Category Archives: Choice

The Sting of Past Hurts

14 Tuesday Jun 2016

Posted by in Choice, Faith, Grace, Pain

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Doing life with Jesus every day is so down to earth and practical. That’s one reason it is a must for me.

Yesterday, my husband asked me a question about something. For him, it was just an innocent question. For me, it was a question that brought to mind some past hurts and I felt the sting all over again.

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Past hurts can cause present pain. I wish that was not the case. I wish I was completely over it. And the fact that I’m not completely over it, also bothers me.

I opened the Word of God this morning. I wanted some grace. I needed some grace.

1 Peter 5:5-11 was part of my reading today. It was the very grace I needed. It reminded me to clothe myself in humility and to cast my cares on the One who cares about me and for me. It reminded me to stay firm in believing God has my best interest at heart. It reminded me that God is at work in me. He will perfect me, confirm me, strengthen me and establish me because He is the God of all grace.

So I will do life with Jesus today. I won’t try to do life by myself. I will continue to trust Him with my heart. I will ask Him for His help. I know His grace will be sufficient for me.

What are you struggling with today? Don’t try to do life in your own strength. Do life with Jesus today.

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Compassion is a Choice

22 Tuesday Mar 2016

Posted by in Choice, Compassion, Love

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A life of compassion begins with seeing.  But seeing isn’t compassion.

Seeing forces choice.

  • See and be moved vs. see and be unmoved.

Jesus saw the distressed people and was moved to provide.  Matthew 9:36

  • See and open your heart vs. see and close your heart.

The Good Samaritan saw the half dead man and went to him.  In sharp contrast, the priest and the Levite also saw the half dead man but they chose to pass by on the other side. Luke 10:32-34

  • See and run toward vs. see and run from.

 The father of the prodigal son saw him and ran to him.  But the brother of the prodigal son was not willing to go to the house and join the celebration.  Luke 15:25-28 

Once we see, we are forced to choose.  We can open our hearts or we can close our hearts. But choose, we will.  Choose wisely today.  Ignoring what we see is a choice in and of itself.

 

 

Build Bridges – Not Walls!

02 Tuesday Feb 2016

Posted by in Choice, Compassion, Forgiveness

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Being a third person in a conversation often provides a unique opportunity for building.  A friend calls to talk because she has been hurt by someone else you both know. How will you respond?  Will you help build a bridge or help construct a wall?

Paul helped build a bridge between Philemon and Onesimus.  Onesimus, a run away slave, had clearly wronged Philemon, his master.  Yet, Paul stepped in to help the two reconcile.

Building a bridge:

  • Reconciliation acknowledges the problem.
  • Reconciliation offers a solution.
  • Reconciliation involves forgiveness.
  • Reconciliation involves being willing to change your mind about someone.
  • Reconciliation is a choice.

Building a wall:

  • Separation replays the problem.
  • Separation offers no solution.
  • Separation refuses to forgive.
  • Separation permanently nails the offense to the other person.
  • Separation is a choice.

God chose reconciliation.  He built a bridge between Himself and you.  That bridge is Christ.

Choose reconciliation.  Bridges will take your further!

Philemon, 2 Corinthians 5:14-21

 

 

 

 

I want more for my friend!

01 Monday Feb 2016

Posted by in Choice, Faith, God's Will, Plans

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I want more for my friend than she wants for herself. I want her to be happy.  I want her to be all that God designed her to be.  I want her to live an abundant joy-filled life.

But her own choices are preventing her from becoming all that God hopes for her to be.

Why can’t she see that God’s plan is always the best?

Why can’t she see that His plan is not some religious mandate to be obeyed just for the sake of obedience but that His plan is the way for her to have richness of life?

And then I think about my own life…  Why do I sometimes refuse to do life God’s way? Why can’t I see that God’s plan is always the best for me?

The answer is the same for all of us. In these situations, we think we know more than God.  We think we know best.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.  Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.  It will be healing to your body and refreshment to your bones.  Proverbs 3:5-8

If you want your best life, ask yourself these four questions:

  • Am I being deceived by sin and my own fleshly desires?
  • Am I being proud, stubborn and self-willed?
  • Do I believe God really knows what is best for me?
  • Am I willing to do life God’s way?

Trust Him and choose wisely!

Become rooted and grounded in His love and watch Him do abundantly above all you can ask or even think in your own life!  Ephesians 3

 

 

 

Are you kidding me?!?!

29 Friday Jan 2016

Posted by in Anger, Choice, Faith

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Sometimes I am so bewildered by the things other people do.  I just don’t get why they do the things they do!  And I don’t understand why they make such stupid choices!  And to top it all off, these things have a huge impact on MY life! And I wonder if these people ever even thought about how their decisions might impact those around them, especially ME!

When these times come, they are hurtful!

When these times comes, they are scary!

When these times come, they are discouraging!

When these times come, what then?

  1. First, tell it ALL to Jesus (as often as you need to).
  2. Second, choose to forgive and pray for those ‘stupid’ people (even if you don’t feel like it).
  3. Third, keep on trusting God:
    1. Trust that He is ultimately in control of all things (even if it doesn’t seem like it).
    2. Trust that He has your best interest at heart (even if others’ don’t).
    3. Trust that He is at work and He will work this for your good (even if you can’t possibly see how).
  4. Fourth, keep your eyes on Jesus (not on those around you).
  5. Fifth, keep on doing what God has called you to do (and forget about all the other stuff).

