Showing posts with label as a man thinks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label as a man thinks. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Use It or Lose It!
Remembering those doctor’s words, the more I realize how precious life is and how much I want to live it like Jesus said in John 10:10 “I came to give you life and life more abundantly!” The older I get, the more I see the aging process going on in this sleek body ;-) but I’m feeling it, too! Just recently I've started swimming 10 laps (1 lap = 150 feet) a day, most days a week because the running I had been doing for years was taking a toll on my joints and the swimming is proving to keep my joints flexible. Now, I know what not to eat because of the after-effects that come from “that” food choice. I know how to sleep so that I don’t wake with a crick in my neck. I know what shoes to wear to prevent foot issues. I know that I not only need to floss my teeth, but I need to use a water pik flosser as well. I know that I need to moisturize this face and body to keep it smooth and hydrated. I know I need to take food supplements to keep me healthy. I know I need to stay out of the sun unless I’ve applied heavy sunscreen! I know I need to drinks lots of water! Whew!
I also know I need to keep using my mind. I know how easy it is to watch mindless TV and use my computer for answers to questions, calculator for counting, as well as use my phone to play mindless games and activities. Once upon a time, when I wanted information, I used my encyclopedia or lose myself in the library. Before email, if I wanted to write to someone, I had to invest some effort in it. I’d sit down with pen and paper, or at a typewriter, and carefully compose a message. There wasn’t anything that lent itself to dashing off quick notes without giving them much thought, and then take the time to write a note, find an address, an envelope, add postage, and take the letter to a mailbox. Because the very act of writing a note or letter to someone took this many steps and was spread out over time, we didn’t go to the trouble unless we had something important to say. Because of email’s instantaneous “send” click, we get that message off in a split-second….and sometimes we realize we forgot to send the attachment or even sent it to the wrong person or persons – and, oops – I really didn’t mean to say “Have a green date!” I meant to say “Have a great day!” in that text.
My sweet mother-in-law (96 in October) has some health issues and has slowed down from the over-active and busy gal that she once was. Now she lives with my sister-in-law because she’s incapable of living alone any more. But her mind is still brilliant. She still does filing and checking purchase orders for my sis and bro-in-law's business that they run out of their home. I always go spend some quality time with her when I go to Tulsa. She has all the excuses she would need to not remember I came by or to not call me regularly. But she’s on point to call me to see if I’m doing okay. Her humor is still intact. On my birthday, she called to say that she was celebrating me by eating yogurt and drinking coffee. She’s hilarious without even trying. And she remembers so much – well, not so much the meal she had for lunch, but the childhood friends she had and the baseball team she played on, complete with details about her home runs.
Why am I saying all this? Maybe it's because of my recent birthday and the continual reminder to keep active and doing things that matter – especially taking the time to show others that they matter. It’s so easy to make a phone call to a friend to catch up, but “stuff” gets in the way and we never make that call. It’s easy to send a quick text message with emoticons instead of saying the words “I love you.” It’s so easy to send an email when someone really needs to know that we thought about them enough to send a handwritten letter or card.
Maybe it’s time we use our brains for reading more, researching more, writing more and good old arithmetic more AND even using our brains for stretching our faith to believe more. "Whatever a man thinks in his heart – so is he" Proverbs 23:7. Mom and I both know our limitations these days but we both do what we can because we know "Use it so we don't lose it!"
Saturday, January 27, 2018
It's Clean-Up, Clean-Out, Clean-In Time!
CLEAN is my word of the day: washed, scrubbed, cleansed, pure, clear, fresh, virtuous, good, upright, honest, sober
About this time of year, many of us start to think about “Spring Cleaning”. We accumulate so much clutter (you know those little corners where we stack up mail, flyers and magazines), that we start getting weary from just walking by that corner. We need to CLEAN-UP! Then there’s the closets full of winter wear – boots, coats, gloves, hats – squeezed in so tight you couldn’t get another item in it. We need to CLEAN-OUT! Then there’s the attic that bears our seasonal decorations, old furniture, hunting equipment, years and years of boxes of tax records and more building materials than you could shake a stick at! Okay, I just described our attic just after my Sweetheart graduated to heaven. When I climbed those stairs and looked in the attic, I hollered “RONALD WUERCH, how could you leave without CLEANING OUT this mess?” LOL!
Most importantly in this CLEANING mission, is my utmost desire to CLEAN-IN. In Galatians 5, St. Paul reminds us of those things that need to be cleaned out of our hearts: hatred, anger, fighting, jealousy, gossiping, complaining, criticizing, selfishness, etc.
