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“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 CSB

Did you know we, as humans, have “negativity bias.” Our brains are hardwired to remember the negative, letting the positive roll off. This is called Velcro vs. Teflon thinking. Velcro, negativity, sticks to us; Teflon, positivity, rolls off of us. For instance, if you have a negative experience with someone, it will take five positive experiences to overcome it and let it go (Hansen, 2018).

Realistically, life isn’t all one or the other.  Your day isn’t all one or the other, good or bad.  It’s a blend of both. The problem is, the negative events stick to us and the positive ones roll off of us.  In order to focus on the positive, we have to be intentional about capturing it. In a typical day you could very well have more positive things happen than negative.  Just for argument, say everything went right in your day today, except for that one thing. That one email, text, phone call or conversation that was bad. At the end of the day, what do you think about?  All the good that happened or that one bad thing? Typically, we focus on the bad because that is what our brain is hardwired to do. We have to train our brain to focus on the good. And we can. Here’s three tips Dr. Rick Hansen in his article, “Take in the Good” suggests:

Turn good facts into good experiences.  Recognize when something good is happening and be intentional about focusing on it, enjoying it and experiencing it fully.  If you are having a delicious cup of coffee make it an experience. Savor its taste, let it roll around in your mouth for a moment, enjoy the aroma while sitting in a comfy chair that you love.  Turn the fact of a good cup of coffee into a good experience by relishing it.

Really enjoy the experience.  In order to truly “seas the day” you have to be intentional with time. If you take 20-30 seconds of intentionally focusing and enjoying the moment, you are creating a positive experience that has velcro on it.  A positive experience that will stick. Because we let positive experiences roll off of us so easily, we don’t savor them as we should. The more we learn to focus and savor the good, the more it will stick with us at the end of the day.

Expect the good experience to sink into you.  Let it fill you completely. Choose to focus on the good, not the bad.  Search for it on those days that are more bad than good. You will find it, there is always some good, somewhere if you look hard enough to find it.  When you do, focus on it and let it sink into your entire being. Like the first sip of coffee in the morning, enjoy it in its full glory. Don’t rush it, give it time to stick.

Today is the day the Lord has made, rejoice and be glad in it.  Right there is a good fact you can turn into a good experience.  Look for it, savor it, enjoy it. Seas the Day!

“Watch your tongue and keep your mouth shut, and you will stay out of trouble.” Proverbs 21:23 NLT

There is no better opportunity than the opportunity to keep your mouth shut.  Everytime this verse comes up in my Bible reading plan, it always makes me smile.  I can hear my mother yelling at me, “If you’d just learn to keep your d*** mouth shut you wouldn’t get into trouble.”  I had no idea she was quoting scripture, well except for that little cuss word in the middle. Sin is always around, even when quoting scripture.  Both Solomon and my mother are correct. If you keep your mouth shut, you stay out of trouble.

There is another message that is being taught here.  It isn’t that we are never to open our mouths, that isn’t the point.  The point is, know when to open your mouth. Obviously, you can’t go through life never saying a word.  That would be ludicrous. But you also don’t have to say everything, all the time. That is the lesson these two have been trying to teach me all of my life, and I’m still learning it.  It’s a tough one.

It’s tough because we don’t have all the facts.  When we’re dealing with situations, we only know what we see from our perspective.  We don’t know the entire story, we only know part of the story. Since I’ve started working on my Masters, it has really opened my eyes up to how self-absorbed I have been.  I’m forced to read people I would never read any other way, and they are crazy. Some of these philosophers, just plain nuts. But they were people, looking at life from their perspective.  A perspective completely different than mine. It’s amazing how God created us each so differently. We can never know the whole story, unless we have all the facts.  We can’t have all the facts because we can’t truly know what others are thinking. Only God knows people’s thoughts, devil doesn’t. Just God.