But in all these things, we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us!  Romans 8:37

Philippians 2:12-14, Romans 8:18-39

How Dare You Call Me Lazy!

02 Saturday Jan 2016

Posted by in Choice, Faith, Faithfulness, Fear, Gift

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I don’t think of myself as lazy. So when I was reading a parable in Matthew this morning, I was struck by the master’s response to the slave who had buried his talent. The master said, “You wicked, lazy slave…”  Matthew 25:26

What was the slave’s excuse for not using the master’s talent?

He said, “I was afraid… ”

I am afraid, too – afraid to go all in, afraid of failure, afraid to pursue my God-given dream of full-time women’s ministry, afraid to boldly pursue speaking opportunities.

Fear paralyzes.  Fear causes us to do nothing. Fear leads to laziness.

So how do we address this fear?  We do something!  Something is better than nothing!

Paul told Timothy to get busy- to be disciplined and use his gift.  In so doing, he would demonstrate that the spirit from God is one of power, love and discipline.  2 Timothy 1:6-7

So today I choose to go all in.  Today I choose to be disciplined and do the work.  I want to hear the Master say to me, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

How about you?  Where do you need to exercise discipline over fear?

Jesus is Better than Target

01 Friday Jan 2016

Posted by in Choice, Despair, Encouragement, Love

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target photo 001I felt alone. The house felt dreary and bleak. The holidays were over.  The kids and grandkids had gone home.  And Dan wasn’t much company because he wasn’t feeling well.

So I decided to go to Target.  I had a return and maybe it would help to get out of the house for awhile.   And besides, even if it didn’t help,  I would still get some things crossed off my ‘to do’ list.  And that always makes me feel better.

Desolation is defined in the dictionary as a state of bleak and dismal emptiness; depressingly empty, joyless; disconsolate and sorrowful as if through separation from a loved one.

Desolation is not God’s plan for us.  We are never alone, even though we may feel alone.  We are never separated from God and His love.  Romans 8:31-39

The Pharisees were desolate.  Jesus wanted to gather them to Himself the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings but they were unwilling.  Matthew 23:37-39

I find that when I’m having a blah kind of day, the best thing I can do for myself is run to Jesus. He always gathers me to Himself.  I just have to be willing.  He is much more satisfying than a Target trip.

 

 

 

I Love $$

26 Friday Jun 2015

Posted by in Choice, Love, Money

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Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus.

How did Judas go from follower to betrayer?

  • Judas followed Jesus.
  • Judas was the keeper of the $$ box.
  • Judas pilfered money from the $$ box.
  • Judas erupted when Mary wasted costly perfume.
  • Judas lied about what he loved, pretending to love the poor while loving $$.
  • Judas designed his plan of betrayal for $$.
  • Judas became a traitor.

Judas loved $$.  It started small. He pilfered.  It grew stronger and he began to see all of life through the lens of $$.

It all came to a head on the night of the Passover meal before the crucifixion. Jesus confronted the traitor.  With a gesture of special friendship, Jesus offered Judas the dipped morsel. With this act, Jesus was giving Judas a choice.  Choose me or choose $$.  Judas chose $$.

So after receiving the morsel, Judas went out immediately; and it was night.  John 13:30

Judas went to Jesus and kissed Him.  Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you have come to do.”  Matthew 27:49-50

But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.  I Timothy 6:9-10

Sadly, Judas is a prime example of one who wants to get rich.  His love of $$ led to all sorts of evil, made him susceptible to Satan’s temptation, and caused him to wander away from the faith and pierce himself with much grief. His love of $$ was his ruin.  He committed suicide, falling headlong into the field purchased with blood $$.

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What do you love?

TODAY, are you content with what you have?

Guard your heart!

Luke 6:12-16, John 12 1-8, John 13:21-30, Matthew 27:3-10

Feeling Sorry for Myself

04 Wednesday Mar 2015

Posted by in Choice, Praise, Thankfulness

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Another cold dreary day!  Three more inches of that beautiful sleety white stuff on my deck!  A pile of tax returns sitting on my desk waiting to be finished!  And to top it all off, my husband is in a posh hotel in West Palm Beach, Florida, where it’s beautiful and sunny!  I am so tempted to feel sorry for myself.  LOL

But I refuse!  Instead I choose!

  • I choose to be thankful for all God’s blessings! Psalm 28:7
  • I choose to welcome God’s sovereign plan for my life at this very point in time, and yes, that includes the beautiful white stuff! Psalm 31:15
  • I choose to praise the Lord! Psalm 33:1
  • I choose to be glad in the Lord and rejoice! Psalm 32:11
  • I choose to shout for joy! Psalm 33:3
  • I choose to sing for joy!  Psalm 33:1

I invite you to choose, too!

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“O magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together.”  Psalm 34:3

“We who trust in the Lord are surrounded with His lovingkindness and His unfailing love.” Psalm 32:10 

  • He has forgiven all our sin!  Psalm 32:1
  • He is our rock of strength, our refuge, our fortress!  Psalm 31:1-3
  • He understands everything about us!  Psalm 33:15
  • He is our help!  Psalm 33:20
  • He is in control!  Psalm 33:10-11
  • He is fully aware of us and our unique situations!  Psalm 33:18
  • He hears our prayers!  Psalm 34:15-17
  • He is with us!  Psalm 34:18

And the list could go on and on!  God is worthy of our love!  God is worthy of our praise!

What are you praising God for today?