Thought I'm Thinking Part 1

(image from shondaland .com)

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; and having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.” – 2 Corinthians 10:3-6

That’s power packed scripture!

In a nutshell, this describes how we’re to fight our battles. A lot of information is packed into those verses, and it would take quite the study to unfold it all and understand what Paul is saying to us, so we’ll just break off a baby bite today.

Given that our fleshly bodies abide in a spiritual realm that many haven’t even taken the time to ponder, it makes sense that though we walk among men, our primary enemy is not a man, to be defeated with guns or bombs or the like. Our weapons are mightier than that because we’re warring in the heavenlies, amid spiritual battles.

We can pull down strongholds. We can bring down wicked imaginations that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God. And – we can take our thoughts captive so that every vain thought that enters our mind doesn’t set up camp there.

Strongholds and wicked ideas that exalt themselves against God abound around us, and they’re a bigger bite than I want to chew on today. But, as long as we tread upon the earth, we will deal with our thoughts, both good and bad. People who act upon their bad thoughts wind up embodying the evil among us. But the good news is, we have control over our thoughts.

God would not have commanded us to take our thoughts captive and take account of them if He hadn’t already equipped us to carry it out.

Many of us have been taught that the biggest war we wage is between our ears; that the mind is a battlefield. Many of us have not. It may cause some to worry, and prepare others.

On any given day, we all have more thoughts that we realize we process, thoughts cause our bodies to function, yet muscle memory can kick in before we recognize the thoughts behind the actions. When I’m thirsty, I don’t have to will my hands to pick up my water bottle, yet the thought is there to invoke that movement. Some thoughts are subtle, some are profound. Some bother us, some amuse us. Some disgust us, others arouse us. Some are simply there, for reasons we may not even understand.

(image from WARM 1069.com)

Thoughts like “I wonder why the awnings outside the Panera Bread window are at that angle?” Or “Why do they have a gas fireplace in here if they never turn it on anymore?” Or “Hmm, that’s a new sign.” Or “What’s that design on the cup? Oh, it’s a lemon!” Those random thoughts that never really amount to anything, they’re actually gathering intel on my environment. How much of it I’ll retain is a totally different topic.

Then there are thoughts that explore things, like “Why was I so snippy with Dave this morning?” Or “Is that new soap the reason my skin is so dry lately?” Those kinds of thoughts can help me fix a problem.

I have odd thoughts, random thoughts, hysterical thoughts, critical thoughts, unnecessary thoughts, inappropriate thoughts, curious thoughts, thoughts that are actually set to music, thoughts that are quite rude, because I'm thinking them when I'm supposed to be listening to someone else. I have ugly thoughts, and thoughts of beautiful imagery. Too many thoughts! Do I think more (not better) than the average person? Or do I just notice my thoughts more than most? I tend to question everything, so yeah, there are those thoughts, too. We have helpful thoughts and hurtful thoughts, prideful thoughts, and self-deprecating thoughts. Good thoughts and bad thoughts.  And we have authority over all of them!

My favorite kind of thoughts take place in my conversations with God. Because, with Him, I can be frank. Let’s face it, He already knows my thoughts anyway, why not openly share them with Him and let Him weigh in on the matter?

Philippians 4:8 tells us to “…Fix [y]our 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.”

Whether culture and society are pouring images into our minds or we’re hiking alone in the mountains, we’ll have all sorts of thoughts to deal with.

This blog post is too long already, but I’m not willing to cut words for the sake of being pithy. So, while you’re pondering YOUR thoughts, I’ll be putting together part two of MY thoughts and I’ll share it soon!

Worry Much?

(crosswalk.com)

Do you ever worry?

I imagine most of us do.

I’ve never thought of myself as a worrier, though. I was a military wife for almost 25 years, and I saw God intervene to protect my husband. One night while he was working in the weather tower at RAF Bentwaters, I called the children together to pray for Daddy. In my mind I’d seen him flailing like a flag in the wind off the side of the tower. When Dave got home from his shift, he told us how the wind almost blew him off the observation platform, but something pulled him back. Yeah, I think I can trust God with Dave.

We’ve seen countless prayers answered. 

