Monday's Meditation

And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. –Revelations 21:5

Have you ever had someone promise you something? Have you ever been anxious, wondering if the promise would ever come to pass? Have you ever been let down by someone who didn’t follow through on their word? Well there is one person who may keep you waiting, but will never let you down! His name is Jesus!

Elisha, the prophet, raised a woman’s son from the dead, and then Elisha instructed the woman to move from their home because a famine was coming. So the woman and her son, grateful for all God had done, left their home for seven years. After seven years had ended, she and her son returned. Miraculously the King and his servant were discussing a miracle Elisha had performed, to rasing a boy from the dead at the precise time the woman and her son entered the King’s presence. Gehazi, the King’s servant, recognized the woman and her son. They had come to ask permission to return to their home. The King, because of his discussion with Gehazi! granted the woman’s wishes and restored to her completely everything she had lost while she and her son were gone!

This story illustrates perfectly how God will fulfill His promises, and how, if God tells you to do something and you do it, He will always provide! The woman and her son were given favor because of their sacrifice. Sometimes, in the process of restoration, God will use people that everyone else has counted out! God used Gehazi, a man who had been stricken with leprosy, to restore a family to their home! It’s astounding that a man who once had leprosy stood in the presence of the King! Be careful who you rule out in your life, because God just may use them to bring restoration to you!

God not only restored the woman and her son. God restored Gehazi as well! He was a man who was without hope, a social outcast! He was labeled as unclean! Yet, God chose him, and used him to restore a family! No matter what you’ve gone through, God can still use you! Even if you feel rejected now, it won’t be long until God uses you to give Him glory! Whatever you’re going through in your life right now, can’t be any worse than what Gehazi went through. And if he can make it, you can too! You are more than a conqueror through Christ! If God be for you, who can be against you? Never lose hope. No matter how dark this world may get, know that you are precious to God himself! If God can restore a boy from the dead, a family to their rightful home, and a man who was stricken with a detestable disease, God can, and God will, restore you.

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You cannot climb a mountain if you will not risk a fall.
- Rick Beneteau

Thursday's Thoughts

He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
–Psalms 23:3

Let me encourage you: Regardless of how bad you think your circumstances may be, there is a path out—there is no limit to God’s power to restore you. It begins with repentance and the willingness to return to the point of your past failure to retake the test. Once you past the test, you may find yourself walking and talking a new way.

Okay, I’ve made my mind up. I know what to touch and what not to touch. I know where to go and where not to go. I know what to do, and what not to do, I’ve learned from my mistakes. Now how do I get from here to there?
I’m going back!

Don’t be surprised if God sends you back to bring good news, hope, and deliverance to others just like you! He did it with Gehazi and his sons.

What would have happened had the four lepers listened to logic or heeded their painful memories and just enjoyed their own private meal and personal treasure trove? I’m convinced they would not have been healed had they chosen not to pass the test of the silver and garments.

Their city and nation would have fallen into destruction and ultimate captivity sooner rather than later. The Syrian army would have caught on soon enough to return and reclaim everything the lepers tried to take in secret.

The four lepers answered the question, “ Where to from here?” Once they learned the way back, they chose to go back and face the risk of rejection. They marched back to their city to share their good news from God, and I believe they were healed as they went.

Again, let me tell you as plainly as I can— I’m talking about something I do not know. I do not know how Gehazi was restored. But I believe he was. I do not know how Gehazi got healed. I just know he did. This is the ultimate proof that God does His best work in secret.

The way out of hell is back to the place where everything went wrong. It always starts with repentance and a second chance to do things right. You can always count on the Lord to lead you in the direction of light and life. No matter where you find yourself in this moment, God is with you. Just call on His name.

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The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.
-Flora Whittemore-

Wednesday's Word

"Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Your disciples do not fast?"
- Matthew 9:14 (NKJV)

A few months into Christ's public ministry, people began to pick up on something. There was something very different about Him and the way His disciples acted: They didn't seem to be rigorously preoccupied with the discipline of fasting. John the Baptist's disciples were especially aware of this, and they asked Jesus about it point-blank.

