For May 25th:

“Such things were written in the Scriptures long ago to teach us. And the Scriptures give us hope and encouragement as we wait patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.” Romans 15:4 (NLT)

Have you ever “thought” yourself out of a problem?  Ever “thought” yourself into a problem?  You can do both.

There’s the story of an old man who ran a lunch counter during the Depression. He was a little blind and deaf, so he didn’t read all about the horrors of the Depression and didn’t hear all the negative talk. He had a very successful business when most businesses were failing. He even painted his lunch stand, put up bright advertising signs, and made food so delicious that people who didn’t have much money bought his food. The man worked hard and sent his son to college where the boy studied economics and learned about how bad things really were. When the son went home for Christmas, he told his father something was really wrong in the world. He told his pop that he shouldn’t be so successful. There was a Depression on. The father began to think it over and he began to listen to the talk around him. Then he started to think negative thoughts. He decided to re-think painting his stand that year. Instead of investing in his business, he made up his mind to save his money. He cut down on the amount of hamburger he put in his sandwiches. The result: his business suffered. When his son came home for Easter, the father thanked him. He said the information you gave me about the Depression is true. “I feel it in my business. A college education is a wonderful thing.”

What affected the man’s business?  The Depression or his thinking about the Depression? This was a case of Depressed Thinking!

Every action is preceded by a thought. Let’s make sure we don’t think ourselves into a problem!

Even in bleak economic times, it’s important to focus on encouraging and positive messages.  I enjoy listening to positive Christian radio and playing inspirational book CDs in my car. Audio books, sermons and inspirational talks are fairly inexpensive, and I enjoy exchanging them with my friends.

Check out these free Christian resources!

Each month Christian Audio gives away one premium audio book download for free. http://freechristianaudiobooks.com/. At this site you can also find hundreds of free lectures, sermons, interviews, and podcasts.

ChristianFreebies.com provides links to 3rd party websites that contain a wonderful collection of FREE, high-quality, Christian materials.  http://www.christianfreebies.com/backgrounds.shtml

Let’s find ways to support and not suppress each other during hard times! Positive biblical messages are meant to encourage us. Let’s share them with others.

Dr. Cathy Robbs Turner