Choices

A new year has arrived!  In true procrastination fashion, Happy New Year! (and I still write 2014 when dating things...should be up to speed by....let's go with February).

“We all sorely complain of the shortness of time, and yet have much more than we know what to do with. Our lives are either spent in doing nothing at all, or in doing nothing to the purpose, or in doing nothing that we ought to do. We are always complaining that our days are few, and acting as though there would be no end of them.”  Seneca (Roman philosopher, mid-1st century AD) 

I enjoy social media (ex. Facebook) for the opportunity to share encouragement, pictures, witty quips and quotes, etc. However, sometimes those quips and quotes can hit a bit to close to home OR maybe it's just the day I see it I am reminded of something going on in my or a friend/family member's life. Then those things roll around in my brain making me deal with stuff I would rather not deal with.

One that stuck out recently is: Doing nothing is a choice.

Ouch! Think about that for a couple seconds. Let it sink in.

Even when we are "doing nothing", our bodies breathe, heart beats, blink, etc. However, practically every waking moment we are faced with choices of the big, but usually small seemingly inconsequential magnitude. 

When we are children, our choices are often made for us. It is a wise parent that allows their child to start making little choices in preparation of the much larger choices they will face when the world and friends will be more than willing to assist them in their choice making.

It is always easier to see when looking back that there are certain choices we make that may have been made differently with more knowledge or thought or "if I knew THEN what I know NOW". Even those choices, beget new choices when needing to figure out what do you do NOW that you do know what you know, you know? (You might need to go back and read that part over!)

Then you throw regular day-to-day life in with some stress and sometimes some not-so-regular stress..... No wonder people start to feel so overwhelmed!

Technology has helped us do many things better, easier and more quickly which is WONDERFUL! Except for the fact that sometimes TOO much of anything can be a not so good thing.

By choosing one thing you are not choosing another. From my own life: Candy Crush or www.biblegateway.com ? CHOICES!

“We can try to avoid making choices by doing nothing, but even that is a decision.” Gary Collins 

So, my choice for now will be to learn to love myself regardless of the choices I have made in the past. I will give myself grace to make informed choices from here on out. I will realize that there will be days my choice will be to go back to bed and not deal with whatever it is right then. More than likely, "it" will still be there when I wake up (hopefully) in a better mood. 

If you made the choice to read this far, thank you! Make good choices (even if temporarily the choice needs to sometimes be "nothing")
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While looking up verses for "choice", it was interesting that for most of the Bible "choice" was used as another word for best. hmmmmm.

Romans 8:19-21 (NIV) For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

Taking Out the Trash

I like Tuesdays for a couple of reasons. 

1: It has been the day when I have lunch at school with my "breadstickers" group. (I bring Little Caesars breadsticks and some other treats to the now highschoolers and am grateful for those that choose to come spend a bit of time hanging out.) 

2. Tuesday is trash day for our neighborhood. We put out the big, rolling trash can for early Wednesday pick up. Maybe it's just me, but I find a certain satisfaction in making the rounds and combining the trash cans in preparation of taking it out for "trash day". We (and by "we" I usually mean ME) take it out as necessary during the week, but for those cans that are not quite full (but by Monday usually starting to smell), TUESDAY is THE day.

I (or the kids) make the rounds picking up the various trash cans. I check the fridge for stuff that is no longer in an edible state. Tuesday is the day when I'm sure at least once during the week, we have done a general tidy up of the house. 

Trash cans are pretty easy to see when they are getting full (or overflowing sometimes) by the time we take care of it. We take out the old bag of yucky, smelly stuff of leftovers of the day(s). We might do some freshening up of the can by spraying some air freshener or disinfectant and wipe down the outside where things have spilled over. We put in a fresh bag....at least for a small bit of time....until we start loading it back up with yucky stuff....and do it all over again!

Recently, I got to thinking of the times when I have not felt so great mentally or emotionally. It is not quite as easy to see when life has been piling up some of the yucky, smelly stuff that I've allowed myself to think about. On a good day, I catch myself before those thoughts take hold. On a bad day, I can let that stuff start to take over and overflow into my thoughts and out my mouth. 

Just like life: what I put in is what I get out. Usually when things have begun to pile up, I have been neglecting my clean up time. My quiet time sometime during the day. Opening the Bible and letting God speak to me and freshen me up. Replacing the negative thoughts with life affirming thoughts. Music that isn't as uplifting as it could be. Fun to listen to, but not always positive. Finding time to keep myself busy, but not really taking out the trash I have allowed to creep in and start smelling up my thoughts and life.

