In my family we have a little joke. When someone goes out Christmas or birthday shopping we say, happy thoughts, happy thoughts! We want the person buying our presents to be happy, so the gift will be a good one. But happy thoughts are important all year long. Every day we are tempted to focus on the negative. We can wallow in our troubles or we can remember God’s grace and look for the good.

I was reminded again yesterday when I had lunch with a friend. Traffic was horrible due to an accident, and I was really late. I absolutely hate tardiness, so I was out of sorts when we heard a negative news report. I said to her “the world is evil”.   She smiled and told me about her neighborhood facebook page,  where all kinds of people thanked each other for helping get their cars out of snow banks. I needed a reminder to look for the good.

Philippians 4:8 says “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

It’s impossible to be happy if we dwell on the negative, and it’s also impossible to be miserable if we dwell on the positive. Watch for good, search it out. It’s there waiting.