One of the standard suggestions made to people who are trying to lose weight is to write down everything they eat.  Just keeping a written log helps people notice patterns, become aware of what they’re putting in their mouths, and make more deliberate choices about how they will nourish and care for their bodyselves.

This week, try keeping a written log, not of how you nourish your body, but of how you’re feeding your spirit.

Using a little notepad or some 3x5 cards—something you can easily carry around with you—keep a log of your thoughts, of how you’re investing your attention.

Obviously, I’m not suggesting that you write down every single thought that crosses your mind!  But pick an interval that makes sense to you (maybe once every 2 hours; maybe once at morning, midday, and evening; maybe just midday and bedtime—whatever works for you).  Then at each of your chosen intervals, take a few moments to notice where your attention has been invested since the last time you made an entry in your log.

Maybe all you thought about was the task you were working on—how to do it, how to get it done on time.  Or maybe your attention was bouncing back and forth between something you were stewing about on the one hand, and surfing the TV channels or the internet on the other.  Try to notice not just the topic of your thinking, but how you were thinking about it:  “thinking about that meeting—really nervous—will they like my report?”  “remembering what So-and-so said—chuckling about it—feeling closer to So-and-so”  “driving to work—really annoyed at all the idiots on the road.”

Towards the end of the week, take another look at the Philippians passage.  Read it slowly, inviting God to speak to you through it.  Then look back over your log and notice what it has to tell you.