Food for Thought: Strongholds, Part II

Now, the notes I posted up in Part I... I found those very interesting.

Why? Because I always associate the word "strongholds" with the negative things like addictions, and negative attitudes.

But it is so much more than that. We all have strongholds, things and attitudes we hold strongly to.

Now ultimately, our stronghold should be God's Word. And for those who are of other religions, I do believe there is some referene text you use. I think you see this a bit more strongly in those religions, like Buddism and Islam. They constantly quote their books. Heck, I've heard of people who memorize the WHOLE Qu'ran.

(Memorizing the whole Bible. Can you imagine?)

Jennifer and The Good Nurse quoted a couple of scripture in the comments of the last post concerning God being one's stronghold, one's fortress.

That makes sense. You see in the book of John that God and His Word are synonymous. So yep, God should be the stronghold, the well-fortified fortress.

Let's look at that Blogger Chele, for example. I don't think she minds me using her as an example. She has had this fear issue for years. She decided she was gonna tackle that thing. I know, from reading posts, that a large part of that was finding out what the Word of God said on the subject matter. She grabbed a hold of those scriptures and rolled with it. And as a consequence, she has seen some changes in her life.

She chose to hold more strongly to what God said about her fear, and not the fear itself.

(Am I right about that Chele? Well, that's what I got of it, man! And I am MORE than happy to witness your continuing journey to a fearless life.)

I feel very rich when I can be a spectator in such matters. Very rich. Because I learn much. I'm learning from her much about the taring down of strongholds. And the buliding of new ones.

But in that sermon, I saw another dimension of the stronghold phenomena. Things have to not only change in your mind, but in the spirit of your mind, i.e., things have to change in the subconscious part of the mind.

This is simple to see. Take the usual weight loss journey. Man, you start out all good, eating well, working out. Then you mess up. Fall off the schedule.

Then you're back where you started. Gained the weight back... plus a few pounds.

Sigh. Happens all the time.

Here's a REAL simple example (a bit too simple, really, lol).

I have several computer passwords on my job, and I am prompted to change them every 45 to 90 days, I believe. To make life easier, a pop up box comes up around 14 days before the change is necessary, and if I want to go ahead on and change it now.

So, I go ahead and change them. But here's the problem: when I log on again the next day, I still type in the old password. As a matter of fact, it takes me several days before I can sit down at that computer and actually type in the right password. I mess up that first time, then I think for a second, then type in the right one. If I mess up 3 times, I gotta call somebody up in DC in headquarters to unlock my computer (that's a real drag, man!)

So what's happening there? It's simply a type of stronghold. Yeah, yeah, it's stupid, not all that serious, but I tell you...

You who do not have to change passwords, and have had those same passwords for a few years. I'm willing to bet that you sit down and log in and don't think twice about the password. It's automatic to type it in.

I wonder to myself this one thing: Why can't I be this way with eveything in life?

You know, like when I need to change for the better?

Because with more serious things, there's a tendency to faint, cave in, and quit.

Like the weight loss journey. They say 95% of the people who lose the weight can't maintain the weight loss. They gain the weight back and then some.

I can see now that the reason for that is that the new attitudes and habits people have embraced to affect the succesful weight loss were done out of sheer will power. And apparently that ain't enough.

The whole process was worked out in their mind, and the process never found firm footing or anchor in the spirit of the mind, deep down in the subconscious.

Interesting.

Another example: and I know ER'BODY can relate to this one, especially people who are my age, i.e, 40ish.

Why come I know the words to EVERY popular Earth, Wind, and Fire Song?

What the world is that all about?

LOL!! (I know that made a couple of people laugh, cuz you know what I mean!)

I mean I know EVERY word. I even know the rise and falls and inflections of Philip Bailey's voice. I know when the horn section gonna kick in. I know it all!

Yet, I had problems working out that math problem or that chemical equation. Had issues with the answers on history tests. Hmm...

Something gets down in your spirit, well, it's there. It becomes a stronghold, whether good or bad. It is THERE.

And things can start to happen.

This makes the following scriptures of great importance in the context of this post.

Proverbs 4:23 (AMP) Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life.

Proverbs 4:23 (CEV) Carefully guard your thoughts, because they are the source of true life.

I understand now, yeah, I better be careful what's getting in, because it may eventually become a stronghold.

You know there is some truth to this. If you don't know, the advertisers know. They spend millions of dollars bombarding us with what they want us to think and desire. Subliminally or just outright. And it works every time.

