Weeds to Seeds

A conversation with Angela Young

Several weeks back, I mentioned inviting friends to submit their thoughts based on their experiences on divine imagination. Angela Young is a prophetic voice with very strategic skills, especially in crafting and processing identity. She is the director of Intel for The Warrior Commission and has been involved in several groups I've led based on the New Era. This is the first of what will be a springboard of conversations with Angela.

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Byron: I'd like to chat a bit about imagination. What's your first recollection of dealing with imagination?

Angela: As a kid growing up in church, I sang songs with hand motions. This was a fun way to learn Bible stories and scriptures. One of these songs comes to mind that aided in building my imagination. I remember singing, “Be Careful Little Eyes What You See.” This simple song emphasizes “be careful” what you hear, what you say, what you touch, and where you go. The song's repetitive verses warn us to be cautious of what we allow to enter our minds and hearts (good or bad). These influences and experiences build us as a person and affect our thoughts and imaginations.

Byron: The influences around us indeed affect our thoughts and imagination. I know as a child I was a dreamer. That's how I began writing, but, somewhere I became afraid of dreaming and I stopped. Did these outside influences affect you, or did you respond differently?

Angela: There was an invitation to refocus, to receive a new image, and lift to a new thought.

Byron: OH, I love that idea of ‘lifting to a new thought.’ It's such a powerful image, that our thoughts are lifted to a new dimension with the invitation of imagination.

Angela: True, this song taught me to be sensitive to what I look at, what I listen to, and what I do, for they can impact the growth of my imagination. However, then and now, my mind and imagination are constantly being bombarded by the influences of the world.

Byron: As we continued our conversation, I was interested in discovering what Angela felt might be the negatives.

Angela: Technology (specifically smartphones and TV) is always flooding my mind with unnecessary information. This information overloads and plants worldly, and unrighteous seeds in my imagination garden. These seeds may become weeds of negativity, sadness, hopelessness, fear, confusion, and division that end up cluttering my imagination. So, my imagination landscape needs constant tending to remove the choking weeds. It takes time and work!

Byron: Thus, the title of this post, is ‘Weeds to Seeds.’ I know Jordan Peterson has talked about the negative effects on our lives by technology. Paul, the apostle, writes about our thought life. Any idea why he focused on this in relation to the effects of negative thinking?

Angela: This is the reason Paul wrote to the believers in Philippi, encouraging them on how and what to be thinking about. Their thoughts and imaginations had become cluttered and confused. His instruction was profoundly personal and for each individual to consider. The invitation was to refocus, to receive a new image, and lift to a new thought. Paul provides a framework on how we should direct our thoughts, which will help us create a healthy (weed-free) imagination.

He writes, “…..whatever is true, whatever is worthy of reverence and is honorable and seemly, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely and lovable, whatever is kind and winsome and gracious, if there is any virtue and excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think on and weigh and take account of these things [fix your minds on them].” Philippians 4:8 AMPC

Byron: I have to do this daily. I will create a pattern for myself to help start my day on a positive note. The scriptures are a part of this. It's never how much I read, but connecting with Jesus by reading, thanksgiving, and prayer. It paves the way for a strong possibility for a positive return on my day. How do you see Paul's words of encouragement?

Angela: Paul’s encouragement and wisdom are timely for us today. We, too, are invited to assess and examine what we are focusing on and imagining.

Byron: I believe this will be the first of several conversations. I so appreciate your heart and thoughts in imagination. Do you have any words to encourage us as we look to lift to new thoughts?

Angela: Let’s be inspired by the Word to imagine and discover “the pure, spiritual, heaven-born possibilities that have their foundation in the Holy being of God,” (Isaiah 45:8 AMPC) as you turn your heart's imagination towards the righteous wisdom God is generously raining down in the New Era!

Byron: Thanks Angela, for taking the time to connect with us here.

Hey everyone, if you know someone who would be encouraged by Angela's insights, please share this post with them and encourage them to subscribe here on Substack.

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