Posted on July 1, 2024
by Jeff Herringshaw
1 Comment
My dad turns 86 tomorrow. He and my mom have been living with us for the past several years. And it’s been so good to have them near in this senior season of their lives. They are able to engage with their grandchildren and… Continue Reading “Choosing to Honor My Parents”
Category: Daily ChoicesTags: 10 Commandments, 5th Commandment, Abuse, Abusive Father, Abusive mother, Appreciate, Appreciation, Choose Life, Chosen, Difficult Parents, Father, forgive, forgiveness, freedom, grateful, gratitude, Honor, Honor you mother and father, Honorable, Hurt by my parents, Hurts, I Exist, I was chosen, Life, love, Mother, My Existence, Parental Love, Parents, Respect, Respectful, Thank You, Thank you Dad, Thank you Mom
I have worked with some people over the years with serious pride issues. Surely you know the type I’m talking about. They see and hear only what they want and leave room for little to no outside input into their work, their projects, their… Continue Reading “Choosing to See IT in Me”
Category: Daily ChoicesTags: 7 Deadly Sins, Arrogance, Blinded, Blindness, conceit, Control, Control the narrative, distorted view, ego, ego-trip, egoism, Hubris, Humble, Humility, Insolence, my value, Narcissism, Narcissist, Open Eyes, Original Sin, Presumption, pretension, Pride, Proud, Self-importance, self-love, Self-pity, sin, Sin of sins, Sinner, smug, smugness, snob, Thinking too highly of myself, vanity
What is it about children and their selective hearing? They conveniently fail to perceive instructions or warnings they don’t like. But if a parent for some reason does not follow through with something he said he might do, there is a predictable mantra shouted:… Continue Reading “Choosing to Follow His Promises”
Category: Daily ChoicesTags: Assurance, Belief, Believe, Believe God, Believe Jesus, Blood oath, Commitment, Don't Give Up, Doubt, Doubtful, Enduring Faith, Enduring Hope, Faith, forgiveness, Future Resurrection, Give my word, Give your word, God's Promises, Guarantee, Hope, I give up, I promise, Jesus is coming, Long wait, love, Pact, Persevere, Pledge, Promise, Promises, Redemption, Return of Christ, Salvation, Tired, Trust, Trusting God, Trusting Jesus, Vow, Wait, Waiting, Weary, Worthy of Trust, You promised
It hit the airwaves just before I graduated from high school. And though I never absorbed any of the lyrics except the first line, I found myself humming and singing those few words over and over. There was also a movie and TV series… Continue Reading “Choosing a Long-Term View of My Life”
Category: Daily ChoicesTags: Anti-materialism, Assets, Eternal Life, Eternity, Faith, Fame, Famous, Forever, Heaven, Heavenly reality, Hope, Hopeful, immortal, immortality, Incorruptible life, Invest, Investments, Live forever, Long life, Long Suffering, Long-Term, love, Materialism, Never die, Never give up, Patience, Perseverance, Persevere, Physical, Physical reality, short life, short-term, Short-term Thinking, Skepticism, Wait, Waiting
As far back as I can remember, I have largely interpreted life, my value, and my impressions of those around me through the words I hear. What I have taken in through my ears has lodged deep into my soul. Countless words have cut… Continue Reading “Choosing to Speak Life”
Category: Daily ChoicesTags: advocate, Affirm, applaud, approve, backbiting, backstabbing, bad-mouth, Belittle, boost, cheer, Comfort, console, Crude Jokes, Crude Talk, Curse, Curses, damage, defamation, defame, depreciate, dirty laundry, dirty linen, dishonor, Dishonoring, disparage, Encourage, Encouragement, Energize, enliven, Faith, False, Falsehood, gladden, Gossip, Healing, Healing Words, Heart Motive, Honoring, Hope, Hurt, Hurtful, Hurtful Words, injure, inspire, Jokes, libel, Lies, Life-giving, Life-Giving Words, Lips, love, Lying, Lying Lips, malign, Mouth, muckrake, mud-slinging, Negative Words, Painful Words, Power of the Tongue, Praise, promote, Refresh, revile, Sarcasm, Sarcastic Words, slam, Slander, Slandering Words, slime, slur, smear, smile, Speech, Spoken Word, Support, Talk, Talking, tear down, The Mouth, The Tongue, Truth, Truth in Love, Words