What trash have you allowed to stay to long in your thoughts? Did someone say something to you that you have let stay in your mind for WAY too long? We can be really good at letting negative thoughts and somebody else's opinions stay in our minds way beyond when we should have emptied that bin.

It's not Tuesday. The bonus is we can clean out our minds of ANY trash ANYTIME we want. We just need to remember to do it! TODAY is trash day. What do you need to dump?

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV) Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

Philippians 4:8 (NIV) Finally, brothers and sisters, 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.

I GOT the power! (but is it plugged in?)

I was playing with my "smart" phone recently. Something I do more often than I should probably....not always the most efficient use of my time....but I digress. The phone had already warned me that it was dwindling on power and needed to be plugged in. The little battery light that I love to see fully green had already been edging downward...and even been red for quite awhile. I ignored it and kept playing around....and then it shut down. The power cord dangled a short distance away. I had just not taken the time to plug it in.

I plugged in the phone and turned it back on. I could even use it right away. Once it was plugged in. Later it was ready to be taken off the charger again and ready to use....until the next time. ;)

Again I was reminded how often I treat myself like I treated my phone's power. I am well aware when my power starts to dwindle. Obviously, I don't have a handy little light showing the draining of the power. I tend to not feel as well. Take less time for me. I get grouchy. I take it out on people I claim to love the most. Eventually, I shut down by going to bed and wanting to stay there WAY longer than I need to. I don't have a power cord to plug in, but I am well aware of what helps keep that little light inside my spirit shining.

It usually sits by my bed....well within my reach. I don't always take time to use it though. I have a Bible that I have the freedom to read ANYTIME I want, but I don't read it enough. I have the freedom to pray ANYTIME I take the time to do so, but I don't do it enough. The Bible and praying are too often my last resort instead of my first line of defense against feeling drained and running on little to no power.

God offers to be my power source. Yours too. Consider this a reminder to not let your spiritual power dwindle so much that you shut down. Power up. Connect yourself to people that keep you charged up. Plug in. We got the power. Use it.

Psalm 20:6 (NIV)
Now this I know:
    The Lord gives victory to his anointed.
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
    with the victorious power of his right hand.
 
Psalm 71:17-19 (NIV)
17 Since my youth, God, you have taught me,
and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.
18 Even when I am old and gray,
do not forsake me, my God,
till I declare your power to the next generation,
your mighty acts to all who are to come. 
19 Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens,
you who have done great things.
Who is like you, God?

The Battle(s)

Quite honestly, the battle gear seems a bit dinged lately.  When the battle is in your own head and spirit, it is easy to become battle worn and weary. Sometimes the battle just seems to follow us around...nipping at our heels...waiting for us to feel frustrated enough to let that armor slip and uncensored words fly out of our mouths. Of course, that is IF we even remembered to put on armor. Here lies a piece of the dilemma. It is not difficult to see that the battles in this world are coming closer together. Often it feels like there is no relief. Just one battle. After another. After another.

No wonder we are weary! Where is your battle gear? Is it in your closet or at your church with the thought process of better to have it and not need it? Have you fallen into the trap of keeping that armor looking spiffy and shiny? If we do that, we can continue to pretend that WE fight all the battles we face. Alone.

Battling
Alone
Takes
Time and
Lots of
Effort


Time to remember that we do not need to fight alone or armor-less. God promises to provide HIS armor so that we CAN stand when things get wearisome. Part of the battle is recognizing the enemy and identifying the battles worth fighting.

Personally, lately I've neglected a few of the key items in the arsenal. I looked up the verses to remind myself...and you...  Read it through. What pieces are you missing?

Ephesians 6:10-18 (NIV) The Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Just a Cat

As we get ready to bring home a new pet
OR another pet has found us.
We quickly attach.
People say, it's just a cat.

We've watched them play
and grow up with our kids.
The kids move away.
The cat stays.
People say, it's just a cat.

Years have passed.
She starts to move slower
and sleep even more.
Barely eats.
Accidents on the floor.
Decision to make.
It's just a cat, people say.

Today our "just a cat"
took her last breath.
Giving in to the shot
that quickly brought death.

We drive home with tears in our eyes.
A hole in our hearts.
Knowing our "just a cat"
is finally at peace.

KL 2/6/14


Psalm 36:5-7 (NIV) 
5 Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.
6 Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
your justice like the great deep.
You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.
7 How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.