Negative thoughts came first; from that came this!
Our little cartoon girl certainly would have been drawn quite differently if someone was trying to illustrate the result of positive thinking, don’t you think? !
REMEMBER,
What we think determines how we feel and what we feel influences out actions. A negative action is often the result of negative thinking! p. 15 Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice.
God, Our Logistics Coordinator wrap up!
This my friend, is how you conquer the fiery dart of worry!
I am just a worrier. It’s the way I was made. I can’t help it!
The next time you make that statement or hear someone else make that statement, I hope you will refer to my blog posts. You see, worry is a major fiery dart! Worry will create all sorts of turmoil within your mind. That turmoil will make you vulnerable and a prime target for fiery darts that will undermine your trust and faith in God.
If you ever have any thoughts like the ones I opened with in this post, then plant your feet firmly in God’s Word and
1 – Recognize those thoughts for the fiery darts that they are
2 – Reject them outright for dear readers they are nothing but lies
3 – Replace them with Truth thoughts (go to your computer and type in the phrase “verses about worry” for there you will find a bunch of them. God has a lot to say about worrying) but I highly recommend,
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:67 (NIV)
Now that you have had the opportunity to read my last two posts illustrating, through personal testimony, why I see God as my logistics coordinator, I hope I have given you food for thought that will deflect all those fiery darts that tempt you to worry. He will prove to you, as He does for me over and over again, that He can be trusted to work all things out for my good (ooh, sounds like Romans 8:28 doesn’t it!) That, my dear readers is a liberated way to live!
God: Our Logistics Coordinator – Part Two
Friends, for such a time as this!
Now for Part Two
(You are simply not going to believe this!)
It was early Sunday morning and I had stolen away to spend some alone time down by the quiet bubbling creek that runs through the middle of the camp. The quietness was suddenly broken by the familiar ring of a Skype call from my son. I had been in communication with him several times during my stay at the camp.
But this conversation wasn’t to be about “Hey momma, how are things going at camp?”
No, this time there was trouble!
Fighting had broken out a little too close for comfort where my son and his family and team lived. They were in lock down and on standby waiting for the call that would determine their exit strategy.
(Okay readers, at this point I’m pretty sure you can imagine the fiery darts aimed in my direction!)
Immediately, I ran to the cabin to share this alarming news with my friends and to contact my husband. He cancelled his sermon, and led our congregation in a time of prayer for our son and the situation there.
That evening my friends and I were attending camp church, where the congregation was challenged to pray about the urgent situation concerning my son. Then during the course of the pastor’s sermon, he mentioned that my son’s boss would be on campus on Wednesday.
(Stop, did I hear what I just thought I heard?)
Yes, I had heard right. But you must understand this. My son’s boss lives in Africa! I live an 8 hour drive from the camp I was visiting. This was the very first ladies retreat I had ever attended at this camp. My son’s boss doesn’t come to America that often! Therefore, consider the logistics God had to coordinate to bring the two of us together at the precise time and location that He did.
Yes, there were some tense moments. Yet, just as the fiery darts of fear were in position to reek havoc in my mind and heart, God began glorifying Himself as my Logistics Coordinator!
(Update: the situation calmed down and while my son and his team and their families have to have armed guards with them wherever they go, they did not have to leave! They are continuing to minister and making Christ known to the blessed ones they have been called to serve. Praise God!)
God – Our Logistics Coordinator! or How to Fight Worry! Part One
This is me; in worry mode!
Awhile back, two of my friends and I took a road trip to attend a ladies’ retreat in the mountains; about an 8 hour drive from our homes. (Of course, that’s just the drive time; we stopped at Cracker Barrel going and coming. The two in one experience–eating and shopping, you know. Well then, let’s say 8+ hours.) We learned a lot about each other, made a heap of memories, and discovered a rather unique character trait possessed by God. It has taken numerous experiences for God to teach me that He can work things out without me fretting and worrying over how He’s going to do it. So while I have been blessed by this trait of God’s, it wasn’t until this trip that I found a name for it. And here it is:
Logistics Coordinator!
A logistics coordinator, by definition, is someone who plans, implements, and coordinates the details for someone else. After reading the illustration below, followed by the 2nd illustration in my next blog post, I hope it will become clear to you that acknowledging God’s ability to work things out for our good (Romans 8:28), is a powerful weapon in defeating worry. So, let’s begin!
