Seize the Day

Hello Guys,

Treasure this time in your life kids, while you still have your choices.

Your 20's go by in a blur.

Your 30's you get a little bald, grow a pot-belly

Your 40's one of your old girl friends becomes a grandmother,

Your 50's you'll have a surgery, you'll call it a procedure, but it's a surgery

Your 60's you move to Ft. Lauderdale, eat breakfast in the afternoon, dinner, the night before, and wander the malls in search of the ultimate soft yogurt; wondering why the kids don't call.

Your 70's you have a heart attack, and in your 80's you wind up babbling to a Jamaican nurse that your wife hates, but you call mother. Any questions?

Billy Crystal, from City Slickers.

I have always been known as one that tries to squeeze as much life out of each day as I can, and for a lot of my adult life, that took on some pretty selfish forms. Just how many ducks can you kill in a season, seemed to be a common theme, as I hunted sometimes in four different states in one year. In my 30's the most wonderful thing happened when I became a parent, and life was not just about me anymore.

I started serving in the churches I attended, and eventually went into full time ministry. Which, I promise, is not a guarantee that you will not be selfish anymore.

I guess, since I am old enough now to have seen how some life choices have played out by people I know, I am more motivated than ever for my life to count for something. To end my days wandering the mall is a fate worse than death. Heck, just about any day wandering the mall is a bad day for that matter. But to get to the end of those days and not have made a positive impact on someone.....

I spent several years trying how to figure out how to do this, and what I finally came up with is to be the man God made me to be, and let God take care of the rest. That takes the pressure off, I promise, but it's not quite as easy as it sounds. Have you ever noticed how hard it is for people to follow their dreams? The stuff that God has put deep in your hearts to fulfill. The stuff that you think everyone will think you are crazy if you even try. Our enemy, I promise, brings out the big guns whenever a man gets close to pursuing his dreams.

One of the stumbling blocks that men have in getting started pursuing their dreams is wondering if they are from God or not, because, quite frankly, most dreams don't involve going into full time “ministry”, and that’s ok, God calls us to do lots of different kinds of things. If we were all supposed to be clones of each other, we would all have the same fingerprint.

Here is a couple of good, but for sure not all, the filters you can use for a test. One, do you absolutely love doing it? Does the effort of whatever it is seem like you are really in your groove? Most people's gifting comes so easy to them that they think anyone can do it.

Then, two, will anyone else be affected by what you do? Will their hearts be stirred, will jobs be created, will your children respect you for taking a chance? If so, there is a great chance this is from God.

One line from Seize the Day from Carolyn Arends (great song btw)

Well one thing I've noticed, wherever I wander Everyone's got a dream he can follow or squander You can do what you will with the days you are given I'm trying to spend mine on the business of living So I'm singing my songs off of any old stage You can laugh if you want, I'll still say Seize the day, seize whatever you can 'Cause life slips away just like hourglass sand Seize the day, pray for grace from God's hand Then nothing will stand in your way Seize the day Later guys, Ok, don't forget, Band of Brothers Friday morning at 6:15. Dog Soliders will start again in October. Check out the Man Minute, by Jason Cruise who is with the OUtdoor Ministry Network. I have been subscribing to him for a year now and have really enjoyed him every monday. Thats about all the men's stuff that going on right now.