And then along came Nancy

“And then along came Nancy.” (Ronald Reagan’s affectionate tribute to his wife Nancy regarding her incredible influence on his life.)

Nancy Reagan was First Lady of the United States from 1981-1989. With the announcement of her death, I am devoting this blog to a brief commentary of what others are saying about her. Notably, she loved her husband, she loved her country, and she loved the color red.  

Nancy Reagan was a very forceful First Lady, often behind the scenes. She will be remembered for her complete devotion to her husband, Ronald Reagan, his fiercest protector and closest advisor.

Her relationship with her husband:

In the history of presidential marriages you have Dolly & James Madison, Abigail & John Adams, and Nancy & Ronald Reagan. Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan were a team. That relationship was the foundation of Ronald Reagan’s success as president. They genuinely preferred to be with each other more than with anyone else.

 George Will marveled, “They were the most married couple I have ever met. They would be sitting together in a room, and Ronald Reagan would write her love notes across the room.” They genuinely were a team. Theirs was a marriage for the ages. 

Author Katy Marton’s summary statement is superb: “By the end of their remarkable partnership…Ronnie and Nancy had effectively fused into a single persona, completing each other almost seamlessly.” 

Her impact on history:

Because of Nancy, Ronald Reagan ran for office. He traveled from being an actor in Hollywood to being Governor of California to being the President of the United States. When you look at the outcome, that relationship was THE foundation of Ronald Reagan’s success as president.

She and her husband shared a friendship with Margaret Thatcher. This three-person partnership influenced his most enduring legacy, the easing of the Cold War tensions.

State Dinners at the White House received her full attention. The events were viewed with purpose, and outcomes were evaluated. Nancy meticulously oversaw the seating chart, for she believed the seating was crucial to what would be accomplished in the evening. 

When the Gorbachev’s came to dinner, Mrs. Reagan had Van Cliburn play ‘Moscow Nights’ and Mikhail Gorbachev began to sing. Robert Shultz, Secretary of State, described this as a very special moment when The Cold War crumbled. 

Her famous quote:

In her fight against drug and alcohol abuse among America’s youth, Nancy Reagan urged, 
“So, to my young friends out there, life can be great, but not when you can’t see it. So open your eyes to life, to see it in the vivid colors that God gave us as a precious gift to His children, to enjoy life to the fullest and to make it count. Say yes to your life. And when it comes to drugs and alcohol, Just say NO.”

Question: What do you find remarkable from the life of Nancy Reagan?

Sources: 
James Baker, Chief of Staff to Ronald Reagan
Bret Bayer, Fox News anchor
John Bolton, Former Ambassador to the UN
Fox News Coverage, Sunday March 5, 2014, Sunday House Call, Media Buzz, America’s News Headquarters
Adam Hously, Senior correspondent, Fox News
Katy Marton, Hidden Power, Presidential Marriages that Shaped Our History
Bill Novak, co-author My Turn, The Memoirs of Nancy Reagan
Ed Rollins, former principle White House advisor to President Reagan
Fred Ryan, Reagan Foundation, president
Sheila Tate, former press secretary to Mrs. Reagan
George Will, political analyst, Fox News contributor
Youtube/CNN: 1986: Nancy Reagan’s ‘Just say no’ campaign

Why I Keep an Encouragement File

Before England, behind Easter...

Pulling open the heavy wooden drawer of my old 2nd-hand filing cabinet, I thumbed through the alphabetical tabs looking for The Letter E. Before England, behind Easter, ah, there it was. ENCOURAGEMENT. The bulging file folder marked Encouragement was standing guard for such a time as this.

Holding my treasure in hand, I sank into the bentwood rocker in my office. With reverence, I opened the aged collection: letters, cards, notes, even a few photos - Voices from the Past joining with Voices Unseen to say: 
“Keep going! Don't stop! Don't give up! For goodness sake, Don't Quit!”

It’s not complicated. I keep an Encouragement File as a personal resource for times I really need it; I thrive on life-giving words. Darkness, despair, discouragement, even the devil himself flees in the face of encouragement. Whether you and I fall down or get pushed down, encouragement is God’s pick me up when life pushes us down. Frankly, I am mystified by encouragement. Its power can't be measured, but it's effect is just that – powerful. 

My self-created Encouragement File dates back 31 years. The very first entry came from our dear friend and leader, Dave English. Larry and I were in transition, and Dave wrote a letter of affirmation to us before we moved on. I was unaware of his perspective, and his encouragement sent us soaring into our next role under another leader.

