Let’s Get Our Thinkers…..Thinking!

Our minds can be battlefields -- especially when the good, the bad and the ugly are warring with each other. I experienced it recently when, within five minutes, two different car drivers cut me off to get a better place in my lane. Oh, how I wanted to honk-explode on them -- but didn't. I could feel my blood boiling and really wanted to react. But, thank God, I didn't. I've come to know that the only person I'm getting even with is myself when I overreact. Here's how we can get our thinkers thinking beyond the present moment:

1. Think about Jesus. We’ve heard the saying, “You become what you think about most.” We must fill our thoughts with Him if we want to become more like Jesus.

“Think about Jesus’ example. He held on while wicked people were doing evil things to Him. So, do not get tired and stop trying”. (Hebrews 12:3)

2. Think about others. That is so opposite to what the world teaches us to think about our self and nobody else. Jesus was always counter cultural. When we think about Him, we’ll more easily think of others.

“Don’t just think about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and in what they are doing”. (Philippians 2:4)

1. Think about Jesus. We’ve heard the saying, “You become what you think about most.” If we want to become more like Jesus, we must fill our thoughts with Him.

3. Think about eternity. When we start focusing on truths like that, all of our problems are going to seem inferior compared to the glory, the joy, and the pleasure of the things we have to look forward to in eternity.

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor 2:9)

Our mind is our greatest asset and our greatest battleground. We'll win our battles when we ask God to help us make the choice every day to feed on His Word and fill our mind with Jesus, others and eternity. Let’s get our “thinkers” thinking about our good, good Father Who loves His kids so, so much and Who intends us to win and WIN BIG!

"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;" (2 Cor 10:5)

How Do You Use Your Lightning-Fast Mind?

In the 90s, as the Associate Director of Communications at the University of Manitoba, I received this Inuit stone carving in appreciation for the “innovative idea” I had for an intra-campus courier service. Of course, we’ll have great ideas for witty inventions and innovations if we actually use these “lightning fast minds” that were made in the image of our Great Innovator and Creator. Just think about the brilliant minds of Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg or Jeff Bezos in this generation and how they took the limits and restrictions off their minds and CREATED.

I like to think that I used my “innovative” thoughts similarly to those brilliant minds who did something that met a need. Oh, that we would put our thoughts to good use to meet needs and create solutions to problems instead of negative thoughts and actions that think “No way can that be done!” “That’s a dumb idea!” “It will cost too much!” “It will take too long!” We can put these God-given brains and minds to good use if we realize the potential that lies inside us. St. Paul told us how to use our “thinkers”. Philippians 4:8 “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.”

Imagine a world where we thought only about “these things”. It would be a world that creativity flowed even beyond where we are today. It would be a world where we honored God with our thoughts and then the words and actions of that honor would produce world changers and history makers.

These thoughts regarding being a creator and thinker were spawned from an article I read yesterday about a new, creative idea of a young adult librarian from the Riverside branch of the New York Public Library. Her idea became reality last month when the library began to offer neckties, bow ties, handbags and briefcases intended for people with limited resources who are heading for job interviews, auditions or any other events for which they need to dress up.

Michelle Lee came up with the concept while teaching a free class at the library about job seeking and résumé making. She told the high school students: “You want to look professional. You shouldn’t be bringing a backpack to a job interview." She was surprised by their reaction. “For a lot of them, it was eye-opening because they never thought about it. One of the students said he didn’t have anything like that. The other kids said ‘I don’t have nice things.’” She realized the students needed more than a résumé class. She said, “It got me thinking if the library could help,” she said. (My thought: She used her "thinker")

She felt that she already had the teens' attention because many of them use the library as a hangout spot after school, often doing homework on computers, or borrowing laptops. So she drafted a proposal for the ties and handbags and submitted it to the library’s Innovation Project, a program that allows library staffers to suggest ideas and solutions to problems they come across, with a budget of about $3,000 or less each. After a submission period, the staff voted Lee’s project a winner. With funding from the Charles H. Revson Foundation, which sponsors the Innovation Project, she bought 12 handbags and briefcases new from Amazon -- priced between $40 and $120 -- and the ties and pocket squares were donated, including by an employee at Bloomingdale’s.