Instead of giving a quick answer, Jesus shared a parable with them:

"No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; for the patch pulls away from the garment, and the tear is made worse. Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved." (Matthew 9:16-17 NKJV)

At first, this doesn't seem to answer anything. What does fasting have to do with patches and wineskins? But Jesus is illustrating an important contrast here. The Pharisees and John's disciples were wedded to a system of thought in which fasting was considered a badge of righteousness. Christ, however, revealed that true righteousness comes through a relationship with God through faith in Him, not fasting.

There's an old system competing with a new one. And just as a new patch can't work on an old cloth, and just as new wine can't be contained by an old wineskin, the new system that Jesus introduced wasn't compatible or containable by the old.

Fasting is still an important part of the believer's life (Matthew 9:15), but it isn't the end-all, be-all when it comes to being righteous. Only a relationship with God through Christ is that. Our righteousness is in knowing Him and not in what we do.

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We are not human beings having a spiritual experience.
We are spiritual beings having a human experience.
-Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Tuesday's Tidbits

….and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Eph 6:17

Most days when I leave home I have my cell phone practically glued to me. In the unlikely event that I forget to take it with me, I turn around and go back and get it if possible.

For a lot of years I got along fine without a cell phone - in fact I didn't even want one when they began to really gain popularity. "What's so important about having it now", I asked myself just this week, "especially all the time?" There is something more important to have when I leave home – or even at home. Armor, spiritual armor.

When Paul wrote a letter to the people at a church in Ephesus, he closed it with an important wrap-up, instructions on putting on this armor, and what it's for. You never know what a day will bring. It is a more-than-good idea to not leave home without it, your spiritual armor.

A final thought... put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared..hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.' Ephesians 6: 10-17

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"To lead the orchestra, you have to turn your back on the crowd." — Max Lucado

Monday's Meditation

Isa 40:29-31

Did you hear about the teacher who was helping one of her kindergarten students put his boots on? He asked for help and she could see why. With her pulling and him pushing, the boots still didn't want to go on. When the second boot was on, she had worked up a sweat. She almost whimpered when the little boy said, "Teacher, they're on the wrong feet." She looked and, sure enough, they were.

It wasn't any easier pulling the boots off than it was putting them on. She managed to keep her cool as together they worked to get the boots back on-this time on the right feet. He then announced, "These aren't my boots."

She bit her tongue rather than get right in his face and scream, "Why didn't you say so?" like she wanted to. Once again, she struggled to help him pull the ill-fitting boots off. He then said, "They're my brother's boots. My Mom made me wear them."

She didn't know if she should laugh or cry. She mustered up the grace to wrestle the boots on his feet again. She said, "Now, where are your mittens?" He said, "I stuffed them in the toes of my boots..."

As I read that, I thought about how many of our frustrations come about as the result of having to do something over and over. Let me give you an example. A couple of years ago I found myself in a situation that required me to have extensive foot surgery. Everything went well, and I was getting better and was finally up on my feet and in a "real" shoe again when the unthinkable happened! I passed out and in falling suffered a spiral break in the ankle of my other foot!! So ... I started all over again with surgery and recuperation!!

I remember that the greatest source of frustration wasn't the surgery itself. It was the fact that I thought I was getting better, but I had to start all over again. Just when I thought I was making progress, I encountered a setback. I was able to easily muster the emotional strength to face the first surgery, but it was much tougher the second time.

I've seen the same thing happen in a number of different areas. I suspect you have, too. Maybe you were hoping to get bills cleared up only to be hit with an unexpected dentist bill or car repair. Maybe it's harsh criticism you're dealing with, a situation at work that's making it difficult to maintain your Christian standards, or perhaps the struggles of dealing with a rebellious child. You think, "I can handle the difficulty I'm going through as long as I can see the light at the end of the tunnel". Only just when you're about at the end of the tunnel and you taken about all you can take, you realize that there's more adversity ahead and the light is barely visible. I understand; I've been there.

