Words and Thoughts

Don't Look Back--or Around!

"No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."

--Jesus (Luke 9:62, NKJV)

Amy Carmichael* points out that Jesus says looking back, not turning back. (There is a huge difference, isn't there?) When we look back, we can't plow a straight furrow. In other words, we "mess up." 

The devil knows that. Thus, he continually tempts us to look back at our past sins, at our worthlessness, at our failures, at the things we want but do not have, at the things we once had but no longer have, at the "good life" others seem to be living.... 

We must NOT let our thoughts linger on those kinds of things. Instead, we must read God's Word daily and keep our minds focused on the truths it contains (rather than on the devil's lies) as we continue to move forward, fully committed to doing His will.

*author of Thou Givest...They Gather

Differences

Withered hydrangea blooms;
new hydrangea leaves and daffodils sprouting in the Spring.

When man sees but withered leaves, 

God sees sweet flowers growing.

~Albert Laughton

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” saith the LORD. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

~Isaiah 55:8, 9, KJV

Strong At the Core

Perhaps you’re puzzled about why I’ve posted this picture—and why I took it in the first place.

Let me explain.

I was initially drawn to the pretty patterns formed by all those limbs and twigs against the beautiful backdrop provided by the cloudless blue sky. So, I snapped several photos with my iPhone camera. Later, as I looked at them, I thought, The core of my being is strong and central, like the trunk of the tree. From it radiate all my thoughts and actions and attitudes. Although they spread in several directions, like the limbs and twigs, all originate in the core, all remain connected to it, all continue to be supported by it.

As I reflected on that, I recalled the familiar words found in Proverbs 4:23, NIV. They prompted me to create the graphic below. (I made it by topping a screenshot of a graphic with a “sticker” of a heart I found in an app on my phone and topping the sticker with words added via the text tool in that app.)


Both the photo of the tree and the graphic remind me to stay strong and pure at the core of my being since everything about me starts there.

Living Scattered?

The confession David Hazard makes in one of his prayers is one I need to make:

My Father, something inward tells me I have been living scattered. Sometimes anxious. Restless. Distracted. Wandering inside.
(David's prayer is found on page 14 in a book he compiled. The book is entitled I Come Quietly to Meet You and contains 40 devotionals that were written by Amy Carmichael.)

I, too, am often guilty of living scattered. Sadly, I'm sometimes scarcely aware of the many distractions that shift my focus from God to all the stuff that’s going on around me. For example, my attention is so easily diverted from Him to the news on the TV, to the ringing of the phone, to the ringtone signaling the arrival of a text message, to an unfinished task, to thoughts of what to cook for supper, etc. My mind gets so absorbed with such distractions, coming one after another, that I can go for hours without a single thought about God.

As the distractions increase, my thoughts of God tend to decrease. Then, like David Hazard, I begin to feel anxious. Stress builds. Frustrations increase. Overwhelm sets in.

That changes when I do what David Hazard suggests in another part of his prayer: intentionally and consciously refocus my thoughts on Jesus and what He has done--and is doing--for me (and for others, too).

Thankfully, I'm discovering many ways to do that:

• Sing or hum a beloved song, like Jesus Loves Me or All the Way My Savior Leads Me (text is below).
• Sit down to read from the Bible. That helps me refocus, as does taking time to type a prayer to Him. (Typing, as opposed to speaking aloud or just thinking, helps me to stay focused.)
• Listen to Christian music or sermons while I'm doing household tasks.
• Talk with God as I fold clothes or cook dinner.
• Look around, like a young child sometimes does when saying nighttime prayers or blessings at the table, and begin thanking God for the many blessings that surround me.

Ever so slowly, I'm learning that staying focused on Him throughout the day provides far more peace and contentment than living scattered.

You keep him in perfect peace 

whose mind is stayed on you, 

because he trusts in you.

~Isaiah 26:3, ESV

All the Way My Savior Leads Me

~Fanny J. Crosby, 1875 

(Even if you know the tune to this hymn well enough to sing it, 

please try reading the words slowly and thoughtfully, 

taking time to reflect on each phrase.) 

1. All the way my Savior leads me; 

What have I to ask beside?

Can I doubt his tender mercy,

Who thro' life has been my guide?

Heav'nly peace, divinest comfort,

Here by faith in him to dwell!

For I know what-e're befall me, 

Jesus doeth all things well;

For I know what-ere befall me,

Jesus doeth all things well.

