Week 2/Day 11~ 21 days to a Positive Attitude (Wednesday March 12)

Day 11 - Wednesday

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

        

A.  The Physical Therapist who is part of the in home rehab, trying to get me ready for full steam ahead physical therapy, has been the same one the who time, unlike the visiting nurse.  She informed me, worked around my TBI symptoms of anxiety and depression, which are ever present, saw what I needed to do, and wrote the plan for therapy that would allow me to accelerate and not destroy myself.  Individual care. Awesome blessing.  Plus she loved on my daughters kitty's. What more can you ask. 

B. My daughter has taken to my wife's and my Kenpo Instructor like water to a lake.  She finished Short 4, the master form for Ed Parker Kenpo, today, and even understand that now the learning begins, as she fine tunes both the moves and their applications.  It is a blessing when you students, and more so your daughter, take to something you hold dear, and then accelerate past you like you are standing in cement.  I am blessed by good friends (and Instructors) and and Awesome Daughter.

C. Today I discovered how much has changed at MAK in the last 2 weeks, and the teaching team is not only making it ok, they are making it better.  This blessing is from God's People who have happened, or chosen, to associate with us.  I thank God for them, but more directly, I thank them for them too.  

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 am a control freak, and yet I know my limitations.  For other control freaks, that last statement is an anathema, as they can not conceive of any weakness they might have or limitations they might accept.  They teach "You can do anything, if you want to badly enough."  I agree, I can, but I am noticing during my rehabilitation that doing it, and doing it well are far different things.  I have skills that I was gifted by the Holy Spirit and I have skills and talents that I have developed by my own effort, and I tend to want to use them all.  This surgery is forcing me to notice that those around me also have talents and skills.  Like the body, you would be in deep do do if your hands hand to do the job of your feet.  You could make it work, especially if you had not feet, but if you have feet, your feet are your best feet.  That is the lesson I am learning this month is seems.  I need to focus more on my own talents and trust those around me, and that is point C above.  I am blessed with awesome friends who also teach karate with me, and I am only now noticing just how awesome they really are.  Thank you God, for putting me here, and I would like to thank them for choosing to be at MAK.

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

Today I was continuing to read Forgotten God by Francis Chan, and I continued to learn some of the things that a control freak like me can do to justify their behavior, rather than follow the Holy Spirit as we are asked to by Paul. The Holy Spirit is not for tomorrow, or next year;  He is for here and now, and I have to lay my will down for him.

Galatians 5:16 (CEV):"If you are guided by the Spirit, you won’t obey your selfish desires."

 Click the book picture for information on this awesome book.

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

not today

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

Done
________________________________________________

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.

Day 11 - Who Would Die For You?- Daily Inspirational Verses from Real Life

John 15:13 - (NIV): "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."

Who would you lay your life down for. Seriously.

In my case, I would hope that I would without thought, lay my life down to protect my wife and my daughter.  I have put myself in harms way many times for each, but thankfully, I have never been called to lay my life down.  

There have been times where I put myself in danger to keep someone else or someone else's child safe as well, but again, it never rose to the level of losing or risking my life, that I was aware of.

Who are you absolutely sure you would lose your life for?

Most of us never face that choice.  Military people, fireman, policemen do many times in their careers, but even they do not lay their life down, nor are the expected to, every day.

You can probably count on your fingers they number of people you know personally that have been asked to do that type of thing.  That sacrifice is huge, and against our nature as people.

Yet, that is what Jesus did your you.  More than that.  The day he was killed, they mocked him.  Not really a big deal, but in the roman world, soldiers mocking you nearly always ended it death.  In Jesus' case, they did more than mock him, since he was going to die anyway.  They ripped his close of his back, then whipped him so badly that the bones in his back were visible.  Then they stood him up, and put a wool cape on him.  He is bleeding badly, and the fabric would have been sucked right into the wounds all over his body.  When they were done dressing him up like a king, the ripped the fabric out of his back.  Full Body Bandage.  

He knew they were going to do that.  He let them do that.  He let them do that for YOU!

They they made him carry the instrument of his death up a long hill, and then they nailed him to it.

Then he died.

Jesus did more than lay his life down for you.  That is how much you are loved.  For a moment, get past the salvation and eternal life and the redemption of sin that he bought for you with his life, and focus on the nature of his death.  

He did THAT for you.  He was not a victim.  He knew it was coming and told us it was coming.  He walked right into it anyway.  That is how much Jesus loves you.

Remember that the next time you are standing in a storm.  You are loved.

_________________________________

For information on be certain of your Status with God, overcoming your actions that keep you from God, and allowing you to accept his free gift of eternal life, Click Here.

_________________________________