As a Man Thinketh...What are you thinking of Today?

Brothers and sisters, continue to think about what is good and worthy of praise. Think about what is true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected.

—Philippians 4:8

Every time I go outside and look at the zinnias beside the house, my eyes go straight to the dirty siding instead.

When I look at those that line my sidewalk, my eyes go to the dead leaves that flank the bottom of the flowers. It is not a pleasing sight. 

However, when I sit at my kitchen table with my window open wide, the sight of those same flowers, their faces looking up at me, takes my breath away. 

The difference is in my perspective.

Our view on life, or even ourselves, can be much the same way. We can focus on the negative and miss the beauty before us, or we can zoom in on the good things and be awed by how blessed we truly are.

London Bridge is Falling Down: How can we be sure that what we trust in is safe?

Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.

—Deuteronomy 31:8

I cringe (and pray!) every time I have to drive through the arch created when a March wind storm blew one tree over to rest in the limbs of another. But sometimes I make light of the situation, saying the trees are playing London Bridge.

Are you familiar with the children’s singing game? Two children join hands high to form an arch while others march through, each holding onto the waist of the one in front of them. Either the bridge makers or all the children sing:

London Bridge is falling down,

Falling down, falling down,

London Bridge is falling down,

My fair lady.

At the last word, the children forming the bridge quickly lower their arms to capture a prisoner. The song continues with more stanzas like “Get the key and lock her up.”

I have fond memories of playing the game with my siblings and cousins, laughing when I was part of the fallen bridge that captured a prisoner. Now when I approach the foreboding tree arch, I shudder at the thought of being captured. I breathe a quick prayer and accelerate my way through.

Cast All Your Care

Cast all your care upon Him, because He cares for you.

—1 Peter 5:7 MEV

One unseasonably warm day in February when my daughter Emma and son-in-law Ricky, along with their two children, were visiting, we all went for a walk on the farm. True to our habit, we stopped at the pond for four-year-old Layla to throw in a few stones. Ricky joined her and challenged himself to throw a stone as far as he could. I watched the concentration on his face as he intently cocked his arm. Then with all the finesse of a Major League Baseball pitcher, he hurled the rock, shooting it higher and farther than I had ever seen. It smacked the water hard, then sunk below the surface, its entrance marked only by ripples that quickly disappeared, returning the pond to its placid state.

White Roses: Can we really be thankful in all circumstances?

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

—1 Thessalonians 5:18

It was time to throw out the sad bouquet of pink and white roses, its yellowing leaves falling off and petals turning brown around the edges. I moved the vase to the counter next to the sink and began to lift out the flowers. With a closer look, I noticed that the entire bouquet was not bad. Carefully, I pulled out the good roses, which happened to be white, and placed them in individual vases that I set in various places around my home.

I thought about how sometimes our life situation is like a sad bouquet. Maybe our marriage is falling apart, our health failing, or we’ve experienced the loss of a job or loved one. We wish we could throw out the whole matter. But it is beyond our control. And we wonder, Where is God in all this? Why is He allowing these things to happen when He has the power to stop it?