CHOOSE: FOUR FOR THE FOURTH FRIDAY

This entry could have been "Choose: Humor" but I love alliteration.
So-o-o....thanks for humoring me.

I hope to add to your "humor" by adding 4 "funny" marginalia quotes. 

Maybe just funny for me as one with a sharpening pencils fetish, modus operandi of panic, who is an all around human mess, and needs to allow God to "turn (my) mess into a message."

1. Jesus needs to photo bomb all those "selfies." (Cole Huffman)
2. Family Motto at our house is "Wake up and Panic!"  (Carolyn W.)
3. REMEMBER: If there's not blood, smoke or fire, it's NOT a crisis. (Carolyn W.)
4. Life without God is like an unsharpened pencil, it has no point! (unknown)

Choosing to laugh today as I focus not on my faults but focus more on how God can use them.

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.

CHOOSE: TO BELIEVE

In the beginning God said..............and it was so.

And God said, "Let there be light : and there was light." And God called the light day and the darkness He called Night. (Genesis 1:3-4)

...God made the firmament, and divided waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. (Genesis 1:7)

And God said, let the waters under the heaven be gathered together....and let the dry land appear: and it was so. (Genesis 1:9) 

And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind,.......upon the earth: and it was so. (Genesis 1:11)

And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days, and years....and let them be for lights to give light to the earth: and it was so. (Genesis 1:14-15)

And God said, Let the earth bring forth living creature after his kind,.......:and it was so. (Genesis 1:24)

And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed.....;to you it shall be for food. And to every beast of the field, ...every fowl of the air....everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green plant for food: and it was so.  (Genesis 1:29-30)

AND IT WAS SO----SO...CHOOSE: TO BELIEVE!

**A BIG Thanks to Ron Man and the worship choir at First Evangelical Church for a glorious Palm Sunday service! I don't have a clue how "AND IT WAS SO" was illuminated on the cross as the service drew to a close, but it spoke to my heart and raised the hair on my arms all at the same time!!! 

CHOOSE: TO KEEP KNOCKING

ASK. SEEK. KNOCK.

Three imperative verbs....as in a command implying "you." (unspoken second person, singular or plural)

Don't just do it once, Dotsy. 

(You) Keep on keeping on.

(You) Keep on Asking. 

(You) Keep on seeking. 

(You) Keep on knocking.

Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find; knock and the door will be open to you. (Matthew 7:7)

Even sample prayers can help when one desires a powerful prayer but  is wavering in persistence.
One of Susie Larsen's (Powerful Prayers p. 206) can be used to help one keep on knocking.

Precious Lord, here I am again lifting up my loved ones to you. Jesus, drew them near, by the power of your Holy spirit. Heal their deepest wounds. Make their crooked ways straight....open their eyes where they are blind....drive a wedge between every person and circumstance that the enemy is using to send a lying message to them. Line their paths with people and circumstances that speak life giving, soul restoring truth until they're totally free!May a revival break out over our nation!...., may the weary be restored, and the broken be healed.....

Choose to keep knocking with words that reflect your heart.

CHOOSE: TO CONTINUE

CHOOSE: TO CONTINUE.....in prayer that is!
Even when life seems to be suffocating you, PRAY!

It's important to "keep on keeping on" in prayer even if you feel as Elisabeth Eliott did (Twelve Basket of Crumbs, p.63) when she quoted the psalmist, "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax, it is melted within my breast; my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue clings to my jaw; thous doest lay me in the dust of the earth..." (Psalm 22:14-15) The prayer she uttered as she felt like shattered, broken pieces of pottery---"Lord, have mercy on us. Christ have mercy on us."
Elliott expressively used the words of the psalmist in her prayer. Spurgeon called Psalm 22, the "Psalm of the Cross." How appropriate for this Holy Week of 2017 for the Lord to bring me back to the truth of the One who suffered great affliction for me and my miserable condition----when my spirit seems to have melted away and I feel devoid of energy in my prayer life.
Lately, I haven't even been able to find scripture to pray for a deep wound in my heart.
But God....turned me to the prayers of others. The prayers of the Puritans...

• May His comforts cheer me in my sorrows, 
• His strength sustain me in my trials, 
• His blessings revive me in my weariness, 
• His presence render me a fruitful tree of holiness, 
• His might establish me in peace and joy, 
• His incitements make me ceaseless in prayer, 
• His animation kindle in my undying devotion.

Send Him as the searcher of my heart, to show me more of my corruption and helplessness

that I may flee to Thee,

cling to Thee,

rest on Thee...(Valley of Vision, p.23)

---until the Lord leads me to His Words to pray.....I continue to pray Elliott's prayer, "Lord, have mercy."

