Positive Living: Embracing the Full Abundant Life God Has Granted Us

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." John 10:10 (ESV)

     Positive living...what does this practice mean to you? Having a good attitude? Not complaining? Always looking on the bright side of life? Relying on hope? Thinking of the best possible outcome in a tough situation instead of thinking the worst? What about when you ponder the idea of a full and abundant life...what ideas come to mind?  Living in the moment. Dreaming big? Trying new things? Living "out loud?" Being adventurous? Embracing every new day? These all might sound cliché, but they are a pretty good start in the right direction when considering what it means to live positively and embrace the full and abundant life God has granted us. Life is such a precious gift. Knowing this fact, it is important that we live our lives to the fullest, and most importantly...live a life that is glorifying to God. In my opinion, this means not wasting time stressing, complaining, and worrying so much. (If you've read my other blog posts...you know this is something I talk about often.) Instead I believe we should cherish moments more...love others and show them we care...have fun and laugh at ourselves! Ultimately, we need to live in such a way that people who are not Christians can look at us and see the difference Christ has made in our lives. When we are joyful despite painful circumstances, hopeful regardless of uncertainty, and loving towards others even if they are not the easiest people to love or may not always show love to us in return, the world will notice that we have something special. That special something is Christ in us, for us, and working through us. Therefore, we should look for ways to be a light to others by allowing God to shine through us into the darkness of this world. That is what I consider living positively and embracing the full abundant life God has granted us.

{Okay, so that's my short and sweet little spiel. Now, I'm going to have a little fun by giving ya'll something funny to watch that goes along with this topic, plus a pretty cool little list of tips for living a more positive, abundant life. Enjoy!}

Jessica's "Daily Affirmation"

     The video above has become an ongoing joke between me and my roommate. We found this little girl's enthusiasm and positivity both funny and adorable! We watch it often for a good laugh and sometimes will quote lines from it to remind ourselves to be positive. "I like my school! I like my hair! I like my whole house! My whole house is great! I can do anything good!" Okay...so it might sound silly, and I'm not saying we should all stand in front of the mirror each morning and recite our lists of "likes" as Jessica has demonstrated...(Though it may make you a YouTube star if you record it. ;) hahaha!)...BUT the point is we should think about things that we are grateful for each day.
     I don't know about you, but I know that sometimes it can be easy to take things for granted. It can also sometimes seem easier to complain and be negative rather than think positively. But why is that? I wonder why we often find reason to complain or think the worst when we have so much to be grateful for and positive about. Take the "simple" things that may seem like a given to most of us, but to many people in this world they are not as easy to come by...food, water, health, shelter, clothing, family, friends, education, work. How about even the fact that we are ALIVE? (Again, life is a gift) For Christians...what about remembering EVERY DAY to be grateful the sacrifice Jesus made for us by dying on the cross in our place, for our sins, so that we may have the gift of salvation and eternal life in Heaven with God forever. THAT is something to always be thankful for...THAT is a reason to always be positive. Even if we had nothing else in life...we have God. That's a really good reason to be happy. We have the blessed assurance that God will never leave us nor forsake us. We have the hope of His many good promises to us. We have the gift of life that He has granted us--a life that He has intended for us to have fun with, embrace it, reach others for Christ, live fully and abundantly, and ultimately bring glory to Him in all that we say and do. Overall...God LOVES us and wants us to have this amazing life that He has written for us in His grand, unfathomable, perfect plan. That being said, there is always a reason to be positive.

{My 10 Tips for Living a More Positive, Abundant Life}

 

