Internal Thoughts

Philippians 4:8 “And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” NLT

I’ll never lose this weight. I just wasn’t meant to be thin. It’s genetic, and there’s nothing I can do about it. I’m just not good enough. If I had more faith, this would be a breeze. I’m just a failure, and that’s all there is to it. Who am I kidding? People will just think I’m trying to be something I’m not.

All of these thoughts ran through my head on a daily basis. If I’m honest, I’ll admit that they still run through my head from time to time. I heard a pastor say one time, “God convicts; Satan condemns.” That quote has changed my entire thinking process when it comes to myself. The bad thoughts that come to mind when I’m feeling down are only whispered to me by Satan, but I choose whether or not to believe them.

See, Satan is the author of lies. Therefore, whatever he says to us, we can be sure, is a lie. Jesus, however, speaks truth, life, love. How do we know the difference? When Jesus speaks critically in our lives, it’s out of love and always offers a solution and an offer of forgiveness. When Satan speaks critically in our lives, the message is always ultimate failure and leads to depression and even death.

In this chapter of Philippians, Paul is closing his letter but offers them this encouragement. He says that if they give up worrying, pray about all things, they will experience true peace. Therefore, he says, to think about things that are good. 

Our thought process drastically affect us. I believe that the trail of my thoughts affects how I make decisions, how I treat others, and ultimately, my relationship with Him. If I’m not careful, my joy is stolen, my peace is gone, and I’m filled with anxiety. But Jesus offers peace, contentment, and fulfillment. How I longed for a life with those things...in every area of my life. He brings them all! And He wants you to see yourself just as He sees you, with love.

When it comes to my physical fitness, I’m still a little awkward. I don’t have as much coordination as others do, I can easily get embarrassed and frustrated. But I have to keep my focus on the purpose of my exercise. And I have to keep my focus on being as healthy as I can possibly be so that I can serve Him longer.

What are your internal thoughts about yourself? Do you see yourself as God sees you? Read the entire chapter of Philippians and remember what encouragement that Christ gives us.

Encouragement for Today

Titus 3:10 “If anyone is causing divisions among you, give a first and a second warning. After that, have nothing more to do with that person.” NLT

2 Corinthians 10:5 “With these weapons we break down every proud argument that keeps people from knowing God. With these weapons we conquer their rebellious ideas, and we teach them to obey Christ.” NLT

Raising Kids is not as easy as it looks

Heath and I decided after putting our daughter through a year and half of conventional school that homeschooling was the right decision for our family. We based this decision on the fact at that time that she wasn't learning the things we felt that she should for the grade level she was in. We also knew that public schools no longer hold God in the highest regard and therefore, we want no part of it.

I am on facebook daily, and I have joined several homeschool type groups on there, but I'll be honest...I never really read their posts...that is, until now. Several days ago, there was a link posted to this particular article:http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/03/AR2010030303075.html

Written by George F. Will of the Washington Post, this article outlines a new book entitled, Nature Shock: New Thinking About Children. Apparently authors,Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman, feel that what they call "modern parents" who constantly build up their children are doing their offspring a harm. They go on to say that children who are encouraged do not deal well with failure. They say that parents who praise their children are actually praising themselves and Children who open their lunchboxes and find mothers' handwritten notes telling them how amazingly bright they are tend to falter when they encounter academic difficulties"

To say the least, I do not agree with the reporter or the book. While their viewpoint may have validity when it comes to the refusal to keep score in kids' soccer games or the practice of teaching kids to jump rope without a rope (in case they trip and feel let down), these are extreme examples.

You may have noticed the recent Hallmark commercial where the little girl is sitting in class and the teacher announces that it's test time. She opens a Hallmark card from her mom that encourages her and gives her the self-confidence to do well on her test.

Psychologists have loonnnnggg stated that children need encouragement and self-confidence. They may succeed without it, but they are a whole lot more likely to succeed with it.

The world tears children down faster than we could ever build them up. Just yesterday, I heard a story on Yahoo! News about a teacher in Buncombe County, North Carolina, that wrote on a 6th grader's paper,

"-20% for being a loser." Every time the student missed a question, instead of a check mark, the teacher would write "loser" out to the side of the missed question. Perfect example.

Not only are our children dealing with self-doubt and peer pressure, now they have to worry about teachers who don't like them and teachers that write "loser" on their papers.

What's wrong with encouragement? When I started school 25 years ago, it was extremely hard to face peers who made fun of me and therefore, I always had self doubts...throughout school. Home was the only safe place for me, and I knew my parents loved me...because they told me they loved me and they placed a sense of self-confidence in me that I was smart and capable of anything. I hate to think about what I would've been if my parents had just said, "Well, deal with it."

Why can't we teach our children that they're smart and a good person AND teach them that failure is going to happen and teach them how to deal with it? Why can't we tell them that failure is going to happen, but it doesn't mean that they're any less of a person because of it?

I love my kids. And I want them to know it.