Stuck on a Chapter?

Have you ever made a mistake and simply wished you could rewind and start over? If you're like most poeple you definitely have had those moments in your life. Maybe it was something you said. Maybe a semester in school you slacked off on. Or any other mistake...we want them to be rewound and start over.

Some choices we may want to start over but at the same time we haven't reached the point of being willing to start over. We are content to stay at the same place - even if we don't like it, it is not enough of a discomfort to move on.

Examples of this may include addictions, bad relationships, bad jobs, etc. We want to get to the next chapter in our lives, but the obstacles seem to be holding us back. This brings us to this week's quote...

You can't start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading the last one. ~ Unknown

As I pondered the quote, it caused me to think about how often I have been known to re-read the last chapter. Maybe the chapter before that, as well.

When it comes to literal reading, I tend to be a bit slower, especially when I am really trying to comprehend. There have been known times when I would put a book down for a few days to a week and once I returned to the reading, I had to refresh my memory on what was going on in the book. This slows down my momentum in the book and generally causes the book to not be so impactful.

When we remain in a phase of life that would be much better for us to not be in, we are essentially "re-reading the lat chapter."

As you go through life, be aware of what chapter you are on and the obstacles that are preventing you from "reading the next chapter!"

Now it's your turn...what do you need to do in your current situation to "turn the page" and read the next chapter?

Today Counts - it can change tomorrow

You may go through today and not have much to show for it. You may have finished yesterday with a similar endpoint. However, you may have an opportunity today that will change the course of your life, or someone else's life. To you, the decision makes no significant impact, but to someone else it changes their life, significantly.

Today counts, whether we like it or not. It may be tearing up the dirt to be ready for planting, it may be packing it down, establishing a firm foundation, or it could be simply making a decision to do something better in the future. Remember, today counts and this week's quote speaks to that such concept...

What you do today can change the course of your life far into into the future. Today is critical. Today really counts. ~ Ralph S. Marston, Jr.

Today may be the day you decide to quit an unhealthy habit. Today, may be the day you decide to read a book. Today, may be the day you decide you are going to marry the person you've been dating. Today, may be the day you decide you will start something you've been putting off. Today, may be the day that you turn your life over to God. Today, may be the day that you make ____ decision to do something different with your life.

Though there may be many days which, at the end of the day, there is not much to show for it, make today count. Make it a goal to have something to show for everyday that is "today." It could be something as simple as saying "Hello" to someone. Additionally, it may improve your health, as you help to imporove others' health.

It may also mean that you will make today count by doing a long-overdue project. To reap the benefits of that project will greatly impact your future and it will change the course of your life.

So make today count...it can change tomorrow!

Now it's your turn...what will you decide to do today? Or, what have you made a decision about in the past which has changed the course of your life?

The Extra Degree: Versus

Have you ever been to the eye doctor for an exam? As the doctor is trying to figure out what prescription of lenses are best he will use this contraption with lots of lens types in it. You will go through a series of combinations. During that part of the examination he will ask questions like "1 or 2? 2 or 3? A or B? B or C?" Some combinations will be noticeably different where others will not be that different at all. (on a personal note, I love having the eye exams).

So, it is "A vs. B" or "1 vs. 2"...which one are you going to choose? In lenses it will be the one that you can see better. But which menu item are you going to choose when so many choices look good? Or which choice are you going to choose when it comes to moral versus immoral? Fun versus disciplined? Integrity versus compromise?

There can be some tough choices in life when the concept of "versus" is presented. That concept is what we focused on during our lesson on Sunday. Here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

• Say "No" ~ Sometimes people can just expect so much out of you that you don't have time anymore for the important things. In those times, saying "no" to people can be a way to go the extra degree. Other times, people can ask or tempt you to do something you know you shouldn't do, so saying "no" may keep you out of a lot of trouble for the future.
• Chin Lift ~ When life hands you some overwhelming challenges - peers, finances, self-esteem, affairs - it can be hard to pick yourself up and take that next step. Even with that next step you may be just wanting to walk through life with your chin down. Go beyond that and lift the chin. It makes me think of the the song "Tomorrow" in the movie Annie, "just pick up my chin and grin and say, 'Tomorrow, tomorrow, you're only a day away.'" Keep going! Lift the chin!
• Kill 'em With Kindness ~ Has someone knocked you down a few notches? Was it undeserving? Fight back with kindness. They will most likely hate that, but you will be doing good things after they were doing bad
• Pray Ahead of Time ~ You never know when you will be faced with an important "versus" decision. So, pray in advance that you will be able to make a good decision, even if you do not know even the capacity it will show itself in.

I wish things could be easy in life and I'm sure you'd agree. Though it is not easy, getting over the hump of the hard decisions will give closure to matters. As you go through life, consider the freedom and joy that will come from going the better way when you are met with a "versus" situation.

Now it's your turn...what "versus" situations have you encountered in the past two weeks? Maybe that you gave in to or you won over?

Which End Do You Use?

I am having a difficult time introducing this week's quote, as I am afraid I would give too much of it away.  So, simply put, here is this week's quote...

[God] gave us two ends: one to sit on and one to think with.
 Ever since then, man's success or failure has been dependent on the one he used most.
  ~ Robert Albert Bloch

The decisions that we make most frequently take us either to the side of "good job" or "ooops".  Those decisions could be couched around the words we choose to say, the purchases we choose to make, or the direction we choose to turn.  

