Tag Archives: thoughts

But, What About My Circumstances?

I appreciated the encouraging responses and emails about yesterday’s post.  And, I still stand behind the power of our thoughts and words.  But, when I finally crawled into bed last night and let the quiet and stillness take over, I began hearing the question, “What about me?” ring in my head.

What about my friend whose husband left her and their daughter?

What about the son grieving the loss of his mother?

What about the hurtful things being said about her?

What about the judgments being made against him?

What about the children who go to bed hungry every night?

So, I wanted to clarify.

If you have faced, or are facing a difficult situation, it does not necessarily mean you attracted it by your own thoughts or words.  We do live in a world where bad things certainly happen.  And, by no means, do we attract these things.  And, our hearts should definitely be open and ready to comfort the brokenhearted.

The negative thoughts and words I was referring to are those that cause us to have a defeated mentality about life….

Words that judge the actions of others….

Words that are the antithesis of God’s promises of life and future for you.

Thoughts that bind you in fear.

Thoughts that hold you captive.

Thoughts that prevent you from believing that you are who God says you are and not who people say you are.

Maybe this is what you took away from it.  Or, maybe, you asked, “But what about my circumstances?”  Since, I will be held accountable for every word I type, I wanted to have a softer approach to words and thoughts.  Especially, as it relates to people going through difficult situations that they didn’t ask for.  So, if you were one who felt slighted or hurt by yesterday’s post, then I ask for your forgiveness.  Because, I have endured difficult circumstances.  And, I want you to feel loved through yours.

Now, that I got that off of my chest, let’s all go have an awesome Wednesday.

I love you all!

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Filed under disappointment, life, Spiritual Journey

Jehovah Elohim (Part Two)

Jehova Elohim formed the world with His words.  Since we are created in His image, we are also creators.  Likewise, we form our world with our words.  We create the chaos.  We create the blessings.

Life and death is in the tongue.

It can crush the heart of another.  It can destroy a relationship.

It can heal a broken heart.  It can bring joy to everyone around.

Our words frame our world.  They have the power to transform our in lives into everything God intended them to be….

Full.

And, abundant.

And, good.

Every word begins with a thought.  All things in life begin inside of my being as a thought.  What shows up on the outside harmonizes perfectly with what’s happening on the inside of me.  You know the good ‘ol Henry Ford quote:   “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.”  You always attract what you constantly think about.  You will attract 10% of what you want in life.  You will attract 100% of what you are.

As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.  Proverbs 23:7

If you study the book of Romans, you can read into the fact that Paul was tormented by bad belief systems and thinking.  He says in Romans 7, “18 And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.  I want to do what is right, but I can’t.  19 I want to do what is good, but I don’t.  I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.”  But, finally, we read in Philippians 3:10 Paul’s resolve to replace his negative thinking:

10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

How does Paul do this?  How does he experience the power of the resurrection in his life?  How does he experience the good stuff?  Read one more chapter over…

…one final thing.  Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.  Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.  Philippians 4:8

Paul learned the power of his thoughts.  So, he urges us all to fix our minds on things that are GOOD.  To THINK about EXCELLENT things.

You see, whenever you start confessing TRUTH, GOOD THOUGHTS, you don’t have to worry about what bad belief systems or thinking you need to replace.  They will reveal themselves.  When you focus on what is right, what is wrong will identify and correct itself.

Kris and I are working hard together, holding one another accountable for negative words and thoughts.  When we do, we replace it with a positive affirmation.  We replace it with truth.  Whenever you begin having a negative, destructive thought, replace it with truth.  Replace it with His truth.

Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!”

Whose mind STAYS ON HIM is kept in perfect peace.  And, isn’t that where the good stuff flows from?  Perfect peace?  If I’ve heard my momma say it once, I’ve heard her say it one million times, “Peace of mind is worth its weight in gold.”  Now, that I have three little people of my own, I totally get it.

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Search My Heart.

