Why You Must Choose God

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5


Before we look at our schedule, I want to remind you why choosing God everyday is so important. My pastor reminded me and our congregation this Sunday so I am going to relay a couple of Pastor Darius Johnston's points.

Read the verse above a few times. Did you get the point on why you must choose God everyday? If you are not connected to God, you can do nothing. If you are not plugged in daily to God, there will be no fruit. Let it sink in for a moment. Without being plugged in to God, even your actions will produce nothing.

Take a deep breath, breathe in and out and let us look at our schedules. Your crazy schedule is not working because you are not plugged in to the power source. You are tired, weary and sad because you are not completely plugged in. So, how are you going to plug into the power source?

If you do not hit snooze, can you get 10-15 minutes of prayer before you start your day. Post scripture in your bathroom, kitchen or where ever you start your day to claim and pray. And what about the end of the day or maybe small children's nap time, can you spend time reading God's Word? It is part of the power source.

Read the passage below. Write it and put it in your bathroom, car and kitchen. Memorize it this week. Have the whole family memorize John 15:5.


"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. John 15:5-8

Time with God and His Word should go on our schedule first and everything else around it. Whether it is choosing not to hit the snooze, read the bible instead of a book at night, watch one less TV show so you can read His word, you must and have to choose to plug into the power source. Otherwise you are producing nothing.

I would highly recommend listening to my pastor's sermon once it is online. Go to http://www.christchurchfw.com and click on podcast. It will be the sermon from 10-25-10.

So before you start your week with no power, choose to plug in.

Make adjustments and plan the week

Here are some suggestions as you look at your schedule from last week and better choices you can make in your schedule. We will go into more detail and ideas as we get into the week

Choose God
1.Choose to study John 15 this week.
2.Choose not to hit the snooze and spend 10 minutes in prayer.
3.Choose to give up 30 minutes of TV time, facebook or reading time to spend in God's Word.

Choose a Healthy Body
1.Choose to get a minimum of 7-8 hours of sleep. Set a bed time so you can get up to pray.
2.Choose your cardio exercise for this week (minimum of 30 minutes a day) and 3 days of toning.
Maybe a workout during a TV show or a walk during lunch or during your child's practice.
3.Choose to plan healthy sit down dinner meals for the week (even if you have to pick up already cooked meat and fresh veggies)

Choose to make it God's home
1.Choose to have a weekly family prayer time and scripture. Schedule a once a week family prayer time before bed or maybe in the car if you have a commute.
2.Choose to schedule chores for everyone and have a Family 15 at the end of the day to pick up.
3.Choose to have at least 4 family meals this week. Schedule it and let everyone know.
4.Choose to remember that everything (family and home) is a gift from God. Treat it that way.

A letter from me

Dear Friend,

Life has not turned out the way you planned. As a little girl, you dreamed of what your life would be one day. Unfortunately, reality has crushed and changed those dreams. At times you have hope and other times hope seems to be gone. But my dear sweet friend, there is a dream, a plan for your life, your home, your children. It is so much bigger than you or I can imagine.

Will you join me and start to live the dream God has planned for you? If you close your eyes imagine what God would do for you. Are you ready to start taking steps and making choices that lead to what God has promised?

We will look at where we have been, where we are and where we can be if you and I start making choices to live for Christ including in our health and homes. Through this journey we will cry, laugh and shake our heads, but in the end we will experience something grand.

I want to change my life, my children's life and generations to come. The choice we make today could impact generations to come. Let's impact them for God!

Finish your homework for the week, and next week you and I will start a journey on our choices. Be ready to surrender your life, your health, your home to God so God can do His thing. And what an amazing thing it will be for you, myself and our families!

Please invite others to join us. Let us share this experience and God's plan with others.

Your sister in Christ,
GaLynn


Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
Proverbs 22:6

Ephesians 6:4
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.


Titus 2:3-5
3Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.


Deut. 6:4-9
4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.


Proverbs 31:10-31
10 [ A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.

11 Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.

12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.

13 She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.

14 She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.

15 She gets up while it is still dark;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her servant girls.

16 She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

17 She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.

18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.

19 In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

20 She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.

21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

22 She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.

25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.

26 She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

27 She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.

28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:

29 "Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all."

30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.

31 Give her the reward she has earned,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Choices of the Home

As you are keeping track of your schedule this week, ask yourself these questions.

