The choices we make

 will often make us as well.  Do you agree with that statement?  Sometimes we make great choices and all is well - but what about the times we make stupid - or dumb - choices just because we want to have the say in our life?  Sometimes they aren't so good.  No, I don't think I have made any dumb choices lately - but I have frequently made dumb choices, I will admit.  That's what the topic is about in the message I'm sharing today at the RV Park.  What are the choices we make when we let people influence us in our choices, and when we think we 'know it all' and can make the right choice, when we don't pay attention to our choices, and when we don't allow Jesus to guide and direct our path.  Why not sit back and think about that for a second.  What are some dumb choices you have made already this new year?  

Yesterday was a productive/non-productive day for me.  I went to Needles of Hope only to be dismayed at hearing a dear friend is at the end of her life with stage 4 cancer.  She had moved to another state a few years ago but I had no clue of the seriousness of what she was going through. She chose not to share and told her doctor he could not tell anyone - not even her family.  But she had told a mutual friend, who passed it on to us yesterday.  I was broken-hearted.  Maybe I'm still a bit sensitive about going to the funeral the other day for a friend's husband.  Found out what happened to him as well.  He went to the doctor on a Friday with a cough he couldn't get rid of. Dr. said bronchitis.  Sunday he went to ER because he was worse.  Tests and scans showed he had a blood clot in lung.  They admitted him.  Tests also showed he had acute leukemia.  Running more tests, he had a stroke for the blood clot broke loose.  He died within a few days of being admitted.  I guess we need to question our doctor's diagnosis at times?  And I'm the stubborn one on going to a doctor.  Sorry - it has still affected me somewhat.

I went to the grocery after Needles to pick up jars - and a few other things.  Want to make more jam, but didn't get it done yesterday.  Talked with hubby for awhile about what I had heard.  Did some crocheting (hubby watching a game); took a nap (which I shouldn't have as I couldn't sleep last night), fixed dinner, crochet'd some more - and we went to bed after watching War Room again.  I sure do love that movie and it helps strengthen me to tell the devil where to go when I get lazy.

Today we have the RV Park first, but not sure if we will have time to get to the Salvation Army Church before it starts.  We have communion at the RV Park and it takes a bit more time.  I glanced at emails before I got on here and one of our dear friends there was taken to the hospital yesterday with chest pain.  I'm disappointed they didn't send a text or call us to let us know.  They probably didn't think about it - but still, I'm disappointed to not know until this morning.  Glad I found out before we head to the RV Park.  I can't be upset about it; I don't know that I would think to let them know if it was hubby or I.

Nothing else on the agenda today that I know of - unless it is me taking a nap.  After sleeping late yesterday morning, (til 6AM!) and then taking a nap yesterday afternoon - I was awake for quite a while before finally falling to sleep.  I refused to look at the clock during the night, but I know I tossed and turned a lot.  Huh.  I just checked my tracker and it shows bouncing back and forth from awake to core sleep until about 3AM - which would seem about right.  I finally got up a little after 5AM.  Got to shake off the tiredness and get ready soon for the day.

Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (NIV):  This day I call the heavens and the 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 shall live and you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him.

Choose life.  Choose to make the right choices.  Choose to walk the right path.  How do we do that?  By pausing to ask God which way He would have us walk.  We all make stupid choices at times and we generally regret them, right?  Read a story about a Russian who found an anti-tank missile laying on the ground in the Ukraine, and since he collected items like this, he picked it up and loaded it in his SUV and took it home - about 30 miles outside of Moscow.  He picked up a friend to help him carry it into his house.  Only, when they got there, as they got out of the car, they slammed the car door shut - and the bomb exploded inside the SUV.  Now what part of a loaded anti-tank missile in the back of your SUV made sense?  Google it - you will roll your eyes!

And with that - I need to get off here and start getting ready for church this morning.  Maybe I will do something today that I can share in the morning.  Then again, it may just be a nap.  Oh yeah, hubby talked me out of taking down the tree yesterday and to take a nap instead.  Now that was a dumb choice because I still need to take the tree down.  Got to do it today.  Before I take a nap!

