I learned that our brain can hold new information, building thoughts as temporary memory for 24 to 48 hours until we stabilize it. For example, when you read the first of the seven articles on maturity, you probably forgot that the first one was delay gratification. I did. You’re shaking your head looking for it in your memory. You know you read it but you can’t recall it. So you re-read the article again. While you are reading the second time, you’re building thoughts again, but this time is different. You’re in a place where you have to make a choice to delay gratification or not. You are stabilizing your thought, a memory… Of course, more is involved in stabilizing a thought but let’s just stick to the power of choice. [restrict)
Neuroscience tells us that thoughts are like building branches in our brain, so the more you think about good thoughts, the more branches you build in your brain. When we ruminate (thinking of a toxic thought over and over) like criticism, gossip or something someone said that wounded our hearts, we are in the fear zone, where we’re damaging our brain. Like that hamster running on his tiny Fairy’s wheel in his cage, he never sleeps at night – going nowhere; damaging our brain. On the other hand, the more we love and forgive, the more we think of good things, we repair our brain. We become smarter. Why? Because He made us brilliant and glorious in His image. All we have to do is move into His love zone – a branch attached to the Vine.
In the love zone, we are stable in our thoughts, secure in our attachment to the Vine. We live by love principle that is kind, patient, and not rude, rejoice in good, not remember the bad stuff people did, always persevere, making choices based on love.
We become people unshaken by flattery or criticism. Like Ngerchebal that has stood there forever. Mantekang is not as it used to be – now overwrought and unstable. It was made by men. Ngerchebal was made by God.
When we know we’re loved and forgiven, we walk with the spirit of humility. It’s not what I did but what Jesus did… Yes, we were made brilliant and glorious, and so complex as God is complex. With Him holding the rein, we can never go wrong. We can go to war and fight against those toxins. We don’t have to prove to others our worth… we accept all that God accepts and be thankful. For we surely do not deserve his grace. Love is not prejudiced. It is not selfish. Love develops in us an attitude of gratitude.
When our brains are repaired by good thoughts, we begin to see things we never saw before. We become unafraid to knock on doors for good teaching, seeking counsel from others, asking for directions so we can move forward. In the love zone, we feel free to be our true selves without fear that we’re not good enough… we are good enough in God’s eyes. We become wiser. [/restrict)