Real Life by Peggi Tustan

Welcome to Real Life . If you go, I’ll go. Have you ever been afraid to walk into an unfamiliar situation alone?      _____ Under Joshua, Israel had conquered and occupied much of the Promised Land of Canaan … but, not all of it. Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites remained. After Joshua’s death, the Israelites intermarried with these foreigners. And, soon, the people of God were bowing to pagan idols. Because they had removed themselves from God and his protection, the Israelites were conquered and oppressed by one enemy after another. In their misery, they cried out to the Lord. He raised up judges [1]  to lead his people back to physical and spiritual freedom.      _____ “I’ll only go, Deborah, if you go,” said Barack, the commander of Israel's army. Israel was firmly held under the grip of Jabin, a Canannite king. Israel's judge, Deborah, had called for Barak and given him this order from God:  Take 10,000 men to Mount Tabor. I (God)

Welcome to Real Life . Every hour of every day, I make choices. "May your choices reflect your hopes, not your fears." ~Nelson Mandela Many of my choices have turned into habits, things I do without thinking: make my bed, brush my teeth, make coffee. Some are no-brainers: I need clean clothes, so I do laundry. The fridge is empty, so I buy groceries. Some are preferences: I feel like wearing pink. And then, there are the days when I make life-altering decisions: On March 5, 1983, I married my husband. On this day in Israel’s history, Joshua calls the Children of Israel to make a life-altering decision. He’s old—110 years—and ready to die. He completed his mission. Israel has taken possession of the Promised Land. As Joshua prepares to leave this world, he calls the nation's leaders to assemble before God at Shechem. First, he reminds them of their history: Long ago, our forefathers worshiped false gods in Ur beyond the Euphrates. From there, God called Abraham