I once heard a preacher say:  “We cannot control if a bird flies over our head. But we can control whether or not we let that bird build a nest in our hair”.

Kind of a funny quote, yet holds a profound meaning.

The world is harsh. The news is packed with daily negativity.  Bad stuff happens. And society teaches us to have an “it’s all about me” mentality. To make matters worse, the devil constantly tries to fill our heads with the wrong kind of thoughts. Thoughts that make us feel discouraged, depressed, distressed, less-than, and distanced from God.

If we aren’t careful, that tangled up mess of negativity and pessimism can gradually build a nest in our hearts.

If we desire to be an optimist, even in the face of pessimism, and want to avoid any nest building taking place, we must consciously choose to focus on the joy we have in Christ, even when everything in life is not falling into the joyful category.

The fact is, our world thrives on negativity and optimism. But just as God instructs us to remember in Romans 12:2, we do not have to conform to the world’s patterns of thinking. We can live in the world, but not of it  – but we must consciously choose to set ourselves apart even when it comes to attitude. There is a lot of negativity flying around, but we don’t have to let it settle within us.

God provides streams in the desert even when life seems dry and negative, just as the giveaway book today refers to. How amazing to know that we can swim in that stream of God’s goodness and optimism any time we choose.

Today’s Giveaway: 
A signed copy of Stressed-Less Living
A Spa Pouf
Streams In The Desert Daily Devotional, by L.B. Cowman
Apple Body Spray

How to enter to win: 

Visit my Facebook page and answer the questions posted on my Wall today, so that your friends can also have an opportunity to ponder the question when they see it on your wall.

Sometimes when we take time to think about what we can do to make changes in our life, change begins to happen.

For those of you who are not on Facebook,  leave a comment to answer this question below:

What one change (possibly based on the suggestions in the 10 Day Stress Detox or your own idea) can you implement right now in your life to take control of your stress, instead of letting your stress control you?