CHOOSE THIS DAY....FOOD FOR THOUGHT FRIDAY!

How great it would be if all decisions made today would be as easy as choosing my morning cuppa!

All my tea options are good ones to me. I don't even have to choose caffeine free if it's only 7am. 

Other choices throughout the day are more difficult because of the ramifications. Such choices can be important or complex, nothing like deciding on loose leaf or tea bag for my morning cuppa.

How would my choice affect someone else. Physically?  Emotionally? Monetarily? Spiritually? (Romans 12:10)

• To encourage. (Ephesians 4:29) 
• To build up. (Romans 15:2) 
• To motivate to love and good works. (Hebrews 10:24)
• An encouraging word cheers a person up. (Proverbs 12:25)

Each day our choices count! 

That's real food for thought this Friday and everyday.

IMPORTANT EXERCISE

Exercise is important! 

Exercise can be difficult to incorporate into one's daily schedule.

Exercise with another can be an encouragement.

Exercising with another, aka fellowship, is essential for growth, from physical to spiritual! 

Fellowship, sharing time in God's word laced with prayer and physically coming alongside others in their struggles of life is an important earthly exercise with an eternal result. (Acts 2:42, 44)

SUSTAIN UKRAINE!

Sustain Ukraine!

What a privilege---being on a team to pack 10,000 food parcels for a land and people whom I love dearly.

When the gong sounds we will go ---and keep going until the job of supplying 100,000 meals is complete.

LET'S GET PACKING & SUSTAIN UKRAINE!* (1 John 4:7-8)

*Note Ukrainians delivering previously delivered parcel to eastern Ukraine/front lines wear helmets and bullet proof vests!

CHOOSE: TO CELEBRATE...

I chose to celebrate dear friend Ashley Bryan's life via "Ma Bell," as today is his 94th birthday! We always try to chat on my birthday or his and either bless my heart immensely! Ashley is one of my "Hebrews 10:24 friends"---as he "stirs me up"with his encouragement "to love and good works."

This morning was no different even though we shared grief in the loss of his "Soos." 

Susie/Susan Valdina, an Isleford resident, Ashley's precious friend and his "tech" connector with the digital world, died 2 months ago after 18 month struggle with pancreatic cancer. There are not enough words to tell all she meant to the Cranberry Isles folks, especially Ashley. Often, she was the go between for us as she handled both slug mail (as Isleford post mistress, and emails on his behalf. She made sure I received a birthday hug and e-mail blessings from him on my birthday last year.
As our chat continued we shared much good news.

One of the biggies was the stage performances of his "Dancing Granny" in Alliance Theatre in Atlanta.

To see and hear this amazing video, click here alliancetheatre.org/granny.
It will be inspirational to all!!
Of course, it truly warms my heart as I have the original "album" (remember those?) signed by Ashley to me,

Ashley was thrilled that we are going to the High Museum in Atlanta Ashley Bryan's  current exhibit, which is causing quite a "stir" in Atlanta. (All the MARTA buses have signs depicting the exhibit, "Painter and Poet: Wonderful World of Ashley Bryan") Above link also has a 6 minute video of Ashley.
Friends from North Carolina are going with us at the end of the month and I am so-o-o-o excited!

Ashley and I both choose to celebrate life each day God gives us, and today we chose to hope to see each other next year on his 95th---as hubby and I plan to go to his island!

Digital Destiny

The way we communicate with others seems to be changing---even with family and friends. There seems to be a "need" to be plugged in or connected virtually, even while you are sitting with others.

Text messaging sometimes seems preferred over face to face conversations.

We've all seen it---the cartoon of two at a table together----heads buried in their iPhones  The joke caption implies they are texting each other. 

Recently, as I headed out the door, I got a mouthful of yummy Dove chocolate before I got an eyeful of wisdom. It was a great reminder to detox from the digital device for some one-on-one time with a friend.

Leave your phone behind. Revive the art of conversation.

It carried over to "dinnertime" when dining with several friends at TOPH. 

Same message. Different messenger. 

Our "trip hostess" asked that we all put our phones down, except for our "trip" photographer. How grateful I am for her wisdom. Her courteous reminder. 

A  2^nd reminder of the day----we control our digital destinies in our relationships.....

.......Not giving up meeting together (maybe just giving up the device for a while)....encouraging one another....toward love and good deeds. (Hebrews 10:25, 24)

attenDANCE!

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design@brokenpromises.org

9/19/12 Successful businesses have attendance policies. Attendance is seen as an integral part of a good work ethic.  Sometimes an unstated, but real, expectation.

Class attendance. An important facet of education. ADA (Average Daily Attendance) results in rewards ($$) from the state because the Department of Education knows how importance attendance is for learning. After 42 years in education, I know that to be true.

Learning and growth occur when one is attending. Present. Focusing. In the realm of education, attendance is both a physical and a mental act. The same is true in the spiritual realm.

attenDANCE! Time alone with the Lord. Necessary for instructions in each “dance of life” which one faces.  Only the Lord God knows these steps. It’s the dance He has planned. He wants to lead you. Following requires attenDANCE.

attenDANCE!! How long has it been? Darkened the doors of a church lately? (Hebrews 10:25) How else can one spur others on to love and good deeds if we’re not in attendance. (Hebrews 10:24)

attenDANCE!!! How long has it been? To dance with Him, one must “show up.” This attenDANCE requires our participation, both individually and corporately.

"ALL THINGS CONSIDERED"

9/26/11 "ATC" with the voice of Robert Siegel often catches my ear if I’m in the car late afternoon. Yesterday’s interview with Rachel Held Evans really caught my attention. Mrs. Evans, an evangelical Christian, has spent a year trying to live out biblical instructions for women. My favorite part was when she told of the Jewish orthodox woman whose hubby “sang” Proverbs 31 to her on the Sabbath as a way, not to push her to do all written therin, but to celebrate all that she had done for her family during the week. That interview had me considering relevant biblical instructions for my own life. Hiding God’s word in my heart was my first consideration.

For today’s Meditating Monday this radio broadcast had me choose “considering” verses that one might deem relevant for his/her own meditation. There are lots. I’m choosing 4 verses that caught my attention. Choose the one that “speaks” to you and then consider it and all things about the verse over the next few days.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. (James 1:2-5)

Don’t consider yourself wise. Fear the LORD and turn away from evil. (Proverbs 3:7)

Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God, (II Corinthians 3:5)

.....and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, (Hebrews 10:24)