2. All the way my Savior leads me;

Cheers each winding path I tread,

Gives me grace for ev'ry trial,

Feeds me with the living bread:

Tho my weary steps may falter,

and my soul athirst may be,

Gushing from the Rock before me, 

Lo! a spring of joy I see;

Gushing from the Rock before me, 

Lo! a spring of joy I see.

3. All the way my Savior leads me;

Oh, the full-ness of his love!

Perfect rest to me is promis'd

In my Father's house above:

When my spirit, cloth'd immortal,

Wings its flight to realms of day,

This my song thro' endless ages:

Jesus led me all the way;

This my song thro' endless ages:

Jesus led me all the way.

I Can. I Will.

The "woozies" and "wobblies" have slowed me down for over a year. For many days, I've gripped my cane and/or held onto the walls and furniture. Finally, I'm feeling better. Along with the improvement in my balance has come a surge of hope that I just might be able to resume normal activities again--or to become more active than I've been for a long time.

Thus, when I opened an email that contained a link to a blog post entitled 71 Ways to Exercise More in 2018, I didn't delete the message, as "hopeless me" might have done before starting to feel better. 

As I looked over the long list, I noticed there were many activities I am not able to do. Yet, I continued to read on. (Hopefully, you, Dear Reader, may be able to do them; so, I will list a few for you to consider.)

• Do pushups or sit-ups when commercials interrupt your favorite TV shows.
• Ride your bike.
• Take your dog to the park.
• Sprint to and from the mailbox.
• Run a 5k or a half-marathon. (I can't, but my daughter can--and does! I'll cheer her on.)

Rather than despair over the ones I can't do right now, I made a list of several I can do, while inside my house. 

• Do calf raises while I brush my teeth.
• Stand up and walk around a few minutes each hour. (Increases heart rate, burns a few calories, and improves circulation.)
• Use resistance bands. (I'll use the set of training tubes my daughter gave me years ago.)
• Repeatedly lift and hold both feet off the floor when I'm sitting at my desk and checking e-mails. Doing so will strengthen my core, as well as my leg muscles.
• Vaccum.
• While sitting anywhere, point my toes and flex my feet.

And I noticed activities I used to do that I can now resume.

• Do an exercise video. (I have some of Leslie Sansone's in-home walking workout DVDs and have enjoyed them in the past. I'll start using them again even if I can't walk a mile right away.)
• Set a daily step goal on a fitness tracker. (I'll walk throughout the day, accumulating steps as I make "laps" inside the house and as I do my housework. Hopefully, soon I'll be able to walk for extended periods in the neighborhood again.)

I know I'll experience good results if I choose to think about what I can do (and do it!) rather than let what I can't do discourage me to the point of doing nothing at all. 

.

..whatever things are true..think on these things.

Philippians 4:8

Searcher of Hearts

Yesterday at church, the congregation sang a song I’d never heard before. As I haltingly sang along, most of the time off key, I realized that the words were “keepers” even if I couldn’t sing them well. So, today, I did a Google search for the hymn (Searcher of Hearts, From Mine Erase) and found the lyrics and the music here: http://cyberhymnal.org/htm/s/h/shfmeras.htm

 I’ve printed myself a copy of the words so that I can sing along as I listen to the music. Whether or not my singing improves, I’m going to memorize the words, much like I would a poem, and use them as a prayer.

I’ve learned several songs/prayers this way: As I walk (one to three miles daily) round and round inside my house (because it’s too hot and humid for me to do that many miles outside), I hold in my hand the copy of whatever I’m trying to memorize. As I make my laps, I repeat one phrase at a time until I get it right, without looking at the sheet in my hand, and then I learn the next one. Once I feel comfortable with the second one, I say out loud the first one and the second one over and over until I can do both correctly. Then, I follow that pattern with the rest of the phrases until I’ve learned the whole thing. 

Each day, I review my recent memorizations. Then, if I have a new one, as I will have today, I begin on it. I’m never concerned with the speed with which I learn a new message. But I do focus on learning to practice, to “live by,” the words I’ve stored in my inner being. Otherwise, the memorization is only an exercise for my brain rather than a “life changer.”

I’ve always had a hard time memorizing “word for word” poems, Bible verses, and so forth. Thus, I’m excited that my new routine is helping me to exercise my mind, as well as my body, while also enabling me to store good thoughts in my mind and heart. It’s a win-win activity! I encourage you, Dear Reader, to try my new habit and see if it works for you.

(c) 2014 by Johnnie Ann Gaskill