Did you ever really stop to consider...
the insane amount of thoughts that go through your mind each day
the insane amount of information your brain processes each day
the insane amount of garbage your mind needs to filter through to find truth...
I am super fascinated by something that God created us with called a Reticular Activating System (RAS)... ever heard of it?
Indulge me for a minute while I tap into my inner science geek...
The reticular activating system is a short, pencil-sized piece of the brain located just above where the spinal cord is attached to the brain. It acts as the gatekeeper of information between most sensory systems and the conscious mind. Simply put, it makes sure you brain doesn't have to deal with more information than it can handle, and it lets information through that you are already focusing on... (spoiler alert, that last part is super important!).
In the first three-ish minutes of THIS VIDEO by Mel Robbins, she gives a great explanation from a scientific standpoint of why this system is so important. This is where I geek out when I can learn about specific ways that God designed us to function and then link it back to Scripture.
"For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." Romans 8:6
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Romans 12:2
"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." Philippians 4:8
Why do you think God gives us so much instruction regarding our mind and the things that we are to think on? It's like He knew whatever we choose to focus on would become more prevalent in our life. ;)
When He created us, He gave us the freedom to be able to think for ourselves. I am pretty sure you are aware of the fall of mankind... enter sinful nature. So now, by nature, our minds are restless, unruly, and at times, downright evil.
Ever notice how you don't have to teach a kid to lie?
Ever notice how you don't have to train your brain to think nasty thoughts?
Those things just seem to come naturally, don't they.
Those things just seem to come naturally, don't they.
It takes work to "take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:5)
It is a conscious decision to shift our focus to thinking on those things mentioned above.
But it is possible when we give God the ultimate mind control. Does that mean you will never think another negative thought again? Oh, heck no! It is a daily battle. But just like with anything, the more you do it, the easier it will become. And because of the RAS, the more you choose to focus on the good, the more you will see the good.
This passage is from a devotional I use daily called Jesus Calling: Morning and Evening by Sarah Young.
"Habitual ways of thinking do not die easily. You may need to recapture the same thought many times before you gain mastery over it, but all that effort leads to a marvelous result: increased freedom to think My thoughts and commune deeply with Me. Wait with Me while I renovate you - from the inside out!"
Friend, your mind is a battlefield (and I believe it always will be), but by filling your mind with Truth (His word) and opening yourself up to allow that to transform your way of thinking, one day with God's help you will win the war.
Until next time... Blessings!
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Maybe you can help me figure this one out, friend... I told you from the beginning this was going to be a learning process, and that we would be learning together.
Time... one of the most precious resources that we have been given.
I know that I tend to be a waster of time.
I know that I don't always utilize my time wisely.
I know that I need to become a better steward of it.
(Yikes, that is kinda hard to type out loud.)
What about you?
Are you good about managing your time?
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So here's the deal... I am an early to bed, early to rise kinda girl.
I am most productive in the mornings, but I also like to sleep (so the struggle is real).
My alarm goes off at 4:15 am...
then again at 4:25...
then again at 4:35...
then again at 4:45...
See where I'm going with this? The snooze button is my friend, and by the time I get up, lately around 5:00ish, I feel like I have already wasted almost an hour of my day.
So herein lies my dilemma... scale back the goal or scale up the effort?
When you set a goal for yourself that you continually DON'T reach, how does that make you feel?
- Discouraged
- Frustrated
- Angry
- Ready to throw in the towel
Yeah, me too... it becomes harder and harder to work toward that goal when you have it in your head that you won't reach it anyway, doesn't it?
The flip side of that is if you decide to modify the goal, you then feel lazy, like a failure... and by 'you' I mean me, but also maybe you.
No one ever said being a good steward over all these seeds would be easy...
In my mulling this over trying to come up with a good solution, two words came to my mind... (I also told you I like using those three dots, a lot... maybe it will be my trademark, my signature style... I am getting off topic...)
