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)
It's discouraging to turn on the news and hear about all the things going wrong in the world every day. Reports of new cases of Ebola, more attacks by terrorist groups, mysterious illnesses, and violence across the world bombard television and radio news broadcasts constantly.
We can't ignore the fact that these things are happening around us, but we can choose what we think about. If we choose to focus only on the bad stuff, we will miss the lovely things in life. The Bible verse above tells us to think about the things that are praiseworthy and admirable.
Regardless of the turmoil in the world around us, we are still surrounded by God's amazing creation. We can still count our blessings daily and choose to reflect on God's grace and his gift of salvation to all who call upon his name. The fact that he saves us is praiseworthy enough apart from all the other blessings he provides.
Fall is the most beautiful time of the year in the mountains. When I look out my window, I'm amazed at the brilliant colors and fall foliage. It's certainly one of the lovely things in my life right now, and I treasure the fact that I live in an area where I get to experience the changing of the seasons. No matter how discouraging life can be at times, pausing to observe the natural world outside is always the perfect remedy.
Turn off the news, go outside, and inhale deeply of the lovely and beautiful things found in creation... then choose to think about such things. Nature is a great reminder that God is still in control of our world, no matter what happens next on the news.
