YES to GOD study: ch. 2-Renewing Your Thought Closet

Hello ladies...this week's chapter was great, but before I get to my thoughts on it, let me share with you this e-mail I received last Tuesday.

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This is Jennifer's Dr. Phil and we're following your Bible study at your blogspot. Tried to comment in your blog spot but the image verification wasn't working. Anyway, let your Yes to God girlfriends know that Jennifer and the team of women here at Jennifer Rothschild Ministries are following your Bible study and discussions. Just wanted you wonderful women to know we love and appreciate what you are doing.

Just wanted you all to know how much we love to see women allowing God to do a work through them through his Word.

Blessings,

Jennifer's Dr. Phil and Jennifer!

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I just thought that was pretty neat and wanted to share that with you. I hope it encourages your heart like it did mine.

Also, if you are interested, in February there will be available a video-based Bible study on the book. Click here for more info.

Thank you Jennifer and Dr. Phil for the encouragement and Jennifer thank you for your obedience to write this book. It is so needed by many.

CHAPTER 2: RENEWING YOUR THOUGHT CLOSET

Remember...anything in blue is a quote from the book.

This chapter was so good. Here are just a few of the things that really popped out at me.

We have borrowed unbecoming beliefs from other people and hung them in our thought closets.

We should refuse to let untruths and destructive words and thoughts occupy prime space in our minds' closets.

I think of some of the stuff I have hung up in my clothes closet. May not be age appropriate anymore, too tight or even too big and yet I hold on to them. I let useless clothing take up space in my closet instead of getting rid of them. Same thing with my mind. I tend to keep hold of things that don't line up with what God's Word says about me or says to do. Useless thoughts just cluttering my mind.

I really loved and felt much conviction over the section titled Keeping Watch at the Closet Door. You and I must take some control of our thoughts. We must train them to match up with the truth. If we don't keep a hold on them, they will soon gain a hold on us.

Until you choose to bring that out-of-place label into the light and make it line up with truth, it will control you. Instead of wearing it as a label, choose now to label it with truth.

I have this sign in my house that says:

Thoughts become Words

Words become Actions

Actions becomes Character

Character becomes Everything.

Oh, how I painfully know the truth of both Jennifer's statements and that signs. I am one that has to ignore advice and see if there is truth behind the warning and I always have to learn the hard way...the painful way...the way that causes the Savior to grieve. That is where the conviction pierced my heart in what Jennifer said when she used the word "choose". It is all about choice and often I decide on the wrong thing.

Out of everything in this chapter, what Jennifer said here got it underlined, highlighted and starred...

We probably never completely erase old memories, forget old thoughts, or wipe away former self talk. Those things are simply there, and depending on what we do with them, they add or subtract to the quality of our lives.

You can't remove those hurtful thoughts, words, and memories, but by the power of God, you can drain them of their potential control over you.

Wow! Isn't that awesome? Jennifer also lays it out for us how we train ourselves to recognize truth and teaches us how we can teach ourselves how to speak truth to our souls. Now ladies...if we don't apply what Ms. Jennifer takes the time to teach us, by the end of this book or rather chapter, we will remain the same. Re-read the chapter if you need to and ask for God's help in this. If you are like me at all then this is a battle the enemy will not go down easy on, but when we ask for God's help we are reassured that in fact, going down is what he will do. So, let's keep reading then applying what we are taught.

Words spoken over us, to us and about us have much power, but with God's help we can diffuse their explosion and power in our lives and it can be life changing.

In listening to a Beth Moore teaching this week she shared about one of her girls when they were little. She said that one of them didn't like the way she looked. Beth asked her..."Have you looked in the mirror? Are you seeing what I'm seeing? You are beautiful."

Her young one then said, "So and so said I look like a turtle and I do."

Beth's response..."Honey...take me to so-and-so."

Isn't that the truth though...we believe the spoken and written word?

So why not believe the spoken and written word of God instead?

May we allow Jennifer's labor of love to do just what God intends it to do in our minds and souls. He had her write this book for a reason and it wasn't just so she'd have another book to add to her resume, it was to change our lives.

May this journey with Him continue.

Love you much.

If you have something to share on your own blog, please sign up under Mr. Linky so those with a computer ~sigh~ can read your thoughts. If you don't have a blog, please feel free to share your thoughts here in the comments.

Also..thank you for your sweet comments left for Alivia on the last post. She was so excited and has such a true heart for our Lord. I only pray it continues to beat faster and faster with passion for Jesus the older she gets as life happens. Seems when life changes from driving a Barbie car to driving a car with payments our focus can get shifted off of Him. Please Lord, I pray her love for You only magnifies.

~Many Blessings~

Next week: Chapter 3~Choosing Wise Words.