Notes on Choices, Part 1

One of the first and most important truths we should know about choices is that we all GET to make them.

The freedom to make choices for ourselves is a God-given right and He is extremely committed to that right. God is the ONLY being in all of creation who could justifiably CONTROL our decisions, and yet He refrains from doing so. He has carefully and clearly laid out a path for us to follow which will lead to blessing. And He has repeatedly warned of the path that leads to destruction. But in the end, He gives us absolute freedom to choose which path we will walk and He weeps when our choices lead to ruin. God places such a high premium on our freedom that He even shies away from forcing us to do things that would benefit us! He understands that we will never learn to love or respond to Him without that costly freedom.

Awareness of our power to choose and our responsibility for the outcome is the first step in understanding choices, decisions and discipline.

Choices, Decisions, and Discipline

Sometimes a thought gets stuck in my head and I can't shake it. It pops up at random times for no apparent reason at all. It starts as a miscellaneous thought and then begins to develop into an "understanding". That's when I know the Holy Spirit wants to teach me something. I love these moments of revelation because they remind me that He is real, He is present, and He is very interested in me and my spiritual growth.

So what happened was . . .

About two months ago, I began to think a lot about CHOICES. It all started in the area of healthy diet and exercise. (I guess I was focusing on making better food choices.) One day in my prayer time I asked the Father if He had any thoughts on the subject and if so, would He please give me some insight.

Note to Self: Don't ever ask the Creator of the Universe if He has any thoughts on any subject unless you are prepared for an avalanche! Oh my goodness! (I thought He might say something simple like "lay off the soda". I wasn't prepared for an entire life lesson. Geez!)

Thoughts and insight began to come. All of a sudden I became keenly aware of my choices. I started to realize with deeper understanding how my choices impact my life (and my eternity). And I became more aware of God's participation (or lack of) in my choices. He also began to teach me more about DECISIONS and DISCIPLINE. For the past two months I have been trying to take notes as my teacher (the Holy Spirit) has revealed truth to me. He has had to go very s-l-o-w-l-y as my human, stubborn and sinful mind resists the process of renewal. One thing is certain; this is a very important subject to the Lord.

Romans 12:2 (NLT) – Don’t copy the behavior and customs of  this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

I know this lesson is far from completed. In fact, I have only scratched the surface. I am struggling to grasp the higher ways of God and let go of traditional, worldly thinking. It’s not easy, folks! It’s a process.

At any rate, in the next few posts, I will attempt to share some of the insights I have gained. To some readers, this stuff may be "old news". To others, perhaps this will be a good “refresher”. Or to still others, maybe you will experience a few "ah-ha" moments. Either way I would love to hear your thoughts along the way.

More to come,

That Fateful Day

NEGLIGENT:  failing to exercise the care of a reasonably prudent person in like circumstances.

Three years ago today, my daddy went in to Las Palmas Hospital in El Paso, Texas for surgery. Because of the negligent, deplorable action of one nurse, he never made it home.

I will admit it is very, VERY, difficult to swallow the pain that chokes me as I remember the 10 weeks following daddy's surgery that changed our lives forever. It's still so fresh. It is so hard to look back on events and not wish for a "do-over".  Why didn't we choose a different hospital?  Why didn't I take daddy to Chicago or L.A. instead?  Why did we leave daddy alone that afternoon and go get lunch?  If only, if only, if only . . .

Now, three years later, I must reconcile one fact.  Sometimes there are no "do-overs". Only lessons.

Upon reflection, here are a few things I have learned:

   I have gained a greater and deeper compassion for others who have suffered an "unfair" loss.  Before Las Palmas Hospital, I could not in my wildest imagination fathom the depth of someone's pain at losing a loved one because of a care-giver's fatal mistake.

   I have stood before God - sometimes strong, sometimes weak - and learned to trust Him regardless of the pain, anger and disappointment I sometimes feel.  I trust that He loves me. I trust that He is the God Who Sees.  I trust that He will restore.

