When will you learn to look past what you see?” Mary Poppins.

This week I went to see the musical Mary Poppins at the Sleepy Hollow Theatre & Arts Park. On a perfect July evening, as the sun went down and the stars came out, a host of youth put on a stellar performance of the beloved musical.

I haven’t seen Mary Poppins for a while and its practical wisdom surprised and delighted me. It made me think about learning to look past what I can see. Too often adversity and affliction block our view and blind us to the fact that good things can come out of trying situations. When we dwell on our problems, fear sets in and we are less likely to overcome them. We let our fears get the best of us!

Here is my favorite definition of FEAR: False Evidence Appearing Real. Did you know a huge percentage of what we fear never happens? That is why it’s so important to dwell on God’s promises and tell ourselves the truth. Scriptures such as, “No weapon formed against you will prosper,” Isaiah 54: 17, and this one from Psalms 34: 6, “This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles,” can calm and encourage us.

Mary Poppins had lots of good advice. She said a spoonful of sugar could make the medicine go down in the most delightful way. Since we occasionally have to eat our words, we should make them sweet. In the New Living translation of the Bible, Proverbs 16: 24 states that, “Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.” Our words are powerful! A few kind words can make someone’s day and a good sense of humor can help us through almost any difficulty.

One of the musical’s most memorable songs is, “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!” Richard M. Sherman, co-writer of the song, wryly observed “it was something to say when you have nothing to say.” Think about that. Instead of complaining when things don’t go right, we should shout out, “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!” We’d lift ourselves and everyone around us.

The week’s blog post photo has nothing to do with Mary Poppins and everything to do with her advice. What can you see in the photo beyond the mown hayfield and row of trees is “Salem Sue.”

“Salem Sue” is a 38-foot high fiberglass Holstein sculpture located at New Salem, N.D. Built in 1974 in honor of the dairy industry, she sits atop a high hill. From her vantage point on the hill, the cars and trucks passing by on the Interstate 94 look like toys. Beyond the fields of alfalfa, a windmill farm is visible and the view of the rolling prairie is magnificent.

May we, like Mary Poppins, look beyond the obvious and see the possibilities God has put before us. Wishing you a view as big as Salem Sue’s.

The view of Morton County, N.D. from Salem Sue’s viewpoint.

Salem Sue, a grand old gal!

Last week’s Prairie Lighthouse post got me in some hot water.

After talking about the importance of positive self-talk, I was put to the test! I felt like I was sloshing around in a washer full of hot water, followed by the spin cycle! There wasn’t much time to give myself a pep talk. Does that ever happen to you?

Then a couple days ago, I received some encouraging words. I appreciate every single person who writes to me after reading the Prairie Lighthouse blog, but Barbara is special because she has been my publishing consultant for the last couple years. She tells me the truth, even when it hurts! So when she had nice things to say about last week’s post, I soaked up (pardon the pun) the praise. She wrote:

“Gayle . . I want to comment specifically on a couple of your recent posts, beginning with the one you wrote for Father’s Day, which was very touching in light of the great love and respect my sisters and I had for our father. Tying parental love with the relationship we need to have with our heavenly father was perfect… I’ve shared (my parents) love story and years together in the family memoir I started a couple of years ago and hope one day to actually finish and publish…There’s a lot to be said in the value of coming from roots like mine: hard-working parents who raised us with Godly values and a strong work ethic.

The post that finally pushed me to take the time to respond was “Talking to Myself.” And what a perfect subtitle! In my Homemade Money book, I wrote a piece about the importance of looking in the mirror and talking to yourself positively when you felt you were facing something too difficult to do. I recall so many times of doing that when I was struggling to build my business, and I still look in the mirror now and talk to myself, sometimes to congratulate or encourage myself…and other times to ream myself out…hoping that this will leave a stronger reminder in my brain…

I’m so glad we met, and I wish you many successful years of writing and finding an appreciative audience. I look forward to your next book. I just popped over to your website and see you have a wonderful new 5-star review that posted on Monday. Way to go! God bless you, Barbara”

There you have it! Barbara’s email is a reminder that our words are SO important. They can either encourage or discourage others, as well as ourselves. To Barbara and the rest of the Prairie Lighthouse readers, here is a thought that I hope will encourage you in the coming week, even if you find yourself in hot water:

“A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.” Proverbs 11: 24.

