Tag Archive | Jeremiah 29:11

Negative Thoughts creates Negative Feelings creates Negative Behavior!

Mar5

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

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!

 

Truth vs Lies!

Nov12

Lies, Truth

The lies of fiery darts are attempting to place you in bondage.

Hope

But Hope in God’s Truth will release you from its bondage,

Jeremiah 29:11

But you must acknowledge that God is Truth!

How can a country know Truth when they have rejected the source of Truth–God?  Of course, you can’t know Truth apart from God. (John 18:37)  But apparently there are many (too many) who believe that it can be done and down through the ages they have attempted to do so. The results of their efforts have given birth to a definition based on lies.  For those who have rejected God’s Truth, darkness has become a way of life for them. They have become so accustomed to the dark that they see the darkness as light and the light as darkness.  Ooh, that sounds familiar, doesn’t it?  (Isaiah 5:20, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness,…)  And the resulting man’s truth has created a climate of fear and bondage throughout our land.

Unless,

we are willing to acknowledge God as the source of Truth, then and only then will the Light of Truth shine down upon us, exposing the fiery darts that we have allowed to plunge us into darkness.  When we acknowledge the Light of Truth, then Hope, and Faith will return and we will be released from the bondage of the lies and the fear they produce.

Take heart Christians,

in the following verse:

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32

I write this post because America is in serious trouble. And because so many of our leaders are blinded to the Truth, we must be careful not to be caught up in their deception. We must not allow the lies of their truth to destroy our Hope. Instead we must dig deep into God’s Word and arm ourselves with God’s Truth.  And in obeying that Truth, we will discover that God is in control and man is not. (Daniel 4:35 and Isaiah 14:27) We will discover there is nothing to fear.(Isaiah 41:10)  We will discover He has good plans that we can place solid hope in now and for our future (Jeremiah 29:11).  We will discover that no matter what may come our way God will cause it all to work out together for our good. (Roman 8:28)  I could go on, but I think I’ve made my point!

So, Keep the Faith.

And remember, that other’s lack of faith in God and their disobedience to Him, in NO way diminishes God’s Truth. 

Until next post,

What we think determines how we feel. . . or “as a man thinks in his heart so is he.”

Nov3

Ponder this quote from my book:

What we think determines how we feel and what we feel influences our actions.  p. 15, Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice

The mind is constantly thinking.  Everything we see, feel, or touch, influences the thoughts we think.  Thus, how we behave will be determined by what we think.

If there is a troublesome behavior with which you seem to struggle, as a Christian what are you going to do about it?  Do you find yourself saying,

“I just can’t seem to help myself.”

Paul talked about this very thing in the Book of Romans.  He struggled like so-o-o many of us do.  Just read this:

For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Romans 7:19

I feel his pain, don’t you? 

I want to talk to those of us, who find ourselves doing things we really don’t desire to do.  Like, caving in to negative thinking (fiery dart thinking) like the following: (list is just random thoughts that came to mind.)

feeling sorry for ourselves, (blaming others for the problems in our lives)

living an undisciplined life, lack of self-control (you know, eating too much, not having consistent quiet time, giving into temptation, stop going to church),

being unwilling to say no to ourselves, going after what we want when we want it (and always feeling guilty in the process),

believing that we are inferior to others or superior (being blind to our mistakes)

not having confidence in ourselves,

believing what the world says about us and to us, more than believing what God’s Word says on that subject.

Did you know that all of the above are examples of fiery dart thinking?

If we keep giving in to this type of thinking, our futures are in jeopardy.  We will believe things about ourselves that aren’t true. (Prov. 23:7) We will stray from the path God has planned for us and His peace, security, and success  for us becomes seriously threatened. Is that what you want?  Of course not!

Then here’s what I suggest you do!

1. Get your Bible out and open it up.  Start reading it.  Commit to reading just one verse every day.  I suggest, Jeremiah 29:11 for starters. Don’t commit to much more than that.  You don’t want to set yourself up for failure. 

2. Say a one sentence pray.  “Dear God, Guide me.”  That’s enough.  Once again, don’t set yourself up for failure.  You’ve experienced too much of that already.

Start every day, for the next week (or whatever length of time you are comfortable with) , using this verse and prayer.

If you like, let me know what happens.

By the way, when you are sitting with nothing to do, perhaps you would like to read my book.  It will be your training manual on how to overcome negative thinking (fiery dart thinking) referred to in this post. (There’s a 5-step plan on p. 79 you should find interesting.)

I will be praying for you,

Until next post–

Winter of Life (What do the fiery darts have to say about it?)

Aug9

There’s a lot on my mind this morning as I write this blog.  Was in the middle of my quiet time and my mind would not settle down.  So, I will attempt to release these thoughts via my blog then maybe I can get on with my day!

