Confessions of a Desert Dweller

I am a desert rat. That is to say, I grew up in the Phoenix area and have spent most of my life here. In the dry, hot, dusty desert. Many people say they can't see beauty in the desert. Not me though. I think the desert can be quite beautiful. Beautiful, mysterious, treacherous and deadly. Very deadly.

Because I have spent most of my life in the area that is known as the Sonoran Desert, I have a fair amount of knowledge and respect for the desert. I know a bit about the types of critters that abound in the desert, the weather that is common to the desert, and basically, how to survive in the desert. There are three things crucial to survival in the desert – shelter, food, and most importantly, water. With the intensity of the heat, sun and dryness of the desert, all three are critical. A person will not last long without any of these truly life-saving items, but most especially water. There's no need to fear the desert if you know, have, and utilize, what is needed to survive.

While I've been talking about the physical desert, the same can be said of the spiritual desert. For some time now, I have been in the desert. I have been wandering lost and alone in a spiritual desert that has been dry, intense and void of life. It's been a long journey, and at times I wondered if I would make it. Or would I, like the Israelites before me, perish before I got to the Promised Land?

I'll admit it; there've been times in my Christian life that I've smugly wondered what was wrong with those people. After all, they were God's chosen people! He delivered them from captivity and led them in the way they should go, amid signs and wonders, toward the Promised Land. So, He hung out with just Moses for a bit on Mt. Sinai , that didn't mean He'd abandoned them. Why'd they have to make that stupid golden calf idol? What happened to their faith?

Boy, have those thoughts come back to bite me in the backside! No, I didn't make a golden calf to worship, but that doesn't mean that I didn't lose faith either, because I did. I came to believe I was all alone, that God had abandoned me and that I would die in the desert, having never made it to my Promised Land (if there actually was such a thing).

But you know what? I'm coming out of the desert. I am no longer desert dwelling. And I can see that God neither turned His back on me, nor abandoned me. And like the good Father He is, He lovingly showed me what I did wrong.

I know what is needed to survive in the physical desert (water, food, shelter) and I know that knowing about them isn't good enough, I have to use them. It's the same with the spiritual desert. I know that to survive in a spiritual desert, these things are of utmost importance . . . reading my Bible, prayer and worship. But knowing and doing are two very different things.

I didn't read my Bible. I stopped - completely. I had no interest in it. It wasn't exactly out of rebellion, but rather, when I tried to read my Bible, I felt as if all the promises, all the encouragement, all the love was for everyone else, not for me. Honest! I understand that I (we) have an enemy who is waiting desperately for an opportunity like that, to whisper in my ear, you are nothing, you are worthless, this Book is not for you. But understanding this with my head and feeling it with my heart are two very different things.

I didn't pray. Why would I? After all, I felt as if my prayers were unimportant, wrong and falling on deaf ears. It had been a few years since my prayers were answered the way I thought they should be – whether the prayers were for me, someone else, or a broader situation. I wondered how could I have such a track record of praying wrong? It got to the point that I wouldn't pray for someone because I didn't want to "cause" them to not get what they wanted. Of course, I knew that I didn't actually have that kind of power, but understanding with my head and feeling it with my heart are worlds apart.

I didn't worship. Well, that's not completely true. Like water in the physical is needed more than anything else, and even a small amount will carry you along, worship in the spiritual works the same way. I didn't choose to worship because I never felt like I had it in me to do so. But I did. Even though my flesh was weak and weary, my spirit responded to promptings of worship in church, on the radio and on my Ipod. And those moments, when my spirit responded in spite of me, I was sustained. It got me through. God is wonderful and amazing and He deserves my worship, no matter what I'm going through, but I sort of forgot that. How like Him though to prompt my spirit, with His Spirit, to do the one thing that will carry me through.

What my spirit knew was that in worship, it wasn't about me, but about Him. Worship is about who God is, and who He is doesn't change, no matter where we are or what we're going through. Circumstances can't stand in the presence of God, the Creator of the Universe. We worship God because He is worthy of our worship, but it's for us too. It strengthens us, builds our faith, lifts us up and encourages us. It helps us to go on. Just like we need water to survive in the physical, we need worship to survive in the spiritual. That's true whether we're in the desert, the valley, the Promised Land, on the mountaintop, or somewhere in between. Have you had your worship today?

Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation. ~ Psalm 100

Do Not Go Gentle...

About two months ago, I began going to physical therapy three times a week. I’d like to say it’s because of an old sports injury, or a wild freak-accident I’d been in, or better yet, that I’d hurt myself rescuing a helpless kitten escape a burning building. You know, something cool like that, but that wouldn’t be the truth.

Sadly, the truth is much less thrilling than any of that. The truth is that I turned 40 this year. Yep, the big 4 0. It is no longer possible to deny that I am middle-aged. But all in all, that hasn’t bothered me too much. After all, my experience has shown me that each decade of my life is better than the previous one.

With aging maturity though, also comes some unwanted things. Things like aches, pains, strains and cracks. Things like not being as fast, fit or flexible. And the understanding of what itis’s are: arthritis, tendonitis, bursitis. I’m now learning the importance of core conditioning and strength training, not for vanity sake, but for health sake.

Some of this is to be expected after all, because we do have earthly bodies that are already in a state of decay and dying to this life. There is no fountain of youth, magical pill, or expensive surgery that will grant us immortality. Unless we meet our demise early in life (which is always possible), old age will creep upon and overtake us. That is merely biology.

But one day, our bodies will last, and we will be pain and illness free. God has prepared for us an eternal and glorified body, to be dwelled in when this fleshly body wears out. One day the aches will be gone, a distant memory of a time when things weren’t perfect and pure. I love the hope, assurance and comfort I get from the following passage of Scripture:

“For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodiesWhile we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.” ~ 2 Cor. 5:1-5

