Week 5 Day 2-4: Choose No Tude

"4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Cor. 13:4-7

Love, it is not rude (an OMGosh, roll your eyes attitude), it is not self seeking (Life's not fair feeling), it is not easily angered (slam the door and storm off), it keeps no record of wrongs (does not hold a grudge and have a silent treatment.)

Love can hold its tongue from rude comments, it does not throw a fit if it does not get its way, it does not get mad over every little thing, it forgives and forgets.

Which one of those is difficult for you? Do you smart off to your parents, teachers, or friends? Are you more concerned about getting your way instead of what is best for you and others? Do you get mad at every little thing? Do you hold a grudge and remind others what they did to you?

For the next 24 hours, I want you to be aware of these responses. Sometimes they become so natural we do not even notice. But it is very important we realize how we are responding to others. Is it in love even when we do not get our way or agree?

And as you start to realize you are not responding in love, ask God to shut your mouth until you can. Before you open your mouth to argue, make a rude comment, etc, ask if it is showing love. If it will not show love then do not speak. Stop the thought in your mind. Just because you think it, you do not have to say it. Choose love over attitude.

(And not only will you be showing love, you will get in a lot less trouble.)


This is my life I choose:

* as I brush out the tangles, to seek forgiveness for my attitude.
*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), ask God to help me see how my attitude hurts others instead of showing love.
*as I brush my teeth, to ask God to shut my mouth unless it is showing love.
*as I put on my clothes, to put on the armor of God

Week 5 Day 1: Choose Love Not Envy

"4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Cor. 13:4-7

Being patient may get easier, being kind may be simple. But love is also not envying what someone else has or being boastful of what you have. And that means...

1. Not being jealous of another's looks, clothes, grades, parents, home, phone, hair, life, boyfriend, etc
2. Not rubbing in anyone's face what you have or what you can do better than someone else.

I will sum it up this way:

1.When you love, you do not have to compete to be the better the person.
2. We all were created by God. We all have sinned. We are all saved by grace. Therefore we are all blessed.

When we become consumed about the differences between ourself and another and things turn into a competition of who is better, we lose sight of loving one another. We love what they have, not who they are. If you look at someone and envy what they have, you not only lack love, it builds hate. A small amount of envy can build into a huge wall of hate. And most importantly it can keep us from seeing what they may not have and need, which could be Christ.

Let's choose to be aware of envy and pride. Let's stop it before it takes hold of us and miss the opportunity to share the love of Christ.

And one more thing, I love you gals!!!

This is my life I choose:

* as I brush out the tangles, to seek forgiveness for envying what others have instead of being thankful for what God has given me..
*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), ask God to help me see those who are missing the most important thing not what all they have.
*as I brush my teeth, to ask God to help me speak words of love not boastful words.
*as I put on my clothes, to put on the armor of God

Week 4 Day 5: Choose to Remember You Are Loved

We have been discussing how to love others. Sometimes it is hard to love others when you feel so unloved and alone. Whether you lost a parent, sibling, friend, or grandparent, it can be hard to love again. But stop today and choose to remember how much Christ loves you. Because of his love we can love others.

1 John 3:1

"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him"
Romans 5:8

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us"


Romans 8:39
"neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord"

God's word is true and so is His love :)

It is my life I will choose…

*To read my verse

"4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Cor. 13:4-7

* as I brush out the tangles, to ask God to thank God for loving me.
*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), ask God to help me see His love for me today.
*as I brush my teeth, to tell God I love Him..
*as I put on my clothes, to put on the armor of God

Week 4 Day 4: Choose Love Part 2

"Love is kind.."

Being patient is hard, but being kind is easy...right??? Is it easy only to speak kind words? To be sweet to someone who is rude? To be kind to your siblings or parents? To be sweet to the teacher who is failing you? Well..