A couple of weeks ago I turned 65.  In this country, turning 65 is an ordeal of research and paper work.  Sifting through the outgrowth of all that can be somewhat overwhelming. (Of course, my lot is complicated because I am a year older than my husband.  He has now the benefit of learning exactly what to do a whole year in advance! What an advantage! ! ! !)  I won’t go into the details of all that but suffice it to say it involves choosing Plans (and there are multitudes of them).  It’s a burdensome and stressful process.  (Jeremiah 29:11 carried me through though.  Being a Christian and being able to rely on God for His wisdom is a very handy thing during a time like this!)

Not only does our government complicate this aging process but there are a myriad of fiery darts that are designed to cut you off at the pass, so to speak, and make this part of life’s journey as difficult and as complicated as possible. As a sort of therapy for myself (always helps me to put into writing the stuff churning around in my head), I would like to share some of those stinking fiery darts that are messing with my mind right now.  My sharing has a two-fold purpose, helping me and helping you (I hope).

I have a dear friend whose husband’s life’s journey is almost over.  As I watch her struggling with her own fiery darts (and can you just imagine what she must be dealing with?) the depressing fact of my own mortality looms always before me.

http://joneycaudill.blogspot.com (Her husband has parkinson’s and the title of her blog is “The Long Goodbye”

In comparing my life to the seasons, I find myself in the winter of my life. (Can’t color it away or hide it anymore)  I’m not very comfortable with that honestly.  Being in the winter of life in lots and lots of ways is not very appealing.  Why?  

Well, here’s the fiery darts of it!

Our bodies are wearing out and wrinkling up!

Aches and pains are a constant bother!

We are growing less useful to our families and friends!

Children are living their own lives and we don’t feel as valued by them!

We aren’t admired and respected as we once were!

Plain and simple we are dwindling in every aspect of life and are running out of time, or so it seems.

Well, you know that’s only the tip of the iceberg.  And if the fiery darts were to be given free reign, the downward spiral would take over and the winter of our lives would become cold and bitter.

I tell you (and myself), that is not God’s plan!

 His plans are for our good, remember?

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. Jeremiah 29:11

Almost daily, I pray that God will give me the strength to not give in to the destructive negativity of these fiery darts, to remind me that these thoughts are not from Him but the evil one, and for the grace to cooperate with the Truths of His Word.

So my dear readers, when those fiery darts begin consuming your thoughts,

Turn your focus towards God and He will help you replace them with His thoughts, such as:

Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning, great is your faithfulness.  Lamentations 3:22-23

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. Philippines 4:8

God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.  2 Corinthians 9:8

Therefore submit to God.  Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4:7

You will keep the mind that is dependent on You in perfect peace, for it is trusting in You.  Isaiah 26:3

Why are you in despair, Oh my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me?  Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him for the help of His presence. Psalm 42:5

Now, don’t you feel MUCH better?  Of course you do, that’s God’s plan!

So when it gets overwhelming and you seem to be loosing your way, pull up these scriptures and be reminded of what God has planned for you (and me).  Like me you may have to print them out on cards and keep them handy so you can resist the temptation to despair and be constantly reminded of the hope you have in God’s plans.

The Stirring?

Jun8

youth swo2013

 

At this writing I am pondering the typical week of incredible God happenings at my 2nd most favorite place on earth (1st being my home)!  This place is a church camp nestled in the Appalachian mountain range.  Our church’s youth are on their way home while my husband and I are soaking in a few more days of rest and relaxation at this blessed place.

I could write volumes about why this camp is so special to my family (it’s where my son answered the call to missions) and my church family (approximately 12 of our youth, since my son, have answered the call to missions due to the influence of this camp).

But the reason you will read a post about this amazing camp in my Fiery Darts blog is because of the prompting I received during a week of camp several years ago.  Those eventful promptings became the 7th chapter in my book  Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice.

Here’s an excerpt from that chapter:

During the time of adolescence there is a stirring that becomes keenly apparent to girls early on and typically to the guys a bit later.  It has been assumed by our society that this stirring heralds the beginning of “the search” for a future spouse and as a result girls and guys begin counting the days when they will become old enough to date. (p. 51)

Could it be that the stirring in our hearts (as adolescents) that initiates a search for true love is the Holy Spirit calling us to a love relationship with our Creator? (p.55)

This is where the fiery darts come in!

When campers attended this camp, they were presented with some rather antiquated ideas about romance. As I started chaperoning at this camp around 10 years ago, I have had the opportunity to observe the effect of these antiquated ideas.  (These ideas included such things as courtship – you know, the old-fashioned idea of a guy approaching the father of a girl for permission to court his daughter because the guy was interested in marrying this girl!  That’s the way it use to be done back in the day!)

