Minds

I recommend Joyce Meyer's "Battlefield of the Mind".
I highly recommend Dr. Caroline Leaf's book/video
"Who Switched Off My Brain".
I first saw her on Life Today with 3 other women - each speaking in their area of expertise.

There are many scriptures regarding our minds, hearts and souls; but I think Christians tend to compartmentalize things too much. Here are some common scriptures...
Rom 12:2 says to be transformed by the renewing of our minds
2Cor. 10:5 says we should bring every thought captive
Phil. 4:8 says to think about whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, kind, virtuous, excellent...
This list of scriptures could go on for quite awhile.

Knowing these scriptures, and knowing the power of our words and thought-life, set me up for when I heard Caroline speak.
These scriptures transformed
from "yes, you should do these things"
to "God wasn't wasting His breath!
He created our bodies
and there is even a physical reason for these things
- not just 'now be good child'."

My comprehension is very elementary and I look forward to a day when I can focus more on this, but here is SOME of what I have learned...

Researchers have shown that 87% of illnesses are attributed to our thought life, and only about 13% to our diet, genetics and environment.

Dr. Candace Pert (neuro scientist) has found scientifically, without a doubt, that there is a bio molecular basis for our emotions.

"Whether your thoughts, emotions and attitudes are
toxic or positive, they are represented in the body as electrochemical
reactions." (Dr. Caroline Leaf's book)

Dr.Caroline Leaf explains the whole process of how a thought happens, and what happens to that thought. They have found two specific, actual molecules, that are released - one a 'fear -based' and one a 'faith-based'. The fear based one is toxic, important for times when you need that 'fight/flight' mode, but when out of balance or for extended time, is toxic in your body - chemically, electrically and hormonally. The faith based one is healing.
Our thoughts are not some 'out there' thing, thoughts are visible and measurable and real; and physically affect us as they are sent chemically and electrically throughout our bodies like photocopies.

One of the first places our thoughts affect is our heart/circulation. Interesting enough, the physical heart itself

"has a mini-brain(about 20,000 cells that are found in our brain) that
operates like a 'checking station' that evaluates the wisdom of thoughts,
keeping rash decisions and impulsive thinking under control."

That information brings new light to Proverbs 4:23

"Keep and guard you heart with all vigilance and
above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life."

Some more on the heart?...
Jer.24:7a 'I will give them a heart to know me,'
Ezek. 11:19 'I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.'
Matt 6:21 'For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.'
Matt. 22... 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'
Matt.15:18 'But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart' (Luke 6:45)
Rom 10:10 'For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified...'
2 Cor. 3:3 'You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.'
You can see how me talking abou this could end up leading down endless word studies and tangents! :)

I will conclude with Ephesians 4:23

"Be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind

(having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude)."

There is much more I would love to share, but I don't think now is the time...

Today in service I was reminded that the joy of the Lord is to be my strength and that I can put on the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness ... of which I needed badly this morning.

I heard of some girls getting away to the Boreal hostil for a weekend of scrapbooking - how I would love to go to a place like that - just to have time. I was invited, but can't go.