The Christian life is long and sometimes difficult. There are times we feel we just can't take it anymore and we want to give up, especially when we've had to face the same adversity over and over and over again. But remember the words of the verse first referenced in this posting:

²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

³¹ but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

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Some days there won't be a song in your heart. Sing anyway. ~Emory Austin

Friday's Feature

Matthew 19:16-30
The rich young ruler proves unwilling to risk all he has to follow Christ. Jesus promises the greatest gift of all--eternal life--for all who will risk everything for Him.

Discovering your purpose in life will change how you look at your circumstances. The entire focus of your life will change. Things you once thought critical for your success suddenly become insignificant, especially if they don't advance your life purpose.

Purpose brings passion. Passion will propel you to cast off anything that hinders you from achieving your purpose. It is like stock-car racers stripping their cars of any extraneous items that only add weight and slow them down. Or athletes who shed every unnecessary pound to give them the competitive edge that will help them excel.

One man Jesus encountered was unwilling to risk it all even for something better. The rich young ruler knew his life purpose. He sought eternal life. When he found out what it would cost he was unwilling to pay the price. Instead, he went away sorrowful, his destiny unfulfilled and his life purpose forsaken.

No matter where you are now, the Lord is calling you to a greater and higher purpose. Even if you have found your purpose and are pursuing it, you need to keep pressing deeper and rising higher. Life is a journey, a continual progressing toward the high calling of God. And no matter how much you may have right now, it cannot compare to what awaits you in the Father's house. So hold on to it lightly.

It is so tempting simply to bask in the favor of the Lord and stop there. God's favor is not static. He does not give it for its own sake. His favor is to help you rise to your full potential and achieve your life purpose. He also wants you to bring others along with you.

Esther risked her favor and achieved her purpose—the salvation of her people. She brought all the Jews in the empire with her into a new future full of hope and potential.

Will you risk your favor to fulfill your purpose? Risk the good and reap the best!

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"Trusting God completely means having faith that He knows what is best for your life. You expect Him to keep His promises, help you with problems, and do the impossible when necessary." ~Rick Warren

Wednesday's Word

2 Samuel 2:1-10 (Amp)
"After this, David inquired of the Lord, saying, 'Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?' And the Lord said to him, 'Go up.' David said, 'To which shall I go up?' And (God) said 'to Hebron'... Now Abner son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, took Ishbosheth son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim. And he made him King over Gilead, the Ashurites, Jezreel, Ephraim, Benjamin, and all Israel..."But the house of Judah followed David."

Saul was dead. His three sons Jonathon (David's best friend), Abinadab and Machishua had also lost their lives in a futile battle with the Philistines. While years earlier, the prophet Samuel had anointed David to be the next king, one would imagine that David would immediately be elevated to the throne. This was God's will, not man's.

But if you and I were to believe the road to the throne was as smooth as could be for David, we would be sadly mistaken.

It seems the head of Saul's army, Abner, had other plans. Saul had another living son. An heir named Ishbosheth and Abner intended that this 40-year-old son of Saul's would be the next king.

Too bad if David was appointed by God. What did this fact matter to Abner? Obviously, nothing at all. And so Saul's son ruled part of the tribes while David ruled the rest.

In 2 Samuel 3:1, this bitter situation was put into perspective with these few words: "There was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David."

Things didn't happen just the way David thought they should. He didn't march off to the throne with flowers thrown in his path and women hollering at him. Instead 2 Samuel 3: 1 elaborates with these words: "But David grew stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker." Evidently, the battle between the two factions persisted for years. It was lengthy, but over time -- someone prevailed -- and it was David who prevailed.

As I pondered this story, I thought about all that David had gone through, running from place to place hiding from Saul. I thought about all the challenges he faced as well as the delays he endured. If I'd been in David's shoes, I would have asked God, "How much longer?" David was following God, but yet, he hit hurtle after hurtle. And I know one thing, I've experienced the same situation.

I think all my ducks are in a row. I've lined things up perfectly. Then from out of nowhere, something enters my space and turns everything upside down and inside out. And you look at God and wonder what He's doing and why He's doing it and maybe, just maybe - if He's forgotten who you are and just how much you can really handle.

