wonderment

I’ve never been a coffee-drinker. If you’ve known me for a while, I never used to drink any coffee. I can pretty much survive without “the daily quick fix”.

However, tastes have been changing of late. Every time I go to Starbucks now, I’ll always order my Vanilla Latte. (Not an addiction yet, but maybe I should apply to a certain somebody for a patron’s card! :D)

Perhaps that’s why Melissa Mathews’ short but very succint article speaks straight to my heart.

Putting God First in Our Thoughts

The mind is its own place,
and in itself can make a Heaven of Hell,
and Hell of Heaven.”
John Milton

When I think “put God first in my thoughts,” I get a picture of this huge coffee filter. The filter is made from the advice in Philippians 4:8: “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”

Whatever thought I’m having, it has to pass through this filter before I can keep it around and mull it over.

“I’m ugly.”
“I hate my neighbor.”
“God has a plan for me.”
“She is one hot chick”
“I wish I would die.”
“My Dad’s great.”
“She is the worst singer I’ve ever heard.”
“I can’t do one more page of math.”
“Can my boss tell I’m a Christian?”
“I’ll never amount to anything!”
“I want everyone to know me.”

Some of these thoughts are pure and noble. They make it through my thought filter to simmer and steep and fill my head with a sweet fragrance. Some of those thoughts are a bitter drink that threatens to ruin my day (or even my outlook on life) with its depressing, murky content.

Our thoughts can be strong coffee that either bring us to life, or give us the jitters. We’ve got to put God first in our thoughts so life can be a fresh- brewed cup of Jesus.

~Girl Meets God (http://www.studylight.org)
Week of July 17 - 23, 2005

Seriously questioning my identity in the station. Producer or bao-kah-liao-everything-also-humtum-office girl? I don’t mean to be rude, but I thought even in church ministry, we placed first priority on the job we were hired for? Why have I not said no to certain responsibilities outside my job scope?

It’s not that difficult to do the things he has asked, but I don’t want to be caught in a fudged line where I don’t even know what I’m supposed to be doing first.