Illustration No. 1
My friends and I were driving to a quaint little restaurant in the mountains for lunch. We had driven to this little lakeside restaurant the day before but had arrived too late to eat. This time we left early enough to arrive in time for lunch and to enjoy a spectacular view in the process. But while time was on our side as we made our way towards the restaurant on that picture perfect spring day, my gas gauge was not! I notified my friends that we were getting rather low on gas and it might be a good idea to pray. None of us could remember exactly how much further the restaurant was or even IF we had enough gas to get us there. So, we prayed for a gas station!
Now, here’s where the connection to Worry comes into play. Under the circumstances, I am sure you can understand why we were sorely tempted to fret and worry. You name the fiery darts that would be apparent on such an occasion and believe me Satan shot them at us. And as I watched that gas gauge move closer and closer to the empty mark, and no gas station or restaurant yet appeared on the near horizon, I felt it was necessary that I come up with a plan just in case God’s plan was NOT to get us to a gas station in time. I knew that my friends at the camp would come to our rescue, if needed. But then we were in the mountains and cell reception was ‘iffy’ at best. (Okay, sometimes you can over think a situation!)
I resisted the fiery darts with all the strength I could muster from my lessons on how to fight (and win) against such negative thinking. I called on the 3 R’s of fighting fiery darts: 1)recognize the fiery darts 2) resist the fiery darts 3) replace the fiery darts (you remember, with truth thoughts.
https://fierydarts.wordpress.com/2014/02/17/the-3-rs-of-fighting-fiery-darts-revised-plan
It was an effort on my part but by the grace of God, I maintained a controlled calm. My friends were doing the same, but I knew it was a struggle. The reason I knew that was because of all the wise cracks they were making. When you are faced with a dilemma such as ours, sometimes laughter is a beneficial distraction.
And as so often happens, a few minutes after the ‘need to fill the gas tank asap’ light came on (causing the oxygen level to be seriously depleted as we all gasped for air) there appeared the gas pumps (not station, just a couple of dated pumps outside a run down little mom and pop type grocery). And next door to them was the restaurant; still open! We were rescued!
Wow, I came away from that adventure convinced I had the best logistics coordinator in the universe (and of course, I did. We all do, actually). There is one more experience that I want to share with you that will illustrate the benefit of seeing God as our very own and personal Logistics Coordinator! However, this is enough for now, so I will wait till next post and bring all this to a conclusion then.
Sometimes, we just need Mercy!
Sometimes we struggle to walk the path that has been set before us. And though we are confident this is the right path, we find ourselves making little progress.(ugh!) This leaves us feeling doubtful and confused. After all, being on the right path should not be fraught with such experiences, right? Taking our frustrations to God, we earnestly seek God’s wisdom and guidance by faithfully searching His Word, but the verse that would give us the affirmation and/or direction we need continues to elude us.
When this happens, what should we do?
I would suggest that we examine the thoughts that are producing the doubt and confusion. And ask ourselves the following question from Chapter Five of my book, Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice.
Does it produce confusion, fear, doubt, anger, inferiority, indecisiveness, jealously, or selfishness, for example? (FD p. 33)
It’s crazy, I know, but there are times when in spite of our best efforts we seem to be mired down in the mud of our own negative thinking (you know, fiery darts) and progress just doesn’t happen for us. Therefore, once we examine the thoughts, then we:
Apply the 3 R’s of fighting fiery darts (published 02/17/2014)
1. Recognize
2. Reject
3. Replace
So, join me in an exercise of replacement!
God isn’t listening to me.
You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, Psalm 10:17
I can’t figure this thing out.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Prov. 3:5-6 (p. 42 FD)
I’m not smart enough to know what to do.
It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 1 Corinthians 1:30 (p. 42 FD)
I can’t manage this.
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19
It’s just too confusing!
. . .for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, I Corinthians 13:33
* * * * * *
Fill up your mind with the Truth-thoughts from verses such as the ones listed above. (your own search will produce the verses that apply to your particular fiery darts) This powerful exercise will prevent the fiery darts from overwhelming you and sending you into despair when the answers are slow in coming. And I have found that Lamentations 3:22-23, is just what’s needed in times such as these.
Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!
Back to the Bush!
While visiting my favorite Christian camp last week, a young friend of mine asked me if I would be writing anymore about my experience in the African bush. Of course, I never meant to quit writing those posts but ideas came to write other posts and somehow my bush stories got pushed to the back burner, so to speak. Therefore, I will attempt to pick up where I left off and set aside Wednesdays to write these posts.Not to worry, there were no lions where the camp was. Just thought this would set the stage for my post!
