My Red River Trip Turns Out to be a Reboot

It’s a blessing when blog content shows up when I least expect it. I’ve cherished this time with family as we fish, eat together, travel the countryside, and carry on conversations about our lives (after so many years apart). But, this day, I wanted to go solo. I wanted to take in the sights, sounds, smells, visit the little shops, have lunch on my own -- eating what I wanted. It turned out to be chocolate ice cream in a waffle cone. Yum!

On their way to their fishing spot, I asked Larry and Staci to drop me off where the town area started. I would walk the distance to the end – going back and forth across the street, and if I tired out, then I would call on the free trolley to take me back to our RV park. Easy peasy!

The first shop was “The Bobcat” – Fine Handcrafted, Southwest & Indian Jewelry & Pottery Store. I started to walk past it. I wasn’t interested in “fine” which denoted pricey to me. But, one of “those” nudges sent me in. I’m glad I obeyed. I was met by a lovely older woman: “Welcome! Take your time. Feel free to touch, pick up, and look at anything you want. Let me know if I can help you!” I was enamored by the beautiful art and “fine” jewelry that was displayed, and told “Shirley” so. I asked how long she’s owned the store – 30 years. She closes the shop down in the winter. That’s when she works at Baylor Hospital in Dallas. I asked “Baylor on Gaston Ave?” Yes. That struck a chord with me because my mom was the manager of a uniform shop directly across from Baylor Hospital for many years. Baylor is also where my dad had brain surgery. She remembered the uniform shop. We were on some common ground.

Then even more common ground when I spied a Bible on her counter with a basket of crosses in it. A local woodcarver makes them for her to give away. “Take one or more!” I took one. I commented that I loved her boldness to display the Bible. She said “That’s my Bible.” I knew I wanted to buy a little something to express my appreciation for her generosity and beautiful spirit. I saw a basket of pierced earrings and my eyes fell on the sterling silver dimes -- $16. I can do that! I asked who the lady was – Shirley didn’t know but I googled it and found it is Lady Liberty. She said, “Just put those in your purse. They’re yours!” I resisted her offer but to no avail. Now I knew I wanted to find something that represented Red River and New Mexico here. My eyes fell immediately on this beautiful Holy Family (both front and back finished). Perfect! I asked about the artist. Shirley said: “Her name is Susie Reed. She’s from Fort Sumner, New Mexico. She’s a potter. She is a delightful lady. She took care of her brother until he died of cancer. She didn’t pot for a whole year. I have the most wonderful potters. There’s good people here.” This beautiful pottery piece (front and back) would be the Red River “something” I wanted to take home to remind me of this wonderful town, its people, its Christian values and my blessing to have experienced this sweet heaven-to-earth week here.

That was just the beginning of this God-orchestrated day as I met lovely innkeepers when I looked for accommodations for a friend coming here next week. That, of itself, gave me more insight and appreciation for this little town – such courtesy and kindness displayed everywhere. I went into several stores that were playing Christian music. I saw “The Way” Coffee Shop, with “Pray for America and 2 Chronicles 7:14” in the window. I thought: “Is this place for real? Or am I on a much-needed brain-cleanse from the gnarly, bitter, and hateful stuff that penetrates into our mind on a daily basis?” I think that’s what God had in mind for me on this trip and on this day. I needed a reboot.

I was walking on air from the sweet moments of this day -- so the walk back from town to our RV park was a cinch. Seriously, we don’t have to go to New Mexico or any other distant location to find peace of mind and to recognize God in the everyday of living. As long as "The Lord is our Shepherd", He will lead us to the green pastures and the still waters for our souls to be restored -- no matter where we are! (Psalm 23)

I had rebooted and my mind was renewed. Of all the treasures I'll take home with me from here, is God is everywhere -- it is just us recognizing Him in everything -- everywhere.

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

Is Your Computer Virus Free?

Day 220 of Photo Inspirations -- Is Your Computer Virus Free?
We know how productive we can be when our computers are operating at top performance.  And we also know how absolutely counter-productive we can be when something causes our computers to crash or it has a virus that consumes it.

I remember when my laptop computer was infected with a virus and it was sending out all kinds of erroneous garbage to my contact list.  I had to change my passwords and send out apology messages to my friends and family.   And, there was the time when my computer completely crashed.  I lost everything on it and had to start my files and correspondence all over again.

Yes, our computers are so valuable and of such importance to us, that now we use security, filters, and firewalls to help protect them and we do regular back-up of our information.  But what about us? We are sophisticated, advanced, powerful, intricate, masterfully-designed and crafted, highly intelligent, capable of so much input AND output -- Creation by Almighty God.

Our minds are really like a computer, and how we program it and input into it, is what our output will be.  Inexpensive, 2nd-rate software can be installed in us that causes us to literally crash -- (i.e., negative thinking and negative speaking).  A virus that comes from an external source (i.e., the enemy of our souls) can make its way in and infects our thinking, our reasoning, and our ability to progress.   That's the time we need to use the DELETE button and reprogram ourselves with software that says "I am more than a conqueror"; "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me", "Greater is He Who is in me than he that is in the world", "I am blessed in the city; I am blessed in the field; I am blessed going in; I am blessed going out."  That is the input we need and the output will be conquering, winning and being blessed.  

It's time we get really good at hitting the DELETE button and then say, "I am who God says I am, not who anyone else says I am.  No one can make me feel inferior without my permission.  Voices from the past are no longer a stronghold over me."  When voices say, "You'll never get ahead."  DELETE.  "You're stupid." DELETE.  "You're defective."  DELETE.  Say, "I am equipped, well able, I will fullfill my destiny.  All things will change when I hit the DELETE button. God says I am His masterpiece. I am not defective or flawed.  God has crowned me with his favor.  I am the apple of His eye, and one of His prized possessions.  I am accepted, approved, and I am valuable."

Maybe, it's time to reboot, reprogram, re-input, and renew your mind  (your computer).  And, for goodness sake, we MUST keep our computer CLEAN, free from viruses.  We must make sure our FIREWALL is working well -- the FIREWALL of God's Word that protects against the adversary's devices and tactics.  And, remember to DELETE when necessary!