Choosing What is Right Over What is Easy

"Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve.... But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15

Over the last week or two, this theme keeps recurring in my life… in conversations, in the blogs I peruse, in my devotionals, and in the books I read. Of course you Harry Potter fans will recognize this as one of the big themes from the series. Harry is constantly faced with serious decisions where he must choose either the good or the easy. Just as Dumbledore tells Harry in chapter 18 of Chamber of Secrets, “It’s our choices, Harry, that show who we really are, far more than our abilities.” Over and over this truth is prominently displayed in the books. (There’s a whole chapter about this in Looking for God in Harry Potter by John Granger, a book highly recommend.)

One of my bloggy friends shared a story of when her husband stood for the right, lost his job, but was given an even better job less than 24 hours later. God rewarded his faithfulness. Another lady commented that the same thing had happened to her husband.

It’s amazing to me how often I’m encouraged to “just say that you’re ___________, ” and that blank is always filled with something that many would consider a “little white lie.” Where did that even come from? A lie is a lie. Lying to make a situation a bit easier for yourself is still lying; it’s still sin. Why do people encourage each other to do this all the time?

Here’s an example: I was planning on leaving work a little early the other day, but the two people I usually report to had already left early to attend a volleyball game which I was not planning on attending. When I told another lady that I was planning on leaving early, she said, “Just say that you went to the game.” I suppose it seemed harmless enough to her, but it would be a lie. Just a little bit of untruth, a little bit of sin, is the same thing as adding just a little bit of iocane powder* to your drink. You may not be able to see it, but it will definitely affect you!

It really is all about the choices we make.

*Fictional poison from The Princess Bride. The poison was colorless and odorless but deadly.

Good Day to Live

Upon being asked how I was doing earlier I happily replied, “It’s a good day to be alive!” “Why,” you may ask. Well, this morning before I left my mom’s house, Willow Grace laid her sweet head on my shoulder and gave me a hug. What a great send off for work!

And just a few moments ago, I had the most delightful conversation with Jimmy Gentry. What an amazing story teller! I know that many (most) of you probably don’t know who he is, but he is certainly a person worth knowing. Today he is speaking to the eighth graders, and they are in for a treat. He was already in full story telling mode, and it was almost as if my soul breathed a sigh of joy as I listened to him. I first met him when I was in seventh grade as he taught my Tennessee History class. He had lived so much of the history he was teaching us, and it was absolutely fascinating to learn from him. After our lessons (and sometimes before or during), we would beg him to tell us stories about growing up on his farm in Franklin, Tennessee, and he would regale us with tales of hunting, fishing, and mischief with his brothers and friends. Sometimes he would tell us about some of his experiences during WWII, but it wasn't until years later that I learned that he was actually in the company of men who liberated the concentration camp of Dachau. In recent years he has written a book about his life, and a documentary was made as well—both of which I highly recommend. In addition to this, he just told me, much to my delight, that a feature film is being planned. These days he tells his story to all sorts of groups and also runs a farm complete with a summer camp and lots of autumn activities. We can't wait to take Willow Grace to see the pumpkins and all the farm animals this fall. Go here to read a bit more about his life or here to find out about the documentary. His story certainly helps to bring some perspective to our own lives.

Despite all the trials and frustrations that we experience along the way, it's important to remember that life is precious. That little hug I received this morning was a significant moment, and it served to remind me that it truly is a good day to be alive.

~My Husband Rocks~ Friday

I get to brag on Chris again!

This week I have 3 reasons:

First, I love his voice. To begin with, he has a very soothing speaking voice. Willow Grace and I both love to sit and listen to him read. It's so calming, and he's been known to read us both to sleep. Also, he has a great singing voice. I love it when he plays his guitar and sings or when he sings in the car or really anytime he chooses to sing. Sometimes I ask him to sing to me, and he usually obliges.

Secondly, he can do all sorts of accents. His favorite one to to is an Irish one, and he slips into it so easily, often when we're out shopping which spices up the trip. He makes us laugh all the time with his great accents.

Thirdly, he's a great writer. While neither of us has actually published anything, we're both working on writing novels - both separately and together. I really hope that we'll be able to finish the one we're working on together first. It's been such a fun thing to do together.