Hey Vicki,
That was most helpful.  Thanks.  I'm sure a lot of people will get
encouragement from this  and a new way of thinking or shall we say a new way
to meditate...

blessings and hope,
shiffon
----- Original Message -----
From: "Vicki and The Rors" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, September 06, 2004 11:16 AM
Subject: PURPOSE-DRIVEN® LIFE Daily Devotional


> I loved this today. Vicki
>
>
> THE PURPOSE-DRIVEN® LIFE Daily Devotional
> September 6, 2004
> Why Worry When You Can Meditate?
> by John Fischer
> Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand
> in the
> way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.  But his delight is in the
law
> of the
> Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.  (Psalm 1:1-2)
> I'm a chronic worrier.  I come from a long line of worriers.  A good deal
of
> my conscious
> time is taken up with the act of worrying.  According to Rick Warren, this
> means
> I would be good at meditation.
> Meditation is focused thinking.  It is not just for monks and clerics.
> David said
> that he loved to meditate day and night on the word of God.  Now this was
> also while
> he was running a kingdom, fighting a perpetual enemy on the battlefield,
and
> at times,
> running for his life.  He didn't have a lot of time to sit with his legs
> crossed
> and go "Ommmmmm."  That kind of meditation is meant to clear the mind of
all
> thoughts.
> Biblical meditation is thinking focused on a particular aspect of God, a
> part of
> God's word, or a reminder of what He has done for you.
> Worry is focused thinking as well.  It's focused on what I can't answer or
> solve
> about my situation.  Worry, at least for me, is returning over and over
> again to
> a place where I am stuck.  I must somehow negatively feed on that little
> flutter
> of panic each time I follow a path of worry to the same hopeless
conclusion.
> These
> are thoughts that accompany me throughout the day.  I don't sit down to
> worry. Worry
> is nagging negativity.
> It would stand to reason that if I can do this kind of professional
worrying
> while
> I go about my tasks for the day, then I could choose to meditate on God's
> word instead.
> Worry is usually all about what you can't do anything about anyway. It's
> never productive.
> Imagine all that attention turned to God and His truth.
> I have the feeling that if I learned to turn my chronic worrying into
> meditation,
> when I did actually sit down to do something about those things I'm
tempted
> to worry
> about, I might be in a much better frame of mind to find a solution.
> Try it today.  If you catch yourself worrying, turn your thoughts instead
to
> God
> and His word.  Take a portion of scripture and turn it over and over in
your
> mind.
> Remember what God has done for you.  Be thankful.  Why worry when you can
> meditate?
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