Therefore, it can be hard to know when to speak because we don’t know the whole story.  But we can ask God to lead us in our words. We can ask Him to help us know when to speak and when not to speak.  We can ask Him for the words we should speak. Sometimes, I’m in a conversation with someone, just begging God for what I’m supposed to say next.  He always gives me something. I’m always amazed at what it is.

Yes, keeping your mouth shut will keep you out of trouble.  But so will letting God lead your words.

“Trust in Him at all times you people; pour out your hearts before Him.  God is our refuge.” Psalm 62:8 CSB

There is only so much room inside of our hearts.  We can fill it up with whatever we want. Positive or negative.  If we want to soak up the positive energy, we need to get rid of the negative energy that might be weighing us down.  Things like worry, heart break, anger have a way of taking over our emotions. It’s like 100 SPF Sunscreen, they won’t let any of the positive energy from the Son into our hearts.  They can block it all out if we let them. But this verse is pivotal in getting rid of the negative and making room for the positive.

We have to pour it all out to Him.  All the bad, negative emotions we may be feeling, we need to release them to Him.  Honestly, don’t hold back. Let Him have it. He absolutely can take it. There seems to be this misconception that we can hide things from God.  We can’t. He already knows it, whether you want Him to or not. You’re not hiding anything from Him, so don’t even try. Instead, enjoy the freedom of being able to pour it all out to Him, knowing there is nothing you could ever do or have done that will stop Him from loving you.  There is nothing more freeing than letting it all go. I use a journal to help me do this. I write it all out. It’s a physical way I’m able to get it out of me. God help the person who reads them when I’m dead and gone (said with a smile). I’ve dealt with a lot of anger in my life this way.

The beauty of pouring it all out, it truly does allow you to then soak up the positive energy God has for you.   Think of it like cleaning out your junk drawer. All the random things that have been collected in it over time get dumped out.  The duck tape you used once, the screwdriver that fixed the fridge, the hair tie you forgot you had, countless scraps of paper and pens.  How in the world did that piece of jewelry end up in there? Once you have dumped it all out, thrown away the junk, put everything back in its proper place, you have room to fill it back up again.

It’s the same with our hearts.  We collect things over time we don’t even realize are there.  It’s only with a good cleansing we can get it all out. Once we do, we have room to receive the good God has for us.  We’re able to truly soak up the positive energy only God can give us.

“The Lord directs our steps, so why try to understand everything along the way?” Proverbs 20:24 NLT

This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible.  It’s my, “let yourself off the hook” verse. It’s right here in black and white.  God is the only one that knows all, I never was meant too and I never will, so why waste time trying?  

We all have people in our life who think they know everything.  People who think they have an answer for whatever situation you happen to be dealing with at the time.  Those people test my patience more than any others. Sometimes I wonder if they know how ridiculous they sound?  Really, you have an answer for everything? Then why do young children get cancer? Why do loved ones die unexpectedly?  Why does life hurt so much? Why is it so hard? I’d love the answers to those questions from the ones who think they know it all.

Truth is, they don’t have the answers to those questions anymore than I do.  But I know the one who does. Even though He doesn’t give me the answers to some of the tough questions in life, I trust Him.  I trust that even though it makes no sense from my earthly view, it makes complete sense from His heavenly view. And there is more about life on earth that doesn’t make sense to me than does.

I’ve mentioned Corrie Ten Boom, a hero of the faith to me.  Survivor of the holocaust, having lost her sister and dad in a Concentration camp.  She was known for working on embroidery as she spoke to audiences. She would hold up the back of the piece she was working on, there were threads of all different colors blurred together and hanging from it.  You couldn’t tell what the picture on the other side was. She would ask her audiences if God granted what we asked for in prayer as she held it up for them to see. “Not always.” she said. “Sometimes He says no. That is because God knows what we do not know.”  Then she would turn the piece over to show the beautiful picture on the other side, the right side.  The side with a view from heaven.

