Communication

On Sunday, I received a phone call from my Dad. My Mom was in the hospital. Tests were being done, it could be her heart again.

As I waited for another phone call from my Dad, my mind went to the last words I spoke with my Mom. We had laughed about an ongoing family joke.... and that made me smile. 

A few years ago, I talked with my parents only once every 2 weeks or so. Long distance can be expensive. Yet, now I talk with my parents, especially my Mom, every day. Why the change? Our cellphone provider allows free calls.

With about 675 miles between us, our phone calls keep us connected. Our conversations aren't important to anyone else. We discuss what we ate that day, books we're reading, Max's antics, and even "watched" sport shows together. We talk about her life and about mine; the same yet different.  Over the past few years, through our talks, I've gotten to know my Mom better. 

Communication is important to our daily lives. We communicate in a variety of ways: phone calls, texts, emails, tweets, blogs, face to face talking, etc.

This past Sunday, after I spoke with my Dad, I spent time having a conversation with God sharing my emotions and thoughts. Prayer is comforting in so many ways. It allows me to share my thoughts, feelings, and frustrations with God. Knowing that God, who created everything, is listening to me overwhelms me with peace. 

Just as my conversations with Mom are providing me glimpse into her life, prayer teaches me more about God.

Prayer is not a vending machine—

say the right words and get what you want.

Prayer is the privilege of communicating with God.

Our ordinary views of prayer are not found in the New Testament. We look upon prayer as a means for getting something for ourselves; the Bible idea of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself. --Oswald Chambers 

So when we sing, 'Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,' we are not thinking of the nearness of place, but of the nearness of relationship. It is for increasing degrees of awareness that we pray, for a more perfect consciousness of the divine Presence. We need never shout across the spaces to an absent God. He is nearer than our own soul, closer than our most secret thoughts. --A.W. Tozer 

Communication.

So simple. So vital.

So taken for granted. 

The next time you have a conversation with someone, appreciate the moment. And as you spend time talking with God, adjust your mindset to one of thanksgiving and worship. 

When the day begins 'bad news', the only way have a positive perspective is to spend time with God. After talking with God, it's easier to accept His will and move forward with a positive mindset. 

My Mom is now home from the hospital and doing well.

Walk on Water or Sink

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm reading the book Upside of Down, by Joseph M. Stowell. As I was reading last night, this paragraph stood out.

"Though we often view trouble as an issue of me verses my circumstances, in reality hope dawns when we refocus our thinking and view our situation as a matter of constructively and biblically controlling the me and trusting the truth about Him (God)—the one who controls my circumstances."

So often, we lose sight of God because the circumstances overwhelm us. We get lost in the "fog" of what's happening. A good example, is when Peter walked on the water in Matthew 14:25-33.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"

When Peter SAW the wind, he was afraid. He wasn't afraid before that, because He was focused on Jesus. Peter, even said, "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water." "Come," he (Jesus) said. Peter had the courage to WALK on water when his focus was on God. Only when he allowed the circumstances to control him did he begin the sink.

The same is true in our lives. We can allow the circumstances to control us, or we can control our will and focus on God. If we keep our focus on GOD, rather than our circumstances, we can "walk on water". We can have courage to face any circumstance we find ourselves, whether it be pain, loss of a job, family matters...whatever.

We can't change

our circumstances,

but we CAN change

how we view them. 

This is the entire premise of Create a Positive Day! Choosing to be positive will hep you rise above the circumstances—or you can sink in the pain and happenings of your surroundings. Me, I'd rather walk on water!

The Why's or The Who?

I'm reading the book The Upside of Down by J.M. Stowell. One statement that stood out is: "In the end God resolves the mental anguish by turning Job from the question why to the question who. Hope begins when we start with the right question: 'Who?'."

Often when something happens in our lives, we first go to the question "Why?". When we should be focusing on God and Who He is. God cares for us and when He allows something to happen in our life, it's for His glory. If we keep our focus on WHO, rather than why.... our spirits are calmed and we can move forward. 

That's the big difference between Christians and non-Christians... our focus should be on God, not us. God allows various things in our lives to bring glory to Him and accomplish His purpose. When we focus on "why me" rather than God (Who), Satan gets a hold and we start doubting, worrying, we become anxious, and fear takes over. If we keep our focus on Who... God... we trust God, we are secure, we are calm... we are at peace. 

As you go about your day, if you find your mind wandering to the 'why', stop and refocus on God. When we keep our focus on God, our day will overflow with positive aspects.

Anticipation

Today the Daybed is to arrive. Although I only ordered it 2 weeks ago, I've wanted one for a long time, so now that it's a reality, I'm excited. As I look at where the daybed will go, I am filled with great anticipation. The mattress arrived last week, so this afternoon, I'll be able to be relaxing on the daybed. 

This morning I was so excited that a piece of furniture was arriving...... it got me thinking about my relationship with God. Am I anticipating my time with God, more than the arrival of the daybed? Do I get up excited to spend time reading and talking with God? Or do has it become so routine that the excitement as waned?

Anticipation: expectation or hope. Nothing is more solid than the hope that God provides. It's not a "guess hope" it's a "KNOW SO HOPE". What God says He will do. 

"As the deer pants
for streams of water,

so my soul pants for you, O God."

Psalm 42:1

Have you ever experienced one of the really hot muggy days, where your mouth was so dry, you couldn't talk? Remember how you craved that cool drink of water? Remember how it felt as it hit your mouth and trickled down your throat? It was so refreshing, that your entire body shivered as you drank. 

That is how refreshing spending time with God is... or should be. Yet, if my time with God has become routine, or if I'm more interested in the next item on the schedule, something has to change. Time with God, no matter what time of day, should be one that is anticipated with joy. My soul should crave it just as my body craves that icy water on a hot summer day. 

There is no way to create a positive day if I ignore the true source of truth and joy: God.

Move in Day; Labels

Move in Day has arrived! Yesterday, Cathy and Bob took over a couple of loads of items including the living room chairs. This afternoon, the Gang will unload the trailer.

And then the next few weeks....months..whenever, I'll unpack the boxes. When I packed the boxes, each was marked and color coded (Black: living room & kitchen; Blue: bedroom & bathroom; Green: crafts; Red: Fragile). If the box contains something which I'll need right away, it's marked with "NOW" or "ASAP".  That should help me find the necessities.

Wouldn't be nice if God marked items in our life with easy to read codes? Don't do, do now, save for later, be ready for...., etc. I like the "easy" to know aspects of God's will: the 10 commandments for example. It's spelled out. Yet, at times I still don't follow through on those instructions. And then there are those times in life that take discernment; those can be difficult.

God gave us instructions in the Bible, and the reason He didn't just give us the "complete list" of dos and don'ts is because we don't need the list.... God gave us the principles which apply in all areas of our lives. The only way to learn those principles is the read the Bible and allow the Holy Spirit to direct us.

However, sometimes I find myself in situations where I'm not sure what God would have me do. If I could just read a label, it would be so much easier. Then I'd be able to KNOW I was doing the correct thing. But that's not how life works. That's why I need to continually be searching God's word and learning, so that when a situation arises, I have the knowledge of what to do. 

Even though I can't go through life reading labels, I'm thankful that God is a forgiving God and that He continues to teach me. As I learn more about Who God is, and His will, the better choices I'll make in the future. 

The goal each day is to create a positive day, and that can be done without any labels. Perhaps I didn't do something correctly, at least my heart was in the right place and I was striving to be godly. That is what God asks of us... to act godly. And if my mindset is focused on God and His will, than the overall day will be positive.