Blessings!

A Fresh Start, A New Year

 Yesterday was a good day.  Had a great quiet time with Jesus, which started my day off right. Went to the store to pick up ribs to cook for today - only found that once again, Frys was totally out of the pork short ribs.  I decided to pick up the baby back ribs and will cut those up and use those.  The others are easier to work with, but didn't want to run all over the place trying to find ribs.  Since we are not going to the daughter's until late afternoon, I won't start them until late morning.  I sear the ribs on a grill, then put in a pan and bake - I feel it gives them more taste and tenderness.  I've had some that were boiled then grilled, and it just didn't seem to have much flavor.  But - it's my taste buds that feel that way. :-)

Happy New Year!  We ended the year with a nice steak dinner (we got a gift of Omaha Steaks from hubby's brother and SIL) that I cooked, then watched a couple movies before heading to bed around 10PM.  Naw, we don't sit up to watch the ball drop.  Since Dick Clark passed, the quality and entertainment of it has fallen way short.  We don't waste the time.  I think we both slept well and got up about 4:30AM this morning to begin our day.  I have an 8AM gym training this morning so will need to stop soon to get dressed and out of here.

I worked all afternoon on the message for Sunday at the RV Church.  I think the message spoke to me as much as I want it to speak to the congregation.  It's about making choices.  We all make a lot of dumb choices, do you agree?  We 'give in' and do things because our peers challenge us, or we don't want to appear 'self-righteous' or don't want to just say no - we give in and do (and say!) dumb things.  Why do we do that?  Because we aren't asking God what we should do - and listen to what He tells us.   One of the stories I'm using is about a young man named Sam.  He was a rugby player, healthy and strong.  At 19 he and some of his friends were drinking and daring each other to do things.  A slug was seen crawling over the sidewalk.  They were daring each other to eat the slug.  What one doesn't think about during a dare - especially about this slug - is what had it crawled through.  Sam decided he would take the dare and he picked up the slug and ate it while his friends cheered him on.  Eight days later Sam started having medical issues, becoming paralyzed.  Taken to the doctor they ran all kinds of tests but could find nothing wrong - until he told his mom about the slug eating.  The doctors immediately started testing and found out he had some rat lung disease because the slug had slithered through rat droppings before being seen and eaten.  Sam went into a coma.  He came out of it, but it damaged him for the remaining 8 years of his life.  All because he had been drinking and took a stupid dare.  One of his friends said he wished that he had been the one who had stopped him from doing it.  A life wasted, because of a stupid choice.

How many times do we make stupid choices and then have to suffer the consequences of them?  We choose to do what we want to do and what we think is right - without seeking God and without seeking the advice of those who are wiser than us.  I've done it. I'm not perfect by any means.  I make wrong choices.  And so do you.  By God's grace, He sometimes saves us from the consequences of our mistakes - and other times He allows us to go through them, so that we will learn not to do that. Agree?

Deuteronomy 30:19 (NLT):  Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses.  Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!

We don't always stop to think about the choices we make will affect others.  How parents treat their children will find their children (possibly) treating their children the same.  I've mentioned before about being beaten with hairbrushes, belts, hands, and wooden spoons as I was growing up.  No, I really wasn't that bad; but the stepfather didn't like us disagreeing with him. (One night I said 'blooey' to him because he told me I had to do something - he threw me against the wall). So yes, because I had been 'whipped' with a wooden spoon, I did use it on my children when they were younger.  I didn't know any different.  Until my lovely DIL showed me how to discipline a child by talking with them; not yelling at them; not using violence against them.  I didn't beat my children - and it only took one time that the spoon hit the wrong area that I vowed I wouldn't use it again.   Choices.  We all have them, but we don't always think about the consequences.

We have a job.  We decide to sleep in. Heck with the job that morning.  We lose the job.  Consequences.  You hear gossip about someone.  You share it around, even if you know it isn't true. You get confronted by the truth by the person you are talking about. You deal with the consequences of losing a friend.  You run out in traffic - more than likely you will get hit by a vehicle - you suffer the consequences.  You spend money you don't have and get over your head in debt.  Consequences.   We all have choices.

So what choices do you need to make this first day of January, 2025?  Will you choose life, so that consequences don't just happen to you, but to your descendants as well?  What is that saying - 'Daddy (or Mommy), watch where you are walking, for little ones are following in your footsteps.'

We have a new year, a new month, a new day.  What choice will we make today so that we and our descendants might live?  

Blessings!

When we don't do what we are called to do....

I was reading in II Samuel 11 this morning and read this:

II Samuel 11:1-2a... (NKJV):  "It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah.  But David remained at Jerusalem.  Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king's house...."

I want to stop there cause I got to thinking about that.  The underscored words.  ...at the time when kings go out to battle.  But David remained at Jerusalem.  Then it happened.  I'm sure you remember without me mentioning anything else what that chapter is about.  Go ahead, read it!

...at the time when kings go out to battle.  David wasn't supposed to be at home.  He was to be fighting the war Israel was in.  But he got lazy.  He knew his servant Joab could handle it.  So he chose to not do his job of leading his people.  But David remained at Jerusalem.  Instead of fighting the battle as a king should, David remained at home.  and... Then it happened.  Oh yeah, we remember the story; we know what happened!  And why did it happen?

Because David wasn't doing his job; he got lazy; he pushed off his responsibility onto someone else; he allowed the enemy a foothold and things escalated from there.  

How many times have we NOT done the things we were supposed to do, and even though we knew that we SHOULD do them, we CHOOSE not to, then we try to cover up what we did cause we don't want anyone to know that we didn't do what we were supposed to do so we had to do this or that to cover up what we didn't do.  I know - what I just said didn't make much sense - but you get know what I'm saying.  Even if the words aren't right.

Well, that was a fail... I was trying to think of an example of what I said, but I think the Bible shares it the best.  What happened after David got up from his bed and walked on the roof of his house?  You know the story.  He sees Bathsheba bathing on her roof.... and after inquiring about her, and even finding out she was married... he still desired her and had her brought to him.  After he laid with her, she went back home, but soon sent King David word that she was 'with child'.  David's sin escalated when he - long story short - had her husband killed in battle.  In fact, he ordered it.  Consequences followed.

But if David had done his job, he would have been in battle, would not have gotten up from his bed to walk on his roof, would not have coveted another man's wife, watching her bathe, and then committed adultery with her, killed her husband, lost the child, and have many consequences to follow.  If David had done what he was supposed to have done.  Gone to battle as a king should.

How many times has this been us?  We know we should eat healthy.  (yeah, it's about food again, my favorite subject cause I love it so much)  We do what we are supposed to do for awhile.  We choose wisely and eat food that heals and strengthens our body.  But then we go some place where we know we will be tempted to indulge.  Not only eat what we shouldn't, but also eat much more of it than we should.  If we had gone to a place where we could have made healthier choices, that would have been better, but no, we craved this place.  So we order the wrong food and eat it.  Food laden with carbs, fats and things we shouldn't even (watch those salads!  Even they can be dangerous!)  It could be lots of creamy laden pasta or a big thick steak cooked in butter with everything included. We feel full, rightfully so.  We got our desire, right?  And we 'ate the whole thing!', along with the large baked potato lathered with butter and sour cream and bacon bits.  Sure we ate healthy.... we ate green beans as our vegetable, right?  But then, we feel so full (consequences of eating too much), and probably gained at least 5 pounds that won't go away.

