CHOOSE: 901

Believe it or not, choosing 901, for me, is a biblical choice.

Acts 17 reinforces my belief that God who gives all men, life and breath and everything else (Acts 17:25) has placed me here. He chose my time in history and where I would live. 

"...He determined allowed periods and the boundaries of their dwelling places." (Acts 17: 26, ESV)

God chose 901 for me so it only stands to reason that I would try to make a difference in the 901 area for His glory. 

More than that, I choose to inhabit my habitation with prayer. I think the prayer choice is key to receiving God's blessings on "my" city.

CHOOSE: ALL

"All" is only 3 letters but in a grammarian world, it speaks volumes. "All" assumes 4 of the 8 parts of speech depending on its usage. That makes me think all is an all important word. (adjective) So....I'm going to give my all to get this right! (noun) If I don't lose all of my mind in the process (as pronoun, substitute for noun)

Are all of you already confused? Or am I all alone in my confusion? (adverb)

The main idea is that generally the usage of all expresses the entire quality or extent of something. 

Today, I choose ALL only as complete, in its entirety.

I remember a favorite old hymn of my grandmother. "I Surrender All." 

Not I surrender all except; that bit of resentment I keep well hidden, my health, my home, my children, my spouse, my savings account, etc. 
No buts or exceptions with total surrender.

The hymn says "All to Him I freely give."

Reading Robert Morgan's devotional, All to Jesus,* this year, I am amazed at the power of that word throughout scripture----from God's commands to the Israelites to His comfort to all believers as the God of all grace (1 Peter 5:10) whom He invites to cast all anxiety upon Him (not some or part) because He cares.(1 Peter 5:7)

I choose this day to surrender all to Him who works all things together for my good. (Romans 8:28)

*I thank Marje Andrews, with all my heart, for giving me this gem of a book.

CHOOSE: TRUTH AGAIN AND AGAIN.

Choose truth again, is a merger of Monday's 4/17/17 "Choose: Truth" entry and "Choose: Not to Choose "  3/28/17 entry. An important revisit because all folks need to be able to distinguish---between GOD'S TRUTH & HOGWASH.

It's only a "little" sin----one that doesn't really count.  (Hogwash)

(1 John 3:4) Sin is sin, regardless of a man's perceived "size." God grades sin by the cross, not on a sliding scale or a curve. (Romans 3:23)

No one will ever know. (Hogwash)
Our sins are not hidden from God. (Psalm 69:5)

Going to church will make me a Christian. (Hogwash)
It might help you hear truth that leads one to salvation but church attendance does not guarantee an entrance into heaven. (June 14:6)

I can do it MYSELF! (Hogwash)
Sounds like a two -year-old, doesn't it? Self-reliance is a dead end street. Humankind needs God and each other. Others whom they can trust. (2 Corinthians 12:9-11)

God helps those who help themselves is in the Bible. (Hogwash)
No it's not.
God is our very present help---we can depend on Him. (Psalm 46:1)

If one prays hard enough and often enough God will give them whatever they want. (Hogwash)
God is not an ATM machine or a cure-all. He will more likely give what we need rather than what we think we want. That's NOT a  prayer based on a relationship aligned with the Lord's will. (1 John 5:14)

Money is the root of all evil---Baloney! (aka Hogwash)
It's the love of money and greed that is the sin problem! (1 Timothy 6:10)

Only good & perfect people will go to heaven. (Hogwash)
God's standard is not perfection for humans. One could never be good enough apart from the blood of Jesus.(Romans10:9-10)
CHOOSE TRUTH, not Hogwash.....it's an important choice!

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CHOOSE: PEACE

Choosing peace is not always as easy as it sounds. It's a "mind thing!" Aren't all choices!

When anxious thoughts seem to multiply within me, (Psalm 94:19) like knots in my stomach, I need to seek the "fruit of peace!" Allow His peace to come forth, grow within, and ease those knots.

Choose to "Seek Peace and pursue it"---thats the right choice!! (Psalm 34:14)

CHOOSE: FIVE FOR FRIDAY

Choosing 5 fave marginalia prayer quotes for my Friday focus. Often the source is not listed, so my apologies to all those folks not cited.

1. The purpose of prayer is NOT to change God, but to change us.
2. Puritans say, "Pray until you pray."
3. Talk to God about men before you talk to men about God.
4. During times of prayer, cultivate faithfulness, not feelings and sensations.
5. Praise is Christ's address. 

Today, I choose to heed the truth found in these tidbits written in the margins of my Ryrie NIV study Bible.

CHOOSE: TO DANCE

Dance Lesson to follow...............

Sometimes its hard to even take that first step on the "Dance floor of Life" especially if the tune is unfamiliar or the lyrics to the song are ones you don't want to hear.

If first step hard to take, just hold out your arms and your dance partner will meet you more than halfway because He is already on thence floor. He can give clear direction----more than once, if needed. Many dancers have to revisit this first step often in order to clearly learn the lesson the Lord has for them.

But....when the "Lord of the Dance" is your partner and you are allowing Him to lead your steps, it's easy, not only to choose to dance with Him, but to be the first one to hit the dance floor.

CHOOSE: TO LET GO

Many little girls know the Idina Menzel lyrics from Frozen's, "Let It Go."

"Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know." "Let it go."

But....do they understand the importance of letting go of control, rather the semblance of control which so many females seem to cherish. Fear of losing control that smothers them. Control which they never really had anyway.

Things change all around them. Changes they have no control over. That "fear of no control" controls them. 

What can they do?

Let go of the fear. Change their own focus, rather than trying to change others. 

Focus on things they can control. Look to Him who is their peace. Keep their heart, mind and eyes on Him.

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee because he trusts in Thee. (Isaiah 26:3)

The answer---Choose to let go and submit to God. He's the only one who can truly change us or others.
He's the only one in control anyway!

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CHOOSE: THIS DAY

Sharing with friend, Melody about "choose" as "My One Word" for 2017, she immediately began quoting Joshua 24:15.

Choose you this day whom ye will serve....as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

That's getting right back to the basics of choosing. Once one chooses the Lord today and every day, everything else just falls into place.

Choosing Him over self makes even the struggles and the hard places more palatable. 

Choose to "start today" this very day----to serve Him and NOT self. 

CHOOSE: TRUTH

Truth is defined by Merriam-Webster as "sincerity in action, character and utterance."

Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life...." (John 14:6)

Jesus is truth and His word is Truth. "The sum of your word is truth,..."(Psalm 119:160)

Too often when people voice their own opinions, in morals or even the politics of government, the world loses its basis for absolutes and thus truth, as we have known it, has become irrelevant.

It's as if the world no longer sees God's sovereignty or His power at work. 

He is risen---that's an absolute truth. Truth to count on!

Happenstance or coincidence or stars aligning are a few of our culture's reigning philosophies.

CO-incidence (CO=Christ Ordained) is my preferred view.

Coincidence is a messenger sent by Truth. (Jacqueline Winspear, author) I appreciate that Ms Winspear capitalized truth in her latest book.

As a manner of honor, one man owes it to another to manifest the truth. (T. Aquinas)

One who chooses truth chooses life and that life is manifested as one walks in truth and speaks truth.(Psalm 15:2)
So...to "CHOOSE TRUTH" seems like a "no-brainer" to me.

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CHOOSE: TO PRAISE & SING

As I shared with little Lucy, there is much to thank God for each day. 

We called them our "thank you, God" prayers.

Sometimes one can even sing her thanks which becomes a song from the heart. AKA praise.

See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come. (Song of Songs 2:11-12, NIV)

Some seasons make choosing to praise and sing easy---for me, springtime is that season.