Choices ©

Every choice you make has an end result

Zig Ziglar

Hindsight is most definitely 20/20.

There are things that if we are absolutely honest with ourselves we would do over in a heartbeat. The key to overcoming the questionable decisions of our past is basically to acknowledge it and move on. Dwelling on the past does not benefit anyone. Let the past be the past. There’s nothing that we can do to change it. However we can control what we do going forward. We make our lives much more complicated than they need to be because of some of the choices that we make. Trust and believe that we all have fallen victim to making decisions based more on emotion than ones rooted in logic. The unfortunate thing is that most of the time decisions made based solely on emotion result in consequences that far exceed what we could have ever imagined. Now granted, we can’t always be logical and rational in our decision making all the time. Some decisions necessitate the need for spontaneous action. Nevertheless, we must be ready to live with the consequences of those actions without complaint or regret. You did it, you wanted to do it and it is what it is. Once the horse is out of the barn just know you gonna have to put in work to get it back in there. Experience has taught me that Self-Control is a lot more profitable than Damage Control. Lack of self-control contributes to eventual self destruction. Everything that you have worked hard for or all of the effort you have put forth to accomplish a goal can be wiped out in an instant by a momentary loss of self control. However, I am the eternal optimist and I believe that there is nothing that happens to us that we can’t overcome. Call me naïve but that is my belief.

This is actually a portion of an article that was sent to me several years ago. It is a testament to how the choices that we make can be absolutely life- altering. I have included this young man's testimony in today's entry as an example of how some decisions unfortunately cannot be undone and how some mistakes can haunt you for a lifetime....

The following article was written by a 35 year old African American Minister from Atlanta, GA. This was too profound not to share.

TO BE SINCERE AND FAITHFUL IN THE LORD IS EASIER THAN YOU THINK

I am a 35-year-old African American or Black brother dying of Aids.  I would like to share my testimony with you.

I am an owner of a Mortgage Company in Atlanta, GA. I own a 1999 Jaguar and I also own a $350,000 beautiful home in Cobb County. I have a beautiful Lady who is deeply in love with me and a loving family. But most important, I have Jesus. This is just a wakeup call to all single brothers and sisters who are professing to be Christians, but don't want to be complete. Brothers, I had a beautiful young lady who loves the Lord and worships the ground I walk on. But I still wasn't quite happy because sometimes I would see another sister with a Coca-Cola bottle shape and just wanted to hit it.  Because I was using a condom, I thought that I wouldn't catch the killer 'AIDS' but guess what? I did. And the person I caught it from was a girl that I knew well. But the condom came off and now I am dying of AIDS. Yes, I wore a condom. But yes it did happen. God gives us time after time to straighten our lives up. I do know the Lord in the pardon of my sins. I've been saved now for 7 years. I found out 7 months ago that I had the virus, and now I have full-blown Aids.
I really didn't think that I was doing anything wrong, because I would tell the women who I would deal with about the woman I love. I thought that was good enough. But it wasn't. I am a good man and also a God-fearing man; but my weakness was women... I really wasn't out there like you may think I was, but every once and a while I would see something I wanted to try. My girlfriend is a praying woman. I know now that she was intimate with me because she loved me and she wanted to make me happy. Now I've given AIDS to the woman I love (who has been faithful to me) because of lust. Brothers and sisters, what I am telling you is that God is tired of us hurting each other and using each other for self-gratification.

God has given me my home, my dream car and a beautiful woman and I took it all for granted. I've been tithing for 7 years. I am the chairman of my Deacon Board. But when I told my Pastor I had AIDS, he could not believe it because of the way I would carry myself. Brothers. If you have a sister who loves the Lord and who loves you for who you are and not for what you look like and not for what you have, cherish her. Sisters ... If you have a brother who loves the Lord, love him and cherish him.

My life has been altered. I've been with my lady since I was 20, and I've always used my young age as an excuse for not being loyal and not settling down with the woman I loved. I was being a hypocrite thinking that I was missing something, and not realizing that I had a good woman who loved and adored me. I wish I had been a real man and had appreciated the good woman God had sent me by not making excuses and dedicating my life to her. I would love to travel and marry this beautiful young Lady -- but now I can't.  I've embarrassed my family, my church and my friends. But I was hardheaded and now I must suffer.
God is cleaning up. Stop playing with God. God is revealing the secrets of us Christians. Brothers and sisters, we don't have to have so many 'friends,' you know what we call them... 'The ones we are planning to sleep with but haven't yet.' We often say that we don't want anyone to know our business, but God is about to reveal some things. Especially us young people. We think so carnal. But we say that we have been transformed. We have been transformed from what we want to be transformed from. Let's be real. God knows that the opposite sex attracts us. And he knows the desires we have for each other, but we don't have to have multiple partners. If I could do it all over again, I would marry the woman I love and live happy forever.  But now I can't! But you can! 

 Singles... I gotta tell you, it's not worth it. I love you all! Get rid of casual sex. This is really deep. After you've read this, think about yourself. Could this have been you? Some of you may not relate, but think about anything you are doing right now that is not of God... 

We are living in the last and final days, and pretending to be saved is not going to cut it. Professing that He is Lord, and yet worshipping the devil every chance you get will lead you to the same path as me. Get
your mind out of the gutter and put it in the Word of God and you'll have great success. Don't and you'll have great woe. I love the LORD and thank Him for all that He does in my life; therefore, I'm passing this on.

Yes, I do love Jesus who has forgiven me of the repeated sins. That forgiveness does not cancel out the consequences, at least not so far. But that's on me. Still, the Lord is my source of existence and Savior. He keeps me functioning each day and is letting me share my story with you. I'm telling it like it is

THIS REALLY is to help somebody. Without Him, I will be nothing. Without Him, I am nothing but with Him I can do all things. Phil 4:13

If you love Jesus, Be Positive - Be Progressive...

Take the time to make a positive difference in someone's life.  

Minister Anthony J. Cox 

Life is all about choices. The key is to make informed decisions. Personally, my choices have become a lot more rooted in logic and less in emotion as I have matured and the absolute litmus test as to whether or not I am making the right decision is that the choice that I eventually make does not make me feel as though I am compromising my beliefs or the morals instilled in me by my parents and ancestors.

In closing with me being the eternal optimist i just want to leave you with a little nugget of wisdom that i received from a very dear friend of mine several years ago that continues to bless me daily:

Life can be much less complicated than we believe it to be. Just make choices … informed decisions … and don’t look back.