(To read the last post I wrote about my bush experience and be brought up to date, check November 2013 archives!)
It’s 2-6-13 and the staff (which, hallelujah, included me) were headed back to base camp!
BASE CAMP
VS.
BUSH CAMP
Ahh, to be in a house (not a tukal) with a bathroom (not an outhouse) just a few short steps from my comfortable bed, eating something other than beans and rice, drinking cokes instead of filtered water! Since I had just come in from the bush I saw these as luxuries for the first time in my life!
By returning to home base, I was able to sort through the jumbled thoughts racing around in my head. God used this reprieve to clear and stabilize my thinking. Though I still had a ways to go, I grew less negative and more positive in my thinking.
A phone call to a dear friend back in the USA gave me the chance to talk with someone who would be willing to listen to me and empathize with me about the harsh realities this 64 year old woman had endured. She didn’t gloss over the hard stuff and offered words that energized and encouraged me. Sharing with her some of the thoughts with which God had impressed upon me over the previous days, helped me gain clarity and purpose.
A media team from the mission organization we belonged to, had arrived at home base. Two young women gifted with the ability to write and photograph well blended right in with our missionary band. I admired these women a lot. Here they were bravely traveling all over the world by themselves and all for the sake of the gospel. I had, up until that meeting, always thought to be a photographer/writer for the National Geographic would be an exciting and intriguing job. After meeting these extraordinary women, I have changed my mind. Not about being a photographer/writer but to do this kind of work for the sake of the gospel?
Wrapping this post up with a verse with which I struggled in taking to heart during my time in the bush. The fiery darts were bombarding me and with the harshness of my living conditions, not to mention the challenges I faced physically, the truths of this verse continued to elude me. Nevertheless, I kept my focus on this verse, for I knew my recovery would be found within its truths–especially the part about praying with thanksgiving. I can’t say that I was able to fully thank God for the challenges and struggles of bush camp (while I was there; at least not to the extent I would like to be able to claim). But now that I am home and have had time to ponder those days, I can sincerely state that I thank God for every difficult moment. If there is to be a next time, my first time in the bush will have prepared me well.
6 Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Phillipines 4:6-7 (HCSB)
Beware of the easter bunny!
Hold on, this isn’t a blog condemning the secular celebration of our most cherished Christian holiday!
(Please read on!)
If it was, some of you would be rolling your eyes about now and you would be preparing to hit that little ‘x’ to close this tab. But not to worry! I am a grandmother of nine incredibly wonderful and fascinating grandchildren. The oldest being 9 and the youngest being 17 months. So I’m pretty confident that eggs will be dyed, hidden, and hunted for around this country home come Sunday.
But there will be something a little different!
What will stand out about my family’s celebration of Easter will be the difference in our focus. Yes, we have small children who are of the prime age to gather colorful and decorated eggs for their baskets! And, of course, there will be chocolate bunnies, jelly beans, and Cadbury eggs, etc. They will all look stunningly adorable in their new Easter outfits. But while those things are fun, they are not my family’s focus when it comes to celebrating Easter.
So, what’s the difference?
The children are young in this family, but no one is too young to understand why Easter is such a special celebration. And the emphasis in our family is that Jesus Christ died for our sins; came back to life; and after spending a little more time on this earth, He went to heaven. That’s why we have the hope of heaven after our time here on this earth is ended.
Here’s some ideas from my first born daughter about sharing the Easter story with your children, and a really cute and fun game to help them grasp the resurrection. Enjoy:
Tell them the Truth:
Make sure your children (whatever their ages!) know these things about Jesus this week. Make sure they hear YOU tell them about God creating them, sin stealing them, Satan threatening them, & Jesus rescuing them! Don’t freak ’em out, just tell them the Truth. Let Easter come to life for them (& for you!). Let it become more than just a candy holiday they celebrate in Spring. Let them see, it’s their story…
A Fun Game to Play!
Look for empty things!! & Every time you find an empty thing, cheer “Hallelujah! The tomb is empty!”
Make a game of it by…
* Putting a sticker/mark on a card every time someone finds something empty & cheers. Count the stickers later & see who found the most. Maybe give a prize
* Putting a jelly bean in a jar every time someone finds something empty & cheers. On Easter Sunday eat all the jelly beans…Have fun finding (& celebrating) Jesus in plain ole ordinary life
The fiery dart of Easter is that young children cannot grasp Jesus’s death and resurrection and how that relates to them and their future. Therefore, we tell them the story of the Easter Bunny which is a simple cute story easier for them to grasp.