Ok - poor example... but I don't think we walk on our roofs anymore and watch people bathe up there. Food - and too much of it - and cooked with lots of fats is something I can relate to.  I grew up with chicken fried in a lot of grease.  My mama made the very best.  I still crave her friend chicken.  I've found that a couple grocery stores are close to the same taste... in fact, one man at the counter shared that he pressure-cooked the chicken BEFORE he AIR-FRYED it. (that makes it more healthy, right?) That chicken was so good.  I haven't seen him back there since - but I'm not there frequently either.  I'd buy chicken from him - and eat 3-4 pieces of it!  I've moved on past the "healthy" breast piece... I want the thigh, the leg, and the wing.  Yep - those have the most flavor. :-)

So what do you do when you are burdened with a lot of choices?  I know that I tend to eat more when I'm bored.  Even when I'm really hungry, I don't always eat a whole lot, but I am usually able to clean my plate!  Some restaurants give you a lot of food.... you can always take some home.  I rationalize it with 'well, I'm going to eat it anyway, may as well eat it while it's fresh and hot' - right?  Who likes heated up food over fresh and hot?  Even the other night when we went out to eat... instead of getting just a salad... cause I wasn't really hungry but went to keep hubby from getting angry... I ordered a side salad and a bowl of 'loaded potato soup'.  I wasn't half done with either and my stomach was screaming 'enough'!  But I persisted and ate the whole thing.  Both of them.  And I suffered the consequences of being miserable afterwards.  I love food; we have a love/hate relationship.  I love to cook. 

But I also want to lose weight.  Guess who needs to re-evaluate choices and start doing some exercises!  I have every excuse you have ever come up with - and then some - of why I eat like I do.  Not going to share them; I'm sure many of them will sound familiar to you.

So what about you?  When you have something you know you should be doing, and yet you get lazy and don't want to do it... do you find yourself doing other things you should not be doing?

It's Saturday.  For most of us who work, it is our day to catch up on things.  Unlike most homes, I'm not 'allowed' to do a lot of things.  When I leave this room, I will probably cook breakfast.  Ham and eggs on the agenda for this morning. And some fruit.  After that - then what?  If Notre Dame is playing today the TV will surely be on... but I'll probably read or crochet.  What SHOULD I be doing?  Cleaning out my closet; cleaning out a cabinet in the garage to move these gifts out to; sewing; straightening up my desk; straightening up this room - see I have lots of other things to do that I SHOULD do... but I don't wanna.  What about you?  I justify it that I work all week - the weekend is my play time.  

When we don't do what we are called to do... what do you do?  Is it still something that glorifies God?  Is it helpful to others?  Do you complete another project?  Something to think about.

Blessings!

I let life get to me....

 and I mentally felt pretty low last night.  Do you ever do that?  I mean, I wasn't THAT bad, but I felt the spirit of depression come upon me and I just let it sit there for awhile before I went to bed.  Actually, a lot of it had to do with my sister(s) I think.  I am missing my big sister.  I still can't believe she is gone, and I definitely do not believe she committed suicide.  Did I tell you that a couple days ago her son called me... and wanted me to believe that he didn't do it; he didn't give her the antifreeze, that she did it on her own.  I just let him talk for there is never any reasoning with him.  He told me his side of the story from the night before.... which is interesting, because he told the detectives, and my brother, that he didn't come home from the hospital until 6:30AM the next morning.... but here he was telling me that he was there the night before as he had gone to Arby's and bought two sandwiches for his mother.... and she told him next time to get her only one; two were too many. So which is it?  I questioned him on that... but he said it was the night before.  Interesting, when he had been telling it was that morning.  He started crying, of course, as he told me that all her could remember was his mom laying on the floor with one arm up in the air, asking him to help her up.  I let him ramble on for about 20 minutes and finally told him I had to get back to work.  Oh, he also said he didn't tell the truth when he said he found a pill on his console and took it - which nearly killed him.  He said his roommate gave him the pill, and he knew what it was.  I can never believe what he is saying because he always contradicts himself.  The truth always comes out.

