Putting "Faulty Thinking" To Bed

Faulty Thinking.  Stinkin' Thinkin'. There are many names for it but essentially it is any of the negative "tapes" we "play" in our head.
 I first heard of it at an AA meeting fifteen years ago. A long-time sober alcoholic described the kind of negative thoughts that led up to his falling off the wagon.  "I'm a loser." "I never get things right." and eventually"Well, every time I try I fail, so why try?"  The next thing he knew he had given up the commitment to sobriety and was back on the bar stool.

Stinking Thinking is not just a problem with addicts. All of us carry on internal conversations. What we tell ourselves becomes our lens for viewing the world. Our self-talk becomes reality as we believe what we say about ourselves, even if it we never speak it aloud.

As a mom, I have watched my own kids develop faulty thinking at a young age.  My pre-school daughter already has learned to lament the stereotypical "No one likes me, everybody hates me, I should go eat worms." When she is in that "faulty thinking" mode, it is as if there is no convincing her otherwise.

I have learned that to change faulty thinking,  we must intentionally tell ourselves positive messages. We must re-program ourselves. I came up with a little song for my daughter to the tune of "Are You Sleeping" that gives her simple, repeatable phrases about God's love for her.
Tonight, as she was in bed, trying to fall asleep, I heard her from outside the room singing this song.

To the Tune of Frere Jaques

Jesus Loves Me,

Jesus Loves Me.

I Love God,

I Love God,

Holy, Holy Spirit.

Holy, Holy Spirit.

Amen. Amen.

I am not a child psychologist. I am clearly not a hymn writer. I'm just a mom and a pastor. I had a problem so I came up with this little song.

You could change the words to fit your child's theology. Maybe "Holy Spirit" is too fancy for your three your old - so substitute "Always Always With Me" or some other sort of thing. If your kid is like mine, she will add new verses of her own. I heard her throwing in "Mommy Loves Me" after a while, for instance. Whatever anchors her to the Love of God - mommies and daddies are those anchors for children.

In other faith traditions, this little song might be considered a mantra, words that are repeated to bring about inner transformation. As a Christian, the Bible invites me to set my mind on things above, not on things of this earth. (Colossians 3:2)  Stinking thinking, therefore, is not for Christians. We are supposed to set our minds on the love of God, although human nature will want to tug on us to believe life is hopeless and miserable.

I wanted to share this because someone else may need help with calming an anxious child - May the peace that passes all understanding dwell richly in your child's heart!

Just Another Day at Olivet

US Navy Blimp Over Olivet

Olivet Church looks to be an ordinary place - a little church in a quiet neighborhood. But God continues to surprise me with extraordinary blessings wrapped in the "ordinary packaging" of a country church.

It's quiet here, but many visitors drop by. Just today, a stranger was walking down Olivet road taking pictures. He stopped in to tell me he was sightseeing all the way from Scotland (not the one by Point Lookout, either!).Then there are the visitors who circle our sky - like the US Navy blimp that spent quite a long time in our neighborhood last week.
Simple miracles happen at Olivet all the time. For instance, there was the Miracle of Pickles. A kindergartner heard the cries of a cat coming from beneath the church. He and his grandma discovered that a cat had become trapped and couldn't get out.    With the help of church members who cut him an escape hatch, the friendly cat named Pickles was rescued.

Pickles' story began the week before, when I was praying for dirt so that we could fill-in a gap under the church. Miraculously, a bulldozer
appeared. It was heading to the end of Olivet Road to move dirt from the site of James Dodson's old store.    The driver offered us a pile of dirt for our hole. What a gift! It seemed to be sent from James Dodson himself to meet the needs of the Olivet Trustees!

The Hole Filled In with Dirt

The only problem was nobody knew Pickles was napping beneath the church, he never knew his entrance way had been blocked. It took a little boy, almost five days later to discover him. He is now safe and the hole is closed up.
This week's miracle is just as exciting. Our Governing Body launched a fundraiser for the renovation of the church hall and set up an on- line giving website. Within three days, contributions started coming in as we posted the requests to facebook and email. To date, we have over $2,000. Inside this newsletter, read more about this initiative and what is involved.
Olivet was named for the holy spot outside Jerusalem where people encountered God. Here at Olivet, we also encounter the holy. In simple, ordinary ways, God reminds us that his love for us is always a miracle.