Lee said she thinks the lending program will be useful because many teens and adults use the library to work on résumés or apply for jobs. The library already refers patrons who need business attire to organizations that lend clothes. She figured that allowing people to check out ties and bags would fill a need.
Library patrons with less than $15 in fines are eligible to borrow the ties and bags for a three-week span.

What a great example of using her “thinker” for good!! What if we only allowed creativity and ideas and good thinking to come into and out of our minds? Just imagine a home where the wife and mom used her mind to create “systems” that caused her home to function better. Just a imagine a secretary that offered her mind to come up with solutions for the supply room or filing system. Just imagine freeing up our minds of the useless trash, negative thinking to open the door of our minds to be “thinkers” of possibilities!

This Frisco/Dallas Traffic is MY Traffic -- Mine Versus Mind

Have you ever seen a baby that’s just beginning to talk, and one of the first words he speaks, especially if he has an older sibling, is “Mine”! The sibling or little friend may be trying to play with one of his toys, when the baby grabs it back and says “Mine!” Undoubtedly, the parent’s watchful eye will navigate the situation and endeavor to teach the little one to change his mind, “Yes, they’re your toys, but they are for you to share with your brother (sister or friend)!”

A couple of days ago I took Denise, Staci’s family’s valuable assistant/caregiver/BFF, to the airport for a trip home to see her family in Indiana for a few days. It was an early morning flight so the Dallas/Ft Worth traffic was less than other times going to the airport. But, on my return home, the traffic increased substantially. And I was starting my usual consternation about “all this traffic”.

Then I remembered a conversation my son told me that he had with Pastor Ryan Malouff when Ryan and Shawntel were contemplating a move to Austin. They were driving together and the traffic was heavy. Ryan W. asked Pastor Ryan “How in the world can you live here and deal with this Austin traffic?” Pastor Ryan’s response was “Because this is MY traffic and this is MY city that God has called me to, and this is MY opportunity to impact MY traffic and My city!”

That was a heaven-to-earth moment for me, because I could sense God “schooling me” about some poor attitudes I’ve had. Since I’ve moved to Frisco, people have asked me “How do you like Frisco?” And my common first response was “Well, it’s a big city with a lot of traffic -- after all Frisco is the 4th fastest growing city in the U.S., and I had a collision, and I’m still trying to find my rhythm.”

I had a personal epiphany and said to myself, “Donna, (I often speak to myself that way – please don’t judge me – LOL!), are you kidding me that you would lead any conversation with a negative? This is YOUR city now and this is YOUR traffic.” The lightning fast MIND of MINE suddenly thought “Rather than complaining and thinking negatively about this traffic, OWN the traffic and the people inside those vehicles and do what God has called you to – to be a difference maker and pray for those people to become followers of Christ; pray for their financial needs to be met, for their bodies to be healed and for their relationships to be restored.” So, I began to pray. My thoughts then turned to “assignment”. God told His disciples, and to us, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel message”. (Mark 16:15) Why wouldn’t I being speaking “good news” over all this traffic? God gave me an assignment to pray instead of being prey to the enemy’s tactics to bring me anxiety and stress.

Every single day is a learning experience for me. I get it. I know God is still working on me to be the best version of me so that He can use whatever I am and have for Him.

Maybe today there are negative situations that bug you. Maybe it’s the barking dog next door, or the grumpy boss, or the annoying co-worker, or the kids riding their bicycles across your grass, or the traffic you have to deal with on a daily basis. Why don’t we turn it all around and look for the opportunity to speak into those situations “good news” with good prayers? And in that case, “ALL THINGS (including morning and afternoon traffic), will be used by God for good for those who love God and are called according to His purposes.” (Romans 8:28) Even traffic can be something that can be used by God to bless His children!!

