Faith Essentials

  When I was younger, I had a very influential friend. Though I wasn't usually easy to persuade, she had a very cunning way of changing my mind. I remember we were both in college when my friend wanted to earn extra money, so she took a housecleaning job. As her start day approached, she decided she didn't want to do it anymore and asked me to go in for her and complete the job. I said I was totally not interested, but each day that followed, she gave me at least five convincing reasons why I should do the job for her. I still told her I didn't want to do it, but by the day of the appointment, I went ahead and did the job.  It took her about a week to entirely change my mind. I've learned that it doesn't take very much to change someone's mind.   An expert once explained that a change of mind does not necessarily occur over time, but rather by the number of times the same thought is repeated in the thinking pattern.  The more a thought or conviction gets repeate...