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. 

Part 1 Complete!

Last Sunday was a wonderful day for the "non-move". God blessed us with perfect moving weather; sunny, with a slight breeze.

The Gang arrived @2:00 and work began. Soon the boxes and all the furniture was out of the apartment. When the trailer was packed, there were a few items left over, so we filled some of the vehicles.

A BIG THANKS

to each of the friends who helped move and clean the apartment.

The place looks so different empty. The remodel began on Monday, May 17th. (Picture to the left is the 'old' empty bedroom.)

This entire "non-move" has been a great deal of work. Not just for me, but for my friends (who have graciously helped). Some have asked, "Is all the work, really worth it?" I guess it all depends on what you see as the final goal. If I was JUST doing this because I wanted "new" things, than maybe the effort wasn't worth it. However, there was more to this than just a new kitchen. The rug needed replacing, the walls and ceiling needed painting.

Perhaps, some would see the work, and say, "That's not for me. I'll make due with the old." But really, you can't focus on the work, rather the results. Each thing we do in life requires some level of work. As a kid, I never understood the reason for making my bed each day. "I'm just going to 'un-make it' again tonight". To me, making my bed was a waste of time. However, my parent's thought otherwise.

As we go through our lives, we determine each day what we will do and how much effort we put into each task. We make those choices each day, often without much thought. It needs to be done, so we do it. Whether it be doing laundry, making a meal, working at a job... whatever the task at hand, we make choices each day. We can do a job well, or do it so it's "just done". We can put off doing a job, only to have to rush through it, or cause more work for us in the future.

Sometimes the work is a "chore" literally. It's a drudgery to accomplish the task at hand. That's one reason God says to do all to HIS GLORY. When working toward that goal, the tasks at hand take on a new meaning. Each day we "work for God". Whether you go to a job, or stay home and clean the house and care for the kids..... God is the Boss! My work philosophy has always been "to make my boss look good."  That takes on a new meaning when I realize that God is my boss. As a Christian, my responsibility is to glorify Him and share His everlasting love with those I meet.

When I reflect back on a day, it may have been positive in areas I like... such as getting a new apartment. However, if I want the day to be a TRULY POSITIVE day, my life, attitude, and all that I did would have been to the glory of God.