Opportunity

“Be very 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.

“Seize the day!” is my motto for today. My kids are in school, I do not have to work and there is much to be done around my house. So, I am going to make the most of this opportunity to do my best to get my house back in order.

We are warned in Ephesians to be aware of how we live. We can choose to be wise in the decisions we make each day and seize each opportunity that comes our way. My heart has been convicted lately of opportunities God has given me that I have not acted on. So, in the coming days, I’m going to be diligent in trying to seize the following opportunities:

1. Time with family—my husband and I will celebrate our 12th anniversary this weekend. I aim to spend more quality time with him, getting to know how he’s changed over the last 12 years and what matters most to him. I also desire to spend time alone with each of my kids. They are changing daily, and I want to be able to know everything about them.
2. Time alone—Now that I’m working four days a week, I really need to focus on carving out time for me. I need the time to refresh and renew my energies so that I can be a better wife and mother. I will strive to get at least a few minutes alone each day.
3. Time with God—I generally have a quiet time with God in the morning before my day gets away from me. But sometimes that time is rushed because there is much to be done before the kids get off to school. So, I plan to set aside more time during the day to spend time studying God’s Word and praying. I am at a stage in life where circumstances change day by day. I need God’s wisdom and guidance to help me make wise decisions.

So, how about you? What opportunities are waiting for you? What will you do to make the most of every opportunity?

Public vs. Private

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full.” Matthew 6:5 NIV

My education background is in accounting. I hold a CPA (inactive) license. Notice that I put inactive in parenthesis. If I hold myself out to be a CPA and do not have an active license that shows I have earned the required continuing education to be active, then I am breaking the rules. Once you pass the CPA exam and obtain a license, then you are required to follow a certain set of rules. These rules require you to hold an active license before you can say you are a CPA in public.

God has some standards for us to follow in public as well. While these same standards also apply to what we do in private, He wants to make sure that what we say and do in public honors Him. Our private and public lives will mirror each other if we are trying to follow God’s standards.

I love facebook. In fact, you could say I’m addicted to it. I love to see what all my “friends” are doing. However, I’ve noticed that sometimes we who profess to be Christians use facebook in a way that is not honoring to God. Spilling all the personal details of our lives to the world is not always a good thing. Then there are times that we use our status updates to either brag about what we are doing or to air our grievances with another person. Many of these things need to be kept private, not made public.

I am constantly editing what I want to share on facebook. I want my posts to be uplifting and encouraging. Not boastful and discouraging. I encourage you to consider your posts before you hit the share button. Is what you’re about to say helpful or hurtful?

Father, show me how to be more encouraging through my public life. Help me to keep private things private and learn how to trust you for all I need.