Until that time comes, however I intend to do what I can to be, and live, healthy. Simple activities like eating well, stretching, strengthening, and getting enough water and sleep are great ways to put off the inevitability of old age. Yes, it will come, but I'll not just sit back and let it overtake me. I am reminded of one of the few poems that I actually like. I first heard it in high school and it struck a chord with me even then. I hope you enjoy it too.

~~~

Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night
By Dylan Thomas

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

A Sacrifice of Praise

Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. ~ Hebrews 13:15 (NLT)


Have you ever made a sacrifice of praise? I thought I had, until the time came that I really knew I had. It seems like such a simple act, to praise God, and really it is. But this particular Scripture makes reference to a sacrifice of praise. A sacrifice.


The thing about a sacrifice is that there is cost involved. Think about it. If we can easily, even glibly, do something without giving it much thought or consideration, it is not a sacrifice. If we throw $20 into the offering plate and we still have plenty left over to pay the bills, go to lunch, buy a new purse or pair of shoes, and hit Starbucks a few times, then we’ve given an offering, but not a sacrifice. On the other hand, if we use the money we’ve been saving for our annual vacation (or whatever), to help a family who has lost everything in a fire (or something else), that is a sacrifice.


A sacrifice is not always the easy or pleasant thing to do, but it is the right thing to do. A good parent will sacrifice their own wants and desires to provide for and take care of their family. Most of us would even go so far as to sacrifice our own life, if it were to protect or save the life of a loved one. And of course we have the amazing example of Jesus, who came as the Lamb of God, to be sacrificed, in order to reconcile us to God.


A sacrifice of praise comes from a broken heart or a shattered spirit. It is not given without pain, because to praise in the midst of sorrow is a sacrifice. To choose, or will yourself, to rise up above the circumstances that are pulling you down, and praise the Living God, no matter what, is a sacrifice. When you are feeling crushed by the heaviness of grief, or are being mercilessly battered by the storms of life, and you choose to believe, to say, “Nevertheless, God is good,” you are offering a sacrifice of praise.


The first time I offered to God a sacrifice of praise was after my first miscarriage. I was hurting and I was angry. And I didn’t understand why I lost the baby it took me so long to conceive in the first place. For a while I went through the motions, but that’s all they were. I’d go to church, and was present in body for worship, but not in spirit.


Then one day during worship, I stood, and I bowed my head, and I began to cry. In that moment, I spoke to God, telling Him, “All I have to offer is my pain and anger, but if you want it, I give it to you.” And then I began praising Him for who He is. It wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t full of energy and life, but I did it. I remembered that God is good, even in my grief. I gave him a sacrifice of praise.


When worship was over, I was changed. No, the pain wasn’t magically all gone, but I felt the peace and love of God. I found that when I praised God in spite of my hurt, it strengthened me. I was able to experience the loving comfort of my Abba Father. Since that time, I’ve had other occasions to offer up a sacrifice of praise, and every single time, God has met me there, and comforted me.


Giving a sacrifice of praise during a time of sorrow isn’t easy, but it is important. Not for God, not to stroke His ego, but for us. It is through our sacrifice that we are able to let go of the pain and begin to truly heal. God longs to comfort us when we are hurting, but He is a Gentleman, and will not force Himself on us. He is there though, waiting for us to allow Him to. And it is only then, when we are willing, that He can give us beauty for ashes.


Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. ~ Matt. 5:4 (NKJV)

God is God and I Am Not

Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible. Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that for God. For it is written, “I will take vengeance; I will repay those who deserve it,” says the Lord. Don’t let evil get the best of you, but conquer evil by doing good deeds. ~ Rom. 12:17-19, 21


Yesterday morning, during my God time, these were the verses that jumped out at me. I finished reading, and literally said out loud, “Blah, blah, blah.” Yesterday was not an easy day for my husband and I. We were put in the position of having to deal with consequences that came from trusting someone we shouldn’t have, who subsequently betrayed and hurt us deeply.


Even though I’d forgiven this person, and turned them over to God, I didn’t want to read the above verses. I wasn’t in the mood. I knew what we’d soon be facing, and my stomach was churning. Nevertheless, I prayed and I asked God for His mercy, grace and favor, to get us through the day.


Not long after that, when we were in the midst of our “stuff,” we abruptly and unexpectedly came face to face with this person. To the best of our knowledge, this person was not going to be there, and was in fact there for a different reason. We were stunned. There was our enemy, the one who’d so casually betrayed and hurt us, the one we’d hoped we’d never see again. The one we certainly didn’t expect to see on this day.


As I sat there, feeling as if we’d been sucker-punched, I was questioning God, why? Why are we face to face with our enemy? I mean, God is the God of the Universe! He is the Lord God Almighty! He is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent! He could have done something, right? Well, He did. He reminded me of these Scripture verses I’d read just that morning. He’d spoken to me through His Word, and reminded me that He was in control, and that even if I didn’t see what was happening, this was in His hands.


Phew! I gained some peace by this and hope that though this situation was excruciating, it wasn’t the end, and that if we remain honorable, God would use it for good in our lives. I believe that. I also believe that God is good, and He can be trusted, with my life, with my heart and with my hurt. Sometimes I just need to remember that God is God and I am not. And I am so grateful that He loves me enough to teach, guide and correct me through His Word and through other sources. I am so grateful that He loves me enough to accept me where I am, but He loves me too much to let me stay there.


My child, don’t reject the Lord’s discipline, and don’t be upset when he corrects you. For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights. ~ Prov. 3:11-12

To Tremble

But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God – all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us in making us friends of God. ~ Rom. 5:8,11


I am so grateful for God’s goodness and mercy. I am so thankful that He loves me, forgives me and accepts me, that I can call Him both Father and Friend. I read His Word, talk with Him, and make a joyful noise to Him. In addition to Father and Friend, He is my God, my Healer, my Creator, my Reedemer, and my Provider. In fact, He is everything I need.


Knowing God in so many ways, it is easy to be comfortable around Him. To be just me. I know Him so well, as a loving Father, full of mercy and grace, meeting me wherever I am and accepting me with whatever I have to bring Him. This is comfortable and comforting. It’s safe.


Sometimes though, too often really, I forget another part of Him. I sometimes forget that He is Holy. I sometimes forget that I could not stand in His presence, because His Holiness would drop me and my un-holiness like a rock. I forget that He is the Righteous Judge and that my “good works” are as filthy rags to Him. Sometimes I’m so comfortable with boldly coming to the throne of grace that I forget to tremble in His presence.


My God is a Holy God, Mighty and Righteous, the Source of all power, He is the Beginning and the End. Yes, it’s good for me to know Him as my Daddy and come to Him as His child. But it is also important that I know Him as Holy, and that I should display humility when I approach Him, and that sometimes, I should not forget to tremble.


Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come. ~ Rev. 4:8


Years ago, I heard a song by Nichole Nordeman that was called simply Tremble. It was on her This Mystery CD. I don’t think it was ever released as a single, but can’t remember for sure. This amazing song always reminds me of Who He is, and that yes, I should remember to bow before Him and tremble. I’ve included both the lyrics and the video below. I hope you enjoy them.

Link to video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R5x-AQYKqQ



Have I come too casually?
Because it seems to me
There's something I've neglected

How does one approach a Deity
with informality
And still protect the Sacred?

'Cause you came and chose to wear the skin of all of us
And it's easy to forget You left a throne

And the line gets blurry all the time
Between daily and Divine
And it's hard to know the difference

CHORUS:
Oh, let me not forget to tremble
Oh, let me not forget to tremble
Face down on the ground do I dare
To take the liberty to stare at you
Oh, let me not,
Oh, let me not forget to tremble

What a shame to think that I'd appear
Even slightly cavalier
In the matter of salvation

Do I claim this gift You freely gave
As if it were mine to take
With such little hesitation?

'Cause you came and stood among the very least of us
And it's easy to forget you left a throne

CHORUS:
Oh, let me not forget to tremble
Oh, let me not forget to tremble
Face down on the ground do I dare
To take the liberty to stare at you
Oh, let me not,
Oh, let me not forget to tremble

The cradle of the grave could not contain Your Divinity
Neither can I oversimplify this love

Oh, let me not forget to tremble
Face down on the ground do I dare
To take the liberty to stare at you
Oh, let me not
Oh, let me not forget to tremble

You Lead Me Lord ~ Psalm 139, Part 4

"O God, if only you would destroy the wicked! Get out of my life, you murderers! They blaspheme you; your enemies misuse your name. O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you? Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you? Yes, I hate them with total hatred, for your enemies are my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life." ~ Psalm 139:19-24


This is a tough one. Have you ever been hurt by another person before? Betrayed, slandered, mistreated, abused, or violated? Have you ever witnessed injustice, cruelty or prejudice? Have you ever been a victim of circumstance or persecution? Of course you have, you’re human! We all have. We live in a fallen world, overcome by sin, and we’ve all experienced, and caused, by the way, pain.


As Christians we are admonished to forgive. Forgive, forgive, forgive! Jesus said we are to forgive a person who hurts us seventy times seven, meaning as often as we are hurt or offended. We are to forgive if we want to be forgiven.


