...........................
 
 

                         It's quiet.
                         It's early.
                            My coffee is hot.
                           The sky is still black.
                               The world is still asleep.
                            The day is coming.
 
 

                                 In a few moments the day will arrive.
                                  It will roar down the track with the  rising of the sun.
                              The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged  for the noise of the day.
                              The calm of the solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of  the human
                   race.
                      The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be
                        made and deadlines to be met.

                     For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day's demands.
                     It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I'm free
                        to choose. And so I choose.....

                 I choose love...
                No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness,

              I choose love.
                      Today I will love The Creator and what he loves.

              I choose joy...
                     I will invite the Creator to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse
                     temptation to be cynical...   the tool of the lazy thinker.
                      I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings,
                     created by the Creator. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less
              than an opportunity to speak with the Great Creator.

                 I choose peace...
         I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

                    I choose patience...
                I will overlook the inconveniences of the world.
                        Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to
                       do so. Rather than complaining that the wait is too long, I will
                      thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clenching my fist at
                         new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.
 

                 I choose kindness...
                    I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone.
              Kind to the rich, for they are afraid.
                         And kind to the unkind, for such is how The Creator has treated me.

               I choose goodness...
                        I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be
                     overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse.
 
                   I choose faithfulness...
                      Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their
                     trust. My associates will not question my word. My loved ones will
                      not question my love. And my children will never fear that their
                 parent will not come home.

               I choose gentleness
                Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle.
            If I raise my voice, may it be only in praise.
           If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer.
              If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

                I choose self control...
                       I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar.
                     I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I will be drunk only by
                              joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith.  I will be influenced only by the Creator.
 

                                 Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
                        goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. To these I
                     commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek
                      the Creators  grace and wisdom .