T.I.M.E. = Toward Integrity Maturity and Excellence

Time is a funny concept. To a child, the ticking clock seems to move ever so slowly. Yet, for an adult, each moment passes faster with every second, every day.

The ponderings I have experienced these past few weeks have created a stirring in my soul… To enjoy every day and to make the most of each moment.

Why? Because one day it is 2002 and you are sending your oldest child off to 1st grade; the next moment it is 2012 and this same child is talking about college plans.

One of the best ways to capture these precious blips of time is through photography. I love looking through all of the photos I have collected over the years. Time is so bittersweet. The precious memories bring a smile (and sometime tears) with each remembrance.

To every parent out there my small advice to you is to spend as much time with your children as possible. Love them, cuddle them, play with them, pray with them, read to them, sing to them, laugh with them, and yes, cry with them.

And to those without child, spend time with your closest friends and family. Reconnect with the ones who may have lost touch, and if this is not possible, then pray for them and release them.

A friend of mine from high school just recently passed away. My heart was so broken to hear of this sad news. A huge feeling of guilt swelled up because I had not taken the time to call her in her final weeks. My intentions were good, but my actions were weak. And, now it is too late. She is gone, and all I have is her memory.

In coming back to my point, I came up with an acronym for time. T is for toward, because time is always moving forward. One can never take back or reverse a moment. I is for integrity, because choosing to live wisely and acting accordingly to the highest standards are the best investments of your time. M is for maturity, because my hope is that we all grow towards maturity, in wisdom and knowledge, with time. And E is for excellence, because it takes time to develop the skills to become the best “you” you can be.

In closing I have these cliches to repeat: never take time for granted. Never wish for time to be over. Enjoy the time you do have. Don’t rob yourself of precious time through worry or sorrow. Today is here, and it is your only gift of time. The bible puts it so clearly in Matthew 6:25, which says, “For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for your life, as to what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; nor for your body, as to what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?” And, later in verse 30 it says, “But if God so arrays the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown in the furnace will He not much more do so for you, O men of little faith?” Lastly, in verse 34, we are gently reminded that, “Therefore, do not be anxious for tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (NASB)

Blessings to all who read this today.