Philippians 4:8 - Jeannie Waters, Writer & Speaker

Banish the Morning Blues and Celebrate Each Day with the Psalmists

October 15, 2023Jeannie Waters34 Comments

Local friends, please read the invitation at the conclusion of this post and RSVP. Thank you.

When you hear, “She got up on the wrong side of the bed,” you know someone displayed grouchy behavior. How can we start our days on the right side and banish the morning blues? Let’s start by celebrating each day with morning prayers from God’s Word.

Even if we don’t display grouchy behavior, life’s circumstances can cloud our attitude as soon as we wake up unless “we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV) and focus on God.

Let’s celebrate each morning as a gift from Him—because it is. When we begin the day with our focus on our heavenly Father, the early minutes become golden opportunities to praise and worship Him and to seek His guidance for the day.

News reports, illness, and other difficult situations weigh on our minds, but sharing our burdens with the God of all comfort gives us peace. Reading the Bible reminds us of who He is—our holy, faithful, omnipotent Father who is filled with love and kindness.

News reports, illness, and other difficult situations weigh on our minds, but sharing our burdens with the God gives us peace. Share on X

Here’s a collection of some morning prayers from the Psalms. You could mark them in your Bible, type them into a phone app, or write them on cards. This practice will likely lead to reading and praying entire chapters in this marvelous book.

Morning Prayers

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life. –Psalm 143:8

I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning. –Psalm 130:6a

Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. –Psalm 90:14

But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. –Psalm 59:16

I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in your word. –Psalm 119:147

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. –Psalm 19:14

A morning promise:

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. –Lamentations 3:22-23

Here’s another verse that helps us evaluate our thoughts and keep them sunny throughout the day. Paul’s message to the Philippians helps us focus our thoughts from one sunrise to the next.

Finally, brothers and sisters, 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 such things. –Philippians 4:8

This evening verse will help us rest well and get up the next morning on the right side the next morning.

In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety. –Psalm 4:8

*All Scripture verses are taken from the NIV.

After you read the verses, share with us a favorite from the list or your favorite verse or chapter that helps you banish the blues and celebrate each day as a gift from God.

Local friends, you’re invited. You may buy books for yourself or for Christmas gifts or bring one you’ve already purchased if you want it signed. We’ll enjoy light refreshments and decorated tables. Plan to join the celebration and please RSVP to Jeannie@JeannieWaters.com. I hope to see you October 29!

Think on These Things

November 25, 2020Jeannie Waters39 Comments

Who’s that singing?

I peered through the glass of the storm door and discovered a little sparrow belting out an aria on the deck.

The sight beyond the sparrow quickly turned my smile into a frown. Thin-stemmed, summer plants drooped over the edges of pots and cried for replacements. The grass, drained of summer’s lush green, imitated a worn, beige carpet.

The typical mid-autumn scene looked drab and colorless—much like how the uptick predictions of coronavirus cases and recent political controversy make me feel.

As I concentrated on the bleak picture, the little feathered songster hopped onto a deck table where a flat of pansies waited to be planted. She cocked her head toward me and chirped loudly as if trying to get my attention. Then she perched on the edge of the plastic plant tray and thrust her beak in and out of the pansies several times.

“You’re not a hummingbird seeking nectar. Why are you poking your beak into the flowers?” I asked her as if she could understand.

The sparrow may be hunting for bugs, but she seems to be pointing to the pansies. Is she directing my attention away from withering drabness to a prettier sight?

Ahh—the pansies. How beautiful they are with dramatic yellow and purple petals and center markings that look like tiny faces.

These fall flowers are so friendly, just like my little visitor.

I’m thankful God used His floral and feathered creations to divert my attention from a negative view to a positive one.

In this world, it’s easy to focus on what’s wrong or scary or frustrating and forget what is right and hopeful and beautiful. This current season is the perfect time to follow the teaching of Philippians 4:8:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Philippians 4:8 ESV

I can choose to lament over the wilting plants and brown grass scenarios around me or I can plant my purple and yellow pansies and enjoy the song of the sparrow, knowing each season has a beauty of its own.

I cannot, however, live with my head in the clouds and a permanent grin on my face. Simply employing the tactic of “positive thinking” or looking at the world with a Pollyanna perspective is not what the verse means.

We should keep abreast of the news, take care of our responsibilities, and address life’s challenges. However, when our thought patterns stay riveted on the negative, we drift toward despondency, fear, and anxiety.

How are we to direct our focus?

