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 Trust Again”
Category: Daily ChoicesTags: Anticipating, Blood oath, Commitment, Covenant, Covenantal Love, Cynic, Cynicism, Endurance, Endure, Eternal, Eternal Life, Eternity, Faith, Faithful, Faithfulness, God, God's Character, Hope, I promise, It's not over, Jesus, love, Patience, Patient, Pledge, Promise, Promise Keeper, Promises, Reliable, Renewal, Return of Christ, Take Heart, Trust, Trustworthiness, vows, Wait, Waiting
I always saw myself as a laid-back, easy-going person. That was until my first year of teaching remedial English to 8th graders in a California inner-city school. My carefully composed lesson plans were sabotaged daily by 13 and 14 year olds who derived perverse… Continue Reading “Choosing to Step Back and Wait”
Category: Daily ChoicesTags: Calmness, Composure, Cool, Endurance, Endure, Faith, Forbearance, Fortitude, Fruit of the Spirit, Grit, Hope, Jesus, Long Suffering, love, Patience, Patient, Peace, Renewal, Renewed Strength, Restraint, Serenity, Stoic, Stoicism, Suffer, Tolerance, Toleration, Wait, Wait on the Lord
I had a short stint running track when I was in middle school. It was enjoyable until the coach put me in an 800 meter race that I had not prepared for. As a sprinter, I applied what I knew and started out strong.… Continue Reading “Choosing a Strong Finish”
Category: Daily ChoicesTags: Arrogance, bad choices, Choose Justice, Choose Righteousness, Chosen, Completion, Don't Stop, Endure, Endure to the end, Faith, Finish Well, Finishing Strong, Forgivness, God's Way, good choices, Hope, Hubris, Humility, Living well, love, Love Mercy, Persevere, Pride, Refusing to learn, Resisting God, Thanks, Thanksgiving, The End, Walk Humbly
Several years ago, I assisted two of my grandchildren in making a craft/snack project. With the help of their grandmother, we made little “bird nests” out of peanut butter, chocolate, and crunchy chow mein noodles. As a final touch, we placed three colorful jellybeans… Continue Reading “Choosing to Wait for the Blessing”
Category: Daily ChoicesTags: Blessed, Comfort, Controlled by the Spirit, Delayed Gratification, Endurance, Endure, Future Blessing, Future Glory, Future Good, Future Hope, Have Patience, Hope, I give up, I want it now, It's coming, Joy comes in the morning, Keep going, Long Suffering, Long-Term Thinking, Meek, Merciful, mourning, Patience, peacemakers, Perseverance, Persevere, poor in spirit, Promises, Promises of God, promises of Jesus, Pure in heart, Resolution, Self-Control, Short-sighted, The Beatitudes, Tired of waiting, Wait, Wait for it, Waited long enough, Why wait?
After my face was smashed into the sweaty mat several times by a brute bigger than me I changed my mind. That was enough, and I gave up the thought of becoming a wrestler. The high school coach had said he could make me… Continue Reading “Choosing to Wrestle with God”
Category: Daily ChoicesTags: Confusion, Desperation, Discomfort, Don't give up, Draw near to God, Endurance, Endure, Faith, Fighting with God, God's blessing, Jacob, Life is Unfair, New Identity, Pain, Perseverance, Promises of God, Struggles, Struggling with God, Suffering, Wrestling with God
Choose This Day 