I hope & trust this post finds you having a great day as a beautiful new day begins to dawn on the Texas Gulf Coast! It is going to be a great day! :)
Choices... We all have them to make. We do make chooses, sometimes intentionally and sometimes we mindlessly choose because, well, that is what we have always done. And sometimes we choose not to choose which, ironically, is a choice. There are a couple of things about choices however that are true, whether we like it or not - and truthfully, I didn't like to even read these quotes at times because I didn't want them to be true. Because I choose to ignore them at different points in my life however did not change the truth they contain.
"You are free to choose, but you are not free to alter the consequences of your decisions." - Ezra Taft Benson
"Your life is determined by the sum of the choices that YOU make." - Frank Sonnenberg
I think there are really two key things to choices:
1. We are accountable for the one's we make, or don't. Most, if not all, of us get hung up on this point. We don't want to be accountable, responsible. It goes back to Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden...it's someone else's fault. This however is not true. While you & I cannot control our circumstances or what others think, say & do, you and I are 100% responsible for the things we think, say & do, regardless of the situation or circumstance. We might not like it but it's true. And it is equally true that each choice has a consequence which is also ours to own. Until we realize & accept this fact, we will remain stuck.
2. This one hit me this week and I want to share it with you; you can choose different! Just because you have done something the same way for a long time doesn't mean you have to continue to do it. If the choice isn't bringing you to the place where you want to be, choose different. I pray the peace that came over me at this awakening finds your heart this morning Friend. :)
You think the things you think, say & do don't matter? This morning when I woke my mind immediately went to thinking about this Happy Friday. And you know what immediately popped into my mind? The Serenity Prayer. This might not seem like a big deal to you until I tell you that I remember the Serenity Prayer because my Nan0 & Grandpa had it in their house...this is what I remember. I remember as a little boy of 6 or 7-years old, sitting there and reading it, not fully understanding it but being drawn to it. Now, as a man of 50-years old, I can see myself sitting in their house reading that prayer and, with life's experiences, I understand it with so much greater clarity. Yes Moms & Dads, Grandma's & Grandpa's, Aunt's & Uncle's...the things we fill the precious lives we are responsible for with really does matter. I want to share this prayer with you this morning.
Serenity Prayer
by Reinhold Niebuhr
"God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
forever in the next."
You know what's funny? All I knew was the 1st paragraph, stanza or whatever you call it. I didn't even know the part about "Living one day at a time" until this morning. The learning never ends! :) In any event, I pray this prayer speaks to you and that you use it as a tool as you make choices.
Also this morning, while reading Seize the Day: Living On Purpose And Making Every Day Count by Joyce Meyer I came across a few excerpts that I felt compelled to share in this message.
Complaining is a negative practice.
Prayer combined with taking action according to God's guidance is the only answer to any problem we have.
Quite often the people who complain the loudest are the ones who do absolutely nothing to help change the circumstances they are complaining about.
When we complain we remain in the same situation, but if we are willing to take responsibility and make positive changes, God will give us direction as to what to do.
God created us to be active, and we simply don't function well unless we have the mind-set to find solutions to our problems instead of murmuring and being unhappy. God will definitely show us what to do if we are willing to do it!
Replace all grumbling with gratitude and you will find solutions to your problems quickly.
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. - I Thessalonians 5:18 (ESV)
Please don't hesitate to contact me if there is ever anything I can do for you or your families. I will always help you any way I can. You can reach me at kevin@whatwillyourinfluencebelcom.
Have a great day, a wonderful weekend and please cherish your precious families.
Kev
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