1. What does my schedule say about the home? Is it just a place to sleep and eat? Does it serve a purpose? for the family? for others?
2. Does my schedule include time to care for home or do I just squeeze it in?
3. Does my hectic schedule overwhelm me or does my home overwhelm me?
4. Does my schedule and time allow my home to be a place of refuge, teaching, serving and worship?

Keep tracking your time and answering questions. Remember to be honest so you can truly see your choices. And do not criticize or condemn yourself for any choices. God does not condemn just convicts. Be sensitive to the Spirit but do not let the enemy tear you down.

A Look At Your Health Choices

I hope you have started recording how you spend your time. As you are recording the time spent, I want you to record the time you go to bed and the time you fall asleep each night this week. And then write down the time your alarm goes off and the time you actually get up. Plus make a side note of time you need to get up to have a smooth morning.

Plus I would like you to figure the average time you spend on TV and the average time on the computer. Add to the average time, what time of day you watch TV? For example, do you watch it right before bed, morning, afternoon?

And there is one more thing to record. I need you to write down what you eat or at least what fruit and veggies you eat throughout the day.

Continue recording all this information. We will be using it next week. Remember, we cannot know what choices to change until we see the ones we need to change.

May you all have a blessed week.

Choosing To Make God a Priority

If I were to ask if God was the number one thing in your life, you would probably answer yes. And in our hearts, God may be the most important, but in our life, in our time, in our homes - not so much. You and I have chosen to make other things a priority. Some choices come after deep thought, others just tend to happen unintentionally.

Because I know you desire to have a more intimate relationship with Christ and truly want to sit in His presence everyday, I want to help you. You are going to closely look at where your time is going each day. Now, I know you think you know your schedule but I want you to look at it closely this week.

Get a notepad and write down the time you spend doing everything. I mean everything from time hitting snooze to picking out clothes to driving in the car. Write it all down (don't forget time on phone.) Do not judge your schedule or beat yourself up. Just write and then we will discuss.

But if you want to cheat and go ahead and spend time with God, I will let you.

Plan Your Week Now

Let's get ready for our week by making the choice to plan it out.
Choose God

1.Pick a Book or chapter of the Bible for this week. If you do not have one, may I suggest Psalm 27 or Deut. 6 for this week.
2.Choose to pray before you get out of bed. Don't forget your armor.
3.Choose a time for quality prayer time and personal worship for this week. Put it on your schedule.

Choose a Healthy Body

1.Choose to get a minimum of 7-8 hours of sleep. Set a bed time.
2.Choose your cardio exercise for this week (minimum of 30 minutes a day) and 3 days of toning.
3.Choose to plan healthy sit down dinner meals for the week (even if you have to pick up already cooked meat and fresh veggies) .

Choose to make it God's home

1.Choose to have a weekly family prayer time and scripture. (check out website for printable family devo. www.bodysouandhome.com)
2.Choose to schedule chores for everyone and have a Family 15 at the end of the day to pick up.
3.Choose to have at least 4 family meals this week. Schedule it and let everyone know.
4.Choose to remember that everything, family and home, are a gift from God. Treat it that way.

Choosing the Purpose of Your Home

(Last review. If you have read this a year ago, I encourage you to read it again and see if your answers have change any.)

The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down." Prov. 14:1

You live in a house, apartment or duplex. It might be huge. It might be small. You may live alone or you share it with many. But to each and every one of us that place is our home.


So what is the purpose of a home? Think about it for a minute and write down your answers somewhere.


Now I want to know what purpose is your house serving. Try to be honest when answering that question.


There are a couple of purposes that are obvious: a place to eat and a place to sleep. But I think there are other purposes of the home that we have forgotten or have such a mess in our homes we cannot let the home serve its purpose.

1. A place of worship
2. A place of refuge for ourselves and for others
3. A place of teaching
4. A place to serve


You might be thinking that sounds like a church. I would have to agree it does, but I think it still is the purpose of the home. Please open your mind for a minute and listen.


1. A place of worship: Whether you live alone or have a family, we should be coming before the Lord in prayer and in song. We should praise him when we sit to eat, when we rise, when we lay down, when we feel the breeze or raindrop in the backyard, and even when we hear our noisy healthy kids run through the house.
"I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips." Psalm 34:1

2. A place of refuge: After a long day, our home should be a place we can take a break from the world. It should be a place others know they can come when they are hurting.

"Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him." Psalm 34:8


3. A place of teaching: If you are a parent listen carefully, your home is the most important place in your child's learning. I am not talking academically or athletically. I am talking about the spiritual training. It is to start in the home. If you are not a parent, it may be learning with your spouse, roommate or even a neighbor that is watching.
"Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home, when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." Deuteronomy 6:7


4. A place to serve: We should be serving one another in our homes. We should be helping one another not waiting on someone else. We may not physically wash each other's feet, but we should be willing to serve our family members or roommate in the way needed.


We will get into each one of these in days to come, but for now ask, are the purposes of my home a choice? Have I chosen the right purposes for my home? Can my home even have a purpose because I have chosen to let it be such a mess? Are my choices building my house up or tearing it down? Have my choices put more of the world than of God in my home?


I am so ready to dive into all of the discussions, but I will have to wait. I want you to reflect on the choices you have been making for your home. I want you to go before God and ask Him to show you the choices you have made that negatively and positively impact your home. Most importantly, I want you to praise Him for your home. We are so blessed to live in places that have four walls, a floor, and a roof over our heads. So many do not even have that privilege.


I look forward to the days ahead and the journey we will take together. Please choose to join me on this journey as I learn with you and you with me

Why Choose To Be Healthy?

(Still reviewing why we are making these choices)
*This is about physical health. But it is not a focus on your weight.

Your five year old has a specific bed time of 8 p.m. Company comes in town for a few days and your child does not get to bed until after 9 p.m. Sometimes it is almost 10. After a couple of days of less sleep, your sweet child has become Godzilla destroying anything and everything in his/her path. And you can forget about taking your child to church on Sunday mornings because they are so tired.

Have you been choosing not to be physically ready for day to day life and any challenges that come your way? Have you been choosing not to get the enough rest and therefore can be very irritable?

Physical Health Choice: Will I choose to exercise regularly so I will have the endurance for today and the next challenge? Will I choose to get the rest I need so I do not go Godzilla on my family and friends?

Are you thinking about telling me that you have tried? Admit it, you just did. Are you thinking of all your excuses why you haven't? I am a mother of four and the wife of a quadriplegic. Yes, I know there are times when you have to take care of a sick kid or a newborn. I have slept on a hospital cot for days at a time when my husband is in the hospital. I have been up all night with a friend who is facing a crisis. There are times when sleep in not an option. But because there will be times of illness and emergencies, you have to choose to take care of your physical health. It is something else we cannot "try" to do. We must and have to choose to exercise and get the rest we need so we will be ready to serve God and alert to trials and temptations.


So, how do you stop trying and choose to exercise and get the rest you need? It is a change of mind. Our only reason for exercise cannot be because we want to look better. Think about the show "The Biggest Loser." Every contestant is tired of the way they look, but most of them have another motivation. It is usually health and sometimes that they want to be healthier so they can be a better parent. As believers in Christ we also have another reason.

"You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."
1 Corinthians 6:20

Whether you are 100lbs or 200lbs, you need exercise to be healthy, and you need to be healthy so you will have endurance for the race God has chosen for you. It may be endurance to raise your children. It may be endurance to travel to a nation in poverty. It may be endurance to teach and love a classroom of children. It may be endurance to care for a terminally ill family member. It may be endurance to work a demanding job and be a loving spouse. If we are not taking care of our physical health by exercising on a consistent basis, we are going to be like a high school football player on the first day of practice in 105 degree weather. We are going to have severe exhaustion because the pressure and heat wear us down too quickly.


Getting enough rest is another area we need to have a change of mind. We usually get too little sleep until we cannot go any longer and then we crash. But just like that three year old child's exhaustion affects you, your sleep deprivation affects others, too. You know that the more tired you are the less patient you become, the less productive you become, the less kindness you may show, the less likely you are to spend time with God. Your choice not to get enough rest leads into many more bad choices. And will those choices reflect...

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control." Galatians 5:22-23


In the last blog, we admitted that we must choose God; it is not option. We must choose to come before Him every day so we can face what comes our way and answer God when He calls. But if we choose to survive on little sleep, we lose focus and that could mean we lose focus of God. If we let our bodies become weak and fragile, our health could hinder us.


