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"There is nothing more significant then what we believe right now."Jim Willett, pastor and guest speaker, stated at church this morning. He had so many enriching words and stories yet this sentence stuck out most to me today. Remember how I've said that being around negative people rubs off? Or, if you are one of my friends, you may have heard me say, ‘Don't be negative, you'll speak it into existence.' Well, this sentence explains it all. It confirms my conviction that negativity begets negativity:Things are as you believe them to be. Good or bad.If you believe things are horrible, if you believe things will never get better, if you believe you are worthless…then you are giving that thought significance. You are feeding the devil. Wouldn't you rather believe things will get better? That the dark times are merely an opportunity for growth? That by going through the bad times, you can and will be better for it? Wouldn't you rather believe that the situation you are facing right now is not the end? That it does have a greater purpose? It isn't as bleak as it may seem.

Attitude is everything. Just a small gesture of a simple smile can spread, but so can a frown. Just a positive thought can invite positivity into your life, yet so, it is the same for negative thoughts. Get around friends and say something bad about someone or something – the president, the economy, a boyfriend/girlfriend or ex – and soon you will be in a perilous downhill spiral, competing claim for claim of how bad something is. More bad or negative thoughts surface and the air can literally become heavy. You walk away burdened with additional negative thoughts. Resolutions can seem elusive. Instead, talk about something positive and although it may take more time, the air becomes lighter. Smiles come naturally. An inner happiness can emerge. Why is negativity so easy to spread and grow? Well, we are in the flesh. We do live in the world. And both are so closely linked to sin. The devil likes us down. He likes to know what we don't want. He wants to know our weakness and unknowingly, we tell him! It's the devil's favorite playgrounds: our minds, this world, our flesh. We believe things suck – therefore, they do. And we speak what we hate and he gladly delivers. If we change our thoughts to come from our spirit side, from God's perspective, we may still feel the pull of this world sometimes, but this world is only temporary. A blimp in God's time. We can break free when we view things from a bigger perspective. I know I will have more trials, but I know my God is bigger than any problem I could ever be faced with. I admit my faults and I ask God to help me. That's not being negative. That's being real. That's letting go of pride and inviting God in.

The parable of the seeds was in my mind often these past couple days.(Luke 8:4-15)Wanting to write a blog about believing, I did some bible research and – low and behold – I came across this exact parable. AH-HA! I thought. That's why! This parable is in perfect alignment with Pastor Jim's statement.

If you are unfamiliar with the parable, it describes how seeds – knowledge, or the word of God – are spread among people. Some seeds fall on rocks where they are unable to grow roots. While joyous at first, they soon fall away and become discouraged. Roots are unable to form and the seed withers. Then there are other seeds that fall among the thorns. Again, they are joyous at first, yet they soon are overcome with the world and the stresses and worries of life. Sadly, they never reach maturity. The tender roots never fully form. And lastly, there are those seeds that fall into good soil. They hear the word, embrace it, thrive on it and persevere. Their fruits are evidence of their solid roots grounded in God's word.

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