Picture this......you're riding down the street in your car and you see a pretty face in a car going the opposite direction. It's only a brief glimpse, but eye contact is made for a split second and an automatic reaction kicks in. You smile. They smile back and then you're gone.

All you can see now is the back of their car in your rearview mirror. But, now your imagination starts down the road on it's inevitable journey to the land of fantasy and speculation. As your mind wanders, a mental relationship begins to develop with this other person.

Even though you're not really sure what the other person TRULY looks like (because all you saw was a face), you begin to construct a mental image that could be on the cover of TIME magazines "Most Beautiful People" issue. Then after the physical development has been properly handled in your minds eye and you're satisfied with the image, you move on to the next phase of the process.

Now you have to remember, you're in a moving vehicle, you only got a glimpse, and this entire process is only taking a minute or so to complete. You have to pay attention to your DRIVING!

Moving along in this scenario, you next add possible verbal exchanges such as... "Hi!", or "What's your name?", or something a little more creative. You might even go so far as to create an entire dialog that signals the beginning of a life-long relationship. Doesn't matter. The point being that you now have spoken to this person and are ready for the next step. You slowly move into the emotional or physical realm where anything is possible. After all, it is YOUR imagination and you can do anything you want, right? It's only in your mind and therefore of no consequence. But, just for a moment, stop and consider what your reactions might be if the two of you were to actually meet and remember that momentary glance. What then? Tell the truth. Would you still think the same way, or would try to act out your imaginings, or would you start all over again from a different angle? Who cares! This is not the issue.

We all seem to participate in this type of mental maneuvering on a regular basis. The time it occupies in our life is a matter of a few seconds or minutes. Not much in the overall scheme of things and on the surface, these thoughts seem harmless enough because we rationalize about how 'nothing really happened' or 'nothing was said'.

We see things, we imagine them in different situations, times, places etc. The Bible calls these "Vain imaginings", but I prefer to call them "BRAIN BOMBS"! These tiny, harmless, concocted thoughts have the potential to completely destroy a life to such an extent as to be immeasurable. The enormous magnitude of a "BRAIN BOMB" to wreck havoc is tremendous.

Let's take a minute and examine this from three different perspectives. We'll call them:

(1) "The Tires"

(2) "The Artist"

(3) "The Yard"

Hopefully one of them will make sense to you and you won't have to go through what I did. I had to go through all three before I finally got it, so here's wishing you luck. We'll try to keep it simple.

(1) "The Tires".

Before we start, we're going to assume a few things. Most of you know what a new tire looks like and the difference between a new and a used tire when you see one. If not, please take a minute to go outside, stick your head up under the car and get a quick peek at the tires. Please, please, please remember to make sure the car is in park first and not turned on.

OK! Now that we have that out of the way, I'll take the liberty of painting a word picture on the difference between a new and used tire. A new tire is a deep black color, with uniform treads or grooves, and little rubber thingies sticking out all over. Don't ask me what they're called because I don't know and I don't really want to say what I think they're called. Suffice it to say, when the tire is new, you'll see them. Kind of like when we were just born. We still had an "Outie" which hopefully turned into an "Innie" later. On a used tire, you won't find the thingies, the color won't be uniform and the tread will show signs of wear. This would be similar to ourselves later in life.

You need to remember, that as with life, all tires are not created equal. But they ARE still tires nonetheless. They come in different sizes, styles, types, etc. just as we do. They also have different mileage ratings, applications, and warranties similar to your skills, talents and knowledge.

You can even get a "Road Hazard" warranty or "Extended" warranty on most of them as well like going to college and getting a degree or inheriting lot's of money. Some might even come with one or more of these warranties, standard! In order for the warranties to be valid, you have to do a couple of things though. The air pressure must be maintained at the correct levels and you must rotate them at the proper intervals. This would be like eating, exercising, praying, etc.

All of these factors, combined with average road conditions for your area, and the way you drive, will also affect the life of the tire. Very similar to who you hang around, what you do with your time, things you watch on TV and listen to on the radio, etc.

So, now that we have all this extraneous info out of the way, on to the story itself.

You have just put four new tires on your car, which makes you feel pretty confident about your vehicles ability to handle the road safely and give you a smooth ride. When the tires were put on your car, they made sure the air pressure was right and the tires were properly balanced. This would be equivalent to your being born again. GOD does the same thing with you. HE puts his Holy Spirit in you, which would be equivalent to the air in a tire and gives you the Word for balance. JESUS is now your personal service person and is responsible for honoring the warranty. The Word outlines the complete warranty for your new tires and includes the complete owners manual with all the instructions necessary to help you achieve the maximum mileage.

