Time Is Precious
Ephesians 5:15-17
¹⁵ Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
Psalm 90:12
¹² So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
3 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:
²     a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³     a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴     a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶     a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷     a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸     a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

Today as I am writing this lesson, it seems as though it was only yesterday that it was Saturday afternoon.  Here it is Saturday again.  How could seven days have possibly flown by so quickly?   It amazes me how fast the weeks, months, and years are flying by.

I remember when I was a little girl, my dad always said, that the older you get, the faster time seems to go by.   None of that really made sense to me at that time, but now that I am older, it all makes perfect sense.
I think that as you get older, you seem to value time more.  Therefore you try to squeeze in as many productive activities as you possibly can in one 24 hour span.  Also, could it be that as we get older, we are moving slower and we just don’t get as much done in a day as we used to?   Don’t get upset, it’s just a thought!

As a child, I remember waiting forever for Christmas, and now it seems that it rolls around every five to six months.  I realize that it’s not actually happening that fast, that’s just what it seems like when your days are full and you are as busy as can be. You look up and wow, Christmas is here again!

Our relationship with time is of the utmost importance.   Like money, it is something that should not be squandered.  It should be valued and appreciated and used wisely.  It is so important, that in the book of Ecclesiastes, an entire chapter was written on time. 

I felt the subject “Time” was important to write on today because I see so many people wasting their precious gift of time.  In most cases, they are not clear on their purpose, and they don’t usually have a passionate goal to keep them moving forward.   I have found that when this is the case, more times than not, time seems not to be so important and therefore squandered.   Wouldn’t it be nice if someone that was not going to use their precious gift of time, could just transfer it to you, to be used as you pleased?  I always feel like I could use more time.  I heard a quote by Bruce Lee that says:  If you love life, don’t waste time, for it is what life is made up of. So may I ask you, are you using your time wisely?  Do you feel like, you are making the best use of your time?

Please be clear, I am not saying don’t take a break or a rest, or even a vacation.  We all know that we have to stop from time to time to refuel and recharge our bodies and minds.  I am merely asking you to be a good steward of your time, if you haven’t been in the past.  Your time is something to be treasured and protected.  Only God knows how much time each of us will be granted.  So make the most of your time, so that when God does call you home, and you meet Him face to face, He can say that you were a good and faithful servant of your time.  Remember to be as faithful in being a good steward over your time, as you are of all the other gifts and talents that He has generously granted you.  Be blessed and keep your eyes on the clock, because it is ticking!

Today as I am writing this lesson, it seems as though it was only yesterday that it was Saturday afternoon.  Here it is Saturday again.  How could seven days have possibly flown by so quickly?   It amazes me how fast the weeks, months, and years are flying by.

I remember when I was a little girl, my dad always said, that the older you get, the faster time seems to go by.   None of that really made sense to me at that time, but now that I am older, it all makes perfect sense.
I think that as you get older, you seem to value time more.  Therefore you try to squeeze in as many productive activities as you possibly can in one 24 hour span.  Also, could it be that as we get older, we are moving slower and we just don’t get as much done in a day as we used to?   Don’t get upset, it’s just a thought!

As a child, I remember waiting forever for Christmas, and now it seems that it rolls around every five to six months.  I realize that it’s not actually happening that fast, that’s just what it seems like when your days are full and you are as busy as can be. You look up and wow, Christmas is here again!

Our relationship with time is of the utmost importance.   Like money, it is something that should not be squandered.  It should be valued and appreciated and used wisely.  It is so important, that in the book of Ecclesiastes, an entire chapter was written on time. 

I felt the subject “Time” was important to write on today because I see so many people wasting their precious gift of time.  In most cases, they are not clear on their purpose, and they don’t usually have a passionate goal to keep them moving forward.   I have found that when this is the case, more times than not, time seems not to be so important and therefore squandered.   Wouldn’t it be nice if someone that was not going to use their precious gift of time, could just transfer it to you, to be used as you pleased?  I always feel like I could use more time.  I heard a quote by Bruce Lee that says:  If you love life, don’t waste time, for it is what life is made up of. So may I ask you, are you using your time wisely?  Do you feel like, you are making the best use of your time?

Please be clear, I am not saying don’t take a break or a rest, or even a vacation.  We all know that we have to stop from time to time to refuel and recharge our bodies and minds.  I am merely asking you to be a good steward of your time if you haven’t been in the past.  Your time is something to be treasured and protected.  Only God knows how much time each of us will be granted.  So make the most of your time, so that when God does call you home, and you meet Him face to face, He can say that you were a good and faithful servant of your time.  Remember to be as faithful in being a good steward over your time, as you are of all the other gifts and talents that He has generously granted you.  Be blessed and keep your eyes on the clock, because it is ticking!

A Good Father

Since Father’s Day is right around the corner, I thought I would share a few scriptures on the role of a good father.

 I hope that you are making special plans, to celebrate and honor the fathers in your life this Father’s Day.  Whether it is your dad, your husband, son, or brother, if they are a good father, they deserve to be celebrated, for the many sacrifices they make on a daily basis.   Good fathers are always working hard to protect, support, and to provide for their families.

Let’s take a few minutes and dive in and see, what the scriptures have to say about the role of a good father.  If this is something that blesses you, and you think that it could be a blessing to a young man who did not have a great role model, please feel free to share it with him.