And that’s a promise!

Do you talk to yourself? Go on, admit it. We all do. Just last week my husband caught me saying to myself, “First, pick the weeds, and then play in the garden.” I need to instruct myself or I’d never finish a project!

Our self-talk better be good, too, because it has a lasting impact on our hearts, minds and bodies. The power of words is a key to a life.

Think how hateful, mean-spirited words can hurt us. This morning in a television interview, a woman recalled her mother saying, “You’ll never amount to anything.” She believed those words and because of them, she took a path that led to destruction. In the same way, a little praise and encouragement can inspire us to do more, do better, be quicker and smile more.

If comments from others can have life-changing consequences, think of how our own self-talk affects us. Certainly, our own words have a big impact, because our internal chatter goes on all day, every day. Those internal thoughts become words. What comes out of our mouth is heard by our body’s integrated system, setting off complex chemical and neurological changes in our body, mind and spirit.

In his book, “Power in the Promises” Nick Harrison states, “During any given day, we all engage in some sort of self-talk. But too often our self-talk is along the lines of, “I’m unhappy,” “I can’t do this,” I hate my life,” “My marriage is shaky…”

Isn’t that the truth? And after we say, “I’m unhappy,” we probably tell someone we are unhappy. Maybe we get a headache about that time or the old fibromyalgia springs up. Maybe we pick an argument, because by now we’re also in a bad mood.

Our self-talk is important to our outlook. Harrison points out that there isn’t such a thing as a trouble-free life, but we can learn to be happy in spite of our circumstances. The apostle Paul wrote, “I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4: 13) Paul knew how to encourage himself and others, even though he was in prison when he wrote those words.

One of the best ways to season our self-talk with words of hope and lightness is to have a resource filled with inspiration. The best-selling book of all time, the Bible, is full of promises. And just to make it easier to find them, Harrison’s book includes 100 biblical promises!

Here are few promises to think on, say aloud and savor for the coming week:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29: 11

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11: 28

“God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4: 19

Do you have a favorite promise from the Bible? If you do, please share it and I’ll include it in the next blog post.

Not many can say they spent their 12th birthday on a trip with four adults and a coonhound name Homer. 

Uncle Orville raised coonhounds and was delivering the pup to a relative in Montana. The car was crowded. Aunt Ianca didn’t like dogs and I don’t think my parents did either. So before we began the 400-mile journey, Uncle Orville parked Homer’s box on my lap.

“Oh goody,” I said. Uncle Orville missed the sarcastic remark and Homer took the insult without a flinch. This was before air-conditioning, but even with the windows rolled down, he gave off an ominous odor which all but gagged those of us in the backseat. Only half grown, he had a lot of manners to learn.

It was my first honest to gosh trip to Big Sky Country. Everything was a true wonder to me. Ranchers owned thousands of acres of land. The ranch where we stayed had 14 sections of land and hundreds of cattle. The house was done all in western décor; cowhide sofas and knotty pine furniture. The mammoth fireplace really impressed me. The new part of the house was attached to the original log cabin and that’s where I slept.

Their neighbors were all characters that no imagination could make up. One was an elderly lady, complete with a Stetson hat and boots, that owned a whole township and was always involved in lawsuits. On the other side was a man who took a shotgun after the most innocent trespassers.

We visited one neighbor who lived along a creek among picturesque buttes. Their house was an authentic log cabin which had only recently been wired for electricity. They still used a cook stove and gas lights, an avocado green refrigerator being their only modern appliance.

Horseback riding in the peaceful giant land left a dent in my heart and an ache to return.

Getting into the car for the return trip home, my eyes met a somber face, a familiar one, that begged me to take him along. With a mixture of sadness and glee, I said, “Goodbye Homer.”