I love it when I have my blogs already typed out waiting for me to press “post.”  It’s convenient.  I do not like it when I stare at that post with a look of disgust on my face, because I know it’s really not the words that were meant to go up on the Interweb that day.

So, here I sit.  The night before you will read this entry.  With a look of disgust on my face.  Typing a new post.  A post that is much more honest for what is going on in my heart today.

You want the truth?  You can’t handle the truth! 

Sorry.  I love repeating Jack.  And, I will tell him hello for y’all this weekend when we meet for a latte at the Sundance Film Festival.  I’m not at all excited about that.

Okay.  Back to the truth.  The truth is.  I question my thoughts often.  I turn my heart inside out searching for things that may be off a bit.  Am I judging this person?  Are my thoughts on this situation filtered through the Spirit? 

Sometimes, I come out of my heart search with a clear conscience.  Other times, I come out of it with a desperate cry for God to take whatever is not of Him and trash it.  And, replace it with right thinking.

I don’t walk in condemnation with my yuck stuff.  I release it immediately.  But, I do walk with a keen awareness of how much of my life still needs to die to Him.  I cannot tell you how many times I pray, “God, more of You.  Less of me.”  And, I have found that the best way for me to be aware of my own heart is constantly searching after His. 

I have learned that God is not a conquest.  I will not one day be done finding Him.  There is so much more to discover about who He is.  And, there is so much more of me that needs to die to Him.  Because, it is in my dying, that I live a life that brings glory to Him.  It is in my dying that I am a better wife.  A better mother.  A better friend. 

I need to die to myself today.  Again. 

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.  Psalm 139:23-24

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Bounce Your Thoughts.

I have this sweet, little scripture hanging in my home:

Whatever is noble, right, pure, lovely…think on these things.  Philippians 4:8

I say “sweet, little” because, well, it’s a nice goal.  Don’t ya think?  But, who really takes it to heart and executes it in his or her life? 

Not me.  Not always.

I can let my thought life take me down a road of perpetual worry.  I can let my thought life cause me to become resentful of not having more time for myself.  I can let my thought life lead me down a road of becoming irritated with my husband, because he fails to see his clothes on the floor.  I can let my thought life do a lot of damage in a day. 

It can rob me of time that I can’t ever get back.  It can rob me of trusting in Him, because I worry.  It can rob me of enjoying a smile from my baby boy’s sweet face, because I’m thinking how little time I have to myself in a day.  It can rob me of appreciating how hard my husband works for our family. 

I’ve always heard we should “bounce our eyes” when confronted with something visually unhealthy.  That’s important.  But, so is bouncing our thoughts.  The moment we let a thought that is not noble, right, pure or lovely surface, we need to bounce it immediately.

What if every one of our thoughts was truly noble, right, pure, and lovely?  How different would our life look?  How much more would I enjoy the gifts God has given me?  How much more would I trust in my Savior who has NEVER let me down? 

This is exactly what God is working in my life right at this moment.  He is teaching me how much I need to bounce my thoughts.  And, oh boy, will I need some reminders and accountability on this one.

How is your thought life?

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Filed under gratitude, life, Spiritual Journey

When Deep Secrets Are Revealed.

It’s one of the moments where I sit down to type my thoughts, and I can think of a gazillion things to write about.  I have so many thoughts, feelings, emotions, and spiritual things going on inside me that I hardly know where to begin.  I attempted to share a little of what I’m feeling with Kris last night.  I ended up just saying, “If I could take my spirit out and place it on a table for you to look at, then that would really help me right now.”  I don’t even have words for the look on his face after that comment.  But, he was encouraging still.  Whew.

1 Corinthians 2:9-10 says, “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.”  10 But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit.  For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets.” 

The only way for us to understand God’s will for our lives is through His Spirit.  The chapter continues, “11 No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit…..”  This totally explains why it’s so hard to communicate with others some of the things God’s Spirit reveals to you.  And, how beautiful it is when I am tuned into His Spirit.  And, how frustrating it can be when I am not.

God’s up to somethin’ good.  I just know He is.

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