(biblestudytools.com)

As young adults our boys joined the military and went off to war; enough to worry any mother. Yet, trusting them to God’s protection, we heard stories of how God’s protection manifested. Our daughter has moved far away from us twice now, and God has provided for her every step of the way, even when things got ugly. Yeah, I think I can trust God with our children.

Throughout this journey of life, God has taken care of us. He’s always proved Himself faithful.

“We need to give not only the situation that weighs so heavily on us to Him, but ourselves as well.” James Banks pours into us with simple, yet powerful truths in his book Prayers forProdigals. His point is very valid. When I place my children or my husband or my friends into the powerful hands of God, Who’s been loving them more than I do, He joyfully provides for them. But He wants US to climb up into those loving hands, too. How can we trust Him with people who are a part of us, without trusting Him with everything that makes us who we are?

(returningtooneness.com)

Mr. Banks goes on to say, “When by faith we take hold of Jesus, reaching for Him and not just what He can do for us, He takes hold of us and lifts us to new places of grace.”

That takes us to the exciting level of believing that nothing is impossible with God. Living in the blessings of God shows us that His grace provides everything we need, even miracles.

Is trusting God with anything trusting Him at all if we’re not trusting Him with EVERYthing?

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own (puny, human, incomplete) understanding.” – Proverbs 3:5 Amplification in parenthesis are mine…

(billygraham.org)

What's In Your Closet?

(picture from pinterest.com)

Last week our pastor made mention of a book that intrigued me. I haven’t gotten it yet, but, I took note of it. From a Women’s Aglow Bible study, it’s called Shame; the Thief of Intimacy.

Sometimes shame, like other negative feelings, can bring us down. We can wear it like a cozy bathrobe, not even aware of how it’s dragging us into darkness, until it’s too late. It’s a subtle thing, we reach for it there on the hook in our bathroom, right where we left it that last time we shook it off.

(photo from houzz.com)

 But, shame isn’t the only thief in our wardrobe.

Throughout our average day, we may well put on something that looks more like depression, sadness, sorrow, anxiety, worry or fear.

Throughout scripture, we read about clothing ourselves; in the righteousness of God (Isaiah 61:10; Ephesians 4:22-24), in the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18), with praise and rejoicing (Isaiah 61:1-2)….

I delight greatly in the Lord;
    my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
    and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
    and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. – Isaiah 61:10 (NIV)

When I show up at the elementary school to pick up my granddaughter, if I notice I’ve spilt coffee on my shirt, it’s too late to do anything about it. If I’d noticed it before I left the house, I could have changed into something clean, and avoided any embarrassment.

So, maybe one of our first steps into the day should include looking at ourselves in our spiritual mirror (the Word of God) to see if we line up with what He has to say about us. (James 1:22-25)

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom,and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. – James 1:22-25 (NIV)

(photo from etsy.com)

Pastor also mentioned something about pride being the root of a poor self-image. Say what? Didn’t make sense to me at first, but he went on to explain that pride says that what my opinion is of me, is more correct than what God thinks of me. Ouch!

So, if I feel worthless or shameful or defeated, that’s truer than what my Creator, the God of the Universe has to say about me???

Yeah, I guess that would be pride.

God knew we’d have hard days; days when we feel as if the world is moving on without us, days when we feel worthless, days when sorrow overwhelms us, and days when the bad news just won’t stop coming. As a matter of fact, we can quote His Word, saying, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.– John 16:33

His Word also tells us to put on the garment of praise in exchange for the spirit of heaviness. Here it is, tucked into some of my favorite verses.

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom for the captives
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
    and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
   and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
    instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
    instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor. – Isaiah 61:1-3 (NIV)

So no matter how we’re feeling today, look need into the mirror of the Word of God, throw our shoulders back and admit it; what He says about us is true.

Yes, we will overcome – even this.

Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. – 1 John 4:4 (KJV)

For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. – 1 John 5:4 (KJV)

Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? – 1 John 5:5 (KJV)

What’s in your closet?

(photo from myclothinghelper.com)

Peace Like No Other

The other night, well past midnight, I roamed my house. In yet another battle with sleeplessness, though thoroughly tired, I paced. Of course, in the quiet of night it’s a great time to listen and to pray. Admittedly, I’d rather be sleeping.