Young people were encouraged to turn their hearts towards God at the onset of these ‘stirrings’ and learn from Him how true love was to be defined. Then upon that foundation all love relationships were built.

You might think that what I have described no longer fits in with our cultural ideas of love and marriage.  And you’d be right.  They don’t fit in.  Know why?

B/C OF FIERY DART THINKING

Fiery dart thinking will persuade you that the stirring is definitely the start of ‘the search’ for someone to date and someday maybe (but not necessarily) marry.  The thought that God is calling you to a love relationship with your Creator is absurd, by this particular worldview.

But over the past 10 years I have made some astounding comparisons between those who applied the instructions from Scriptures taught by the leaders of this camp and those who rejected those outdated ideas for society’s approach to understanding love.

First of all, those young adults who led the camp and were single not only promoted the scriptural teachings about love but they practiced them as well.  And as you might suspect, our campers watched in awe as beautiful love stories unfolded for these young adults. And also, as you might expect, they too desired to experience such love stories for themselves.  And couple by couple, I have had the pleasure of attending (and my husband has had the honor of performing) beautiful wedding ceremonies for many of our church’s young adults.

So, I ask you,

Who wouldn’t want to be able to experience a pure and beautiful love story such as I have described?

If you accept the fiery darts then,

be prepared for more brokenness than you imagine, more disappointments than you can bare, your happiness will be fleeting and your troubles will be difficult to manage.

It’s a no brainer, isn’t it.

Here’s what God has to offer anyone who would choose to follow Him and His lead.

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.  Jeremiah 29:11

 

Suffering? Nope that’s not for me!

Apr14

It’s only been a month since I returned from my 2 1/2 month stay in Africa where my son, daughter-in-law, and newborn grandson serve as missionaries.  And I am still processing the numerous lessons I was introduced to while there.  But there’s been one on my mind that continues to surface on a regular basis.

One of the conversations I had with my son as he was helping me get through a difficult time was the conflicting attitude many Christians here in the U.S. seem to portray.  It has to do with our attitude towards suffering.

SUFFERING?  Nope that’s not for me!

If I have lived my life as a good Christian should, then God will bless me.  And if something bad happens to me, I am going to pray and get as many  as I can to join with me, asking God to deliver me from this bad thing.

Please notice the following excerpt from my book, Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice, p. 38

Ever noticed how reluctant we are to suffer for Christ?  When someone gets sick, we automatically ask God to heal.  Take the suffering away and we deprive ourselves from learning how to handle suffering and as a result grow more like Christ.  Does anyone think that this life can be lived without suffering?  Not really, so why do we recoil from it when it comes our way?

Life can’t be lived without experiencing difficulty.  Yet the fiery darts persist in trying to convince us that if we live our lives as a good Christian should then our lives will be blessed and that should result in an easier life.  I don’t really think any Christian would say they believe such nonsense, but by the way we ‘recoil’ from suffering and automatically begin praying to be delivered or be healed, I think we are acting as if we do.  You think?

We want an easy life, or at least that’s what the fiery darts will try to convince us of.  But we experience salvation, the hope of eternal life, abundant life in the here and now–and the list goes on and on–JUST BECAUSE someone was willing to suffer on our behalf.

Be ever so careful my dear ones when hard times come your way.  There’s a sweetness in that trial that will only be tasted as we submit our wills to God and trust Him to work it all out for our good.  (Just like Romans 8:28 says)

James 1 encourages us to count it all joy when we suffer from trials and tribulations.  Why? Because there is something lacking in our lives and if we will only cooperate with God as we go through these trials, then whatever is lacking will be supplied by that trial.

Oh, I can just hear that fiery dart being whispered in your head about now.

“Are you kidding me? Whatever it is that’s lacking, I’m sure is something you would rather live without, right?”

You see, the fiery darts want to cloudy up your thinking so that you won’t remember verses like Jeremiah 29:11, where God reminds us that His plans for us are good plans that will give us a hopeful future.  The Holy Spirit reminds us, we have to cooperate with God as He works out those plans.

Are you going through a hard time right now?  As God to help you identify the fiery dart thinking that is keeping you from identifying the power God supplies you with to be victorious.  As a matter of fact, refer to p. 79 in my book and learn how to attack the fiery darts that are designed to pull you down so you will know NOTHING of the victory God has planned for you in that trial!

More on saying goodbye!

Nov23

Here’s another thought God gave me in my time with Him this morning!

Why is it that we as parents of grown children struggle so with the fiery darts of loneliness and depression when our children and grandchildren (especially those who live a long ways from us) depart after a visit?  I have some thoughts regarding that!

For me, my struggles with these two fiery darts are dramatically diminished as long as I bring the power of Scripture to bear upon them.  Yesterday, God helped me to understand the impact of focusing on His blessings in keeping the temptations of loneliness and depression at bay.  And I am here to tell you, “It works!”