Over the decades, other names have joined Dave’s in my archive of affirmation. There is Charlotte, Ala, Luiza, and Joan. There is Magda, Tanya, and Teresa. And Valerie. Wow, there is Valerie. 

Look. Here is a printed email from my file that you and I can read together. The Context: Upon receiving yet another notice of rejection of my book manuscript from the publishing world, I contacted Karen with the news. My vulnerability spelled it out with the words from Proverbs 13:12, “Hope deferred makes the heart sad.” Karen immediately responded with the following email, which I share with her permission. 

~ 
Ohhhh - I know that's disappointing!

I'm deep into the Willow Creek Leadership Summit at the moment so the first thought that comes to mind is something Bill Hybels said (in talking about the intangibles of leadership), so I'll share a little gem from my notes:

"GRIT!  Leaders who go the distance have grit, which is passion and perseverance - unrelenting, long term tenacity, every last drop of energy kind of determination." The development of grit demands difficulty. The archenemy of grit is EASE! "  

When I think of “a someone” who characterizes this, you easily pop into my mind. God has a beautiful model in you.  Keep radiating, Miss Debby!

Love you!
~

Oh my! I wept, I praised, and I took courage from these articulate, life-giving words. Karen’s encouragement was like drinking a spiritual Red Bull, infusing me with renewed passion and perseverance for my project. She was a living, breathing reality from Hebrews 3:13: “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” Her encouragement intervened to guard my heart. Though I still wait, I wait with encouragement.  

So, my question for you is:
Do you have an Encouragement File? If not, how could you begin one today?

Make Your Bed

Crazy! Who would ever dream this advice would be given to university graduates at their commencement?! May 17, 2014, Naval Admiral Bill McRaven, ninth commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, delivered to the nearly 8,000 graduates at the University of Texas the 10 lessons he learned during his SEAL training. His very first lesson was:

 “If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.”

“Every morning in basic SEAL training, my instructors, who at the time were all Vietnam veterans, would show up in my barracks room and the first thing they would inspect was your bed.
It was a simple task — mundane at best. But every morning we were required to make our bed to perfection. It seemed a little ridiculous at the time, particularly in light of the fact that we were aspiring to be real warriors, tough battle-hardened SEALs, but the wisdom of this simple act has been proven to me many times over.
If you make your bed every morning you will have accomplished the first task of the day. It will give you a small sense of pride, and it will encourage you to do another task and another and another. By the end of the day, that one task completed will have turned into many tasks completed. Making your bed will also reinforce the fact that little things in life matter. If you can't do the little things right, you will never do the big things right.
And, if by chance you have a miserable day, you will come home to a bed that is made — that you made — and a made bed gives you encouragement that tomorrow will be better.
If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed."

Wow. Coming from a Navy Admiral, a SEAL commander, this advice bears unusual credibility. I am not a SEAL; I am not a Student. But you and I still face fierce challenges on a daily basis. The Admiral’s advice will serve us well. 

Here’s why I think it matters.

•    You are not in the bed.
To make a bed means that you and I are not in the bed. Instead, we are up, we are moving; we are not wallowing under the covers. We have at least made an initial attempt to face the day. 

A Dallas Theological Seminary professor said, “If you are depressed, make your bed.” When I first heard that decades ago, I mulched the thought over and over in my mind wondering if I agreed. In the end, I concluded that it makes quite good sense. It is not sophisticated advice, but it is certainly sound advice. To make a bed is to make an attempt to live life.

•    You at least have a bed.
Seeing in Brazil the hordes of humanity hovered under pieces of plastic they call “home” has given me a new appreciation for having a bed. In the course of making the bed you and I have the opportunity to give thanks that we are not homeless and sleeping on the street or under a bridge or under a piece of plastic. A bed is a blessing. 

•    You actually possess the ability to make the bed. 
This seemingly mundane chore is transformed into a privilege when we realize that millions would give anything to be able to do what we are doing-walking, tugging, tossing, bending-all the motions easily taken for granted to those of us with healthy bodies. The physical ability to make our bed is a gift.

So, in the morning, yawn, stretch, and yes, make your bed. Truth be told, it matters.

The entire address from Adm. McRaven can be found at
Adm. McRaven Urges Graduates to Find Courage to Change the World
https://news.utexas.edu/2014/05/16/admiral-mcraven-commencement-speech