Categories
Bible discipline Psalm

How to Watch those Words and Thoughts

It can be difficult to have a good attitude when things just aren’t going according to our plans. That’s why how to watch your words and thoughts is so important!

We want things our own way. We think we have things all figured out and if everyone got on the same plan (our plan), life would be so much better.

But life never goes according to our plans, because we have nearly eight billion other individuals with their own ideas of how things should be. Some of their plans are as legitimate as ours. Some of them are evil (and yes, you’ll have disagreements about what is and isn’t evil). Some may have nice, if not naïve plans. And yes, some have plans to survive what we may find unimaginable.

Categories
Bible Psalm

A Future For Peacemakers

We hear and read news about the threat of wars and verbal barbs about someone who did this and said that. It captures our attention and makes us wonder what the future is. So it is good to remind us there is a future for peacemakers.

Look at those who are honest and good, for a wonderful future awaits those who love peace.

Psalm 37:37 NLT

Sadly, those who work for peace don’t grab the headlines as much as those who embrace conflict. We don’t tend to qualify what a person is saying or doing by whether it is honest or good. We like a good fight and we especially like the person who shares our views to put the other side in their place.

But what if the future belongs to those who promote peace? Indeed, there are only two choices in this world; those who work towards war and those who work towards peace.

We look forward to peace though it is in short supply. Remember a few months ago when we spoke about peace on earth?

Are All Conflicts Necessary?

We have values that we are willing to fight for, and we should. But what about those that don’t really matter? If we paused to think about why we may feel angry and ready to fight, is that skirmish with our neighbor really worth fighting for?

Are there some battles that are only jeopardizing our future? Most of us have memories of being angry at someone, but we can’t remember why. The emotion lasts longer than the actual offense.

If we are honest with others and show good to others, perhaps that will go much further than our animosity towards others. Occasionally, it may even make the news for a good, worthy reason.

Consider if that conflict is necessary today. Pause to consider if we are less angry at that person in front of us and angrier at a similar person that did us wrong years ago. Be honest. Be good and remember there is a future for those who love peace.

Categories
motivation

Entertaining Thoughts

We have scores of entertaining thoughts each day. But do we consider which one we should and should not entertain?

We all have random thoughts. Some of them are good and they motivate us to do better. Others can knock the wind out of our sails and make us wonder what is the point? This quote made me consider the implications of our thoughts today.

What do you hang on the walls of your mind?

Eve Arnold

Eve Arnold Quotes. BrainyQuote.com, BrainyMedia Inc, 2022. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/eve_arnold_489359, accessed January 26, 2022.

What thoughts do we keep and allow to affect our day? Most of us don’t consider that not all of our thoughts are useful. One minute, we could be telling ourselves that today will be a great day. The next, a random news story or negative coworker can steer us into dark territory.

Not all our thoughts are good ones. Our self-talk can build us up or tear us down. We have to watch those words and thoughts! I had a few tips in a previous blog. In it, I mentioned a Bible verse that has helped me so many times. Psalm 19:14 reminds me that our words and thoughts matter greatly.

Sketch based on Psalm 19:14-May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable and pleasing unto you.

Refrigerator Doors

What entertaining thoughts do we let hang on the walls of our minds? The quote reminds me of a refrigerator door. On it, we hang artwork our children have created, photos of loved ones, and various notes.

It is a place where we have mementos we like to be reminded about. The sundry scraps of paper give us a smile and remind us of good old days and loved ones that have grown.

Our mind is like a refrigerator door. What entertaining thoughts are we hanging there as a reminder? May it be something that inspires us to lift our heads a little higher, causes us to smile, and put a little extra effort into today.