Continued Easter joy to you during these gorgeous Georgia days of spring.

I am still on the high from spending a weekend in the mountains with our CIA and Real Time youth. Lutheridge was gorgeous and a little chilly! The time together was spectacular. Everyone knew that we were on holy ground.

The theme for the weekend was "Choose Life." It sounds simple, but practicing it is hard. To choose life means for us to be in touch with our true selves, the selves God created in God's very own image. It is to have the God within us connect with the God outside of us. The challenge is that from the time we are born the world begins to create a false self for us. Instead of being shaped by the image of God within us, we get shaped by people and messages that appeal to our egos and pride. We see ourselves in competition with others. We feel the need to protect ourselves by joining in the criticism of others. We become jealous of the success and affirmation of others. Without even realizing it we become aligned with the forces of death. Death has a lot of cousins - fear, hate, narcissism, anger, gossip, strife, and the like. The Apostle Paul gives a list of things aligned with death in Galatians 5:19-21.

Choosing life is hard. Moses' speech on the banks of the Jordan River reported in Deuteronomy 30:19 presents the choices we have. Addressing people who would be entering into and taking possession of a Promised Land, Moses gives this word from the Lord:

I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live ...

We know that the forces of death don't work. They haven't worked, can't work, and will not work; yet, we are slow learners. We still persist.

To choose life means to see the good in everyone, to bear the fruits of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. In a speech years ago, Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa said, "Anything war can do peace can do better." This is what it means to choose life. To choose life means that we know, live, and believe in these things:

Anything hate can do love can do better.

Anything grudges and resentment can do forgiveness can do better.

Anything cynicism can do faith can do better.

Anything death can do life can do better.

Choose life today!

God loves you and I do too!