I read this post in a friends blog awhile back & have always wanted to post it so what better time than the present?

It's quiet. It's early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming.

In a few moments, the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be replaced by the pounding of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met.

For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day's demands. It is now I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I'm free to choose. And so I choose.

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.
I will be 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 only be in prayer.
If I make a demand, may it only be 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 my pillow
and rest.

~Max Lucado

Yesterday, as I endured 15 hours of standing in one spot, repeating the same line 999 times with little food or sleep, I still couldn't help but feel proud of our country. This may all seem a little sappy, but it's the truth. Finally people came out to vote and let their voice be heard... with no complaining about the 2 hour long wait. We exercised our right as citizens of the United States of America to put our two cents in on how we feel our country should be run.

And as I watched Obama's speech, I couldn't help but feel a bit emotional. This history that just occurred is monumental. I think our country is finally coming to a point where people can see that race means nothing except that we may look a little different. I think black America deserves to stand up and be proud of getting where they are at today. If the tables were turned, any white person would feel the same way.

I read an article this morning that said imagine a young child who sees Obama not as a black man, or former Presidents as white men, but just as that. A president. It's definitely a new day in America & I am very proud that I could be a part of that.

Now many people may not be happy about Obama getting elected... you can watch youtube videos that Bob down the street made about how he has ulterior motives, or read about how his church is a 'black power' type of church, but I choose to believe that he means what he says and wants to unite & change this country for the better. Call me naive (I probably am since I got my phone stolen yesterday leaving it out thinking no one would do that with me standing 2 feet away).. but I'd much rather live my life thinking that people are good, than bad. Will Obama follow through with his promises and lead us to better days? We will have to wait and see about that... but at least take the second to appreciate this huge accomplishment our country achieved. :)

But more than anything I do want to say...
God bless America.

Walking through campus, I look around & what do I see... nearly every single person with their cell phone. Mostly texting. Some chatting. Others just taking a glance - waiting for a missed call/text. Checking the time, or e-mail. Surfing the Internet. Taking pictures.

Our society has become so obsessed with cell phones. It's hard to imagine that just 35 years ago, no one had even heard of a cell phone. Now people literally don't know how to live without them. In class, the majority of students have their cell phones out... most text throughout a lecture. And you always have those people who forget to silence them, and they go off in the middle of the professor's talk.

I'm not saying I'm not one of these people, who permanently has their cell phone on them. But sometimes it just becomes too much. I would absolutely love to just have a week with no cell phone. But, in reality, I don't know if I could deal with it (at least for the first few days). When I'm bored, I text. I can't help it. It's become such a habit for me. And I think people would worry if I didn't. Ha.

But I do think I feel an experiment coming on soon.

and I wait...

I read PostSecret every week (as do millions of others) and although I can relate to some, and there are some silly ones that I could have potentially posted - this is one that really hit home for me.
I think this thought constantly. I think about the last things I say to people before I leave for the day or talk to them on the phone. God is the only one that can control whether or not I will see them again. It's not that I want something bad to happen, just so I can say that I've had tragedy. But it's almost not fair. So many people that have really realized how precious life is, have had some huge tragic event that caused them to realize what they should be holding on to (God). It's a test of their faith.
I don't know if for me, this is my test. Can I really remain a strong believer & align my ways with Christ when my life continues to be good regardless of how strong my walk with Him is? I know that I can't push Jesus aside long before it will all come crashing down... but I feel like I'm treading a line, where once I cross it.. that's when the tragedy will hit.