On Your Mark, Get Set, GO!

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

The alarm goes off, you either stop it or snooze it. What is the next thing you do? STOP!

How many of you actually set the alarm much earlier than you want to get up, then hit snooze 3-5 times? Somehow, it feels as though we are winning the battle with morning and getting out of bed when we snooze the clock several times....and if I am the only one who does this then disregard the question.

On both sides of the Bell curve for alarm clock users are those who never hear the alarm and those who wake up an hour before said alarm. No matter your method of getting out of bed, starting the day is the main objective. Gotta get up and get going.

Obviously, after one wanders out to the kitchen, a host of pick-me-ups are necessary to get our bodies moving. What's your 'go to'? (coffee, orange juice, fruit smoothie, eggs and bacon)? What gets your motor running in the AM?

Today, I received the verse of the day and it told me to make God the first thing I do. Hmm, such a novel idea. Did you know this??? Have you tried this??? Day in and day out, our routine seldom changes. Creatures of habit we are. Some habits are healthy and some need to stop.

Studies have been implemented that reveal much about our habit forming. The one study that intrigued me a few years ago was the "21 Day Challenge". The premise is simple. For 21 days don't say anything negative toward another person or about another person. Affirming everyone you meet can be a monumental task; some might say it is impossible. I found the challenge to be more difficult than it sounds. It grew a great deal of patience within me and after several attempts, I had to go see an oral surgeon to have my tongue reattached.

Back to our word of the day from Proverbs 1:7. Priorities are important. We desire many things but holy scripture implores us to reconsider our personal strivings and place God first.

"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4, NIV)

It is in placing God first that all other things we desire can be realized. It isn't that we can't realize them apart from God. In fact, many of us do realize our desires but feel empty and frustrated inside. Something is missing. Our inner peace suffers when we are chasing things over and against a growing relationship with God. Proverbs 1:7 and Psalm 37: 4 are simply telling us to get things in proper order.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! Alarm is going off again, what are you gonna do?