What we find from David's life is that the "wilderness time" prepared him for the "waiting time." All he went through prior to arriving at the throne helped him develop the qualities he needed while sitting on the throne.

Maybe right now, things aren't going the way you think they should. David felt just like you are feeling right now. But he didn't let his feelings get him down. Instead, he kept marching to the beat of His Father - walking in His footsteps. He asked for His advice. He watched and listened and then He moved.

Even when the territory was unfamiliar, David kept marching. In the words of William Temple, "Contentment with the Divine will is the best remedy we can apply to misfortune."

"I can say from experience that 95% of knowing the will of God consists in being prepared to do it before you know what it is."

The tongue weighs practically nothing, But so few people can hold it. ~unknown

Tuesday's Tab

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." Matthew 9:36-38

Jesus saw that the people were helpless. . . His heart went out to them. . . and as a result, He took action! Hundreds of thousands of people needed to know the Savior, so He sent His followers to go out to the people and share about the Kingdom of God. Jesus' disciples were "His feet" going out to share the Good News, "His hands" ministering and healing the people, and "His mouth" telling others about Him. They may have been few in number, but they had a radical impact on the world!

Today, we are called to be "Jesus' feet" going out into the world to share the Good News that God loves men, women, and children. . . and He wants to have a relationship with them. We are called to be "Jesus hands" ministering, serving and spiritually healing those who are hurting. And we are called to be "Jesus' mouth", having a ready answer on the tip of our tongue as to why we have hope for the future.

Monday's Mix

Many times God will allow a painful situation or a painful circumstance in our life to “swallow us up.” This season in our spiritual growth is a holding pattern. We can’t move to the left or the right. All we can do is sit, like Jonah sat in the belly of that great fish, so God can have our undivided attention and speak to us. God put Jonah in a holding pattern because He needed to speak to his heart. Jonah was all alone. There were no friends to call, no colleagues to drop by, no books to read, no food to eat, no interference, and no interruptions. He had plenty of time to sit, think, meditate, and pray.

When we’re deep down in the midst of a difficult situation, God can talk to us. When He has our undivided attention, He can show us things about ourselves that we might not otherwise have seen.

A Few of God’s Holding Patterns:

1. When you are sick in your physical body and you have prayed but God has not healed you yet, you are in a holding pattern

2. When you are having problems with your children and you have put them on the altar, but God has not delivered them yet, you are in a holding pattern.

3. When you have been praying for the salvation of a loved one and they have not been saved yet, you are in a holding pattern.

4. When you are in a broken relationship and you have given it over to God, but it has not been restored yet, you are in a holding pattern.

5. When the doors slam shut before you can knock on them, you are in a holding pattern.

When we are deep in the belly of a difficult situation, there are no interruptions. God has our undivided attention. All we can do is sit, think, meditate, and pray. We cannot run from God because there are no Mountains that are high enough, valleys low enough, rooms that are dark enough, or places that are hidden enough from Him. We must remember to praise Him while we’re waiting and remember three things:

1. The pattern has a purpose.

2. The pattern has a plan.

3. The pattern has a process.

So stop struggling and start listening, praying and trusting. He’ll keep you right where you are until you can clearly hear Him say, “I love you.”

The shortest distance between a problem and a solution is the distance between your knees and the floor. The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to anything.

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Now is the time to rise above what seems to be..........and find what really is. ~Unknown

Friday's Feature

During Napoleon's invasion of Russia, his troops were battling in the middle of yet another small town in that endless wintry land, when he was accidentally separated from his men. A group of Russian Cossacks spotted him and began chasing him through the twisting streets. Napoleon ran for his life and ducked into a little furrier's shop on a side alley. As Napoleon entered the shop, gasping for breath, he saw the furrier and cried piteously, "Save me, save me! Where can I hide?" The furrier said, "Quick, under this big pile of furs in the corner," and he covered Napoleon up with many furs.

