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
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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
Posted on February 19, 2024
by Jeff Herringshaw
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As a child, I remember when my Sunday school knowledge about God and the Bible became dull and simple. I was a jaded 12-year-old, having grown up saturated with what felt like dry, moralistic lessons drawn from the pages of scripture. The words faith,… Continue Reading “Choosing to “Know” Less”
Category: Daily ChoicesTags: Beginnings, Believe, boredom, Childlike, Childlikeness, Children, Discipleship, Enjoy, Faith, Faith Fundamentals, Faith Hope Love, forgive, Godliness, Growing with God, Hope, Humility, Intimacy with Jesus, Kingdom of God, Kingdom of Heaven, Knowledge, Learn, Like a Child, love, Maturity, Respond to love, Simple, Sunday school, The Basics, Trust, Wisdom
Posted on February 12, 2024
by Jeff Herringshaw
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Valentine’s Day was that time of the year, when as a child I thought I would discover who truly liked me. At school, little pre-printed cards were distributed by each classmate that typically said something like, “Be My Valentine,” or “Be mine.” Some even… Continue Reading “Choosing to Make It Real”
Category: Daily ChoicesTags: Affection, Affection for you, Attraction, Be Mine, Be my Valentine, Choosing to love, Desire, Falling in Love, Falling out of Love, February 14th, Feelings, giving, Giving and taking, I Love You, I want you, love, Love is a choice, Please Love Me, Real Love, Romance, Romantic, Romantic Attraction, Romantic Love, Saint Valentine, Sentiment, Sentiments, sex, Sexy, Sweet Affection, Tender Love, That Certain Feeling, Valentine, Valentine's Day
Posted on January 29, 2024
by Jeff Herringshaw
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“I’m so disappointed,” the young man said to me. “I came here wanting to experience God’s love. But I have felt nothing new. This has been a waste of my time.” I was interviewing one of our discipleship students as the program was winding… Continue Reading “Choosing to Need Forgiveness”
Category: Daily ChoicesTags: Arrogance, Blind Spots, Encountering God, forgive, Forgiven, Forgiven Little, Forgiven Much, forgiveness, Help Me!, Helpless, Humble, Humble Myself, Humility, I am a sinner, I have sinned, I Need a Savior, I Need God, I need help, Independence, love, Love of God, Need a Savior, Need help, Need to be Rescued, Pride, Rescued, Rescuer, Respectable Sinner, Save me, Savior, Self-Righteousness, Self-sufficiency, sin, Sinner, Spiritual Pride
Posted on December 11, 2023
by Jeff Herringshaw
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I had a professor in college who challenged all of us to be passionate . . . about anything. Throughout the semester he often said that it didn’t really matter what we were passionate about, just that we cared deeply enough about a cause,… Continue Reading “Choosing the Order of My Affections”
Category: Daily ChoicesTags: Affection, Affections, Beauty, Confused, Confused Passions, Deep Feelings, Emotion, Emotions, Eternal Value, Eternal Values, Eternity, Feelings, Goodness, Justice, love, Loving, Misdirected Passions, Order of Affections, Ordered Loves, Ordo Amoris, Passion, Passionate, Passions, Rightly Ordered Loves, Saint Augustine, Sentiment, Sentiments
Choose This Day 