Ephesians 5:15-16  Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil.

As I get older, I accept the fact that I'm closer to my end than my beginning. With that said, every minute of every day is important to me. Thankfully in retirement I can do those things I never seemed to have time to do while in my career. When I retired I set out to spend more time studying God's word, spend more time with my kids and grandchildren, enjoy traveling with my wife and spend more time on my hobbies of woodworking and riding my motorcycle.

One of the most important things you can do as a child of God is make time for Him, and study His word, in the bible, so you can learn more about His character and give you a platform to operate from as you live out your daily life. The bible is full of wisdom and encouragement when the hard times impact your life. I can tell you truthfully that His relevant words of wisdom always came to mind just when I need them. 

Ephesians 5:17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

God has a plan and purpose for your life. Make the most of your time here on earth by seeking after His will.  God will bless your obedience and make each moment count as you serve Him with unwavering faith. God bless. 

 Job 29:24 I smiled on them when they did not believe, And the light of my face they did not cast down.

Over this past weekend I spent time with my oldest son and his precious family. His son, Woodford, who is 1 years old, is interacting with others. One of his favorite things is smiling. When he is happy or sees someone smiling, he smiles. And when that happens, joy fills my heart and the hearts of those watching him.

Smiling is a universal language, understood by all races of people. It changes the atmosphere and most of all brings momentary joy to those on the receiving end of a smile. 

I encourage you to make an effort to smile more in your every day life. When you smile at people, they normally will smile back, which will fill your heart with a good feeling, which is much appreciated in this day and time. Change your world through the universal language of smiling, your heart will be glad you did. 

 Proverbs 3:5,23  5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 23Then you will walk in your way securely And your foot will not stumble.

In the news five men enter into a submersible to go very deep into the ocean to get a glimpse of the sunken Titanic. Sadly the group lost contact and is feared dead. Many question why someone on earth would take such a risk, yet their desire to see something few have witnessed in person outweighed the potential for disaster. They were willing to risk it all for what they believed in. 

For the average person, you could say following after the wisdom of Jesus Christ is out right madness, and who'd want to sacrifice many of the pleasures this world has to offer. Yet, many devout Christians do just that. As a result they have peace in their hearts, joy in their soul and have confidence that God has a specific plan to grow and bless them, both here and one day in Heaven. It's something they truly believe in and see the evidence of God in their daily life. 

Are you willing to risk it all to truly follow Christ? Today's passage gives clear instructions on how to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.  By trusting Him, no matter what you feel or believe, He will lead you down a secure path, providing nuggets of blessings along the way, to encourage you to keep going when everyone else questions your intentions. God will take your faith to the highest peaks and lowest valleys just to ensure you are following without waiver. Trust Him today and He will keep your journey secure. 

 1 Peter 5:2-3 Shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for dishonest gain, but with eagerness;

[3]nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.

In the latter part of my career I served as a supervisor. One thing I believed in was being the example. I never asked my staff to do anything I wasn't willing to do or did, so they could see the investment I had in the organization I worked for and expected out of them. 

At some point in your life, you too will be the overseer of others, wether it's raising children, teaching others, supervising, or just living amongst others who look up to you. Live by Jesus example so the world can see Him living through you. Your character can positively impact the lives of others within your flock. 

Reading God's word on a daily basis will provide you the wisdom and guidelines to live the structured life necessary to instruct others on how to live the righteous life that will always yield blessings from God. God blesses obedience; let your life impact your corner of this big world for the Lord. God bless. 

 1 Timothy 6:11 But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness.

One of my hobbies in retirement is watching wildlife. As a result of feeding 7 squirrels, deer have come out of the woods to treat on the corn I put out, so now I am blessed to watch them. One thing I've noticed with deer, they are extremely cautious and position their feet to flee at the moment they sense anything out of the ordinary. They are not bothered by the squirrels and birds scurrying around, but anything outside of their normal environment and they run. 

