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Tuesday
Sep302014

10 Great Choices to Make Today

Leslie Vernick‘s wise counsel encourages women everywhere to live for God in freedom and abundance. In this Life UPGRADE, she encourages us to consider 10 simple but powerful choices we can make every day.

“God has given an important freedom to humankind,” Leslie says. “It’s the freedom to choose.”

Now anyone who knows me (Dawn) and my ministry (Heart Choices Ministries) will know Leslie had me at the word “choose.” In this post,* Leslie shows us how important choices are to God, and how they can change the direction of our lives; and then she offers 10 great choices you can make today … and every day.

Leslie continues …

The Bible gives us plenty of examples of individuals who made good choices and of others who made poor choices. We can learn from their example.

Eve chose to believe the serpent rather than believe God. She only looked at the moment (it looked good to eat and she wanted it), but the consequences of her choice affected the entire human race (Genesis 3:1-6).

Moses “chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward” (Hebrews 11:25-26).

Noah chose to believe God and built an ark, suffering the ridicule of his entire community for a season, but saving his family in the long run (Genesis 6-8).

Abram chose to believe God and it was counted unto him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6).

Esau chose to sell his inheritance for a pot of stew. He was living for the moment and made his decision on a temporary felt need—hunger (Genesis 25:29-34).  

The Israelites chose to believe the eight spies that feared the giants rather than Joshua and Caleb who trusted God (Numbers 13).

David chose to honor his commitment and loyalty as a subject of King Saul, even though Saul sought to kill him. When David had the chance to kill Saul, he chose not to, instead trusting God to deliver him and protect him (1 Samuel 18-24). 

Queen Vashti chose to say no to her drunken husband, King Xerxes when he commanded her to come to the palace to parade her beauty before the people and nobles (Esther 1). As a result she lost her position, but she kept her dignity.

Abigail chose to do the right thing and overruled her foolish husband’s orders when he refused to feed David’s men. She saved her family from disaster and David from sinning (1 Samuel 25). 

John the Baptist chose to stand for the truth rather than compromise with sin and lost his head (Mark 6:17-29); yet Jesus says of John that no human being has ever been greater than he (Matthew 11:11). 

Judas chose to wallow in self-hatred instead of choosing to repent after betraying Christ … he went out and hung himself (Matthew 27:3-5). 

Jesus, the very Son of God, chose to leave His heavenly kingdom and live among us. He wanted to show us who God was and what He was like. He chose to suffer and die on the cross so that one day we might live forever with Him.

"We can decide

  • to live in response to the abundance of God, and not under the dictatorship of our own poor needs.
  • ... to live in the environment of a living God and not our own dying selves.
  • ... to center ourselves in the God who generously gives and not in our own egos which greedily grab.”

Just like turning your steering wheel slightly will make a big difference in where your car ends up, making small but regular good choices can make a huge difference where your life ends up.  

Here are ten choices you can make today.

You can:

  1. Choose to love, rather than hate.
  2. Choose to smile, rather than frown.
  3. Choose to build, rather than destroy.
  4. Choose to persevere, rather than quit.
  5. Choose to praise, rather than gossip.
  6. Choose to heal, rather than wound.
  7. Choose to give, rather than grasp.
  8. Choose to act, rather than delay.
  9. Choose to forgive, rather than curse.
  10. Choose to pray, rather than despair.

Moses encourages the people of God with these words, “Now choose life, so that you and your children may live….” (Deuteronomy 31:8).

Which of these 10 abundant life choices can you make right now? Which would most change your current circumstances?

Leslie Vernick is a national and international speaker, author, licensed clinical social worker, consultant and relationship coach with an expertise on the subjects of personal and spiritual growth, marriage improvement, conflict resolution, depression, child abuse, destructive relationships and domestic violence. She has 25 years of experience helping people enrich the relationships that matter most! Visit her website!

* This post is excerpted from Chapter 6 of Leslie’s book, How to Act Right When Your Spouse Acts Wrong. The “We can decide...” quote: Alice Gray, Steve Stephens, and John Van Diest, comps., Lists to Live By: For Everything that Really Matters (Sisters, Oreg.: Multomah, 1999), 215.

Thursday
Sep252014

How to Be Your Own 'Thought Police'

Gail Purath has a gift. She can share huge concepts in a minimal number of words. (This Attitude UPGRADE about negative thinking is actually a combination of two of her posts at 1-Minute Bible Love Notes.)