OK so being kind in certain situations is hard. But I think I know why patience was before kindness. When you are patience, you are more calm and less irritated. And that makes it a whole lot easier to be sweet and kind. I know I need to choose to work on patience so I can be more kind. How about you? Do you need to choose to work on your patience so you can be kind? (To clarify, if you give attitude you need to work on patience and kindness)

Not only do we need to work on loving those close to us with kindness, but also to the ones we may have never noticed or acknowledged. I am talking about the person who sits by herself at lunch, who walks the hallways alone, who is ignored in class unless someone needs to borrow a piece of paper. She needs to be loved. You can choose to show her love by being kind. By having a simple conversation at lunch or in the halls.

My son and I just read the book, "To Save A Life." (based on the movie) It has inspired him to reach out to those who are alone. When one of the girls who really has no friends did not get a Valentine and spent her birthday in the hospital, he made her a friend valentine. He took a few minutes to put some candy in a cute bag. It was nothing big, but it made her day. He showed kindness to her and reminded her people do love her. It was something so simple.

Kindness is simple. It is stopping to help someone, holding a door for the older lady, talking to the person who sits alone, bring an extra piece of candy to share with someone, helping your teacher with a task, taking the trash out for your mom without her asking, helping clean up after dinner, a hug, a smile, a listening ear. The hardest part is realizing you need to choose to be kind.

And yes, there are those times and people it is very hard to show kindness. But remember to choose patience and choose to be kind whether they deserve it or not. God's love is kind to you when you do not deserve it.

If you and I start choosing to show love through our kindness, others may choose the same. It could save a life, a school, a city. This is a choice that can effect so many. So today choose to be kind.

It is my life I will choose…

*To read my verse

"4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Cor. 13:4-7

* as I brush out the tangles, to ask God to forgive me for not always being kind.
*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), ask God to help me see those who I can love through kindness.
*as I brush my teeth, to ask God to help me speak kind loving words even when it difficulties.
*as I put on my clothes, to put on the armor of God

Week 4 Day : Choose to Love

"Love is patient...."

Yikes!!! Really? Love is patient. That has to be the first definition of love? I do not know about you but being patient with people...is so hard. There are a lot of people who test my patience. And I bet you feel the same way. Is it your parents, siblings, teacher or friends that test your patience? Does God even understand how hard it is to be patient with people?

Think about that question again, does God even understand how hard it is to be patient with people????? This is a hard answer to swallow, but yes. He understands completely. How does he understand? God has to have patience with you and me. He is patient while He waits for us to be obedient, while He waits for us to come to Him, while He waits for us to follow His will, while He waits for us to fulfill His purpose, while He waits for us to not be so selfish. Do I need to continue with the examples? God loves you enough that He will patiently wait until you fully give your life to Him and follow Him. His love does not change even if it takes us days, weeks, months or years. And all the time while He waits for you, He loves you enough to still provide and take care of you.

So yes, God's love is patience. Now, we need to learn how to practice love that is patient. Our love may need to be patient and hold our tongue. Sometimes our love will be patient by loving another even while we wait for them to love back. We will need a love that is patient when someone hurts us and we have to wait for them to be sorry.

So today I ask you, will you choose to have a love for others that is patient? It will be a choice made many times a day. It will not be easy. But make yourself aware of the choice you will have to love with patience.

It is my life I will choose…

*To read my verse

"4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Cor. 13:4-7

* as I brush out the tangles, to ask God to forgive me for not always showing patient love.
*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), ask God to help me see how His love for me is patient.
*as I brush my teeth, to ask God to help me speak with a love that is patient.
*as I put on my clothes, to put on the armor of God.

Week 4 Day 2: Choose Love

I love chocolate and I love my Diet Dr.Pepper. These are two things I will always love. Right now most of you love Edward. Some of you love Taylor. Of course a couple of years ago you loved someone else. But what is sad is that these are the things we think of when we talk about love.

Your generation has not had the privilege of really seeing true unconditional love. Most of you come from broken homes or have parents you barely see. Teachers are so stressed that they do not get to show how much they care. And most of your friends either insult you or will dump you in a heartbeat for someone else. The only love you experience is what you see on TV.

