TIME

The concept of time is fascinating. If you think about it too much, you'll absolutely go crazy, but the very existence of time rules our lives. We are bound by the clock, and time treats everyone the same. Time is the ultimate equalizer of life - the playing field is completely level for all of us when it comes to time. You may have millions of dollars, but you still only have 24 hours in a day. You may be penniless, but you get the same amount of seconds in a day (86,400, by the way) as the person who has everything. And no matter what we are doing in our day, time continues to move on. Rarely do any of us stop and consider, "How did I spend my time today? Was it spent wisely, on things that really matter, or did I spend my time foolishly?"

I have a good friend who years ago accepted job with a mega corporation. This mega corporation promised him a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. In his mid-20's, he was making a six figure salary, and it only continued to grow, and the expectation was it would continue and continue. The only thing he had to do was to give the company his soul. Long hours, complete devotion to the company above all else, and to be willing to sacrifice whatever it took to insure that he was successful (and thus the company was successful) in everything he did.

Don't get me wrong - spending time working to earn a living and to be able to support your family is a good thing and a wise way to spend your time. Selling your soul to a company at the peril of your family, your physical well-being, and your spiritual life, is not.

Paul, this guy who wrote 13 letters that we now have in the New Testament, gave this advice to nearly 2000 years to a group of people living in the Roman world: "Be careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." Ephesians 5:15-16

Time is such a precious commodity. Are you making the most of the 84,600 given to you today? Are too many hours spent at the office? Are too many of those seconds spent on the internet? (okay, I know you are online right now, so I'm not being critical of the internet... but people who spend 8 hours a day on Facebook? Come on...) What about the hours you spend watching television? (again, not critical of TV. See previous posting. But just because Fox shows a Bachelorette marathon doesn't mean that you have to watch it for 24 hours straight.) Are there other things in your life that may be good things, but you are spending far too many of your minutes on those things instead of other priorities? Maybe today you can take just a few of the seconds that God has given to you to evaluate your time-spending habits.

By the way, my friend ultimately decided that it wasn't worth sacrificing his relationships with his wife and children for that pot of gold and left the mega corporation. Pretty good move if you ask me.

Fall Programming

There are many reasons that fall is my favorite season of the year: football, the cool, crisp air, the changing of the leaves, the anticipation of the holidays being just around the corner. Another reason I love fall is that it marks an end to the reruns of summer television and the beginning of new shows. There is always a little bit of a tug-a-war around my house over television watching. My wife likes all the reality shows: The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, The Bachelor and The Bachelorette in The Real World Dancing with The Stars Plus Eight. I cannot stand those shows. The last thing I want to watch is a reality show. Everyday life is a reality show for me. When I watch television, I want an escape from reality. I want shows that are about fake people living fake lives working for fake organizations (think Jack Bauer working for the fictional government organization known as CTU.) I want, for 30 minutes or an hour, to escape from reality and to simply enjoy a drama that is not real life, but created in the mind of some Hollywood writer.

But one of the things that is a must for me is that the characters and the plot of the show have to follow the ground rules laid out by the show. I'm fine with Superman flying, but Superman cannot suddenly be immune to kryptonite. The ground rules of the show state that kryptonite destroys Superman's powers. I'm fine with the characters on Lost traveling though different time periods as long as they follow the ground rules of the show. (by the way, they'd better fully explain the smoke monster sometime during this last season). I'm fine with Claire on Heroes having the ability to heal herself, but she cannot suddenly develop some other power that violates the ground rules of the show. Everyone must operate within the physical, spiritual, astrological, or whatever rules of the plot laid out by the writers of the show.

The greatest plot in history is about Jesus Christ coming into the world, becoming human, and ultimately giving his life for the sins of humanity. When an angel comes to a young teenage girl named Mary and tells her that she is going to have this child who will save the world, Mary replies, "Impossible. Cannot happen. I'm a virgin. This violates the ground rules of the show." The angel responds by telling her that she will give birth to this child, even though she is a virgin, and then says: "For nothing is impossible with God." (Luke 1:37)

Is there something going on in your life today that you just do not believe God can change? Have you laid out the ground rules in your mind and believe that it is impossible for God to work in your situation? Have you figured that your problem is so big that it is impossible for even God to handle?

Maybe the best thing you could do for yourself today is to find a Bible and read the story found in Luke 1. Perhaps today God wants you to renew your faith in Him that even though certain things seem physically, spiritually, astrologically, or whatever impossible in your life, that our God is so big and powerful that He can intervene and work miracles in your situation.