Pondering Life

Why does life just rush right by us? Does it not know that God intended for us to stop along the way, smell the flowers, admire His glorious art, and just plain have an abundant life filled with joy, sorrow, laughter, pain, etc?

I cannot believe that we are at the end of the second month of 2011 -- absolutely boggles my neurons! I am in the deepest of prayer modes as my daughter and son-in-law search for their first new home!

I flew to Texas to help Melissa drive from Wichita Falls to Hill AFB outside of Salt Lake City, Utah. It was a wonderful trip and provided the two of us many hours to reflect on our lives and plans for the future. Having been a single parent to Melissa for almost 20 years, we are like 'white on rice' and share everything! It is a great feeling when your daughter is also your best friend!

Sharing Jan Silvious' Devotional

Finally . . . 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. —Philippians 4:8 NIV

If we can’t control anything else in our lives, we can control what we think about. But when we have been buffeted by a situation that throws us, it is easy to abdicate our control and go to our “favorite bad feeling.” That’s the feeling we went to as a child because we learned that it helped us get what we wanted. Once you are an adult, you will find that it is the first place your mind rushes when there is something troubling on your mental radar screen.

Some of us cry, some pout, some sleep, some eat chocolate, some go shopping, some withdraw, and some slam doors, some clean house, some sit and stare. You could probably fill in your own favorite bad feeling. But you don’t have to respond that way, you can choose not to go there. Circumstances rarely change, but how you feel about the circumstances can change dramatically.

How you feel is up to you, not to anyone else in your life. Peace is the result of choosing to focus your mind on what is true and honorable and right. When you choose to do that, it is amazing how much peace will overtake your mind and heart.

—Jan Silvious