So now, I understand something about the nature of strongholds. I can consider the "why" behind why I do what I do.

I felt okay walking out of that thanksgiving eve service. I learned a little something new.

It made me think of my transition to vegetarianism a little differently.

Yeah, I've eaten meat over the past year. I don't consider that falling off the wagon. I didn't have no wide ranging plan to do anything terribly strict. Just to get away from meat.

I reduced my meat, fish and poultry intake by some 95%. Would've been by more if it wasn't for my luxurious all inclusive vacations, lol.

But I think that's pretty doggone good. Not perfect.

I'm not going to get into my thoughts on that right now, as I have a vegetarian week coming up. But I understood something.

Things take time to take root and change. Yeah, I can make a concerted effort to change, but for that change to occur deep down, past my will power efforts and all, it takes time.

So yes, I'm much better off than I was a year ago concerning this vegetarian things.

But I tell you what, a lot had to go on in my mind. I had to do a lot of thinking and reading and learning. I had to spend time doing what I was thinking and reading and learning.

I'm having to allow this thing to become a stronghold. That meant first taring down other strongholds that have been reinforced and protected for decades.

And yes that takes time.

I understand that now.

And thank goodness I do.

I am beginning to think of it like changing that password. The old password is stuck in my head, but I can't make progress until the new password is typed in. Gotta capture those old passwords and replace them with new ones.

Spiritually, I have to capture those old thoughts, which are the background of my strongholds, and replace them with new thoughts...

And if I fail?

Just keep working at it.
And working at it.
And working at it.

Don't give up.

Just keep working at it.
Chipping away at that stronghold, that well-fortified fortress.
Working at it, and working at it.

Until something takes root in my heart.
And true production takes place.

And the course of my life changes.

So those are my thoughts on the matter. I needed to write this set of food-for-thought posts for myself, so that I could come back and ponder it and chew on it. I don't even think I wrote all that I wanted to write. But that's okay. I found it to be very important and I found that it explains a lot. Not everything, but a lot. A lot that can help me now, and some time in the future.

I hope you've enjoyed it too.

Food for Thought: Strongholds

Strongholds.

That, for some reason, is a subject that I don't care for.

I know, in one of the workbooks Serenity and I were working on, it asked for us to think about areas that we wanted to study on, and create files for such. I know that one of Serenity's favorite areas is the subject matter of strongholds. I am totally opposite.

I just don't like to think about it. I don't like thinking about those things I hold strongly to in my spirit that affect my life in a negative manner.

Now, one of the strongest examples of a stronghold that I know of is smoking. It is TERRIBLY difficult for people to stop smoking. I mean, you can want to quit. Yet you go back to it. It's like it's automatic. Why is that?

It's always been a mystery to me. It's like, you know you need to quit something, but it's taring you up inside to do it, and it takes a looooooong time. What is that about?

I've always known of it have to do with strongholds. And it has to do with much more than will power. It has to be something deeper involved.

Now, you know I like to look up words. So I looked up the word stronghold in the dictionary.

It is defined as a well-fortified place or a fortress.

My attention is captured by the words "well-fortified". It ain't just fortified, it is well fortified.

So it suffices to say, it takes a lot of work to break up something that is well fortified.

Hence on a spiritual tip, there is one passage that I know of that addresses strongholds, located in 2 Corinthians.

2 Corinthinans 10: 3-5 For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons. For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

Interesting. Complicated, but interesting. Speaks to me concerning the fact that there is more to pulling down strongholds than will power. Sure will power works. But there's something deeper involved.

And looking at several versions of the latter part of that verse, it looks like it's important to capturing your thoughts and purposes and pretensions, and bringing them into obedience to Christ.

Hmm. That's a bit deep. Been chewing on that. What is that about?

And that turns me back to the sermon I heard on Thanksgiving Eve that has been on my mind all this time. Especially when I examine my life in light of it.

The easiest thing for me to do is to post my notes on the subject matter.

Be forewarned that these are notes. They are scribbled and disjointed, not perfect. A good service for me constitutes several pages of notes intertwined with personal thoughts and personal "To Do" stuff. So if it looks disjointed, then it is what it is. All in all, there is some very interesting material here, and I bet you will get something different from it than I got.

But I understood a few things after that sermon. About myself, that is. But I will talk about my thoughts and feelings concerning my own self in light of this in the next post.

I find this especially interesting in light of that passage of scripture I mentioned above.


Notes from Thanksgiving service: Subject- Strongholds.


Strongholds occur in the mind.

