It’s pretty outside today. The sun is shining bright and there’s very little heat (for now). The clouds resemble big scoops or mashed potatoes in a big blue bowl of sky. Birds are chirping almost symphonically while the wind gently whizzes through the trees. You would never believe the level of crises upon us.

Happy Juneteenth! What is Juneteenth? Juneteenth is a day African Americans celebrate the recognition of a Presidential declaration acknowledging our freedom. I say acknowledging because it is important to realize that African Americans were born free in the image of God but made to live as slaves by a cruel and vicious system in America. So we weren’t “set free” by Whites, it was just acknowledged that we were people God intended to experience the freedoms He intended.

I was never good at putting together puzzles. There were too many pieces that brought a load of confusion. Many of the pieces look the same in shape and color, so I tried to force pieces together that seemed to fit, but they really didn’t…and I knew they didn’t. I focused on the individual pieces, tried sorting according to colors, and instead of ending up with a finished product the only result was frustration.

We all make choices even though we may convince ourselves that “This is something I have to do” rather than “This is something I choose to do.” We choose our cars, choose our wardrobes, and our friends. We choose our jobs, choose our vacation places, and choose our hobbies. We choose our places of education, choose our place of worship, and choose our dwelling place. All of those are meaningful and important to our lives, but when I say “choices,” I’m thinking of those positive decisions affecting the way we live with one another and ourselves.