How many plans have been started with grand vision and then abandoned because of how insignificant and underwhelming the idea later felt? My visionary follow-through often struggles. Emotions of discouragement settle in when the glorious things I imagine don’t swiftly materialize. Not seeing an… Continue Reading “Choosing to Begin Small”
Category: Daily ChoicesTags: Afraid, Begin, Begin Small, Beginnings, Don't despise small beginnings, Embarrassing, Eyes of Faith, Eyes to See, Faith, fear, Fresh Start, Greatness, Hope, Inadequate, Insignificant, Insignificant beginnings, Loaves and Fishes, love, Mustard Seed, Patience, Simple, Simple Obedience, Simple Offering, Simple Prayers, Small Beginnings, So small, Start Small, Surrender, Think Big, Trust, Trusting Heart
Posted on May 20, 2024
by Jeff Herringshaw
1 Comment
I was a child when I remember first hearing the concept of having a “friendship with God.” It provided a welcome relief from the burden of legalism my young perception of religion had pressed on me. But looking back, I now see that this… Continue Reading “Choosing a Different Kind of Friendship”
Category: Daily ChoicesTags: Abraham, Closer than a Brother, Companionship, Faith, Friendship with God, God my Friend, God's Way, Good Friends, Hope, Intimacy with God, Jacob, Jesus my Friend, Life, Life-giving, love, Loving God, Obedience, Obedience to God, Relationships, Struggling Friends, Struggling with God, True Friendship, Trust, Wrestling, Wrestling with God
I traveled quite a bit when my children were young. I led outreach teams to foreign countries and could be gone for several weeks at a time. We didn’t have a lot of money, and so when it came to bringing gifts home to… Continue Reading “Choosing Treasure Not Easily Seen”
Category: Daily ChoicesTags: Appetities, Blind, Can't See, Christ, Dividends, Eternal, Eternal Dividends, Eternally Wealthy, Eternity, Faith, Future, God, Happiness, Happy, Heavenly Father, Hidden Treasure, Hidden Value, Hidden Values, Holy Spirit, Hope, I can't see, Immediate Gratification, Invest, Investments, Jesus, love, Open Eyes, Physical Appetites, Redeem, Redemption, Salvation, See, Seeing Eyes, Self Indulgment, short-term, Short-Term Happiness, Short-term mindset, Temporal Pleasure, Treasure, True Wealth, Values, Wealth
I have been a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work for quite a while. Not only do I enjoy reading and rereading his stories of Middle Earth Hobbits, Elves, and Dwarves, but I find snatches of insight about his personal life, faith, and philosophy intriguing… Continue Reading “Choosing to Reject Half Truths”
Category: Daily ChoicesTags: Deceit, Deceitful, Deceived, Deceiver, Disinformation, Evil One, Facts, Father of Lies, Half Truth, Hate Lies, Liar, Lies, Love the truth, Partially True, Satan, The Devil, True, Truth, Truth Teller
In the movies it always looked so easy and inconsequential. As a kid, I watched shows where chairs were busted over heads in barroom fights, the recipient merely staggering a few paces before flinging his opponent through a wooden railing. In addition, there were… Continue Reading “Choosing to Respond to the Knock”
Category: Daily ChoicesTags: choices, Choose well, Free Will, freedom, God waits, God's sovereignty, Hard Heart, Human choice, Human choices, Invitation, Invite Jesus in, Jesus invites, Jesus Knocks, Jesus Saves, Let Jesus in, Love relationship with Jesus, Mark 10:17-27, Matthew 19:16-22, Open Heart, Open the door, Open your heart, Receive Jesus, Resisting God, Resisting Jesus, Resisting the Holy Spirit, Respond to God, Respond to Jesus, Revelation 3:20, Salvation, Welcome Jesus, Woo
Choose This Day 