting mothers in the Bible. But in the end I decided to approach my talk from the perspective of tools that are useful on your parenting journey. These tools are applicable to all of life and so I am sharing them here with you.

When you are a professional, you have tools that are essential to your trade. You were trained in how to use them—and then you set forth to do so. The same is true in parenting, that is, in parenting well. First off, it helps to know where you’re heading before you begin to use your tools.

Keep the End Game in Mind

Know the end game–where you’re heading with your parenting. Then figure out what will get you there. A Christian home takes Christian parenting. You are putting into your child at all times. It helps to know what you will need before you need it!

Love is Essential

Love makes a way. Love blesses. Love cares for needs even when you’re tired. Love get you through the terrible twos, potty training, and each and every day. Love even loves a teenager who’s giving you sass.

Incorporate Laughter

Humor makes your home fun. Pastor Pete liked to say, “Are you fun to live with?” We can be too serious at times. Lighten up. Enjoy your child. Look for the humor in situations. But do be careful with sarcasm that cuts.

Encourage Healthy Self-Concepts

Validate your child. Accept his or her uniqueness. Play to their strengths. Be sensitive to their fears. Refrain from belittling them when they are afraid. Minimize comparisons. Strive to know your child as a person, especially as they enter their own. Some parents do this extremely well, and those parents stand out. Some fail miserably. Be careful with the criticisms. A child’s spirit is easily bruised.

Pray Often

Prayer is a resource always available to you. We pray for our child’s protection. We pray for their spiritual life, their salvation and growth. We pray when they’re sick. We pray, pray, and pray. Our prayers broaden as our children grow into adulthood. As our parenting role lessens, we are letting go, letting them make their own decisions as we are simultaneously praying for them to make wise choices.

Give Thanks and Be Grateful

Along with prayer, we give thanks to God. We develop a spirit of gratitude. We turn negative situations into a cause for giving thanks. This turns negatives into positives and eases tensions in the home. Our homes reflect the gratefulness of our hearts.

Speak Words of Praise in All Things

God tells us to give praise in all things, which means both good and bad. The amazing thing about giving God praise in all things is what God does with our prayers of praise. He acts on our praises. I’m just learning this one and what a difference it makes.

Teach the Best Things

Parents teach. We teach about God and spiritual matters. We teach about the world and our relationship to it. We teach by example. It is wise to examine our views on matters of race, belonging, gender identity, and topics close to home. We teach about being good citizens, how to be a good sport, how to treat people right, and how to work hard and do it right. We teach how to care, love, affirm, and help. We are constantly teaching our children how to view the world they live in.

Shape Your Child’s Life for Real Life

We as parents are given an awesome responsibility. Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it. Discipline is part of this. Structure is part of this. Guidance is part of this. Love is part of this. Children respond to judicious use of all of these.

However, it doesn’t work too well to hover and smother … helicopter parenting–they are over-protecting. Nor does it work well to not have limits or boundaries … where the children are calling the shots and manipulating you. Teach them to listen to you–which helps them respect you. Obedience follows. We are also learning to listen to God. Then we are more apt to obey Him as we should.

Most importantly, refrain from being harsh, punitive, and controlling–this is your responsibility. Children do not forget when you’ve been unreasonable or unfair.

In Conclusion

Children are gifts from God. Treat them as such. They are blessings and joys, and they are vessels to be filled. Fill them with love, goodness, and grace.

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May His face shine on you, and your children, and your children’s children.

Selah

…

Photo Credit – Chris Benson, Unsplash