I will admit that your generation has truly missed out on what love is. I want to tell you that love is so much more. God's love for you is beyond what you can imagine. The love you can have for others can be amazing too. But how do you love when you have not felt love? How do you even learn to love?

The verse I had you write yesterday is a perfect definition of love. The other example is Christ's love.

I want us to look at the love Christ has for us. Now it is so great it is hard to comprehend especially if you have never experienced a father's love. I will try to explain it the best I can.

His love for you is not based on what you do or don't do. He loves you unconditionally. He loves you even if you do not love Him. He loves you so much He took your punishment, death. He loves you so much He left heaven to walk this earth not only to die for you but to live a life that would teach us how to live. Christ's love has no selfishness. His love is patient, kind, forgiving. His love keeps no record of wrongs. He will protect you and because of His love for you, you will always have hope. He will always be there and never leave you because His love is so great.

You may have no one in your life that truly loves you. (But know I do). But you do have Christ. You have to choose let yourself experience His love. Make yourself aware of how He loves you and know that He loves you. Choose to be with Him and read His Word so you may know His love. Choose to let yourself be loved by Him.

It is my life I will choose…

*To write the verse on my mirror

"4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Cor. 13:4-7

* as I brush out the tangles, to thank God for loving me.
*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), ask God to help me see how He loves me.
*as I brush my teeth, to ask God to help me speak of my love for Him.
*as I put on my clothes, to put on the armor of God

Week 4 Day 1: Choose to Share

This morning I will be attending a funeral of sweet, loving woman of God. She was one of the first to welcome my son and I into the Pipes family. I always felt accepted and loved by Jerry. She was a simple woman who loved her family, church and God. I would be surprised if she had any enemies. And even though she will missed by many, we get to celebrate her life and her being in the presence of the Lord now.

Today, pause and think about your love ones, your neighbors, your friends. Are you sharing Christ with them? Are you loving them with the love of God? Are you impacting their life? Or are you waiting to tell them about Christ? Do you think you have plenty of time to share the love of Christ with them? Are you too busy with your life to care about their eternal future and their own relationship with Christ?

There are a lot of bad choices we will make in life. Most of them have consequences. But choosing not share Christ with those He puts in our lives has eternal consequences for that person. So do not put it off another day. Choose today to share Christ and His love. There is a lost and dying world around us that needs Christ. Choose to share the the awesome news of a loving, forgiving God with them.

It is time to be more concerned about someone's eternal future than what others may think about us. Choose to share Christ instead of choosing to look cool.

It is my life I will choose…

*To write the verse on my mirror

"4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." 1 Cor. 13:4-7

* as I brush out the tangles, to thank God for loving me so much that He have up His OSn for me..
*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), ask God to help me see who does not know Him.
*as I brush my teeth, to ask God to help me share Christ with others.
*as I put on my clothes, to put on the armor of God

Week 3 Day 5

Enjoy your day off and the snow!!! Praise God for blessing Texas with all this snow. Have fun and remember how awesome our God is!!!

Many, O LORD my God,
are the wonders you have done.
The things you planned for us
no one can recount to you;
were I to speak and tell of them,
they would be too many to declare.

Psalm 40:5


It is my life I will choose…

*To read my verse.
* as I brush out the tangles, to praise God for all He created.
*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), ask God to help me see Him in all creation.
*as I brush my teeth, to ask God to help me speak of His great wonders.
*as I put on my clothes, to put on the armor of God.

Week 3 Day 4 (The Actual Day 4 Yesterday was Wrong..oops)

All week we have been talking about friends, but we cannot talk about friends without talking about your best friend. Or should I say the one who should be your best friend.

In this world and in your life, you will have many friends. You will have friends you keep forever You will have friends that come and go. But all these friends are human. They will make mistakes. They may let you down or hurt your feelings. You will probably fight over a boy (which may I say is never worth it.) It is part of life. So is there a friend who will never leave you? Who will always love you no matter what? Who would sacrifice their own life for you?

