The title of this chapter is "Be Positive," and Joyce dives right in with the statement that "positive minds produce positive lives and negative minds produce negative lives."

As I lay here in bed with bronchitis (I made myself go to the doctor this morning), I am trying very hard to be positive.

I hear our neighbor mowing, and I'm longing to be outside enjoying the warm sun and getting some yard work done.  Then I glance through my house noticing that floors need swept and piles of laundry need put away from all of our traveling this week.

And then I have to stop and think, "Thank you, Lord, for a yard to mow.  Thank you, Lord, for laundry to wash and a machine to wash them in.  And yes, Lord, Thank you for a day of rest."

I never thought silly things like floors and laundry would ever stress me out again after the long road we walked with Nick.  When he was going through chemo, I remember longing for simple tasks like folding clothes and putting them away.   Our perspective in life changes so much about how we think and feel in different situations.

Reaching a point in life where we can be positive even on our lowest day is what I believe this chapter is all about.  When the carpet is pulled out from under our feet completely and we find ourselves flat on our backs looking up, what is our reaction?   At that moment, do we curse the sky above or do we find a reason to smile and say, "I suddenly have a better view of You, Lord."

Romans 8:28 is a verse that you may have heard before,

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.

When I read this verse, I have to believe that God sees a bigger picture than we will ever see while we are here on this planet.  From His view, the things that seem unfair, unjust, cruel, senseless, annoying, and every other form of negative, must have the potential of being positive things if turned over to God.

Joyce Meyer was sexually abused by her father for fifteen years, and she is now able to use that pain to reach the hearts of many hurting women.  Beth Moore also faced abuse as a child, and God has given her the strength to share her testimony and be a light to a hurting world.

So, today, I have to ask myself, "How can God use my grief to help others?"  "How can He even use my sickness today to produce something good?" 

God longs to transform all of our negatives into positives.

The transformation starts with our attitude, and this is a struggle for me many times.

Today, I am going to try my best to choose positive thoughts.

Praying you can too,