YOU Choose Your Attitude - Good Morning, God!

This is the day the Lord has made,we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24  (KJV)

When I wake up in the morning I make lots of choices. Everyday I choose what I am going to wear, what I’ll have for breakfast; IF I will have breakfast, or if I will stop at my favorite coffee shop for a cup of coffee or tea to start my day. 

I have made it a habit to wake up and say “Good morning, God, thank you for this day." I try to start my day by choosing the attitude I am going to wear throughout my day.

I'm not perfect and I don't live in a perfect world. Sometimes circumstances in life get in the way of how I want to approach my day.Through the years I have learned that I need to look for the good things in my life. Even in rough circumstances I can find good things happening in my life to focus on and help me through! As I do this I am reminded that God has always helped me through and I can trust He will again and again.

With God’s help and the right attitude, we can awaken refreshed and our lives can be renewed each morning. 

Let’s try this, when we wake up in the morning let’s think on Psalm 118:24 – This is the day the Lord has made, [I] will rejoice and be glad in it.  We can choose our attitude and refuse to let anything or anyone take away the joy the Lord wants to give us for the day.

Today's Prayer Suggestion: Thank God for each day He gives you. Thank Him for the joyful blessings He gives you each day. Ask Him to help you live an attitude of gratefulness and love each day, regardless of your circumstances, so others may see the joy you have in Him.

Take off the Masks

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)

I remember driving by a parade of preschoolers in their Halloween costumes. They were being led around the block by a small band! Some kids were walking on tiptoes; others were stretching arms and legs. They were having so much fun! It was entertaining to watch them pretend to be someone or something they weren’t. Little kids love to fantasize.

Many adults are good at pretending. They wear masks as they walk through their day. I’ve seen smiles hide anxiety and constant pain. I’ve recognized anger coming from deep hurts and addictions. I’ve heard excuses meant to cover fears and uncertainties. I’ve been there as well.

Some adults decide to take off their masks. The realities of life become too difficult to carry and too difficult to hide. For adults it can be a real struggle to reveal personal stories. Being honest can bring consequences. Some consequences are perceived but honesty can also lead to traumatic experiences. What will people think? Will I appear weak or out of control? Who might be affected by what I reveal? How much is too much to tell?

It is not easy to reveal the realities of our lives. It requires us to be honest about where we are in life, what we are doing, what we aren’t doing, what we could be doing, and why we are holding on to things that are taking us places we don’t want to be going. Asking friends for support, to pray with us, and hold us accountable helps us overcome our obstacles in life.

For me, being honest starts with the person who is first in my life. Is it me or is it God? Is God leading me or am I going it alone? Am I feeling God’s comfort and peace or am I responsible for my trouble and sadness? When I do the things I don’t want to do, do I remember that it is God who will save me, forgive me and put me on the right path? Do I hold in my heart the One who created me and do I believe that He is THE ONE that is best to help me get on the path I am to follow? Adjusting my life to more of Him and less of me is what is needed to go where I need to be.