How Do You Feel About Today?

February 4, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

A friend’s status update on Facebook this morning read:

(Me having a chat with the day): Listen here, Day, I gotta lot of stuff to get done, so don’t get any ideas. And btw it’s going to take more than missing homework and wetted beds to stop me! Muahahahaaa!

This reminded me of a conversation the old preacher Smith Wigglesworth had with an acquaintance:

“How do you feel today, Smith?” the friend asked.

“I never ask Smith how he feels,” Wigglesworth replied. “I tell Smith how he feels.”

Great advice from both my friend and Smith Wigglesworth: Don’t wait until you feel like doing something before you do it. Tell your Day how it’s going to go—and then tell yourself how you’re going to feel about it—and then just do it!

Carpe diem! Seize the day and make it a good one!

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Get Up And Do

January 11, 2011 — Craig T. Owens

I was reading an article posted on WebMD about how much damage we can do to our hearts by spending more time in front of the TV or computer than we do exercising. You’re probably thinking, “Well, duh!, isn’t that obvious?!” It should be, and yet we still have a tendency to just sit there. (By the way, you can read the article here.)

One quote from this article especially stood out to me:

“It’s not even about the exercise. It’s about not sitting,” says Suzanne Steinbaum, DO, a preventive cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. “I think that sort of points us in a little different direction. In order for you not to cause harm to yourself, you really need to focus on getting up and moving.”

This reminds me of Joseph (Mary’s husband) in the Bible. God seemed to speak to him quite often in dreams. Instead of just sitting there contemplating the vision, there’s a phrase that shows up after every vision…

“Joseph got up and did.”

Has God given you a vision for your life? If so, just sitting there may do damage to your heart. So follow Joseph’s example and Get up and do!

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , , , . 4 Comments »

Will You Make A Difference Today?

October 19, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

Moses shared a great prayer with us: Teach us to use wisely all the time we have (Psalm 90:12).

How will use your time wisely today? What does that look like in your world?

Let me today do something that shall take
A little sadness from the world’s vast store,
And may I be so favored as to make
Of joy’s too scanty sum a little more.
Let me not hurt, by any selfish deed
Or thoughtless word, the heart of foe or friend;
Nor would I pass, unseeing, worthy need,
Or sin by silence when I should defend.
However meager be my worldly wealth,
Let me give something that shall aid my kind—
A word of courage, or a thought of health,
Dropped as I pass for troubled hearts to find.
Let me tonight look back across the span
‘Twixt dawn and dark, and to my conscience say—
Because of some good act to beast or man—
“The world is better that I lived today.” (Ella Wheeler Wilcox, Morning Prayer)

Make your world a better place because you passed through it today.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment »

A Sense Of Urgency?

February 27, 2010 — Craig T. Owens

I’m reading a challenging book today called Endued With Power: The Holy Spirit in the Church. I just read a thought-provoking quote from the book:

“If the church that is claiming to be Spirit-filled is not a missionary community that is living with a sense of urgency, then its members will be caught up in the rush to respectability and social accommodation” —Steven J. Land

(1) Do we have that sense of urgency? Are we living and working and sharing like today is the day Jesus could return?

…or…

(2) Or are we more concerned about what is socially acceptable and politically correct? Are we just playing church?

I pray that I am leading our church always into that first category. I pray that I personally am always living with that sense of urgency.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , , , . Leave a Comment »

Too Busy

August 18, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the podcast of this post by clicking on the player below, and you can also subscribe on Apple, Spotify, or Audible.

Life’s coming at me way too fast today!

Like a runaway commuter train.

I’ve got way too much to get done today!

Like a shorthanded deli owner at the peak of the lunch rush.

My To-Do list is longer than my To-Day’s hours.

What goes first?

What can wait until tomorrow?

What can I delegate to someone else?

Wait… listen to this odd counsel about busyness:

“Tomorrow I plan to work, work, from early until late. I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” —Martin Luther

The first hours praying?!?

Not responding to emails.

Not getting a head start on the piles of stuff.

Not folding laundry before the kids get up.

Not going to the office before the phones start ringing.

Yes, get up earlier to pray more!

God knows your schedule.

He knows your To-Do list.

He knows your To-Day’s hours.

He knows what’s important … really important.

God says, “Love Me. Love others. Serve the world.”

“You must love God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. And you must love your neighbor as yourself. Nothing else on your To-Do list is more important than these.”—Jesus

Too busy today?

Get up earlier tomorrow and talk to God about it.

“I direct the steps of those who seek Me. I delight in every detail of their lives.” —God

Get up and get praying.

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

a

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment »

I’ll Take My Roses Today, Please

April 24, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

My Grandfather used to say, “Give me my flowers while I’m still alive.” I think this was his way of restating the cliché, “Dead noses smell no roses.” It’s true: flowers at a gravesite—no matter how beautiful they are—aren’t appreciated by dead noses. Kind and loving words spoken at a funeral—no matter how eloquent they are—aren’t appreciated by dead ears.

The point is: today is special. Today is one-of-a-kind. Today is the best day to tell someone dear to you how truly special they are. Today may be the last day you have to make something right. Today is the day to send those flowers. Don’t put it off until tomorrow.

How many people live with regrets today because of the things they didn’t say before a loved one passed away from this life? How many people feel guilty today because they didn’t make things right in a strained relationship? How much better to live today knowing that we said and did all of the things we could to express our love, to show how valuable the relationship was.

Job said, “My days are swifter than a runner” (Job 9:25).

His friend Bildad agreed that, “Our days on earth are but a shadow” (Job 8:9).

And James wrote, “Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone” (James 4:14).

We never know how much time is left to send those flowers.

Today…

  • Make that phone call.
  • Ask forgiveness.
  • Write that letter.
  • Apologize.
  • Hug.
  • Go to lunch.
  • Say, “I love you.”
  • Send those flowers.

Don’t live your tomorrows with regrets for the things unsaid or undone—say them and do them today.

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , , , , , . 6 Comments »

T.G.I.T.

April 17, 2009 — Craig T. Owens

Today is Friday, and all over the country this morning people forced themselves out of bed by saying, “T.G.I.F.—thank God it’s Friday!” But today I’m saying,

T.G.I.T.—Thank God It’s Today!

I did a quick search in my Bible concordance. Check out the number of times these words appear in Scripture:

Today—203                Tomorrow—56
Now—1186                 Later—83

Clearly today is the day, and now is the time. So T.G.I.T.—Thank God It’s Today!

Natalie Grant has a great song “What Are You Waiting For” (lyrics here). The chorus in her song captures the essence of T.G.I.T.—

So you wanna change the world
What are you waiting for
You say you’re gonna start right now
What are you waiting for
It only takes one voice
So come on now and shout it out
Give a little more
What are you waiting for

In the Old Testament Moses wrote a song about T.G.I.T. too. It’s in Psalm 90—

Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Satisfy us in the morning with Your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.
May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us—yes, establish the work of our hands. (Psalm 90:12, 14, 17)

Don’t make today just T.G.I.F., make today and everyday T.G.I.T.—Thank God It’s Today! Do something memorable today … do something life-altering today … do something for God TODAY and He will establish the work of your hands.

Make today a great today! T.G.I.T.!

Posted in Uncategorized. Tags: , , , , , , , , , . 6 Comments »
Newer posts »