How are you?

How are you?

How do you usually answer that question? Have you ever noticed? In the last year or so I have tried to be cognizant of the way I answer that question in specific. Why? I want to be a positive person. I have really worked on training myself to look for the positive in life. I have a few friends/acquaintances who are really negative. Every time you ask them how they are doing the give you a laundry list of everything that is wrong in their life. Don't get me wrong, I want to share in the ups and downs of the lives of my friends. When they are struggling with something I want to pray for them and to go through the valley with them. It's more the people who are negative about the little everyday things.

One of the funniest things about being pregnant has been the weird things that people have said to me. I have heard everything from "your baby is going to be huge" to "you aren't going to make it" (still not sure what that one even means). The best though has the be the lady who came up to me and said, "You look miserable." Now I think what she meant was that I "must be miserable" because honestly it's been a little miserably hot here in the south lately. So I'd like to think that she was simply giving me the opportunity to complain. But I refuse to complain about being pregnant!! Now, that isn't to say that it doesn't have it's challenges. But seriously, it's not like I didn't know this was going to happen. I mean I can clearly count forward 9 months. So sometime in November or December it was pretty obvious that if I became pregnant I was going to be due in the middle of the hot summer. Regardless it makes me laugh at the things people are totally willing to say to a stranger!!

I challenge you to look at the way you answer the question "how are you?". Are you constantly complaining? Do you have a laundry list of things you wish were different? The less I complain, the happier I am. I encourage you to memorize these verses and claim them when you are feeling negative.

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. I Thessalonians 5: 16-18

Another idea is something my good friend Amber does. Each day she comes up with at least 10 things that day that she is thankful for. Here are some of my favorites from her list lately:

clean sheets

that the sun came up today

for a healthy baby

for fingernail clippers

Amber doesn't always have a good day. But she always finds time to thank God for something. I encourage you to start a "thanksgiving" diary. Write down the things you are thankful for. It can be big or little. It can seem silly. Regardless it helps you realize how truly blessed you are even if you don't feel well, or you have uncertainty in your life, or fussy kids or a frustrating day at work. I bet once you start counting your blessings you won't be able to stop!!

You can check out Amber's blog at http://ambocullum.blogspot.com/