CHOOSE: PRAYER

Prayer of a righteous man availeth much....(James 5:16, KJV) or as HCSV renders it...."is very powerful in its results."

To be continued.............

CHOOSE: GRATITUDE

Daddy used to begin his day, "thanking the good Lord for everyday He gave Him."

That's not a bad idea as everyday is a gift from Him. 

I sip from my cuppa "graTEAtude" as a reminder.

Today is indeed God's gift.

Choose "Gratitude" as an expression of that and live it out for the rest of the day!

CHOOSE: TO LISTEN TO YOUR HEART

Words can come at us from every direction. A cacophony. Too loud to discern......
....But a picture can speak volumes enabling one's heart to "hear" with a quiet, yet distinct, voice.

In this instance, the Memphis representation of Jeremiah 29:7 by our pastor's wife, Lynn, spoke straight into my heart. It was her depiction of the verse which gave personal relevance to an already brewing conviction of my heart.

I desire to "work and pray" on behalf of "my" city, starting on "my" street, knowing that the Lord "...has determined the boundaries of my dwelling place." (Acts 17:26)

This "visual encounter" aided me in Choosing to Listen to My Heart."

CHOOSE: LEFTOVERS

If, by chance, hubby is reading this entry, he's probably thinking of last night's dinner because we eat leftovers a lot around here. I still seem to cook for 5 and there are only 2 of us. I grew up very aware of starving children across the globe and I don't like waste of any kind, especially food.

But God....was using books yesterday to teach me the importance of the wise use of leftovers.

We don't give God our leftovers, but when we give Him of our firstfruits there is always an abundance of blessing to pass on to others.

God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that always having enough of everything, you may share abundantly in every good work. (2 Corinthians 9:8, NRSV)

Claudia Parlow, former BSF teaching leader, would often share teaching tips with me. As I shared in all the pages of prep work I had written in order to teach a mere 30 minutes, she would comment, "Those leftovers are just for you, Dotsy."

When Jesus fed the 5,000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish, they all ate and were satisfied but the disciples picked up the fragments (broken pieces) of leftovers. (Matthew 14:20)

As the story is told by John 6:12, we see that the disciples were instructed by the Lord to "Gather up the leftover fragments that none may be lost."

The disciples had done the work and the leftovers were reminders to them of the lesson the Lord had just for them. Lessons of trust and obedience coupled with service to others.

Claudia's lesson for me from that analogy was---"nothing is lost when I "feed others" the truth from God's word." It's just that the parts that I prepared and didn't use because of time constraints, were leftovers just for me. 12 pages, of my very own "bread," were my personal lessons from the Lord.

Claudia's teaching from the past has me remembering to Choose: Leftovers---as I don't want anything to be lost or wasted that I might pass on to others even long after I am gone, especially loved ones.

CHOOSE: COURAGE

In the midst of the pain and suffering, choose courage. (Psalm 27:14)

Choosing courage is much easier to type than it is to experience, especially when times "feel" hopeless. 

REMEMBER---Courage is not the absence of fear. 

I love it when courage "trumps" fear---
-- even if it is just in a Scrabble game.

REMEMBER---Fear is our recognition of needing God during these particularly "hard" times. 

Anxiety results when we try to deal with our fear without God. Times of soul wounding and buckets of tears. (Psalm 42:1-5) 

REMEMBER---Salt from tears CAN provoke our deepest thirst for God. (Jeff Schulte, 9/18/16)

REMEMBER---Thirst gives us the courage to choose to turn to Him with renewed hope.

Know that I am preaching to the choir here---one with no vocal ability, who is trying to quietly choose courage.

CHOOSE: FELLOWSHIP

There's friendship and then there's fellowship---friend Ellen has taught me all about the "Dance of Fellowship." Her wisdom continues to give me glimpses into the various positions in the dances we choose throughout our lives.

Closed position. I know about that "dance." It's the position of believers leaning in on the Lord and allowing Him to lead in the "Dance of Life"---the unique dance He has for each of us. 

Circle Dances. A dance of unbroken faith held together by those who come around you---not offering first hand knowledge of your struggle but being there anyway. Encircling you with prayer and calling others to join in,

Line Dances. Those dances where believers line up in support because they all know this dance---every single step. It's the "struggling" dance available to those in fellowship on the same side of the suffering.

Whether we walk through life (started 27th year of walking in February '17)....

.....or dance together through our struggles, we've been there for each other. 

That's what the "dance of fellowship" is all about. 

It's easy to choose fellowship with Ellen.