Memories

CHANGE THE CHANNEL

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CHANNEL MIND
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 Corinthians 10:5 KJV

Hello My Dear Friends!  Forgive me for being so long away from my post.  (Pun definitely intended!)  I have no real excuse.  At times I can be a master of procrastination and sometimes for prolonged periods of time.  It’s kind of like the beautiful fruit tree blooming in my front yard.  I looked out the other day and it was covered with butterflies!  But when I got close to them to take a picture, they all flitted away.   Similarly all of these lovely thoughts bloom in my mind just longing to be immortalized on the written page.  But like the elusive butterflies, when I get close to accomplishing my goal, the discipline to carry it out seems to flit away as the menial tasks of the day take over.  But not today!  Today I want to capture the thoughts and just like those butterflies, milk the nectar from each bloom and share it with you.

I have Sirius Radio in my car and I love it!  It is commercial free and I can listen to my preference in music 24/7 if I like.  I choose to listen to the Escape channel, which is easy listening music, mostly instrumental.  I find it to be so soothing after a long day at work. But I have discovered that not everyone agrees with my choice.  As soon as my daughter gets in the car her first priority is to change the channel.  Okay, I get it!  She is from a totally different generation.  Then the other day a friend drove my car and upon returning the keys said, “I changed your radio station.  You’ll have to change it back.”  My thoughts were, “How could anyone not like that type of music!  What is wrong with these people!”  But you know what…I had absolutely no problem changing the station back to the music I enjoy.  It is my prerogative.

I liken this illustration to the channels of thought we allow to play in our mind.  The human brain produces approximately 70,000 thoughts in an average day. There are 86,400 seconds in a 24 hour day. That means we have a different thought every 1.2 seconds.  Wow!  That’s incredible, but believable!  Sometimes I think my brain is working triple-time.  When I speak, my speech is halting because I have so many thoughts in my head I can’t decide which one to say first!  I have to discipline myself to stop, regroup, then proceed.

But we don’t always think about things that are mentally, emotionally or spiritually healthy.  And often we don’t think about what we’re thinking about.  We just let our mind tune in to whatever station happens to be on and accept whatever thoughts play in our brain.  We daydream about what might have been or should have been.  We ruminate about mistakes long past and irreversible.  We feel guilty and  beat ourselves up all over again.  Whoa!  Enough of the funeral dirge!  We need to change the channel!!!

In other words, the channel we are tuned to is bringing us down.  Have you every heard anyone refer to “a chain of thought” or “a train of thought”?  That’s because like the links on a chain or the cars on a train, one thought leads to another.  The thought you started out with is followed by many others that may or may not be related.  A train of positive thought can digress to the point of pulling a load of  worry, regret, despair, and defeat.

We have to make ourselves constantly aware of what we’re thinking about in order to do a turn-about.  In other words, when you realize what is happening, change the channel!!!  Reprogram your playlist!  Uncouple those cars to release the negative thoughts and hook up to some positive ones.  Unchain your soul!

Focus on things that will build you up rather tear you down.  Renew your mind with the promises in God’s Word. Philippians 4:8 says, “And now one final thing.  Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable.  Think about things that are admirable and worthy of praise.”  The implied subject in this verse is…YOU!  You fix your thoughts.  You think about what is admirable and praiseworthy.  It’s up to you!  If you want to allow those old “somebody done somebody wrong songs” to permeate your mind, be my guest.  But as for me…I’m changing the channel!!!

When depression is trying to overtake you, change the channel to praise!  When lack is trying to fill you with worry, change the channel to replay the times the Lord has graciously supplied your needs.  When someone has treated you badly, change the channel to recall all the wonderful family and friends who support you.  I think you get the picture.  Changing the channel can change your attitude and your life!  Think about what your thinking about and change the channel now!

 

Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, And Happy New Year!

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christmas-tree

There is a season (a time appointed) for everything
and a time for every delight and event or purpose under heaven—
Ecclesiastes 3:1 AMP

This is the season of falling leaves and bare trees…when most things green lose their vibrant colors and morph into dismal browns and grays. Perhaps that’s the reason that the celebration of Halloween is scheduled for this time of year. Halloween with its ghosts, goblins, witches, jack-o-lanterns and all things that pertain to the macabre, is not unlike the dead leaves that cover the ground leaving the trees resembling naked skeletons.

Most Christians don’t celebrate Halloween as such, but have Fall Festivals and Trunk or Treat. The attendees are encouraged to dress as characters that don’t necessarily celebrate the dark side as they go from car to car in the church parking lot receiving candy from the trunks. There are often rides and games and face painting…fun times in a safe atmosphere!

The objects associated with Halloween, however, conjure feelings of fear, darkness and demon spirits. Things of which, we as Christians don’t want to be a part. Therefore we have reinvented its meaning to our children and allow them to participate according to our definition. But as I was thinking about all of this, I had an interesting idea come to mind regarding the connotation of Halloween and its placement in the holiday season.

Following closely behind Halloween on our yearly holiday docket is a lovely event called Thanksgiving! Simply enunciating the word “Thanksgiving”, diametrically opposed to Halloween, evokes feelings of warmth and contentment. My first thoughts are of extended family, turkey and dressing, pumpkin pie and lots and lots of chatter and laughter as everyone catches up on a year’s worth of events in a single day! What a contrast to Halloween and its dismal mental pictures of death and destruction. Thanksgiving doesn’t have to have its story rewritten to allow children to participate. On the contrary, it is an uplifting story of adventure, hardship overcome, cooperation, goodwill and overwhelming thankfulness for overflowing blessings from God. How fitting that it should follow behind Halloween and not precede it!