Now, if you decide to go drag racing, enjoy screeching stops, sliding around corners, etc. with your new tires, don't expect them to last the length of the manufacturers specifications. Any deviation from the intended use, or misuse of the product, could possibly void the warranty or cause you to have to pay for repairs. An example would be a flat as a result of scrapping a curb while turning a corner too sharp or fast. (This is getting extremely detailed, isn't it?)

Life is similar in that you can do things too quickly without consulting GOD, or you can take a shortcut and miss the whole point. Even worse, you could end up missing a great opportunity or tremendous blessing. Either way, you're not getting the most mileage from your tires.

Here's another one. You got a nail in your tire and have no idea where it came from. The same holds true with your spiritual self. Those nasty little Brain Bombs are just like nails. You really don't remember the event that caused the flat and you're not certain where or when you got it. All you know is that now you have to get the tire fixed and it may cost you. You could use that Fix-A-Flat stuff to repair the leak, but how long will it hold? Plus it has the tendency to eat up the inside of the tire. This is like saying "I'll ask GOD to fix this later" or ignoring it all together thinking that some good deed will make it go away.

It WILL eat your insides up whether you know it or not. If a Brain Bomb goes off, you may suffer spiritual damage, physical damage, mental turmoil, or emotional distress. These have to be repaired and some of them take time to fix. Sometimes the cost to repair them is far more than you're willing to pay. That's where GOD comes in. With Jesus as the Master Mechanic, you're guaranteed prompt and efficient service at a reasonable price. But why find yourself in this situation to start with? If you watch the road, keep your eyes focused on the destination, drive according to the manufacturers specifications, and obey the traffic laws, you should arrive at your destination without mishap, AND your tires should be in perfect condition.

Did you get the idea about the tires being your body and soul? If you did, GREAT!!! Now you don't have to read the next two versions (unless you just want to!). If not, maybe you'll get it in the next analogy.

I actually had fun wading through all this. Taught me a few things in the process. Isn't GOD wonderful! Well, let's move on. Do you remember what the second story is about? Let me scroll back up a page or two and find out. Oh yeah,

(2) "The Artist".

That's the ticket. Here we go again. Back into the fracas we call the "English" language. (I just love adjectives and oxymoron's, don't you?) Here's the picture;

An artist sits down in front of a block of marble with hammer and chisel in hand. He knows what he wants and where to begin. The vision is clear in his mind and the completed work is merely in the doing. The image is beautiful. All smooth, with clean lines and fantastic detail. The epitome of loveliness. He lifts his hammer and begins the process. The first chip comes off perfectly, as does the second, third and fourth. He's in the groove now as the marble chips begin to pile up around his feet. Slowly but surely the form inside the marble becomes visible.

The process of sculpting is one of love and patience. You must also be precise. Just the right amount of pressure, the correct chisel size and shape, and a clear vision of what you want. If all these are working in unison, he should end up with a masterpiece. So it is with life.

We methodically plod along trying to be patient and applying all the things we learn and know, but sometimes we don't have a clear vision of where we're going or what we want the end result to be.

Just as the artist can make mistakes, so do we. Occasionally we use the wrong chisel, or apply too much or not enough pressure. Maybe we loose sight of the end result and get frustrated in the creation of the perfect sculpture. Sometimes the artist takes off too large a piece and has to resize the entire project, thereby making it less than what it was originally intended. Sometimes it's even worse. The piece we take off or destroy can be so large or uneven that it can't be repaired.

The same thing happens with the mind bombs in our life. Something as simple as a thought or a fleeting glimpse can invariably work it's way so deeply into our conscious or sub-conscious that by the time we become aware of the havoc it has wreaked, it's usually too late. Just like the artist, who when distracted by a subtle shift in light on his subject, makes a slight change in his work, only to find that he's mistakenly chiseled away a portion that shouldn't have been.

Mind bombs are similar to shadows as experienced in art. They are ever so subtle and change on a regular basis. There are so many external factors involved, that when or to what degree they will change is never known. So too with mind bombs. What we consider insignificant can be so damaging to our being, that if we don't remain sensitive to the Holy Spirit, we can fall without realizing it.

When you see a beautiful work of art, do you stop and consider what went into it's making? The hours, the detail, the passion, the planning and all the other things that make it what it is. But the most important ingredient would be the vision and love the artist poured into the work.

