Staying Positive in a Negative World

In our Nextdoor app, one of my neighbors posted this: “Happy Heart. With all the turmoil in the world, a wonderful thing happened yesterday. As my husband and I were pulling into our drive, a man in a red truck pointed to our neighbor's house and asked if she were home. He had found her purse in the basket corral at Walmart and was personally returning it to her. He was a fireman named Robert. He went out of his way to drive it all the way to her house with everything intact. There are beautiful people in this world and we need to remember this. What a terrific thing for someone to do. This could’ve ended in a totally different way with much inconvenience. We appreciate people like you, Robert! Stay safe!!”

Aw! A story worthy of sharing because it was refreshing considering the Nextdoor app is often used by cranky folks who are "ticked" about something or someone.

It was so uplifting to be with gals from my church on Monday night after being apart for so many months. The little whining we did was only because we couldn't hug each other -- especially for us huggers.

Being on purpose to stay in a positive frame of mind is as simple as looking for the good everywhere – like that fireman helping a neighbor. Here’s a few of the ways I keep myself energized by focusing on the blessings in my life on a daily basis:

1. I protect myself from negative news. While I want to keep up with current events, sometimes a headline is sufficient to grasp new developments. I limit the time I spend with mainstream media. Truthfully, if that’s where we get our daily “feeding” from instead of God’s Word, then we can only blame ourselves if we’re discouraged.

2. I control the number of negative people in my life. Other than when I am encouraging someone who is going through real challenges, I carefully select how much time I spend with those who are intent on just being negative. My frame of mind and my attitude is dependent on what I allow into my mind.

3. I listen to uplifting Christian music and be transported to a place of joy, peace, and thanksgiving.

4. I practice gratitude. Appreciating life and its many blessings puts me in a good mood. That gratitude makes me want to encourage others – calling or messaging them with an encouraging word. And, random acts of kindness goes a long way in turning a negative world into a positive one.

5. I pray randomly all day: "Thank you, God, for that green light. Thank you, God, for that parking space." And whether it's in traffic or a line at the store, I call on His name as a reminder to have a little conversation with THE ONE who isn't surprised by the delays. No doubt, it's a part of His Master Plan.

There's blessings and beauty everywhere. It's possible to stay positive in a negative world when we look for it.

"And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." Philippians 4:8

A Treat for 97 Years

This morning, I’ll be heading to Tulsa to celebrate Mom and her 97th Birthday! It’s truly a day of celebrating – not just a mother-in-law, but a dear friend, mentor, and mother. God brought this precious treat to us on October 31st, 1922. I'm sure He had a hand in her being named “Lydia" which means “worshipper of God“! And true to her name, she has been a true worshipper of God. You'll find her at any given time with her Bible in hand -- reading and praying for her family and friends. Many times you’ll find her on the phone encouraging someone.

"Mom means the world to me. Were it not for her, I wouldn't have been blessed with the love and joy of having her son as my beloved husband and our children and grandchildren. She has been a true gift to all who know her, leaving her mark on so many lives, including mine. Though she's my mother-in-law, it has always been so natural to call her "Mom". She always treated me like a daughter. She loved me when I was 12-years-old and was an accomplice with my mom in ensuring their two kiddos would marry AND stay married! Their strategies (and many prayers) worked well!

I know many funny, and often "catty" remarks said about "mother-in-laws". That's too bad, because if it weren't for our in-laws we would never have been blessed with our sweethearts. We should love, respect, appreciate, and honor them. And, isn't that the kind of "in-law" we want to be for our children's and grandchildren's spouses?

I'm putting Mom out there today -- front and center -- for you to see what a mother-in-law should look like. Not the exterior, though she is and always has been a beautiful, stately woman, but she did the best of what God called her to do. She walked His walk AND talked His talk. She has been a Proverbs 31 woman -- the one that her children ALL rise up and call her blessed. She sure makes me want to up my game!

Mom, I celebrate the gift of you in my life and to so many others who have been impacted by your grace and beauty for so many years! I love you so much.







Mom means the world to me. Were it not for her, I wouldn't have been blessed with the love and joy of having her son as my beloved husband and our children and grandchildren. She has been a true gift to all who know her, leaving her mark on so many lives, including mine. Though she's my mother-in-law, it has always been so natural to call her "Mom". She always treated me like a daughter. She loved me when I was 12-years-old and was an accomplice with my mom in ensuring their two kiddos would marry AND stay married! Their strategies (and many prayers) worked well!

