Choices
by Suzanne Benner
** If you cheat WITH your spouse, does it still count? http://talk.thelife.com/2007/09/19/married-couple-rekindle-love-divorce/
“But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15).
We all have a choice.
The question is will we decide to follow the Creator of the world, who requires our obedience but loves us beyond comprehension? Or will we choose to pursue the god of materialism or the god of self-actualization or make our children our god?
There is no neutral ground. Either we serve Almighty God or we serve something else.
Your choice affects everyone else in your home.
If you have a believing spouse, you can determine together to love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength, to serve Him only.
Yet, even if you are alone in your desire to serve God, you have great influence on your family. God has given us as women incredible power within our homes. Our attitudes and actions are often mirrored by our children.
Therefore, we create an atmosphere of love by loving, an environment of submission to God, by submitting to Him.
The most important decision for your home is not the color of the walls; it is the resolution to live for God.
We need to strongly assert that serving God is the number one priority of our home. Every decision we make, the things we allow into our home, the way we treat each other and those we welcome, all stem from our choice of whom we will serve.
~God, I want my home honor You. Help me, by Your grace, to say, “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Questions: Have you slid into serving other gods without realizing it? If so, how did it happen? How can we live out our resolve to serve God?
About the Author: http://talk.thelife.com/authors/suzanne-benner/
75 Responses to “Choices”
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Really good and really interesting post. I expect (and other readers maybe :)) new useful posts from you!
Good luck and successes in blogging!
Toni
Yes I am in Canada, Beautiful BC just like Linda R, We live in the interior in a very small town, but love it as it is the friendliest place we have ever lived the people in the town are wonderful and the people in the church I go to are just the most friendly ever, even my husband likes them all (although he doesn’t attend church, I bring them here for dinner etc). he does attend some of the dinners etc that we have at the church. The pastor we have is the ‘BEST’ he and his wife are just treasures, they have 5 kids ages 1 to 10 and still have time for every one………
Eve
I really pray that you will have the strength you need to have the peace you need within!!
Joy
thank you everyone for your prayers. i went home yesterday and hid in the room and just cried my heart out. there is a small sense of relieve.. like something has been lifted. i pray for renewed strength, courage and peace to keep running my race, the race that God meant for me to run.
Thanking God for all of you and this haven. Keeping all of you in my prayers too!
God bless you, Tonie! You bless me so!
Joy…Double-blesssed!!! Are you in Canada? I like your pastor’s wife! Yes, we American’s love to celebrate and eat pumpkin pie’s!!!
Dianne..Please, let Bill know that we are praying for him in Chicago. The mother that lost a child. These are just heartwrenching stories of 2 separate lives but..share..the same pain..and grief. No one can understand the pain except the ones who have lost their health or a child. I read these devotional’s and I think I will get a notebook..now, as I need to remember everyone, and a prayer list.
Well, Joy thank you for the chicken offer. I don’t even like white meat and it was so good today!! You have a good evening, Joy! Dianne, tell Bill, “hello’” and that we wish we could understand the word Cancer?? I am not complaining, about my dinner ,as his was just pure rinsing sore’s to swallow and relief. I, am so sorry for him. Oh, Lord, please, give Bill rest and the strength to feel your peace, as he face’s the day but most of all the night. Your staff and rod, command and direct, those cells and you know Father the plans for Bill and they are not to hurt but to prosper. Spiritual Prosperity, is what he has and people praying. You are a gem for sharing like Fran said. Funny how God has us right where he wants us! We thank you Lord for today and all the days to follow!…We pray in Jesus of Nazareth..Toni
Toni
Wish I could send some chicken I am making…….however at least you got something!! Wow you Americans really celebrate, that nothing would be open….here on Thanksgiving everything is pretty much open as usual. This year for our Thanksgiving it was the first time our kids did not come up from the coast, so we bought a tiny turkey to have just for ourselves (I had invited our pastor and his wife and 5 kids) but wouldn’t you know it our pastors plans had changed and they invited us to their house…..so we got to have turkey 2 days in a row!!
Joy, We went to have our Turkey with dessert and the kitchen caught fire just 5 minutes before we arrived at our Baker’s Square. You guessed..even McDonalds was closed except our Dunkin Donuts and grocery. We were blessed as we got the last small cooked turkey breast and my husband had his donut. This is the first year, that I did not cook, a turkey even when we went out I’d make one to pick on!!! This now like Canada, Remembrance Day!!! No, pumpkin or turkey smell in Chicago at this house! Thanks, for your kindness and Teresa and Patty..enjoy your families!! Thorny!! ouch!!..but instead of the burning bush we had the burning kitchen.
I praise God in all things…In his Gracefullness..Toni
Dianne……… thank you for the update on Bill, and the wonderful progress, will keep praying that he is well enough to attend the CR meetings!! And will pray for his well being. My heart goes out to the mother that lost her baby, the hurt must be terrible.
Welcome Leisa…………and thank you for all your prayers, hope to hear from you again.
