{"id":73,"date":"2012-11-05T12:05:00","date_gmt":"2012-11-05T19:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/69.195.124.95\/~redletu4\/think-on-these-things\/"},"modified":"2012-11-05T12:05:00","modified_gmt":"2012-11-05T19:05:00","slug":"think-on-these-things","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davidrupert\/think-on-these-things\/","title":{"rendered":"Think on these things"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

If you watch political ads for long, you\u2019ll start to take on a cynical view of this world. You\u2019ll find that the\u00a0skies will seem a little darker. You\u2019ll trust your neighbors a little less. Your idea of the future will be decidedly negative.<\/span>

<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Monarch Butterfly<\/a>, Photo by D. Rupert<\/span><\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

The foreboding figures that are presented seem to be more out of a Hitchcock movie than reality. Both sides are much better at painting the other side in ugly shades rather than presenting their vision of the future.<\/span>

<\/span>I think if reality was anywhere near what political ads claimed, there would be no hope.\u00a0<\/i>If I believed the messages, I should just draw the shades, gather together friends and family, and\u00a0divvy\u00a0up our meager cracker supply and wait out our days.<\/span>

<\/span>But things aren\u2019t that bad. And regardless of who is selected in any one of the thousands of races around the U.S., life will go on.<\/span>

<\/span>At church yesterday the pastor preached these words from\u00a0Philippians<\/a>:<\/span>
\u201cFinally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable\u2014if anything is excellent or praiseworthy\u2014think about such things.\u201d<\/i><\/span>

<\/span>I was struck by the last sentence: \u201cThink about such things.\u201d<\/b><\/i><\/span><\/span>

<\/b><\/i><\/span>My thoughts and affections should be filled with much more than the troubles of this world. Yes there is grief. Yes there is sadness. Yes there is inequity, and hatred, and persecution. Yes there is hunger, and pain, and unfaithfulness. But\u2026.<\/span><\/span>

<\/span>\u201cThink on these things.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span>
\u2026 the truth<\/span>
\u2026 the noble<\/span>
\u2026 the right<\/span>
\u2026 the pure<\/span>
\u2026 the lovely<\/span>
\u2026 the admirable<\/span>

<\/span>Whatever is excellent or praiseworthy, think on these things. \u201c<\/span>And the God of peace<\/span><sup value='(M<\/a>)\u2019>\u00a0will be with you.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/span>
\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>
What kinds of things are thinking of today?\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Enhanced<\/a><\/div>\n
Please, share with a friend if you feel moved.
\nRead all past issues at http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/davidrupert<\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you watch political ads for long, you\u2019ll start to take on a cynical view of this world. You\u2019ll find that the\u00a0skies will seem a little darker. You\u2019ll trust your neighbors a little less. Your idea of the future will be decidedly negative. Monarch Butterfly, Photo by D. Rupert The foreboding figures that are presented […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2375,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[262,353,656,886,961,962,963,964,965,966],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-73","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-excellence","category-good-attitude","category-praiseworthy","category-think-on-these-things","category-whatever-is-admirable","category-whatever-is-lovely","category-whatever-is-noble","category-whatever-is-pure","category-whatever-is-right","category-whatever-is-true"],"yoast_head":"\nThink on these things<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you watch political ads for long, you'll start to take on a cynical view of this world. You'll find that the\u00a0skies will seem a little darker. 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