Yes. Yes. And he already did. Jesus will never leave you. Jesus loves you. Jesus loves you so much, he took your punishment and died on the cross for you. Read that again. This is a friend who knew you would mess up. He knew you deserved to be punished, but Jesus stepped in and took your punishment...death. Wow, that is a friend.

You may have a friend who would do a lot for you, but no one will do what Christ did for you. He is the best friend you could ever have. So why do you and I not spend time with Him? Why are we missing out on such a great friend? Why do we keep trying to have so many other friends that we have no time for Jesus? He is the only 100% faithful and loving friend we will have.

I really want you to think about it. If a friend saved your life, would you not just love and adore them? If a friend always stopped to listen to you, would you not be grateful? If a friend forgave you everyday, would you not love them more? Should you not admit Jesus is that friend? What excuse do you have not to be with Him everyday?

It is time you and I choose to be with our best friend. It is time we choose to talk to Him everyday. It is time we choose to learn more about Him. Christ has already chosen you.

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends" John 15:13

It is my life I will choose…

*To read my verse.
* as I brush out the tangles, to ask God to forgive me for not spending time with him.
*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), ask God to show me how much he loves me and all he has already done for me.
*as I brush my teeth, to ask God to help me speak to him everyday.
*as I put on my clothes, to put on the armor of God.

Week 3 Day 4: Choosing To Be A Friend

"Two are better than one, because they have good return for their work; If one falls down his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up."
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

"A friend loves at all times" Proverbs 17:17

I need you to be honest today. What type of friend are you? Do you encourage your friends? Or do you insult and condemn? Do you love even when they make you mad? Or do you love only when you get your way? Do you lead them to Christ? Or do you lead them to the world?

The movie, "Mean Girls," comes to mind. The popular group were so called friends. But the problem was they were all very selfish. Each one cared more about themselves than their friend.

And if you made them mad, they would pull you down. My thought is with friends like that who needs enemies.

You need to remember a couple of things when being a friend.

First, you must be willing to sacrifice what you want at times. As a true friend, you are going to be there when they need you. Sometimes that is just being there to listen. Other times you may need to provide something they need (need not want).

Second, you must love your friends. And I mean love them enough to care about their relationship with Christ. You may need to share Christ with them or you may need to help them grow closer to Christ and in their obedience to Christ. We can all say we care about our friends. But if we do not tell them about Christ and encourage them in Christ, do we really care for them?

One of the things I regret is I did not share Christ with more of my friends. Once I did my senior year, I wanted to more. But what about all those years I did not. And my heart breaks over the friends I have already lost over all these years. Why did I not share Christ more back in school? I did not choose to love my friends enough to share Christ back in school.

I beg you not to do the same. Choose to share Christ and/or encourage each of your friends in Christ. Be a friend that picks up their friend, not pulls them down. Don't wait until you are older to be that type of friend. You can start now and you do not have time to wait. (Three of my friends passed away by the time I graduated, one the year after).

I believe each of you can be that friend.

It is my life I will choose…

*To read my verse.
* as I brush out the tangles, to ask God to forgive me for not loving my friends enough to share Christ.
*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), ask God to show me which friends do not know Him so I may share Christ with them.
*as I brush my teeth, to ask God to give me the courage to share Him with others.
*as I put on my clothes, to put on the armor of God..

Week 3 Day 2: Choosing Friends that Build Up

You love hanging out with friends. You probably prefer to be with friends than with your parents right now. Your friends are the ones who understand you. Friends are and should be a very important part of your life. But, according to our verse this week, a friend should build you up not bring you down. What do your friends do for you?

You will have friends at school that you talk to in class or occasionally text. And you should be talking to everyone. As Christians you should not be ignoring anyone. But the people you spend the most time hanging out with, texting, etc. should be people who build you up. They should encourage you to be the best you can be and should encourage you to do what is right.