Call me a firecracker, but Uncle Sam and I were both born on July 4. That should give me an inside track on American history, yes? But, no, last February when preparing for a President’s Day talk, I learned how much I’ve forgotten about Independence Day!

Sometimes I wonder what today’s students know about the past, but now I wonder, could I pass a test on Early American History?

Twentieth Century writer and philosopher George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” The bottom line is the Pilgrims came to America in 1620 both for freedom and to practice their faith freely. This is something we need to keep fresh and alive in our minds, lest we forget why and how this nation began.

In 1776, when leaders from the 13 colonies declared independence from Britain, the desire for freedom still ruled. That’s when the details of the U.S. Constitution were hammered out. The Bill of Rights was added a few years later. It’s first article states that “Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or bridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people to peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

Here is a short test on America’s birth for you to try out:

• What was the first item of business when the first Continental Congress met on September 6, 1774?
• Answer: They opened with prayer and read several chapters from the Bible, including Psalm 35.
• Who drafted the constitution?
• Answer: Thomas Jefferson drafted the U.S. Constitution in June of 1776.
• Why did 40 leaders from the 13 colonies meet in Philadelphia on July 2, 1776?
• Answer: To approve a complete separation from Great Britain and the tyranny of government.
• After days of deliberation in a hot, stuffy room, when did they approve U.S. Constitution?
• Answer: On July 4, 1776.
• What did they do to mark the occasion?
• Answer: On July 8^th, they carried the Declaration of Independence outside Independence Hall. There they read it to the assembled crowd and rang the Liberty Bell.
• What is the inscription on the Liberty Bell?
• Answer: “Proclaim liberty throughout the land, to all the inhabitants thereof.” (Leviticus 25: 10.)
• How many times during the American Revolution, did the Continental Congress issued proclamations for prayer?
• Answer: 15 times they made prayer proclamations appealing for God’s help or in thanksgiving.
• How many of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence were graduates of what would now be considered Bible schools or seminaries?
• Answer: Over half.
• Who said, “The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence (freedom) were the general principles of Christianity.”
• Answer: John Adams, who signed the Declaration and became the second president of the United States.
• What is inscribed on every major building in Washington, D.C.?
• Answer: Scripture.

How did you do? Give yourself one point for each correct answer. Send me a message with your score and your thoughts!

For a quick refresher on the Bill of Rights, go to:

http://billofrights.org

My grandson and I visited with Thomas Jefferson this week.

News of the shooting in Charleston’s Mother Emanuel church is still raw and hard to digest as I write this. This will certainly have affect every church in America. I confess, I thought about safety last Sunday when people streamed into the church I attend.

Christianity is inclusive, not exclusive, so it’s normal to see newcomers at church activities. But with violence now moving into churches, how are Christians to react? Should we give church ushers pistols along with their name badges? Frisk people coming into prayer meetings? Stay home?

Since 1981, Dr. Caroline Leaf, author of “Who Switched Off My Brain?” has researched the human brain and emotions. She says there are only two basic human emotions: fear and love. Out of fear comes anger, bitterness, discouragement, dishonesty, stress and depression. Murder certainly belongs on that list also. Out of the emotion of love comes joy, peace, patience, kindness, well-being, fulfillment and forgiveness.

Put simply, our train of thought begins with either fear or love. Then it runs along that track until we begin to act on our thoughts. The Charleston shooter was steeped in hate when he acted on his emotions.

The good people of Charleston are choosing to forgive the shooter. I’m thinking they’d already been on the love-one-another train for a while. Their natural response was to demonstrate the love of Christ. No riots that tear up their community. No hate talk infecting others and possibly inciting more hate crimes.

A similar story is playing out in Africa where 21 Coptic Christians knelt in orange jumpsuits last February so Islamic State jihadists could cut off their heads. Yet, this week a news report out of Libya said their families have chosen a path of forgiveness. The report showed a young widow with her children, her face radiating peace. This morning I saw a TV interview with a young Christian woman from Kenya who survived a massacre. Over 100 of her fellow students were murdered. Again, she is choosing to forgive.

