Goods for Guns

Subject: Goods for Guns Tue 14 Dec 2010, 1:56 pm

December 14

Goods for Guns

The nations shall beat their swords into plowshares
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— Isaiah 2:4

An amazing phenomenon is sweeping the country. In many cities, police departments are offering valuable donated merchandise in exchange for street guns. Many thousands of people have traded in dangerous weapons for tickets to sporting events, stereo equipment, and discount coupons on valued commodities. On a news program, I saw a huge pile of guns that had been voluntarily turned in.

The Goods for Guns program is built on a key principle: Bad habits do not leave unless we have something more positive with which to replace them. If you want to lose weight, it is not enough to just despise your excess weight; it is only when you embrace a vision of yourself at your ideal weight that you gain the leverage to shed the unwanted pounds. If you want to take a dangerous object out of the hand of a child, he will cry if you yank it away Give him another toy that he enjoys, and he will not miss the first one.

The mind needs something to chew on, and it is just as willing to chew on dog food as fine cuisine. If you are plagued by negative or self-destructive thinking, you will not succeed by trying to simply stop your mind; you must fill it with something more productive. When the mind begins to worry or chatter with self-criticism or doubt, immediately substitute thoughts that will take you where you want to go, such as “Peace, Be still, I walk in love, ” or “God is the source of all supply. ” If you are vigilant and diligent, eventually the constructive thinking will take root, and you will automatically think with truth, not against it.

I open myself to positive living and feed my mind and heart
with healinq thoughts and visions.

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This meditation is an excerpt from Alan Cohen's meditation book, A Deep Breath of Life

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