Forgiveness isn’t natural. It isn’t what we want. What we want is payback, vengeance, justice. We are humans, and we have human emotions and desires. When I read the above verses, I love the raw honesty of the Psalmist. He is being real with his emotions, strong and passionate as they are, as he cries out to God for intervention.


No, forgiveness isn’t natural. But it is necessary. It is necessary for our own sakes. When we hold onto the offenses that are done to us, we become steeped in anger, and that anger turns to bitterness, animosity, hostility and hate. And those emotions are destructive, not to the person who hurt or offended us, but to ourselves.


If we choose to forgive our enemies, we free ourselves from an ugly and dark self-imposed prison and we free God to act on our behalf. He will vindicate us. God is the judge, and He’s got our backs! It says in Romans 12:19, “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.”


Offering forgiveness doesn’t simply mean the offender is getting off without penalty though. Simply put, actions have consequences. One way or another. Forgiveness can be instantaneous, but I think (in my case anyway) that’s more the exception than the rule. We have very real and strong emotions that we experience when we are harmed. That’s natural. And we often have to allow ourselves to experience them before we are able to choose to let go, heal and forgive.


When we make that choice, it doesn’t necessarily make all of our feelings go away, but rather it allows God to come in and begin to do His work in helping us to heal. His healing further allows us to let go and move forward. It is then that we are able to follow His lead and live the life He desires for us to have.


And it is only after that, after we’ve allowed God to show us the dark places in our hearts and heal us, that we are truly able to follow His path, ascend His hill and stand in His holy place.


“Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully. He shall receive blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.” ~ Psalm 24:3-5

You Made Me Lord ~ Psalm 139, Part 3

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me! ~ Psalm 139:13-18


Oh, what comfort these verses have brought and continue to bring me. Though I had heard the expression “God don’t make junk” before, I didn’t truly get it, until I read these verses. Then again. And again. I read them over, and over, and over, letting them take root deep inside my heart. I needed them – desperately.


People who’ve grown up in abuse, poverty and dysfunction often struggle with feelings of inferiority. Self-worth is frequently associated with performance. There is often a feeling of not fitting in or measuring up. That’s how it was with me. Often through the years, my pain, anger, loneliness and oppression really got to me. I sometimes thought I was unlovable, to myself, to others, and to God. I didn’t think I was a bad person per se; it was more like I just didn’t matter. I wandered through life, determined to do and be better than my family. I worked hard and was pretty well liked, eventually, popular even. But all of that was superficial. Inside I was eaten up by insecurity and unworthiness.


I always was aware of God, always knew Jesus, but I never committed my life to Him. It wasn’t because I wasn’t interested. I just couldn’t find Him. I tried out various churches through the years, but never felt anything. Finally, when I was 30, I walked into the church that changed my life. God had been wooing me and I was primed. I was ready. I was tired of searching, I now wanted to find.


And find Him I did! God radically changed my life and more importantly, how I saw and valued myself. I realized I was beautiful, enjoyable, and purposeful simply because He made me that way. I had worth and value, because He created me, not because of where I came from or what I’d accomplished. The wonderful and amazing God of the universe, created me, thought about me, loved me, had a purpose for me.


It is truly astounding to me, that He has written all the days of my life in His book. That He has a very specific and unique purpose for me, one that only I can fulfill. He created me; giving me the looks and personality He wanted me to have to fulfill that purpose. I have learned that when I criticize myself, I am actually criticizing the work of God’s hands. That’s not to say I can’t or shouldn’t better myself, but rather I’m kinder to myself as I go about it. I may mess up from time to time, but God is still there. He still watches over me and thinks of me. He still loves me.


I now know that no matter what happens in my life, I am not alone. I am not unwanted or unloved. The following song was instrumental in preparing me to receive Jesus as my Savior. God led me to it a few months before I was saved. I played it nearly non-stop. I love it still. I hope you enjoy it too.

You're With Me, Lord ~ Psalm 139, Pt. 2

I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me and your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night— but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you. ~ Psalm 139:7-12


Isn’t it good to know we are never alone? Though undoubtedly we may feel that way at times, the truth is that we are not. The thing is the Bible doesn’t ever say we’ll never experience the darkness, storms, sorrow, pain, betrayal, cruelty, evil or death. What it says, is that when we experience these things, God is right there with us.


Have you ever tried to flee the presence of the Lord? Times when you’re angry, doing something you know is sinful, wanting things your way and in your timing, or simply retreating into yourself? I have. It seems like the times that I need Him the most, are the times that I push Him away. Much like a petulant or pouty child. Nevertheless, He is always there for me. He is always waiting on me. He is always reaching out to me.


Have you ever felt as if God has abandoned you, that when you reach out to Him, He’s just not there? I have. There are times when the darkness is so dark and the storm is so violent that you feel you’ll never make it out, you feel like you won’t survive. You even wonder, where is God in the midst of it all? But we can’t rely on or trust our feelings. They are fluid, constantly changing, and influenced by our own limited and faulty perceptions. Feelings waver, truth does not!


The truth is that no matter what we feel, God is right there. Whether we are choosing to live righteously or in sin, whether we are joyful or heartbroken, content or dissatisfied, running to or from Him, He is always there. He supports us when we are frail and uplifts us when we fall. He strengthens us when we are weak and guides us when we are lost. However, we have to let Him. We can, and sometimes do, choose to turn Him down. But that doesn’t mean He’s not there – He is. The darkness may last for a time, but the Light always pushes it back. Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning. (Psa. 30:5)


I am so grateful that I don’t have to rely on my own strength, knowledge, wisdom or feelings. To think that the Lord of all creation is always with little ol’ me, no matter where I am, what I’m doing, or who I’m with, is too wonderful for words! Yes, the storms come and the waves crash down, but we don’t have to be overcome by them. We can trust in the Truth, rather than our feelings, and lean on the support and strength of Jesus to get us through. That’s what He wants. That’s what He offers. All we have to do is receive it.


Thank you Lord, for always being with me, no matter what I’m going through. Thank you for offering me your love, mercy, grace, compassion, comfort, patience, strength and support. Thank you for driving out the darkness and showering me in Light. Thank you the hope and abundant life you have for me. You are everything to me and I praise you!

You Know Me, Lord ~ Psalm 139, Part 1

O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! ~ Psalm 139:1-6


This Psalm (139) is probably my most favorite of all the Psalms. I have read it many times throughout my Christian journey. It has given me comfort and assurance in ways that are both deep and profound. It is Rhema to me, life-giving words to live by. Just today I read it again. Once more, it has jumped out at me, specifically the part posted above.


I’m the sort of person that can pretty honestly say, “what you see is what you get.” I’m not much of a faker. I never have been. This doesn’t necessarily mean I wear every emotion on my sleeve, but still, I try to be real, though not always deeply revealing (in that I do try to practice wisdom). That’s why it’s been so important for me to be real in my writing. As I go through the seasons of my life, I find I have to be real and honest about them. With both myself and God.


Reading the above verses, it’s good to know that in this, I’m right on target. Like the Psalmist, God knows me better than I know myself. He knows what I think, feel, say and do, whether I’m honest about it or not. Whether I’m aware of it or not. And even whether I am near or far from Him. He knows whether I will take the high road, or the low road, way before I even arrive at the road.


Once again, with my latest miscarriage, as with my previous two, I felt anger. I was angry with myself, with God, with the world… The thing I didn’t want to do was pretend that I was ok, because I wasn’t. I was hurting badly and flat out pissed off! I hope I don’t shock you too much, but once again, this is me, being real. I spoke of my hurt and anger in person, on my blog, and to God. And you know what? I feel better. Yes, I’m still in the process of healing. But being real, rather than in denial, is both healing and freeing.


Sadly, there are too many Christians who aren’t real. Worse yet, there are “seasoned” Christians who try to influence “newer” Christians to not be real. Who do they think they’re fooling? Certainly not God! He knows us, loves us, and understands when life, and the storms of life, gets to us. That’s part of the beauty of the reality of Jesus. Fully God and fully man. He felt strong emotions; He loved, laughed and grieved. He experienced loyalty and betrayal. And He faced, and conquered, death. He gets us!


And because He gets us, He expects us to be real, even if that real is raw. He is there for us, waiting for us to come to Him, to receive the comfort, peace and love that only He can give. Like a loving Father, He welcomes us to come and sit on His lap and pour out our hearts to him. Even if it is after a temper tantrum. And as we sit with Him, being real with Him, and inviting Him to touch us in His own special way, He does. Tenderly, lovingly, He reaches out to place His hand of blessing on our head.


Thank you, Lord, for your healing-balm, tender-mercies and loving-kindness. Though it is too great and wonderful for me to fully understand, I thank you.

Search Me, O God

When I first got saved, 10 years ago, I had a voracious appetite for the Word of God. I stopped watching TV, changed my relationships and associations, and most definitely changed my activities. I read the Bible all the time. Seriously, any free time I had. I just couldn’t get enough of it. I read the whole Bible three times the first year. Except for Psalms.