Not all the decisions that are hasty are guaranteed "ooops" kinds of decisions.  Not all thought out and/or prayed about decisions are "good job" decisions.  We can make "good job" hasty decisions or "ooops" thought out decisions.  However, from my experience, the majority of the "good job" decisions were more thought out.

Sometimes you do not have the opportunity to really think it out.  Ever been in a conflict situation with someone?  Words are spewed right and left, the timing of thinking about the words is not being utilized.  Your thought process is being derailed and it comes back much quicker, with barbs attached. 

Neither of these possibilities disregard the quote.  The outcome of a situation will hinge on the decisions that you make and which "end" you made that decision.  

Use your head!

Mind Space "For Rent"

We all know that our minds' capacity is not hardly used.  Even the smartest of individuals use only a small percentage of the available capacity in the mind.  The mind makes decisions all the time.  Many of those decisions are based on reason or past experiences. 

We may decide to eat a food item based on prior experiences.  We decide when to pull out into traffic based on reason - is it safe.  These are easy decisions to make that may stem from a perception, but there are some more difficult ones in life.

Being someone's friend may take on a whole new set of decision making rationale.  That brings us to this week's quote...

Negatives and positives are most always based on perception and tend to rent space in our minds and largely dictate our reaction to situations.  ~ M. Raymond Sheppard

If you decide to become a friend to someone, it may seem easy in some situations.  However, what about a more difficult situation?  Say when a new person comes into your life - through moving, job, school, church, etc.?  How do you determine if you are going to be their friend?

Are you going to look at their outer covering - how they dress, hairstyle, tattoos, piercings?  Are you going to look at how they walk - somber, confident, cocky?  Are you going to look at how they talk - "Dude", "Yes, Ma'am/Sir", "I ain't got one"?  Are you going to look at the car or house they own?  Are you going to look at their occupation?

All these questions, and probably many more, will be answered in the first few interactions you have with an individual or group.  You are going to base a perception on the positives and negatives you see from these interactions.  Also, the past will have something to do with your decision making - whether you've had a positive or negative view of this situation in the past.

Yes, we will make decisions based on the perceptions we have from the past, but be wary of how you may "jump" to conclusions based on those perceptions. You may want to give some things a try, regardless of past perceptions. 

Delusional Decision in a Dash - Joshua 9:3-14, 22

One of my weaknesses is a "good deal". Sometimes that is enhanced when I go near a clearance aisle. I may see things that I don't need, but could use, eventually, so I want it because of the price. Then that item takes a seat on a shelf or hides in a compartment till the one time I MAY need it.

Have you ever bought something at an auction? If you have, you know that sometimes you have to make a decision very quickly. Especially when it was something you didn't intend on purchasing. Not too long ago I was at an auction where I saw something in a miscellaneous bin that I wanted (bear in mind, I didn't need it). Being the frugal guy I am, I told myself I wasn't going to bid too high. So, the bin came around. It started about $10, then to $5, then to $1. My hand shot up then. WOW...$1 for the item I wanted, plus the other stuff. I was willing to go to about $3 for this one item. The auctioneer tried to get people to go the next level..but "SOLD!" to me for $1. That was good, I bought the item I had wanted (which I haven't used yet)...but the best part (for me) was that they had thrown in ANOTHER miscellaneous bin, too! All for only $1.00!!! SCORE!

Occasionally, those kinds of moments come our way and a spur-of-the-moment decision can become a positive one. However, some decisions like that can be not-so-good. Maybe it is deciding to go to a bar/party? Maybe it is looking at a classmate's test? Maybe it is fudging your taxes? Maybe it is looking longingly at someone's body? Maybe it is clicking on an internet link? Maybe it is not stopping at a stop sign? Maybe it is buying something that will take too much out of your monthly expenses?

As we looked Sunday at Joshua and his encounter with some 'neighbors', they presented him with a proposal and he took it. His decision was rash and had consequences. Here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

1. Hesitate ~ If you're at an auction and you hesitate too long, you may lose out. Sometimes in life we parallel too many things with this way of thinking. We may think we are "losing out" when, in fact, we may end up winning. Glance through the list of "maybes" above and see if there are any categories that you have been in where you didn't hesitate, but gave in to making that decision. When I umpired baseball, one of the disciplines they teach you is to hesitate just a brief moment to make a decision on a close play, be it a pitch coming in or a out/safe call. To make it too fast you may not see the ball dropped, for example. So, to hesitate can help a person make a better decision.
2. Ask ~ Solomon wrote in the book of Proverbs, chapter 15, verse 22: Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. (NIV) When a quick decision must be made, you may not be able to "phone a friend". But there may be times when you can consult counsel for the time when you have to make a decision like that the next time. However, for those times when you do have some time to make a decision, it is good to have someone to discuss it with, getting various points of view, so you can make a good decision. Keep in mind that your first response should be asking God.
3. Direction ~ Which way do you go? North? South? East? West? Forward? Backward? Sideways? Up? Down? Life can hand us a whole list of choices. We want to know where we're supposed to be. Where can God use you in life? How can He use you in this or that situation? As you connect with Him, regularly, I think it will become clear what direction you will need to go in.

You may find one of these that may apply to things you are confronted with or subjected to, in life. However, these three things are also a simple formula to go through when you are faced with a spur-of-the-moment situation: Hesitate, Ask, Direction. When you're trying to decide think "H.A.D." to help you out!

Seeking Him in my Decisions...