Propinquity (Matthew 6.26-30)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “propinquity.” I realize that an occurring theme in my life at the present is that of time.  Use of time, availability of time, understanding of time, etc.  I believe that people do not really think about time in a productive manner very often.  I recall one of my favorite books stating something along the lines of people not being able to manage time, but rather the ability to manage priorities. I now try to live my life as such. Worrying has not gotten me very far, and so I try my best to know that God has control over both the big and small parts of my days.

“Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you…” ~Matt 6:26-30

My question is: what are the places in your life that you are not giving to God in their entirety? When we withhold those parts of who we are, God is not able to work the way he could if we gave him that trust and access.  My prayer is that you take one area of your life that you are holding close to the vest, and see what it would take to give God permission to begin work in that very place.

Praying for you,

MO

Horology (James 4:13-17)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “horology.”  I remember early on in my college experience not having a lot of time to do all of the stuff that I wanted.  I was working for the church full time, going to school full-time and trying to fit in the rest of life as well.  Each of us has the same amount of time, whether we are the average Joe, Bill Gates, Billy Graham, or somewhere in between all of that.

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” ~Jam. 4:13-15

My question is: how are you going to prioritize your time?  None of us are forced to do anything.  That is the great thing about this country.  Although we may often feel that someone or something has control over us, and that we must spend our time one way or another, the fact is that we are all given the opportunity to do exactly what we want.  My prayer is that no matter what you choose to do and spend your time on, that you add God to the equation and allow him to give you some guidance and influence.  Although none of us is equipped with the abilities and power to create or change the horology of things, we can use the time allotted in our lives to be productive and efficient.  Choose today to invest your time in the things that matter to God.

Praying for you,

MO

Clangor (Psalm 98:1-9)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “clangor.” I love to read the Psalms because of the awesome picture that is always painted in my mind. The psalmist in this passage reminds us that we should always give great thanks to God because of all of the cool stuff that is done in our lives.

Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together.

~Ps. 98:8

Unfortunately, sometimes we get so caught up in the day-to-day activities of what is happening around us that we forget to praise God. My question is: when have you actually taken some specific time to devote in prayer, song, or an extended period with the Lord? My prayer this morning is that you find some time to be alone with God, and rejoice in his love with a clangor, or a clamorous noise – both in your heart, and for all to hear! God deserves our best, and worshiping him jubilantly reminds us that his goodness will continue to extend to his children.

Praying for you,

Mo