Friday, March 14, 2008

Detox for your mind


Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. (New American Standard Bible)

So often, way too often, I do not live here.
Writer Anne LaMott once wrote, "My mind is a bad neighborhood I do not go into alone."
I feel like that sometimes.
Sometimes, I dwell on the negative, the "what ifs". I entertain my fears; I have wrong thoughts; I worry; I surmise; I doubt; I listen to the lies.
It's like junk food for the brain.

One way to reverse the effects of junk food is to stop eating it -- just stop -- and begin ingesting only healthy, pure, natural things that promote wellness and life.
In the natural, people often turn to detoxification to cleanse the body, rid it of toxins built up from all the junky, unhelathy, food they have allowed in.
People who want to detox may fast, or eat only pure, whole and wholesome foods.
I want a detox for my mind. If it is not good, lovely, true, excellent, worthy of praise, right, pure, honorable, I do not want to dwell on it, think about it, listen to it or look at it.
I want a healthy mind, soul, spirit.
I want to live here.

Some lovely, pure and good things to dwell on . . .



5 comments:

Micah & Sarah said...

I want to print out this post and stick it to my mirror - so true! I often come back to this verse, I so wish I could live it! It is something that I reach for though. Thank so much for writing about it; sometimes I think we don't hear enough about simple things like this - but I think it is more difficult to discern what God is saying to us when our minds are so puddled with the things of this earth!
I love that picture of your boys - they already look older to me. Right now our neighbor is playing her guitar and singing the song "He Knows My Name" - sometimes her singing so loudly really bothers us, but today I just think, "How true it is." Just an unrelated thought:) Love you, Sarah

Abigail Kreighbaum said...

That was a great day!

Michelle said...

I empathize with you, as I often don't dwell on the right things. Thanks for the reminder...

Andrea in Pittsburg said...

Joy, I just discoved your blog. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. You remind of all the things that are most important in life.

Andrea

Jamison said...

I guess I am ore of an optimist. I tend to dwell on more positive things. It is like junk food though, great analogy. Even a little bit of junk food makes you realize how much you like it. It reveals our natural desire to consume unnatural things. It is far less inviting to eat a carrot as opposed to a twinky. Great post!