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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

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February 13, 2011

Simply Sunday’s Guest Post…Whatever Is Lovely





We are so thrilled to have a special guest here with us for Simply Sundays at the Fence!
Debbie from Words on Wheels graciously agreed to share with us some wonderful words from her heart. Her loving, warm, kind and encouraging heart.
Oh, and she is hilariously funny to boot!
If you have never visited her blog, you are missing out and as soon as you are done reading this we encourage you to head on over there and get to know Debbie a little bit better. We know you will love her as much as we do!


Whatever is Lovely


My Sunday school class has been on an adventure lately.  
The Bible calls it
being transformed by the renewing of the mind.

I just call it Extreme Mind Makeover.  

We went from renovating the mind in Romans to demolishing strongholds in 1 Corinthians to taking every thought captive to Christ.

Whew. That’s a pretty tall order, if we’re honest.  The mind is scary place full of secret compartments. When you finish all that demolition, you’re left with wide open spaces to boot.  Since God didn’t exactly call us to be empty headed, we have to figure out a way to fill them.

That’s where last week’s lesson came in. It’s the phase we women like to call interior decorating.
We got our Master plan from Philippians 4:8.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble,
whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,
 whatever is admirable–
if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–
think about these things.

Personally, I love it when Paul uses those long, stringy lists. It’s proof positive that God can use anyone for His purposes, even a word- addicted yakker.   It’s also in the middle of those lists that I find some of my favorite stuff.

Such was the case this week, and it’s the part I want to share today.

I was clicking through Paul’s list, when I came to this one:

Whatever is lovely…

Lovely…
I think my daughters are lovely…
And the blue hour is lovely…
And azaleas in the southern springtime.

Lovely seemed pretty self- explanatory to me. No need for a word study there. 
 
But then, He started niggling.
He’s always niggling…

Maybe,  just maybe,  there was something more to this loveliness than a blue hour.  Maybe the  word needed to be pulled out of the verse and plopped on the table for little inspection.

I did, and behold…    

Did you know that Greek word is used only this one time in all of scripture?  It’s a word created by combining the word for brotherly love (phileo) with the preposition toward.

Think toward love. 

I like that.   

I imagined a gigantic game board with LOVE as the ultimate goal.   Our thoughts are those little game pieces.  


Mine are red. I always pick red.



Our mission is to take our pieces of thought and advance them it in the direction of love. 

Because I’m a meddlesome teacher, I asked my class to play the mind game with me. What thoughts, I asked, might we have which need to be picked up and moved in more lovely direction?

Careless thoughts…
Critical ones…
The ones which are haughty or selfish or stubborn…
Self-righteous thoughts…
Judgments     

(I can make stringy lists, too.)

At first, no one said a word.  It’s one thing to think an unloving thought. It’s another thing entirely to confess it.

In front of your Sunday school class, no less.

Finally, though, one brave soul ponied up and threw a stereotype on the table. 
Then another one tossed out a critique.
Yet another, an opinion.

One after the other, those wonderful women brought their secret thoughts to our imaginary game board, and together we turned each one around and inched it in a more lovely direction.   

And yes, the teacher played too.

I came to a conclusion that morning. Maybe it’s not such a tall order after all, this taking thoughts captive to Christ.  When we can’t seem to manage that giant leap, we simply advance in a series of baby steps.

Thought by thought…
Space by space…
in the direction of Love.
Debbie

Thank you so much for sharing this with us today Debbie.
You are a blessing to us and to so many others!

From the Girls at the Fence,
Heather and Vanessa

14 Comments Filed Under: Devotionals, Good Thoughts, Guest Posts, Simply Sundays

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Comments

  1. Leslie @ goodbye, house! HELLO, HOME! says

    February 13, 2011 at 10:37 PM

    Debbie always has some thought-provoking words!
    I just love her!
    Moving towards love.
    Lord? Please help me do this every day.
    I’ll play Your game.
    Thank you Sisters, for having Debbie over!
    HUGS!
    ~me

    Reply
  2. elizabeth says

    February 13, 2011 at 11:02 PM

    So excited to read Debbie over here! Renewing the mind was a key life changing truth in my life and one I love to learn and teach about as well. Debbie, your insights are amazing. Thank you so much!

    Reply
  3. Sue says

    February 13, 2011 at 11:26 PM

    Hi Debbie
    I love the way you have pulled something wonderful, dare I say, lovely, out of this favorite scripture. Especially as I have some thoughts right now that need to move in that direction, fearful thoughts. Thank you for your teaching and your encouraging words.

    As always you are a blessing to me!
    Sue

    Reply
  4. Dee says

    February 13, 2011 at 11:40 PM

    Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  5. Town and Country Mom says

    February 14, 2011 at 1:32 AM

    This is my favorite feature of your new blog! Thank you!

    Reply
  6. Chatty Crone says

    February 14, 2011 at 1:45 AM

    I really learned something from this today – glad I came over.

    sandie

    Reply
  7. Sharon Kirby says

    February 14, 2011 at 2:42 AM

    Debbie – You know how much I love your writing (and how much I love you, too) – This was one of my favorite things that I have ever read. It had your signature touch of wit, and yet the hand of God was all over it! I was convicted and challenged – encouraged and inspired! I will be pondering this one word “lovely” this week – and thinking about how I can focus more on the direction of love.

    GOD BLESS!

    (It should not surprise either one of us that I always choose red, too…)

    Reply
  8. NanaDiana says

    February 14, 2011 at 2:59 AM

    Beautifully said….and food for thought….xxoo Diana

    Reply
  9. Lynn Richards says

    February 14, 2011 at 5:32 AM

    how fun to see Debbie over here!! I love her words and these are no exception.
    xo
    lynn

    Reply
  10. Dayle says

    February 14, 2011 at 11:17 AM

    Great job, Debbie. As always, your words stir something inside of me, for the better.

    Reply
  11. Denise says

    February 14, 2011 at 1:09 PM

    So, I’ve been moving toward love ever since that lesson two weeks ago and I have to tell you, it really works. If only every person I came in contact with had learned the lesson too. Then, when I say “Move toward love” they’d “get” it. I do so appreciate all your wisdom and love of learning. Thanks for sharing.

    PS I think you’re daughters are lovely too!

    Reply
  12. Sarah @ Modern Country Style says

    February 14, 2011 at 2:03 PM

    I haven’t come across Debbie before but I LOVE this guest post. Really, reeeeally love it.

    Thanks so much for sharing the floor with her…you two are gorgeous!

    Sarahx

    Reply
  13. FrouFrouBritches says

    February 14, 2011 at 7:58 PM

    Debbie, you are so good at giving us what our preacher used to call, “word pictures”. The game board comparison is awesome. I will be more mindful of my mind and try to move toward love. Thanks for the reminder Debbie. XOXO and Happy Valentine’s Day!

    Reply
  14. laurie @ bargain hunting says

    February 16, 2011 at 1:30 AM

    Thank you so much for sharing more of Debbie’s words of wisdom. I just love the way that girl thinks! I’ve never visited your blog before. I love the “picket fence” analogy, and from seeing your pictures on your sidebar, you two are adorable. I also thought the idea of upholstering the guard rail was brilliant, and it turned out so pretty. laurie

    Reply

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