Are you a cup half full or half empty kind of person?

There is an older preacher in Oklahoma who helps publish a monthly email titled “Good News.”  As the title suggests, the publication is filled with good new from churches and ministries from across the world.  Sometimes this good news comes from some of the most bleak circumstances while other times the good news comes from an environment that is overflowing with positive occurrences.

Here’s what I appreciate about the “Good News” email…it is all positive!  The July issue of “Good News” had positive reports from the US, Africa, the Caribbean, and efforts online.  In a world that seems to be fixated on the negative, it is good to be encouraged and inspired by what others are doing.

For the same reason I really enjoy a quarterly magazine we get at our house called “Seeing.”  The latest issue is about summer work.  In all honesty it is about the things that we often refer to as ‘chores’ like mowing the lawn, watering plants, etc.  Through the power of prosaic, “Seeing” attempts to embrace the positive and connective power that daily tasks have on the family.

Perhaps I’m odd, but I reflect on ‘chores’ with a positive perspective as they provide a connection to positive childhood memories.  Working in the kitchen, helping with laundry, mowing…all these things bring back childhood memories of my parents.  I know I’m not odd because “Seeing” is filled with stories from others who connect back to their childhood and make connections with their own children through the work of the home.

Let me bring this full circle with the example of chores.  We can approach the work of the home with either a positive or negative perspective.  It can be something that has to get done, or it can be something that helps us connect with our families both present and past.  The work of the home is just one example in a life where we choose what perspective we bring with us in our daily walk.

Joseph was a man who chose to view the positive in life.  I am sure he had his moments where he felt low, but instead of being filled with bitterness and resentment he made the best of his situations and eventually saw the hand of God in the events of his life.  Continue with us as we explore the often overlooked portion of the story of Joseph >>> Dinnertime Devotionals 27