I just couldn’t get into Psalms. It wasn’t that I didn’t think there wasn’t good content to be read; it’s just that I couldn’t structure it right. I had a tendency to read like a machine, start at the beginning and go straight through to the end, but I found I couldn’t do that with the Psalms. Eventually I found a way to read them. And guess what? I found that I loved them! Such beauty, such love, such pain, such humility, such need for God, such need for grace, such honesty. Brutal honesty at times. I found so much contained within the Psalms that spoke directly to me, and whatever situation I found myself in. Now I love Psalms, and have tons of underlining, highlighting and notes to prove that.


Recently when I was in Psalms and came to a passage that really caused to me pause and think on it for a moment. I was in Psalm 139 (one of my favorites anyway), at the last two verses really jumped out at me. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” ~ Psalm 139:23-24


What a brave prayer! Read it again and let it sink in. Did the Psalmist really want God to search him and see into the deepest parts of his heart and mind? Yikes! My first reaction was, I really don’t think I would want God to do that to me. But then I realized how absurd that is because He does anyway. He knows the parts inside of me that are still dark and cold. He knows when I hold offense or unforgiveness in my heart. He knows when I sin in thought, even if I don’t actually sin in action.


He knows me far better than I know myself. And that's why I think this prayer is so brave. The Psalmist is asking God to examine him, test him, and then show him anything that is within him, that is not pure and pleasing to God. Why would he do that? Why would we do this? Is this something we really want to know? Isn’t ignorance bliss? No, in this case it's not. The answer to why is in the very last part of the prayer. When God shows us the sin in our lives (thoughts, words, actions, and attitudes), He is leading us along the path of everlasting life, the path of righteousness, the path to Him.


So now, despite my great trepidation, I will try to be as brave as the Psalmist, and pray this prayer on a regular basis, because I know that He corrects me lovingly and for my own good, because He is a good Daddy. That doesn’t mean I have to like it though! (Still working on attitude!) I realize this is not without challenge because once He shows me, I really am responsible for changing. And I will probably have to let go of some things that I’d really rather hang on to. But I know He will be there, and He will give me the grace I need. And I know that according to Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Amen!

A Proverb A Day . . .

When I began to read my Bible today, I was thrilled to see I was beginning Proverbs again. I can say with absolute certainty that Proverbs is my favorite book of the Bible. And I’m in it quite often. The way I read my Bible, is to begin with a full page or two of Psalms, Proverbs, or Ecclesiastes, then spend some time in my normal reading from the other books. I basically go Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiasts, Proverbs, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, etc. So, as I said, I’m in Proverbs a lot.


But I love that book! There is so much wisdom, instruction, and good old fashioned common sense contained within it. And everything applies to life today. Want to know about relationships? It’s in Proverbs. Want to know about good character? It’s in Proverbs. Want to know about money? It’s in Proverbs. Want to know about how to live your life in a productive and honorable way? It’s in Proverbs. Likewise, if you want to learn how not to be or act, it too is in Proverbs. Do you see a theme here?


Every single time I read Proverbs, something jumps out at me. I’m not kidding every time. So I began my reading today with the beginning of Proverbs, which according to my current Bible, the New Living Translation, explains The Purpose of Proverbs. The first few lines, verses 2 – 4 really jumped out at me. They are:


“The purpose of these proverbs is to teach people wisdom and discipline, and to help them understand wise sayings. Through these proverbs, people will receive instruction in discipline, good conduct, and doing what is right, just, and fair. These proverbs will make the simple-minded clever. They will give knowledge and purpose to young people.” Prov. 1:2-4 (NLT)


WOW! Can you imagine what our society would be like if this stuff was actually taught? How much better off would we be if Proverbs was required reading and teaching, in the home, the schools, and the boardrooms all across America? What if all the tremendous amount of money and effort that goes into teaching liberal tolerance, sexual exploitation of children, alternative lifestyles, etc, what if that actually was used for good? What if, bear with me now, what if the content of Proverbs was actually taught in our churches?


Imagine how society would be if discipline wasn’t a bad and dreaded thing to be fought and rebelled against. Imagine if we studied Proverbs to learn how to handle money, bills, and debt? Imagine life if everyone focused on good character and how to be better people, honest, honorable and with high integrity. Imagine if people actually behaved in a way that was consistently right, just, and fair!


Alas, I know it is just wishful thinking . . . But once again I commit myself to learning and growing through Proverbs, and yes, of course, the rest of the Bible too. In it I’ve learned how to be a good wife and mother. In it I’ve learned (somewhat anyway) to tame my tongue. In it I’ve learned to seek and follow God’s will for my life, because His way is certainly better than mine.


No, I’ve not yet gotten to the finish line. I know I still have a long way to go, to be the person God created me to be. But I also know that I am not alone on this journey. Jesus is always with me. And He has given me both the Holy Spirit and His Word to guide and direct me. And once again I am thankful for it all! I’d love to give you more verses to ponder, but if I added all of the verses that speak to me, this would be about 6,000 words long. So instead, I’ll just recommend that you spend some time in Proverbs. After all, as I always say, “a Proverb a day will keep evil away.”

Foundational Fitness ~ Choosing Life

I am very excited that my Choosing Life column for Take Root and Write is now being published twice a month, on the second and fourth Monday of each month. As such, I’ll republish my article here, the day after it posts on my column. TRW is a wonderful place to read amazing articles from over 40 different columns and women. I encourage you to check it out – I’m sure you’ll find something there that you’ll enjoy very much. You may even decide to become a guest contributor yourself!

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“This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.” ~ Deut. 30:19


Ok, so it’s the beginning of a New Year and that means we’re talking about fitness – Foundational Fitness, to be exact. I’m not one who typically tends to make resolutions, because frankly they just don’t work for me. But I do think it is important to reflect, assess and adjust. In order to continue Choosing Life, I have to reflect on where I’ve been and where I am. I have to assess the situation by basically looking for cracks or other flaws in my foundation. And finally, I have to make any adjustments, corrections or improvements that may be needed to move forward.

Of course, my foundation is my relationship with Jesus. How can I really choose life, if I’m not giving the appropriate attention the life giver? I believe it is important for every believer to take time periodically to really focus on their relationship with the Lord. How often is up to the individual, and hopefully allowance is made for the Holy Spirit, but it should be done.

When we take the opportunity to examine our own hearts, to examine our prayer time, praise time, worship time, quiet time, etc., and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to us areas we could or should improve in, He will. When we really observe the movies, books and music we keep in our homes, are they all ok for us, or do a few of them give us a check in our spirit? If we do get that check in our spirit, what do we do about it? Do we ignore it and hope it will go away (because eventually it will) or do we take action and remove it from our presence?

This is not about a list of rules. We each have things we struggle with and things we don’t. I will not attempt to try to make someone do this or stop that, because that’s not my job. That is the job of the Holy Spirit and if we are in tune with Him, He will convict us. And if we’re willing, He’ll also help us to do or stop doing whatever it is we’re feeling conviction for. But only if we’re willing.

A moment ago, I mentioned that if we ignore a check in our spirit, it will eventually stop and go away. That’s what it is to harden our hearts to the Lord. And it is choosing death. Jesus gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit when He joined the Father in heaven to help us live this Christian life. He knew we were still in the world, even if we were no longer of the world, and He in His good grace and mercy, provided us with a Helper while we are yet here. But it is up to us to accept the help our Helper can give us.

The condition of our foundation, or spiritual life, is completely in our control. We can choose to make any changes that are necessary to make sure that it’s sound. If our prayer life is shallow, we can choose to go deeper. If our quiet time is not what it should be, we can choose to make the necessary changes to improve it. If our service to God and to our neighbors is lacking, we can choose to make it increase. All of these things are how we choose life in our spiritual lives.

That said, I think it is important to acknowledge that there are times that our spiritual life may be weak because of a specific situation we are in. For example, when I first had my baby, I simply was not concerned with the quality of my prayer time or quiet time or service, etc. Nope, I was too busy trying to learn how to be a mother and take care of this newborn, recover from surgery and frankly, I was just doggone tired! But I knew that was a specific situation, for a specific time, and God’s grace and understanding covered me. However, those situations are only for a time, and then, when the time has passed, we should be mindful to get back into our spiritual routines. Again, that is choosing life in our spiritual life.

It really is in our best interest to make sure our foundation is secure. In Matthew, Jesus talks about the importance of making sure our foundation is built out of something that will last, such as stone, so that when the storms come, we are anchored and secure and can weather the storm. To the contrary, if our foundation is built out of temporary things, such as sand, the storms that inevitably come will destroy us.

In this theme, imagine a sand castle. I’ve seen some pretty impressive ones, built several feet high, with great detail and structure, but in the end they’re still just a pile of sand, which is evident if wind, water or another force comes into contact with it. On the other hand, think of a real castle. I’ve seen some pretty impressive real castles too. I had the privilege of living in England for a couple of years and never failed to experience a sense of awe when I saw these amazing, massive structures that had been around for several hundreds of years! Which one of these castles would you rather live in?

It’s the same with our spiritual foundation. I want to make sure my foundation is strong, built on the Stone that is Jesus and know that through Him I have the strength to come through any storm. That is choosing life!


