As another year unfolds, my pledge for a healthy body: eating healthy, fasting and prayer provides a great focus (sugar/dairy fast); Yet this year my greatest alive and thriving focus will be a healthy MIND!

An alive and thriving mind!

I love books! I am always on the hunt for another good read, a beautiful piece of literature to enhance my walk and knowledge and understanding of God’s creation created with purpose.  For the most part, I will play it safe and order books from authors highly respected with whom I am familiar, however, I stepped out of my comfort zone and went with a new (to me) author. Unfortunately, this book has proven to be quite disturbing, even causing me to question if the writer is in their right mind. I found a disturbance so great thriving peace could not be found. Such disturbances include times from my past as dark and heavy, causing me to fear I would lose my mind. But sitting here now in my 62^nd year of life, God continues to encourage me with his healing truth, bringing light to my mind as I seek after what the Spirit desires (Romans 8:5). Breaking from the pattern of this world while fixing my thoughts on Him and His Kingdom to come has truly be transformative (Romans 12:2). As my love for God grows (Matthew 22:37), it is a sustaining factor setting my thoughts moment by moment, to intentionally direct my thoughts heavenward; to understand that focusing on human concerns where we have such a limited understanding rather than God’s concerns is how we fall into the pattern of this world and live defeated, with dark warring minds and having no peace.  He is truly the anchor keeping me afloat (Philippians 4:8; 2 Corinthians 10:5).

It is time to thrive in 25!

The tarnished mind affected by the fall when Adam and Eve originally sinned in the garden, the sin of my own choices, from physical trauma as well as physiological trauma, all the brokenness that comes from living in a fallen world, there is no doubt our minds are easily swayed. They can easily be led down the wrong corridors, and that’s exactly what our enemy Satan and his entourage are about (Ephesians 6:12).

Even when I walk through the shadow of death, He is with me, shepherding my every step, sustaining these 62+ years (Psalm 23). God provided healing I never thought I would see. Sure, I will always be affected because sin has tainted what God created as a beautiful mindboggling relationship. But through all the brokenness, the fear, the panic, feeling I may lose my mind, God has been the anchor keeping me afloat, keeping me from drowning.

Our minds are gifts from God, and we have a responsibility before Him to steward them well. They are not to be left to themselves to wander aimlessly or even necessarily be educated from the top schools of higher learning. But we have been given a sure way to train the mind through the Holy Scriptures wherein teachings and principles abound for producing a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). As we meditate on it filling our minds with His truth it will deliver us from the power of darkness, sin and Satan.

Alive and Thriving in 25!

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Philippians 4:8, NLT

We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, 2 Corinthians 10:5, NASB

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:13-prepared for Christ return.

The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace,
Because he trusts in You. Isaiah 26:3

…But we have the mind of Christ.1 Corinthians 2:16b