Thursday, December 17, 2015

Choice: Five Minute Friday

Prompted but unscripted, a "free write" for five minutes with no edits, no re-writes. Every Friday (or Thursday night if you're at the Twitter party), we receive the week's prompt and write. Sometimes silly, sometimes serious, and usually spontaneous, this community has grown so much and now means a lot to me! Join us, it's so much fun! Kate's site.
GO!

Kate's prompt was that we have a choice. We get to choose our own word this week.
That's not easy for me. I like to have structure, something to start with.
I'm not God. In the beginning He spoke, and everything that wasn't, suddenly WAS.

Still, made in His image, I believe He uses us when He has something to say.
We have a choice in the matter. If we are choosing to listen to Him and His prompting, then we will be able to speak in His authority into a situation. Perhaps He will use us to bring courage where there is fear. Or, we will bring freedom where there has been an enslaving.
God still speaks, and He speaks through His people.

He could use us to bring life to a dark and weary soul.
He had a choice and chose to bring salvation through a human girl and the child she would bear to the hungry, empty, angry world.

The world hasn't changed, and neither has God.
"In the beginning was the Word (Jesus) and the Word (Jesus) was with God and the Word (Jesus) WAS God."
(John 1:1)
"Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth.
To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, 6 and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
7 Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord,“who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
(Revelation 1:4-8)



So, you see, God has always and will always exist. You have a choice. Will you choose to exist in His presence or away from His presence?
You have a choice.
:)
Merry Christmas!
~Tammy
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13 comments:

  1. Tara UlrichDecember 17, 2015 at 10:22 PM

    Yes we do always have a choice. Loved where you went with your word friend. Also great songs. I love how in the Message Eugene Peterson says "Jesus puts on flesh and blood and moves into the neighborhood." What if Jesus was literally our neighbor? I'm over in the #15 spot.

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    1. TammysincerityDecember 18, 2015 at 6:27 PM

      Tara,
      your post makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. Tee hee. I just wanted to give you something fun and not so super-serious or spiritual for once. In the spirit of bacon, I said fuzzy. :) And look where you took it!
      Love you, sweet friend! Merry Christmas!
      Love,
      Tammy

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    2. Tondra DeniseDecember 19, 2015 at 11:42 AM

      Wow, Tammy! When I saw that there was no prompt yesterday, I just shut down my computer. The thought of choosing my own word was so overwhelming that I instead chose to walk away. Then today... I chose to come back. And it wasn't until just now reading your word "choice" that I started to wonder if Christianity feels like that to some people. If it feels like too much to choose? Too much to be forgiven for? Too many new "rules"? Making it easier for them to choose to just walk away instead...

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    3. Tondra DeniseDecember 19, 2015 at 11:44 AM

      "Jesus puts on flesh and blood and moves into the neighborhood"... LOVE this!!

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    4. TammysincerityDecember 19, 2015 at 2:48 PM

      Tondra,
      so glad you chose to come back. ;) And I agree, I was overwhelmed too. Ha ha, and yet as humans, we don't want to listen for God's prompt. We just blaze a trail, choosing our own. We don't want to be tied down to His prompt, in case we don't feel inspired.
      Thank you for coming by. It's always a delight to hear from you!
      Merry Christmas!
      Love,
      Tammy

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  2. SusanDecember 18, 2015 at 6:12 AM

    Aren't you the clever one...Writing on the challenge to CHOOSE...hmm. #30

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    1. TammysincerityDecember 18, 2015 at 6:31 PM

      Awww, Susan. :) Truly, I thought the prompt was "prompt" when I saw Holly's post. Then I visited Kate's site and found the real prompt.
      You are a blessing to me! Merry Christmas!
      Love,
      Tammy

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  3. AnonymousDecember 18, 2015 at 7:56 AM

    Beautiful post, Tammy! I love that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. That brings me such comfort. And to know that 1) He would choose me, and 2) I had the chance to choose Him. . . I'm amazed by Him. And choosing to be in His presence is the choice I always want to make. Thanks for great food for thought!

    Have a wonderful, restful CHRISTmas my sweet friend!

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    1. TammysincerityDecember 18, 2015 at 6:33 PM

      Jeanne,
      thank you for always choosing to be my friend. For choosing to acknowledge my widow's mites when I feel like the toddler on the playground of "big kids". :)
      Your choices are God's extended blessings to others. Your heart is so thoughtful and encouraging, I know He delights to use your offering of yourself!
      Merry Christmas!
      Love,
      Tammy

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  4. AndrewDecember 18, 2015 at 8:15 AM

    This really speaks to me. This morning...well, at zero dark thirty - I was listening to Kerry Shook's TV ministry, and he was interviewing Don Piper, he of 90 Minutes in Heaven.

    Don was describing the time he spent in the hospital, after being returned to this life, and recounted how he was asking God Why.

    And God said, Because you're supposed to witness to this.

    Hit me between the eyes. God asks, and we can choose to do as He asks, or not.

    Don Piper said yes (more like, Well, OK, if I HAVE to...) and he's brought a lot of people to the realization that death is not the end. That there's hope.

    So I have to try, no matter how much it hurts, and no matter how discouraging the road.

    Man, sometimes I HATE having a choice.

    #4 at FMF

    http://blessed-are-the-pure-of-heart.blogspot.com/2015/12/your-dying-spouse-95-perspectives-shoes.html

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    1. TammysincerityDecember 18, 2015 at 6:41 PM

      Andrew,
      I can only imagine how hard having a choice can be. I do wish Sylvia's fuzzy blanket would have also helped cushion your fall.
      Although your journey has been remarkably wearisome, I thank you for choosing to glorify God in the midst of it.
      I saw a quote today from Mark Driscoll that may cheer you.

      "When we read that Judas got paid for betraying Jesus, and Job lost everything for honoring the Lord we can feel free to throw any notion of karma out the window."

      :) You are not getting what you deserve, but you are highly favored in that despite the devil's best attempts on your worst day, you are still here and still praising God.
      That, brother, is a noble choice that only you could make.
      This is why we delight to pray for you and Barbara and are cheering for you. Because as your body fails, your praise prevails and you shout even louder that you Love HIM!!!!!!!!
      Merry Christmas!
      ~Tammy

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  5. AnonymousDecember 19, 2015 at 7:34 AM

    It's amazing that God chooses to work through us and exciting what he can do through us if we make the choice to listen to him and obey him. I like the songs you posted as always. Hope you have a great Christmas!

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    1. TammysincerityDecember 19, 2015 at 2:49 PM

      Carly,
      thank you. I am so excited for your journey on "surrender". It's going to be so amazing to look back at the end of it and see His hand in so many mighty ways!
      Merry Christmas!
      Love,
      Tammy

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