i choose

Yesterday my sister shared a quote of Max Lucado's on her FB status. It is actually an excerpt from one of my favorite things that Max Lucado wrote. He wrote:

I CHOOSE LOVE…..
No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness.
I choose love. Today I will love God, and what God loves.

I CHOOSE JOY…..
I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical ….. the tool of the lazy thinker.
I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I CHOOSE PEACE…..
I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I CHOOSE PATIENCE…..
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I’ll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clenching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I CHOOSE KINDNESS…..
I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I CHOOSE GOODNESS…..
I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.

I CHOOSE FAITHFULNESS…..
Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.

I CHOOSE GENTLENESS…..
Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle.
If I raise my voice may it be only in praise.
If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer.
If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

I CHOOSE SELF-CONTROL…..
I am a spiritual being…… After this Body is dead, my spirit will soar.
I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith.
I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ.
I choose self-control.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control. To these I commit my day.
If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek His grace.
And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on His pillow and rest.

Max Lucado
When God Whispers Your Name

I absolutely love this little piece. The first time I read it was when I was in high school and honestly I don't think I've read it since then. When I saw it on my sister's status I was reminded again of this awesome writing so I decided to find it on the internet so that I could read it once again.

It spoke volumes to me the first time I read it and it speaks volumes to me once again. Now it touches me and my experience at work and as a married woman. It caused me to reflect on each of the fruits of the spirit and why I, Katie Penfield, choose each one, each day.

I choose love....

I choose to love those around me both near and far. Those that are hard to love and those that are easy. I choose to show those that I love, that I love them and never take a single day with them for granted.

I choose joy....

Each day I will choose to begin my day with an attitude of joy. I will not look at rising early for work as a chore, but as a blessing that God has provided a job. I will choose in the midst of hatred, chaos and bitterness around me to be joyful from the inside out.

I choose peace....

I choose each day to take a deep breath and be at peace. I will seek to remind my self of the peace that passes all understanding and I will share this peace with those around me.

I choose patience....

I choose to be patient despite the circumstance. If those around me seek help and are unwilling to take no for answer, I will be patient. I will seek to be the source of aid despite the difficulty it might take to reach the solution.

I choose kindness....

In the midst of the unkind and angry attitudes around me I will choose to be kind. No matter what words are spoken against me or those around me I will not gossip and become a part of the source, but will be kind.

I choose goodness....

I will seek the favor of those around me in honestly and trust. I will provide those that know me with a person that can be depended upon.

I choose faithfulness....

My husband will never doubt my love, my employer will never doubt my loyalty and my family will never doubt my devotion.

I choose gentleness....

A soft word spoken in the midst of turmoil will soothe the soul and provide a gentleness that encompasses all unsurities.

I choose self-control....

I will love, be joyful, have peace, be patient, show kindness, offer goodness, be faithful, delight in gentleness and in these things I will exhibit self-control.