No sooner had he finished than the Russian Cossacks burst in the door shouting, "Where is he? We saw him come in." Despite the furrier's protests, they tore his shop apart trying to find Napoleon. They poked into the pile of furs with their swords but didn't find him. Soon, they gave up and left.

After some time, Napoleon crept out from under the furs, unharmed, just as Napoleon's personal guards came in the door. The furrier turned to Napoleon and said timidly, "Excuse me for asking this question of such a great man, but what was it like to be under those furs, knowing that the next moment would surely be your last?"

Napoleon drew himself up to his full height and said to the furrier indignantly, "How could you ask me, the Emperor Napoleon, such a question? Guards, take this impudent man out, blindfold him and execute him. I, myself, will personally give the command to fire!"

The guards grabbed the furrier, dragged him outside, stood him against a wall and blindfolded him. The furrier could see nothing, but he could hear the guards shuffle into line and prepare their rifles. Then he heard Napoleon clear his throat and call out, "Ready! Aim!" In that moment, a feeling he could not describe welled up within him; tears poured down his cheeks.

Suddenly the blindfold was stripped from his eyes. Although partially blinded by the sunlight he could see Napoleon's eyes looking intently into his own -- eyes that seemed to see every dusty corner of his soul.

Then Napoleon said, "Now you know."

There are some things that simply cannot be described to you. If you haven't experienced them for yourself, you can't begin to know the feeling. If you've never sat by the bed of your father while cancer eats away at his body, you can't begin to know what it feels like. If you've never had a spouse walk out the door knowing they will never return, you can't begin to know what it feels like. If you've never had to bury a daughter before she was old enough to ride a bicycle, you can't begin to know what it feels like.

The list could go on and on. Eventually, I would get to what weighs on your soul. You have friends who try to comfort you by saying, "I understand," but deep down you know they don't. They can't. Not without experiencing it for themselves, and you wouldn't wish that on them.

What that means, though, is that you are in a position to minister in a special way to people who are suffering the same thing that you have suffered in the past. God is able to use your past painful experiences to help others in a way that no one else can. If you have had to deal with an alcoholic family member, you are in a position to minister to others in that situation. If you have suffered the death of a young child, you are in a position to minister to others in that situation. If you have raised a child as a single parent, you are able to minister to others in that situation.

The list could go on and on. Eventually, I would get to what you have suffered in the past. It was painful. It was tough to get through. But having done so, be aware of the opportunities you now have to be of service to others. You know exactly how they feel. Let them know that.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV) Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

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It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can do only a little. Do what you can.
~Sydney Smith

Thursday's Thoughts

I once met a guy. A great guy. He's kinda famous and kinda inspiring. Anyway, I had a chance encounter with this guy and in 5 minutes, he took me, a then stubborn, know-it-all, self-righteous, arrogant (hey wait... I'm STILL all those things!) and changed the way I looked at my entire life. His name is Pat, and the encounter went like this:

Pat: "So, let me ask you something... Hypothetically...
If I was your rich uncle Pat, and I died and left you a fortune in my will, but the fortune would have a "catch", would you be interested?"

Midnight: (All Midnight cared about at the time was MONEY) "Yes, Pat, I'd be interested. What's the catch?"

Pat: "I'll get to the catch in a second, but first let me tell you about the inheritance – it would be $86,400.00 per day, every day, for the rest of your life... well over $31 million per year."

Me: "Oh, I'd definitely be in... what's the catch??"

Pat: "Well the catch is this; It's EXACTLY $86,400 per day... not one penny more and not one penny less. It goes directly into your bank account every night. The REAL catch is that you have to SPEND every penny of it EVERY DAY. You can't save any of it. You can only SPEND it. If say on Thursday, you only managed to spend $83,000, you'd have to forfeit the other $3,400, and then Friday, you get another $86,400... the "leftover $3,400" does not get tacked on.

Me: With visions of $15 million personal jets, and 300 ft yachts in my head... "Pfffft, THAT would be EASY... I could EASILY spend $86,400 per day".

