Make My Day!

A friend from church visited the other day and commented that she couldn't understand how I could be so "up" all the time. "Don't you feel depressed going through all these physical problems you've been having?" she asked. "Aren't you lonely since your husband had to be gone all week while you are ill?"

I thought about that and realized that I wasn't depressed or lonely because I didn't WANT to be depressed or lonely. Feeling depressed would only make my health problems worse and wallowing in loneliness wouldn't bring my husband home sooner, so why would I choose either of those negative mindsets?

Later, Carol Skipper (of Apron Strings) came by with all sorts of food and goodies. "You're enjoying this aren't you?" she commented knowingly as I told her how I'd spent most of the day delving into the Sermon on the Mount and watching a Veggie Tales video she had brought the day before.

Hmmmm... was I actually enjoying being sick and alone? Yes! Pretty weird, huh? But you see, I couldn't change my health situation, so I turned convalescing into a mini vacation. I was too dizzy to trust myself with housework or even web work, so I read, prayed and watched Veggie Tales (you should see them!) and generally had a great time lolling around on the couch. As for being alone, I love my husband deeply, passionately and totally, yet both he and I have always enjoyed some time in serene solitude.

"Go ahead; make my day!" This became a popular saying from a hit movie filled with violence and worse, but I find myself using it in a different way. I say it to the Lord. I say it to myself. My day will be good or bad based not on what happens but rather on what choices I make and how well I listen to the Holy Spirit as I make them.

Here are two great pieces to amplify this very point... enjoy and have a GREAT day every day.

I CHOOSE
Submitted by the Uhlers

It's quiet. It's early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming. In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of the solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met. For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day's demands. It is now that I must make a choice. And so I choose:

I CHOOSE LOVE...
No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I CHOOSE JOY...
I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical...the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I CHOOSE PEACE...
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I CHOOSE PATIENCE...
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Rather than complaining that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I CHOOSE KINDNESS...
I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone, kind to the rich, for they are afraid, and kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I CHOOSE GOODNESS...
I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will see the good in others when it is hard to find. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.

I CHOOSE FAITHFULNESS...
Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My husband will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their mother will not come home.

I CHOOSE GENTLENESS...
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice, may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

I CHOOSE SELF-CONTROL...
I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot rule the eternal. I choose self-control.

LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, AND SELF-CONTROL... The Fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23. To these I commit my day.

If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek God's face. And then when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

10 RULES FOR A HAPPY DAY
Submitted by Dianne Miller

1. TODAY I WILL NOT STRIKE BACK:
If someone is rude, if someone is impatient, if someone is unkind....I will not respond in a like manner.

2. TODAY I WILL ASK GOD TO BLESS MY "ENEMY":
If I come across someone who treats me harshly or unfairly, I will quietly ask GOD to bless that individual. I understand the "enemy" could be a family member, neighbor, co-worker or stranger.

3. TODAY I WILL BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT I SAY:
I will carefully choose and guard my words being certain that I do not spread gossip.

4. TODAY I WILL GO THE EXTRA MILE:
I will find ways to help share the burden of another person.

5. TODAY I WILL FORGIVE:
I will forgive any hurts or injuries that come my way.

6. TODAY I WILL DO SOMETHING NICE FOR SOMEONE, BUT I WILL NOT DO IT SECRETLY:
I will reach out anonymously and bless the life of another.

7. TODAY I WILL TREAT OTHERS THE WAY I WISH TO BE TREATED:
I will practice the golden rule- do unto others as I would have them do unto you-with everyone I encounter.

8. TODAY I WILL RAISE THE SPIRITS OF SOMEONE WHO IS DISCOURAGED:
My smile, my words, my expression of support, can make the difference to someone who is wrestling with life.

9. TODAY I WILL NURTURE MY BODY:
I will eat less; I will eat only healthy foods. I will thank GOD for my body.

10. TODAY I WILL GROW SPIRITUALLY:
I will spend a little more time in prayer today: I will begin reading something spiritual or inspirational today; I will find a quiet place (at some point during this day) and listen to GOD's voice!!!

But since we belong to the day, let us be self controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and hope of salvation as a helmet." I Thessalonians 5:8

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