Category: Meditations

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Keys to Mind Health

What comes to your mind (excuse the pun, haha) at the mention of mind health?

There is a lot of information going around these days about ways to strengthen our minds, to counteract stress and  physical and mental breakdown, in all kinds of ways from nutrition to drugs to exercise to meditation to mindfulness.

What constitutes a mind?  Is it your psyche, your brain, your emotions, your thoughts, your conscience, your will, your soul or spirit?

Is your mind the core of who you are?  What if you ‘lose your mind’?

My father died at the age of 94, but five years before he died he suffered a major stroke, causing complete loss of memory and ability to speak.

Before that happened, I thought it would be unbearable to me if one of my parents were ever to lose their mind in some way.  However, surprisingly, although he didn’t even exactly recognise me any more, he was still there!

His essential character, his spirit, his mind, shone out of his sparkling eyes!  It shone right through his inabilities.  What a gift was given to me, to see that his physical and mental limitations didn’t really matter so much after all.  In fact in a way his mind was renewed, as some of his previous mental barriers were now gone.  For example, he now loved to have a hug, something that in our family had never been done much.

Although most of his ability to speak was gone, there were two phrases that he repeated over and over again.  One was “Apple pie!” and the other was “Rejoice and rejoice!”  Yes, his mind/soul/spirit were happy, even as he sat tied into his wheelchair, wheeling around and around in circles because only one arm still worked.

What was the key to his amazing mind health in spite of all odds?

From the time he was a young man, my father fed his mind on God by learning about Him, meditating on Him, reading the Bible, and praying.  He lived in the Spirit of God all the time, conscious of His presence.  He praised God in word and song as he went about his day.  The fruits of the Spirit of God were evident all the time in his life: joy, peace, love, kindness, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)

The first chapter of the Bible tells us that God created people in his own image.  I believe this refers to our minds.

Our minds are connected to God and to each other as well.  Jesus said that the most important rule to follow is to love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength.  And the next most important rule to follow is to love others as we love ourselves (Mark 12:30).

When these connections are open, health flows into our minds.  In John chapter 15 we read Jesus’ description of God’s love flowing into us when we dwell in Him, just like the sap flowing to the branches of a vine.  He says that when we do this we will be filled with His joy to overflowing!  (verse 11)

So lets feed our minds on God and allow His amazing love and power to fill our whole beings.  Our minds were made for that!

 

 

 

 

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The Resurrection of Jesus

Today I read Mark chapter 16, about the resurrection of Jesus.  It goes as follows:

On Saturday evening three women who were close friends of Jesus (Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome) went and bought some special burial spices with the intention of putting them on Jesus’ body.

The next morning (Sunday) they headed for his tomb at sunrise.  On the way they were discussing who might be able to roll away the large stone that had been placed in front of the tomb.  However, to their surprise, when they arrived they saw that the stone had already been moved!

When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right-hand side.  He was an angel.  The women were startled, but he told them not to be so surprised.  He knew that they were looking for Jesus, and told them that he had been raised from the dead, and was now going ahead of his friends to Galilee, where they would see him, just as he had told them before he died.  He told them to go tell Peter and the other disciples.

Outside, Mary Magdalene actually saw Jesus and he spoke to her.

The women, shaken and bewildered, fled quickly from the tomb, too frightened to speak along the way, and reported these things to Peter and the others.

At first the disciples didn’t believe the women, but then he appeared to two of them as they were walking in the countryside.  When they realized it was Jesus they rushed back to tell the others, but no one believed them.

Later he appeared to the eleven disciples while they were eating, and rebuked them for their unbelief.  He told them to go and spread the Good News to all the world, that anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved.  But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.

He promised that there would be miraculous signs to confirm believers, such as the casting out of demons in His name, the speaking of tongues (other languages unknown to the speaker), ability to handle poisonous snakes with safety, and to even drink poison without being hurt.  They would also be able to heal people of illness by placing their hands on them.

After Jesus was taken up into heaven the disciples went everywhere and preached the gospel.  The Lord worked with them, confirming what they said with many miraculous signs.

This was the wonderful beginning of Christianity, which eventually did spread throughout the world.  Indeed there still are miracles done in the Name of Jesus!  He hears our prayers, we hope and trust in Him, He is our security and strength, and we look forward to going to heaven to be with him when our life on earth draws to a close.

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Happy to be Alive

August 29, 2017

This morning I sat outside on our peaceful front porch, looking in the distance toward my hometown of Vancouver, nestled in the awesome blue mountains of coastal British Columbia.  At 71 degrees with a wisp of a breeze, leaning back on my padded wicker rocker with my dear little shitzu on my lap and meditating on Psalm 103, life seemed very good.

This summer I have come through two serious surgeries.  The first one last month removed two suspicious areas, and unfortunately they did find cancer so I had to go in for a second surgery to remove the cancerous member of my body.  That was one week ago today.  I feel I am healing up well, but I still await the lab test results as to whether there is any further cancer lurking in that area of my body.

However this morning I feel well and happy to be alive to enjoy all the blessings that God has so freely bestowed on me.  Psalm 103 reminds us to continually praise the Lord and remember the good things he does for us.  It includes a list:

  • forgiving our sins
  • healing our diseases
  • ransoming us from death
  • surrounding us with love and tender mercies
  • filling life with good things
  • renewing our youth
  • giving righteousness and justice to those who are treated unfairly

The psalm goes on to describe God’s loving caring nature.  What an encouraging scripture to start my day!