“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” ~ Matt. 7:24-27

Choosing Life at Christmas ~ 'Tis the Season Indeed!

This is my latest Choosing Life column at Take Root and Write, which posted yesterday. I hope you enjoy. Ladies, if you'd like to read other fabulous columns in a great variety of topics, please check out Take Root and Write. Blessings and Merry Christmas!

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‘Tis the season, indeed! By now, I’m sure we’ve all been inundated with everything Holiday, a lot of which is probably without the Christ aspect. Now more than ever, it is imperative that we as Christians are in the world, not of the world. For us, Christ is (or should be) the reason for Christmas! So how do we choose life at Christmas time? By choosing to be mindful of and embracing the true spirit of Christmas.

I love to give and get gifts, for Christmas or any other time, for that matter. In fact, that is one of my primary love languages. I love unwrapping gifts, I love looking at all the pretty packages under the tree, I love the anticipation of unwrapping gifts, and I love seeing how someone I care about reacts to receiving a well thought out gift. All of that is to say this: I think that gift giving and receiving at Christmas is a lovely expression of our affection for the people we love. HOWEVER, we must never forget the true spirit of Christmas.

I’ve mentioned that twice now, the true spirit of Christmas. So what do I mean by that? I’m sure if you ask that to 100 different people you’ll get 100 different answers! But, to me, the true spirit of Christmas is first of course, the birth of Jesus, and second, being an extravagant giver. The birth of Jesus was a miracle and it paved the way for the redemption of mankind. The birth of Jesus was as great as it was humble – the birth announcement was given by angels, the gifts were brought by kings and first visitors were lowly shepherds. And the birth of Jesus was the perfect example of extravagant giving – from God the Father, to us, His children.

Being an extravagant giver is not about spoiling our children with all of their wants, or giving meaningless gifts to everyone regardless of the relationship we have with them, and it’s certainly not about going into debt to have Christmas. On the contrary, that is choosing death, not choosing life. Being an extravagant giver is giving with your heart and it doesn’t matter who the recipient is – you may not even know them. But it is giving without thinking of receiving and it is giving cheerfully and it may even be giving sacrificially. Again, I’m talking about much more than money or gifts that money can buy, though obviously that is included.

Christmas is called the most wonderful time of the year – there’s even a song about it. But to many people, it’s not. To them, it’s a long, drawn out period of time which is painful and they dread it coming every year. Sorrow, pain, poverty and loneliness seem much bigger during the holiday season. If you’ve lost a loved one, are in a bad marriage or have no family, there is a loneliness that exists that is both oppressive and destructive, especially during the holiday season. This can also be a particularly difficult time for our military who may be all alone and thousands of miles away from home, often times in hostile and dangerous areas (please I implore you, don’t forget about them). Whatever the cause, it’s hard to see beyond the pain of your own situation.

Consequently, it’s no surprise that self-destructive and emotion-numbing behavior tends to increase this time of year. It’s a sad reality for those in the world, but what about those in the church? Isn’t God enough? While the easy, and patronizing, answer is yes, the reality is much different. When someone feels all alone in the world, they may know that God is with them and loves them even, but it does not negate the fact that deep down they know they were created for relationships. God said it Himself in Genesis 2:18, “It is not good for the man to be alone.” The sad fact is that there are many even within the walls of the church who are feeling loneliness to the point of despair, especially this time of year.

What about those who live in poverty? As a child, when I believed in Santa, I didn’t understand why, as good as I tried to be, I was never good enough to get what I wanted for Christmas. When I was old enough, I realized why – it was because we were poor. I know what it is like to experience Christmas mornings, knowing it’s only because of the church, Salvation Army, or another charity, that we kids had anything to open at all. Now, as a mother, I can’t even imagine how difficult that must have been for my own single-mom. But as bad as we had it, I realize now that it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. For far too many others, receiving a gift of clean water for drinking, a goat for milking, immunizations to be combat disease, a coat to stay warm, a blanket to ward off the cold of sleeping outside, or even having a place to escape to so they can leave the horror of forced prostitution, is a life, and hope, giving blessing that cannot be underestimated in worth.

How do we choose life, during the busy, hectic and far-too commercial Christmas season? By looking beyond ourselves. It’s easy to see, if we will just look. Things are tough right now in the U.S., there’s no doubt about that. But for most of us, if we were to be honest, it wouldn’t hurt us in the least to go without the latest gadget, or cut down on the latte’s. If we choose to see the need that is all around us, we can also see that there is probably something we can do to help – even if it doesn’t seem like much to us. That is choosing life. No one can do everything, but everyone can do something. This year, my husband and I have decided to give to World Vision, in lieu of exchanging gifts with each other. Please understand, I’m not trying to make you do the same, or even something similar, this is just something we feel compelled by the Lord to do.

Most of us can give something of financial value, even if it seems to be of low value to us. That is the miracle of multiplication – God can take our little amount and multiply it with others, to do something really significant. Of course, if we have more to give, that is even better.

But can we go beyond giving something of financial value? Of course! Caring for and showing kindness and concern to someone who is hurting and alone can make all the difference in the world. Phone calls, cards, letters, prayers and gifts are all things that can be done to help someone who is hurting to get through the season. That is choosing life. Most importantly though, bringing them into your home and family for dinner, or to simply spend time together, is not only choosing life, but it can truly be life-giving.

Beyond that, there are so many organizations that you can donate your time, talent and/or treasures to all the time, but again especially this time of year. With all the options out there to be actually be an extravagant giver, surely there’s something that suits you.

Some of you, who are reading this, may be experiencing any of the situations I’ve talked about or many more that I have not. How do you choose life? It is still by taking your eyes off yourself. In the pain you may be feeling, that is probably not easy, and I truly do understand that because I’ve been there. But if you reach out to others and reach out to God, and do something that is beyond yourself, I have no doubt that God will meet you where you are and touch your life in a powerful way. He is faithful, He does love you and He did choose you.

So this year, please join me in choosing life during Christmas. This season more than ever we should look and see to find a need and fill it, find a hurt and heal it. That is Choosing Life!

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.’” ~ Luke 2:8-11

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” ~ John 3:16

To Choose Life In Politics

“This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.” ~ Deut. 30:19

Previously we’ve discussed the importance of Choosing Life in our thoughts, words and actions. (If you’ve missed any of those and want to catch up, please click here. ) For this next installment of my Choose Life Series, I am focusing on choosing life in our politics. Obviously, Tis the Season for that! Anybody who knows me, knows that I am fairly political. If you like titles, I guess I could be called an Evangelical Christian, Conservative, Reaganesque Republican.

How do we Choose Life in politics? By getting involved! By knowing the issues! By donating our time, our knowledge or our money! By voting! We must consider the character of God and what He would want, and then align ourselves with His will. And we must pray – for the leaders, for the nation, for Godly representatives who have honor and integrity. Doing any of these things is an act of Choosing Life in politics.

For far too long, the majority of Christians have avoided politics, and as such, we have turned our great Nation over to the enemy. No wonder it is in the state it’s in! We see the results of our inaction in the 50 million+ babies that have been killed through abortion, we see it in the failing and often times violent school system, we see it in violent crime and drug use that continues to climb, and we see it in the sexual immorality (of all types) that is running rampant through our society.

By and large, it seems that Christians have chosen death politically. Sure, lots of us have voted, but have we made an effort to know exactly what the issues are? Have we gotten the word out. Have we humbled ourselves, dropped to our knees and prayed? Any time spent in 1 & 2 Kings and 1 & 2 Chronicles will quickly show that when the King (government) was right with God, things went well for the country. But when the King (government) was not right with God, things were disastrous for the country.

There are serious, life, and country, altering issues at stake. Some relating to life itself. Anything to do with abortion – early term, late term, partial-birth, the Infant Born Alive Act (which is related to giving or withholding medical care to a baby that has survived a botched abortion). There are issues at stake for protecting the sanctity of marriage, for protection from having to pushing the homosexual agenda and for education for our children. There are issues about gun rights – the right to bear arms, which is guaranteed by the 2nd Amendment. There are issues about the safety of our Nation and the economy. How can we vote on these issues if we don’t know what they are?

Whether the liberals like it or not, America was formed by Christians. The Bible was used for forming the Constitution. And we have thrived as a prosperous and free nation, because Jesus was the cornerstone and God has allowed us to. The United States of America has been a beacon of light and hope for oppressed people around the world because of God and Christians, and the only way it will remain so is through God and Christians. A key part to this is “and Christians.” See, God is all powerful, He is our Protector and our Provider, but He is not a dictator, sugar-daddy or some kind of genie in a bottle. He is the Living God, King of kings and Lord of lords! He desires to take care of us, but we must allow Him to. We must pray for Him to. We must continue to repent and intercede on behalf of those in our Nation, who are turning their backs to Him.

