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Our Thought Life All seeds of thought produce a tree as a result. If those thoughts are rooted in aggravation, then a tree of aggravation springs forth, and the same will be true with depression. Have you ever experienced a time where you may have struggled with depression? There have been times in my life where I have struggled with thoughts that made me feel depressed, and it can be very difficult once you are at that point to not purposely think about these thoughts and allow yourself to dwell on these thoughts, not realizing you're producing a tree of depression. I never really thought about it like that until reading this devotion. When we let ourselves allow these negative thoughts to grab hold of us, we can continue growing our tree of depression and even manufacture a cloud hovering over us, keeping us grey and covered, unable to see the light; the warmth from the sun. You cannot always choose your circumstances, but you can choose how you react to the situation and thereby choose the thoughts you have. Emerson said, “A man is what he thinks about all the time.” You would be shocked if you could record your thoughts all day and then play them back in the evening. You would be shocked to discover that the thoughts that you gravitate toward may be the very source of many of the problems in your life. Norman Vincent Peale once said, “A man is not what he thinks he is, but what he thinks, he is.” Marcus Aurelius, a great philosopher who ruled over the Roman Empire, said it in 8 easy words: “our lives are what our thoughts make it.” If you don’t like how things are going in your life right now, examine your thoughts. He also went on to say, “The soul is dyed the color of its thoughts.” What are you coloring your life with? Are you coloring your life in pale shades of gray and black and dismal dull colors? Or are you coloring your life with the rainbow: joy, healthy, excitement, enthusiasm, optimism, goodwill? It’s up to you. Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything flows from it” Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever if right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything if excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.” It is often how you perceive situations, rather than the actual situations themselves that cause you to react. Uninvestigated thoughts can cause stress in our lives and sometimes these thoughts lie! Before reacting with negativity or anger, evaluate the thought and ask “is it true? Where is this thought coming from?” Today is a good day to begin to redefine and re-grow your tree with good thoughts. What color are you going to use to paint your “thought tree?”