“When you let your mind wander,” Gail says, “where does it go?”

Oh my. I (Dawn) have such a difficult time lassoing my thoughts. Do you? I really need Gail’s challenging words.

She continues ….

I don’t want to tell you how often mine heads straight to dirty thoughts—not porno, but bitter memories or worries or self-pity. This is especially true when I’m going through a difficulty. 

Did you know we speak at a rate of 120 words a minute, but we think negative thoughts at 1300 words a minute?

That means our thoughts can bury us in a pit of self-despair 10 times faster than spoken words.

No wonder Scripture says:

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5).

In other words, you can be your own Thought Police!”

So many of my problems begin in my thoughts. I think the worst about a situation or dwell on the negatives. I decide something is hopeless or meaningless and conclude I can’t be happy unless it changes.

There’s a two-step answer to the dilemma: “… we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

1. Take your thoughts captive—make a conscious decision to quit thinking negatively.

2. Make your thoughts obedient to Christ—dwell on God’s Truth.

For example:

What are some practical ways to fight these negative thoughts?

  1. You might memorize Bible verses related to your struggle with negative thinking.
  2. You might interrupt negative thoughts by counting your blessings.
  3. You might praise God when negative thoughts come.

Remember, most battles are won or lost in our minds. Fight the good fight against negative thinking.

Where does your mind wander? Are you are struggling with negative thoughts? Ask the Lord to help you implement His two-step solution.

Gail Purath has been married to her best friend for 42 years, living the life of a nomad here on earth (40 homes in 62 years), looking forward to her heavenly home. Mother of two, grammy of seven, Gail writes about her joys, struggles, failures and victories in her short-but-powerful 1-Minute Bible Love Notes and shares a short Bible study each week on Bite Size Bible Study.

Graphic adapted, Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Tuesday
Sep232014

Managing Your Limited Time

Julie Sanders invites women to peace in their homes and personal lives; and most of us need a lot more peace when it comes to our calendars and to-do-lists. In this Time Management UPGRADE, there are only two points—easy to remember!

“Though our to-do list seems unlimited,” Julie says, “our time is definitely not.”

I (Dawn) need to be honest here. Sometimes I don’t manage my time well. More often than not, it manages me! But I am learning to look to Jesus, who was sensitive to the Father’s will; and He is teaching me to develop that sensitivity too. I was eager to hear what Julie has to say about this “time-ly” topic.

Julie continues …

What matters most when managing the time we have?

Every woman has the same amount of time to manage, but some seem to be more productive than others. Is it just a matter of using the right planner, right calendar app or right schedule? What makes the difference when it comes to managing our days?

I’ve been using a planner for over thirty years, but I’m convinced that being a woman who manages her time well is more about perspective than planning.

To make the most of our time, we need to recognize our time is limited and our time is God’s.

“So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10).

1. Our Time Is Limited.

Wanting to do good to everyone is usually not the problem. The word for opportunity, “kairos,” describes a carefully measured and definite portion. Having opportunity means we have a limited amount of time to “do good.”

Only God is limitless. If we’re going to manage our days well, we need to accept the limited nature of our time.

So often we plan as if our time and energy are unlimited, but in truth, we have a fixed amount of both.

We set ourselves up for frustration when we accept obligations and make plans as if we can live to the edge of our limitations.

Accepting the portion of time we have available removes the burden of trying to do more than we are able. God knows our time is limited and only calls us to use our portion well.

2. Our Time Is His.

Planning is essential to managing time well, but our time is ultimately God’s.

“The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).

Time is a God-given resource Christian women receive in order to “do good.” When we disregard the One who gives and guides our days, we fall into selfishness that results in little “good” for others.  

Knowing that our available time belongs to God and is for His glory motivates us to use our time productively, but with willingness to accept divine interruptions. While we may begin our day with carefully laid plans, knowing our time belongs to God gives us the freedom to follow His lead and let go of lesser things.

We are more likely to be efficient, fruitful, and eternally-minded when we remember that our time belongs to our eternal God. Decisions become clear in light of using our days to please our Father.

We may feel that there are never enough hours in “our” day, but there are enough hours in “His” day to do good that honors Him.

Our time is limited, but our time is His.

How would your day be different if you accept that your time is limited and make decisions knowing it all belongs to God?