If you spend a lot of time with someone, you are going to pick up their habits. Hanging out with someone whose choices displease God will eventually influence you to do the same. Whether it is a bad attitude, dirty mouth, drinking, or sexual activity, too much time around it will make it more tempting for you.

Now, if you are arguing that you are trying to lead them to Christ, you still have to be very careful. You should invite them to church. You should talk to them at school. Texting is ok if you keep the conversation on the right topics. But hanging out just to hang out all the time will bring you down.

Think about it this way. If you are standing on a chair and your friend is standing on the floor, is it easier for you to pull them up or for them to pull you down? It is easier to go down.

I want you to love and talk to everyone. I want you to treat everyone as a friend. I want you to invite them to every church activity. You can even invite them over to eat with your family and watch a movie. But I just want you to be careful how much time you let them influence you. You will face enough trials and temptations these next years without someone who will try to lead you to more.

Choose your very close friends carefully. Choose to surround yourself with those who build you up. It will make it easier to become like Christ when those around you the most are trying to do the same.

It is my life I will choose…

*To read my verse.
* as I brush out the tangles, to ask God to forgive me for choosing to do things that others do even though it is wrong..
*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), ask God to show me which friends build me up and which ones tear me down.
*as I brush my teeth, to let my mouth honor Him by choosing not to speak like others at my school.
*as I put on my clothes, to put on the armor of God..

Week 3 Day 1: Choosing Friends

How many friends do you have? How many are close friends? How many of those close friends are Christians? How many those Christians friends are completely and truly living their life for Christ? Do you have a friend that encourages and strengthens your relationship with Christ?

A good friend is hard to find. A friend you can trust is even harder to find. When you are young, a friend who has amazing relationship with Christ and lives their life for Him is even harder to find. But is so important to have that type of friend.

You need to choose to find a friend who loves God and loves you so much they will only encourage you to follow God not the world. A friend who will help you stand up for what is right. A friend that will pray for you and with you. A friend who will speak the truth to you.

Let's stop and think who you know who could be that type of friend. Is it a classmate, youth group member, an adult (that is also a girl), a sibling, a parent? The friend does not have to be your age. She just needs to have an active relationship with Christ and truly has a desire to live for Christ. You want someone you can talk to and for her to be willing to speak the truth to you in a loving way. And of course she needs to be fun, too.

Really spend time praying about who could be this friend. Your teen years are hard. You will face a lot of trials and temptations. God will always be with you but He also wants you to have a friend. So the question is not if you will choose, but who will you choose to be your true buddy?

It is my life, I choose...

to write on my mirror:

Two are better than one, because they have good return for their work; If one falls down his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up."
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

*as I brush out the tangles, to ask God to forgive me for not always choosing Him.
*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), to ask God to help me see who can be my true buddy.
*as I brush my teeth, to ask God to help speak love to others today.
*as I get dressed, to clothe myself in the armor of God.

Week 2 Day 5: Choose To Know Who You Are

You were created by God.

You were created in His image.

You are a child of God.

Your Father is the King of Kings, you are His Princess.

You are His masterpiece.

You are the apple of His eye.

You are forgiven.

You are loved by God.

You are chosen by God.

You are all those things. Read them again and again over the weekend until you believe it and know it. Rejoice in the truth of who you are.

Now that you know the truth of who you are, will you choose to be that person? Will you choose to be like Christ? Today, I will choose to be like Christ. I hope you do, too.

It is my life, I choose...

*as I brush out the tangles, to seek forgiveness for choosing to belong to the world.

*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), to ask God to help me see who I am in Christ.

*as I brush my teeth, to ask God to help me proclaim who I am in Christ.

*as I get dressed, to clothe myself in the armor of God.

Week 2 Day 4: Choose Who Are Today

We have discussed and thought a lot about who we are more like, Christ or the world. I think we would agree that all of us have a goal of being like Christ. You and I wish we were more like Him. I would even say we probably wish we were less like other people in the world. These are things we should want and we should make them our goals. But it has to be more than just a goal to reach. You and I have to choose today, and each day after that, to be like Christ.