Your mind holds strong to whatever you feed it.

Hence, things come to the point where the following statement is true:

"I am where I am in life because of the way I think."

Strongholds are constructed thoughts, well fortified in nature. We hold strong to knowledge in our minds and thought life. We usually think of strongholds as negative things. Bad habits that enter into our lives are the results of negative strongholds. Negative strongholds become habits and addictions in your life, and they hold you back.

Yet not all strongholds are negative. Our brain is designed to catch information. What if we could get a grip on that when it comes to the Word of God?

The problem is this: Something is already there in our minds, and it is fighting against God's knowledge, which should have been there first. But it wasn't.

Here's the issue with fasting, and why it's such a hardship for people: Fasting is ultimately about taking away the worldly things for a span of time, and substituing that removal with time with God and the knowledge of God. It is about setting time aside to feed yourself the Word of God.

But some people refuse to do that. They hold so strongly to those worldly things. Those worldly things are massive strongholds.

On renewing the mind: There is no progress without renewing your mind. You will stay the way you are for the rest of your life if you don't work on changing and renewing your mind concerning certain issues in your life.

That is simple to say, but there is more to it than that.

Ephesians 4:23 states "Be renewed in the spirit of your mind."

It does not say "Be renewed in your mind". It says "Be renewed in the spirit of your mind."

This "spirit of the mind" is a place where deeper thought life takes place. This is the unconscious, subconcious part of your mind.

The "spirit of your mind" is what controls your life. It is doing what it has been trained to do.

In Genesis (specifically 2:16-17), Adam and Eve in the garden chose to get their knowledge from another source and not from God. This is when they spiritually died.

We learn from this that it is not good to neglect the higher training in God's Word.

Here's the problem with society: we do not get the knowledge of God first.

We have so exalted the knowledge of this world that we have deemed the knowledge of God insignificant and inconsequential.

Learning is not renewing your mind. Doing what you have learned constitutes renewing your mind.

There are certain things going on in your spirit that operate on automatic pilot of cruise control.

An interesting example that we can all understand: All of us, who have been driving for years, can easily get from one place to another, and not have to really think much about it. While driving, we're thinking about our day, listening to the radio, whatever. We can even drive and eat at the same time, without so much as a second thought. We can get from point A to point B (especially when driving routes we've been driving for years, like from home to work) very easily without much thought.

But was it this easy when we first learned to drive?

No.

We had to concentrate. Especially when attempting to learn how to drive a stick (manual shift car). It took MUCH mental work. Hold down the clutch at the right time, shift, working with both feet.

Eventually our mind was renewed to the process.

There came a point when it simply became all automatic for us.

And it's like that with everything in life.

Hence, the difference between something being effort based in your mind, to where it drops into your spirit, and it becomes a part of your life, and controls your life...


Okay, that's the gist of my notes.

All of this really stuck with me. I ponder it daily. Not in a way of worrying about it all, but doggonit, it explained lots of things I've gone through in my short 40 years of life.

To be continued...

Food-for-Thought: Florida Evans' Punchbowl

One thing I love every year is our time of corporate fasting at church, which ususally occurs every January.

For me, it sets the tone for my year. I spend more time reading and thinking. I take it as an opportunity to journal and pray about my year.

But we didn't do that this year.

The church fast was moved up a tad.

I learned this while perusing my church website. I saw an announcement there.

The church fast was moved up. It was still for a month, but it started up the day after Thanksgiving, and ended on Christmas Eve.

I almost caught a crook in my neck when I saw that.

I immediately picked up the phone and called my BFF LadyTee.

"Yo girl, uh, where did this fast come from?"
"Oh yeah," she said, her voice flat. "Pastor's wife announce that on Sunday."
"Why?" I asked.
"I don't know. And girl, you know I ain't doing it."

No, LadyTee don't fool with the fasts. She's a thin chick, and she look like she be smoking, like a straight junkie afterwards.

"Well, I ain't gonna even lie to myself," I said. "I ain't doing jack. It's the holiday season, man. Bump that. He can hang that up."

Our fasts aren't usually that hard. They are vegetarian fasts. One year, it was only one meal a day, and to spend ample time reading your bible. Another year, there was twice a day preaching. (That was GREAT. Got a chance to hear some of the Elder mothers of the church say a few things!).

Overall, in my nine years of membership it has been a wonderfully enriching experience.

But not this time.

"Man, he can foggetaboutit!" I hollered to LadyTee several times over that week prior to the fast.

