Think on These Things

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.....And the God of peace will be with you (Philippians 4:8).

Padre Pio once said, "I shudder to think of the harm done to numerous souls by the lack of spiritual reading."  And that was before the age of instantaneous information from sources beyond what he could have imagined.  Our children are bombarded today with information and images that shape their minds even before they have a chance at "spiritual" reading. Children's programming -- an apt term, by the way, since we now know how our brains are programmed by what is seen and heard---when I was growing up consisted of The Lone Ranger, Sky King, and Howdy Doody.  Today, even quality programming on tv is overshadowed by often violent video games and cell phone access.

Recently, our local paper carried an article titled, "Study links negative thinking to Alzheimer's disease."  Researchers have been observing patterns of thought they have labeled RNT, repeated negative thinking, in people over 55.  PET scans have measured two proteins -- tau and amyloid -- that cause Alzheimer's when they build up in the brain.  People with higher RNT patterns showed more cognitive decline over a four-year period, and they were more likely to have amyloid and tau deposits in their brains.  Depression and anxiety are also associated with cognitive decline, although the connections are still not clear.

Two days after that article appeared, the paper carried another one called, "Book of Delights author shares the truth about joy."  Ross Gay, a professor at Indiana University, spent one year writing every single day about something that delighted him -- hummingbirds, high-fives from strangers, and the laughing snort, which he calls "among the most emphatic evidences of delight."  His "Book of Delights: Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude" won the 2015 National Book Critics Circle Award.  His rules for writing were "Write quickly and by hand."  "When you notice you've been delighted, suddenly the world is more full of delights," he said.  Joy overflows from this man in the interview.

If we begin to observe our inner landscapes, we might notice what effect our "programming" has on us, for better or for worse.  Recently, I began watching a series I had heard people talking about -- The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.  It was light-hearted and funny, and I was enjoying my daily episodes.  However, about 9 episodes into the story, there was one so filled with the "f word" that it seemed to program my brain.  My mother once told me that the last thing you think about before going to bed is the first thing you will think about in the morning, and unfortunately, I had watched this episode just before retiring for the night.  As I tried to fall asleep, my head was filled with the "f" dialog, and I hated the feelings that filled my soul.  I finally promised myself never to do that again.  Instead, I try to make my last thoughts before sleep something worthy of waking up to.  I want to experience joy in the morning, not grief and abuse.  

Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is "the pearl of great price, for which a man will give all that he has."  Our inner kingdom of peace is worth preserving at all costs!