Debby Schuh | The Power of Our Minds

There’s a subject that’s been on my mind a lot lately and that’s about the power of our minds. I’ve seen over and over that the mind is where we win or lose the battle to be happy and positive and enjoying our daily “adventure” with God. You’ve probably observed, like I have, that there are great things and good things and sad things and horrible things happening to people all around us (and to us!) but the reactions to these things can be so different. I’ve seen people go through very, very difficult circumstances and still have peace and deep inner joy, knowing that God is GOD and they trust Him. I’ve seen others who struggle to find anything good in their days and are sad and discontent and unhappy. I think that the mind plays a huge part in this… What do we say to ourselves about our circumstances… What do we dwell on in our minds?

Since this has been on MY mind so much, I decided to turn to Philippians 4:8, and reread and think about that verse. It’s perfect for the new Whatever is Lovely papers and stickers from Illustrated Faith and Bella Blvd. I love that there are bright and happy new products that work so well in our Journaling Bibles!

Rather than doing artwork right in my Bible this time, I decided to make a paper flap to add into the Bible with washi tape. I cut the paper to size and then cut out a section of the paper with the words from the verse on it. Then I sewed it onto the flap. The actual pages of the Journaling Bible are a little thin and awkward to sew onto directly, so this is a good way to add the texture of sewing to a page. I also sewed a tab to the top of the page (after adding powder to the back of the sticker to make it unsticky.) I haven’t added tabs to my Bible because I travel so much teaching classes around the country and always take my Bible with me. I don’t want the tabs and the pages of my Bible to get destroyed. By sewing the tab to the flap, I’m hoping that it will be sturdier.

I added letter stickers – the Bella Blvd. letter stickers on this sheet don’t have holes in the centers of the letters and I wanted mine to have them – so a hole punch to the rescue! Don’t be afraid to alter product to meet your needs!

Then I used a variety of stickers from Illustrated Faith/Bella Blvd. along with the journaling pen to write my thoughts and my prayer on the page. I misspelled the word gratitude very badly but that’s easily corrected by placing a sticker over it and trying again!

When I add a flap into my Bible or to my planner, I always put the tape on the edge of the flap first and then fold the tape over to the back of the page it will be attached to. After it’s in place, I trimmed the ends even and use a corner rounder punch so the pages match the rest of the Bible pages.

I have a sweet friend who says, “No stinkin’ thinkin’,” when she hears negative talk. I love that reminder – if I allow my mind to think negative thoughts of self-pity or comparison or discontentment, I’ll miss the blessings of God’s peace. It takes practice to focus on gratitude and to train our minds to think on good things and to say good things to ourselves.

This is verse is a great checklist to use as we practice thinking the kind of thoughts we should think. I did the adjoining page last October – it too contains the key to thinking the right thoughts… praying about everything and being thankful! What are you going to talk to yourself about today? Remember, no stinkin’ thinkin’!

Illustrated Faith Whatever is Lovely Collection by Bella Blvd | Illustrated Faith Genesis stickers by Bella Blvd | Illustrated Faith Precision Pen by Bella Blvd | Shimelle date stamp | MT washi tape