Our world may make no sense to us at all, but one day when we enter the pearly gates, we’ll understand.  We’ll be able to see it from a different perspective. The tangle of threads will come together to form a beautiful picture.  We’ll finally be able to say, “That’s what You were doing God. I had no idea.” Because from this side of heaven, we don’t know.  But one day, we will. We’ll be grateful we put our trust in the One who does know. We’ll be grateful He was the One directing our steps, even if we didn’t understand where they were taking us.  One day, we’ll know.

“Therefore, we may boldly say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me?’” Hebrews 13:6 CSB

I can honestly say, I struggle with a fear of people.  It comes from being hurt. It is one of the hardest fears I have to overcome.  I’ve had people who I thought were my friends betray me. When I was single and dating, I was lied too, cheated on, used and abused.  It wasn’t fun. When you have placed your trust in someone and they abuse it, it leaves a mark that is deep. It can’t be seen from the outside, but it is definitely felt on the inside.  What’s even sadder, I’m sure I have hurt people. I’ve disappointed them by not living up to their expectations of me. That is the humanity in all of us, the imperfection we all carry.

But the Lord is my helper, He helps me overcome my fear.  I place my trust in Him, not people. Through Him, I can be a conqueror.  And so can you. When we soak up positive energy, one of the benefits is boldness.  We’ll have the courage to do things we otherwise wouldn’t do. Boldness, defined by Webster’s 1828 dictionary is defined as freedom from bashfulness, excess freedom.

Whistler’s Mother is a famous portrait you’ve probably seen.  It was painted in 1871 by James Whistler, his mother the model.  She is sitting in her long black dress, looking straight ahead. It’s left to the viewer to decide what this mother is thinking about.  According to an article in the New Yorker, it is the most important American work that resides outside of the U.S. in France. It’s painter, James Whistler was not bashful about his talent.  He knew he was good. At one point he lost a shipment of blank canvases. When he was asked if they were valuable, his response was, “Not yet, not yet.”

We can be like James, we can have confidence in our worth with Jesus.  We can overcome any fear we have, even fear of people. And we can do it boldly.  Our lives are the blank canvases, as God begins to work in us, as we look to Him for help our boldness will increase. As you live out your life the painting will begin to merge into a beautiful portrait.  Each new day is a blank canvas God has given you. You can paint it however you want too, being confident of its value. You too can say, “Not yet, not yet

“How lovely is Your dwelling place, Lord of Armies.  I long and yearn for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh cry out for the living God.”  Psalm 84:1-2 CSB

If you’re going to soak up positive energy, it has to be from the right source in the right place.  The source for the best positive energy will always be God. The best place is where ever He is, which thankfully is everywhere.  God can be found anywhere if you just look for Him.

I was studying for my class when I came upon this sermon illustration from Chuck Swindoll, a renowned pastor:

It was after WWII had ended.  There were a lot of orphans in the streets of London.  An American soldier, driving a jeep, rounded a corner to see a young orphan boy with his nose pressed against the window of the shop.  The soldier realized it was a bakery, feeling compassion for the boy, he stopped his jeep. He went inside and bought a dozen donuts, then walked out and promptly handed them to the boy.  As he turned to leave, the boy tugged on his jacket. He turned around to hear the boy ask, “Mister…are you God?”

This touching story reminds us that we are  God in the flesh to others. We can soak up positive energy from the people we surround ourselves with each day.  Or it can be negative if you surround yourself with negative people. Ideally, you have both in your life. Those from whom you soak up energy and those whom you give energy too.  It can be the same person at different stages of life. There are times when my husband is where I get my positive energy from and other times when he needs it from me. We are God’s image bearers:

“God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” Genesis 1:27 NIV

If we’re going to soak up positive vibes from God, one way we do that is through His people.  People who are God in the flesh to us. People, who like you are seeking after God, trying to know Him better, building a relationship with Him that will put them on a firm foundation.  You can’t help but overflow God to others when you’re seeking Him yourself. When we are bearing God’s image, we notice others in need. When we are bearing God’s image, we’ll stop what we’re doing to buy the donuts

