How easy is it for you to keep your thoughts thankful, positive, and joyful? When Paul challenges us to “take captive every thought,” does that feel hard or easy?   If you’re like me, that feels impossible. My mind feels like that commercial with the cat-herding cowboy. As soon as I take one thought captive, all the other thoughts go scattering in all directions.   Of course, it’s not like that all the time. On good days I can sustain focused thought for hours and I can recount numerous reasons to be thankful. For example, I’m grateful to have a loving wife, amazing friends, gifted children, and countless books, adventures, and fond memories.   Toxic Thought Bombs But it doesn’t seem to take a very large “toxic thought bomb” to make all those good thoughts dissipate. Dr. Caroline Leap actually describes it as hot air. When a new thought pattern hasn’t fully taken root—which takes a minimum of 21 days—it will turn into vapor if not cultivated to maturity.   That’s what happened recently when my wife and I started talking about finances. We started with prayer and level heads, but it didn’t take very long for me to become overwhelmed.    In my Monday morning quarterback seat, I know and remember that God has always been faithful to us. I also know my wife loves me and that we have committed to weather every storm together. But on that night the stress was mounting and my thoughts started turning negative.   I wish I could tell you a story of a valiant recovery. The truth is I lost this skirmish, but I haven’t lost the battle. I’ve actually recovered more quickly than ever before.   For the rest of the show notes, see: https://maninthepew.com/gc86