GOD does the same thing, but His work is far superior to any man made object and has far more potential. Don't be like the sculpture and be resized because of a mistake. Don't fall into the trap of having to be completely remade from scratch due to some major faults. This can eat up a ton of your time and life. Besides, GOD has a plan for your life that should not get sidetracked or delayed due to a mind bomb or other twisted terminator.

Your actions or lack of could cause severe ramifications in the life of someone else. You may have been the one to provide help in a time of need or supply something to help with a special project to further the kingdom. Either way, you'll never know until that day when we stand in front of the throne and give an account of our life.

So, be like the artist and strive for perfection. Your spirit is the marble and you have the ability and tools to shape the sculpture according to the vision of GOD or according to the vision of the world. Your choice. If your choose the design and form of GOD, you'll turn out to be museum quality. If you go the other way, you're liable to end up in the trash-bin of life, or worse, on some trailer's wall or front lawn in tornado alley. (Right next to the pink flamingos or the velvet Elvis)

So....did you get it this time or do I really need to do the last one? OK. Some got it and a few still haven't. It's nice to know that I have company. It's great to know that everybody isn't smarter than me and that it takes a little more for some of us to get it. Now I have to scroll back up and find out what the last on was. Oh yeah!

(3)"The Yard."

Isn't nature a wonderful teacher? Well it is! Seems like most of us take it for granted. We complain when it's too cold, or too wet, or too hot, or too dry. We look at trees and see leaves to rake in the fall. Looking at grass reminds us that we have to mow the yard. I mean, this gets ridiculous. Even Adam was given charge over all the earth and all the things in it. Plus, he was told to take care of it, which basically means he was to do the yard work and take care of the animals.

Think about this for a minute. Here's one lone guy who is the caretaker of this huge chunk of real estate we call Earth. He didn't have any kind of tools to help him in his new job and no labor pool to draw from. I know you're probably saying that he lived in Paradise or the "Garden of Eden", but any way you look at it, things still grow and have to be cared for. And I haven't even mentioned the animals he was responsible for. This was one busy dude!

Eve wasn't even around when Adam was given this assignment, so he had to bear this load all by his lonesome. But, because he was faithful, GOD provided him with a helpmate to take the edge off of things, so to speak. You could call this the reward system, even though that was not the main reason for Eve coming on the scene.

So, on to the topic of discussion and away from the digression. Consider the plight of Adam and Eve in the Garden. Because of something that was seen, and then something that was heard, several mind bombs were planted which resulted in the biggest fall of them all. Talk about planting a bad seed.

Up until that point, all Adam would have needed to take care of the yard would have been his hands. But, because that thing exploded, he had to start the process of invention and come up with the necessary tools to start the weeding process. (There weren't any weeds before this time)

So this is what happens in your "Yard". You plant a bad seed and you get a rotten harvest. Plus, weeds and thorns and other unruly plants start taking over your yard and you end up with a really difficult mess and something the neighbors will complain about forever.

Have you ever seen kudzu? Ever watched it grow? I'm not kidding! You can literally see it grow. In the Mississippi delta, the kudzu grows an average of 6-10 feet per day!!! It will grow over, around and through anything in it's path. Mind bombs have the same ability. You may have some gorgeous trees in your yard, but by the time this stuff gets hold of them, you have nothing but creeping vines all over the place and your tree is completely buried and if you don't remove the kudzu, the trees will soon be dead. Grass too!

Science fiction writers have written several rather tasty tales about kudzu that put forth the query concerning exactly 'what' lives in it and under it. "Again Dangerous Visions" by Harlan Ellison tells one such tale that is guaranteed to get your attention. You'll never look at that delta vine in the same light again.

Your best bet is to tend your yard in a loving manner so that it produce an abundance of beauty instead of a mud wrestlers paradise. Your choice.

Personally, I'd rather live in the garden. Your spirit and inner man can be the same. It's either dark and unproductive, or it's bright and fertile. Grow the good stuff.

GOD has promised you an abundant harvest if you'll just follow the manual to better gardening...his Word! Stop planting Mind Bombs in your life right now. Make a conscious decision to harvest the good life instead of desolation and blight. As scripture tells us, "From the heart flow the issues of life".