“My heart says this about you: “Seek his face.” Lord, I will seek your face.” Psalm 27:8 CSB

Is there anything better than a day at the beach?  The sound of the waves crashing against the shore is a hypnotic sound that just calls for relaxation.  The breeze coming off the water has a slight chill which cools the skin as it rolls over it, counteracting the heat of the sun on your skin.  It lulls you into a false sense of security as your skin starts to take on a tinge of red. The muffled conversation of the people around you add an element of security that you aren’t alone.  It truly is a medication for the soul like no other in my humble opinion. The hours fall away silently as you soak in the rays of the sunshine, the saltiness of the breeze and melody of the waves.

There’s a reason they call it soaking it all in, there isn’t a single one of your senses that isn’t used.  Your eyes squint at the brightness of the sun. Your ears listen to the pounding of the waves. Your feet feel the sand beneath their toes, while the smell of the salt water invades your nostrils.  You can taste it all on your lips as it combines in the air and settles upon them, slightly salty with a bit of sand.

It takes all five senses to soak in the positive energy of the beach, it’s effortless and energizing at the same time.  When we learn to soak up the Son, it’s even more powerful. God uses all of our senses to interact with us. It is Him that makes the beach. All of the good feels we get from it are from Him.  We’re soaking up His blessings as we dip our toes in the sand, letting the cares of the world fall away from us.

Sam Goins, pastor of James City Community Church taught me this phrase:  “Keep the Son in your eyes.” It has become one of my favorite phrases in the world.  I use it often with others, even more so with myself. I have to keep the Son in my eyes in order to soak up everything He has for me.  It’s easy to lose sight of Him, there are plenty of distractions. But when I’m sitting in the sun at the beach, I can’t help but think of the Son.  In those quiet moments, I feel His presence like at no other time. It’s easy to thank Him for the blessings of life in those moments, when I’m soaking up the Son.

“One with many friends may be harmed, but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24

There seems to be this false belief in our culture that we have to have a lot of friends.  But that isn’t true, we have to the right friends. The friends that will be there for you in the middle of the night.  It’s the small group of people in your life that know you best. The people who invest in you and you in them. If you don’t have a small group, you need one.  A great place to find one is your local church.

Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church in California, lost his youngest son to suicide five days after Easter in 2015.  In a poignant article titled “My Son’s Suicide and God’s Garden of Grace” he describes the days leading up to the event, the  event itself and the aftermath. It struck me that within 30 minutes of discovering what had happened his small group were there with him and his wife.  They spent the night with them at their house. He said, “The deeper the pain, the fewer words needed.” His small group knew that truth, they didn’t come with words, they came with hugs and companionship.  That is the type of friendships we need to develop in our lives.

Dark days will come for all of us, God tells us this in His word: “I have told you these things so you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NIV). I wish this wasn’t a truth of life, but it is.  The choice is who you will have to help you through them.

Rick Warren knew who sticks closer than a brother.  It’s Jesus. He goes on to tell in the article how he took a four month grief sabbatical.  During that time, he spent it with Jesus. His words describe that period of time best:

“You can’t spend four months alone in reflection, in the Bible, with scripture and with Jesus and it not change you, deepen you and sensitise you to the pain of other people.”

If we are to find purpose in our pain, we need Jesus to show us the way.  He gives us friends here on earth to help us through the dark days. He is the one whose opinion we should seek over all others.  He sticks closer than a brother

“The one who walks with the wise will become wise, but a companion of fools will suffer harm.” Proverbs 13:20 CSB

Everyone succumbs to “pier” pressure.  Have you ever looked up because you saw someone else looking up?  Or walk into an elevator and faced the opposite direction of everyone else?  We do it without realizing we even do it. “Pier” pressure affects us whether we realize it or not.