Eve……..my heart goes out to you too, will keep praying for you!!!
As I read tonay’s comments I can almost smell the turkey and pumkin pie……….mmmmm Yummy, we’ll have to start celebrating two thanksgivings……….after all my husband had dual citizenship……..wouldn’t that count????
Happy Thanksgiving to you all in the USA!!!!
Joy
Happy Thanksgiving from us to Jesus!!
Good Morning Ladies, I think our white robed women’s group is growing!! I, praise God, that we can come to this website and walk alongside women without seeing them! Bill Gates and Windows….little did he know that we would use this tool to pray for each other. We see each other through the writings that are straight from the WINDOWS..of our Souls!! Bill Gates, thanks and we are all headed to the PEARLY GATES!!! I, don’t know where he is spiritually, however, I, will pray for him, like Jesus said, as look what happened to Paul! Mostly, I pray for the lost..the wandering pilgrim! All the money in the world, is nothing but a taskmaster and purchase’s perishables. Only, one drop of blood on the cross paid for everything. (I know we do have to work and pay our bills and render taxes, as Jesus instructed.) However, Spiritually, is where this is coming from, as some have much and give all to Jesus..just like the ones who have little and give with a cheery heart.)
In Keeping with Spirit of Our Lord..Bless you all and to the new writers and prayer warrior’s! The HOLYDAYS as we seek the Lord to revive and stir our Hearts with Love!
Ok…better check your turkey’s and pumpkin pie’s!! Sherryd, all your scripture and words are always an encouragement and inspiration.
VICTORIUS!! I SAY “REJOICE!”….Toni
eve
i will be praying for you
bless you and your family
sharon
leisa
thank you very much and please return to the site soon you will be blessed
happy thanksgiving
sharon
Dear Leisa,
God Bless you and “Happy Thanksgiving”..And “Thank YOU” for reading and for the prayer support to all the dear ones who contribute here..We appreciate your serve, too!
Patti, Have to say it, again, You are an “artist with Keyboard”..Your beautiful, heartfelt words making some Thaksgivings here! Lifting you already this morning as the turkey cooks..and believing a miracle..
Eve, Prayers with you!
Much Love and “Happy Thanksgiving” ALL!!!! (((Big HUGS)))
dianne i will be praying for bouth of your friends and the family that lost their child.
sharon
Eve, I’ll be praying for you. Each of our thorn bushes are different, but He will be with us. I learned from that experience, that yes, there was more to endure, but that I had to hold on to Him. Many times I did think He had allowed more than I could handle, but I’m still here.
Crawl up into His lap and let Him hold you for a while….I will be praying for His peace to enfold you and that He will give you strength for each step you take with Him.
God bless you, Eve.
Have been quietly reading the devotions, but have not had time to run through all the comments. Had a bit of downtime today and felt compelled to read today’s comments. As i did so, so many thoughts were just racing through me, some of praise and thanksgiving, some of heartache.. so many of us in search of answers, in search of peace.
Patti, your sharing on the thorn bush touched me deeply. I had to leave my desk as i could feel the tears welling up. I am in that thorn bush too. I am afraid to retreat, but I also see no light at the end. I know that God is there, but knowing it and feeling it is very different. There is so much pain i feel, but am putting up a brave front and hold on to His promises. There are times where i just hide and cry.. am seeking His peace and healing, am trying to be the wife that God wants me to be. It’s a lonely place to be .. to love through the pain.
Hello,
My name is Leisa,and I have been comming to this site for months, but just never left a comment.Since it is Thanksgiving, I just want to say Thank You, to all of you ladies.I pray for you all daily. It is so heart warming to come to this site and read and get inspired to serve the Lord. I just want to Thank You All, “Fran D” You are a blessing to everyone who comes to this site. You all take care and have a wonderful Thanksgining and know that even though I don’t leave alot of comments , I am Thankfull for this site and all of you . All of you take care and have a blessed Thanksgiving !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dianne :-}
Have commented too many times today, but when read this good report about Bill just had to thank you for letting us know..and we will all continue prayers for him..and for your friend, Gabe, too. Also? Isn’t it wonderful that the Lord “planted” you at that Physical Therapy session..with the grief workbook…information that will bless that Mom who lost her toddler so tragically will get to her and help. He is so good. And? He used a special earthen vessel in you today! “Happy Thanksgiving”, dear Sister..and to all our other Sisters in Him, too! It’s been a long night in Kitchen and am heading to bed having read your good report! Blessings your way!!
I saw my friend Bill tonight…He looks good except that his physical pain shows. He got a double dose of radiation today (because they are closed tomorrow), and his radiation burns are, of course, worse from it. They have given him an anesthetic mouth swish to numb his mouth sores whenever he wants to eat. They have him on laxatives so that he can go quickly when he has to. He is on a long-acting narcotic for pain, and has a short-acting one for “break through” pain, but both of these together don’t completely cover his pain (they make it manageable enough for him to get around though).
