I started blogging again because my husband and mother wanted me to continue using my talent. I have a hard time believing that I have a talent for writing, but I decided to step out of my comfort zone and give it a try. We shall see if this path is God’s will or not because I am now at a point in my life, thankfully, where I only want to pursue things that I feel God wants me to do. Sometimes that means giving something a try and seeing what happens because, at least for me, it is hard to fully discern what God’s will is for my everyday life.
I will be honest, my life is not so exciting that I believe that doing a life blog will ever get popular. In fact, I have no idea what direction this page will go or even if it will last. My hope for it is just to share incidents in my life that I find joyful or funny or a learning experience because maybe it will bring others a good laugh or edification or just a place where you realize that others struggle too and make many mistakes.
With all of that said, I wanted to share some thoughts I had this morning. I have been working on trying to become a more positive person. I have a tendency to lean more negatively. You can see that from my blogs about our moving onto the farm. However, I have been working hard to change my thought processes. It isn’t easy. Negativity is such a quick downhill rabbit hole especially if you pay too much attention to the news and the craziness of the world in general. Sometimes I find myself wishing I was in some sort of position that could make a difference or speak some sense into those who seem to control our country. Unfortunately, I am just one person out of billions without any clout. However, I realized the one way I can fight back the anti-God narratives, the vitriol, the drama, etc… is to find joy every day and focus on the things above and not on the things on earth.
For the past twenty days, a couple of my friends and I have been doing a positivity challenge called 21 Days to Happiness God’s Way that a friend at the Feast, Dusti Howell, has put together. I chose to pick giving thanks, and my challenge is to write three things each day for twenty-one days that I am thankful for without any repeats. I thought it would be a little hard to not repeat something, especially on those hard days where you are hit by unexpected trials and you aren’t feeling very grateful. Well, surprisingly I have had no problems finding three new things to be thankful for each day. This challenge has made me more aware of how blessed I am despite trials. It has also made me focus on my attitude and see trials as not a negative thing, but an opportunity to see how God will help me overcome them.
Thankfulness brings peace and joy. It also brings strength to endure. This morning as I was journaling, I looked out my window and just enjoyed how beautiful and crisp it was outside. It was 31 degrees this morning. The sun was shining. I could see my little goats out in the field with our three cows, and it just brought a smile to my face. God’s creation is one thing to be thankful for every day.
Life isn’t easy and sadly it is short. Time goes by swiftly like a vapor, and if we get stuck in the pit of negativity we will miss all the joyful moments around us. The one way we can fight back against the will of this world is to look for moments to be thankful for and to give God thanks continuously. This is the will of God in all our lives. We may not know fully His will for our personal lives, like for sure what type of career to pursue or should I do this or that. However, we can be confident in the fact that no matter what we are facing God wants us to give Him thanks.
See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always follow after that which is good, for one another, and for all. Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you. Don’t quench the Spirit. Don’t despise prophesies. Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good. Abstain from every form of evil. May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Thessalonians 5:15-23 (emphasis mine)
(If you would like to learn more about 21 Days to Happiness God’s Way by Dusti Howell, you can go to https://tekeffect.net/bios/happy/ where he has put together action guides six 21-day action guides.)