Dear Ones,
May your day be filled with hope and joy. Al and Mark are going out for breakfast this morning and having a father/son time. I am spending much of the day with Andrea having coffee, shopping together and having lunch. Fun and something we rarely get to do! Later Al and I have appointments and then we are going to Mark’s for steak supper. So glad for these special times.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Since we are believers that are faith-filled, it follows that we are to be hope-filled, for we have a living hope in the Lord. Would that all Christ followers exuded that hope, optimism, and positivity, but often even those who know the Lord are pessimistic due to some trauma or words spoken by someone in authority. It is good to know pessimism is not permanent, and it is a choice: we can learn how to change and to be hope-filled which results in living healthier, longer lives. But this means a pessimist must give up personalizing everything and seeing everything that happens as their fault. They expect the worst to happen in every situation, becoming negative and hopeless, which is not much fun to be around. Optimists on the other hand see light at the end of the tunnel and have a positive outlook, for they see God in their circumstances. They focus on what is good in life, with hope ruling their emotions and thoughts open to correction.

Hope is the perfect antidote to pessimism. and we can choose to let it dominate in our lives. If we do, we will find less depression, better health, lower levels of distress, and live 15% longer than pessimists.  For some who desire to become an optimist, it will be a radical change. Learning scripture will help change their thinking, helping to avoid worry or negative thoughts. Phil 4:6-7 is one such scripture, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience Gods peace, which exceeds anything we can understand.” You can continue to challenge negative thoughts by speaking positive things to contradict them and thinking redemptive thoughts. Seek what God says and then act on it. God’s perspective is the true one and we can give up our hopeless thoughts.

Gratitude and hope go together and grateful people experience more hope and enthusiasm, along with positive emotions. Research shows they get better sleep, have more joy, and are pleasant to be around. It makes sense that Christians should be the most joyful people on earth, since God’s love is in their hearts.

Challenge for today: If you are pessimistic, ask God to change you and let His love rule in your heart as you pour out to others.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy