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3 Steps to Easier Decision Making

You didn’t click on this to read three lengthy introductory paragraphs reiterating the importance of making good decisions. So let me give you, instead, a three-sentence backstory: Joe and I were making some pretty major decisions this past week. We utilized this method, helping to eliminate future doubt about the decisions we were making. We hope it will help you to do the same as you implement these tools through which to filter the choices you face now or in the future. (Three sentences! You didn’t think I could do it, did you?)

Establish your personal mission statement—then utilize this statement as your first filter

Wait! Don’t leave yet. It may sound complex, but this step isn’t hard. It’s a one-time step that will, in the future, simply form the top layer of the sieve through which you will filter your decisions. In fact, this step can both influence and reflect your current priorities. (I say “current priorities” because priorities can change as the seasons of our lives change.) Here are the basics:

— A basic mission statement will succinctly state what you believe your purpose to be. Knowing your purpose (your “why”) is imperative.

As a woman of faith, I think it is wise to form your mission statement through the use of a Bible verse (in our case, two verses, Psalm 71:17-18) to summarize your current why. The reason I don’t come up with some catchy slogan of my own? Scripture never changes. Its timeless truths endure.

— A basic mission statement takes the onus off of you. Similar to the way in which Christ used the pre-established words of God when the evil one made multiple efforts to tempt him, responding to difficult decisions with an unchanging filter from Scripture will strengthen your resolve. When you know that God (through His Word) is the source of the words within your mission statement, you don’t have to rely on your current emotions, opinions, or feelings to sway you away from doing the right thing in this particular situation. These aren’t your flexible words of possible truth; these are God’s words of established truth.

— A basic missions statement helps to unclutter your thought process. If the action, purchase, thought, career, relationship, etc. doesn’t make the initial cut through the filter of established Scripture, you eliminate it then and there—no more time spent pondering, wondering, considering the what-ifs or the if-onlys. If what you’re considering passes through this filter, then move to the next step in your decision-making process.

Evaluate the cost—this includes time, finances, relationship-impacts, and likely consequences (both positive and negative)

If you have the time (or can ungrudgingly make the time) to devote to it, can afford it now (or already have the money set aside), see it as a means of strengthening positive relationships or helping you to establish boundaries from the influence of negative ones, and see the resulting consequences as beneficial to yourself and/or others—go for it!

If, however, continuing through any of these filters violates the initial filter of your mission statement, stop now. Use this level to help you eliminate any existing negatives. If question marks remain, send it back through these first two filters. If you have a clear path to move ahead, you’re ready for the final step.

Establish a plan—this allows you yet another opportunity to filter out any obstacles that still exist

In actuality, this is far from the final step. It is, instead, the next step. At each point along the way, you should continue to apply the previous filters. Things change. What was a good decision yesterday may have been changed by others, by circumstances you have no control over, or by more information coming to light.

Your filters, up to this point, have allowed this decision to make it to the “go-for-it” stage. So…until or unless things change, go for it.

However, and this is the clincher, a decision to move forward requires you to do just that—move forward. A decision to enact the decision is perhaps the most important decision of all.

So there you have it. Yes, it’s more involved than three little steps, but my hope and prayer is that these initial actions will help you to follow the most important step, found in Proverbs 16:3 (ESV): “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”

By Petals from the Basket | May 20, 2023 | Uncategorized |

In This Moment…

In this moment…

…a friend is about to give birth to her first child.

…another friend is soon to become a widow.

…a friend is moving to a new state to start to a new job.

…another friend is retiring after 42 years with the same company.

…a friend shared a joke via text message.

…another friend shared a confidential prayer request via a phone call.

…a friend is eagerly anticipating her wedding day.

…another friend is walking through a devastating divorce.

…a friend was just told that the tests came back “negative.”

…another friend was just told that the tests came back “positive.”

While each of the above is a true statement, I find hope for this moment in an even greater set of truths:

In this moment (whether your moments be joyful or difficult)…

…God is not surprised by any of these.

…God knows how He will use each moment in your journey to prepare you and/or others for moments you will face in the future.

…God’s character never changes.

…God understands.

…God cares.

…God loves you.

