Choosing Good

We had ourselves quite a "Descendants" marathon today, watching the first movie, the second movie, and all the cartoons of season one on top of that.  Basically everything on the DVDs so far, and it was all about coming up with a good message.  I think we got one:

I CHOOSE GOOD

     Not too long ago, there was a girl who lived on the wrong side of town, quite literally.  Her life was rotten to the core, and she was trapped within a city with walls no one could puncture.  She spent her time, chillin’ like a villain with poor unfortunate souls whose only thoughts were of more ways to be wicked. 

     Of course, very soon, all that changed quite quickly.  Soon she found herself amongst the good guys.  They told her about that wall – it’s going down!

     She knew it was time to start hanging out with the good guys.  As you could imagine, this took a bit of adjusting for her, and from everyone else too.  No doubt, they might have thought less of her.  But there is a thing called grace, and this girl named Rahab was given a choice.  The question might have been asked, “Don’t you want to be evil?”  Not her.  She chose good.

     In the book of Joshua, you can read her story.  But you can also read about one of her Descendants, a king named Jesus.  Many years later, he was born in Bethlehem, welcome to our wicked world.  He came as the ultimate hero, here to extend grace, mercy, and show us the greatest love of all.  In fact, you could say his love for us is ridiculous!

      Like Rahab, we’ve all been rotten to the core.  It seems some people are trouble, or that they’re bad.  But don’t forget we’re all descendants of the one who took a bite out of that apple.  Everyone has sinned, so be careful how you look upon others. 

      Fortunately, the king has shown us all grace.  Despite who we are and what we’ve done, God wants the space between us much closer.  He is offering us all His forgiveness, if only we’ll repent, and turn to Him.

      Ultimately, you choose who you want to be.  No matter your past, it’s your choice how you go forward from here.  You can choose to be evil, vicious and ruthless and cruel.  You can look down on others as unworthy of love. 

     But that’s not how Jesus wants us to live. Don’t spend your life with regret, saying, “If Only.”  Be like a hero, and say, “I choose good.”

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The day started later, as we all got to sleep in a bit.  Madison was working on her online classes and Daddy was working on a few messages.  Mommy has been on fire lately with her cooking, creating all sorts of wonderful fast-friendly combinations that make us a little less fearful of vegetables!

The snow was still spotty, here and there, as it was still pretty cold.  But you could drive places.  Daddy drove to work for a few hours to get a few things done, such as our script for the upcoming "Elevate" weekend, part two.  Madison was doing piano and classwork, ready to go back to school tomorrow for only her fourth day really.  Yes, tomorrow is only the fourth time this year that she's actually set foot in Chestatee Elementary School.  Daddy will go there too, meeting with a teacher about yearbook design.  Not sure how it will all turn out, but Daddy has also been taking pictures along the way.

One benefit of not being places:  not getting sick.  There is a pretty significant flu outbreak going on right now, and the fact that so many people are not leaving to go places like school or work... that could be a bright side to things.  It's also a chance to catch up on some rest though:  one hour of extra sleep each morning the last few mornings has been nice.  Plus, when it is cold, you don't want to have to leave the safety and warmth of your covers!

We read from "Ahsoka," from the book of John, and also from the fasting devotional before praying and going off to sleep.  Here's the latest from that fasting devotional, day twelve:

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” Hebrews 11:6 NIV

     You just can’t start climbing a mountain today without any kind of planning. It takes training, and it takes some effort ahead of time. Before you can get to that mountain peak experience, it takes quite a bit of learning and preparation.

     That’s what fasting is all about. Before Jesus began his ministry, he himself went off to the wilderness to pray and fast for forty days. Before getting the Ten Commandments, Moses fasted for forty days. Before getting a revelation from God, Daniel fasted for twenty-one days. The model is simple: fasting is the key that opens the door to something greater.

     But fasting takes effort, doesn’t it? All training does. Saying you want to get to the top is one thing, but if it’s going to really happen, you have to do something about it.

     So get your game face on, and get ready for an incredible training session! Yes, fasting takes effort. It takes sacrifice, and it can be quite a challenge. But once you start taking action, the Lord Himself will be with you for the climb. He’ll be right there alongside you, every step of your journey. He sees the effort you’re taking in every step, and yes, He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.