Choose Ye This Day



Dave and I have been talking a lot about how you can't choose what happens to you in life.

How sure, some things we choose to do help us avoid negative consequences or experiences (for example, exercising makes us less likely to have heart problems OR gives us more energy, etc.).

But for the most part, we really have very little control over what happens to us in this life.

The good.

The bad.

We really have very little control over it all.

We really only have control over our response to life's events.

And that's PRETTY heavy when you think about it.

Why? Because I don't really like everything that happens to me--or my family and friends--in life.

In fact, there's A LOT I don't like.

There's A LOT I want to be able to change.

How can I enjoy life if I can't control it?

How can I enjoy life when there's literally a crap storm all around me?

How can I enjoy life AMIDST A LOT of crappy, crummy, often OVERWHELMING things that happen to the people I love?

I know how.

By choosing my response.

And that doesn't mean I'm Pollyanna in a way that's fake and phony.

It doesn't mean that I'm going to "grin and bare it."

It doesn't mean I won't complain, cry, get angry, swear (LOL), etc.

What I'm realizing is that my response to life's CRAP (and a lot of it is just that--messy and smelly and everywhere!) has to be this:

I have to call on every bit of good/love I am able to--everyday--as I live.

I have to choose--everyday, sometimes every second--who(m) I will serve:

Love or fear?

Good or bad?

Heaven or hell?

And here's what I'm thinking this morning . . .

It's got to be love.

I have to choose love every single time.

And when I don't have the strength to do that--then I need to lean on my family and friends to choose it for me.

Popular posts from this blog

Giveaway Time: Retro Popcorn Machine (Air)

Image
(c) Nostalgia, 2011. I know microwave popcorn is WAY convenient and tasty, but it's not that healthy for you. So ... I thought it would be fun to giveaway an air-popped popcorn machine. And this is the one I own, so I thought we could be twins! Giveaway begins today and ends at 11:59pm on 2/24    (Friday, Mountain Time). Dawn's Blog Giveaway Rules 1. Anyone may enter.  Family, friends, in-laws, out-laws, previous winners, etc. 2. You enter by leaving a comment on my blog. Leave a comment--any comment--between today,  February 17 and February 24, 2012 @ 11:59pm. 3. One winner per giveaway: 1 Nostalgia Air Popped Popcorn Machine (red). I didn't win the million, sorry! 4. Winner is selected RANDOMLY using Random.org. The comments are numbered in the order they are received. 5. Winner will be named--first name/username--only on the blog on February 1. You may enter under anonymous, but I will have a ...
Read more

When The Flu Comes To Town ...

Image
Even Harriet-the-dog threw up this weekend. What the what? Well, if there's anything positive about having the flu, it's having it over a weekend--so you can truly REST from your work/school/etc. Right? Uh, sure. Poor Bam, Dave, Zu and even Harriet-the-dog each caught a weird cold/flu-type thing that had them "down for the count" this weekend. It was awful. I was teasing Dave, but I'm not sure if it's worse to be the one with the flu--or the mom to the ones with the flu. Eeek! (We're talking a lot of laundry and disinfectant. If you're picking up what I'm layin' down.) Hopefully they will be on the mend here soon. And hopefully, the remaining non-flu family members have used enough Purell to keep us germ-free. Crossing my fingers. Hope your weekend was 'smarvelous. ***** PS: Booo. BYU lost this weekend. (Yay if you are a Ute fan--Liz B.) PPS: Not that it's a big deal in the Big Picture, but I did deactivate ...
Read more

Recipe: Survivor South Pacific's " Ponderosa Caramel Banana Pancakes"

Image
(c) Sassafras Cafe, 2012. It's taken me a year to get the recipe (literally).  But here it is:  Chef Simon's  Survivor South Pacific  Ponderosa Caramel Banana Pancakes Ingredients Equal quantities of:  Soft fine dark brown sugar Unsalted Butter Full cream Sliced bananas (say bah-nah-na w/ an Australian accent please) Hot pancakes  Directions 1. Combine butter and sugar together over low heat,  2. Add cream stir with wooden spoon till combined  3. Add sliced bananas. 4. Slowly heat; don't boil. 5. Add to hot pancakes and e njoy ! Me, at Survivor South Pacific's Ponderosa, 2011. (Ponderosa is the location where players stay once they leave the game.)
Read more