Tuesday March 8 2016  A CHANGE OF PLANS ARE BREWING

It seems that Mr. Winter has a change of plans, and for the time being has skirted around our state.  It doesn’t take much for Dave to get spring fever on the first warm day that is bold enough to show up on March 8^th!  March has given us some of our most severe weather.  Not today.  The snow is now about 98 per cent melted all around town and the temperature was in the low 70’s!  WOW!!!Dave has commented so many times over the years that he could hardly wait until he retired so he could start working in the yard at the first hint of spring.  And now is that time.  However, as many of you know we were planning to leave right about now to do a little skedaddle around the country, going south, east, further south, then north through the Appalachian mountains, Pennsylvania, and on home.    Dave is having second thoughts about being gone for so long.  Though we have a wonderful couple who babysit our house when we are gone, we can’t expect them to get out and dig up the briers in the back woods while the ground is still pliable.  So, a change of plans are brewing.  I told Dave we should just tell everyone we left town, but really stay home and get all the work done without interruptions.  We talked to the couple who help us out and it was okay with them whether we need them or not.

So, as of this moment, our plans are up in the air.  We do plan to go see our daughter in Florida and those plans are solid.  It is just what we do, and where we go, before we get to Florida that will determine how long we will be gone.  Our pressing dilemma is, how can we shorten the trip, so as to have as much time as possible to be home.  We must try to stay on top of the wild spring growth or it quickly gets out of control.  What we decide to do will write our story; the story of where we go, who we will see, what experiences we may or may not have, or whether or not we even survive the trip to arrive back home.  Choices we make each and every day play an important part of our tomorrows.

I heard a most interesting sentence today while I was listening to an online sermon.  The minister said THAT WE EACH WRITE THE STORY OF OUR LIVES BY THE CHOICES WE MAKE.  I don’t think he said it in those exact words but it is close enough.  I thought his statement quite interesting.  Or, I mused, IS IT, THE CHOICES WE MAKE THAT WRITE THE STORY OF OUR LIVES?  I think it would ultimately boil down to how we make our choices.  Do we purposely set out with a plan, choose to accomplish certain milestones and work toward them, or do we just step out, get ourselves into predicaments we hadn’t planned for, and must now make choices on the spur of the moment that may, or may not have a positive outcome?

Every day we find ourselves making a myriad of choices that must be made on the spur of the moment.   And on the other hand there are choices that we make ahead of time and if all goes well, the plan works out.  So many variables about making choices.  So which is it?  Do we write the story by the choices we make or do the choices we make write the story?

Writing the story of our lives by the choices we make, somehow connotes having a game plan.  Planning ahead as to what decisions you are going to make BEFORE you are confronted with whatever it is you are facing..  But, no matter how fine-tuned your choices are, there always seems to be a cog in the wheel.  Many situations do no go as planned.  And many things happen that you do not plan.  Then what?  I would suspect that then, at that time, new choices would need to be made.   And regardless the choices made, there will be consequences, either planned or unplanned, but still consequences. 

So how do you chose to write the story of your life?  Are you going to write your story by the choices you make or let your choices write your story for you?  Whatever you decide to do it, there is one choice that must absolutely be made before you start deciding.  That choice is to ask yourself, do you give God control of all the choices you make, either planned choices, or those decision that must be made on the spot.  Personally, I feel a lot more comfortable having God in the driver’s seat.  He never steers me wrong.  I wold like my story to be written to coincide with the plan that God has for my life.

LET GOD BE IN CONTROL

By Kathleen Martens

March 8, 2016

A cross fire of what to do,

Many choices to ensue.

How do we determine what’s the key?

What pronouncements will there be?

Little and big decisions bloom

Until it seems there’s no more room.

Verdicts passed with resolution,

While unknown if perfect solutions.

Do those decisions write our story?

Regardless how clean or gory?

Or perhaps it is each man

Who writes the story by his plan?

With steadfastness, design to see

What it is you want to be.

With resoluteness choose your desire.

With single-mindedness light your fire.

And to make your story right

Let God be your guiding light.

He has a plan and it is good,

Even if it is not understood.

When He’s in control your story unfolds,

How God wants it, strong and bold.

Let your decisions be God’s heart,

And then your story will hit the mark.

Jeremiah 29:11

“For I know the plans I have for you.” Declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”.

I am falling asleep at the computer.  I hope my poem makes sense.

GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS YOU!