Happy New Year!

It’s 2008 – really! I can’t believe it myself. This year – late in the year – I’ll turn the BIG 50 (I understand it’s being called the “new” 40)! Half a century. How can it be possible and for such a young man?! As one song goes... ”Time keeps on slipping, slipping into the future.” Actually it doesn’t slip into the future. I ‘ve found it moves ahead full throttle! It’s true–time does speed up over the years. I spoke at Loaves & Fishes about Time and asked people to fill in these phrases just for fun. Let’s see how you can do. There may be more than one answer for a couple…

1. Time is of the __________.
2. Time _______!
3. Time in a __________.
4. It’s just a ________ of time.
5. _________ time.
6. Make the ____ of your time.
7. Living on ________ time. (For our friends up the Pike!)

Time is one commodity that God gives to all equally. We each get 168 hours per week – 24 hours every day - 86,400 seconds - no more and no less. The poorest person to the world’s richest gets the same amount to spend or to waste. How’s your time management? Are you wasting your time or investing it? Investment of your time will pay rich dividends for you and others too. It really isn’t time management, but Life management. How we spend our time is how we spend our life. Psalms 90:10 says this, “The length of our days is seventy years –or eighty, if we have the strength…” This life is just a blip on the radar screen in terms of eternity, but God gives us the opportunity to make this “blip” count for Him. What will 2008 hold for you and yours? None of us really know what the future holds, but we know Who holds the future. I’d encourage you to invest time, quality time, with Jesus – The Living Word – and in the Bible, God’s written word. This time next year; I can promise you that you’ll be glad you did!

Here’s to a GREAT 2008!

In Christ,
Mark