Choices

As a first grade teacher I probably said "you choose" hundreds of times a day...allowing the students to have the power to choose and take responsibility for their actions and reminding them that with each action they choose will influence the rest of their day. Now as a teacher of preteens I am often reminding my students of the choices they make has a direct impact on them.

• What to wear to school
• To eat breakfast or skip it
• To listen in class or not to listen in class
• To be prepared for class or not be prepared
• To do your homework or not to
• To set a positive or negative example to others
• To be respectful to your peers or not
• To study for the test or not to study

Well you get the point. We also talk about how each of these choices brings about a consequence. The consequence can be a positive or negative one...that is up to them to choose which one they would like.

Choices follow us around through life...they don't go away when we graduate from high school. As much as I tell my students they have choices and their choices will make an impact on them later in life, whether it be later in that hour or in the week or the next year, that choice will leave a mark, I have choices too...thousands of them daily that will impact not only my life but the lives of all of those around me.

Although, I have been telling kids for years their choices have an impact, in the past few months I have just come to the realization how much of an impact some choices have had in my life. Some of the choices were choices I made. Others were choices made by individuals that directly or indirectly impacted me and have been part of making me the person I am today. I am glad some of those choices were made, and would never consider reversing them. There are other choices, however, I wished never occurred but I can't turn back time. I can't change the past; but I do have the opportunity to CHOOSE to change my future and change how I allow the choices of the past to influence me.

Today, I am choosing to love others.

Today, I am choosing to look on the bright side.

Today, I am choosing to put relationships first.

Today, I am choosing to think outside the box.

Today, I am choosing to be thankful for the little things.

Today, I am choosing to use my resources more wisely.

Today, I am choosing to allow my Lord and Savior to heal me.

Today, I am choosing to appreciate those God has placed in my life.

Today, I am choosing to look towards the future and not dwindle on the past.

Today, I am choosing to be content where God has me for this time and season in my life.

Today, I am choosing to use the passions that run deep inside me to make a positive impact on the world around me.

Today, I am choosing to let the creator of the Universe hold my hand as I walk through each moment of my life.

Everyone Can Do Something...

Valentines day is a day to show love towards others, whether it be the special someone in your life, a stranger next door,that person who just needs a smile and hug or the child waiting for a pair of shoes in Ethiopia. My friend, Lindsay, wrote a post about the Valentine link that you can find on the side of my blog. You can click the link purchase a valentines t-shirt and in turn you can meet a need for a child across the world! I encourage you to help out someone in need today, whether it is your spouse, close friend, or a stranger in your neighborhood or across the world. We all can do something to make this world a better place.

A Good Word

Here is an incredible promise from the Creator of the Universe I am holding on to. I hope it encourages you as much as it encourages me.

Call on to me and I will answer you and tell you great unsearchable things you do not know. Jeremiah 33:3

New Year New Schedule

Turn on the radio, turn on the tv, read a magazine or the news paper around the new year and you read all about the various New Year Resolutions people are making and determined to be successful in. I however, don't typically do well with new year resolutions and tend to feel defeated within the first day to three days at tops. Therefore, I just don't do new year resolutions. I am do, however, try to routinely try to reflect on who I am and the person I am meant to be. At times I become overwhelmed and just point blank depressed when I think about who I am and where I think I should be. Other times I think I am doing okay although I know there is plenty to work on. 2009 was a tough year in many ways. The year was full of challenges and changes along with much joy. As I reflected on 2009 during the weeks and days that lead up to the new year and the days that have already passed within 2010 I realized when the tough times came throughout the year I put many critical and important habits and routines on the back burner and in some cases completely erased them from my life. Habits like getting enough sleep, stopping and just being still, reading or doing other activities for enjoyment, making time to hang out or call and chat with dear friends, and going outside my box to help others in need. I allowed the hard, tough situations to rule my life instead of living my life and preserving through them. In response to my reflections I have created myself a new schedule...in hopes to gain back some of the healthy routines I allowed to fall out of my day to day life. I am not doing this because it is January and I need to have a new years resolution or because someone put me up to it. I have created this new schedule for no other reason besides...I want to. I know there are many things I want to work on as a individual to help me become the person I want to be, to be the person that God desires me to be as a daughter of the King. I want to do what brings me joy and I love doing and some how in the past year I lost many of those things so I want to take them back. I want to challenge myself and push myself farther out of my comfort zone and into the new adventures that God, himself, has planned for me in this time and season. Who knows where I might be by the end of the year! God has great things in store and I am eagerly anticipating what they might be! At times I am fairly anal and like to start things on either the 1st or the 15th of the month; simply because it allows me to feel like I am starting on a crisp clean day. I really want to wait until the 15th because I feel like it will be a better day to start and I am anal but I also realize I can't push this off anymore. Therefore, tomorrow I will start my new schedule tomorrow. I continually tell my students that it takes 30 days to form a routine. Therefore...the next month is going to be the hardest...and I hope I have the ambition and self control to stick to my schedule and routines I have planned as much as possible. So why did I take up an entire post to tell you about my schedule? Well because everyone needs accountability...it is my goal to post at least once a week about how I am doing on keeping my schedule and share more about what the various new habits I am including into my life as well as the old ones I allow to drift out of my life. I encourage you to ask me how I am doing with keeping my schedule! Accountability is so important!