Friday, August 09, 2013

Concentrating On The Uglies?

" ... whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."   ... Philippians 4:8

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At Tom's job, every Friday is Crazy Shirt Day. Tom's so cute--he always wears his kinda-Hawaiian shirts or other ones not allowed Monday-through-Thursday. He and many of his co-workers, Friday after Friday.

Well, this morning as I gathered ingredients for pancakes while also making a tuna sandwich for his lunch, I remembered I hadn't ironed a crazy shirt for Tom. So I ran upstairs and ironed one, skipped back down and then Tom smiled, saying that shirt was his favorite one.

You know? Tom and I have a lot of fun in this Life.

I mean, decades ago Tom and I, like many, struggled to enjoy daily life because we kept concentrating on Things Going Wrong:

The negative words spoken (or actions done) by relatives, friends or neighbors.
Mistakes we made. Or ones Naomi made.
The high cost of, well, everything.
Bad news, bad weather, bad people.
Aches and pains. Sick cats. Broken appliances. Computer woes.

But you know? When Jesus truly becomes our everything, then nothing can ever totally blow us away again. 

"You will keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you because he trusts in you."   ... Isaiah 26:3

Minds stayed on Jesus stop their daily spinning and whining and, instead, remain blissfully quiet and at rest.

Minds stayed on Him can forgive because Jesus is everything, not pride nor people, however dear, who suddenly go all ballistic-mean. 

When Jesus is everything, all else looks tiny in comparison. He becomes the Main Thing, the One who'll never hurt us, the One who teaches us to view Life in incredible new ways.

And there is nothing else on this planet which compares to that, to Him.

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Need something 'of a good report' to think about today? Here's the perfect thing. I could totally see this little boy's guardian angel in this story.

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Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character.
Albert Einstein


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Proverbs 4:20-22

My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words.  Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart;  for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body.



1 comment:

Robin in New Jersey said...

Love, love, love that verse you posted and the ones that come before and after it too.

Crazy shirt day sounds like fun!