There is nothing easy about forgiveness when loved ones are treated unjustly, let alone senselessly murdered. We must never minimize the horror of a crime or deny our painful emotions. Murderers must be brought to justice. But it’s equally important to choose to forgive others.

Forgiving others frees our souls in a way that clinging to fear, hate and bitterness can never do. Dr. Leaf’s huge amount of research shows forgiveness is also healthy for our minds and bodies.

One of my favorite TV programs is “Father Brown.” (PBS, Thursday evenings.) The good father is fearless as he solves a new mystery every week. Often he ends up alone with a killer or being shot at. In one episode he was left in a coffin. (For a small town priest, he leads an exciting life.) Instead of cowering, he eagerly seeks the assailant, because his mission is to care for every soul. He is the definition of courage in the face of evil.

The members of Mother Emanuel church and the survivors in Africa show authentic courage in the face of evil. May they all be be blessed and may their examples of faith in action inspire us all.

Father’s Day is coming, so here is a simple Prairie Girl thought for you: Dads, you are really important to your children!

That might seem obvious, but in this crazy mixed up world, fathers can’t be blamed for wondering if they count. To some, the traditional family seems old-fashioned as people opt to marry later in life, not marry at all or marry someone from the same sex.

Raising kids is hard. Sometimes they don’t listen to you. They make messes. In addition, sometimes the little dears act just like you. No, being a father isn’t for the faint-hearted. It takes courage to stay with the job.

Right here I need to say thank you to my own father, who saved me from a gander when I was six, came to my room and listened sympathetically to my side of a dispute with Mom when I was a teenager, and walked me down the aisle on my wedding day when he probably should have been in the hospital. I miss you Dad, and I wish we could have just one more visit.

We humans have a built-in longing for our father’s approval and guidance that is as strong as our need for food, water and air. Some people spend their whole lives searching for a meaningful relationship with a father figure, it’s that important.

The average dad doesn’t have a diploma or certification to do the job. Men come with a range of fathering abilities. Some walk away from their children, leaving their offspring to forever wonder why. Others provide for their children’s every physical and emotional need. Most fathers fall somewhere in the middle, doing the best they can with what they’ve been given.

But, maybe children’s needs are bigger than what a mere father can provide. French philosopher Blaise Pascal said this: “There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.”

Maybe we ask too much of our fathers, when what we really need is a better relationship with our heavenly Father. God knew us before we were born. He wants a relationship with us. When we draw close to Him, we can tell Him what is on our hearts and He will whisper His love in our ear. He is more than willing and able to help us..

So all you dads out there, take heart. You have an important job, but you don’t have to play God. Instead, you can turn to Him as a ready source of wisdom for your role as father.

For down-to-earth help with parenting, check out these books: “The Five Love Languages of Children” by Gary Chapman; “Bringing Up Boys” by James C. Dobson; or “Have a New Kid By Friday” by Kevin Leman. Each of these men have a proven record in helping families.

You are welcome to share your own thoughts or memories in the comments section.

Growing up in LaMoure, my friends and I found many excuses to walk uptown after school. The little treks provided much-needed breaks between the end of the school day and the beginning of homework.

Every week we’d go to the library to return books and check out something new with our library cards. Sometimes we stopped at the Post Office to send a letter to a pen pal or to get the mail.

If we had spare money, we might visit Elmer’s Bakery for a maple-frosted long-john or the Dairy Bar for a nickel ice cream cone. Some of our classmates lived over or behind their family’s businesses, so it wasn’t unusual to stop at Gabe’s Grocery or the LaMoure Hotel. The most intriguing store was Sivertson’s Variety, worthy of its own story someday. A swing through Rickford’s Federated Store was a must to see the latest in shoes and fabric.

Inevitably, we ended up at the LaMoure Drug Store where we purchased school supplies, birthday presents and other schoolgirl necessities, like makeup.

