Don't worry....be happy!!

One of my favorite songs from the 80's....going through my head this morning...over and over and over.

Don't worry, be happy..in every life we have some trouble,
when we worry we make it double.
Ain't got no place to lay your head..someone came and took your bed
Don't worry...be happy!
Cause when you worry your face willl frown
and that will bring everybody down
So don't worry .....be happy!!

I went to bed last night praying for my family...well maybe it is called worrying. I didn't think I was worrying...but maybe so. I have three sisters and and two of them are out of work and the one sister that does have a job, her husband has been job hunting for over a year and their financial status is looking grim. I have friends that really took a tumble when their 401K was suddenly turned into a 101K. I watch the dour financial news on TV...I hear about our unemployment rate...I listen to talk show hosts talk about doom and gloom....and then I'm not sleeping again...which is just delightful!! 

So I have decided to use the TV remote and everytime doom and gloom is forcasted I will click to another channel.  I will love not being crazy-pants anymore about all this financial stuff. In fact I decided I'm not going to participate in this "recession" anymore. I am not going to fixate on the economy. I am not going to listen to all the in-depth coverage. I am not going to go to sleep each night worrying about everyone's job....about inflation....about stagnation...staycations...because my obsessive worry has NO EFFECT AT ALL ON THE OUTCOME. The economy doesn't call me each day to see how I feel about it. If I choose to think about something else like green beans or watermelon margarita's the economy doesn't get worse. It doesn't get better either. It fact I have no control over any of this. All I can control is how I choose to see everything. I have decided instead to think on the things instead that I like. Things that are in my realm of control..prudent spending...saving what I can...exercise to stay as healthy as I can...keeping my thought tuned into good things so I can sleep better at night. Things that are lovely and beautiful. Like flowers...and tea....and Goodwill shopping....lunch with friends and sisters....outings with family...the weather...the sun...Starbucks coffee...Sunday morning church...and laughing with my neighbor over the mutant zukes in our garden.

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praise worthy....think on these things. Philippians 4:8