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"Your mind is a garden,
Your thoughts are the seed
You can grow flowers
Or you can grow weeds."

 ~~ <> @ <> ~~

I was going to write something here about how I'm afraid I'm boring and tedious at times, but the Lord reminded me that I'm not supposed to be beating myself up with negative self-talk. HE LOVES ME! I'm supposed to be working on renewing my mind with his help and the devil would like nothing better than to get me to believe that I'm worth nothing, but hallelujah, I must be worth something, 'cause God CREATED me in his image and he doesn't make junk!

We are retired homeschoolers, but while we homeschooled, we had our son study the antonyms or the opposites of words in the Bible, namely the character traits that we are to aim for as holy people such as the Fruits of the Spirit.

"But the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." ~ Galatians 5:22-23a. (NIV)

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all of these virtues, put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." ~ Colossians 3:12 - 15b. (NIV)

So for everything I think negatively, I must counteract that with something positive about myself because:

"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. . ." Proverbs 23:7 (KJV)

Below are some things that have run through my head at times. Perhaps they have run through your head too! Ouch! Root out the weeds and replant flowers of life, then bask in the sonshine and grow!

Negative Self-Talk (Noxious Weeds):

1. I am boring, tedious and tiresome, therefore nobody will want to come back and read my blog posts. I must try harder to write amusing and thrilling blog posts to WOW my audience.

2. I am big, fat and ugly.

3. Everybody hates me.

4. I can't.

5.  It's my right to cut in this line if I want; I've got places to go and deadlines to meet!

6.  It's so boring around here.

Positive Self-Talk (Flowers): (As Stephanie says: "Things we forgot to remember!")

1. The truth is that it's hard work to be a good writer and we all go through slumps at times,  but remember I am a creative child of a creative God! Persevere! Be grateful for the ordinary!

2. I am a BIG BEAUTIFUL WOMAN (BBW)!

3.  Not everybody, because not everybody knows me. Besides my Daddy God loves me! He tells me in his word that he does. For example, one of my favorite verses says: "How great is the Love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God." ~ 1 John 3:1

4. I CAN, with the enabling of God! Hang on to God's hand and trust him, Dolores!
"For nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1: 37.

5.  Remember your manners!
"through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him (Christ Jesus)." ~ 2 Corinthians 2:14b.

6.  Bloom where you are planted!

So today I'm thankful for reminders of things I forgot to remember and a new book I picked up at Michael's last night called the "Complete Guide to Bible Journaling: Creative Techniques to Express Your Faith." By Joanne Fink & Regina Yoder. Design Originals, 2017. Valerie Sjodin is one of the expert artists in this book. I featured her here on this blog in  December of 2014. I shall enjoy reading this book. I also am thankful for the little heart shaped cut-out I saw in the pavement today, in between doctor appointments, a reminder of God's love for me. I didn't have my camera with me or I would have taken a photo for you. Instead I came home and doodled another coloring page for a divider (dashboard) for my Faith-book and scanned it as an upload for this post.

HE IS RISEN!