I know many funny, and often "catty" remarks said about "mother-in-laws". That's too bad, because if it weren't for our in-laws we would never have been blessed with our sweethearts. We should love, respect, appreciate, and honor them. And, isn't that the kind of "in-law" we want to be for our children's and grandchildren's spouses?

I'm putting Mom out there today -- front and center -- for you to see what a mother-in-law should look like. Not the exterior, though she is and always has been a beautiful, stately woman, but she did the best of what God called her to do. She walked His walk AND talked His talk. She has been a Proverbs 31 woman -- the one that her children ALL rise up and call her blessed. She sure makes me want to up my game!

Mom, I celebrate the gift of you in my life and to so many others who have been impacted by your grace and beauty for so many years! I love you so much.

Appreciate Rather Than Discriminate

Sitting on the patio while writing this post was the fruit of my labors yesterday, after an early morning seeing after the chickens, donkeys, goats, and longhorn. I’m always amused to see the donkeys and goats all bedded down in close proximity to each other at night but when it comes to feeding time, they want their own space. The donkeys come into the stall and I close the door behind them so they can relax in their own space. They eat in comfort and peace – away from those over-excited goats.

What’s hilarious is when the donkeys are through eating their grain and hay, one of them always opens the latch and they go out the door with a sense of satisfaction. The goats, on the other hand, also want their own space. The three Nubian goats are much larger than the five smaller, horned goats – yet the horned goats can be quite aggressive at meal time and they show their muscle and horns, to assure their reservation. They have attitude-plus! But at some point in the night, all 11 of them come together as “family”. I’m singing that song “We are FA-Mi-LY !”

That "picture" of family came to mind when I was enjoying that cloudy, cooler morning on the patio. I checked my email and read Dr. Jim Denison’s email for yesterday. His column began with “Racial discrimination is in today's news after the shooting of a teenager in East Pittsburgh. Religious discrimination has been in the news with the recent Masterpiece Cake Shop Supreme Court ruling. Gender-based discrimination has been much-discussed with Saudi Arabia's recent decision to allow women to drive. Discrimination is a fact of life in many cultures around the world. Now there's a new kind of discrimination in the news. Sarah Huckabee Sanders has served as President Trump's press secretary since July 2017. She made headlines over the weekend when she was refused service by a restaurant in Lexington, Virginia. The issue was not her race, her religious commitments, her gender, or her social or economic status. It had to do with her political positions. In her job, she explains and defends the president's beliefs and actions on various issues. Sanders was asked to leave the Red Hen specifically because the owner and some of her employees disagreed with some of these political positions.”

Discrimination isn’t new to our world. I remember how awful it was in the 60s when my brothers and sisters of color were discriminated against and were refused to eat and drink in various restaurants and water fountains and even to use "white" restrooms. History is riddled with discrimination. Even our Lord experienced the worst discrimination possible that nailed him to a cross. But in the midst of discrimination, Jesus spoke these words: “Love your enemies.” (Matthew 5:44) Who is our enemy? It’s easy to adopt the familiar us-versus-them distinctions, especially if we spend most of our time with those who agree with our religious, political, cultural, and value beliefs.

Yes, we are all different but we are all equally loved and treasured by our Heavenly Father. Every encounter we have with someone should be seen as an opportunity to get to know another member of the family of God. There really is common ground to be found. All these farm animals have an innate desire for belonging. I see it manifested in their togetherness at nighttime. In the chicken pen, (pictured here) are three camps: the older, egg-laying hens and rooster; the younger brood and rooster, and the two ducks. In the daytime, outside the coop, they hang out together in their own little circle of friends, but at nighttime, all the chickens share the comfort and protection of the coop and the ducks inside the fenced area of the coop. Those animals found common ground.

Common ground starts within us. We are all created in the image and likeness of God. We are all His children. We all have the same basic needs for food, shelter, clothing, education, and love. Apart from those common features, we share many similarities with others.

Dear Lord, please help us to appreciate rather than discriminate; to love rather than hate; to reconcile instead of debate. If your animal kingdom can share common ground, surely you can help your children to find common ground that moves us closer to the answer of your Son’s prayer: “I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one--as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.” John 17:21