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“I am so thrilled to give you the good news: you can pick what you ponder.”

A thought by Max Lucado from his book, Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World (Kindle Location 1671). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

There are so many things that I can’t do.  Max says, “You didn’t select your birthplace or birth date. You didn’t choose your parents or siblings. You don’t determine the weather or the amount of salt in the ocean. There are many things in life over which you have no choice.”

He doesn’t stop there, he says, “But the greatest activity of life is well within your dominion. You can choose what you think about.”

He goes on, “You can be the air traffic controller of your mental airport. You occupy the control tower and can direct the mental traffic of your world. Thoughts circle above, coming and going. If one of them lands, it is because you gave it permission. If it leaves, it is because you directed it to do so. You can select your thought pattern.”

I can be the air traffic controller of my mental airport.  Yes, I can and so can you.

Max says, “For that reason, the wise man urges, ‘Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life’ (Prov. 4:23 NCV). Do you want to be happy tomorrow? Then sow seeds of happiness today. (Count blessings. Memorize Bible verses. Pray. Sing hymns. Spend time with encouraging people.) Do you want to guarantee tomorrow’s misery? Then wallow in a mental mud pit of self-pity or guilt or anxiety today. (Assume the worst. Beat yourself up. Rehearse your regrets. Complain to complainers.) Thoughts have consequences.

“Healing from anxiety requires healthy thinking. Your challenge is not your challenge. Your challenge is the way you think about your challenge. Your problem is not your problem; it is the way you look at it.”

He says, “Turns out that our most valuable weapon against anxiety weighs less than three pounds and sits between our ears. Think about what you think about!”


So, what are you going to pick to ponder today?

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