Contrary to popular belief, ain't nobody forced to do a fast.

Come on, now... These are black folk. And you know how we are.

But why did this fast bother me so much? I mean, I am already transitioning to vegetarian. And for me it would have meant just streamlining down to a better veggie diet or somethiing like that. Not a problem. I could do that for 30 days.

But something was different. This fast included a media fast.

No TV.
No computer (only work related allowed).
No going to the movies.

WHAT THE WORLD?

"Girl, they tripping!" I yelled to LadyTee whenever we talked on the phone.

AIN'T. No. WAY.

I mean, come on. Can you imagine??? No TV? No movies?

No computer? No blogging?

No Twitter or Facebook?

*Lee passes out on the hard concrete*

CAN YOU IMAGINE?

OH LAWD!

THE HORROR.

'Tis a tad bit unnerving. Just a tad.

Now, don't look at me in that tone of voice. I know I couldn't fool with that. YOU know you wouldn't be down with that. That is something that you would basically have to put a gun to my head to do, or offer me a SUBSTANTIAL amount of money to do.

"Lord," I prayed often,"I ain't gonna even lie to myself. It ain't even going down. This the holiday season. NO WAY."

And this was cool. Nothing's mandatory. Whatever.

I am a TV junkie. That is MY time. I got MY shows! I love movies. Give me some Lifetime Television for women and a good crochet project and I'm GOOD. I love watching sports. And that is football time, man! UGH.

(Me, me, My... I, my... notice a pattern here?)

So...

I was cool. Happy with my decision.

Now, I'd taken off on that Wednesday and Friday of Thanksgiving. That meant a 5 day weekend for me when you include Thanksgiving day. An Oldgirl was feeling GOOD. I'd come up with a couple of new recipes I wanted to try for Thanksgiving, and there was a good Law and Order marathon coming on, and I was gonna enjoy the day!

Our Thanksgiving service is the Wednesday evening before Thanksgiving. This is cool, because it's a bible study night. And I just love it, because it is always about remembering that, no matter how you're feeling about life, always remember to maintain an attitude of Thanksgiving.

That's a good message. I like that!

So I'd had the day off and decided to cap it off with a nice Thanksgiving service. I walked into church, all smiles. I'd had a great day, and this was gonna be good.

Now, my church is huge, and I like a end seat. That means I can dip quicker. Bible study nights aren't as crowded. Maybe 3000 people. Sounds like a lot, but it isn't. I sat in the middle of row this time.

I enjoyed the praise sangers. They sang some of my favorite songs!

But...

My pastor came out and said something interesting...

He wanted to talk about some subject matter that is difficult to talk about...

And why many of us couldn't do this fast that was starting the day after Thanksgiving.

The emphasis of the sermon that night was to be in the area of Strongholds.

UGHH.

I screamed inside. I didn't need to holler what I was thinking.

Let's just say I needed Florida Evans' punchbowl.

I cannot STAND the subject of strongholds.

But that sermon that night... It was presented in a manner that made much sense...

It explained the "why" behind the mystery of Strongholds.

And there hasn't been a day that has gone by since then that I haven't thought about it.

And for that, I am thankful...

To be continued...

Monday Again!

Monday, AGAIN!

This day just seems to roll around right on time each and every week, don't it?

LOL

You know what I mean.

At six in the morning in the ATL, it's already 70 degrees outside. Which means today is going to be a HOT HOT day.

My weekend. This almost shaped up into a hectic weekend, but I had to dial it back. I had to wake up and go get my grocery shopping done early (as usual) then go to work for a few hours.

Ugh. I hate working on the weekends. But it was just for a few hours, and it will help me get a leg up on a few things I need to do this week.

To say the least, I was exhausted, and didn't do much on Sunday, save for go to my Financial Freedom Fighters meetings. As usual, we talked of our good, bad, and ugly for the month. This was a great month for me, as I had no bad or ugly going on in my finances. There was none of my usual growling of "I don't want to talk about it, Man!", lol. I talked about my recent completion of the 21 day fast and how I felt about it. Our discussions, as always, were very helpful. I came away with a little "to-do" list.

With that said, congrats to Serenity and crew for finishing up their 21 day Financial Fast on yesterday. I myself really enjoyed the daily posts on her blog during that period of time. Heck, I felt like I was still on the fast myself. Nope, I wasn't, but I've implemented many of the changes that I made during my own fast, and I am VERY happy for that. I was telling the ladies yesterday that I cut out all haphazard spending and I am able to save money a lot better now, and I can see where my money is going and doing. And that is a GOOD thing!

