Happy Monday! Again.  I believe my enthusiasm overcame my sense of time last week while I was out of town, but maybe someone needed to hear that on Thursday!

This article pretty well sums up what I would like for a picture of my personal daily life to look like.  Take note of the third word in each of the five statements.  God gave us choices.  As stewards of all that He gave us, we CHOOSE how our life moves on each day.

Sometimes, bad things happen that we wouldn’t have chosen but how we react to those situations is a choice.    We CHOOSE every day how we are going to handle a situation, be it good or bad.

I can look around at family and friends and see many scenarios.  Each choice can be life changing.

  1. CHOOSE to do all you can to be healthier.  We all have health situations that affect us to some degree, at some point in time.  These situations have to be dealt with on physical, mental, emotional and Spiritual levels.  Had we known, maybe some of it could have been prevented, but maybe not.  What we can CHOOSE though, is what we do from there on out.  We know by now that what we put in our bodies can affect our health.  No matter what point we start at, we can make a difference in how we feel.
  2. CHOOSE to love. No matter what we are going through, it is easier to go through it with the support of people you care about and trust, and that care about you.  Relationships are give and take, not one sided.  Sometimes, we just need someone to really hear us.  And sometimes the other person just needs to be heard.  Be an ear and be a shoulder to lean on.  Open your ears and close your mouth.  This will lead to closer and deeper relationships.
  3. CHOOSE to trust God, no matter what.  It is so easy to elevate ourselves in knowledge above the All- Knowing God.  He’s got it and He can handle it without our help.  Talk to Him about it.  He listens and his shoulders can carry whatever you have.
  4. CHOOSE what you think about.  I can’t even count the times that I have said something like “I can’t help it, it’s all I can think about.”  Well, yes, you can.  Not on your own, but with the help of a loving and compassionate God, who is waiting to hear from us, we can CHOOSE to think of “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable”. (Philippians 4:8) This might take some practice, but what a difference it could make!
  5. CHOOSE to make Jesus your Savior.  You have already done this you say?  On this one, I think He wants more than just a choice.  I think He wants a daily walk with you, a true relationship.  Relationships require communication.  We can begin with studying the Word.  Deepen that relationship with prayer, with a love and desire for God and a love for all of God’s creation.  He gave it to us to enjoy and to care for.  This relationship is what brings all of the components together.

    In this world there will be trouble, but we can choose how we will react and deal with it.  Have you transformed your life yet?  If not, are you ready?

    Pray Unceasingly!!

    In His light,

           Lois

Five Choices That Will Transform Your Life

By Rick Warren
“Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17 GT).

We learned yesterday that, ultimately, your identity is based on your choices. Here are five winning choices you can make that will help determine your destiny:

1. I can choose to get healthier. Instead of bemoaning the fact that you don’t have an Olympic body, find ways to increase your energy, lower your stress, get more sleep, and have more power. Psalm 119:73 says, “You made me; you created me. Now give me the sense to follow your commands” (NLT). Improving the controllable factors in your life helps you reduce the impact of the uncontrollable factors.

2. I can choose to deepen relationships. The fear of rejection prevents connection, and the only way to get rid of fear is to do the thing you fear the most. Learn communication skills, replace bad relationships, reach out, and risk connecting with someone. “Let love be your highest goal!” (1 Corinthians 14:1a NLT).

3. I can choose to trust God no matter what happens. “I will always thank the Lord; I will never stop praising him” (Psalm 34:1 GNT). When you get to the point in your life where you can say, “I praise the Lord no matter what happens,” that is a confidence that you won’t find anywhere in Hollywood, on Capitol Hill, or on Wall Street. That is a confidence built on a relationship with God!

4. I can choose what I think about. Throughout the 20th century, scientists believed the adult brain could not be changed. When a Nobel Prize winner proved that you can rewire your brain, science finally caught up to the Bible: “Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think” (Romans 12:2b NLT). Your self is created by your memories, and your memories are created by your mental habits. Feed your brain with truth: God’s Word.

5. I can choose Jesus as my Savior. I’m not just talking about Jesus saving you from your sins. I’m talking about letting Jesus be your Savior every day. Letting Jesus save you gives you the power to follow through on the choices you make. “Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17 GNT).

You get to choose how much God blesses your life; he is just waiting on you to use your wild card. It is never too late to change. When you make these five winning choices, God gives you a winning hand.