Bottom line…..it’s clean up, clean out and clean in time for those of us who sincerely desire that the bandwagon we are on is the one that brings immeasurable blessings, peace and joy.
You know how a fresh, clean house feels? Shouldn't we desire that fresh, clean house feel, inside AND out? It comes by asking the Master House Cleaner (Holy Spirit) to come more than once a month to clean. We want Him to show up every day to remind us ....Psalm 24:3,4 "Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has CLEAN hands and a pure heart"
Sunday, October 9, 2016
Are You a Scatterbrain?
Scatterbrain -- a person who is unable to concentrate or think clearly. If I didn't know better, that's what I would call myself lately. My thoughts seem to be here, there and everywhere. And while they’re everywhere, I've misplaced my keys, my cell phone, my computer cord, my ring and bracelet and even an important document. Yikes!! Thank goodness, I've recovered it all, and now I'm focused on reeling myself in to losing that "scatterbrain" name!
You know the deal. Our thoughts can get so scattered because of so much going on inside these heads of ours. We're multi-tasking -- we're going after something while we're cooking, while at the same time we're talking or texting on our phones. So much to do with so little time to do it all. Being clear headed and clear minded often seems like a lofty goal. But that's the goal I have for myself. I want to have my head on straight, my mind alert and my tasks focused on what God has for me in that moment and in that time.
The crux of the matter is our minds are everywhere except being on the ONE Who brings balance and focus to everything in our lives. Overtaxing our minds is so unnecessary when our Father God promised He'd bring peace to our chaos if we'd keep our minds on Him. "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You." (Isaiah 26:3)
I sincerely want the mind of Christ. I want His ways that are so much higher than my ways. I want his thoughts that are so much higher than my thoughts. I know that my life is on purpose. I know that His plans are greater than any plan that I could ever make for myself. So, NO, I am NOT a scatterbrain. I am intuitive, aware, focused, thoughtful, purposeful, attentive, sharp, and creative. I know I can choose my thoughts and think things on purpose. Proverbs 23:7 says, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” I want to have that kind of THINK TANK that believes "anything is possible with God". I'm committing to set my mind on He Who knows everything about everything, so that's what I'm doing RIGHT NOW!
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and LEAN NOT to your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will give you (and me) the desires of our hearts!" Proverbs 3:5,6
Friday, January 22, 2016
Cleaning Up -- Cleaning Out -- Cleaning In
It's TOTAL Clean-Up, Clean-Out, Clean-In Time!
Last week I posted about "cleaning up" -- closets, cabinets, clothes, etc. And, I'm quite pleased to say "I conquered!" Yesterday, however, I took it another step. I realized how much time I was spending going through my emails each day. Valuable time being consumed by advertisements, alerts, and even, in my effort to consume as much "Good News" as possible each day, I had devotions and motivations "overload" coming in daily.
It wasn't just the emails that consumed precious time, but often the advertisements would entice me to go to that store for their sale or go shopping on their website. So, more precious time was given to "wants" not "needs" in my life. So, I purged and cleaned out. I "unsubscribed" well over 40 or 50 stores, businesses, news and not needed daily emails. There was one store that I really liked and was even tempted to go by there today, when once again that still small voice said...."PURGE". I did.
There were also some unproductive activities that were taking my valuable time -- time away for those meaningful activities that I needed to pursue. No longer do I have computer games showing up in my news feed, because once upon a time, I'd have to check them out, and if I found one that was challenging and fun, I'd play, and before long, I realized I was hooked.
Long ago there were some TV shows that I recorded that weren't so optimistic and peace-building and I removed them -- those shows that contained immorality, violence, crude language, etc. I'm so glad I did. I even removed those political talk shows that just went on and on in negativity and slamming someone for their convictions. Proverbs 23:7 says "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." I sure don't want to be thinking those thoughts.
Yes, I know I'm starting to sound like "Miss Goody 2 Shoes" and that's not my intent. My intent is to be a fully devoted follower of Christ and in order to do and be that, it means my choices must align with His desires and best wishes for me. "What Would Jesus Do?" certainly provides the benchmark for me. I suspect that maybe you're also feeling some nudges to clean "house" -- the spirit "house" within us. Clean in.
Proverbs 4:20-23 "My son, give attention to My words; Incline your ear to My sayings. Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; for they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. KEEP YOUR HEART with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life."
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