Happiness and News Media Cannot Occupy the Same Space

I've been feeling especially happy lately, bursting into spontaneous song and laughing with my children when they're not trying to unseat me from my Mom-throne. Not abdicating that position while I have life and breath, and they're still minors.

Why this joy?

I think it has to do with cutting off, therefore not ruminating on, the news.

Life always has a way of being exciting in one way or another. If it's too boring at your house, just flick on the news to see what terrible goings-on are taking place that very moment, maybe even in your very own city!

What does most news media deal in? Fear. The product they market is fear, with a by-product of doubt. They will never fail to find a way to twist any news to any desired outcome to sway masses of people.

• "The sun is warm and shining over Big City, USA. Is this a signal of global warming?"

• "NOGOODNEWS found no bad news anywhere to report. When will the shoe drop?"

• "Mr. Jones says he likes the color red more than the color green. Is this color discrimination?"

• "This just in: brand new reason to be terrified!"

• "Maimed scientists are working hard to alter the carnivorous habits of African Plains predators to be more acceptable to their vegan prey."

So, click! Or in this case, hit the big "X" in the upper right corner.

How much of the Bible am I reading to counteract the news? It should be a huge majority of my reading so I know the Biblical guideposts as I read the world's news.

News feels like junk food for the brain. It's negative 95% of the time, or more. It's addictive. It's poison.

A little junk food here and there won't hurt you in the long run, but a steady diet of it will surely manifest in all sorts of health problems.

While I don't intend to bury my head in the sand about relevant events, I also won't be partaking of the constant stream of poison coming from those sites.

It's no wonder Jesus tells us through the apostles many times to take our thoughts captive. Be careful what we meditate on. Guard our heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.

"As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." (I still prefer the Old English term of thinketh.)

News out; Bible in. Anxiety out, knots in belly out; joy in.