We must choose God. We must choose to exercise and get rest. Those couple of choices will start affecting so many more. You get a full night's sleep, you wake up refreshed and able to focus on God first thing. You go for a walk or run and use that time to focus on God, worship God or enjoy time with a loved one. And then you are refueled and re- energized both spiritually and physically. You are getting strength and endurance from God and your body will gain strength and endurance. Can you imagine how that will impact other choices and those around us? Do you realize the burden and stress that will be gone because you have given it to God and worked it out in your exercise. Are you getting the difference these choices can make? I know you want it. But don't say you will try, say I WILL CHOOSE.

Choosing God Today Is Not An Option

(This is from one of my first blogs, but a little review never hurts. And I hope this speaks to those of you who are new.)

Today you choose to go to work even if you wanted to stay home. You choose to feed your kids even though you know they will gripe about what you feed them. You choose to brush your teeth so you will not offend anyone with your breath. You choose those things because you know they are not an option. If you keep choosing not to go to work, you lose your job. If you keep choosing not to feed your kids, they might attack you or your kitchen. If you keep choosing not to brush your teeth, well let's say your friends will only talk to you on facebook. If you keep choosing not to put God first, you will...I think you can finish that statement.

Your first choice of the day is to talk to God. It is a choice, but is it an option? Will you be tempted today? Will there be opportunity to stumble or stay on path? Will there be a trial?


"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Ephesians 6:12


Is it an option? No. We have to choose to start our day with God. We need to humble ourselves before Him so we remember we need Him. We need to shout out His names and remember who He is. We need to praise God for who He is and what He has done so we will remember what He can and will do. We need to clothe ourselves with the Armor of God so we will be prepared for the battles. We need to pray for our eyes to see others the way Christ sees them so we may see their needs. We need to pray for our ears to listen not only to God but to others calling out for help. We need to pray for our mouths to speak only in truth and in love. We need to pray for our hands so that they may serve. We need to pray for our feet so they are ready to go when called.


"Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when (notice it is when not if) the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests." Ephesians 6:13-18a

"It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp. For you make me glad by your deeds, O Lord; I will sing for joy at the works of your hands. How great are your works, O Lord, how profound your thoughts."
Psalm 92:1-6

Choose to call out to God first. Choose to sing His praises first thing in the morning. Instead of the news or cartoons, play worship music or worship dvd for kids. Read a Psalm to start your day and see how that choice affects your other choices throughout the day. Notice how you hold your tongue better. Have more patience in the grocery line because a worship song is stuck in your head. Not yell at the car that cuts you off, but you thank God for His protection instead. Your first choice will affect many, so what will you choose? And remember it is as much of an option as it is to brush your teeth.

Now stop trying and choose to call on God. Put a note that says "What will I choose?" on your bed, on your bathroom mirror, on the TV or remote that you usually turn on, or on the toilet paper roll. Put it anywhere that will remind you of your first choice.

And remember...
1.Choose God
2. Choose a healthy body. (More tomorrow)
3. Choose to make it God's home. (More on Thursday)

Stop Trying, Just Choose

Yes, even though I may not be near you, I know you are still in that 'I will try to do better' mindset. Well, stop trying and start choosing day by day. And for now this blog will remind you of those daily choices. The simple choices you make today will impact not just today but tomorrow and the next.

Choose God

1. Pick a Book or chapter of the Bible for this week. If you do not have one, may I suggest Proverbs 31 for this week.
2. Choose to pray before you get out of bed.
3. Choose a time for quality prayer time and personal worship.

Choose a Healthy Body

1. Choose to get a minimum of 7-8 hours of sleep. Set a bed time.
2. Choose your cardio exercise for this week (minimum of 30 minutes a day)
3. Choose to plan healthy sit down dinner meals for the week (even if you have to pick up already cooked meat and fresh veggies)

Choose to make it God's home

1. Choose to have a weekly family prayer time and scripture.
2. Choose to schedule chores for everyone.
3. Choose to have at least 4 family meals this week.
4. Choose to remember that everything, family and home, are a gift from God. Treat it that way.

This will be the beginning of each week. Tuesdays will cover more on choosing God. Wednesdays will cover choices on your health and tips. Thursdays will cover choices in our home and tips. Fridays will be about accountability.

So all you have to do now is make your choice, what is it going to be today?