As Christians, we too should always be on guard, ready to flee when we sense a temptation to deviate from God's standards. Things like a simple conversation that turns to gossip, a TV show that shows signs of worldly values, something tempting that catches your eye to lust or indulge in greed, all of these and more should signal danger and should result in you quickly removing yourself from the indulgence before you get sucked in. 

All of us, including myself have fallen prey to the temptations of evil. Thankfully God has provided His Holy Spirit as a source of power and strength to overcome and find victory on the battlefield of spiritual warfare. Ask God to help you live the cautious life, just like a deer, and be ready to flee when evil becomes present in your life. God bless. 

 The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain. Proverbs 31:11 

Happy Father’s Day everyone! There is an old saying that “behind every successful man is a strong woman”. Indeed this is a true statement. A man has many responsibilities to provide for his family and be the head of the home. God created man and woman to be together, to produce off-spring of their union.

 One of the greatest needs of a man is to know he can trust his wife, the mother of his children, to be supportive of him, and be a part of the parenting of their children. Without this trust, a man’s foundation is on shaky ground and the marriage will most likely fall apart (Matthew 12:25). Sadly today, there are many homes with single parents, raising children without the partner, and the damage it causes the children continues to be passed down from generation to generation.

 A good father needs a good mother by his side. Together, with the bond of God’s love and spirit, the two will be great and serve the purpose God intended for man and woman to “be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; Genesis 1:27-28. Fathers, you need your spouse to be a good parent, and mothers, you need your husband to fill that role of a father to help raise your children.

 A good father needs a good woman in his life. Thankfully, I am blessed myself with a wonderful wife and mother. My prayer is you too will have the blessings of a good wife, a good mother to your children, so your foundation will be strong and lack nothing in this life. God bless!  

 1 Peter 4:10  As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

You do special things for others and question why they don't return the same to you. Have you ever had that thought? It can be painful to not receive the same kind of blessing you bestowed on others. When you are empty handed, you question why they haven't returned the favor. 

Today's scripture helps answer your question. God provides each person talents and He oftentimes ques us to perform those acts of kindness. Not everyone has the same gift to give back your specific blessing. Let's face it, not everyone has a heart like yours. 

Luke 14:14 and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

Your acts of kindness represent your heart. Thankfully, God created each person with a different heart. You might not receive back the goodness you've given, but God sees your generosity and will reward you one day in Heaven. Keep on giving without an expectation to receive. Keep adding to your Heavenly rewards. 

 Hebrews 3:4  For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.

When looking to buy a new house, one of the important questions to ask is "who built the house"? A new house always looks great, but the integrity of the house is based on the builder's expertise and the materials he uses. Some builders take short cuts to save money, that results in a less than sound home. 

Ephesians 2:10  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.

The events you experience and the people within your circle all have an impact on the quality of your life. Although you might question why God allows certain things to happen and the people in your life, you can be assured they are necessary to complete God's work in your life. 

Romans 8:28 says that God causes all things to work together for your good. You might feel inferior to others when you see them succeed and you are struggling to find joy in your life; trust the builder of all things! God has your life mapped out and He will provide all you need for today and all the tomorrows. God bless. 

 Psalms 33:9  For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.

As a child, my mother and father instructed me on how to behave and navigate life. Whenever I was brave enough to ask "why", their response was typically "because I said so". With that I could always count on them to back up their words. Knowing that, gave me a parameter of behavior to live within, and the consequences of doing the opposite would come with some form of punishment. 

Today's short verse reminded me of my parents words. God loves us enough to give us His written word. Nothing added or taken away from it will bring blessings into your life. His word stands true today, just as it did over 2000 years ago when He penned it through the writers of the bible on God's behalf. 

Friend. Life has many challenges and trying to navigate those and sustain joy in the middle of it all can ONLY be accomplished through Godly wisdom. Trust God's word to carry you through each day of your life. You can know and have the confidence that God's word never changes, nor does His love for you. Blessings. 

