Thank You!

For my past two posts, I have focused on one of my favorite Bible verses. It is I Thessalonians 5:16-18....Be joyful always, and pray continually. The final part of that verse says to "give thanks in all circumstances".

How easy is it to be thankful? If one developes a habitual attitude of gratitude, it can be a regular part of their life. When my attitude is right, I feel like, for the most part, I am good at expressing appreciation to God and those around me.

I believe the difficult part of the verse is the part that says "all circumstances". It is easy to be thankful when things are going our way. However, if you are like me, it is difficult to focus on the positives when things are going against us.

Due to the fact that it is difficult to remain thankful in all circumstances, I believe we actually have two things going for us. One is that God will help us. Since, according to the verse "this is His will for us", He is readily available to help us focus on the right things and have the right attitude as long as we ask. Second, if we are constantly thankful, even when things go against us, I believe we will be seriously blessed at the appropriate time. It is our nature to continue to give to those that appreciate what we do. I believe our God is the same, and He will continue to shower us with His favor if we are appreciative of what we have.

Like many of His challenges, this one is not easy. However, by following this command, our lives will be much more rewarding. I thank God for that.

Have an excellent day : )

How Often Should We Pray

Is there a certain amount of time that we need to pray? Can we pray too much or too little? I have heard some debate about this topic. One side says we should present our prayer once and let God take it from there. They say that if we keep praying about the same thing it shows a lack of faith. On the other side, some say we should pray constantly and continually for any need we have.

In my opinion, the best debate settler about topics like this is the Bible. In Thessalonians I 5:17, our question is answered in plain and simple fashion....pray without ceasing. That's the entire verse right there. Do we need any more of an explanation?

I believe this means more than just simply continuing to pray about things in our lives. To me, it is constant communication with God throughout the day. I'm sure He appreciates any prayer, but constant communication can only enhance our heavenly relationship to a high level, resulting in many blessings for us and those around us. The Life Application Bible describes praying without ceasing as "acknowledging our dependence on God, realizing His presence within us, and determining to obey Him fully". It adds that it is very effective to pray "frequent, spontaneous, short prayers" throughout each day. I find that my day goes so much better and I am much more effective when I can acknowledge this presence throughout the day.

Prayer is powerful and effective. When used continually, it can have unbelievable, powerful impacts on our lives. It is not meant to be done once and then forgotten. God does not need our prayers to act. However, He loves to hear from us, and will bless us for going to Him. As it says in the next verse, this is His will for us. Isn't that a great and assuring promise? Try it our for yourself. I believe you will quickly see the rewards. Please share when you do! I will discuss the last part of this simple, three part will of God in my next entry.

Have an excellent day : )

A Simple Definition of God's Will

Are you one who wants to know God's will for your life? Do you sometimes have difficulty wondering exactly what it is? If you are like me, you struggle with this question on a regular basis. If only there was a simple answer.

As I pondered this in my own devotional time I was lead to one of my favorite verses in the entire Bible. I was reminded that a simple example of God's will for us was right here in front of me. The verse is in I Thessalonians 5:16-18. Verse 18 specifically states, "this is God's will for your life".

Today I will touch on verse 16 which simply says...Be joyful always. It is a simple and direct command, though not always an easy one to follow. Part of God's will and desire for our lives is that we remain joyful. How easy or difficult is it to do this? I believe the answer is totally up to us. If I have my mind made up to be joyful I can accomplish it no questions asked, regardless of any negative situations that get in the way. If I am not joyful, it is because I am choosing not to be, regardless of all the good I have to be thankful for.

I am realizing more each day how the level of joy in my life is under my control. I also realize more and more how much I benefit from choosing to be joyful. Not only myself, but also those who have me as part of their world. When we are joyful, life seems so much more rewarding and worth living. It positively affects all areas: our confidence, spirituality, relationships, work, etc.

One may ask, what about those difficult times when people or circumstances seem to do everything possible to steal our joy? Unfortunately, times like that are inevitible, even for the most joyful of people. I believe, since God's word says joy is part of His will for us, that He will help us find the strength we need. We just need to ask. If we ask Him and keep our minds right, I believe it won't be long before the joy returns.

This blog is called Positive Power. One way to experience true positive power is to remain joyful. It is possible....if you want it to be. So keep smiling and enjoy the wonderful blessings you have received in your life. I strongly believe it will result in many more. It certainly has for me.

In my next post, I will touch on verse 17.

Have an excellent day : )

Say Yes

I had a chance to watch "The Yes Man" movie during the weekend. It was a very entertaining movie. Jim Carey stars as generally negative man afraid to try new things in life. He then attends a seminar where he pledges to say yes to everything in life. As a result, all aspects of his life change dramatically.

Although parts of the movie are a bit exaggerated, and it is impossible to say yes to absolutely everything in life, I love the idea. What would happen in our own lives if we said yes a lot more than we do? I tried this experiment during the past couple of days. As much as I could, I said yes as much as possible, even in situations where I would have normally said no. I already saw a great difference in the several situations where I did this. It was nothing extaordinary, but eventually those smiles that were put on other people's faces as a result add up to extraordinary impacts. For me, that makes it worth it to continue this "experiment".