Guard Your Mind

Our minds are like a computer. What we put in, is what comes out. On a daily basis we input data, type emails, letters, and use our graphics software to help us make impressive powerpoints and presentations on our computers. We download photos and images. In my case, lots of photos and images. The memory in our computer continues to take in more and more, but eventually, the memory gets filled to capacity, resulting in slowing down its performance.

Yesterday, a friend of mine said, after she couldn’t remember the name of someone, “I hate growing old!” While “maturing” may be attributed to memory loss, I would like to suggest that our memory bank just gets overloaded -- just like our computers. Think of all our minds have consumed all the years of our lifetime. No wonder we have trouble finding where we left our keys or remembering that person’s name.

Our minds are special gifts from God. Our minds can potentially store 100 trillion thoughts. Now that’s what I call an “expanded” memory bank. And it is a tool that God wants to use in fulfilling His purposes for our lives.

That’s why we have to be choosy. We have to control what -- or who we allow into our minds. What’s true of computers is true with humans -- garbage in, garbage out.

Proverbs 4:23 says “More than anything, guard and protect your mind, for life flows from it.”

One of my greatest “aha” moments came when I realized that I can choose my thoughts and think things on purpose. Proverbs 23:7 says, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.”

Maybe your mind has been bombarded with bad news -- something that was such bad news that you became sick to your stomach. I've been there. I had choices to make. Allow those negative, fearful and crippling thoughts to shut me down, or REBOOT. Like the most high tech, leading edge computer that needs to be rebooted when there is a conflict inside, so do we. That same computer can be infected with a virus, and our computer needs to be scanned and cleaned out. So do we. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to come in and remove the doubt, fear and unbelief. I think that’s why God urges us to take one day a week to “recharge”, rest, and go for a charge up at the battery station. Maybe that’s our church, our parish, our place of plugging into the CENTRAL CHARGER.

We put up fences around our homes to keep the pets and children in and the varmints out. Literally we need to put fences around our minds that keep the good, beautiful and pleasant thoughts in and keeps the junk, negativity, fear, evil reports out. We control the doorway to who we allow in our homes. We need to do the same thing with our minds. We can dwell on the negative, think about it, mull it over, and complain about it OR we can do what any great computer can do.....WE CAN DELETE IT.

"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You" . Isaiah 26:3

Gratitude = Love, Peace, Hope & Joy

In June, I'll travel to Seattle to be a part of my 2nd oldest grandson's high school graduation celebrations. I'm so excited. I love being out there with my family. It's always a time of watching my grandchildren perform in their music and sports activities, going on hikes, having parties, playing games, and having so much fun! I'm looking forward to hugs and kisses and "Nana, watch this movie with me" or "Nana, let's go for a walk." I'm so grateful for those times of making memories.

BUT, on the other hand.....I could get in an all-out tizzy if I let myself think about what it takes to get there, and back home again. All that packing, and a day of travelling. And, remembering the stormy weather that meant spending the night in DFW airport. I could think about the flight delays and crying babies on my flight. My baggage was lost too many times to count -- not to mention dealing with cranky passengers and flight attendants. Why in the world would I consider taking another flight?

Wherever we are, wherever we go, whatever we do -- we will encounter "stuff". It's life. Life throws some crazy things our way. But, the bigger picture is.....what are we making of those times? If we exude an attitude of gratitude no matter what comes our way, blessings and God's favors can happen right in the middle of those times if we think and believe, "Good things are coming my way today!" I've learned to pray for divine encounters on my travels -- "What if this flight delay was "heaven sent" so that I could encourage someone?" In fact, that did happen during that DFW overnight experience. We were able to wrap our arms and hearts around a precious elderly woman and bring her peace, in the middle of her storm.

