Focusing on the blessings!

The last day has really been testing my strength. Through it all I have friends and family worried about me. Seems like everything just came to a head and reality struck once again.

Last night, I stopped by my friend N's house to pick up some stuff that I had left at a pool party a couple weeks ago. We got talking and a short stop turned into three hours. N is an old friend from my college days that we had kind of fallen out of touch. Though we see each other frequently, we have not really been able to catch up. It was so good to catch up with her. We got into some real deep discussions sharing a lot of what is going on in each others life.

The one thing I know about myself is that I process things best when I can talk them out. It really helped me to get my thoughts and things back out in the air so I could see what was what. I was pointing out how I felt like I had no direction, but N brought me back to my conversation with God last week, reminding me that God already gave me the direction, my focus needs to be on my parents. I though a lot about this last night and I feel she is right.

Why is it that when we think of ourselves we tend to get down? What is it that makes us want so much? Why do we focus on the negative?

I thought about another person in my life. He is always worrying, discouraged and complaining. Though I care about him, I can only take him in small doses. You hardly ever hear his positives.

I guess our brains are the same way. The more we focus in on what is going wrong in life the more life brings us down. God knows this and that is why He tells us to focus on the positive:

Philipians 4:8 NIV

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things

I'm trying to focus on the positive. Things like Dad is having a really good week. Each day is showing an improvement from the prior. PRAISE GOD! R is able to be there for his partner and his family. PRAISE GOD! I really feel I have a chance at the GWU job. PRAISE GOD! I have friends like S, N, R, M and G! PRAISE GOD! I have an incredible and supportive family. PRAISE GOD! My bills are still paid after 5 months of being unemployed. PRAISE GOD!

In all God has been very good to me.

Lord,

Help me to stay focused on the positives of life. As my list of praises gets longer, I want you to help bring them to mind each and every day. Please be with my Parents and Family, R and all, my job search, and all the other things that you know I'm forgetting. Most of all I thank you for being there for me through this hard time. Guiding my every step. I know my life is going to be better because you are blazing my path!

I love You,

Brie!