The Bible is full of proof that what you see or hear can have dramatic impact on your life. David saw Bathsheba and the thought worked on him day and night causing him to commit adultery and murder. Samson got caught up with Delilah and lost his strength. Peter got out of the boat onto the water and then almost drowned. Moses saw a burning bush while he was out with the sheep and turned aside to check it out. Elisha's servant saw the enemy's army surrounding them and panicked, while Elisha saw the hosts of heaven surrounding the enemy and rejoiced. Lot saw the angels of the Lord and an escape, while his wife saw the pleasures of Sodom and turned into a pillar of salt.

The list is endless. Take a few minutes to find others that may come closer to your current situation and reflect on how they dealt with the issue. I bet that in every instance, the ones who came out of the situation successfully, turned to GOD for the solution. Most of them even got a blessing as well! And to top it off, they all received the best gift of all. The gift of eternal life with the Father. Doesn't get any better than that.

So, to wrap this thing up and move on to the next part of our little trip through the "Twisted Terminators" of life, here's the Readers Digest condensed version of all the material I've laid out;

The Bible tells us what to think about and what our thoughts should be. If we continually persist in our mental maneuvers, we set in place a Brain Bomb. Once in place, the timer is set and starts a countdown to eternal destruction. When you remain in a constant state of prayer with JESUS, there is no place for these bombs to be set. The mental maneuvers of fleshly justification will not occur and your light will shine forth in spirit and in truth. JESUS said we would be tempted, but not above what we are able to stand, and even then, he would give us a way out.

Believing that thoughts are harmless can slowly and invisibly lead you away from "Heavenly" thinking in to the realm of carnality and all the confusion, frustration and anxiety that exists there. It's much like the sculptor chipping away at the block of marble. One little piece at a time over an extended period. Just enough so that you really don't notice the subtle changes taking place in your life. Others may start to see the evidence of the Brain Bombs before you do and by then it's usually too late. Well, not really too late. You can still humble yourself, repent and let GOD heal you. Either way, you are blinded by the glare of the bomb when it goes off so that you don't see, hear or feel the effects of the thought that blew up in your brain.

As humans, our imaginations are always carrying us to the limits of mortal creativity and diversion. This can be both a blessing and a curse. It fully depends on how, when, where, and why we use it. As children of the Kingdom, these thoughts can carry us to the pits of Hell or the gates of Heaven.

Many a scholar has stated, "As a man thinks, so he is", and never has this carried more weight than in these tumultuous times. Look around. Turn on the TV for a second....No, don't. We already know what's on the tube and it's just more shrapnel and powder for additional brain bombs. Even a quick peek at some of the commercials is enough to start our imaginations churning up all kinds of twisted terminators and mental maneuvers. But more of that later.

We are surrounded by the forces of darkness and if it weren't for the grace of GOD, none of us would be able to withstand the constant onslaught of sensory stimuli.

Consider this. A thought is similar to a seed. It doesn't have to be very big in order to grow into a towering tree. They have the same potential. It has been said that the mind is the Devils playground. But as others have observed, he can't use anything against you that you have no knowledge of. It's like they say about computers and such....Garbage in = Garbage out!

So.....what are you thinking about right now? Are you contemplating things that are Holy and pure, or is your mind drifting towards things in the past, present, or future? Are you thinking "what if" or "can I"?

Have you had enough of this and wish it would go away because you're starting to feel uncomfortable? Who cares? You better! It's your life and if you don't decide to do something about it, no one else will. GOD gives you the power to make choices concerning all areas of your life, whether they be good or bad. Don't neglect yourself.

What kind of trees do you want growing in your yard? Your mind is the soil of your yard. Your thoughts are the seeds you plant in it. Your body and tongue are the tools with which you tend it. If you cultivate, prune, and fertilize the thoughts in your minds yard with your physical self, you'll reap a harvest based on the seeds planted. Do you want a crop of firewood or a harvest of bounty and beauty? Remember, if you plant a bomb in your yard, sooner or later it's going to explode, destroying the entire crop, and maybe even the yard itself! Although you may utilize different cultivation techniques in the form of one or more mental maneuvers to justify the seeds you've planted or allowing them to continue to grow, the end result is still the same. KaBlooie!!!! No more crop! No more yard! The only way to guarantee a good crop is to use the appropriate weed killer or plant removal techniques and only plant the best seeds.

Let's go back to the artist and his block of marble for a second. Say he gets momentarily distracted by something he sees or hears that is not part of his vision or model and he accidentally chips a piece off the wrong area. He now has several choices. He can resize the entire sculpture which will make it less than the original vision or plan. He could trash the whole thing and start from scratch, shaping a brand new piece. He might even decide to change the entire shape and vision altogether. And then again, he could just say to heck with it and not even bother. Some of the implications here are obvious, while others may not be, but the analogies are very pointed and definite. By letting these little brain bombs into our life, we are putting ourselves in great jeopardy.