A Good Father Fears The Lord
Proverbs 20:7
He who walks in his integrity is righteous; happy are his children who follow him.
A Good Father Leads His Children
Joshua 24:15
¹⁵ But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”
Titus 2:2
² Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.

A Good Father Prays for His Children
1st Chronicles 29:19
¹⁹ And give my son Solomon the wholehearted devotion to keep your commands, statutes and decrees and to do everything to build the palatial structure for which I have provided.”

A Good Father Protects His Children
Deuteronomy 1:29-31
²⁹ Then I said to you, “Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. ³⁰ The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, ³¹ and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.”
Proverbs 14:26
Whoever fears the Lord has a secure fortress,  and for their children it will be a refuge.

A Good Father Provides For His Children
Proverb 13:22
A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.
1 Timothy 5:8
⁸  Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

A Good Father Trains/Teaches His Children
Proverbs 22:6
Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.
Deuteronomy 6:6-9
⁶  These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷ Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸ Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Proverbs 1:8
⁸ Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

A Good Father Disciplines His Children
Proverbs 3:11-12
My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke,
¹² because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.^[a]
Hebrews 12:7
⁷ Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?
Proverbs 13:24
Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.

A Good Father Encourages His Children
1 Thessalonians 2:11-12
¹¹ For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, ¹² encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

A Good Father Has Compassion For Their Children
Psalm 103:13
As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
Luke 15:20-24
²⁰ So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.²¹ “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’²² “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³ Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. ²⁴ For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.

A Good Father Will Not Provoke His Children To Anger
Ephesians 6:4
⁴ Fathers,^[a] do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Colossians 3:21
²¹ Fathers,^[a] do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.
Matthew 18:6
⁶“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

A Good Father Sets A Great Example Of How To Love, By The Way He Loves And Honors His Wife.
Ephesians 5:25-37
²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing^[a] her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷ and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. ²⁸ In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— ³⁰ for we are members of his body. ³¹ “For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”^[b] 32 This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. ³³ However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
1 Peter 3:7
⁷ Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8…
⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.⁸ Love never fails. …..

A Good Father Is Blessed By His Children
Psalm 127:3-5
Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.
⁴ Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth.
⁵ Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.
Proverbs 23:24
The father of a righteous child has great joy; a man who fathers a wise son rejoices in him.
Psalm 128:3-4
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine   within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots around your table.
⁴ Yes, this will be the blessing for the man who fears the Lord.
3 John 1:4
⁴ I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

Are you Connecting The Dots?

Ephesians 6:12
¹² For we^[a] are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
1 Thessalonians 5:17
¹⁷ Pray without ceasing.
Hebrews 4:16
¹⁶ Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

About three weeks ago, I joined a Tuesday morning Zoom Bible Study.  Well, today is Tuesday, so this morning I got up eager and ready to go.  Although it was quite early by my standards, I got dressed and even had my makeup on pretty early.   I can’t tell you just how excited I am about this study.  There are one hundred and forty like-minded women in my profession, that are in this study.  So, I was ready to hang out with my girls and learn more about Jesus.

Things were rolling along quite well this morning, as I was preparing to get onto the morning Zoom.   My breakfast smoothie was made.  I had my book for the study and my Bible, and I was ready to go.  However little did I know, that my computer had decided to side with the enemy.  No matter how many times I tried,  I could not get the link for the study to work.   After trying several times, my husband decided to try and help me out, and he even got the same results that I had gotten.  I was so frustrated because by this time ten to fifteen minutes of the study had gone by.   I had looked forward to this study for three weeks and here I was missing it.

While all of this was going on, I realized that I didn’t bring anything to the table to write on.  I had a brand new spiral notebook, that I had put to the side just for this study.   Will you please tell me why I couldn’t find it?  Everything was falling apart.   While my husband continued to try to pull the Bible Study up on the computer, I got up and went to my bedroom to look for my spiral notebook.   I didn’t see it anywhere.   All of a sudden I connected the dots.  The enemy was trying his best to block me from participating, and hearing from God through this study.  He wanted no spiritual growth from me.

I even got a text from a friend that I had invited to join, saying that there was something wrong with her link to the study.  Please trust me, when I tell you that Satan was putting up a fight.  Trust me also when I tell you that the devil is a liar.

While I was in my bedroom I started to pray.  I asked God to please help me to find my spiral notebook.  The very next moment He led me to the notebook.  As I was about to go out of my bedroom door, the Holy Spirit prompted me to take my iPad to the table and try it instead of the computer, and WOW, it worked.   All I can say is the power of prayer!   

If God worked through that one short prayer to shut the enemy down, imagine how powerfully He could work in our lives if we prayed without ceasing, as He commands us to do in His word.  Satan is on his job 24/7, therefore we cannot relent, we cannot cease from praying.  We must always be prayed and powered up.  Don’t let your spiritual battery run low.  Stay powered up through prayer and through reading God’s word.

Most importantly connect the dots.  When things like this start to happen, know that it is straight-up spiritual warfare. The resistance is Satan taking a stand against, what is good for you.  Start praying immediately and remember you must fight a spiritual battle, with spiritual weapons, and prayer is the greatest of spiritual weapons.  Pray on my sisters! Pray on!

Something to remember:
Greater is He that’s in you than, than he who is in the world. 1 John 4:4

Romans 12:12
¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Ephesians 6:18
¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.