Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life. Proverbs 4: 23

With so much pervasive ugliness in the world, it is sometimes difficult to recognize the beauty of God's creation. The enemy has orchestrated events to dim your view of any loveliness that exists. You must be careful and diligent to filter your mental intake. If not, your perception of life will become twisted. You will lose sight of the "Light" and become spiritually destitute. On that day, even dreams will become an expensive luxury.

The following is what transpired or what we learned about in our community in the past days:

• Jacob Tyler Roberts, a 22-year-old masked gunman, terrorized holiday shoppers at an Oregon mall, killing two people and himself on Tuesday. While wearing a white hockey mask, black clothing, and a bullet proof vest, he entered through a Macy's store and proceeded to the food court and public areas spraying bullets, according to witness reports.

• The Tampa Bay Times reported on November 26 that a 17-year-old boy shot his father with a handgun as he witnessed his father choking his mother.

• A Lake Wales, Florida woman was arrested on November 30 and charged with attempted first-degree murder after allegedly mixing eight crushed Trazadone pills, a depression medicine, into her husband's tuna fish sandwich.

• Jovan Belcher was remembered Wednesday for the accomplishments of a life that ended so suddenly and violently. Several hundred mourners gathered for the Kansas City Chiefs linebacker's funeral near his hometown on Long Island. The 25-year-old football player shot and killed his girlfriend on Dec. 1, then drove to the Chiefs practice facility and committed suicide in front of team officials.

Murder, mayhem and malevolence dominate the news worldwide. Good news is becoming like gold, precious and hard to find as darkness covers the newscasts.

After viewing current events you are left depressed. Moreover, it seems that most of the illness occur in the homes, among family or close friends.

Satan is acutely aware of the debilitating influence of doubt and despair and the fact that Jesus said a man's enemies will be those of his own household.

So he heightens the dark shadows around you as he assaults your senses. You find yourself under a state of siege with a bunker mentality. Your outlook crippled, you develop what I would call an "Un" personality disorder. Your life becomes uncertain. You are unthankful, unholy, unfaithful and unkind. You feel unworthy and unloved.

You resist relationships because every person you encounter is a reflection of your warped mind. Therefore, to protect yourself, you lock yourself away in a prison of your own making. Your mind becomes like a garden overgrown with the weeds of discouragement, darkness, doubt and despair. The wonderful peace of mind, so widely mentioned, so highly desired eludes you and seems unattainable. You comfort yourself by rationalizing "my ship of life is protected, safely tethered to the pier." But that is not the purpose of a ship or a life. You may feel secure in the harbor, but you were designed by your Maker to be fruitful, multiply, subdue and have dominion.

You cannot realize that while playing it close to the vest. Like the ship you must brave the waves, winds and hurricanes on the ocean of life.

Your vessel may be battered, tossed and assailed by contrary currents and stormy gales...

There exists, undeniably, the risk of shipwreck, damage, pain and suffering. You may become thoroughly familiar with what Isaiah meant when he said he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief as the world bruises you, pierces your soul and wounds your spirit without mercy.

Nevertheless, each day you must renew your mind by reminding yourself this is not the end of the story.

The journey may be arduous, but the full tale has yet to be told.

So daily you search the scriptures because as they illumine your path, you will find life, health and medicine for your diseased heart.

Therefore, you persist because deep within the core of your being a still small voice assures you it will be worth it all.

As you trudge wearily on, day by day, small miraculous changes start to happen.

You will forget those things behind you and discover the energy and vigor to press on toward the prize.

You will discipline yourself to think only good things.

You will maximize the positives and minimize the negatives.

You will thank God for what you have and disregard what you don't.

Your single focus, your sole endeavor will be a spiritual fruit comprised of love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, humility and self control.

When you master that habit and enter that realm, the temporary things of life will not move you. The eyes of your heart will be lifted up and you will see the glory of the coming of the Lord.

You will continue.

You will endure.

You will overcome.

In the full passage of time you will arrive at the crossroads of healthy, happy preparation and opportunity.

Standing somewhere in the shadows, in the middle of that intersection, is a Savior with an outstretched arm.

In His hand, ready and waiting for you, is a beautiful mind.

V. Knowles is a husband and father with an interest in penning issues that serve to uplift mankind. He melds his love for Classic literature, The Bible and pop culture - as sordid as it may be - into highly relatable columns of truth, faith and justice. Hence the name: Just Thinking. If he's not buried in a book or penning his next column, you may find him pinned to his sectional watching a good old Country and Western flick.