    I have learned what a great and precious gift "hope" is.  The hope of His return.  The hope of His promise. The hope of being united together with Christ in glory forever.

   I have learned that I am not alone. Jesus understands my pain. Remember, He's the One whose sweat became like drops of blood in the agony of the cross.  If anybody undertands trauma, He does. Completely.

Well, these are all good lessons . . . no, great lessons.  I just wish I didn't have to learn them the hard way.

Goal Setting For 2010

I have avoided making New Year’s resolutions in recent years  because I don't have a very high success rate. I start out strong, but unfortunately I loose momentum by early February when my enthusiasm fizzles out. I chalk it up to lack of discipline and plain ole laziness!

But this year I believe things will be different. The latter half of 2009 I got my hands on some excellent "self-help" resources and have been s-l-o-w-l-y working through the chapters. It has been a very rewarding, enlightening experience and now I feel I am ready to incorporate some of the things I have been learning into some good old fashioned “Goal Setting”.

Why “goals” instead of “resolutions”?

A resolution implies a promise. It’s pass or fail. It has an inflexible ring to it. A goal, on the other hand, is a specifically defined, reachable result. Reaching a goal is tangible progress on my objective(s).

For example:

Resolution: I will work out 5 times a week.

OR

Goal: I want to loose 8 – 10 pounds of body fat by summer. I will incorporate exercise and activity into my lifestyle that will help me achieve the tangible goal of loosing 2 pounds of body fat per month until I reach a total of 10 pounds fat loss.

• Actions I Can Take: I can find a walking buddy. I can join a gym and find an accountability partner to make sure I go 3 times per week. I can set aside 15 minutes (first thing in the morning) 3 times per week to hop on my elliptical to jump start my metabolism. I can schedule at least one 45 minute DVD workout at home over the weekend when I tend to avoid exercise. I can find / join a free on-line support group for encouragement, suggestions, information . . . etc.

So, now the question is, what goals do I want to set? Hmmmm . . . the possibilities are endless! I found an awesome questionnaire on a blog that I follow that gave me lots of food for thought. I haven’t finished answering mine yet, but I thought I would share some of the questions with you in case anyone wants to join me in goal setting. If anyone wants the complete list, leave a comment below and I will email you the entire list.

Happy New Year and may you achieve all of your goals in 2010!

 

Food for Thought
Compiled by Tsh @ Simple Mom


I. Personal Growth
1. What character traits would you like to see developed in your life this year? What are some specific steps you can take to develop these?
2. What are some of your learning goals for this year?
3. What books would you like to read this year?
4. What spiritual goals would you like to focus on this year?

II. Physical Health
1. What is one area of progress you’d like to see this year for maintaining or improving your physical health?
2. What are some tangible, daily choices you can add to your life that will improve your health?

III. Marriage & Family Life
1. In what ways can you grow in intimacy with your spouse this year?
2. What plans will you make to pray and/or have “family meetings” together? What books would you like to read together this year?
3. What will regular family time look like in your family this year?
4. Do you have specific planned vacation time in mind for this year? What needs to happen to make this vacation a reality?

IV. Goals for Your Children
1. What are ways you’d like each of your children to grow in the following areas?
a. Physically:
b. Emotionally:
c. Relationally:
d. Spiritually:
e. Educationally:
f. Other:

V. Money Matters
1. What is one specific area of progress you’d like to see this year in your financial health?
2. How much debt do you have? In what ways can you eliminate a portion of it this year?
3. How is your savings account? In what ways can you save more money this year?
4. Are you giving regularly? If not, in what way can you give financially this year?

VI. Relationships Outside the Home
1. In what specific way would you like to grow in relating to your friends this year?
2. What are some ways you can be of service to your immediate community?
3. Who are some specific people in your life that can use some encouragement? What will you do to encourage them this year?
4. Who are some people in your life that you admire? What are some practical ways you can positively use their influence in your life?