Archives: September 2006

What do I ask of the Lord? Well, I ask for courage, direction, peace, health, joy, zeal, stability, deepening commitment. For myself, for my wife, for my children and grandchildren, for my parents and my aunt, for my sister and my niece, for my inlaws, and on and on.

So many things to desire, and yet . . . .

“One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the hosue of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple” (Psalm 27:4).

The panting hart — so thirsty that every other need and desire and wish and want and ambition and goal is secondary.

Water first.

Then the other things.

That’s how I want to be.

My mind could use something like that.

I used to run a grass seed cleaner. Seed came to us straight from the field with lots of chaff, dirt, and weed seed. We took it all and ran it over huge screens that jiggled and shook.

What didn’t make it through the screens was discarded and hauled away.

My mind could use something like that.

Well, then, here is a series of screens:

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8).

If I ran my thoughts through these screens, how much would be discarded?

Even more important is whether or not I will decide to use the screens.