Morning Devotional

While I don't often use this mailing for personal requests, today I have chosen to ask each of you for a special favor. Please spend some time in prayer today for my daughter-in-law. Brandy, as you may know, is 21 weeks pregnant with twins. Yesterday there were some complications. She is in the hospital awaiting a procedure today to keep them from coming early. We are very concerned and would appreciate your prayers very much. Thanks!

All honor to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for it is by his boundless mercy that God has given us the privilege of being born again. Now we live with a wonderful expectation because Jesus Christ rose again from the dead. For God has reserved a priceless inheritance for his children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And God, in his mighty power, will protect you until you receive this salvation, because you are trusting him. It will be revealed on the last day for all to see. So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while. These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold--and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. (1 Peter 1:3-7 NLT).

The following golf joke raises a critical question each of us needs to answer. The golfer was new to the game. When his ball landed on an anthill, he took careful aim, swung hard, and missed the ball completely. Instead of hitting the ball, he destroyed half of the anthill. Enraged at the miss, the golfer swung even harder a second time. He destroyed the other half of the anthill as the golf ball went straight up in the air several feet and came down in the same spot. Two ants crawled dizzily from the remains and looked around. One of them saw the novice golfer preparing to swing again and said, "Uh oh! If we want to survive, we'd better get on the ball!"

Do you need to get on the ball? The last quarter of the year will soon begin. Not long ago you were thinking about how to make 2003 better than 2002. Soon, 75% of this year will be gone. How are you doing with your New Year's resolutions or other plans for 2003? Have they been forgotten?

It's amazing how we intend to improve our lives or solve a particular problem. The answer usually comes back “someday.” But the weeks, months and years speed by, and no changes are made. Norman Vincent Peale pointed out a key reason when he said we wait too long to begin life. You may be thinking, "I'm so busy, and time just flies by!" That's true. But since time flies, it's up to you to be the navigator. You see, wasting time is really wasting a life. That's a tragedy. Before any more of 2003 becomes history, stop wasting time. Plan specific things you can do that will be positive for yourself and for others in various aspects of your life.

Don't stop with planning. Begin DOING something to improve each area of your life regularly. You see, a good reason for doing the right thing today is tomorrow. For a better tomorrow, be diligent at navigating your life today. Those ants had the right idea; it's time to get on the ball!