Polishing Old Thoughts to Fresh Thoughts, Shined and Buffed

I shared with someone recently – I’ve been blogging for eleven (11!) years! My thousands of posts often delve into my outlook from life experiences and my view of spirituality. That’s essentially what I do. I don’t make money on this effort, but I keep on doing it because I find value in the writing and thinking process. This same “someone” wanted to mine old sermons and find a theme and share them outward. This got me to thinking about my blog(s) and I think it’s a wonderful idea. I’m guilty of polishing old thoughts, shining and buffing them out so they appear fresh. Why? What I’ve already said does not change, only, I find a better way to say it.

“I ‘yam what I ‘yam!” (Popeye reference. Grab your pipe, a can of spinach, and do your sailor swagger!)

Since I’ve already started this same process for a book idea, I’m working on it. This same “someone” has given me a title thought based on a common phrase I use: “Somewhere Down The Road.” I do not make money on my blogs, but may be I can sell a book or two.

Okay. I am what I am, but I’m always working on improving to become who I want to be. Remember that poem snippet I share. (My version here is a little different from the original, and the author has been called into question, but it really speaks loud of my personal view of anyone wanting to improve.)

…Three men went down the road
As down the road went he
The man he was, the man he saw
And the man he hoped to be.
~John Masefield

Old Thoughts

Where do our thoughts come from? It’s a fascinating study to realize that in our brain/mind, we have the ability to store more information than you can imagine. Events. Lessons. Facts. Even thoughts that are not real but a figment of our imagination. [Scientific American Article] Every time we recall something, we make changes to it, as I remember from somewhere in my past. The more we recall, the sharper and/or fuzzier the details are. That’s why I teach there are 40 sides to every story. It depends on you, what you saw, from where, and how you recorded your impressions of the facts.

Perhaps that’s why I enjoy having tools available to keep the thought sharply focused. From learned writings to my trusty bible and from varied sources, I’ve painted the image of who I am, where I am headed, and what life may be like when I get there!

But that doesn’t mean my old thoughts are useless. Part and parcel, this brain is full of things that brought me to the place I am today. “I ‘yam what I ‘yam.” If I’ve wasted any brain storage space, then there’s probably a way to wipe it clean and fill it up with other stuff. I’ve heard this kind of outlook from some folks close to me who don’t remember life as I remember it. What was special then is totally different to them today. Well. It’s still special to me!

I was thinking this morning that as a thinker passes from this life it’s a shame that all their memories and thoughts are gone. No one will know all they knew.

My Bible

My bible is precious to me. It’s a collection of events that paints history as far back as the beginning and brings me to a certain point. Then, it’s up to me to translate, read, interpret the lessons, and apply them to my life today. There’s gold in those pages! My belief tells me the Words of God should mean more to us than the Words of this World. Applying the tenants from God’s Word should be the first way we think about every situation. Solomon said there was nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9), and if you study his writings, you find the referenced phrase “under the sun” 27 times. In life, we find good and evil, right and wrong, and both are “under the sun.”

On old song we used to sing, and maybe it’s totally a kid reference.

I have this wonderful treasure
Given from God without measure
We will travel together!
My bible and I.
~Author Unknown

For the church, there’s history found in the pages that unfolds God’s long-range plans. A treasure trove of God connection to us. Since he never changes (Malachai 3:6}, we surmise that as this world progresses and adapts to the new climate, God’s word must still be our Daily Reader. Jesus said, “…the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” (John 6:63) Perhaps we should give more weight to his words. Spirit. Life. The Apostle Paul, who never heard the words of Jesus as a disciple, built on his historical knowledge from his Judaical studies, and the revelation of Jesus beginning on the road to Damascus and shared this thought: “…I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth…” (Acts 26:25)

What’s Your Thought

Pause and think about how your mind defines life. Relationships. History. Future. Past. Present. Likes and dislikes. Think about how you process data, thinking things through to some conclusion. Your physical life gets involved. Your senses can only handle so much, and maybe that’s why we take breaks – our minds can only take so much input.

Now. Imagine someone who is mixed up, challenged, or even with the mind of someone much younger than their body. Can they have a mind that defines life the way it’s supposed to be lived? Perhaps not. Well, that’s the challenge for all of us. Age. Culture. Ethnicity. Birth Order. Gender. Birth History. Even our name. All this and more can create a unique person with a different insight than you or I might have. How does God handle this?

Treasures

One of my treasures is a Kid’s Musical developed and produced by Bill and Gloria Gaither. [Listen Here] It’s titled “Life” and songs for kids from a kids perspective. Of course, adults wrote the songs and helped perform with the kids, but a favorite song of mine is called, “From the Inside Out.”

When I look in the mirror I see my body and my face and my hair
And I have to confess that I’m often a mess 
And I don’t like what I see there
But when God is looking at me He knows just where to start
He looks deep into my heart
From the inside out, God’s looking at me, from the inside out, I hope He likes what he sees.
From the outside, I might not look so good
But you might change your mind if only you could see me from the inside out

This is often how we choose to live life. The inside defines our outside, but the reverse can also be true. The outside defines our inside. It’s about perspective. Equally, it’s about how your mind works.

So. Talk out your thoughts. Maybe with an inside voice! Polish your thoughts through to a conclusion. Then, look for ways to share who and what you are so your history is not lost to time. Your thoughts are a treasure!