Decision making - 2

'Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.' Proverbs16:3 NIV

Here are two important things to remember when you're making an important decision: (1) Believe that God is directing your steps. Because He is! 'The Lord directs the steps of the godly...Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand' (Psalm 37:23-24 NLT). God didn't say you wouldn't stumble. He just promised to pick you up, dust you off, correct you when you need it, and keep working with you. JI Packer says: 'A moment of conscious triumph makes one feel that after this, nothing will really matter; a moment of...disaster makes one feel like this is the end of everything. But neither feeling is realistic, because neither event is really what it's felt to be.' So don't get bent out of shape; by God's grace you'll handle it and come out wiser. 

(2) Realise that God can bring good out of bad situations. 'And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them' (Romans 8:28 NLT). In every success story you'll find struggles and setbacks. And you'll also find tenacious faith that refuses to give up. After listing a series of adversities that would make your worst day seem like 'a trip to the beach', Paul writes: '...None of these things move me...' (Acts 20:24 KJV). Where does such an attitude come from? It comes from knowing that God is working in you, He's working with you, and He's working through you. And as Ethel Waters used to say, 'My God don't sponsor no flops!'

I am so tired. It has been a long day.

It was lovely to arrive back home late this afternoon and plonk my rain soaked self down with a hot drink in front of the Olympics. The gymnastics are my favourite part of the Olympics. I love every event. Every event except the balance beam.

I was a gymnast as a kid. I do not have fond memories of the balance beam. In fact i can still feel the pain of landing on my crotch every single time i watch one of those gymnasts do a flip on that evil, evil beam.

Watching them this afternoon caused my blood pressure and my stress levels to rise.