itsawonderfilledlife

Maybe it’s the dark season, maybe the flu virus that demolished my weekend plan or maybe just the abundance of time in my brain …

I was abiding in the doldrums yesterday, my thoughts going to and staying on the dark side. Gotta say, by bedtime I was brought low.

Then I awoke this morning with one word on my mind …

WHATEVER

and I knew fully and immediately what the message was and who it was from.

Whatever …

whatever is true,
whatever is noble,
whatever is right,
whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely,
whatever is admirable
think about such things

A passage from Philippians, memorized many years ago, as a child attending a Pioneer Girls club, surfaced … just. when. I. needed. it.

coincidence? I think not.

The Psalmist tells us, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). There is something powerful about scripture that has been memorized and how it surfaces in our minds when we need it’s message, it’s hope, the most.

According to a Psychology Today article, written by Ryan C. Warner Ph.D.,

“Neurologically, positive thinking activates brain regions involved in emotional regulation  and reward processing, such as the prefrontal cortex and amygdala. This activation triggers the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, known for promoting feelings of happiness and well-being.“

Whatever …

Whatever is on our minds, threatening our sense of inner peace, striking us with fear, making our stomachs turn with worry … whatever it is … job lay offs, change, death of loved ones, isolation from loved ones, rejection, stress, loneliness, change, depression, anxiety … a virus in the midst of the winter doldrums … these whatever verses are a U-turn, a reminder that where we allow our thoughts to go can affect where they stay.

This isn’t happy-clappy stuff folks, to make the switch in our minds to that which is positive is to fuel our thoughts with something that can help us manage the stresses and frustrations and seasonal affective disorders and whatever else our minds are struggling to have the resilience to cope through. In a sense, positive thinking is the most valuable nutrient for our brains to function and cope well in this sometimes dark and stormy world.

” … 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. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” Philippians 4:8-9