Week 3/Day 18 ~ 21 days to a Positive Attitude (Wednesday March 19)

Day 18 - Wednesday

1) Every day write down 3 good things that happened that day for which you are grateful.

A. One of my former students, a Black Belt and a school owner, reached out of the past to give me encouragement in life, and it was timely.

B. Got my SECOND replacement phone for my new(ish) LG G2, and it only took an hour to set it up this time.

C. A friend from my karate past, someone whom I have always respect but had been giving space, due to a conflict between his instructor and I, made contact, and in the first exchange I learned that I need more faith in human kind and received confirmation from a third party that the path we are following in Martial Arts is indeed the right path.

2) Journal about one positive blessing. One of the three, and explain why that good thing is better than the bad things that happened.

I have for several decades taken as a witness of the Holy Spirit that I was once again teaching Sunday School at my church.  I have taught before, and been a Sunday School superintendent of Sunday Schools at a former church as well, but I had given up at teaching Sunday School until the Sr. Pastor of my current church asked me to teach, about 20 years ago.  It was easy. Mindlessly easy.  The Holy Spirit put the words in my mouth, just as he does when I teach karate.  I could spend all of my time focusing on the kids and none of it on how or what I was going to teach.  For 20 years it was like that, and then I was removed, because one person stood in the way, and was offended that I could interpret the Bible differently than her. Such is life.  It hurt, but I have greater things to do for the Lord, so after a few weeks of pain, I let it go, and moved on. 

A former student from years gone by, knowing how much this avocation had meant to me, reached out with words of blessing and comfort.  Did not expect anyone to understand, certainly not someone from so long ago, especially on the verses I interpret differently. But she did.  The light turned on in my life that had been broken so long ago.  Blessings come from God's people, if God's people listen to the Holy Spirit.  She did, and my week changed. 

3) Meditate and detach from multi-tasking, by focusing on scripture~ read it, research it, think about how it might impact your life.

John 14:12 (CEV) - "I tell you for certain that if you have faith in me, you will do the same things that I am doing. You will do even greater things, now that I am going back to the Father."

Greater things than Jesus? From the commentary that I have read, "greater" normally is translated to mean More, not better or bigger. According to Strong's lexicon, Greater is the Word meizōn, which means greater, larger, elder or stronger, and it is usually used in context to mean larger or stronger.  I could not find a single time it meant just more, as in a larger number.

This explains why Jesus is so often telling us how awesome God is within us as the Holy Spirit.  We can do what he did, plus more and bigger things.  Wow.  I have spent a good part of my life thinking the Bible was the major power, but Jesus clearly is telling us the Spirit is the major power of God in our lives.

4) One random act of kindness a week. You can do more. (Try one a day)

E-Birthday Cards - 2 people.


5) Pray. Lay down the hurtful things and gather strength. 

Done

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Rules for 21 Days to a Positive Attitude Click here

Day 2: Click Here.  Day 3: Click Here.  Day 4: Click Here.
Day 5: Click Here.  Day 6: Click Here.  Day 7: Click Here.
Day 8: Click Here.  Day 9: Click Here.  Day 10: Click Here.
Day11: Click Here. Day12: Click Here. Day13: Click Here.
Day14: Click Here. Day15: Click Here. Day16: Click Here.   Day17: Click Here.