Not once in those years, did I ever dream the LaMoure Drug Store would someday carry a book by me. But yesterday this Prairie Girl called to inquire whether they would be interested and they said yes!

Now I have the jitters, because by this time next week “By the Banks of Cottonwood Creek” will be on the shelf in my hometown.

Publishing your writing is like being in first grade and holding up your art project for your classmates to judge. It’s like standing on stage for the first time during amateur hour, the audience full of expressionless North Dakotans. It’s like holding up your newborn baby for the world; the baby looks like you, but you hope people will think he or she is cute, anyway.

At least I feel that vulnerable as a new author. Writing is so very personal. “By the Banks of Cottonwood Creek” isn’t about me or my hometown. Still, what is in the book is the sum total of a million of my own personal hopes, thoughts, insights and experiences. For instance, the description of the creek found in the Epilogue is true. I’ve seen the marshy place where it begins and know the kind of life it supports, but I put the creek in a fictional community.

So, you might ask, why bother publishing if it leaves me feeling vulnerable? The answer can be found in Romans 5: 5. That scripture states: “Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

How I love the scriptures about hope and how it never fails. “By the Banks of Cottonwood Creek” is about hope, about second chances and about find the future with the help of God. If ever there was a time when people needed that steadying word, it is now.

Emily Dickinson said it this way: Hope is the thing with feathers – that perches in the soul – and sings the tune without words – and never stops at all.

I love the first stanza of that poem and, of course, I like the second one where she mentions me by name: And sweetest – in the Gale is heard – and sore must be the storm – that could abash the little bird – that kept so many warm.

Have a hope-filled week. Take a stroll down main street. And keep searching for the good, a word spelled so much like “God.”

In “By the Banks of Cottonwood Creek” the main character, Kelly Jorgenson said this: “Why are the most bitter and the most sweet tangled together?”

That’s how I feel about sunshine. Summer is upon us and this prairie girl wants to play outside, whether it’s having a cup of coffee on the front step in the morning sun or hiking along a trail in some place more adventuresome. However, like a two-edged razor, the sun has two sides. The life-giving force that allows our existence on planet earth can also cause skin cancer.

One in five Americans will develop skin cancer sometime in their lives, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Over 2 million people will be diagnosed with skin cancer in 2015.

Until the second half of the twentieth century, people had the good sense to cover their skin. They wore hats, long pants and long-sleeved tops. Then tanning became popular. Is it any wonder that from 1973 to 2009 melanoma increased in men by 61% and doubled in women?

Growing up, I expected to get a good sunburn at the beginning of summer. After that, my Scottish skin would tan a little. One year we went to the 100^th anniversary of the Battle of Whitestone Hill. My mother and I both came away from that hot, cloudless day absolutely fried.

Mom later had skin cancer. So did all of her brothers, my three brothers, two sisters, and at least one niece and nephew. This is serious, folks. A year ago last winter, my nephew died of melanoma. He was only 53.

My first round with cancer was on my neck many years ago. I went to a dermatologist to have a skin tag removed because it was irritated by clothing. It turned out to be squamous cell cancer.

A few years ago, a spot on my face began to grow bigger and darker. People began to politely suggest I have a doctor look at it, so I made an appointment. I spent two winters in treatment for a precancerous condition. The spot mostly disappeared after that, but now it’s back. My dermatologist believes it’s just pigmentation, but I have regular checkups.

I feel like an oddball wearing a hat, but it’s preferable to having chemo on my face.

There is much to say about causes and prevention of skin cancer. But right now, at the beginning of summer when the sun is so appealing and so strong, do this:

1. Every day, protect yourself and your children. Guys, this goes for you, too.
2. Wear a hat and long sleeves.
3. Avoid situations where you might get burned.
4. Use sunscreen on your face, neck, arms and legs, but don’t totally rely on it.

For more information, check out the American Academy of Dermatology website at www.aad.com.

Don’t let the sun catch you crying because you’ve allowed it too much power in your life. And be wise! The Bible states that “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” James 1: 1