Choices

Earlier in the year, I wrote a blog in which I mentioned that I hoped for a few firsts in 2013.  Well I should have watched what I asked for because I’ve sure received them!

A trip to the ER

First daily medication

First grey hairs (just a COUPLE) J

Lines around my eyes (boohoo)

While it seems like most of these occurred overnight they have been in work for awhile.  It just sometimes takes a long time for effects to be visible or felt.  Much like sin. 

Sin usually starts innocently enough.   “I’ll just do this once, it’s really no big deal, no one will know” ….but sin feels good and is hard to stop once the avalanche begins.  A person doesn’t normally turn away from God overnight.  It happens slowly.  Priorities begin to shift and an “it’s all about me and what I want” mentality creeps into the mind.  This is a frightening place to be.  Why? Because we are feeding and coddling the carnal and starving the spiritual man.  It is hard to feel the presence of God and hear His voice when our spiritual man is gasping for breath. 

Life can be taken in an instant.  We won’t always have tomorrow or even the next hour.  We won’t always have the next churchservice to get right with God.  If there is something pulling you away from God, I’d like you to take a moment and think is it really worth it?  Is it worth losing my testimony?  Is it worth not living the life of an overcomer?  It’s not always sin that pushes us from God…sometimes weights move us off track.  What are weights?  Weights are anything that takes priority over our personal relationship with Christ.

Hebrews 12: 1 -3 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience, the race that is set before us, 2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

If you find yourself weary and faint there is good news!  If we will only listen, we can still hear the peaceful call of His voice.  I miss our time together.  We must tune in to His voice.  Slow down.  Read the word.  Commune with the Father. 

I love the story of King David.  He royally messed up in a lot of areas but he was not bitter, was a worshipper, was hard working, and committed.  He was a man after God’s heart. If we have found ourselves struggling we can choose to learn and grow from those struggles.  They don’t have to weigh us downforever. 

The wake up call I received earlier in the year, regarding my health, has created a determination to change.  While I wish I had never got that unhealthy and overweight, the two choices I now have are to continue hurting my body with bad choices or make up my mind that I am going to make good choices.  Even though I still carry the weight of unhealthy eating, I already feel better than I have in a long time! While we may still carry the effects of sin or things that have weighed us down…. all we have to do is make up our mind.  This is it.  This is the day I choose God first.  I choose to feed the spiritual and starve the carnal.  I choose to be an overcomer.  What will YOU choose?  I pray you choose to be an overcomer.  “If you do what you can, God will do what you can’t.”

A New Year

Although I have had about two weeks off from work, we’ve been quite busy lately.  Despite the holiday festivities and family get-togethers, we did have a few days of complete laziness.  I’m so grateful for those three days of slothfulness – a body needs that every once in a while!  While off work, my biggest decisions were: should I read a book, watch little house, get on pinterest, organize, or cook?  (Ben bought me the entire season of Little House last year and we’ve almost finished it.  I cry every other show.  I’m a sap.) The break from everything was NICE.  

All of last week I was sick.  It was awful and I’m still getting over it.  I’ve missed the last two church services and I hate to miss church.  I am also not happy about missing three days of work already this year!  Thank goodness for paid time off and an understanding boss.

Normally at this time of the year, I’ve already written a set of at least 20 goals/resolutions for the New Year.  This year I haven’t, which is unlike me because I loooove to plan and am very goal oriented.  Just ask Ben – I drive him crazy.    

Maybe  I haven’t written any because I know what I need to do.  

Stop doing things that aren’t good for me (a quote from my cousin nurse Abby)

& 

 Begin things that ARE good for me

 

I will strive to be consistent, disciplined, and knowledgeable

The most difficult is learning to be disciplined.  Yowzers that one is HARD for me!

I’ve decided to do a few things.  

#1 Limit FB activity..  Basically, the bad sometimes outweighs the good.  I waste too much time on it and  tire of being disappointed by many of the posts that I see.  Yes, yes, I know.  People are free to post what they want but I am free to decide what I will read.  I’ve grown tired of vulgar words, woe is me posts, and immodest photos that when liked by my fb friends appear in my newsfeed.  Here is the kicker…the things that are bothering me are making  ME critical of others.  I don’t want to be critical.  I want to love.

#2 Read a book a week.  I miss reading and now that I’m not in school (WOOHOO!) I will have more time to read and learn about things I’m interested in.  Handwriting  analysis, body language, personality books, spy novels, organization for the home, books on managing  time, God’s WORD.  

#3 Walk 30 minutes a day and eat more green stuff (gag).  I know I should do wayyyyyy more than that but it’s a start.

#4 Spend more time learning new worship choruses for our church.  Music is my heartbeat and I’m so excited about the group that just completed our church’s Ministry Matters  course.  They will be a HUGE help in our music department.

So here is to a fresh new year, a clean slate, and hopefully some firsts.

Matthew 6:33: But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.