In addition, God gave me another thought this morning that I feel I must share with you.

Part of our problem is that we struggle to accept reality.  The reality is that children grow up and often move away from their parent’s home, town, (and sometimes even country)!  That’s normal, that’s as it should be.  But we think we would be happier if they lived closer and mourn the fact that they don’t!  As long as we think on these little ‘t’ truths, we open the door of our minds to an onslaught of fiery darts.  The results of that?  Read on!

We will become more and more self absorbed!

Our notice of families who live close to each other will be intensified and we will begin to envy them and feel sorry for ourselves.

The distance between ourselves and God will continue to expand.

Our time with God will diminish and become less fruitful.

Mentally and emotionally we will be bummed out, and that will begin to take a toll on us physically!

IT’S A DOWNWARD SPIRAL!

I know that the fiery darts will always nag at my mind!  Such as: I’m getting too old to become adventurous.  How do I know my health won’t play out?  Physically I just can’t manage as much as I use to.  I’m running out of time; it’s just too late to attempt new things.

If I allow myself to think like that then that abundant and prosperous life God has for me in John 10:10b and Jeremiah 29:11 will indeed pass me by.

So perhaps now you understand why it is vital to be deliberate about our thinking!  God has given us some excellent advice in Philippians 4:8 about how we should be directing our thoughts:

Finally, brothers, 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)

And the results of this kind of thinking?

We will begin to realize we have more time to spend with God! (The benefits of that cannot be measured!)

We will become less self absorbed! (Our world won’t be so centered on us!)

Our health will improve b/c we are in a healthier mental and emotional state!

We will begin to enjoy the freedom to pursue things we wouldn’t consider or afford as long as we had the responsibility of caring for our children. (I took a flying lesson recently!)

We begin to respond normally to those difficult goodbye’s.  Sad, of course, b/c we miss them and b/c we enjoy having them around, and we love making those memories with them, but we soon get back on our feet and move on to enjoy the life and benefits of the empty nest God has ordained for us.  Because as God tells us in 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)

and John 10:10b,

 I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.(NIV)

Bad News vs Good News!

Mar17

You’d think that once a person had written a book about fiery darts (negative thinking) then those troublesome fiery darts wouldn’t be such a problem anymore.  N-O-T !  One thing I did conclude early on was that the fiery darts didn’t let up, if anything they increased! ugh!  The big difference was this:  They don’t rule my thinking like they use to!  And for me, that’s a really big deal.

My struggle of late is that the fiery darts are coming so fast, coming in such abundance, and are so unrelenting (bombarding my mind 24-7) that my spiritual strength is being sorely tested.

That’s the bad news!

But here’s the good news!

The simple truth (simple but HUGE) and one that I fall on my face before God in gratitude for is that because of what God has taught me about the attack of fiery darts, I DO NOT despair.  And I promise you, before God enrolled me in Fiery Darts 101, problems like I encounter today would have sent me spiraling into depression.  Let me share a scripture verse that puts it succinctly:

2 Corinthians 4: 8-9
‘We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.’

I know that sounds a little heavy but those of you who wrestle with negative thinking that takes over your thinking, influences your attitudes, and spawns negative behavior, KNOW that the above verse speaks a powerful truth.  You know–the kind of truth that sets you free!

John 8:32

“And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set your free.”

Yes, one does get weary.  Yes, Satan gets more cleaver with every attack.  Yes, the fiery darts can fuel thoughts of despair and hopelessness.  BUT ask yourself the following question,

“Do I want to spend the rest of my life successfully warding off fiery darts, or do I want to remain a victim of them?”(p. 45 from my book)

May I share the final paragraph in Section I of my book? For I do believe you will be challenged and encouraged by it.

  When I am engaged in fighting off these fiery darts it’s not Satan who determines the outcome of the battle.  Remember Isaiah 54:17, “No weapon formed against us will prevail.”(NIV)   The Enemy has already been defeated, and though we may struggle in the battle, the final word from Micah 7:8 is that “we will rise.” 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)   (p. 45, Fiery Darts: Satan’s Weapon of Choice)

Know, my dear readers, while those fiery darts are a powerful force, we have someone fighting for us that can turn the tide in our favor.

1 John 4:4

“…greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.”

Yes, the attacks are fierce, and at times almost overwhelming.  But hang in there.  Fight back with the Greater Power.  Hide behind your Shield of Faith.  Don’t give up.  Even though you have thoughts that God has looked the other way and your hope is daily dwindling that God is going to intervene, remember–expose those thoughts for the fiery darts they are.  That simple exercise will keep you hanging on and eventually you will see God move.  And when that happens (and IT WILL HAPPEN), I would love for you to share your story with me.

So that God can be glorified and others will be encouraged!