Skip to main content

Attitude Does Make a Difference

This past weekend, I had the privilege of having a long time good friend in one of my services...and then enjoyed lunch with her and her family. 

She's dealt with brain cancer for the past two years....it's been tough, even with her usual "positive spin" on the days and nights since getting the news and prognosis, I knew these had been some of her hardest times ever. 

I wonder why her emails to me don't leave me depressed and feeling hopeless in thinking about my future?  Why didn't I "feel sorry for her" as we reminisced over lunch on Sunday?  I did want to cry in seeing that there are limitations as to what she can do and not do yet, and her gorgeous long hair isn't there as it once was, though she had made what she had to be the cutest "do". 

I know, I think, why I love to hear from her, why I run to her Facebook page to hear what she's doing with this day, knowing some of what she's dealing with.  She refuses to allow her challenges be a dark cloud for anybody else, if she can at all  help it.  She believes in hope...she knows her God well, and is loved by an amazing family.

But, most of all....she made a choice a long time ago to maintain an attitude of thankfulness for what she DOES have and not dwell too much on what she DOESN'T have.  ATTITUDE DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE.  I experienced it again with my friend, Susan, last Sunday. 

Comments

  1. How true. Attitude is very important. I read the book, "Attitude Is Your Paintbrush", and that pushes a very positive attitude at all times. What a joy for you to have a friend who has this kind of attitude. As I read, I found it very inspiring.
    Paulrrr

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

From here to there

A lot of you are familiar with or at least know of my only niece, Scarlett (or Sweet Scarlett, as I often refer to her). A brilliant gal in the prime of her life and career was involved in a horrible car accident at the age of 36, leaving her with a severe brain injury. God has brought her so far….so many accomplishments that she wasn’t “supposed” to ever achieve. A couple of years ago while she was going through a particularly hard struggle, she said to me, “Aunt Ann, I know I’m gonna make it, but right now I’m in that in between place”. I knew exactly what she was saying…and I’d imagine you do, too, right? We believe that God’s gonna walk with us and get us to the other side…however, sometimes it just seems like a longggggg way from here to there, doesn’t it? We’re gonna make it..but there are times we sure do need a hand to hold or place to rest on the journey….’cause we aren’t “there” yet…and we need to hear from somebody, who actually cares where we are struggling, that w...

Faith Giving

My parents taught me about being quick to give but to use good judgment and wisdom in who to give to and making sure I give for the right reasons. I’ve been truly blessed these past few days by true givers.  Typically January is a slow month for traveling ministries like Downing Ministries.  This month has been especially challenging in that one weekend had only one booking and this past weekend just didn’t book at all.  Having seen the major snowstorm that blew through late last week, we wouldn’t likely have been able to fulfill dates if they had scheduled.  I’ve been hesitant to do a “plea” as such for help, somehow feeling that God had this and could work far better than I could.  I want to report, as I do the happy dance, that “giving folks” have started doing just that…GIVING out of their hearts to Downing Ministries.  To make the happy dance last longer, let me say that most of these gifts are from some folks I KNOW don’t have it to give in ...

No Matter What

Several years ago a friend shared with me that his route to work every day took him through a toll booth....and he tried to always choose a certain booth. This is because the gentleman manning that booth was an elderly man who always had something "bright and sunny" to say to him. Every morning my friend would hear "Have a good day, no matter what!" Now, there were days my friend drove up to that toll booth with zillions of questions in his head of how he was gonna make it through a challenging day that was always before him when he arrived at his workplace. But he just kept those words in his head...and heart..."Have a good day, no matter what". Now, that's a choice, isn't it? "No matter what"???? I don't know about you, but I honestly don't find that coming naturally to me...it's a struggle to find sunshine on those cloudy, dreary mornings...'cause it just doesn't show up in my eyesight. But, that's w...