Seeing Red

One of the things I look forward to most in spring is seeing the cardinals in the as yet empty limbs of trees. They are easier to spot without the leaves, but flighty none-the-less when they know they have been discovered. They fly off just as the camera is getting focused.

This past week I took myself out to a park where I have had some success at mimicking the cardinal song and getting them to stay closer for photographs. I was able to track four different cardinals fairly closely. They seemed intrigued that they heard their song being sung. Their curiosity and my persistence paid off. I was delighted to see and hear these beauties.

I have been thinking about the word, persistence. I have been 'seeing red' because of an unwanted persistence. I forgot some important lessons about persistence. Living well and being happy is the best revenge. It does not do me any harm mentally when I refocus to go 'see the red' of the cardinal instead. I take the thoughts hostage and think about something that is healthy to my mind and body. I ask God to help me not revisit things that harm me. I have been taught to lay things down and allow the renewal of my mind. What I give free reign in my mind is either life-giving or life-stealing. Sometimes I forget the lesson that scripture has given about thinking.

I am recommitted to turn my thinking to those things of Phil. 4:8. I love these words because they don't tell you what NOT to think about, but what TO think about. It is like when someone suggests "Don't think about the color BLUE", that is exactly what you see in your mind. Instead, if someone says "THINK about the color RED", you see RED. It is the true path to mental and physical health and praising God with my mind and body: submit my thinking by following the directions of what TO think about! Your quality of life, no matter the circumstances, will improve.

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Let this mind be in you
which was also in Christ Jesus.
Phil. 2:5

Whatever is true...noble...right...
pure...lovely...admirable~
if anything is excellent or praiseworthy~
think about such things.
Phil. 4:8