There are limited ways we can turn America back to God. Yes, we must preach the Word and be a witness for Him. But it is urgent that we appeal to Him through prayer be diligent about knowing the Candidates and issues that are represented in an election. Even if that means doing some research and even if it means (heaven forbid!) turning off the TV to do that research and spend some time in prayer. I believe that we as Christians will be held accountable for any votes we cast that are contrary to the Character of God. He will not turn a blind eye to a vote for a bill or candidate that supports abortion, sexual immorality or any other type of blatant sin that is a "lifestyle".

Please, I beg of you, Choose Life on Election Day. If you Choose Life in your politics, you are Choosing Life for your Nation, you are Choosing Life for your fellow citizens and you are Choosing Life for your children and their future.

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“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.” ~ 1 Tim 2:1-2

“Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.” ~ 2 Chr. 7:14

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The following are quotes from our Founding Fathers:

Providence has given to our people the choice of their rulers, and it is the duty as well as the privilege and interest of our Christian nation to select and prefer Christians for their rulers ~ John Jay

In the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior. The Declaration of Independence laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity. John Quincy Adams

Righteousness alone can exalt America as a nation. Whoever thou art, remember this; and in thy sphere practice virtue thyself, and encourage it in others. ~ Patrick Henry

The practice of morality being necessary for the well being of society, He [God] has taken care to impress its precepts so indelibly on our hearts that they shall not be effaced by the subtleties of our brain. We all agree in the obligation of the moral principles of Jesus and nowhere will they be found delivered in greater purity than in His discourses. ~ Thomas Jefferson

I do not believe that the Constitution was the offspring of inspiration, but I am as satisfied that it is as much the work of a Divine Providence as any of the miracles recorded in the Old and New Testament. ~ Benjamin Rush

The great enemy of the salvation of man, in my opinion, never invented a more effective means of limiting Christianity from the world than by persuading mankind that it was improper to read the Bible at schools. ~ Benjamin Rush

While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian. ~ George Washington

The Christian religion – its general principles – must ever be regarded among us as the foundation of civil society. ~ Daniel Webster

The religion which has introduced civil liberty is the religion of Christ and His apostles… This is genuine Christianity and to this we owe our free constitutions of government. ~ Noah Webster

The moral principles and precepts found in the Scriptures ought to form the basis of all our civil constitutions and laws. ~ Noah Webster

The Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children under a free government ought to be instructed. No truth is more evident than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people. ~ Noah Webster

For more information about the beliefs of the Founding Fathers, please go to WallBuilders.

To Choose Life in Action

“This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.” ~ Deut. 30:19

It is time to continue the “Choose Life” series. Previously we discussed the importance of Choosing Life in our thoughts and words. This installment will cover the aspect of Choosing Life in our actions. Again, it is all about choice. The things we do, for good or for bad, are a result of making a choice. Each day we have hundreds of choices to make. Some are significant, most probably aren’t, but they all lead to either life or death.

When we are young and in school (though I don’t remember what year – it’s been awhile), we learn the concept of cause and effect. For every action, there is a reaction. It can be staggering when you really think of the enormity of that. Most of us don’t think that way on a regular basis, but that doesn’t make it untrue. One thing I’ve learned, and say on a regular basis, is “all actions have consequences – for good or for bad, they all have consequences.” We may not always like the consequences, particularly if they’re bad, but they’re there nonetheless.

Some of the choices we face every day are in the form of rules, commandments or laws. Others are not so clear. For instance, there is no law or specific rule about returning extra money back to a clerk who has incorrectly given you the wrong amount. Some might make the case that keeping anything that isn’t truly yours is stealing. Others may see it as a blessing or good luck. Which is it? In reality, returning the money is the right thing to do. When we do what is right, what is good, we are choosing life. When we do what is wrong, or sinful, we are choosing death. This is where our integrity comes in – right is right and wrong is wrong regardless of whether anyone else knows we are doing it. And even if no other person knows the actions we take, the Lord always knows. “The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.” ~ Prov. 15:3

We as humans tend to be ruled by our sinful nature. And we humans attempt to quantify sin, such as murder and gossip are both sin, but murder is much worse. That’s not how God sees it though. To God, sin is sin, and regardless of what the sin is, it leads to death. Consider Gal. 5:19-21, “When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.” If we choose to behave in such ways, we are choosing death. Look again at the behaviors mentioned above and think on them a moment. What else fits in with them. Does immodesty, manipulation, substance abuse, laziness, disobedience of parents or authority, betrayal of confidence or trust, lying or greed belong in the same category of sin? Yes, they are all sin, they are all characteristics that thrive in the darkness of this present age, and they all lead to death.

But there is another way - a way that leads to light and to life. When we make the choice to do the right thing, we are living righteously and choosing life. We should make every effort to consistently do the right thing, not because of legalism, rules or fear, but because we love God and are grateful for the new life He has given us through His Son Jesus. Our salvation comes to us through faith, not works, however our works become an outward expression of what He has done for us. We read in James 2:17-18, “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.”

So what does it look like to choose life in our actions? It can be telling the truth, serving in ministry, exhibiting kindness, obeying the commandments, having integrity, dressing modestly, keeping promises, not gossiping, standing up for what is right, reading the Bible, averting your eyes when they are exposed to something you shouldn’t be seeing, and innumerable other ways. We all have a conscience, and more importantly, as Christian’s, we have the Holy Spirit, so we basically know what is right versus what is wrong. And the Holy Spirit gives us power to make the right choice when it may be easier not to, but it’s still up to us to do it. “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation." ~ Phil. 2:12-15

This is not to say that we must be perfect, because we are human and we will make mistakes or just plain screw up. But if we come to God with a repentant heart, He will always give us mercy and forgive us. He sees our heart and understands we have a continuous battle going on between our spirit and our flesh. One thing to keep in mind though, is that while we may have forgiveness according to God, that doesn’t mean we don’t also have consequences according to man. If we lie to or otherwise deceive our spouses, parents, friends, etc, we will lose their trust, we may even lose the relationship, and we will most likely receive some type of “punishment” for our actions. If we rob and kill someone, or engage in any other type of illegal activity, we will have to answer for that in a court of law and will spend time in jail. Again, God will forgive us if we are repentant, and even those we hurt or offend may forgive us, but there are still consequences.

God created us all with a specific purpose, to do good works and to serve. It says in Eph. 2:10, “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” When we volunteer our time and talent at a homeless shelter, soup kitchen, Crisis Pregnancy Center, or any other of the thousands of ministries available to help others, we are choosing life. When we visit with a lonely old person who is alone or offer to run errands for someone who is unable to do it themselves, we are choosing life. When we comfort someone who is hurting, encourage someone who is fearful, welcome someone who is new, and when we love the un-lovely, we are choosing life. When we find a need and fill it, find a hurt and heal it, we are choosing life.

There is one other thing to remember here. We will answer for our deeds and we will receive whatever we deserve. The Bible is very clear about this. It reads in Gal. 6:7-8, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” Then in Jer. 32:18-19, “O great and powerful God, whose name is the LORD Almighty, great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds. Your eyes are open to all the ways of men; you reward everyone according to his conduct and as his deeds deserve.” And finally in 2 Cor. 5:9-10, “So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please him. For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.” One day, we will stand before God and be judged for the choices we made and the actions we took here on this earth, and we will be rewarded accordingly. Personally, I long to stand before Him and hear Him say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant, here is your reward!” Therefore, I am choosing life!


The sins of some men are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not cannot be hidden. ~ 1 Tim. 5:24-25

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. ~ Heb. 10:24

I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. ~ Rev. 2:19

To Choose Life in Words

“This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.” ~ Deut. 30:19


As I continue on with this series, “Choose Life”, it is time to explore what it means to choose life in our words. Something to remember throughout this whole series is that it’s all about choice – we have the power to determine the type of life we live through the choices we make. The last post in this series was about choosing life in our thoughts. We saw how important it was to take our thoughts captive. And we know that our thoughts lead to our words. Now we will find it is equally important to control our lips, words, mouth and tongue. This is made pretty clear in Prov. 13:3, “He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.”