1.  Be Thankful and Count Your Blessings, Not Your Problems (As cliché as it sounds...it works)
2. Worry, Stress, and Complain LESS (aka...be POSITIVE. Have a little hope...have faith in God's plan. Put your worries in God's hands. Leave your problems at the cross. Stop trying to control everything and just let the stress go. I know it is harder than it sounds. Trust me. I struggle with it too. But I also know what  a difference it makes when I simply take a deep breath, throw my worries away, and trust that God will take care of me, every little detail, working all things together for my good.)
3. Be HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY (Yea, I really love Duck Dynasty. I just had to throw that one in there. lol. But hey, its true, Jack!)
4. Spend time with God (See my post "Be Still" for more information on quiet time with God.)
5. Serve others (Caring for the needs of others will not only help them and show them God's love, but it will also bring you joy as well. Remember JOY--Jesus, Others, You.) *Suggestions: hold the door for people, write a handwritten note of encouragement to a friend, offer to pray with/for people, serve at a nursing home, etc. 
6. Enjoy the simple things in life...a quiet walk, reading a book, listening to music, etc. Check out my Pinterest board for more ideas: The Simple Life :)
7. Go out in nature! Okay, I know I'm a country girl and I just love being outside, but even if you're not an outdoorsy person take some time to enjoy God's creation. Think about it. God created this amazing, beautiful world for us to enjoy and explore! Wow! For me, I feel close to God when I'm up in the mountains or when I see a beautiful sunset/sunrise sky. The fingerprints of God are everywhere you look. Take the time to just be in awe of God's creation.
8. Love people! God loved us first and has called us to love others. Show your love to your family, your friends, your neighbors, etc. Show God's love to strangers by just being kind and polite...and really show God's love by loving your enemies. Make good friends! Fellowship with other Christians! Tell people you love them, but also SHOW them. That's important.
9. LAUGH!!!!! It's good to laugh! God has a sense of humor too. Don't always be too serious or too hard on yourself. Have fun and enjoy life. That's the way we are meant to live. There is a time for everything...so yes, there are times to be serious, but there are also times to have fun! Even be silly once in awhile. ;)
10. Challenge yourself & try new things. Don't get stuck in a rut or be content with boredom. Be spontaneous sometimes. (But be wise about it too--aka don't do something dangerous just because you want to "live on the edge") Just change it up every now and then. For me this can be something as exploring a new place to hangout on campus...or something as challenging as trying out a new sport (aka color guard)...or even something as thrilling as going zip-lining! There are so many opportunities that God puts in your life. Why not embrace them?

Grace & Peace,
Samantha (The Hat Girl)

Be Still

Psalm 46:10 (NIV) "He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

     Be still....this command sounds so simple. Just to be and know...to rest in God's presence...easy, right? Sometimes this task can be a lot harder to accomplish than it seems. However, it does not have to be that way. I don't know about you, but when I think of resting in God's presence that concept just sounds so relaxing, freeing, peaceful. As Christians it is important that we strive to attain this status in our daily lives regardless of our circumstances. Whether we are having a good day or a bad day, it is crucial to set aside time to just be still and reflect on what God is doing in our lives, what He is trying to tell us or teach us, and to trust Him with whatever is our worrying us. This activity is often referred to as "quiet time," and it is an essential element of our daily walk with Christ.

