Oct 31, 2009

Greetings My Friend,

I’ve been thinking about my thought life. Before I took Jesus into my heart…..I had a rampant thought life. I had pornographic thoughts, angry thoughts, and unkind thoughts. I hardly ever thought wholesome, kind, things.

My morning shower was a disaster….I allowed my thoughts to wander where ever they willed and usually came out of the shower with a clean body and an unhappy woman. I was depressed, unhappy and dreaded living.

One of the first things I learned as I accepted Jesus in my heart was that He would come live in my heart. I liked the idea that Jesus would be with me ALL the time. I found myself being excited because I was learning that I would never be alone. If I accepted Jesus as my Savior and He was going to live with me All the time – I needed to let go of my awful thought life! It was like when I was a kid. You know…you did not want your parents to know some of the stuff you were into. You wanted them to think you were a good kid, that kind of thing.

I also was reminded of the lesson’s I learned with computers, “Garbage in – Garbage out!” I was finding that what I allowed myself to dwell upon, was in essence was “who” I was. I started to not like “those” thoughts. I was finding that they also kept me depressed, unable to love or even to be loved. So with the Lord’s help, I began to purge my thought life.

I also learned that Jesus will live with you if there is room in your heart. If you fill it with junk, then there isn’t room for Jesus. I asked God to help me. First I realized that my shower time was disastrous. God placed it upon my heart to sing in the shower. I started memorizing hymns. I sang those hymns each morning in the shower. Soon I found that when shower time was over……I wasn’t depressed. I began to see each day as an adventure. That was fun.

I had some deep hurts. They were hard to let go of. Next God placed it on my heart to nail my struggles to the cross. Junior made me a huge wooden cross. I began nailing those hurt’s up on the cross. When I tried to take the struggle back and help God. God would remind me that my struggle was nailed to the cross. I found that I was beginning to leave my struggle with God and not pull it out to chew on. As I learned to leave it at the cross – I began to feel peace. Today, I can picture myself nailing my struggle to the cross – I don’t always have to do it physically anymore. If I can’t, then I will go back and do it physically.

God began to teach me a prayer too. I now pray for people I find difficult to deal with. I ask God to teach me to love them. This is a huge blessing – I don’t hold onto resentment, bitterness or anxiety anymore. I let it go.

Now if my mind begins to wander, to think unwholesome things, to have bitter feelings, I ask God to take those thoughts away from me. I am always amazed, because God is faithful and before I know it….my

thoughts are gone and wholesome thoughts begin to fill me.

One of the struggles I have with Halloween is the invitation we give evil to enter our lives. Children may dress up as evil people, spirits, and witches….stuff like that. I know that it is meant to be in fun….still when we invite evil in….. As your children go out to celebrate, may I suggest that you encourage them to pick things that may not get a foothold in their lives? I believe life is hard enough without…..

May God bless you and keep you, make His face to shine upon you.

Love

Janet