True Positive: Day 8 – Growth

July 14, 2017Leave a comment

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It’s inevitable. You will experience disappointments, frustrations and setbacks in your life (or day or week). Although these may seem like negatives, you can also discover positives in the mix. Every challenge offers an opportunity to grow and learn – you just have to be looking for it! When we form the habit of saying, “What can I learn from this experience,” we can change any difficulty into an opportunity for growth.

Joseph in the Old Testament offers a tremendous example. In Genesis 37 we read about the injustices and tragedies that happened to Joseph, yet in each circumstance he didn’t sit around and sulk and become bitter – he became better! He learned responsibility as a slave in Potiphar’s house. He learned resourcefulness and service during his years in prison. All these growth experiences prepared him to be second in command of Egypt.

How can you grow and learn from what you are going through right now?

True Positive: Day Seven – Prayer

July 13, 2017Leave a comment

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Prayer can be the most powerful and positive moments of our day. It is in this quiet time of solitude when we turn our hearts toward God, that we gain strength and direction for the day. E. M. Bounds wrote, “Prayer should not be regarded as a duty which must be performed, but rather as a privilege to be enjoyed, a rare delight that is always revealing some new beauty.”

What could be more joyful than coming before the High King of Heaven each morning and spending sweet time with Him! I encourage you to find a place and a time each day when you can be alone with God. David offers a wonderful example of a man after God’s own heart – a true man of prayer. He cried out to God when he was in anguish; he cast his cares on God when he was in need. He praised God for his attributes and thanked Him for his blessings. He sought God for direction, guidance and help. Truly prayer was a fundamental part of King David’s life and the secret to his success.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6,7

True Positive: Day Five – Thankfulness

July 11, 2017Leave a comment

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Want to become a more positive person? Begin a daily routine of giving thanks, and it will change your perspective and outlook on life. When you take a moment to consider the blessings you have encountered over the last 24 hours and reflect on the things you can be glad about, you begin to see that life isn’t as bad as it may seem at times. There are good things happening to us each day, but we have to be looking for them.

Harvard Health Publications from Harvard Medical School wrote this:

In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.

For me personally, I write in a journal every morning while I enjoy my first cup of coffee. I intentionally make a list of at least five things I can be grateful for – but my list always goes much longer than simply five! Once I start recounting all the Lord has done or recalling the people I encountered, I can’t help but smile. If I am facing a challenge, I try to consider one thing I can be thankful in the midst of the challenge. This practice can literally transform a grumbly person into a happy one -I know, because that’s what it did for me!

True Positive – Day Two – Being Real

July 8, 2017July 9, 20171 Comment

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It may seem ironic to say that one of the most positive steps we can take is to grieve and cry – to be real with our emotions. Grieving and crying is a way to feel the pain and release the hurt that is going on inside of us. Solomon said, “There is a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance.” Paul encouraged the Roman church to “weep with those who weep.”
Scientific research on Post Traumatic Growth (PTG as opposed to PTSD), reveals that those who feel their pain deeply and are realistic about their difficulties are actually able to grow from them. The key is to grieve well, but then not to stay in the pit. Eventually, we must climb out of the pit and consider what we can learn from our challenges.
True positive means being honest with our hurt and pain and working through it rather than glossing over it or numbing ourselves in it. As believers, we need to feel the pain, and recognize that God has not left us to fight our battles alone. There is always hope (which we will talk about tomorrow).

Have a Spectacular 4th!

July 3, 2017Leave a comment

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Hope you are having a Happy Fourth with family and friends. This is a spectacular time of the year! I love the parades, the fireworks, the hot dogs and simply the good ole fun we experience each year! I’m proud to be an American, and Independence Day celebrations are a glorious way to show it. More than that, I’m thankful to be a Christian, and experience freedom in my soul as a result of the sacrifice Christ made for us.

Just as the fireworks light up the night sky, so should our love for the Lord and gratitude to Him shine brightly in this dark world. As Christians, may we sparkle and shine every day of the year with a contagious enthusiasm from within our hearts. My hope is that a dark and dying world will see the sparkle and shine of believers and be drawn to Him.

Let your light so shine among men that they may see your good works and glorify the Father.

Matthew 5:16