What To You Choose To See

Do you choose to see the storm clouds or the rainbow?
Do you choose to see what is missing from your cup or how much is left?
Do you choose the faults or the good in others?
Do you choose to look at what you want or see all that you have?
Do you choose to wish the day was over or live for that moment?

As we approach Thanksgiving, I challenge you to choose to see the positive and blessing in your life? Look for the rainbow, the good, the blessings that are all around you. The choice is yours to make.

So post in facebook, on here or write it down. I want to know about the rainbows and blessings in your life.

Write this verse on your mirror:
Psalm 107:1
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

My life, I choose to offer prayers of thanks this week.

Count Your Blessings

As you continue to think and pray about our discussions last week, I want us to pause this week for thanks. I want you to change your negative focus into a positive one. Once we stop and really look, you might be surprised at all your blessings.

We are going to make a 100 things to Thank God for this next week. I want you to post as a comment on here or on your facebook status or on the Body, Soul and Home page, 10-15 things a day you are thankful for yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Here are 10 ideas:

Who made you smile today?
Who was there for you when you were sad?
What is a gift God has given you?
Name one person who loves you and would do anything for you.
What is the last present you received?
Did you wake up alive this morning?
What food will you have to eat today?
Are you able to have a Bible?
Do you have the freedom of communication?
Who is someone who has been teaching you?

Psalm 106:1
Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever

All His

It is Friday and hopefully you are still reading this blog. I know we have had to swallow hard this week, but I know when you and I become humble and listen to God...man, He is going to do something in us.

As you continue to swallow, digest and allow God to speak individually to you, please do not forget how much He loves you and has blessed you. The children that give you gray hair are a gift from God. He has chosen you to raise them in His ways. The house that you would rather burn than clean at this point is also a gift from God. He has provided a place of shelter and refuge and a place to love and serve others. And that body you see when you look in the mirror was created by God. Those hands, feet, eyes, and that mouth were put there by God so you may reach out to a lost and dying world. And all of it, my friend, belongs to God.

May we stop and praise God for the blessing He has given us. Today, may we start to make choices with these gifts that bring glory and honor to God. I pray you find true joy as you remember that it is all His and make yourself, your home and your life completely available to Him.

And since I have been pretty blunt this week, I want you to remember one thing. Listen to this song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq29Owv_8yU&feature=related

Excuse, excuse, excuse

Since I have been stepping on toes all week, (remember it is out of love) I might as well continue today in the home. So, ladies (and my couple of gents) are you ready to stop your excuses? Are you ready to get the priorities and purposes back in your home that God intended? Or (yes this sounds rude but, be truthful with yourself) do you want to keep whining like a two year old or a teenager with excuses?

The saying, "if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy," is very true. But mama needs to make choices that leads to a happy not so stressed home. So, mama, what choices need to change in your home?

For today, I want us to look at our own choices, not those of other family members. Let's transform ourselves before we go after the family. And because I have been a little blunt this week, we will start with the easy choices.

1. Choose to create an atmosphere that energizes and strengthens one another for the day.
Crank up the worship music in the car and/or at home. Take a minute for a quick family prayer about the day. Do not expect little angels if you let them start their day filling up on the world.

2. Choose to minimize.
Minimize the stuff in the schedule and the stuff in your home. Busy schedules and a house full of stuff is not making anyone happy. A hectic schedule makes you stress which makes your kids stress. A cluttered dirty house starts to drive you crazy and yet you buy more junk. Stop! If it makes you crazy why keep it.

3. Choose to turn it off.
Turn off the phones, TV and computers and sit down as a family over dinner or at least dessert. If all you do is harp on your kids and never stop to just talk, well how do expect to have a good relationship with them?
Also, just turn everything off so you can get laundry done or pick up or clean up from dinner. The longer you let things compile the longer it will take to fix it. If your child is struggling in school do you put it off until they fail? Of course you don't. Then why put off putting up a couple of things every day and not be left with a huge mess. Again, you are the adult and the one that should be teaching responsibility. You put off your chores for TV or the computer, do not be upset when your child or husband does the same.

You desire to raise godly, responsible, success free kids. It starts with you and I in the home. Are you ready to be the adult? If the excuse does not fly with you when your kids use it then it should not fly when you use it.