Pat: "You sure about that?? Let's think... let's think about what you would do with $86,400 per day... $86,400 per day that you COULD ONLY SPEND and NEVER save. So, tell me, what would you spend it on? It's DAY 1... exactly $86,000 has just been deposited into your bank account... what's the FIRST thing you're going to do with it?"

Me: "Well, the first thing I'd do is to pay off all my debt..."

Pat: "GREAT! You'd pay off your debt, that's great. Debt is NO GOOD. So, would you be able to do that with your first $86,400?"

Me: "Including my mortgage? No, I'd have to pay MOST of my debt off on Day 1, then the rest of it with some of Day 2's money."

Pat: "GREAT! So it's now day 2, you are FREE AND CLEAR. What are you gonna spend it on now?"

Me: "Well, I'd probably take day 2's money and put money down on a new house, a bigger one, better neighborhood"

Pat: "GREAT! You'd immediately invest in Real Estate... plus, you'd then have a bigger/better place to live. Great! Now comes day 3. What are you gonna do with THAT money?"

Me: "Ferrari"

Pat: "Really? Great! Ferrari's are great.I actually have a few. So now it's Day 3 of this deal, you have NO outstanding debt, you have a brand new house and a brand new Ferrari. You're stylin' and profilin' Day 4 is coming. What's next??"

Me: "Well, at that point, I'd probably pay off my parents' house for them.."

Pat: "Really? You'd do that for your parents? That's GREAT! You're a great guy for taking that burden off your parents' plate. So Midnight, then after hookin your parents up like that, whattaya do on Day 5?

Me: "Well, Pat, I'd go back to me! A new boat."

Pat: "Awesome! A boat. So, Midnight you can sorta see where this is going, right? You're not even done with the first week of this deal, a deal that goes for the rest of your life and ALREADY you have a new house, a new car, a new boat, and your parents are free and clear on their house. So tell me what would happen in week 2?"

Me: "Well, I'd probably buy a few more houses and cars."

Pat: "Great! A fleet of cars and houses all over the world. ow how about week 3"

Me: "Well, I'd travel."

Pat: "GREAT! Ok, so a month in and you've been around the world, probably will plan to do it again, new houses, new cars, no debt, parents looked after and only ONE month down. You have every day for the rest of your life with this deal, so then what?"

Me: "I'd start looking after my friends…"

Pat: "GREAT! So now after 3 months or so, you can see that you'd have EVERYTHING you could ever want. Plus all your family and friends would be taken care of. THEN WHAT?"

Me: (Thinking hard through the list... cars? check. Houses? check. Boats? Check. Planes? Check. Travel? Check. Family? Check. Friends. Check.) "Well Pat, at THAT point, I'd probably look for research organizations in medicine and other worthwhile endeavors that are in need of money."

Pat: "GREAT! You're really a giving guy! I mean, you'd take care of yourself pretty well, but you'd also GIVE some of this fortune to family, friends, and others that you deem worthwhile, right? You'd also splurge and have some parties and celebrations along the way, right?"

Me: "Right." (confused and not having a clue WHERE he is going with this)

Pat: "So correct me if I'm wrong, Midnight, but no matter how many days passed by, no matter what, you would ALWAYS find a use for your daily $86,400, correct? I mean, you'd never lay your head down to sleep saying to yourself "$5,000 left today... I'll just forfeit that, there's more coming tomorrow" You'd NEVER do that, right? You'd ALWAYS find something worthwhile to either spend or invest that full $86,400 in every single day, wouldn't you??"

Me: "Absolutely. I'd be able to put every dime of it to use every day."

Pat: "That's interesting... You know what else is interesting? The number 86,400. To me, THAT is the most interesting number in the universe. See, each one of us gets EXACTLY 86,400 of seconds of life every single day. 60 second per minute X 60 minutes per hour x 24 hours per day = 86,400 seconds... 86,400 precious seconds of life that we can ONLY spend or invest and NEVER can save. Now when it's 86,400 hypothetical dollars, we'd FIND a way to spend or invest every BIT of that money, every single day. Problem is that we don't always have the same reverence for our TIME, even though every second of your life is worth more than a lousy buck, isn't it?"

