in junior high and highschool, i lived in a house that was on a dirt road.  it looked pretty much like this.  one time...i was babysitting when a huge thunderstorm came through.  it rained and rained....and the parents were out pretty late.  when it came time for the husband to drive me home, he went the 'short-cut'....which was the dirt road.  we got about 5 feet off the main road and we got stuck.  he tried and tried to get us out of the mud....and his back and forth efforts just got us in deeper and deeper.

we had no other option than to get out and walk.  through the mud. through the rain. through the thunder and lightening.  i took off my shoes and trudged through the mud....about a mile down the road to home. up to my knees in mud.  as you can tell...that was a night to remember...or not ;)

but.  as i am walking through some things...god brought this memory back to me.....

my thoughts, you see...are like these ruts in a road...only they are in my brain....

seems my negativity (or positive thoughts for that matter) make little paths in my brain....and the more i have those thoughts the deeper those ruts get...

so.

my project of late....as in the past few years....has been to work on those negative comments and thoughts and turn them into positive, truth bearing comments and thoughts.

and.

it is hard.

that is where this picture came to mind.  you know how hard it is to drive on a road with deep ruts in it?  and how you have to concentrate to keep the car from falling into the ruts?  you know that you really want to drive on the higher, smoother part of the road, but if you don't watch it, you fall right back into the ruts....that is where i am living right now....i am having to purpose to stay so focused on my thoughts...and the things i speak--over me and my family...over anyone for that matter.....it is a hard task...but one i know will produce great fruit......

I am purposing to make new {ruts} in my brain....to speak truth to myself and to my children and husband and friends....to focus on: 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. (Phillippians 4:8)

some great reading resources for this are:  Who shut off my brain, by Dr. Caroline Leaf and Scripture meditations by Harrison House publishers....both of these things have helped me understand what is going on in me when I have negative vs positive thoughts and how to work this into my life in a practical way.

what helps you????