 2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

My wife and I recently watched "A Man Called Otto". An excellent movie that captured our emotions from laughter to frustration even drawing tears at times. The movie did exactly as intended and has been a top rated movie across the charts. 

Today's scripture perfectly defines God's word found in the bible. It is good for teaching you the things of life, equipping you for good works, showing you how to live a more abundant, joyful and holy life. It provides encouragement when the struggles of life wear you down and continually builds your faith and trust in the author of your life. 

Have you picked up a copy of the best seller? The bible will do everything it was intended and more when you live and breath it into your soul. Start reading today and you'll see what it can do for your life. God bless. 

 Ephesians 3:12  in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.

God knows I love my adult kids. They are busy, living their lives, raising their own kids, busy in their careers and enjoying all the blessings of life. When I text or call, they might respond quickly or it might be a day before I hear back from them. It's taken a while to adjust and learn patience, but I clearly understand, because I was that way not too long ago with my parents. 

When I take a request to my Heavenly Father, I've learned over the years that He responds within His timeline. Although I might not see immediate results, I know He is working on my prayer request, giving me the confidence to bring my needs to His attention. Even in His busy world of tending to others needs, He makes time for me. 

You might think God is too busy to answer your cry for help. Let me assure you, He makes time for His children and will come through, on time, every time. What's your request? Call out to Him today. God bless. 

 Mark 10:25  It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

During Jesus time on earth, He made it clear that we, as humans, cannot live a good enough life to earn our way into Heaven. We are saved by the grace of God, our faith and belief in Jesus Christ, His sacrificial death on the cross made payment for mankind's sins. If we could save ourselves, there would have been no need for Jesus to die. 

Today's verse may cause some to question if the wealthy can enter Heaven. Here Jesus was confronted by a man with many possessions and he asked how to be saved. Jesus knew his heart and challenged him to sell everything and give to the poor. Sadly, the man was not willing to be sold out for Christ. 

Matthew 6:19-21

[19]"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

[20]But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;

[21]for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Both rich and poor and everyone in-between can be saved. It's those who are willing to put Jesus Christ first in their life and be willing to give up everything for their eternal reward. What's holding you back from being completely sold out for Christ? Let loose the unworthy possessions and exchange them for eternal security in Heaven. God bless. 

 Philippians 3:8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ. 

A few years ago I hired someone to cut my grass. Mid way thru the year I began to notice weeds and different grasses pop up that I never had. I figured out the lawn guy was carrying other people's seeds from their yard to mine. Last year I hired a yard treatment company, whose been spraying those weeds and unwanted grass to kill them, so my burmuda grass can take over. My wife finds it strange I've hired someone to kill the grass, but it's a necessary if I want a nice looking lawn. 

The same goes for the Christian's life. There might be some people and things that take away the charisma for Christ and deep down you know they've got to be weeded out from your life. Yea, they might seem to fit in perfectly, from a worldly perspective, but spiritually they are holding you back from your fullest potential. 

Call upon the Master Gardner to help you identify those things and people who are choking your ability to soak up God's nutrients (wisdom and way of life) and ask Him to remove them so you can truly flourish without the stains of worldly passions and lusts of the flesh. He will do it and make your spirit and soul a bountiful harvest of God's blessings. 

 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is a sin. James 4:17 

Have you ever noticed someone in need and stopped to help? Maybe it was a person along side the road broken down and you gave them a ride, or dropped some cash off to a person holding a sign in need of money or maybe your sick neighbor's grass is tall and you willingly mowed it for them. 

God oftentimes puts these needs in front of you as part of His plan to impact the lives of others. When the need is noticed, He expects you to respond in a cheerful way. If He assigned the need to you, He also has provided the resources to help. You might not see the resource, but your commitment to obey Him will result in blessings returned back to you beyond what you could imagine. 

God uses His children to show the world His love and how dependence upon Him can make a difference in the life of the giver and the one on the receiving end of your decision to do the right thing. Anything less is disobedience. Stay alert to God's calling and respond with faith that He will provide all you need to remain faithful to following His will for your life. God bless.