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!