The Power Thoughts Program

     This last week, I bought and read Joyce Meyer’s book Power Thoughts.  This books is about taking responsbility for your thoughts and attitudes and thinking good thoughts on purpose.  I was drawn to the book because it flows with the direction that I am going in–ending worry and trusting God.  Power Thoughts deals with twelve powerful thoughts that line of with the Bible that I feel I would greatly benefit to have firmly ingrained in my mind.  This is how I am going to approach my goal of trusting God completely.

     Beginning the first week of the year, I will take one power thought each week for twelve weeks and work on making it a part of my mind.  This is the an important part of the process that all Christians need to do–renewing the mind.  See Romans 12:1-2:  “Therefore brothers, in view of God’s mercy, I urge you to offer your bodies as living sacrifices to God.  Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is, his good, pleasing, and perfect will.”  Transformation?  Isn’t that what the new year is all about?

Since there are twelve power thoughts, I plan to repeat the process four times over the course of the year, and I will choose my focus for the last four weeks of the year, a little closer to that time.

With each power thought, I will:

1.  Reread the chapter in the book and answer the questions in writing.
2. Write the power thought on signs (post-its, posterboard, etc.) and place the signs where I will see them.
3. Meditate on the thought.
4. Say the thought out loud often.
5. Meditate on and memorize one of the scriptures pertaining to the power thought.
6. Journal and/or blog about my personal experience with the power thought.
7. Talk to a friend about what I am learning through my week with the power thought.

That’s my plan for learning to trust God and renewing my mind!  I can’t wait to get started!

2011 Word(s) of the Year: Trusting God

     I have been thinking a lot about my Word of the Year.  I am sticking to my guns and avoiding resolutions and putting my focus on a word or phrase instead.  By doing  this, I will focus my efforts and my mind on living my life to achieve that one phrase or word in all areas of my life.  The intention I am setting for 2011 is trusting God.  You don’t have to look very far to see that many, many, wonderful things come from trusting God.  Check out Psalm 37 verse 3 and 4:

Trust in the Lord and do good;

dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

Delight yourself in the Lord

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

So, countless benefits come from trusting God.  That, however is not my main goal in setting this intention.  What I struggle with most, I believe, is worry.  Worry and stress, and a type of worry called “reasoning” that involves me trying to figure things out.  Nothing robs me of my joy and my peace and creativity and clarity like worry.  Yet, I find it much easier to move away from a negative action like worrying if I have something positive to move toward–trusting God.  I don’t think it’s possible to trust God and worry at the same time.  It’s pretty freeing, trusting God.  I think I am going to have lots of new space in my mind (formerly filled by worry) to be creative, to be clear, to be at joy and to be at peace.  Yay! 

     I know I am early in posting this.  I want to get my intention firmly in my mind and start practicing trusting God.  I think that 2011 is going to be an exciting year.  Who knows how far-reaching the power of trusting God will be?