All day, every day, we have the chance to speak words that bring life or death. Whether we are talking to our families, peers, co-workers, strangers, or even ourselves, the words we use will either tear down our build up. It says in Prov. 18:21, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” This means everything we say, either leads to life or to death and that which we choose, we will receive. If we choose to speak in a manner that is harsh, hurtful, condemning, gossipy, dishonest, or deceitful, we are then choosing death. But, if we choose to speak words that are encouraging, peaceful, healing, kind, lovely, and uplifting, then we are choosing life. We find this to be true in Prov. 12:18, “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”

It often seems that negative words are easier to say, take root much deeper, and are far more common. However, that doesn’t make it right. Most of us probably beat ourselves up a bit verbally, from time to time, but we shouldn’t. Whenever we tell ourselves, I’m so fat, stupid, lazy, ugly, boring, or sinful, we are choosing death. Anytime we call ourselves names or put ourselves down, we are speaking death over ourselves, and worse we are insulting God, who created us in His image and loves us with an everlasting love. This type of verbal assault isn’t usually only directed inward at self, but it typically is directed outward at others also. When we insult others, lie, speak maliciously, or gossip, to or about other people, we are speaking death not only to them, but to ourselves too! We should be ever mindful to control the words we speak, as it says in Prov. 4:24, “Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.”

On the other side of this, there are words that build up. When we compliment praise and affirm, others or ourselves, we are speaking life. When we do the right thing verbally, like tell the truth or put a stop to gossip, we are choosing life. When we say positive affirmations to ourselves or speak the Word out loud, we are choosing life! (I mention positive affirmations because it’s been said that it takes ten positives to erase one negative.) None of us really have any idea of the power we hold to impact another’s life – a kind word, a sincere compliment, or a gentle affirmation might be exactly what someone needs to make it through another day. The Bible confirms this in Eph. 4:29, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.” And further, in Prov. 15:23, “A man finds joy in giving an apt reply— and how good is a timely word!”

Just as it is important to guard the words we say, we must also guard the words we receive. Unfortunately, there will be times that mean-spirited or hurtful words come our way and there is little we can do about it. But, we do not have to receive them, accept them or give them credibility. We should tell ourselves, I reject that, and then move on. Do not let them take root within you.

Generally speaking, we must use words to correct, and, or, resolve conflict. There may even be times we have to take a stand for righteousness. However, it is possible to speak truth in love, correct with gentleness, give constructive criticism and rebuke with restraint. If we are not mindful of that, and choose our words, and our tone, carefully, we can hurt others and escalate the situation. Again, the Bible confirms this in Prov. 15:1, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” And too, in Prov. 17:27, “A man of knowledge uses words with restraint, and a man of understanding is even-tempered.”

Another way we use words is for praising God and telling others the Good News. That is good. That is as it should be. But what about the times we are going about our life, talking about or praising God, then in a snap something happens to change the course of our words. I confess this is something I battle… when I drive! I’m going along, minding my own business, driving correctly and within the confines of the law (honest!), listening to K-Love and singing to and about God. Then another driver does something to irritate me and all of a sudden I’m no longer praising God. All of a sudden, my mouth goes from being an instrument of life to an instrument of death. Now, I’m not actually speaking profanity, but it is cursing nonetheless. Does the Bible mention this? Of course it does! In James 3:9-10, we find, “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.” (Emphasis mine.) I am working on this, and in truth I’ve gotten much better, but I know I have to remain diligent in this or I will easily slip back into a pattern of cursing others.

We are known by our actions and our words. Whether we like it or not, if we are a Christian, we are a walking testimony. If we say we are Christians, but don’t act or sound like a Christian, what does that say about our testimony (and our Jesus)? When we speak death to others, we chink away at the integrity of our conversion. We destroy our witness. This is beautifully and picturesquely addressed in Luke 6:44-45, “Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn bushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” We are known by the fruit we display. What kind of fruit do we reveal when we talk?

The Bible is literally filled with references to the tongue, mouth, words, lips, etc that pertain to the way we speak. I’ve only chosen a few. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that we are to control our speech, because the words we say lead to life or death. The Bible shows us how to speak in a way that gives life, Eph. 5:19-20 says, “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” So please, join me in thinking before speaking, so that with our words, we build up, encourage and choose life, always.

To Choose Life In Thoughts

“This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.” ~ Deut. 30:19

I’m so excited to begin this new “Choose Life” series. When God created us, He gave us freewill – the ability to choose between right and wrong, life and death, blessings and curses. There is much power in choice, power we have for the life we live. Every day we choose the direction of our life by what we think, say and do, by the relationships we’re in, and by the attitudes we hold. All of these choices lead to life or death. Choosing life is a journey, not something we do once and it’s finished. It’s ongoing. It’s powerful. And, choosing life, or death, is up to us.

I believe our thought life is the beginning of this journey. The manner in which we think leads to how we feel, what we say, the way we act and the relationships we establish. It is imperative we have good, life-giving, positive thoughts. That’s not to say that we never have negative thoughts, because that’s natural, but rather we don’t welcome negative thoughts and entertain them. For some of us, this comes easily. For others of us, it’s far more difficult. The good news is we have the power of Christ to control our thoughts and change them. But we have to be proactive in this, it doesn’t just happen. This is addressed in Rom. 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Let’s be honest, it’s a tough world out there. We are constantly hit by a barrage of words, images, attitudes and expectations that imply we are not good enough, thin enough, rich enough, smart enough, pretty enough, successful enough, etc. Many of us have experienced this onslaught since we were children. Since this has been our experience, we often adopt and internalize all of this and begin the harmful process of attacking ourselves and others with it. Our thoughts are then naturally polluted by the garbage that has been swirling around about us. Whether it is depression, bitterness, envy, anger, hurt, malice, hatred, obscenity, a victim mentality or sense of worthlessness, thoughts like these lead to destruction and if we entertain them, ultimately they lead to death. It doesn’t matter if these thoughts we think are about ourselves or others, either way we are choosing death.

In order to have a thought life that is life-giving, we have to understand where it comes from. Everything good comes from God (James 1:17). It is He who gives life, and everything that leads to life. And He has given us His Word and Holy Spirit, to guide us on the path of life. When we study, and personalize the Bible, we come to understand who we are in Christ. When we know who we are in Christ it is easy to recognize thoughts that enter our mind that are not of Him. It says in 2 Cor. 10:5, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” When we recognize those thoughts and take them captive, rather than letting them run free, we are choosing life.

Whenever we have negative thoughts we need to overcome them and put them to death, by replacing them with positive thoughts. If we find ourselves thinking, I’m ugly, we need to stop, take that thought captive and say, No, I’m beautiful. Or if we have the thought, I’m not good enough, we need to counter that by saying, I am good enough, God made me good enough. When we got saved, we received not only our salvation, but other things too. One of the additional “benefits” we received was the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16). The only way to know the mind of Christ is to know Christ, through the Word, through worship, through prayer and through relationship. What does He say about us? How does He relate to others? What would He do in this situation? And then we should model ourselves and our thoughts after Him.

We must be diligently aware of the thoughts we think. We must get the Word of God inside of us. We must learn what God says about us. We must choose incessantly, to think the thoughts that lead to life. We are admonished in Phi. 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” This is how we choose life in our thoughts.

If you are in Christ:

You are blessed and highly favored ~ Luke 1:28
You are made in the image of God ~ Genesis 1:26
You are fearfully and wonderfully made ~ Psalms 139:14

You are a child of God ~ John 1:12, Romans 8:16-17
You are more than a conqueror ~ Romans 8:37
You are a citizen of heaven ~ Philippians 3:20

You are chosen and adopted sons and daughters of God ~ Ephesians 1:4-5
You are strong in the Lord and in the power of His might ~ Ephesians 6:10
You are holy ~ Ephesians 1:4, Colossian 3:12

You are righteous ~ Romans 3:21-24, 2 Corinthians 5:21
You are anointed ~ 2 Corinthians 1:21-22
You are a saint ~ Psalms 52:9, Romans 1:7

You are forgiven ~ Ephesians 1:7-8, Colossians 1:13-14
You are free ~ John 8:36
You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood ~ 1 Peter 2:9

You are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ ~ Romans 8:17
You are God’s workmanship ~ Ephesians 2:10
You are the apple of His eye ~ Psalm 17:8

You are His delight~ Psalm 18:19, 149:4
You are the one he died for ~ Romans 5:8, 1 Thessalonians 5:10
You are loved ~ John 3:16, John 15:12-14

Prelude to Choose Life

On August 4th, I announced that it was time for me to do another series and that after much prayer and reflection I knew the topic for the new series would be “Choose Life”. I announced this, confident that I would be able to put out some devotional-type articles relatively easily because this is something I so strongly believe in.

Oh, how wrong I was. I am working on this and I will put together a series, but I have been held up by the Lord. It’s very easy to make excuses about it – all of a sudden life got very busy for me, Sweet Pea was sick for nearly two weeks, then I was sick for nearly two weeks, we had another miscarriage, went on vacation, and finally came home and worked on getting caught up with things after being on vacation. All of this is true; however I also know that they’ve been convenient excuses to perpetuate avoidance.