Sure they are young and there is much about Easter that is beyond them (remember how there is a common sense ‘truth’ in fiery darts! ! ! FD p 20) But if we bring it down to their level, they will understand far more than the fiery dart will allow us to believe. If all our children know about Easter is bunnies, jelly beans, colored eggs, or new outfits, then they have missed totally the most significant event if Christendom. And if they miss that then they have missed everything!
This is My Reality–But. . .
Are you depressed over your present reality?
Do you find yourself wishing things in your life were different?
Are you a negative thinker, more often than not?
Well, my dear readers, don’t look now but you have become a victim of fiery dart thinking. A fiery dart thinker has some curious characteristics. Here’s only a few:
Sees a cup half empty; instead of half full!
Focuses on self–primarily!
Knows little of contentment!
Is quick to find fault with others!
Lacks appreciation and gratefulness!
Has a difficult time accepting their reality; gets upset easily!
Nobody would want it said of them that they possess any of the characteristics from the list above. And the good news is that while we may have such a negative bent, it can be overcome and brought under control. But there are some things of which we need to become aware.
I have found in my own life, that there came a time when I needed to stop wishing things were different and to pray for grace to accept things they way they were. When my problem was defined and I came to realize the power of negative thinking, only then did the light begin to shine:
As God continues to shed light on the darkness that plagued my walk with Him, I am developing an understanding of what has gone so wrong for so many. For it has become glaringly clear that negative thinking,. . . was at the core of my problematic walk with God…(FD p2-3)
While this game changing revelation didn’t occur until recent years (Oh how I wish it had but my reality is that it didn’t. I accept that and focus on all those powerful lessons I learned and am learning that I have to share with you), I have discovered some pretty exciting things. Here’s a sampling:
I can be at peace in the midst of my storms! (now I am not saying this occurs immediately but I get there a lot sooner than I use to!)
I see cups that are half full more often than not!
I’ve got more fight in me to resist those fiery darts so the negative thinking does not rule me as it once did!
I get attacked but I don’t fall down! (Hey, that sounds familiar doesn’t it!) Well, it ought too, read this:
We are experiencing all kinds of trouble, but we aren’t crushed. We are confused, but we aren’t depressed. We are harassed, but we aren’t abandoned. We are knocked down, but we aren’t knocked out.2 Corinthians 4:8-9 English Bible (CEB)
And may I add, that after an attack, I don’t dive into depression and turn on myself like I use to. Those fiery darts just have lost their power to rule me! Yes, they grab me sometimes and depending on the degree of fire in them may shake me, but my training (you know, my lessons on fiery darts. It’s a book now!) empowers me to break free. Hallelujah!
And you know that sense of contentment that seems to elude us far too often? Well, let me just say, it doesn’t elude me anything like it use too. And this verse contains the secret:
Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in what whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippines 4:11-13 NIV
And finally, I’m learning to pick and choose what I allow to influence me. Certainly, not the world. No tv show, actor, or actress, or the negative attitude of others. Nope, I resist those fiery darts (and like I said, some are tougher than others, but I plant my feet and resist) and turn my gaze upon what’s important to Jesus!
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:2 (NIV)
Sometimes, we encounter some pretty unpleasant and difficult realities in this world, but take heart we get to choose how we deal with them,
I would encourage you to remember that you choose victory or defeat. And know that refusing to choose is a choice to fall and suffer defeat. Victory is yours as Deuteronomy 20:4 reminds us, “For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” (NIV) It is your choice! We know that Satan’s plans are to destroy us, but take heart for God has plans for us as well. Jeremiah 29:11, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”(NIV) FIERY DARTS: SATAN’S WEAPON OF CHOICE, p. 45
Negative Thoughts creates Negative Feelings creates Negative Behavior!
OR
If You Want to Feel Better, You’ve Got to Think Better!
It wasn’t until after writing Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice that the truth of the above statement began ringing true for me. My bondage of negative thinking (taking root in my young adult years) became clearer the more I studied and wrote about this spiritual phenomenon of fiery darts. By the grace of God, I wasn’t in total bondage all of those years for in some areas of my life I behaved rather normally, experiencing great joy. But there were some problem areas where defeat was the norm for me.
I’ve wondered in recent years why my bondage was so lengthy. Surely couldn’t have God brought those lessons that proved to be the keys to my release sooner and spare me all that anguish? Only one answer to that question has given me any comfort or made sense,
I do know that while my struggles were lengthy so were the lessons I learned. FD p. 3
So today when I encounter someone in emotional pain, as I have known, because of what God has tenderly taught me through the years, I can offer hope and healing to them. What follows is one of the most dramatic and most healing of those lessons of my study in fiery darts.