And next on our list, always anticipated immediately after Thanksgiving is the unprecedented holiday that we wait for all year…Christmas! Christmas…the season of brotherly love, giving, jingling bells, carols and intense shopping. But most importantly, it is the celebration of the ultimate gift to mankind…Jesus Christ the Son of God, Emmanuel, Prince of Peace! All things good are encapsulated in this glorious time of year. Its contagion spreads to those who believe and those who do not. Only those who are absolute in their refusal are not affected by this magical time of year. And for Christians, it brings joy unspeakable, as we remember the origin of our faith and the birth of our Savior as we sing with the angels, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men!”

We barely and grudgingly let go of Christmas when another holiday sticks its head around the corner and bids us a “Happy New Year”! We look forward to new, bold beginnings as we jot down or make mental notes of our new year’s resolutions. And although many of us don’t keep all of them in the long run, still hope is instilled as we meditate on the possibilities of changed attitudes, changed body shapes, changed monetary situations and a bright future ahead.

So in summary, you might say that “Halloween”, the Holiday of The Macabre, gives way to “Thanksgiving”, The Holiday of Thankfulness that makes way for “Christmas”, The Holiday of Love that ushers in “New Year’s Eve”, The Holiday of Hope. And as the cycle begins again…we hope on and dream on and live on for another year of celebrations!

A MOTHER’S REFLECTIONS

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MOTHERS DAY
He gives the childless woman a family,
making her a happy mother.
Praise the Lord! Psalm 113:9 NLT

I entitled this post, “Reflections of a Mother”, because my children are grown and I now have the grand title of “Meme” to my grandchildren. All I have now are memories of their childhood, and sad to say, even those tend to fade as I get older. I still remember looking out the picture window at my son waiting for the school bus when he was in elementary school. He would sign the words, “I love you” and I would sign back the same…precious memories. I remember my daughter singing to me even when she couldn’t pronounce the words correctly. (She still sings and writes music.) Sometimes the mispronunciation was very humorous, but I didn’t laugh…precious memories.

Then came the preteen years when it seemed anything I said or did embarrassed them. I never could figure out why and they never seemed to know definitively. It certainly wasn’t deliberate. But as you know, I’m a little outspoken. They preferred that I keep ALL my opinions to myself. But as a child, I was very bashful and didn’t want them to be that way.

The year my son was entering college, their father and I divorced. It was a hard time for everyone. My son was very angry with me and lashed out verbally on many occasions. I kept asking myself, “Why is he so angry with me and not his father?” Then it came to me…I’m his mother. He knows I love him unconditionally. He knows he can vent his anger on me without serious repercussions. It wasn’t easy, but I did understand. After all, that’s the way my Heavenly Father loves me…unconditionally and with much grace!

However, I must have done something right as a mother. Both of my children are happily married and productive members of society. My daughter has made me a grandmother to four beautiful girls that she home schools. My son works in the corporate office of Virginia College. I am very proud of both of them and give God the glory!

That’s the encapsulated background of my motherhood. Now that I’m pushing sixty (I won’t tell you which way I’m pushing!), I feel that I am experienced enough to give you some advice on the subject if you’re interested. And if you are…please read on, though it may seem a little lengthy. You really don’t expect me to give a lifetime of advice in a few sentences, do you?

(1) LIGHTEN UP!
I can look back now and see so many things that would have made time with my children more enjoyable if I’d just lightened up! One facet of my personality is perfectionism. When my children were small, I didn’t even realize it. Have you ever noticed that things that are blatantly obvious to other people, we often receive with a blind eye. When I was pregnant with my son, my first, I was petrified that I wouldn’t get to the hospital on time. I had hair below my waist and I was so paranoid that it wouldn’t be fresh when I went to the hospital, I washed it every other day. My poor son was probably traumatized before he came out of the womb!

(2) ENJOY EVERY MOMENT
Even in the trying times and mundane tasks that are required of motherhood, make an effort to savor the moment. So they found your scissors and cut off all their beautiful curls…it will grow back! Or maybe they used themselves as a human canvas with permanent marker!!! Don’t blow! Use it as a teaching tool, although it takes every effort not to manifest your horror.

(3) DO YOUR BEST NOT TO STRESS
This was the hardest for me, being a perfectionist. Stop for just a moment before jumping into crisis mode and ask the Lord to give you peace, wisdom and understanding. Most things in life are not worth the pounding stress gives your body. Ask yourself, “Is this permanent? Is it fixable? Will it make an impact on our lives a year from now?” If not, its not worth the stress.

(4) MAKE TIME FOR YOURSELF
This is something I rarely did when rearing my children. (By the way, I was a stay-at-home mom, so I was with them constantly.) I felt guilty when I made time for myself…a false guilt of course. It doesn’t have to be long periods of time, just little moments to reflect on your own hopes and desires. Spend five or ten minutes in a devotional time each morning. God understands your busy schedule. It doesn’t take Him long to speak peace into your day. Give Him the opportunity and give yourself the pleasure of His blessing.

(5) MAKE TIME FOR YOUR HUSBAND
Many times as mothers, our children become priority and our husband gets left behind in the whirlwind of numerous activities and projects. Don’t let it happen! He needs your love and attention too. If you can’t work out a date night, just put the kids to bed early and enjoy some alone time. It is of utmost importance! Many marriages don’t last after children come because couples grow apart in the wake of increased responsibility.

In short, if I had the whole motherhood thing to do over again with the insight I have now, I would live, laugh, love, breath in life deeply and only exhale after holding it as long as possible!

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY, MY SISTERS AND FRIENDS!

MOTHERS DAY HEARTS