Choices

On Saturday, my wife and I will head to Sky Harbor International Airport to board a plane bound for Anchorage, Alaska - our home.  We will do so as a pair. 

A few days prior, we flew to Phoenix as two of a trio.  We flew to Arizona with our daughter; we fly from Arizona without her.  She will remain in the state to begin her exciting journey at Grand Canyon University. 

As our oldest child, she is the first with whom we will share this experience of leaving home.  None of us know the specifics of what the next steps of this journey entail; nevertheless, we trust that the future is bright with opportunity and will be full of learning curves. 

Vonda Kay and I prepare to send our daughter on this next great adventure with our blessing and full support.  While I do not yet know, in entirety, what our just-before-the-returning-flight words of wisdom will be, I do know that I will repeat two bits of wisdom which are well-known to her.
1) Be safe.
2) Make good choices.

I realize that the former can be taken too far.  We do, after all, enjoy life when we take some risks (i.e. sky dive, eat a new food, hike a new trail, be the first to say "hello").  Nevertheless, a father feels better after saying those two words to his daughter. 

The latter piece of wisdom, however, cannot be taken too far.  In fact (and I tread lightly here - not wanting to put words in His mouth), I think one could summarize God's commands to Adam, Eve, Cain, Abram, Moses, Deborah, David, Solomon, Peter, Martha, Thomas, you, and me with that three-word phrase . . .
Make good choices.

When you make good choices, you will . . .

• love the Lord your God
  (Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37)
• love your neighbor as yourself
  (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:39)
• pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness
  (1 Timothy 6:11)

So - jump out of a plane, eat raw eel, climb that mountain, be brave - as you will.  But always remember - be safe by making good choices.  Whether you are headed to college, moving to a new state, picking a career, dating, married, young, old, or in-between - remember to . . .
Make good choices.

#ordinarylives