Ask and You Will Receive Good Health???

(Before I began, let me say a few things. Unfortunately there are times in our life or a loved ones life that cancer or certain illness comes upon us. There is nothing we can do to prevent it and we may never understand why or how a person contracted the illness. The discussion below does not include these things. I am only discussing the things we can prevent or control by our choices.)

A verse quoted often is the 'ask and you shall receive.' But are you and I asking God to answer our prayers concerning our health and strength when we make choices to hinder our own health? Do you ask for strength for the day after we choose to stay up late watching pointless television or surfing the Internet? Do you ask for healing of an illness but not make lifestyle changes that will cure the problem? Are you waiting on God to heal and give you strength or is God waiting on you to make choices for your health so he can answer your prayer?

In my own life, I know because of family history I am at risk for diabetes, thyroid, breast cancer and heart problems. Now, do I just pray and ask God to not let me have any of these health issues and live any lifestyle? Or do I ask to God for his protection of these illnesses but also make choices to exercise, eat healthy and let my body get rest that may help prevent these issues?

Sometimes we cannot prevent illness and have to rely on the mighty healing power of God. But you and I can make choices that will give us better health now and in the long run. Only you can make better health choices for yourself.

What poor health is plaguing you or might in the future? Are you exhausted and run down most of the time? What choices can you make to change theses things?

And as I have said before, God created you. You are a child of God. So why not make choices that honor God and our bodies so we are ready to be used by God?

Here are few ways to get started:
1. Give yourself a bed time. You require sleep so get it.
2. Add some healthy choices to your menu.
3. Pray to God for wisdom on healthy choices and ask for forgiveness on the choices you have made that have caused poor health.

No More Excuses

Do you schedule around God or fit God in somewhere around you schedule?

Remember when answering this question, honesty is the best policy. More than likely you desire to put God first, but on most occasions you squeeze God into your hectic schedule. This is one choice and one habit, you and I need to change.

Today the excuses stop.

1. No more 'I was so tired, I needed the sleep.'

Turn off the TV and computer and either be with God before bed or go to bed on time so you can get up in the morning. Or maybe your lunch break would be a better time for God. Make God your lunch date.

2.No more 'I have little ones at home and they do not give me a moment.'

I have four kids and have had a small child in my house for 14 years. I understand them being at your feet all day. So maybe the one year old will not understand everything you say, but why not read it to them. Or maybe some days your bible study will be out of his/her devotional Bible. God has spoken to me through my kids studies. What a great example and memory your children will have of the importance of studying God's Word.

3.No more 'I do not know what to read in the Bible.'

In the age of the Internet, this excuse is long gone. You can sign up for daily reading plans. You have access to sermons and teachings. And no church falls short of offering Bible studies. You can do a Beth Moore study and never run out of them. For reading plans, go to http://www.biblegateway.com/. Any Beth Moore or Stormie Omartian (great ones on prayer) study I would reccommend plus there are many more out there, also.

4.No more running or hiding from God.

We will cover this more next week. But God knows, so it's time to just bring it before Him.

Ladies, like I said yesterday (remember it is in love and I say it to myself, too), you and I cannot act like a little 2 year old who does not know better or be a teenager full of excuses. We are grown ups and we should start reflecting that in our walk with God. Remember we are to have faith like a child not act like a child.

Hebrews 5:11-15
11 We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. 12 In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! 13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. 14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.

Choose To Stop Being A Baby

First, let me apologize for our journey having to take a pit stop. Now I am back and hope you join me again. Below is just a reminder of where we were in our journey. But I do have one thing to add before we begin this week. It may step on your toes, but these words come out of love for you and my desire for you to have the life with God He has planned for you.

You and I can no longer make excuses about our choices. Based on our age and the fact we know enough about God, we should be making better choices. As your child grows up, you expect them to become more mature and responsible. A 10 year old should not be in diapers and drinking from a bottle anymore. My dear friend, you and I should not be that 10 year old wanting someone to put a bottle in our mouth. It is time we choose to grow up, stop waiting for others to take care of our problems and stop being selfish like a newborn infant. It is time for you and I to grow and mature in our walk with God and for our lives to reflect and glorify Him.

(Again these words come from my love for you and these words are for myself too)

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.