So, here is a deep confession. (Ever notice a lot of my blogs begin with a “Carol-Confession” time? Oh my, the never-ending season of HUMBLE PIE! LOL!) But the first trip I ever took after having my first child was to the oh-so-holy-and-happy land of… 

LAS VEGAS!!! LOL!

Yup, me ”The Christian Queen,” literally weaned and left her little man behind to happily go off with my husband to … SIN CITY. 🙂 Who would have ever thunk it?? 🙂

Yes, that story is worthy of a smile and a chuckle now. But it also brings to mind a little concept that popped into my head recently about “playing the slots” and how doing that is kinda like making DECISIONS in our daily lives … and the dilemmas as to what direction we can oh-so-easily find ourselves stuck in.

Oh, I’ve now got you “interested” (or maybe, better said, confused)? 🙂

OK, follow me through…. right past the decisions that are the “easy” ones. “And just what are the ‘easy’ ones?” you say.

Well, the “easy” ones are like this: 

• “Should I steal my neighbor’s lawn mower?” No. 
• “Should I rob a bank?” Uh, no. 
• “Should murder my mother-in-law?” (Now, wait, I hear a few of you stalling before you answer. But, oh, the answer is still “NO.” LOL!)

And so, that is the “easy questions” category, the ones we pretty much all could quickly answer, even for each other. You know, US all being super-sweet Christian girls who always know how to DO the right things, right? Well, maybe minus the mother-in-law category. 🙂

But the harder decisions, the ones that don’t seem so super easy, well, it hit me today—they are the ones that take a review of a few “icons and elements” before you know what to DO.

And so, what came out of my mind is this. Back to Las Vegas … and those silly slot machines. (Sorry, Mom C, I AM going to use a gambling analogy.) 🙂 You know the ones, where you only win when ALL three CHERRY icons line up in a row. Yup, even if ONE is a lemon, well, you lose and must “pull the lever and play again.” And I think this simple cherry slot machine reflects a  simple concept when we are trying to choose GODLY directions and decisions.

Let me explain….

There are THREE possible icons, and they each represent a piece of of the decision process:

• Icon #1: Is it a right THING according to GOD’S Word? If so, CHERRY #1!
• Icon #2: Is there a right MOTIVE according to GOD’S Word? If so, CHERRY #2!
• Icon #3: Is it being done in the right ORDER of priority roles/values according to GOD’S Word? And if so, you guessed it, you get CHERRY #3!

… and a JESUS JACKPOT is achieved!!! 🙂 Super simple, right?

Well, not always. Let’s rewind to a time when I was leading a Ladies Bible study and pull the lever and SEE just how well the decision to DO this landed for me way back then.

Ready??? 1,2,3 … PULL!! 

Spiritual Growth Season #1

• Icon #1: Was this the right THING according to GOD’S Word? When I look back, YES, leading the study was a solid, good and GODLY thing—CHERRY #1 for me!!
• Icon #2:  Was there the right MOTIVE behind it according to GOD’S Word? Uh-oh, and a big hmmm…. I know back then there was a season of DOING things because I felt “I HAD to,” or maybe even stinkier, people might think highly of me for it, or possibly feeling “If I don’t, no one else will!” And so, no cherry for that choice; it landed on a LEMON.
• Icon #3: Well, who even cares??! Better give up and give in and get out of ministry, right??? 

WRONG!! It was just time to own up, grow up and let GOD teach me a thing or two, as per usual. 🙂

And so… 

Spiritual Growth SEASON #2 (Oh, yes, there is hope for a “hopeless girl” like me.) 🙂

• Icon #1: The RIGHT thing—leading Bible Study. Again, one CHERRY!!
• Icon #2: (Finally!!) The RIGHT MOTIVE!! Yes, I paused, prayed through, talked to my husband and felt truly called to step up, even when only one person had signed up. Yes, this scenario actually happened. On the Sunday before starting that Thursday’s study, there was only one other person willing to join with me. Can you say “pride-pop”??!! 😉 But this proved that my motive was not about ME or the number of people who came, but HIM!! CHERRY #2!!
• Icon #3: Was it being done in the right ORDER of roles/values? Hmmm, to clarify this one, was I doing things out of the GOOD GODLY order I READ in HIS WORD was right for me?
• For example, if I read I am to value time with GOD, time with my husband, time with kids, time for my rest/health, and yet, I spend NO time DOING those things at the expense of getting MY THING from ICON# 1 done, well, THAT’S the clue to the WRONG order. And, uh-oh, guess who wasn’t doing this, hmmm??? I guess it’s time again for me to GROW!!

And so… 

Spiritual Growth Season Number #3 (Have I hit that JACKPOT this time??)

• Icon #1: The right THING—Leading Bible study! CHERRY #1!!
• Icon #2: The right MOTIVE—because GOD was calling me to do it, regardless of “who or how many” attended (which ironically, by the time Thursday rolled around, 12 women had signed up – LOL!) Well then, oh my, sweet Lord, you have taught me another lesson … again. 🙂 CHERRY #2!!
• Icon #3: The RIGHT order of roles (and PS again, by “right” I don’t mean what I thought was “right,” but what GOD said was). YES!! I was getting my GOD time in, time with husband (love that bald head) :), quality time with kids (bless them for their patience), and time for my health (and for me, that means RESTING well). And, well, I FINALLY got that elusive CHERRY #3!

And so, guess what happened??!! I hit the “JESUS JACKPOT” and had HUGE Spiritual SUCCESS, starting where it mattered most—in my soul!!!!

Yes, I have proven to myself that holding true to the values that GOD says are best for me (even when my own brain and time frames say so much different) really DO work, work REALLY well and are WAY more reliable.

Yeah, I have been shown by HIM over time and testing HIS TRUTHS, the “right” answer is less  about the outside ACTION, but what “action” is actually happening in my HEAD and HEART.

And so, the next time a discussion dilemma comes along, look at those 3 icons until ALL three are as GOD would describe as “right”—right thing, right motive, right order of roles. And if not?? Then you know you still need some prayer and peeking and tweaking … and HE will grow your soul.

So, all that to say it is always best to pause, pray and pull the lever on your day, and keep tweaking your choices until you land on a “JESUS JACKPOT.” You won’t ever regret the rewards it brings to your life. And the biggest PRIZE of all?? HIS PURPOSEFUL, PRESENT, PASSIONATE PEACE.

Carol 😉