When we read, study, and share biblical truths with others, we can maintain a perspective of life that pleases God. All of the adjectives in the verse are illustrated in the Bible. The more we study His Word, the easier it is to view the world—the good and the bad—through the lens of Scripture.

How can we take care of daily responsibilities while concentrating on “these things” mentioned in Philippians 4:8? Here are a few suggestions.

Five Ways to “Think on What is Lovely” As We Acknowledge Life’s Realities

After watching the news, why not pray for our leaders as you take a brisk walk to look for bright red berries or golden leaves.
When you’re walking to your car, notice the way an oak leaf twirls to the ground or the way a squirrel hides treasured acorns. Thank God for His provisions during all seasons and ask for His wisdom to manage concerns.
List the adjectives in Philippians 4:8 and note examples of each during the week. Find Bible verses that align with each one.
Cut small branches from a pine or cedar tree and put them in a vase of water. Inhale the woodland scent and thank God for His strength and His creation that surround us.
Notice different varieties and colors of pansies. List the unique ways God gifts His people to serve others throughout the seasons. Ask Him to guide you to His plans for your gifts.

Let’s allow the sparrows of life to point us to the pansies and allow God’s Word to guide our thinking and our choices as we thank Him for our blessings.

Happy Thanksgiving, dear reader friends. How do you maintain a biblical perspective on life in this season?

Finding Joy in the Mud Puddles of Life

August 6, 2019Jeannie Waters14 Comments

What can you see in a mud puddle? Maybe the answer depends on the angle of your view.

Following suggested activities in Soul Care for Writers by Edie Melson¹ I took pictures of various nature scenes including reflections in water. The only water available at the time I chose to snap pictures was a mud puddle. (My husband’s truck creates a depression in the ground when he turns his truck around to position it on the driveway.)

Recent rainwater filled the crater and offered clear reflections. I took a picture, then walked around the puddle and snapped photos from different angles. The reflection changed each time.

Angle One

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My first view stirred an emotional response—that of disgust at the eyesore of a rut and impatience with my husband, who had not yet filled the hole with dirt so that grass could grow there once again. The mud puddle glared like a blight on my otherwise perfect view of the lawn.

Rather than appreciating the iridescent-winged dragonfly that hovered nearby, I assessed the water as a mosquito-breeding pool. Instead of enjoying surrounding beauty, I stared at the hole. A missed opportunity for joy!

How like the trials and inconveniences of life! When I focus on them, they can rob me of joy and turn smiles into frowns or peace into worry. The following verse shows us how to focus:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Philippians 4:8

Angle Two

When I moved around the puddle to snap a shot from another angle, I noticed the reflection of trees, the pine giants I ignored before. Their reflection drew my gaze upward to their tops framed by puffy white clouds in the brilliant blue sky.

When I tilted my head upward, my line of sight included a higher, more beautiful picture. I confessed my grumbling to the Lord, who changed my bad attitude to one of prayer, praise, and joy as He directed me to consider His goodness rather than my irritation.

Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
Colossians 3:2

Angle Three

When I changed positions again and placed my back to the sun, I saw my own shadow. Sunlight created an image of me in the water.

God created us in His image. Once we accept Christ as Savior, we become His image-bearers in this world. Sometimes my attitudes and actions do not represent Him well and require confession of sin. What a blessing that He loves me and continues conforming me to the image of Christ Jesus (Romans 8:28-30).

What view of Him do others see reflected in my life? Which Christ-like qualities shine in my relationships and in my circumstances?

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him.

Genesis 1:27

Just like the ugly duckling became a swan in the famous children’s story, the unsightly mud puddle became a beautiful illustration for biblical truth. As the angle changed on my view of the hole in my yard, the Lord graciously helped me to notice Him as He filled my heart with joy.

By the way, the rut remains, and I still don’t like it. However, I will wait patiently until my husband has time to repair it. In the meantime, after rain showers, you may see me peering into a mud puddle to see what additional lessons God wants to teach me.

Have you seen a time when an unsightly view or circumstance led to a joyful heart? Have you been encouraged by a Christian who is filled with joy even when life is hard? Please share how God has changed your view of life’s “mud puddles.”

¹Soul Care When You’re Weary by Edie Melson is for anyone who needs to slow down and soak up the peace God intended us to have. Soul Care for Writers is addressed to writers and other creatives. Both books contain devotions, prayers, and easy creative activities that will delight even the non-crafty among us. Let me know if you have questions about either book.