Motto for life

"Drink alot of water."  My family has heard this advice from my lips on countless occasions.  Regardless of the ailment or disease, my first comment is "drink water".  Water will flush out disease and poisons. Water keeps you hydrated and feeling better through exercise.  I've said it so many times, it probably will end up on my tombstone!

I also use the phrase, "in life you have two choices, laugh or cry.  I'm choosing..."  This helps me keep perspective on life's daily obstacles.  I think it comes from my mom.  I can hear her voice asking me, "In the span of eternity, how important is......."

I made a list of other statements I've heard from family members that I associate with them and my memory of them.  "This is probably the last time you'll see me..."  "That's fine for you."  "It is what it is."  "Pick your battleground." Perhaps these common phrases are also life mottos.  There must be a life philosophy behind those statements.

I thought about life mottos when I read Deuteronomy 5:30-32.  I made a list of verbs.  It's one of my favorite study methods.  Years ago a bible study leader taught me to list the verbs to learn the actions I should follow.

My list of verbs included:  stay, follow, walk, live long and prosper.  I got a little excited when I saw the last three words.  I'll admit to being a science fiction fan and enjoyed the Vulcan salutation of "Live long and prosper."

I  doodled mottos from these three verses.  I chose "Prolong the Prosper-Walk God's Way."  I am going to choose this life motto.  Surely this motto will look better on the tombstone. 

The challenge is now to live it and incorporate it into my life.  I need to look at the verb list again.  To walk in God's way I need to follow and stay.  First I make a conscious choice to follow God's commands and then stay with them, not turning to the right or left, to stay straight in His Way.

Learning to stay is challenging.  I have two puppies that don't know the meaning of stay yet.  They need to learn to focus on me and me alone.  They are easily distracted by each other and the activities of the world!  My first step is getting them to focus on me.

Choosing the life motto is easy.  Staying with the motto is a life's challenge.  My first step will be to focus on God.  I'm learning to stay!