Not sure what I'm expecting out of this week. There's A LOT going on at work. I was in charge on Friday, and that just threw my whole plan off entirely.

Newsflash: I am NOT an Administrator. I am a Lab Rat. That is all.

Nothing worse than doing both at the same time. UGH.

My boss rotates interim duties. Hopefully my turn as boss doesn't come up for a long long time.

Well, that's all I have to say for this beautiful Monday morning.

I wanted this to be a Food-for-Thought week. But my thoughts are a bit jumbled. It may just be one big post. But it may be a 2 or 3 parter, though, on a subject that I REALLY dislike. I think dislike is a harsh word, but it is something that I don't care to think about.

But I constantly think about it.

I'm coming up on my one year anniversary of transitioning to Vegetarian next week. I plan on doing a whole week dedicated to vegetarian stuff.

I need to write this food for thought post before I write those posts. I plan to look at it all in light of it.

(I have confused you to no end, haven't I?)

Oh well. You will be alright. Just tune in...

With that said, I hope you all had a great weekend.

I hope you have a great week.

On purpose.

You Did It, Kentucky!

Last August, my sister Kentucky got her first teaching job teaching second grade at a public school on the Southside of Atlanta.

"Let me know when open house is!" I hollered. "'Cuz I'm coming! I'll be there!"

Well, the day came for Open House. I went, but a little late, when it was just about over. (Got held up by the Opressor, i.e., held up at work.)

I walked into her school, trying not to bust out crying. My lip quivered hard when I saw the banner with her name on it.

I almost laughed because I was thinking, "I don't know her as that! I know her as Kentucky!"

I really like these wall hangings:

Be Quiet, Hands Free, Be Still, Eyes on Me, Listen. (Management needs that banner at work for us rowdy employees).

I like that second entry on the other poster: "Write in my Journal". LOVE THAT! Journalling at age 7. Hooray!

Another nice poster:

(We need that one hanging on the wall at work too.)

More pictures:

It was nice walking around the room, which was unfinished, taking pictures.

I was REALLY taken with this area of the room, where Kentucky had written out a daily confession for the students.

They say this every morning before class begins. I LOVE IT! I needed something like that back in elementary school.

I am soooooo proud of my baby sister.

One thing I love, and I truly respect when it happens: I love to be in on something when it is only a mere thought in someone's mind, when something's at seed level.

I remember my sister and I talking one day, and her saying "I want to go back to school and get my Masters in childhood education".

You know me. I said, "You can do it!"

She seemed a little unsure, still had research to do. My answer is always to talk to someone who supports you and is not gonna be negative.

"Come on here and talk to, Oscar-Tyrone if you have to," I hollered. "That cat's a good listener, and best of all, he don't talk back. He just want to be rubbed!"

LOL

But I remember her thinking about it. I remember when she applied for the program. I remember when she got accepted into the program.

(She ran downstairs hollering about how she got accepted. Thought she was gonna knock over my good coffee table, lol. I took pictures of her jumping up and down.)

I remember all the discussions about the complexity of grad school, when she'd come home wailing about some mess.

"It's just a bunch of hoop jumping, man! I got the masters and the doctorate! Half the stuff they have you doing is a bunch of BS. Hoop Jumping!! Just do it. This is all temporary!"

Yes, it's all temporary. Just like a hairdo.

Now I can say I remember when she finished her program. She now has her Master's degree.

She stood in my bedroom doorway the other night and said "Well, I'm done."

Yes, Kentucky, you are finished.

And congratulations to you.

I love being in on the beginning, when something's at the thought level, the seed level. Then it expands into actions and decisions. When the process takes place. And finally when what's been worked so hard for, when what started as a simple thought, comes to pass.

It is always an honor, not to go through that myself, but to watch someone go through that. And I always give a small offering, as a way of thanking God for letting me see this process, especially when someone has prayed about it, and it comes to past. I'll do no different for Kentucky. She's moving in June, and I want to be of some help to her! (I hate to see her go, though!)

My baby sister is the second in the family to have an advanced degree!

I'm proud of you Kentucky! I remember sitting on the living room floor with you when you were three years old, trying my BEST to teach you your ABC's, thinking "This little girl is NEVER gonna learn this alphabet!"

But you learned that and much more.

And now you're teaching young children the alphabet, and much much more!

So, Kentucky... I, your big sister, Lisa, am very very proud of you!

You did it!

Like I knew you would!