My question to you is this; who will you be like today?

If your answer is 'like Christ', then start your day with Him. Use the daily steps as you get ready and play your favorite type of Christian music. (If you live in the DFW area, you can turn the TV to 58.3)

I think a saying we should know and put in a locker, on a notebook or on our phone is "I know WWJD now WWID (What Will I Do)." You can put a scripture or scripture reference underneath it. It will help us not just remember what Jesus would do but help us remember we have to choose what we will do at that moment.

And we have to remember that we will mess up. We might lose our temper, speak words we regret, watch or listen to something we shouldn't or show disrespect. When we choose actions unlike Christ, then we just need to stop, admit it and seek forgiveness. Jesus died for you so when you make a mistake you can be forgiven. Do not beat yourself up over it. Accept the forgiveness and move on to a better choice.

So, today choose to be like Christ and take the steps necessary to reach that goal. And tomorrow choose the same. Let's take it day by day and each day choose to be like Christ.

For my life, I choose

*to read the verse on my mirror and say it aloud.
*as I brush out the tangles, to ask God to forgive me for not spending time with him so I can be more like Christ.
*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), to ask God to help me see where I am more like the world then like Christ so I know where I need to change.
*as I brush my teeth, ask God to use my mouth to speak loving, respectful words to others.
*as I put on my clothes, to put on the armor of God so I am prepared the battles I may face.
*to "I know WWJD now WWID" on my phone or notebook.

Week 2 Day 3: Choose who You Are By How You Speak

I am very upset and really have a broken heart after what I have seen and heard the past couple of days. As I subbed in the classroom, I heard one kid after another insult each other. I witnessed students join in together and insult one student. I am still in shock after hearing the way students talk to teachers and principals. A couple of students were even mean to me. It was sad and very discouraging.

Now, I am going to plead with you. Please, please, please, choose not to insult another student no matter how different they may be. Please, please, please, choose to be respectful to your teachers even if they are not the best or nicest teacher. As God's children, Christians, we cannot follow the world. You and I cannot laugh and attack other people with our words. We cannot choose to look cool by joining the crowd and putting down others.

But we cannot just choose to not insult. We have to choose to encourage. Yesterday, I watched tears fill the eyes of a girl because of the way another student talked to her. I watched for three days as boys laughed at another student. Now he seeks their approval so bad, he ended up in detention. You may have no problem not being the one choosing to speak the ugly words, but what can you choose to do in these situations?

Will you choose to be like Christ? Will you be like Christ stopping the others from throwing stones at the person? Will you be like Christ and be the one to offer encouragement?

Think about the movie Princess Diaries. When everyone starting picking on her about her new hair, her friend stepped in and asked the teacher if they could start learning. Maybe you could choose to get the focus back on learning or bring up another topic to change the conversation. Choose a topic about a song, TV show, or ask about your current assignment.

Maybe you are too shy to speak up or would get in trouble for speaking in class. I understand that completely. You can choose to offer encouragement silently. Maybe it is an encouraging note in their locker (signing it is optional). Or you can choose just a nice pat on the back and whisper an encouraging word. Sometimes just choosing to look at them and smile when you pass them in the hall. Choosing to find one thing to compliment whether it is shoes, backpack, just anything.
Please choose to be the one to encourage. This may sound drastic, but it could save a life.

So today will you choose not to insult? Will you please choose to encourage? Please stop and heal the hurt.

"And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and everyone else." 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15

It is my life I choose...
*as I brush out the tangles, to ask God to forgive me for hurting others with my words and laughter.
*as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), to ask God to open my eyes to classmates that are hurting and need encouragement.
*as I brush my teeth, to ask God to keep my mouth from speaking hurtful words and to put encouraging words on my lips.
*as I get dressed, to put on the armor of God so I am ready for the battles.

