Choose

I am same weight today. Official weigh in number for week 3 is 0.

LOVE. I plead with you, my reader, to refer to my aunt's blog (lettersofhope - found at the bottom of my blog), as she does a wonderful job explaining what true love is ... and today I may reread her blog a couple times, as, in all honesty, I am not walking in it.


Max Lucado wrote a book entitled "When God Whispers Your Name", I am going to quote chapter 11, entitled "The Choice" (- if I am enfringing upon copyrights, please contact me.)

It's quiet. It's early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming.
In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race. The refuge of the ealy morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met.
For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day's demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I'm free to choose. And so I choose.

I choose love...
No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I choose joy...
I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical ... the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less that human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I choose peace...
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I choose patience...
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I choose kindness...
I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I choose goodness...
I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.

I choose faithfulness...
Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.

I choose gentleness...
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

I choose self-control ...
I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

Heavenly Father, forgive me for not loving the way You love; forgive me for not abiding in You - like the apple tree illustration You gave me. Thank You for Mr. Lucado, my Aunty Eulene, my sister and all the others You've put in my life to help me and love me - to be Your hands and mouthpiece in my life. I ask for a special blessing on them. Lord Jesus, I pray that You teach me how to surrender my body - truly - to You. I am "crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live, yet not me, but Christ lives in me. The life which I now live , I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Gla.2:20) Therefore, I urge myself, in the view of God's mercy, to offer my body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to You, which is my REASONABLE service. I will no longer be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of my mind... (Rom.12:1) It is not by my might, nor by my power, but by the power of Your Holy Spirit. I invite You afresh and surrender today into Your capable hands. For You are able to do exceedingly abundantly above what I could ask or think! And You are able to keep me from falling. I lift my marriage and family to You, may we be bond together with the Chord that cannot be broken. Teach me to love the way You love me! In Your name Jesus, Amen.