Anyway, I was missing my big sister last night, then my little sister started texting me, and for once she wasn't making me feel she was criticizing or putting me down.  But I told her I was 'in the pit' last night, was going to curl up in a ball and stay there for awhile, then I would be ok in the morning.  Of course she was all over that comment, as I knew she would be.  She loves it when I'm not myself, but feeling low.  It always makes her feel better.  And, by the way, even though I was feeling pretty low last evening in that I was missing my big sister, I am doing great this morning.  I didn't stay in the pit; I got a decent sleep last night and this morning climbed out of the pit and put my feet back on the Solid Rock. 

See, it's ok to be sad every once in a while.  It's ok to miss those you love.  But there comes a time when you have to raise your head up and say, "ok, I can't change what happened....but I can continue to live."  And that's what I'm doing.  After all, I do have a job to do yet today.  I refuse to live in sadness, in sorrow, in the pit.  I'm not setting up house.  I have a life to live, and I plan to live it to the fullest.

My stack of Christmas gifts arriving is getting bigger and hubby is already fussing at me.  Maybe I will work on that this weekend.  I can clean out a cabinet in the garage (yeah, I know, good luck with that), and after writing down and labeling what gift goes to whom, I can store in the cabinet until I'm ready to wrap and put under the tree.  I can't help it - this group I'm in on facebook is by a woman who posts special deals on Amazon.... let's just say I think I have the two gifts I want to give for the great-grandchildren...well, the girls, anyway.  These deals are 50% off when I usually get them so it isn't that I'm paying full price just because I'm getting them early.  I bought myself a new set of bands for my new watch -  I paid $10 or more for the one I bought when I got the watch.... I got six different colors - without the special price, without the additional discount, I would have paid $18..... I got them for $8.  I think that is a pretty good deal.  

I read a story tis morning about a young man who had a promising football career, but he made a wrong choice.  He was walking home from school after practice, walking along a railroad track.  A train was coming and he decided he wanted to 'hitch' a ride - so as it came by, he jumped up and grabbed hold. It only took a couple minutes for him to realize that his hold wasn't that great so he decided to let go and fall back on to the grass and continue walking.  Only he didn't observe where the train was by this time.  He let go and fell back, only to fall 40 feet onto the bank of the river, crushing several bones in his body, and ending his promising football career.  He made a wrong choice; actually a couple of them.  One was grabbing ahold of the train to hitch a ride, the other was to let go.  He didn't look to see where he would fall.

Proverbs 2:11:  "Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe."

That verse reminds us of the power of our choices.  Our ability to choose is the most powerful gift God has given us.  Each day is filled with a thousand choices we can make.  We get to choose how we spend our time, how we spend our money, on what we spend our energy.  We get to choose if we will obey the laws, obey our parents, obey God.  We can choose who we hang out with, who we want to listen to, and who we are going to ignore. We get to choose what we will eat or drink, what we want to put in our minds, and what we choose to put in our hearts.

If our choices are wise ones, we will have a road that works toward health and happiness and success.  It's scary sometimes how our choices can make those decisions for us.  We can choose wisely, or we can chose things that are of not wise, of no value to us as a whole.  Sit back and think about some of your choices.  Like me, you are probably thinking of a few that you would like to change that choice and go a different path.  But we can't go back.  But we can go forward.

What choices are you looking at for today?  Are they wise choices, or are you making them out of an emotional want?  Will the choice you make today, make a difference in anyone's life; in yours?  Sometimes we need to step back from the choices we've made and re-evaluate where we want this choice to go, and make adjustments.

I'm sure if this young man had made the choice to look about him before he let go of the train, he would have waited a couple more seconds to get over the river and hit it, rather than the bank that crushed his body.  Or even to hold on until it got across the river to the other side.  

What choice do you need to make for today?  Take some time and think it through.  Does it only affect you, or does it affect others?  Is it for your good?  Will you benefit from it?  Will others?  So many things to consider.

Most of all, take some time to talk to God about that choice.  Let Him lead you to what He would have you do.  If you can't take Jesus with you on that choice, then perhaps it isn't the wise one.  Something to think about.

Blessings!