Week 1/Day 5
"Choose to Focus on the Positive"
Read: Proverbs 31:10-11, Philippians 4:4-9
Guided Prayer: "dear Lord, I rejoice in You! Let the joy nd rest I find in knowing you be manifested in my life as a gentle and quiet spirit....Today, I choose to be anxious about anything. Instead, I'm presenting it all to you and trusting you to work all things together for my good.
Holy Spirit, teach me how to recognize and remain in the peace of God, even when my circumstances are anything but peaceful. I know that peace guards my heart, my mind, and my health too.....I;m fixing my thoughts on what is right in my life: everything that's true, noble, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. Since this sums up you Jesus, perfectly, all I have to do is fix my eyes on You. Thanks for making it so simple. Amen."
Donna Partow
Personal ~ The Proverbs 31 woman was noble and dignified. But there is nothing less dignified nor noble that a grumbling and complaining woman. Capable women do not complain. They stand up and take action. They look at the situation and see what they can do. Through faith they believe they can do all things through Christ.
"I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency]."
Philippians 4:13
The best gift we can give to ourselves as well as those around us, especially our children and spouse, is to remain positive and optimistic.
Studies have shown that our physical health and emotional well-being are directly tied to our mental state. It has also been proven that joy and laughter are our bodies best healers.
"A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones."
Proverbs 17:22
A study that was done at Harvard found that people in their late midlife with optimistic attitudes and viewpoints were 50% more likely to live another 30 years than those who were always negative.
Wow, 30 years longer.
Basically the choice is ours we can either choose to see the glass half empty and be sad and bitter or see the glass half full and be happy. I choose to see my glass running over. So I am JOYFUL!! I have found that how we see our world has a dramatic outlook on us as well.
We can either look out into the world and see nothing but negative, crime, hate, and evil or we can choose to see the God in others as well as creation. This doesn't suggest that we do not pay attention to what is happening in the world, but rather we choose to see it and do something about it, to make a difference. We see what is happening spiritually with our spiritual eyes.
A huge step in becoming the woman God would have us to be ~ dignified, noble and virtuous ~ is learning to discipline our minds to focus on what's right rather than what's wrong.
Donna has asked of us during the next 90 days ~ to turn our attention to the positive by reprogramming our minds with the truth of God's Word.
"Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]."
Romans 12:2
We must remember that the mind is the battlefield and will either help or hinder our goal of becoming the woman God has destined us to become. By renewing our minds to the word of God, our thoughts become our ally rather than our enemy.
That is the reason she says that the daily Affirmations are so vital in this program. We must not just write them down once, but read them aloud over and over again to ourselves until they begin to transform us from the inside out.
As we think new thoughts our attitudes and mindsets will begin to change. You will even notice people reacting different towards you. As well as how you react to others!
Affirmation: "I choose to focus on the positive, especially the truth of God's Word: therefore my life is filled with positive outcomes."
Practical ~ begin reciting your affirmations daily. Each morning, you can rewrite the day's affirmation on post it notes and post it everywhere you will see it, on index cards and carry them with you everywhere you go.
Notebook: Write the daily Affirmation ona sheet of paper labeled AFFIRMATIONS in the TAG section of your Personal Notebookand begin noting any that are especially meaningful to you. You can even make up your own. Donna says she had a friend who spen 1 hour a day to this spiritual practice and credits it with completely changing her life.
Turn to your affirmation page anytime you have a few spare minutes to redeem the time by renewing your mind to the Word.