     Being still and just simply knowing that God is in control is a challenge. If you have ever tried to consistently commit to a daily quiet time at a preset hour, you've probably found that it is sometimes hard to discipline yourself to stay committed to it in the midst of a busy life. However, daily quiet time with God is important. Many people choose to do this in the mornings to start their day off right with a peaceful and focused state of mind. Reading scripture in the morning can help prepare you for the tasks of  day ahead and give you something to reflect on throughout the day. Spending time in prayer before you start your day reminds you to give your day to God, turning it over for Him to use it to His glory. Though prayer should be a lifestyle--consistent throughout our day--praying in the morning allows us a chance to ask God to guide our steps, help us through any trials we may face that day, and ask Him to show us what He wants us to know or learn from the events/experiences that we will go through. Another popular timeframe for "quiet times" is at night. This is beneficial as well because it gives us the opportunity to reflect on our day, thank God for His blessings, ask for His wisdom in situations that may be trying. Overall, the best option for quiet time would be a combination of both. Now the effectiveness of a quiet time is not in the consistency of having it always at a set hour for an allotted amount of time. The truth is, you can have quiet time at any hour of the day. It is a personal choice based on your schedule and when you know you're most alert, receptive, and effective. For example, you may choose to have your quiet time in the mornings on Tuesdays and Thursdays because you do not have a class until the afternoon, but on every other day of the week it may work better for you to have it at night. It doesn't have to be an extremely long amount of time, but it should not be too brief either. (This is why having multiple quiet times throughout the day may also be a good option--you might choose to have a few brief quiet times if that's the best way for you to fit it in to your schedule.)
     Quality is the key. You want your quiet times to be meaningful and effective. In the midst of our busy lives it can be tempting to just go through the motions in our quiet time and not really go very deep or get very much if anything out of it. You know those times when you open up your Bible, read a few quick verses and go on with your day? You technically did have quiet time, but you know that is was not a true, quality quiet time. Okay, I'll admit that I'm guilty of this too. Though reading Scripture throughout our day is a GREAT way to stay in tune with God, it is important that we do not do this in a way that is almost automatic and subconscious just to say that we did our quiet time and assuage our guilt. When we take the time to truly dwell in God's Word, we are not only showing respect to God and appreciation for the gift of His Word, but we are also doing our selves a favor by allowing ourselves to be Spiritually fed. It makes a huge difference. Now, I know what some of your are thinking...how am I supposed to fit in quiet time when I am so busy? Okay, let's take a moment to talk about busyness. The other day I heard a speaker give a profound thought on this topic of business regarding how does one go about fitting in ministry into a busy schedule. Her reply as simply, EVERYONE IS BUSY. This should not stop us from committing to daily quiet time. We make time for other things...Facebook, Pinterest, hanging out with friends. (Okay, I'm guilty too. No lie.) And those things our great! But its all about priorities. We should not let these things which are temporary take place of something like spending time with our Heavenly Father which impacts us eternally. When you think about it that way, it kind of puts everything into perspective. Like I said before, quiet time doesn't have to take up a lot of time...it just has to be quality quiet time every day. It is essential because it impacts everything else that we do in our lives. If we have quiet time with God, it can put us in the right mindset so that when trials come or we are called upon to help others through a difficult situation then we will be spiritually minded and may be able to think back to what God was teaching us in our quiet time. Other than personal benefit, quiet time truly is an act of worship to God. It's a way of saying, "God, I trust you. I give you my worries. My mind is racing. I've got a thousand things on my plate to day, but I just take this time to give those concerns over to You. I ask you to guide me, and I give this day to Your glory that You may use it to teach me the things You want me to know and to use Me to be a blessing to others as a vessel shinning Your light into their lives."
     I often think of how small the sacrifice of having quiet time really is when you look at in retrospect to how much of a sacrifice God has made to have time with us. Think about it. The God of the entire universe, the one true King, the Most High wants to have time with us daily. Why would we ever pass that up? When I think about this I think of Psalm 8:4 (ESV) "What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?" Out of all the people in the world God chooses not only to think of us, but also love us, care for us, work in our hearts. How crazy awesome is that!? Yea, I'm excited. haha! It is exciting. It's like if God could send us text messages then He would be texting us to say, "Hey, let's get coffee and just talk for a little while. I want to hear how you are doing right now." That's what quiet time is all about. Just being with God. Therefore, be still and know that He is God. We are back to our first verse. Quiet time is a time to voice our concerns to God, to thank Him for His blessings, to ask for His help in difficult situations we are facings, and to just listen and rest in His calming presence.
     Now, here's the awesome thing...God knows all those things already, yet He still wants us to talk to Him about everything that is going on in our life. He knows our name, our thoughts, our feelings, our fears, our hopes, dreams, desires, needs, worries, weaknesses, strengths, problems. The Bible says He knows the number of hairs on our head! God knows all of that already. He knows us better than we know ourselves. That is just amazing, right!? Yet, the beautiful thing is He knows, but He desires for us to still talk to Him about it. He even knows what we are going to say to Him in our prayers before we say it. He knows what we think, but don't say and the things we cannot quite seem to put into words. You might be wondering...so if God knows all that, then why is it important for me to pray and tell Him anyway? Here's what I think...by voicing our praises, requests, fears, worries to God we are saying, "God, I trust you. I know you are in control." We are not granting God permission to work in our lives or giving Him control...He already has that too. God is in control of our lives whether we know it or not, but by recognizing and acknowledging His control...by thanking Him for His presence in our lives, we are showing God that we are trusting Him to work out everything in our lives from the big things to the small things. God cares about them, all and He is always in control of every situation. God has a purpose and a plan for our individual lives, and He will work out everything for His glory in His own perfect time and in His perfect way.
     In reality, I could go on and on about this topic. haha. But I'm going to bring it to a close with one last illustration. Think of your life as a book...YOU are the main character of your story, but God is the author. God is in control of what happens in the story He has written about you. God, as the author of our lives, is the only one who knows the entire story. He knows how it's going to end, whereas we can only read on page at a time. God sees the whole story from beginning to end and He is WITH US every step of the way. We just have to TRUST that God is the good and kind author of our lives, and He will work all things together for our good. It's not always easy to trust, but this is why we must simply be still and know that He is God. He is in control. He knows and wants what is best for us. He knows our every need and thought and desire of our heart. He will work out everything for our good because He is a kind and loving Father who knows what He is doing. So take the time to just simply be with God...a God that desires to spend time with you. We might often take that for granted, but we should remember what a blessing it is to have a Heavenly Father who cares SO MUCH about us and every little detail of our life. Now...I'm not saying I've got quiet time down to a science and that I am perfect about keeping consistent with it in my own life, because that is far from true. I'm not perfect. No one is. The important thing is that I am striving to spend time with God. I am craving to spend time in His presences. Yearning to learn what He wants to teach me. We will make mistakes...we will forget to do our quiet time sometimes...we might even accidentally fall asleep while doing our quiet time! haha. The thing is, God knows we are not perfect. (He made us.) He knows we are trying. He understands. God just wants us to spend time with Him daily and know that He is with us no matter what we may be going through. God is for us and He will never fail. Quiet time...it may sound like something so small, so minuscule, but it can have a major impact in our lives. So today just take some time to just rest in God's presence and dwell in His Word which is such a gift to us. Pray to God and listen to what He is telling you too. The God of Heaven wants to spend time with you....so what are you waiting for? :)

Grace & Peace,
Samantha (The Hat Girl)