When faced with decisions I often seek the counsel of those I respect, admire, and know me best to help guide me in the decision I shall make. The counsel provided brings new insights, different perspectives, and confirmation of what I was already thinking. The root reason for seeking this counsel is reassurance. Assurance I am making the right decision. Assurance I will not fail, and even if I do, I have a support system to lean back on.

Growing up I was fascinated with illusions. The idea of being able to look at something and see different things or have things appear as though they are even though they are not because of perspective was mind blowing! 

Ever feel like you cannot catch a break? You solve one pressing issue to then be presented with another pressing issue. You make just enough money to pay the bills and rent for the month to then have your car break down and need repair. You try to start saving and then the rainy day comes before there is anything put to the side. This does not only present itself financially but also spiritually.

Do you ever set out to go somewhere and find yourself taking longer than expected to get there? Some times when I am coming home from my mother's home I go through this mental battel of which route do I take... do I take the highway or do I go through the back roads? Each route has their own experiences and challenges which impact the rest of my day. One time I chose the highway, thinking I would get home faster, to be rudely surprised by the bumper to bumper traffic, which caused my journey home to be twice as long. We can all guess how that impacted my mood for the following two hours! 

The impact of choices is a life long lesson. Every choice made leads to a ripple effect of successes, encounters, challenges, and more decisions. God is so keenly aware of this. Great insight to how keen God is to understanding how routes we take lead to decisions we make look at Exodus 13:17-22.

Have you ever experienced a blackout? Have you experienced it for multiple days in a row? It is quite the unpleasant experience if you do not have a generator or an alternative source of power. Personally for me the discomfort of a blackout is the uncertainty of when the issue will be resolved and the power of electricity will be restored. During a blackout your sustenance is threatened, as your refrigerator's contents are put at risk of spoiling, and productivity is reduced since you cannot work in the dark. 

A blackout is a great reminder of how fragile and dependent our lives are on the source of power around us. Even during the time of Moses this lesson was applied as God in Exodus 10:21-29 uses a blackout to illustrate to Pharaoh the Lord and only the Lord is in control.