Living with a heart of gratitude, keeps the heart and mind from looking at what we don't have, to what we do have -- and in that place, I've come to experience love, hope and peace that gives me the "knowing" that whatever happens, God is surely a part of the equation to bring about beautiful things for me, as well as for those that God sets up as "my assignment". SEATTLE, here I come!!!!

Whole Lotta Infusion Goin' On!!

Infusion -- To fill or cause to be filled with something; Injection; Instill. That's a word that we've encountered many times in the last several weeks. My Honey has had more than his share of I.V. infusions for hydration, nutrition, medication, blood transfusions, and then on Friday, August 13th, he was infused with the first targeted therapy treatment (chemo). The chemo treatment went well -- no side effects for which we are so grateful.

The next week, went quite well as I continued to give him the antibiotic via I.V. for the staph infection. We also were able to get his pain better managed as we figured out the necessary meds to bring about comfort. He grew stronger as he began physical therapy three times a week. Now we were ready for our next chemo treatment on Friday, August 20th.

All was going well until Friday morning at 5:30 a.m. when I was awakened by Ron violently shaking with chills and rigors. I quickly checked his temperature and it was over 102. We've been directed to call the medical on-call line if that happens. We were quickly urged to go to the Emergency Room as soon as possible. Fortunately, our son had come into town the night before to see us before going to Asia for nine days, so he was able to help me get Ron into the car and to the hospital, as he was very lethargic and unable to communicate. Once determining that there was another type of infection in his body, and his blood pressure being extremely low, we were moved to the intensive care unit for the next 36 hours. Today, Saturday evening, we were moved to a regular room since they've been able to get the infection under control and the blood pressure stabilized.

Another exciting ride on the roller coaster! Many keep asking me, "How do you cope with the ups and downs of your faith journey?" I'll tell you how we continue to believe we are "winning" no matter what we face. Back to how I started this blog…..with the word, "Infusion". When Ron and I first talked about this word, we looked at it two-fold: one, in the medical sense, but then we started saying….."We are also being 'infused' by God's Word as we continue to trust in the many promises of God." Psalms 119:130 says "The entrance (infusion) of Your words gives light." When we meditate on God's Word, it brings light and life. As everyone must know by now, that has been the source of our strength, as we meditate, trust in, and place our hope upon the infallible Word of God. We believe it is crucial for our success. Another verse comes to mind. It says "If your law had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction" -- Psalm 119:92. That is so true. It has been our lifeline. It has been our strength. Yes, we have been literally squeezed during this faith journey, but that's why we want to be so filled with the Word of God that when we are squeezed -- when we are in trouble, or when we are at a loss for human understanding, or when we are faced with situations in life over which we have no control, we must be so filled with the Word of God that we pour out faith and hope and trust in the midst of the storm. That is what has been our "shelter in the time of storm".

In our church, when we are about to hear a Gospel reading (a reading from one of the four Gospels -- Matthew, Mark, Luke or John), we do the sign of the cross on our foreheads (indicating "May this Word be in my mind"), on our lips (indicating "May this Word be in my mouth") and in my heart (indicating "May the Word be in my heart"). How do we actually get those words into our minds, our mouths and our spirits? We meditate on those words 24/7 -- we read them consistently -- we've placed them on the walls of our home -- we speak them consistently over circumstances in our lives. It’s in the music that’s being played in our home. We're surrounding and saturating our lives with the Word of God. Being as intentional with believing, trusting and speaking -- taking in God's words like medicine, as much as we are taking the prescribed medications given to us by our medical team.

Tomorrow a CT scan will be done on Ron to determine the source of the infection. Whatever the outcome, we still believe that "with God all things are possible"! We are INFUSED with those words from Matthew 19:26. That scripture is in a picture frame in our bedroom. We read it daily -- it's in our mind, our mouths and in our heart!!! WE WIN!!