As I sat in the rocking chair in the front room, I closed my eyes. I was praying for my son. Sometimes the words to pray don’t come easily, those are times when I depend on the groaning of the Spirit of God, whether audible or not. Those are the times I yield myself to how He wants to pray, through me. Those are generally the most passionate and emotion-filled prayers.

With a flutter of my eyelids, I melted as the front porch light, creeping through the slats in the blinds, illuminated our American flag waving in the breeze.

When our children are young, we presume we can, or are at least supposed to meet most of their needs. We love them and teach them, we nurture them while watching them teach us so much more. We hold them. I miss holding them most.

My heart aches for the hearts of my children. Their grown up struggles are so much harder than that to which their childish concerns could ever amount. Perhaps because with age comes wisdom I didn’t have as a young mom, and I realize that it’s not my job to pave their way through life. I can’t show them their purpose or their path. They need to discover that on their own. Something given to us is sometimes less appreciated than something we work for ourselves.

Our children see our flaws more often than anyone else, perhaps even better than our spouse. They see when we don’t even realize they’re watching. And of course, they’re observing our shortcomings through the innocent eyes of a child, I’m quite sure that adds facets to who we are to them that we don’t even know about.

(fanpop.com)

No matter what I’ve done or how they see me, they’re all grown up now. I’ve done my part is messing with their view of reality.

Now, they struggle within their own hearts. Life is between them and God and their reality of God. It was always their own journey. My hope is that someday the struggles end and they’re at peace and can share their peace through just being who they are.

I can’t pray my will over theirs, I can’t pray for the path I want them to choose – that may not be the road God has planned to take them down.

I can only pray God’s perfect will over them and trust Him to complete the good work He’s begun in them.

(likesuccess.com)

That beautiful flag waving on the front porch may be part of the reason my son is on the other side of the world. But, my heart has to trust that it’s all part of a greater plan, the plan of God Himself.

Do I get all choked up and cry? Absolutely. But, praise God for His peace, which passes all my human understanding and teaches me to hope and stirs up supernatural patience and trust within me.

I’m so blessed and glad and honored to serve the Almighty God of the universe and to know that I know that I know that He’s in control. There’s no greater joy than to know God and trust Him completely. Anxiety comes from feeling the need to do life on my own or worse yet, from trying to control the destiny of another.

Thank You, Jesus for Your sweet, bountiful peace. Thank You for Your unconditional, never-ending love. Hallelujah!

(suggestkeyword.com)

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)

Full, Half-full or Empty?

(huffingtonpost.com)

That cup we’re always hearing about that’s either half-full or half-empty; what’s it’s filled with anyways?

In the Old Testament (Jeremiah 18) we read the story of the potter and his clay. Whenever I ponder that story, I envision a potter’s hands on a wet mound of clay gently pressing inward as his wheel turns. Behind him, I see other vessels he’s made, awaiting the kiln – where they’ll be tried by fire. I see tall, thin vessels – perhaps beautiful vases; I see shorter, fat bowls – perhaps casserole dishes; I even see one that looks like it could be a bedpan.

(hotpotspottery.com)

In the vast array of his work, I see the plans for his pottery unfold in his mind as he creates each one. When he shapes one like a bedpan, he probably doesn’t get excited about the flowers that wait to fill it. Yet, when he shapes the tall slender vases, he probably doesn’t smile at the aroma of a baking casserole that might enter his senses as he molds the clay for the baking dish. His mind will cause his fingers to shape the clay in just the right way to embrace the untold beauty of the bouquets that will all but cause the vase to vanish from sight completely.

(ingpeaceproject.com)

As I ponder the potter’s trophies, I trust that the Master Potter had a perfect plan for me when He created this vessel. What did He originally plan to pour into me? If I’m having a rough day, no doubt my mind wanders to the bedpan and laughs, “that’s you – right there!” Yeah. I’m still working on that. But, praise God – I’m making progress by leaps and bounds.

Fortunately, His Word tells me exactly what He planned to fill me with, and He pours into me with great abundance. In 2 Corinthians 4:6-7 we read: “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” (KJV)

(discussionsmnhs.org)

His original intent was, and still is, to fill us with His Spirit, the light of the knowledge of the glory of God, which He revealed to us through Jesus Christ. The glory is in that incredible power, not in the construction of the vessel it fills.