What has really been going on, is a wrestling match with God. See, I thought I had it all planned out in my head, but it would seem that He had something else in mind. So, I guess you could say I have been experiencing first hand Proverbs 19:21, “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” And I’ve learned that when it comes to wrestling with God, I don’t win unless He wins first.

This began when I posted my intentions to do this series. A friend, Michelle, on GodLinked.com nearly missed my post and suggested I start a discussion about it, so it could be easily found and discussed. I thought this was a great idea, so I did so. I briefly summarized what “Choosing Life” meant to me and asked others to add what it meant to them. I got great responses from various readers, and then there was “the one.” Michelle responded and said that for her, choosing life was first and foremost about choosing life in pregnancy and contributed a FANTASTIC and heartfelt plea for the unborn. Wow! I felt like I’d been hit by a truck, because I have to admit, I never once put the idea or Scripture of choosing life together with the Pro-Life cause. Not that I didn’t share those beliefs though, because I do. I am wholly, 100% Pro-Life, but for some reason linking the cause with the verse just never occurred to me.

Thus began the wrestling match. I knew I couldn’t pursue this topic until I first included this most important aspect of it. However, I didn’t really want to. The topic of abortion is controversial (but that doesn’t bother me), emotionally draining and one of our nations (and the world’s) greatest tragedies. Did I really want to delve so deeply into satan’s territory? Though I fought it hard, in the end I knew the Lord was right and I absolutely had to start with this.

Since Roe v. Wade was decided by the Supreme Court in 1973, nearly 50 million babies have been aborted. Liberals would have us believe that it is harmless. No one gets hurt. It’s not a baby anyway until it is born – it’s just a fetus. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Please get the facts. Find out about abortion, partial-birth abortion (it is hideous), Planned Parenthood (and Margaret Sanger, founder of PP), and the Born Alive Infant Protection Act (to give medical care to a baby born alive after a botched abortion – Obama voted against it). There are some fabulous sites out there that can give you information on all of this and more.

I am completely Pro-Life now, but I wasn’t always. I grew up in the 70’s (childhood) and 80’s (teen years) and didn’t have a lot of Christian influence in my life. When I was an early adolescent, my mom told me “even good girls get pregnant”. I’m not sure why, but I understood that to mean that teenage pregnancy wasn’t a big deal. When I was 19 years old, I did get pregnant. And I got an abortion. I didn’t even give it much thought. I believed the lies, that it wasn’t a baby until 12 weeks, it (the baby or fetus as they called it) wouldn’t feel any pain and that I would be better off.

The small amount of thought that I did give it all seemed to point to what would be an easy fix. I had been partying really hard, nightly, and recently broken up with the boy who was the father. He was an awful person, so I wouldn’t want to be tied to him anyway. I grew up in a dysfunctional home with a single mom and didn’t want to inflict on any child the things I’d gone through. I thought abortion was the only way. I received no counseling contrary to that.

In that moment, in the worst possible way, I chose death. During that time of my life, I was in a really bad place. I hated myself, hated my life and wished I’d never been born. I was completely surrounded by darkness and I truly believed the best way to save the child within me was to not allow it to be born. It was my desire to save it from the life I’d had. So I chose abortion, murder, homicide, infanticide, whatever you want to call it, it is death forced on another innocent soul who didn’t ask to be conceived in the first place. I never thought of the blessing it could have been. I didn’t take responsibility for my actions. I just chose death.

Liberals and feminists say abortion is harmless, but that’s not true. This is something I have carried with me for 20 years. I have thought of this innocent child I killed many, many, many times since. It is my greatest shame, greatest regret and greatest moral failure. I felt this way ever since it happened, long before I became a Christian. I’ve heard many other women who’ve gone down this road, say the same or similar things.

Though I’ve never stopped thinking of the child I should have had, I made some sort of peace with it. I knew God forgave me and I was so, so sorry. I knew I couldn’t change it, but I also knew it changed me – for the better. It’s funny though, how things come back to haunt you. Eventually, having a family of my own became important to me. When we began trying, it wasn’t easy. It took us a year and a half to conceive the first time, but then I miscarried. It took eight months the second time and this pregnancy went full term and we had our sweet, beautiful daughter, almost a year ago. Because of our ages, we wanted to try again quickly. It took another eight months to conceive this latest time, but it too ended in a miscarriage. During the difficult times throughout this whole journey of trying to bear children, satan has always been there, jabbing at me with his poisonous lies – “it’s your own fault, this is what you deserve, you had your chance and you blew it, you’re not good enough!”

God’s grace has strengthened me and covered me. His love has shown me what love really is. He has changed me completely. And it is He who gives me the ability to choose life. I know someday I will see my unborn children in heaven – all three of them. Previous to this post, I’ve talked about the one, then two babies I’ve miscarried that are in heaven. Though I always thought about it, I’ve never mentioned the third. Here and now, I do.

Christians, please pray for life. Pray that the lie of the enemy will be exposed. Vote for those who are Pro-Life and against those who are Pro-Abortion. And be compassionate to those who are contemplating abortion. They need love, not criticism and support not judgment. And if the Lord leads your heart to help in some way, please do so. There are many great ministries and organizations that could use your time, talent or treasure. This is the best way to Choose Life.


“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.” ~ Psalm 139:13

“Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.” ~ Psalm 27:10

“Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.” ~ Psalm 127:10

Why I Choose Life

Choose life. This command consists of two small and simple words, but the consequences of either obeying or disobeying are huge. I know – I’ve lived it. So why is “choose life” the topic of my latest series? That’s easy. I believe wholeheartedly that life presents us with innumerable choices every day, week, month and year. And these choices have consequences – either for good or for bad. While I knew this topic was to be my next series, I struggled with getting it started. It took me a while, but I finally figured out why. In order to move forward in this study, I first had to look behind, to the history of it, for me.

To help you understand why choosing life is so important to me, I have to share a bit of my background. I grew up in dysfunction and poverty. I never knew my father and my mother was emotionally absent. I grew up witnessing physical abuse and experiencing neglect and sexual abuse. In many ways, I was always the “adult” of the family – even as a child. My immediate, and extended, family is plagued by depression, pessimism, substance abuse, poverty and a thoroughly victim mentality. There is no sense of hope, optimism, motivation, joy, peace or life. To say they are oppressed would be an understatement. It’s like they live death.

From the time that I was very young, I was dissatisfied with life as I knew it and believed there had to be a better way. I started to look beyond my own family to see how others lived, worked and played. I started to see opportunities to make change. I saw that there were choices out there, and if I wanted something different than what I had, I could choose differently. I didn’t know then that this was Biblical, and to be honest, I probably couldn’t have explained the concept of choices, even though that’s what I was striving for. The most important choice I made was to accept Jesus as my own personal Savior and live according to the Word of God. This however, didn’t happen until I was 30.

Looking back, I see how many opportunities were presented to me, once I wanted to see them. I used to believe it was because of God’s grace and love for me, and I still believe that to a point. But I know that God is no respecter of persons and everyone receives as many opportunities to make change in their own lives as I do. I’ve only risen above the circumstances my family continues to live in, because I started choosing the things that would produce or lead to life, rather than the things that produce or lead to death. The opportunities are there for all of us, however we have to not just say we want better, but decide we really want it enough to put action behind it, and that starts with choice.

Because of my own personal history, I am passionate about the power, and responsibility, of choice. And it’s easy for me to get frustrated with others who consistently make poor choices, but then complain about where they are in life. In fact, I have to admit that I really have no patience or mercy for those who don’t accept personal responsibility for the choices they make. We cannot choose what happens to us in life, but we can choose how we handle these things and we can choose to learn from them. This is not to say that I always make the right choice (because I don’t) or that I’m totally where I want to be (because I’m not), but I do make an effort to choose life and fortunately, I hit the target more than I miss. I’ve definately made my fair share of mistakes and some of them have been real doozies, but I press on.

The good news is God’s mercy is new every day. We can start fresh every day. It matters not where we start, but rather where we finish. God wants us to have a good life with blessings, rather than a dismal life with curses. And He has provided that for us, but we have to be active participants in this, by choosing life every day. And when we mess up and make the wrong choice, we need to then admit it and take responsibility for our choice, correct in any way we can and move on. Mistakes don’t defeat us unless we allow them too. We can fall down by staying down when we stumble, or we can fall up by rising each time we fall. We can allow adversity to keep us down and defeated or we can use it to propel us upward into victory. It’s our choice. Making the right choice is not always easy, but honestly the best things in life rarely are. In closing, I’d like to leave you today with this:

Attitude leads to thoughts. Thoughts lead to words. Words lead to actions. Actions lead to habits. Habits lead to character. Character leads to destiny.

“This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live.” ~ Deut. 30:19

“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ~ Jer. 29:11