Faith vs Positive Thinking?

I have a problem with religion. Well, I have a few problems with religion actually, but one of my problems is people who have just so much faith that they come to rely on it.
I know that you can look at loads of religions and there are real extremists around the world, who none of us are ok with.
But there are people like my soon-to-be Mother-in-law.
She is catholic. She devotes her life to the church. Nothing wrong with that at all - my grandad is a vicar and my grandma is a Preacher. It's just that they also have a life outside of the church. And they also do not put so much pressure on God.
Yes, my partner's mum doesn't realise it but she almost takes advantage of God. She doesn't think for herself, she doesn't do anything for herself.
I hope that this doesn't sound like an excuse to slag her off. I know that there are loads of people like her and I am purely using her as an example.

I believe in something. I am not entirely sure in what I believe. I guess it really encompasses ALL religions in a way. All I know is that I do have faith - in myself!
I know that there is something greater than me, but I also know that that something is guiding me to make the right decisions and guiding me to do the right thing, and that everything happens for a reason. I also know that in order for that something to help me out, I have to help myself and I have to help others.

The mother-in-law, on the other-hand, gives God the credit for everything. If she sees a bus in the distance, she will actually pray to God there and then, that the bus will wait for her. When the bus driver obviously sees this middle-aged woman, running for the bus, and decides to wait for her, the mother prays to God and thanks him.
Ok, that's nothing.
She recently had a broken radiator. She called a plumber and the fact that one actually came out to see her was practically a miracle according to her. She told him to set to work whilst she sat on the bed behind and prayed. When the radiator started to work again, she said 'see!' pointing up to the heavens.

And then, there was her dog that went missing. Did she go and look for the dog? Did she call the local pound? Did she call the RSPCA? No! Because if God wanted to bring the dog back, he would deliver it back to her.

Now, I almost think this is laziness, and surely God cant really appreciate this? Must he do everything in this relationship?

I used to think I was always a very lucky person. I have never really had problems or worries or anything. But then I realised, it's not being lucky - it's me being positive.
I have had problems in the past. Nothing huge, but my parents broke up and there followed several different family issues, and then I found out about the not-having-kids thing, and several other things I've forgotten about. But I don't dwell on these things at all, and I make myself come out the other side of them. I know that my house sale has just gone through because I made it go through. We had our mortgage application rejected twice but we pushed and pushed and sent more and more documents and evidence, and in the end the bank agreed to give us our mortgage. But we did that - not God.
And when I do have children, it will be because we went to the hospital and looked at all options, and carried loads of hope and just because we just kept on trying.

There are people who just seem to have such bad luck and everything goes wrong for them. Now I have two theories for that. Either they are just not being positive and not trying for themselves, or they just think that they are worse-off than everyone else, and hold on to the problems they have had rather than holding on to the success they have had.

I thank God everyday for the wonderful life I have and the great friends and fantastic family that I have been given, but I don't thank Him for my house, and I don't thank him for my job. I just thank Him for giving me the hope and positivity to keep trying.