I may notice a lovely vase, but once it’s filled with the beauty of a bouquet, the vase almost seems to fade away, by comparison. It’s kind of like the word “is” in the middle of a sentence; who notices it when we’re busy taking in the meaning of the word combinations?

(etsy.com)

I recently heard Dr. Matthew Thomas speak on joy. He just wears it all over his face, there’s no mistaking it there. He used the illustration of pouring water from a large pitcher into a smaller glass. Once he filled it to the rim, he asked if there was room in the glass for anything else. He surmised that, if we are filled with the joy of the Lord, there could be no room for worry or anxiety, doubt or fear, complaining or offenses. His point lodged in my mind.

Psalm 139:14 beautifully points out that I am (we are all) fearfully and wonderfully made. But, an empty vessel just collects dust. Our Potter created us with specific purpose and phenomenal plans in mind.

(lakesidepottery.com)

It’s time for a fresh refilling of His Spirit, a topping off. Remind yourself Who you belong to, Who keeps you and loves you always and forever. No - matter - what! There’s no reason to be half-full or half-empty when He’s willing and wanting to fill us to overflowing!

Ready for Fun?

Who’s ready for a little fun?

I know we’re not all fed from the same trough, but my “happy tank” sure gets filled spending time in the great outdoors. Yeah, the heat and lately, the humidity, makes me work a little harder for it, but it’s sooooooooo worth it.

There’s a new trail in town, and we’re going to hit it – soon.

Between hiking up Helen Hunt Falls and roaming the trails at Palmer Park with my husband, and traipsing around the Fountain Creek Nature Preserve with our grandchildren, my happy meter has been registering quite high lately. Does that make me immune from the blues? No. But, it sure goes a long way in self-care!

Sometimes I don’t even let it register that what I’m leaving the house to do will require energy, which, quite frankly, I don’t always feel like I have. I get ready anticipating the joy that will come of it. I suppose I could face all forms of exercise this way; perhaps that would help me to “just do it….”

There’s just something about the word “exercise” that doesn’t register in my brain as fun. But, how do I change a lifetime of thinking this way?

One thought at a time!

Sometimes I think my children think that babysitting their children should be a task for me, something that should drain me. I can’t seem to convey to them just how life-giving their children are to me; how they energize me and re-teach me the pleasures that come from simple things. How did I forget? Well, I don’t think I actually forgot. I think I just don’t always remember to remember, if that makes any sense.

Go for a walk with a child – it can become an adventure if you allow it to. Look at what they’re seeing, from their perspective. Get on your knees if you have to! There’s so much excitement there for the taking, so much pleasure for the enjoyment. How did becoming an adult rob us of some of the most incredible yet incredibly simple joys of life?

Letting go seems to be a theme in my life, lately, (actually, for several years now.) Sometimes it’s much easier than I’d have ever thought it could be. Other times – I don’t even realize what I’m hanging on to so tightly.

A few years ago, a friend was going through a particularly hard time. Watching her grieve drew my attention to some of the differences between how children look at life, and how we adults try to control it.

“And he said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 17:3 (NIV)

I’ll leave you with a poem that came to me through watching her wrestle with God’s will and her own. It resounds loudly in me, from time to time.

When you were just a little girl

The world was simple and small.

There wasn’t much to be anxious about

Or cause you to worry at all.

Faith came so easily, trust was just there,

We knew that we weren’t in control.

What is it that’s changed between

childhood and now?

We’ve let doubt take it’s toll on our soul.

What’s the secret to that childlike faith?

How did we sleep at night?

There must be a way to get it all back,

A way to make everything right.

Did we know more when we were a child?

Have we forgotten the basics of living?

A good place to start as we take back our lives,

Would be laughing and playing and giving. 

Let’s go back to being God’s own little girls

And give back control of our days.

We’ll promise to worry when God says we can,

And feel fear when He says it’s okay.

We’ll rest when He tells us it’s time to relax.

We won’t let adult things cause worry.

   We’ll laugh for no reason and cry when we want

And deadlines won’t make us hurry.

We’ll pray every morning, we’ll pray every night

And refuse to doubt angels are real. 

We’ll smile at our trials and scoff at our pain,

Feeling each feeling we feel.

~ Helen Williams! c 2006