The Attitude of Your Mind

Well, I made it through the radio show. For those of you who want to hear it, it is at the following web site:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/cwa-radio/2012/05/07/grace-caf#.T6f2Ii-LtAQ.mailto
All in all, I was pretty happy with it. I thought my heart would explode across the room while waiting to be introduced, but then I calmed down. The only persistent problem over the hour interview was I was having trouble swallowing. I had to consciously force my esophagus to contract to swallow the sips of water I was taking. I also had to pick out the splinters from the chair arm I was slowly embedding in my clenched fingertips. Other than that, and some minor episodes of hyperventilating, I was ok.

Since it was a Christian radio show, I mostly talked about God, and I can do that all day. Finally, I said goodbye to the hosts, leaned back, and heaved a big sigh of relief. I don't think I made any blunders that would haunt me for the rest of my life, and there had been no long stretches of silence as I tried to remember the English language. My first radio interview was over without any visible signs of extreme bodily harm as a result.

An hour later, it occurred to me that it was possible the show would result in book sales. I clicked on my online accounts. 2,000 books had sold in the past hour! I did a crazy dance, ran around the house, and then told my son who was online with me on Google Chat. Then, right before calling all my friends and family, as well as the NY Times that might want to feature me in today's paper, I noticed I had clicked the wrong button. The book had sold 2 copies in the past hour, not 2,000. Riches to rags again. And I went from being elated about the radio spot to totally depressed in a nanosecond. This is an ongoing problem, this extreme fluctuation in mood based on externals. Hadn't I just finished an hour of talking about trusting God and finding joy and contentment in Him?
well, yeh...
but would it be so outrageous to ask for joy and contentment AND 2,000 book sales in an hour?

God is always working on me. He just never lets up on those lessons and I am continually poked and prodded till my true character is revealed. If I trust Him, *really* trust Him, then I should trust what He brings my way, particularly those things I have no control over. And honestly, when it comes right down to it, the only thing I do have control over is my attitude. And as I demonstrated, that one thing is taking me a lifetime to master.

Ephesians 4:22-24
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Philippians 2: 1-3
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves,






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