Week 2 Day 2: Choose Who Are Part 2

Yesterday we began discussing who you are more like, Christ or the world. If we are honest, I bet we could say most of us have more worldly qualities than Christ-like qualities. We know what it means to be Christ-like, but we just struggle with choosing some of it. So, is it possible to be Christ-like?

First of all, please understand you and I are not perfect. We will, just like Paul says in Romans, struggle with doing what is right. We desire to do right but still make bad choices. But just because we make the occasional bad choice does not mean we stop striving to be like Christ.

Second, we have to find where some of our worldly desires fit. For example, choosing to be like Christ does not mean you have to dress like a nun. You can dress in style, but just be appropriate and not let it consume you. It also does not mean you have to stop listening to other music or stop watching TV. It is deciding not to watch shows or listen to music that encourage ungodly behavior like sexual immorality. (I know that cuts out a lot of TV, but there are still other shows.) And here is the big one, you can love the latest book series, but it cannot consume you. If you have read and watched the Twilight series numerous times, but roll your eyes at reading a chapter in the Bible everyday...your priorities need to be refocused.

Third, we have to choose to make God a part of our everyday lives. Only hearing about Him on Sunday and Wednesday is not enough. Becoming like Christ will be difficult if we do not spend time with Him. Think about it...you become like the people you are with the most. You start liking what they like. You start acting like they act. So if we want to be like Christ, we have to choose to be with Him.

These are just steps to start thinking about. You will never be perfect, but you must still choose to be like Christ. You can like things in the world, but you must choose not to make it a priority in your life or choose to be a part of things that are ungodly. If you want to be like Christ, you must choose to hang out with Him everyday.

It is my life, I choose...
*as I brush out my tangles to ask God to forgive me for putting so much before Him.

*as I put in my contacts (eye makeup) for God to show me what of this world I need to take a break from for now and read my verse on the mirror.

*as I brush my teeth for God to make my words be more like His.

*as I get dressed to put on the armor of God.

Week 2 Day 1: Choose Who You Are

The big thing on facebook right now is who is your celebrity look a like. Everyone is posting pics or asking for everyone to tell them who they resemble. It is a lot of fun. But now I have a question for you. What would be your profile pic if I asked you who you are more like, Christ or the World? If you asked your friends, parents or teachers, what would they say? What would be your profile pic?

Now I am not asking you this question to make you feel bad. I want you to think what your life reflects the most. Do you reach out to those who have no friends or ignore them? Do you forgive others or hold grudges? Do you show respect? Do you spread hope and joy or anger? Are you selfish or selfless? Are content with what you have or jealous over what others have? Do you choose God everyday or are you too busy?

We are human. All of us will make bad choices. But at what point do you make choices to reflect Christ instead of the world on a more consistent basis.

First of all, you have to choose to want to be like Christ. You all know WWJD, but you have to choose to do what Jesus would do. You cannot stop at the knowing. It is a desire you need to have and I hope you want to have. Do you want to be like Christ? Do you want your look a like to be Christ?

And if you do not want to be like Christ then why? Is it the appeal of the world? Does the world seem to have more fun? Do they seem to have it all? Or do you think being like Christ is too hard and you do not want to fail? Or maybe you do not want to be like Christ because too many Christians have been so unpleasant.

I want you to think about it. We will continue our discussion tomorrow. I would love for you to share why you lack desire or why you think it is too hard to be like Christ. My prayer for you is that you desire to be like Christ and experience the full joy that is in Christ.

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. The you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will. " Romans 12:2

It is my life, I choose
to write on my bathroom mirror Romans 12:2 (see above)
as I brush out the tangles, I will ask God to forgive me for choosing the world over Him.
as I put on my contacts (eye makeup), I will ask God to show me where I am more like the world than Him.
as I brush teeth, I will ask God for mouth to speak His words, not ugly words of the world.
as I get dressed, I will put on the armor of God so I may be ready for the battles.