Negative thinking creates negative feelings, which create negative behavior:
The Cognitive Triangle
First we entertain a thought. That thought will cause certain related feelings. Thus, behavior is based on our thoughts and feelings. The psychologist will say that if behavior is to be changed, then the flow must be interrupted either at the thought or feeling point. (FD p. 16)
So how is the above applied?
There is a sharp contrast in my life of how I deal with emotional pain now and how I dealt with it prior to being schooled in fiery darts. A couple of years ago, my one and only son, along with his wife, moved clear across the big pond to live and work in a land that knew little about God. While I was indeed proud of him, the thought of being disconnected by thousands of miles was at times unbearable. Add to that the thought that any children he and my daughter in law might have would be growing up without the memories I would love to make with them. (And sure enough, I have a 1 yr. old grandson now) If you read my blog:
http://missionarysmom.wordpress.com (January 2012)
you will read that while the fiery darts tempted me to despair, God’s love and mercy prevailed and after a period of time, slowly I began by the power of God’s grace to rise above my pain and accept the comfort God had prepared for me. Because my thinking became positive, my attitudes and actions followed suite.
But as a young adult, I recall a dark period of time in my life when that same temptation to despair almost overwhelmed me. I didn’t know then how to combat the negative thoughts that plagued me with words from Scripture that were “true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable.”
(Refer to FD blog post , February 17, 2014)
Instead, negative thoughts were allowed to take root and the resulting behavior was characterized by bouts with depression. About all that I can say of that dark time was that I survived it. But by God’s loving grace I was prevented from settling upon a path that would have brought certain ruination.
So, if you are going through what seems to be a time of overwhelming pain, be alert to the fact that Satan is standing poised to fire fiery darts designed for your destruction. This weapon will approach you in the disguise of negative thoughts. You will be tempted,
like Peter in Matthew 14:22-33,
to focus on the storm. Satan’s plan is to keep you focused on your pain in order to trap you into living a life of defeat. He will manipulate negative behavior this way. But that’s not God’s plan (read Jeremiah 29:11).
Again, refer to FD blog post, 2/17/14 for instruction on how to counter Satan’s attack.
Once you have learned the 3 R’s of Fighting Fiery Darts then your experience will be that:
POSITIVE THOUGHTS CREATES POSITIVE FEELINGS CREATES POSITIVE BEHAVIOR!
And, oh, how much better you are going to feel!
The 3 R’s of Fighting Fiery Darts – Revised Plan!
On January 6, 2014, I wrote this post and titled it, The 4 R’s of Fighting Fiery Darts! Since then I have revised it and following is that revision. I do hope you are reading my blogs on fiery darts along with my book. Someday maybe I will expand that book, to include some of these thoughts that have come to me as I have written these posts. It’s something I’m praying about!
As I have been using this format to pray against fiery darts, I have felt impressed to eliminate one of the steps. The one titled, “repeat”! Actually I began to see it wasn’t necessary, sort of redundant. I really do believe this new 3 step plan is more concise.
1. RECOGNIZE!
So how do we recognize fiery darts? Examine the effect the “suspicious thought” has on you. Does it produce confusion, fear, doubt, anger, inferiority, indecisiveness, jealously, or selfishness, for example? quote from p.33 FD
In other words does it produce condemnation? Do those thoughts leave you feeling worthless, uncertain or burdened with unconsolable grief? That’s the work of condemnation, my dear friend. How do I know that? Read this verse: Romans 8:1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (NIV)
Conviction brings restoration. Jesus has come to bring forgiveness and restoration. Condemnation will not produce abundant life; conviction certainly does. John 10:10, The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (KJV)
2. REJECT
As soon as you determine that the suspicious thought is a fiery dart, then reject it. Remember, by allowing it to remain, the poison of the fiery dart begins seeping into your mind influencing the formation of negative attitudes and actions.
As Barney Fife puts it so eloquently, “Nip it, Nip it, Nip it!” (In the bud, before it takes root!)
3. REPLACE
Wield the power found in initially repeating Isaiah 54:17 immediately, “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper…” (NASB), so as to prevent the fiery dart thought from imbedding itself into your mind.
Finally, replace the fiery dart thought with a verse or thought of the type mentioned in the following verse. Philippines 4:8 “Finally, brothers and sisters, 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.” (NIV)
Fiery Darts: Satan's Weapon of Choice 