We make mistakes. Some of them can cause us unhappiness for the rest of our lives, until we learn the remedy.
     It is easy to think about past mistakes - over and over. But after we have asked God to forgive our failures, it is time to do what we should do. Do what Paul did: I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead (Phil. 3:13 NLT).
     Our enemy wants us to use our energy in the useless exercise of going over and over our failures. I receive many letters from people who are being tormented by their past. Strength to deal with the present and the future is drained away and they do not know what is causing their unhappiness.
     If meditating on your past is one of your mistakes, learn to concentrate on the good things that you believe God is doing for you. He can accomplish many things through you if you permit His Holy Spirit to control your thoughts.
     There is so much to be done! Jesus called us to get His message to the entire world. He assured us that what He calls us to do is easy, compared to what our enemy wants us to do. Jesus said: Take my yoke upon you (the life I want you to live). Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls (Mt. 11:29 NLT).
     Jesus came to give us what He called life in all its fullness: The thief's (Satan), purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness (John 10:10 NLT).

     We can increase or decrease our happiness by the things we think about. Paul made his choice and now we must make our choice. We too can forget those things that are behind us and concentrate our attention on the good things that God wants to do through us.
     To avoid Satan's traps we must be quick about it. Learn to recognize when you are drawn to think about some past weakness or failure. Don't even think about having failed to keep that unhappy thought from coming to your attention. Simply change your thoughts to something good! Ignore that you even remembered those failures and leap ahead into the blessings that God wants to give you. The Holy Spirit is always ready to help anyone who wants to be blessed by God.     Wonderful things lie ahead for anyone of us who sets our mind on looking forward to the good things that lie ahead.

 by Mary Carothers

     For forty years now, I've been praising the Lord; sometimes pretty well and sometimes not so well, (I am, after all, a sinner saved by God's grace and mercy). If you will make a commitment to God to praise and thank Him for everything, no matter how difficult, I promise you a miracle. Either your circumstances will change, or God will change YOU! But you must stick with thanking the Lord. No complaining.
     When I was first learning to praise the Lord for
a very painful problem, I would want to complain
about it to my friend. Then God told me I was
“talking out of both sides of my mouth”. So, no
more complaining about what I was also thanking
and praising God for. If I was complaining about
my problem then I certainly wasn't trusting that
God was working. So I had to keep on thanking,
and praising the Lord, trusting that He was working. I had to do this for some years. Over and over and over again. No matter that things seemed impossible. Eventually, I began to believe, to know that what I desired would come to pass. Maybe I wouldn't see it in my lifetime. No matter. God's timing is perfect. I even began to truly rejoice in the fulfillment of my desire. When it finally came to pass, I wasn't surprised, just delighted that God had allowed me to have a part in fulfilling His will that this person be saved.
     I have come to understand that living a life of
being thankful always for all things (Eph. 5:20) is
living in victory over our circumstances rather than under what life brings our way.