Filling My Mind

Cause I got a peaceful easy feelin’
And I know you won’t let me down
‘Cause I’m already standin’
On the ground

–  The Eagles

As a freshman in college, the first thing we did was call to set up a phone line in our dorm room.  It took a couple days to get it, then we had to be in our room to receive a call.  I remember getting in trouble for not calling enough.  Sorry Mom!  I was having the time of my life.  If I wanted to show my family something, I could take a picture, get it developed, and send it.  That’s how they first met Sean… I sent a picture…in the mail…with a stamp.  If we wanted to watch Beverly Hills 90210 we had to be in the lobby or in someone’s room with a TV at 9 pm on Thursday night.  If we missed it, too bad.  Someone could tell us about it.

Kate texts us pictures of her art projects she’s working on; Allison sends us crazy videos and weird memes; Emily is the Amazon queen and texts us when she’s on her way home from work.  I love those texts!  It makes my day when I see one of their Instagram posts.  They’re still alive!  (I’m not dramatic at all.)  I love seeing all of your posts too!  I have to admit, I‘m more of a scroller (it might be called stalker) than a liker or commenter.  I’m working on it.

I have a love-hate relationship with smart phones, technology and social media.  The love part is that I can FaceTime my kids in CA, catch up with old friends, send and receive pictures immediately, GPS (how did I ever get around?), and the life-saving Google…how else would I know how many cups are in a pound or how to diagnose and treat my illnesses?  Don’t forget Amazon.  It blows my mind.  I can order a dress for Winter Formal or pods for my coffeemaker and have it in a few hours.

The hate part is the constant competition for attention.  They are time and life-sucking little devices.  Our minds are being filled with whatever the internet gods deem worthy.  Binge-watching can consume a day before you know it.  It is a never-ending battle deciding what to allow into our homes.

People have never been more depressed, lonely, angry, jealous, insecure, selfish and sad.  Our sense of right and wrong is being compromised and we are desensitized to truth and compassion while we sit on the couch, scrolling and surfing.

Whatever you put in your mind and heart determines your thoughts, feelings, and actions.

“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 4:13-14

I am memorizing this and putting it in front of my face every day.  If I want to be a peace maker, life giver, hope bearer, and difference maker, I need to think of excellent and praiseworthy things….which is most often not the stuff my phone with the cute Kate Spade case is filling my mind with.  What you put in comes out.  This world needs more people who speak true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable things.  The best part is that last little line.  “And the God of peace will be with you.”  Don’t we all want that?  I think there is a direct correlation to what you fill your mind with and having peace in this world.  How much better of a mom, wife, friend, HUMAN would I be if I was filled with peace?  I think I’ll try it and see….