Two words came to my mind... GRIT & GRACE.
You don't quit on a goal just because it's hard. Sometimes you need to grit your teeth, dig in your heels, gristle up, and just do the dang thing... just get out of bed when the stinkin' alarm goes off! Grit...
But sometimes you may need to take a step back, evaluate the plans you have, figure out what makes sense for you. Does that 45-60 minutes that I allow myself to get all bent out of shape over because I spent it in bed, really effect the entire course of my day? Is it worth it to continue to set a goal for myself that I am continually not reaching, just so I can say I didn't quit? Grace...
And guess what... there is no right or wrong!
You get to be the judge and jury.
You get to decide what fits you best.
And you also get to change your mind.
This may seem rather trivial to you, but you can apply these same principles (those two words) to whatever it is in your life that you are trying to accomplish.
For me, today... I think I am going to choose grace.
Tomorrow maybe I'll set the alarm for 4:45.
Maybe I won't set the alarm at all...
No, I definitely won't do that. :)
But friend, if you find yourself always frustrated because you feel like you are never able to hit the mark you've set for yourself... I am giving you permission today to move the mark.
Until next time... Blessings!
Can we just be real for a hot minute...
Life is hard.
Harder lately.
Can I get an 'AMEN'?
Over these last two weeks, I have succumbed to the frustration, the anger, the sadness, the resentment, the... fill in the blank.
I have given into a mindset of negativity.
I have made poor choices.
You want to know something about choices... you always have one.
Even when you make wrong choices, you have the chance to turn right around and make a better one.
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As I sit here typing this (Sat., May 30th), I just finishing reading the book of Habakkuk.
I know, right... Habakkuk... of all the books of the Bible, that is the last place I thought I would find myself.
At the beginning of each book in my Bible, there is a little backstory. Allow me to share some parts of this with you.
"When the book of Habakkuk was written, Judah had fallen into severe moral and social decay, with violence, oppression of the poor, and corruption running rampant.
Habakkuk was troubled by the prosperity and rise to power of the wicked both inside and outside of Judah, especially at the expense of the poor and righteous. Where was God and why hadn't He done anything about this injustice?
Habakkuk's rhetorical writing style records his questions to God, and... though the Lord's answers to Habakkuk may not have been what he expected, he did realize that God was at work on behalf of His people. Habakkuk made the decision to believe and trust in the faithfulness of God, and to put aside his anxious and temporal thoughts (Phil. 4:6). He set his sights on things above, fixing his hope on the justice and salvation of the Lord. As a consequence, he moved from complaining to confidence, from doubt to trust, from man to God, and from fear to faith."
Did that give you chills? It did me.
You would think that was just written yesterday.
Yet it was written about 600 B.C. and just what I needed TODAY.
Yet it was written about 600 B.C. and just what I needed TODAY.
What made this even more powerful for me was what was ALREADY written in my Bible when I turned the page...
I have no idea the last time I read Habakkuk, or what was happening in the season of my life when I wrote that caption and made all those underlines... but one thing I do know... God knew when I was doing it way back then, that at this exact moment it would be just what I needed. Friend, He is so faithful like that, don't overlook those little 'God winks' or miss His whispers.
What stuck out to me today was verse 18... I will joy... I will joy in the God of my salvation.
What an interesting way to write that? The line above says I will rejoice, which totally makes more sense.
But... I will joy.
Choice.
Action.
Joy is not just a feeling.
Joy is a choice.
You have a choice to be joyful in the face of victory.
You have a choice to be joyful in the face of defeat.
Your joy should never be dependent on your circumstances.
But how often do you find that it is? Me too, friend...
Today, was just another reminder that...
"Though the fig tree may not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines;
though the labor of the olive may fail, and the fields yield no food;
though the flock may be cut off from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls -
YET I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation."
The thing about choices... you always have one.
What will you choose today?
Until next time... Blessings!
