You make the Choice!

CHOOSE YOU THIS DAY WHOM YE WILL SERVE.

Sorry for the poor photo quality of the above picture.  My camera batteries were running low and I had enough juice to get only one shot and it downloaded on my computer.

That is a picture of a sign that hangs above my front door.  Please look past the trim work that somehow did not get painted green.  I know the somehow and the someone who didn't do it.  And it has no direct affect on how this someone lives in this apartment so it's not a biggie.  

Moving right along...

I found that sign when I was shopping for a couch.  It was on clearance because it had a couple of scratches in the paint.   I was also in the process of looking for financially feasible house decorations at that time.   My thought was I could put it above a door and know one would ever be close enough to see the scratches.  When I purchased the sign I had no clue that almost daily it would smack me in the face!

No, I don't mean by my poor carpentry skills it would fall off the wall and smack me.  Actually, I'm pretty proud of myself for hanging it all by myself because the wall it hangs on is a slanted wall.  It's the wall that hides pipes.  Anyways.

The reality of CHOICE.

That's what smacks me.

God is a big and mighty God in ways that I cannot even comprehend.  Yet, He allows us the ability to choose.  Choose what?  Everything!  

Everything from the clothes we wear.  The job we have.  The foods we eat.  The way we worship.  The music we listen to.  

And right down to the attitude we have.  

Yep, this where it gets a little unpleasant.  

At the wise old age of 27 I truly believe that we choose our attitudes.  For so long I think I lived with that jaded perspective that our attitudes chose us.  Or better yet our situations dictated our attitude.  Just for reference this is not something I have perfected or even do very well for that fact.  It's just a reality that I thought I'd share today.  

Why?

Well, mostly because today I am having to choose my attitude.  

I am having to choose joy.  I am having to choose to trust God.  I am having to choose to be obedient to His word.  

What's the other option?

Let your attitude choose you.  Let your circumstance dictate the overflow of your heart today.  

I've got no substantial issue I'm dealing with.  More or less just got up on the wrong side of the bed I suppose.  Come to think of it I literally did get up on the wrong side of the bed.  The side I normally sleep in is getting a little caved in (yes, that makes me feel like I airy) so rather than flip my mattress as I should do.  Last night I just decided to sleep on the other side.  

Seeing that sign just a bit ago made me remember though that I can choose to stay grumpy or I can just let it go and choose something else.  In reality whatever that it is that's made you grumpy, normally is not that big of a deal.  In the big scheme of things is it really worth letting anger and bitterness take control of you for the time being.  Probably not.  

I think on my other door I need a sign that is a common phrase that comes from my mouth that is quoted back to me from time to time by dear friends of mine.  

GET OVER IT

I'm going to be such a good counselor one day!  

Active listening to peoples care and concern only to respond back with such wisdom.

GET

OVER 

IT

More often than not that's really what we all need to hear though.  

Today I'm choosing to get over it and move on with life.

Life is good!  

Hair story!

That is not some dead Tennessee critter on my table.  

That is my hair.

My long hair.

My hair that I really liked long.

I think it looks better on my head than on the table. 

Here's the story.  

I've always had long hair.  I like it long.  My family always liked it long.  It looks best when it's long.  I can let it go curly when it's long.  Or I can straighten it when it's long and it looks fine either way.  

Then I had an aunt who had cancer.  I remember mom calling and telling me how her hair was beginning to fall out.  Then there was the day she decided to go ahead and cut it off because it just kept falling out.  Mom said that was pretty hard for her.  

Then at camp each year we have an event called Candlelighter's for children with cancer.  It's basically a free fun play day for the children and their families.  

Then I find out about this company called Locks of Love.  With 10 inches of hair they help financially disadvantaged children by creating quality hair prosthetics (as their webpage says.)

I hate to see children hurt.  

I knew I had the ability to grow long and healthy hair.  

Thus...

I grew my hair out and then cut it off.  

Mom please don't fall out of your chair or curse so loud they hear it at the front desk of your office!  

It's not my favorite look.  

But God reminded me this morning that for those children without hair...  That look is not their favorite look either.  

Perhaps if I do this again I will grow it out even longer so mine doesn't have to get so short.  

More than anything I think part of this process for me is to have a daily reminder to pray for people dealing with much harder circumstances than myself.  That's exactly what this short head of hair is going to do for awhile.  Every time I see it...  It will remind me that someone somewhere has shorter hair than me that they did not choose. 

FYI

Cook with caution when using a gas stove (real flames) and wearing a robe with big sleeves!