Think about this story. THINK of the details, but What would YOU spend the money on and what DO you spend your time on? Who do you ALLOW to waste it?? Do YOU waste it?? Which has more value, your time or money? Who, where and what do you invest your 86,400 seconds of life on today... tomorrow... the next day... YESTERDAY... the day before? How much of that is an investment, and how much of it is spent frivolously?

Since that day, I've realized that every second of my life is a gift. A gift that I can either spend/invest wisely OR I can waste. One thing is for sure... once each individual second comes and goes... ITS GONE FOREVER and you can NEVER GET IT BACK, so I make sure I don't waste ONE. Every single second of my life is something that I can assure is spent or invested wisely, on myself, or on someone/something I care about and NEVER frivolously wasted.

Think about it. I leave you to your fate...

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Every morning is a fresh beginning. Every day is the world made new. Today is a new day. Today is my world made new. I have lived all my life up to this moment, to come to this day. This moment - this day - is as good as any moment in all eternity. I shall make of this day - each moment of this day - a heaven on earth. This is my day of opportunity.
~Dan Custer

Wednesday's Word

Hebrews 12:1-11 tells us that God deals with us as sons (and daughters) and that the resistance we endure prepares us for greater things.

Some are blatant, openly opposing you at every turn. Others are more subtle and devious, appearing as “angels of light” to entice you away from focusing on God's purpose. Your enemy may not even be a person. It may be a disease that threatens to take your health or even your life. It may be a financial reversal that pushes you to the edge of bankruptcy. Whether large or small, human or otherwise, enemies have one thing in common— they threaten to destroy your destiny .

The appearance of an enemy brings your life to a crisis point. You can either capitulate from fear and be destroyed—or you can face your enemy in the power of God and overcome. No enemy can harass you unless God allows it. And if God allows it, He has a reason. God's purpose is to bring you to maturity. If you are facing an enemy, take courage. God is preparing to elevate you. He is getting ready to take you to a new level.

Every athlete knows that bodily strength and stamina develop fastest against resistance. “No pain, no gain.” It is the same with our spirit. Resistance forces us to lose our mental and spiritual “flab”; to lay aside every encumbrance and get into “fighting trim.” The presence of an enemy propels us into depending on God for strength and victory instead of our own resources.

It says in Hebrews, “… let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us , and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” No chastening or resistance is pleasant at the time, but “afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Facing enemies prepares us for elevation.

Your enemies only look big. From God's perspective they are nothing. Once you learn to see them that way they won't seem so intimidating. Do enemies and opposition press on you from all sides? Hang in there. God is preparing to move you higher. Get ready to rise!

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You become a champion by fighting one more round. When things are tough, you fight one more round. ~James Corbett

Tuesday's Tab

"Another parable He put forth to them, saying: "The kingdom of heaven is like...""
- Matthew 13:24 (NKJV)

There was an important truth about God's kingdom that Jesus wanted to get across to His followers, and He used the following parable to do it:

A man . . . sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. (Matthew 13:24-26 NKJV)

A man plants wheat in his field. But then an enemy sneaks into the field and plants tares (or weeds) along with the wheat. Both begin to grow, and it becomes apparent what happened. The man's servants ask him if he wants them to go through and pull the weeds out. His answer is insightful: "No, because then you might accidentally pull out some of the wheat. Let them both grow together, and at harvest time it will become easier to separate the two" (Matthew 13:27-30). What's that all about?

Culturally, it helps us to know that wheat and weeds looked very similar up to a certain point. But as they would continue to grow, the head of the wheat would become heavier than the weeds and would start to bend, making it more distinguishable from its counterfeit counterpart.

This is Jesus' point concerning the kingdom: Counterfeits are going to pop up from time to time. They look like wheat but they're really weeds. It's difficult to tell the difference at first, but time will reveal the differences between them and those who are the real deal. Our lesson in this is to be patient and observant, to know that we will encounter counterfeits, and the best way to deal with them is to allow time to reveal them for what they are.

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The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug. ~Mark Twain