Julie Sanders, an author and mother of two nearly-grown children, has more on her to-do list than she has time for. She enjoys opportunities to minister overseas with her husband. Her local and global ministry to women has made her passionate about the issue of human trafficking. Read more from Julie on her blog.

Graphic adapted, Image courtesy of photostock at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Monday
Sep222014

Be Creative!

Want to Upgrade your life? Create something beautiful.

There is something you can do to create beauty. And remember, if you are a Christ-follower:  to God, your life is beautiful because He sees you in Christ.

Michael Hyatt says in his post, "Why You Need More Art in Your Life (and 5 Ways to Get It)" - "... art is indispensable. Art gives us meaning."

But also, "... art requires something of us. At the most basic level it can stir us to gratitude.

And don't we all need more gratitude in our lives? Creativity is a gift from God. Thank Him for your creativity today.

What are you doing lately to express your God-given creativity?

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Ministries, is the creator of three blogs: Heart Choices Today, LOL with God (with Pam Farrel), and Upgrade with Dawn. She is the President of the San Diego chapter of Network of Evangelical Women in MInistry (NEWIM San Diego). Dawn is the co-author of LOL with God and contributed "The Blessing Basket" in It's a God Thing. She and her husband Bob have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

 

Thursday
Sep182014

How to Create a Godly Legacy

I’ve been reading Becky Harling’s newsletters for some time now, and find her to be a godly, insightful woman. This post about Upgrading your Legacy isn’t just for grandmas! I appreciate Becky’s perspective on building a legacy now – whatever your age.

“I realize that if I want to leave a godly legacy for those coming up behind me, I need to make intentional choices now,” Becky said.

Those of you who know me (Dawn) will know Becky had me at the word “choices.” Leaving a godly legacy doesn’t just happen.

Becky continues … 

I have found I need to return to these choices often to remind myself of the end goal – leaving a godly legacy.

Choice 1:  Prioritize personal purity.

In other words, don’t allow yourself to engage in “secret sins.” Choose integrity. Let your public life match your private life.

If you’re struggling in a particular area, confess your faults to a close friend or mentor and ask her to hold you accountable. James 5:16 instructs us, “Therefore, confess your sins to each other so that you may be healed.” When you dare to bring others into your struggles, it provides accountability and healing as they pray for you.  

Choice 2: Break the cycle of ungrace.  

A judgmental spirit and bitterness is often passed from one generation to another in families. Think of older people you know who have never forgiven those who have hurt them. They harbor bitterness. I don’t want to be like that!

I have found that I must continually ask the Holy Spirit to cleanse my mind. It’s so easy to hang on to our hurts and build a monument to our personal pain.

Jesus calls us to something entirely different. He commands us to “settle matters quickly” (Matthew 5:25). In other words, learn to let go of your hurts and offer grace instead.

Choice 3:  Commit to sharing the gospel and investing in others.

One of my daughters reminds her four-year-old son, “Jesus first, others second, you last.” That’s a great policy for our lives, isn’t it?  

Practice lifting your focus to God every day in praise, then turn your focus outward to see how you might invest in someone else, and then finally glance inward.

Too often we become obsessed with ourselves and forget that God wants us exalting Him and encouraging others.

Choice 4: Choose praise over complaining.

Whew! That’s tough, isn’t it? It’s so easy to complain even about the small things in life, like the weather, the food we eat, or the clothes we wear.

The Apostle Paul wrote that we should, “Do everything without complaining” (Philippians 2:14).  I fear sometimes that we are so accustomed to complaining that we don’t even realize we’re doing it anymore.

What if we became ruthless with ourselves in the area of complaining? What if the next time we feel like complaining, we start praising God instead? Wow. Imagine how our attitudes would change. Imagine the positive legacy we would leave behind.

What kind of spiritual legacy are you leaving for your children and grandchildren? The people you mentor? Others who are watching your life? What can you do today to insure you leave a godly legacy?

Becky Harling is a sought-after speaker and the author of several books, including Rewriting Your Emotional Script, Freedom from Performing, The 30 Day Praise Challenge and The 30 Day Praise Challenge for Parents. Her degree in biblical literature, and her experience as a missionary, women's ministries director, pastor’s wife and breast cancer survivor, bring depth to her message. She and her husband Steve live in Arvada, Colorado, and they have four grown children and five grandchildren.  

Note: This post is adapted from a Becky Harling Ministries newsletter (6-6-14).