________________________________

Further reading:

Psalm 139

Psalm 103:14

Romans 8:37-39

By Petals from the Basket | April 19, 2023 | Uncategorized |

Thank you, Patch the Pirate

There we sat, in a large gym-turned-concert hall in Iowa, and I found myself wiping away tears. I wasn’t sad—not at all! I was overwhelmed with a sense of awe that there were hundreds of people, most of whom were adults, singing along with “Patch the Pirate.” He was singing his, at that moment, most familiar song, “Jonah,” and this room full of people, from all over the state (and surrounding states) was whistling together and singing together:

“Jonah…Jonah / did not obey God immediately. /

Jonah…Jonah / down in the depths of the deep blue sea.”

We had little in common other than our faith, but there we were, singing in unison, a song that had touched all of our lives: a song about a whale, about a man who didn’t obey God, and about all of us, who needed a catchy-but-oh-so-true reminder that God should always have first place.

I had known Ron Hamilton (now most commonly known as “Patch the Pirate”) for many years prior to that. In fact, I had known his wife and his in-laws since my early childhood, attended boarding school at the same time his sister-in-law was there as a town student, and had numerous other connections with his family. I had come because of those connections—and because my elementary-aged nephew was a big fan of “Patch.”

Ron’s nickname and “brand” came about as a result of the removal of one of his eyes due to a tumor. In his characteristic positivity and desire to use even a seeming tragedy to point others to God’s love, he put on his patch and used the songs in his heart to spread the good news of the gospel to children and adults around the world.

During my years as a music teacher, I often taught his songs (and utilized the lessons within them) in my classroom. I’ve long said that his songs are some of the most singable, vocal-range-appropriate songs for children—of all ages!

My favorite recording of all time isn’t the soundtrack to a famous Broadway musical or to a well-known movie, nor is it an album of greats recorded by my favorite artist(s). My favorite, most frequently played, most happily sung-along-with recording of all time is…

Kidnapped on I-Land, by “Patch the Pirate.”

It’s a faith-based album of story/music, written primarily for children. The overriding theme/lesson guides children into thinking of others, teaches them about the dangers of selfish living, and reminds them of God’s love and grace in spite of their natural bent to selfishness.

At the most selfish time in my life—my early-to-mid twenties—this album released. I was frequently making five-hour trips to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan from the Detroit area, and I would listen to my cassette tape (stop laughing, young readers!) over and over on the way there and on the way back.

I’m pretty certain I have it memorized—vocal inflections, characters’ accents, pauses, and musical dynamics. In other words, you don’t want me in the car with you when it’s playing…but it clearly made an impact.

Today, Ron’s family publicly announced that Patch likely will not be with us very long. His multi-year fight against the disease that first began to take his memory and mental capabilities will soon be over. Hundreds, thousands, and perhaps millions of people around the world have been impacted by his music, his life, his humble use of his God-given skills. His work will long outlive him. His influence will reach far into the future.

This little blog post doesn’t begin to tell you who Ron/Patch is. But that wasn’t its purpose. It had but one long-overdue goal, allowing me to say what I want to say the most:

Thank you, Patch the Pirate.

However, it feels wrong to end with my words. Patch’s closing song on the Kidnapped on I-Land album summarizes Ron’s desire best…and allows me to renew my desire to do the same:

I give my life to Jesus / He shall have first place. /

I give my life to Jesus / He shall be first. /

Christ is my great King! / His praise I will sing! /

I give my life to Jesus / He shall be first!

Read more about the life of Ron “Patch” Hamilton and find his recordings here: https://www.majestymusic.com/

By Petals from the Basket | April 14, 2023 | Uncategorized |

If….

If, when my path crosses that of one whose journey does not mimic my own and whose transgressions may seem more public than those I have privately committed, I do not offer the grace I have received, the understanding with which I have been blessed, or the forgiveness that was on me so freely bestowed, then I know nothing of Calvary love.

-BLH, taken from my personal “If” journal, inspired by the book (#AffLink) If, by Amy Carmichael

Further reading: Answer His question in Matthew 18:33

By Petals from the Basket | April 12, 2023 | Uncategorized |