Bill finally learned what his colorectal cancer stage is; it is 3 approaching 4 (for those who know what that means). He has also learned that the tumor of his bladder is a different kind of cancer, which means the cancer he is being treated for right now isn’t quite as aggressive as they thought at first. The downside is that his bladder cancer requires a different chemo regimen, and it will have to be treated separately.
Tonight, I told him that he is being prayed for by people as far away as England and Australia, and he got teary-eyed; he was touched by this. He also shared that an old friend had heard about his cancer, and this friend had become a minister during the years they’d not had contact. He lives in Indiana, and drove 4 hours to visit Bill in the hospital.
Bill was given a rosary, handmade by someone’s grandmother, which also touched him (now I know for sure, Bill was raised Catholic, he said so). Our Elder has still not been in touch with Bill, but interestingly, a guy who just started coming to the Celebrate Recovery meetings at our church ran into him at an AA meeting this week, and invited him to attend CR, too. Bill is open to attending, as long as his health allows him to.
So, please keep praying for Bill, good things are happening, and he is continuing to be more open than what I thought he would be.
Nothing new with Gabe, yet, but please keep praying.
Oh, today I learned of another person (and family, I presume) who can use some prayers. I don’t know the(ir names), but I was told about a lady who lost her toddler (18 month old) a few months ago. The toddler had wandered out of the back door at their house and had drowned in the backyard pool. The mother is an absolute “basket case” now.
I learned about this because I happened to be writing from my Griefshare workbook while waiting for physical therapy this afternoon. The mother’s aunt started asking me questions about what I was doing, and when I told her, she asked me if she could get contact information for that organization. It was all on the back cover of the workbook, so she copied it and said she would get it to the baby’s mother.
Hopefully this will help them. I know that the Griefshare videos that we watch each week address these kinds of situations, too, and I told this woman’s aunt that they do.
So between Griefshare, this woman’s aunt, and prayers, maybe this mother (and the family) will find the healing she needs. Please pray for her/them, too.
Thanks :-}.
Patti
Will be thinking about you and praying for you throughout the weekend.
Joy
Thank you, Linda R, for the pie recipe. Bless you!
Patti, just a quick note, my sentence structure was incorrect, god has not encouraged whatever is eating at you, He has encouraged you against whatever is eating at you. just wanted to be clear.
WOW! Patti you can believe that was from God, only God gives us hope. There was a time and still is that my montra is FEAR NOT. I mark my bible every time I see those words, in any context. Fear not, fear not. fear not for I will never leave you or forsake you. Depression is such a nasty so and so. There are chemical imbalances and then there is oppression, whatever is eating at you has been encouraged by our soul High Priest. WOW is all I can say.
Lord God, protect Patti, surround her with your light for you are the light of the world. Keep her under your pinions of protection God, let her fear shatter like glass. You have promised to never leave or forsake us and God we can hold you to those words. Thank you Lord or Lords. In Jesus name.
Deb, pray tongues are very real, just keep going.
Theresa you are in a tough deal, losing people leaves vacancies that no one else can fill. I am sorry for your heart aches,as a matter of fact most of you have your plates full up on hurts of one kind and another. I would like to say to all that I am praying for you and I am very pleased to have been told about this site. Also, Patti please check out Neil Anderson’s books you will not be sorry. Good night to you all I pray that you all can sleep tonight.
ALL THIS TALK OF THANKSGIVING AND PIE IS MAKING ME CRAVE MY GRANMA MINCE MEAT PIE. WHEN EVER MY FAMILY WAS OVER FOR THANKSGIVING DINNER (MY MOM WAS ONE OF FIVE) GRANMA WOULD MAKE A MINCEMEAT PIE FOR PAPA BOB AND ME SINCE WE WERE THE ONLY ONES WHO LIKED IT. EVERYONE ELSE ATE PUMPKIN PIE.
TO ALL THE AMERICIANS OUT THERE HAVE A HAPPY, HEALTHY, SAFE AND BLESSED THANKSGIVING TOMORROW. AND THANK GOD FOR WHOMEVER YOU ARE WITH
Hi Judy here is the pumpkin pie recipe for you and anyone else that didn’t get it and might want it:
Lydia
Oct 8th, 2007 at 5:16 pm From Christian Women’s Devotional
Linda and others, I’d share my pumpkin pie if I could. But since I can’t, I’ll share my recipe. It comes from my old cookbook without a cover. I think it’s Betty Crocker. The cookbook was a wedding gift 40 years ago. I’ve been using this recipe for a long time!
Hope those who try it will enjoy it.
Spicy Pumpkin Pie
Make pastry for 9-inch one-crust pie
2 cups mashed cooked or canned pumpkin
3/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 2/3 cups evaporated milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted (I omit)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp.ginger
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
Mix all ingredients. Pour into pastry-lined pie pan.
Bake 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes, until a silver knife inserted 1 inch from side of filling comes out clean. (Another recipe says to bake at 425, so you can adjust the temperature.)
Serve warm or chilled.
theresa
i am very sorry for your loss of your aunt i will have you in my prayers tonight
bless you
sharon