This morning my husband and I went to breakfast. We’re camping, I had on what I call “saucies”, a term my friend Amy introduced me too.  It means comfy clothes. In this case, it was a pair of cut off sweatpants, one of my husband’s t-shirts from a tennis tournament he ran, and a bandanna pulling my hair back.  I also had on my favorite pair of flip flops with cute little flowers on them. What I find comfortable was cause for concern for a lady we encountered. She had come in while we were eating, dressed very conservatively in capris and t-shirt with a sweater tied around her neck.  Hair was done, light makeup. A casual relaxed look. She did not approve of my outfit. I have never so blatantly received such visual condemnation. As we were walking up to pay, she stared me down. I tried smiling at her twice, I couldn’t understand why she was staring at me so intently, making direct eye contact.  Then she did it, the tell tale sign of being judged. She did the up and down look. She slowly let her eyes roll down my entire body, then back up again, meeting my eyes once more. It was very clear, she did not approve of my outfit.

Thank God for my Aunt Margie.  My mother’s older sister and best friend.  It was from her my mother and I learned this saying, “If you don’t owe them money, you don’t have to care what they think about you.”  I’m very grateful to say, I don’t owe that woman a cent of money and I could care less what she thinks of me. But it still hurt on some level.  She doesn’t even know me, why does making me feel bad about myself make her feel better? I don’t understand that at all. More than likely, it has more to do with her perception of herself than it does me.  With a look, she was trying to spread negativity. I know it was negativity because I could not get the woman to smile, and I did try.

Why do we judge others so quickly?  Why does outward appearance mean so much to us?  It didn’t mean much to Jesus. Jesus cared about our hearts, where our treasure is there our heart will be too (Matthew 6:21 NIV).  When we become to concerned about our outward image, that is where our heart will be. If that is the case, it is on a very shaky foundation.  Looks are deceiving, they can be lost very easily, and they never tell the whole story. The lady who judged me so quickly by my outward appearance this morning has no idea who I am, what my heart is about or what God is doing in my life.  But I do, and that is what matters most.

Let them think what they want to think.  Keep your heart focused on God. His opinion is the one that matters

“You are to labor six days but you must rest on the seventh day; you must even rest during plowing and harvest times.” Exodus 34:21

Chick Fil A has 51 consecutive years of sales growth.  The chicken chain is known for being closed on Sundays, yet last year they reported over 10 billion dollars in revenue.  They rank 4th out of a 100 companies for their corporate reputation. It is on track to become the third largest restaurant chain by the end of the year. And it’s only open 6 days a week. They are out ranking their competitors and they are open 52 less days a year.  That, my friends, is evidence of their devotion to God. That is His blessing on their efforts. I’m by no means saying they are perfect. Just like no church is perfect, neither is a company. I do believe we find blessings when we are obedient to God’s word.

This particular commandment gets very little discussion.  Taking Sunday’s off seems ridiculous in today’s culture. Yet it is one of the top 10.  It’s there for a reason. God knows we need rest. An article by Rhett Power titled, “A Day of Rest: 12 Scientific Reasons it Works” highlights a few of them.  Rest reduces stress, reduces inflammation around your heart, helps you sleep better, strengthens your immune system and literally adds years to your life. It can even help you love your job!   The subtitle of the article is: “Most Major Religions Call for a Day of Rest…Science Agrees.” As usual, the scientists of the world couldn’t take God at face value. That’s ok, His word can handle the scrutiny.  

Scientists aren’t the only ones who have a hard time believing God’s word, so do His followers.  Did you know there used to be such a thing as Blue Laws? It meant that stores couldn’t be open on Sunday’s, they were designed to keep Sunday’s sacred.  In Virginia, where I live, they were in effect until 1988. When I first moved here in the early 90’s some still abided by it. Not anymore, there are very few companies that observe Sunday’s as a Holy day to be set apart.  If Chick Fil A is anything to gauge it by, they all should. And so should we. I understand some people aren’t able to take Sunday’s off, or any day at this stage in life. God willing, one day they will. Even if that’s the case, try and find time to rest in some way.  It really will benefit you in more than 1 one way, but you’ll never know until you try.