Being less than GOD intended you to be can have dramatic effects on your life and possibly the lives of others. The Word says that you will either bear "much" fruit or "no" fruit. It doesn't say anything about "little" fruit. This basically means that you should strive to be all you can be. The Word also says that He would rather you were hot or cold and not lukewarm. If you achieve "lukewarm" or "less than" status, GOD says he'll spew you out of his mouth. I don't know about you, but I have no desire to be "Religious Puke". The message here being that you shouldn't even consider being less than GOD intended. Don't let the Brain Bombs of this carnal world infiltrate your mind and cause you to resize your life. The pieces that fall off or are broken off as a result ofd a brain bomb exploding are hard to replace and sometimes cannot be repaired or replaced at all.

A good illustration would be that of the Virgin. Can't fix that one, can you! Your first child is another one. No way can you put it back where it came from. Let GOD have his perfect way with you. Stay in the Word, which is the instruction manual and operators guide for us.

Whenever a brain bomb is launched in your direction, take authority over it in the name of Jesus and give it no place in your life. By now you're probably saying "Yeah, but you know what to do and don't have this kind of problem anymore." NOT! I have to deal with this dilemma every single waking moment. It's a constant battle and not a very pretty sight. The one thing I've noticed about it is that it will keep you focused on what is right. Your attention is constantly being redirected to the Word as you encounter each new brain bomb.

The enemy is very persistent in his attacks and will use every memory, old habit and anything else he can find to keep you distracted from GOD. Things as simple as commercials can cause a ton of images and vain imaginings to go through your mind. Beer commercials. Make-up ads. Fashion explosions. The list is endless because the advertising industry is using sex and power to sell almost everything we use. The brain bombs resulting from these insidious attacks are usually planted on a subconscious level. It's not until we get in a real life situation that these images and recollections are brought to the surface and the timer is set for a major explosion.

Remember the person you saw driving down the street? How much of what crossed your mind do you think was a direct result of something you saw or heard on TV? We are constantly looking for romance, love and passion in life, but the way it is portrayed on the tube can give you false perceptions of reality. Reality shows are a prime example. Those guys are always up to no good. They sleep around, fight, gossip and are always trying to one up the other guy. Even if you don't follow the story, or listen to the dialog, the visual imagery is potent. They would have you believe that their world is the way it really is. Divorce is no big deal. Adultery is OK if you really love the other person. Gossip is a way to get people to act the way you want them to in order to accomplish you goals. Anger is justified and getting even is the way to make things right. This list is endless and if you look at it closely and from an objective viewpoint, it's rather depressing.

Think about it. If life is actually the way it appears on TV and this is the way we're supposed to act, then what's the point of having a GOD or heaven or any thing else that's good and decent?

Now I'm digressing. See what happens! A brain bomb just exploded in my mind and I went off on a tangent to make a point. That being, that no matter what it is you see or hear, if it doesn't line up with the Word of GOD, then it isn't right and you should call in the bomb squad. Just because it's pleasing to the senses doesn't necessarily make it good or right.

Eve was fooled by something that sounded good on the surface and made a certain amount of sense (based on limited knowledge), but turned out to be one of the biggest "No-No's" in history. Read the story and you'll find that the tree was pleasing to the eye, the fruit was sweet to the taste and it didn't feel bad until they were caught.

Brain bombs are the same. They may look harmless, taste good, sound great and all that other garbage, but the end result is hazardous to your health.

I think I'm going to take a break and call in the bomb squad to eradicate and defuse the bombs in my brain. Through the power of the Holy Ghost and the Word, it shouldn't be a problem. Add a little prayer, coupled with some praise and thanksgiving and the whole thing should become as it were nothing. No memories, no explosions, no guilt, no trauma, no remorse, no starting over, no rebuilding, and none of the other junk that comes as a result of letting brain bombs into my mind.

There! I feel better already. How about you? Did you take a minute to ask GOD to send in the bomb squad to find and disarm all the brain bombs in your life? Hope so. You'll find a renewed peace and sense of security if you did. Just remember though, the enemy is a terrorist and uses terrorist tactics to plant his devices. Don't be caught unaware. Stay focused on the task at hand and you'll make it with flying colors.