I challenge anyone else to do the same. I wouldn't be surprised if this was a main aim of the movie. It was just another Hollywood comedy, but the message is strong. By living a yes life, one can live an exciting, positive life filled with pleasant surprises. That would go beyond anything Hollywood could ever provide. Do you believe me? Please say....Yes!!

Have an excellent day : )

A Good Laugh

Isn't it funny (no pun intended) how a good laugh can change even the worst of moods? I find that, even after the most stressful days, if I see or hear something that makes me laugh it seems to lift the dark cloud. Laughter can even have medical benefits. It can either help heal the sick or depressed, or help others maintain an increase their well-being.

As I get older, I notice I don't do some things as much as I used to. Sad to say, laughing is one of them. I would consider myself to be a happy person. It's not that I don't want to laugh, I just don't do it as much as I should. And knowing how beneficial it is, I feel like I need to return it to my daily life.

An excellent suggestion was recently made to me. Find something to laugh at every day. There are many sources of comic material, mainly television, DVD, and of course the internet. Also, nothing is better than sharing a good laugh with a family member or friend. The key is to consciously make the effort to find something to laugh at. The benefits are great, and as we feel better it is naturally contagious to those around us.

Some days are more difficult than others. However, I don't think it is very difficult to find some "laugh time" to take away the edge. I believe it is well worth the invested time. No joke!

Have an excellent day

Write it Down

Are you looking for a quick way to accomplish your goals? If you are like most people, including myself, you want these goals accomplished yesterday.

I watched a video the other day where the speaker's main point was simple and powerful. Her name is Natalie Ledwell. She said that if you want to be successful in life, you need to know exactly what you want. This is nothing new for me as I have seen and read about this information in plenty of sources. It's common sense. If one doesn't have a direction to go, it will be very easy to get lost and not accomplish much of anything. The main advice I've heard consistently is....Write It Down!

At first I wondered if it really made a difference. I took the time to think about exactly what I wanted and thought that was enough. However, as things weren't happening as quickly as I wished, I decided to take this advice to heart. After only a few days, I will say it makes a huge difference. Seeing it in writing just seems to make it so much more real.

The information suggests to take the main areas of our lives, such as self, spirituality, health, finances, family, relationships, and career and take the following step:

1. Write down goals and intentions for each of these areas. I wrote three for each. For example...I intend to appreciate and encourage each of my family members every day; I intend to exercise at least 15 minutes a day; I intend to earn $x per month.

2. Review the list EVERY DAY. Talk about making it real. By doing this, the goals stay fresh, and are kept in the front of the mind, not pushed to the back.

3. See yourself succeeding. Picture yourself accomplishing the goals and living life as you want it. Have faith that the intentions will become reality. It's funny how success in the mind soon turns out to be success in the real world.

I must say that I feel a surge of confidence since following these steps. I am constantly aware of these goals, and find myself more confident in my ability to accomplish them. I feel like I am doing my part and allowing God to do His. Success can be the only answer for that formula.

I stongly recommend taking the time to write down your goals. Some just list ideas, some write them out in paragraph form. Either way, it is a powerful exercise that will move you towards the success you desire. As always, I would love to hear your success story.

Have an excellent day : )

Remaining Focused

My youngest daughter is in first grade. Earlier this school year we met with her teacher at open house night. The teacher had mainly good things to say. She said Gianna was very bright and was achieving at or even above grade level in certain areas. If there was one area of concern, it was that she sometimes lacked focus. She knew what had to be done, but sometimes focused her attention on other things, like socializing, that took her away from what she needed to be doing.

I reflected on this after the meeting. Lack of focus? My daughter? I completely believed what the teacher said. However, I was a bit surprised because I had never had issues with lack of focus. Or did I? As I thought about this more carefully I realized that, not only did I have issues with focus as a student, but I still do.

Our situations are a bit different. I am not a young student. However, I realize how much I have a tendency I have to lose focus, especially in the area of my personal goals. I know what I want and what I need to do. However, as my daughter sometimes does in school, I become distracted by other things and drift off task.

It has been 5 months since that meeting at school. The teacher says Gianna has significantly improved her focus. It seems she has realized what she needed to do and has done it. I can learn the same lesson, and have taken strides to do so. According to several of the books I have recently read, the best way to improve and maintain focus is to keep the goal firmly pressed in our minds. We need to see ourselves as the person we want to be. See ourselves accomplishing the goals we have. As we hold those thoughts in our head, we also need to take the necessary action. Even if we don't know exactly what action to take, I believe that it is when we have this focused mind set that divine guidance is most likely to arrive. When we are divinely guided, we are guaranteed to move in the right direction.

You may think this is something that is easier said than done. Admittedly, it is not easy. However, I have found that the more we practice this, the easier it gets. The more focused we are on the goals (and the more we avoid focusing on what we don't want) the more we see the desired results in our lives.

I am thankful to my first grade daughter and her teacher for bringing this to my attention. It has been a big help to me lately, and now I hope it can do the same for you.

Have an excellent day : )