Islands of Positivity in the sea of Negative . . .

 

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“And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the Lord, 

and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.” 

~2 Chronicles‬ ‭20:3‬ ‭KJV

So I started a new bible study course this week.  I know! On top of all the other Scripture study I am doing.  Who would think I have the time, but, to be honest, I always have time for God. This one is called Signs and Wonders and it is a study of Old Testament Miracles.  I am really looking forward to this study. It lasts six weeks.  Its from @multiplygoodness on Instagram.  They run these six week studies about 4 times a year and each study is accompanied with a manual.  I love LOVE the manual for this one. Not only is it in one of my favorite colors, blue, but its very well laid out and designed to help you get the best out of your study. 

I believe in miracles.  They are all around us. There is a miracle to be found in each day. Maybe not all are as grandiose as God parting the Red Sea, but they are there nonetheless.  Co-incidence? Happenchance?  Call it what you will.  I choose God-incidence. 

  

“All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, 

stood there before the Lord.” ~ 2 Chronicles‬ ‭20:13‬ ‭(NIV‬‬)

As I was reading 2 Chronicles Chapter 20 to the cats last night  . . .  I do believe they were listening  . . .  I have very smart cats . . .  I was very overcome by the spirit when I came to this one passage.  Jehoshaphat (yes jumping Jehoshaphat) was praying to the Lord on behalf of the people in the Temple, the house of the Lord . . . they were surrounded by their enemies who were coming down to attack them.

"Oh God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? And rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen?  And in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?

Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend forever?"

I won't write it all here, it is 2 Chronicles 20:6-13

Tears came to my eyes and into my heart at the thought of this brave and righteous man standing before God and reminding God who God is and what His promises were to His people.  And I thought to myself that is how we should always pray, with might and expectation, and in belief that if we do our parts righteously He is bound to do His. 

Miracles happen every day. I am a living miracle.  What should have broken me made me stronger. That is in and of itself a miracle.   I am so excited about and looking forward to seeing where the journey of this Bible study takes me! 

I follow the actor Richard E. Grant on Twitter. He lost his wife Joan (they were married 35 years) last year.  Before she died his wife challenged him to try and find a pocketful of happiness in each day.   He has been doing that ever since. He has the most amazing Twitter feed. It is filled with joy and wonder.   Of course he is sad.  Anyone would be, but he is also on this amazing and powerful journey, and that blessing is being multiplied in the sharing.   

In a world which all too often likes to dwell on the horrible and the negative, how very wonderful it is to be a witness to this little Island of positivity in a sea of negativity. 

I know people might say, easy for him . . .  he's rich and famous.   But that just isn't so. The rain falls on each of us equally and no man is an Island. We all feel pain and sorrow and loss.  Having money and prestige doesn't make it any less. 

Someone else I follow on Instagram is Kevin Bacon.   He also has a very positive feed.  Every Monday he posts Monday Blues songs designed to lift you out of the Monday Blues.  He posts little films and occasionally he sings with his goats, or his goats and his wife.  Just in his own little way making the world a better place for no other reason than that he has the ability to and he can.  

 

Someone else I like to follow is Alec Baldwin.   He's mostly positive as well.  He posts pictures of his family and other positive things he comes across in his life.  He has experienced lots of negative in his life as well.  But the thing about the negative is you can either let it drag you down or you can allow it to accentuate the positive in your life.  I love his posts.  He shares snippets of his travels, his family, things that make him laugh and bring him joy, music, etc.

Did you know that my family and the Baldwin's have a family connection? (Although I am sure he is not aware of it.)  We share a common ancestor, Elizabeth Tilley.   And you can see a resemblance.

Its in the eyes, and it goes back generations, probably all the way back to Elizabeth Tilley and her husband John Howland.  Just goes to show you how genetics carries on down through the generations.  You, or your children, in all likelihood share certain features of those who went before you, going way back.

One time I was searching a family history site for the Villeneuve family and I found this photograph which had been taken of Villeneuves at a reunion of sorts and there in the back row stood my father, except it wasn't my father. It was someone else, another Villeneuve that we did not even know, but they could have been twins. 

 

Another positive account I follow is Princess Honeybelle.   She's a rescue cat and she cooks.  Very cute. Very sweet and makes you smile, always. 

So its not just people,  or even famous people, but all sorts.  There is plenty of positivity out there to dip into.  Lots to make us smile and feel happy inside.

And Lord knows, we all need an Island of Positivity to visit these days. 

I got my tires switched and am now good to go for the summer months. It was a horrible day yesterday, windy, rainy, cool, but the sun is shining today and the sky is a beautiful blue!  I am going to meet my dad and his friends for supper again this week.  They all seem to really enjoy me being there. My father says they think I am interesting to talk to.  I think it is just that I am someone "different" to talk to.   We all enjoy it anyways. I am not saying the food is exceptional or anything, but the company is great.

A thought to carry with you  . . . 

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •

•。★★ 。* 。

° 。 ° ˛˚˛ * _Π_____*。*˚

˚ ˛ •˛•˚ */______/~＼。˚ ˚ ˛

˚ ˛ •˛• ˚ ｜ 田田 ｜門 ★

*A great attitude becomes 

a great mood, which 

becomes a great day, which 

becomes a great year,

which becomes a great life.

° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ •° * 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 

In The English Kitchen today  . . .  loads of ways to use up leftover baked ham. There is a bit of something there for every taste I think!  Unless of course you are a vegetarian.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!  Whatever you get up to be happy and be positive and don't forget! 

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And I do too!