Developing a sound mind.

I can't believe how long it has been since I last blogged. I want to do it a little more,maybe as Harrison gets bigger. Blase has been sick for about 8 days. He has allergies and a sinus infection. He ran a fever last Sunday and has been sick ever since. He got an antibiotic on Friday, developed another fever Saturday and ran one all Sunday! Needless to say I have been doing lots and lots of laundry...you know boys, can' t find a tissue use you shirt, blanket your baby brother's sleeve. Plus on Saturday Harrison started getting yeast in the cracks of his legs and up his belly. He gets it in his leg cracks because it is always moist in there and it just spread up his belly. It looks better today. I have only been to the doctor, pharmacy and grocery store in 8 says I am ready to get out of the house. This weekend I have once again started studying my overcoming fear. worry and anxiety book by Elyse Fitzpatrick. Every time I read this book I do the questions at the end of each chapter in my journal. I am always grateful for how this book points me to truth. This time when I was reading, something I had not paid much attention to before really got to me.
Elyse was telling about a blip from the book the hiding place when a baby had died and Corrie was realizing it was possible for anyone to die, even her own beloved father."you can't die!You can't" she sobbed. This is how she described her father's response to her fear: Father sat down on the edge of the narrow bed. "Corrie," he began gently,
"when you and I go to Amsterdam-when do I give you your ticket?"
I sniffed a few times, considering this. "Why, just before we get on the train."
"Exactly. And our wise Father in heaven knows when we're going to need things too. Don't run ahead of Him, Corrie. When the time comes that some of us will have to die, you will look into your heart and find the strength you need- just in time."
Elyse goes on to say that Corrie's father was teaching her whatever difficulty comes your way then and only then will you have the strength to live through it. She also says over the years she has had to remind herself she doesn't need the"ticket"of God's strength and grace for a train that hasn't or may never arrive. The only ticket she needs is for the train she is to board right now and God has promised to provide that ticket for me when she needs it. "I will never leave you nor forsake you," He has said to us(Hebrew 13:5nkjv). That means that He'll be there , holding our hand, no matter what train he has called into the station. She writes that fear that exists in our imagination is a formidable foe. But it can be put to death by the Spirit and faith. This book also includes this portion from Charles Spurgeon's sermon on needless fears and this is what it says:
...........many of God's people are constantly under apprehensions of calamities which will never occur to them, and they suffer far more in merely dreading them than they would have to endure if they actually came upon them. In their imaginations, there are rivers in their way, and they are anxious to know how they shall wade through them, or swim across them. There are no such rivers in existence, but they are agitated and distressed about them....these timid people are continually crossing bridges that only exist in their...fancies. They stab themselves with daggers, they starve themselves in imaginary famines, and even bury themselves in imaginary graves......
She then writes about how we need to discipline our thoughts and we need to begin to see how sinful imagination feed our fears.
All that middle stuff was taken directly from the book. Which is awesome a must read!
I think many of us can relate to this in some way.Having a sound mind and thought life is hard. I spend so much time thinking of what might happen I forget to enjoy what is happening now. In realizing how selfish I am, my prayer is to trust God with everything, my husband's life. my boys life, and my own. Why do I feel I can only trust him with certain things? God is getting to something much deeper in me and I know this. I just feel so encouraged to have the simple truth that my life is in God's hands, not my own like I tend to think. The hairs on my head are numbered and I am fearfully and wonderfully made! Psalm 139:17-18. How precious to me are you thoughts , O God!How vast is the sum of them?Were I to count them they would outnumber the grains of sand. This is amazing and awesome truth! So today in my desire to develop a sound mind and discipline my thoughts, I have decided to enjoy this one life, my family,church, books etc....as I prepare for my heavenly home. I am so thankful to be a wife and mother and I am so thankful to share what is going on in my life with all of you!