June 11, 2021 Friday morning
Just a quick update. I am working in Steve's business today and then I am going to the wedding of a dear friend's daughter! We are so excited for them as they start life together with The Lord! I know that Steve would dearly love to share in this blessed event, but I will chat all about it with him when I see him. I talked to night nurse Gary this morning, Steve had an uneventful night except that his heart rate needs to slow down. He is on medicine to do that and the danger for Steve is that when it gets that high a flutter appears on the monitor. When that happens, they are afraid of clots being formed and causing problems. So big prayers are for peace over his heart rate.
My middle sister Kirsten is going in today with Kaiti to visit Steve and we are hoping that Riley and Adam can go up tomorrow. They usually only allow one visitor per day, but since Kaiti is still pretty young, she is signed off on having an adult with her. They are making a special exception for Adam since he can't walk very far and needs a wheelchair to see Steve, so Riley is taking him up. I get to see him on Sunday!
I've been thinking about how my mind is like a battlefield. Sometimes, I hear something or something happens and the negative thoughts, criticisms and judgements are so loud. I have to fight them off. Sometimes it is through forgiving whatever wrong was done, or sometimes choosing to trust in God's timing and ways over what is going on in front of my eyes. Sometimes, I just start entertaining negative thoughts about myself or situation. Whatever is going on, it is so important to stop and examine what I am thinking, bringing it out of my thoughts and into the light either by writing it or speaking it out. Many times the thought is ridiculous and self defeating, like I can't do such and such, it is too hard. Stopping the thought and bringing it into the open stops that downward cycle and it can then be put through God's wringer(an old fashioned washing machine) of truth. The negative thoughts and lies get squeezed out like the dirty water. The truth is I can do things, lots of things, and if I am meant to do something then God will help me or send someone to help me do it! I am not helpless or unable to learn. In fact I am fearlessly and wonderfully made! SO ARE YOU!
It says in 2 Corinthians 10:5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. These arguments are the negative thoughts and the pretensions are false beliefs that we put above God's truth for us, our identity and our purpose. We are commanded to take captive those thoughts. We do that by being reflective and forcing ourselves to be aware of the thoughts going on in our mind. We make our mind obedient to Christ by choosing to not partner with these thoughts and instead lean into The Lord and replace the thoughts with all the many verses about our identity and purpose in Him. Here are the verses from the Message version. I love how direct the language is. 2 Corinthians 10:4-6 The world is unprincipled. It’s dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn’t fight fair. But we don’t live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren’t for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity.
This isn't some positive thinking thing. This is a weapon, a weapon that when used, it gets easier and easier to use it, and, easier to catch your thoughts and correct them. This weapon brings peace, it fills us with His truth about our true identity in Him, it makes us stronger in Him to face adversity, it is the start of being a vessel for Him to pour out blessing onto others. This is a daily and sometimes minute by minute battle. When the battle is hard, I have to listen and speak scripture to overcome. I have to praise to get out of the hole. Just a fun fact, did you know that 80% of most people's thoughts are negative? Not only that, but, of those negative thoughts, 95% are repetitive! Capture those thoughts! Here is the article for those stats: https://faithhopeandpsychology.wordpress.com/2012/03/02/80-of-thoughts-are-negative-95-are-repetitive/amp/
Love you all, will update most likely tomorrow!
Here is the blog to Nightbirde, the video I sent from America's Got Talent. UNBELIEVABLE FAITH!!!
https://www.nightbirde.co/ The blogpost is "God is on the bathroom floor" Don't miss it!
Comments
- Fine HeartLOVE these words of life and thank you for the reminder to take every thought captive. You explained it so well. It is not just "positive thinking". It is believing God's promises, believing who God is, believing who made us to be and our purpose in Him. Praise Him!6/11/21
- Jeannine Santo ZupoThank you for your honesty and wisdom. And I love Nightbirde. She’s another inspiration! Praying for you all.6/11/21
- Christine MonteiroHeather - I want to tell you that your open, honest sharing of your faith through this time is indescribably beautiful. You shimmer with the grace of God. And I know He holds you tenderly in His care. You and Steve, and your whole family are in my constant prayers.6/11/21
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