See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.  Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.  And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,  submitting to one another in the fear of God.

Ephesians 5:15-18

You know summer is over when you stock up on pumpkin-flavored everything because you also know that fall will also soon be over.  I mean, it may have started with pumpkin lattes at Starbucks and some delectable dessert choices, but now we have to indulge, or tolerate if you are not a fan of, pumpkin-flavored Greek yogurt, potato chips, cream cheese, cereal, English muffins, bagels, hummus, etc…

Fall season is also the beginning of a lot returning TV shows and the new and most anticipated ones, such as Designated Survivor and did you guys get to watch my new favorite This is Us?

As we grow older and seasons come and go, time resembles more like an enemy who is constantly reminding us of how we’ve wasted it with our lack of productivity.  Our reasoning?  We just don’t have enough of it.

But what does wisdom tell us about time?

Trust me, whether we are stretched beyond measure or we have plenty of time to spend, or waste, the grass sure seems greener on the other side.  Like our finances, we are instructed by Paul in Ephesians to become a better steward of our precious time.  In order to walk in wisdom, we must do so as children of light who shine bright in the darkness of this world.  Our agendas could be filled with hundreds of tasks to do, but if they only benefit our wants and needs, then we are not walking in wisdom as children of light as we are commanded to do. 

This is how the world lives:  we are told to always “look out for number one,” and sometimes I see why. We could initiate a mission with a selfless heart, but then experience betrayal by a trusted but very ambitious friend, partner, or leader.  We are warned to walk with care and full attention of our surroundings because I don’t have to tell you again that we are messed up people living in a corrupted world.  Paul says so himself, “submitting to one another in the fear of God,” meaning if the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom as the Proverbs tell us, then my intent to seek wisdom isn’t enough to change the world as every pageant queen professes.  It takes for more than just me to submit to this command.  But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t stop trying and we should definitely keep praying for godly men and women to rise up as leaders.  Or if you are that man or woman, then I exhort you to rise up!

Jesus warns us in Matthew 24:11-12 when false prophets will arise and lawlessness will prevail because “the love of many will grow cold,” this is what Paul was referring as the evil days.  

The time is now.

I don’t have to tell you that it’s been leading up to this moment. Look outside your window where terrorism, disrespect to authority (from local law enforcement all the way to the President of our country), racial disputes, and the depravity of men are still current topics even when we’ve felt that as a society we’ve progressed into a better kind than our ancestors.  But immorality, in the name of progression, has gone rampage and what was wrong is now right and what was right is now wrong.

Loving our neighbors is as difficult now as it is loving our enemies.  Love has been redefined by our society as this “feel-good” emotion where we all have to be unified in thought and emotion.  However, true and sacrificial love calls us to be united despite our belief systems; it calls us to treat others with undeserved kindness, humility, and patience… a lot of it!

As a church, not the building but the body, we have miserably failed to express this kind of unconditional love.  Instead, we choose to puff our chests up and tell those who don’t believe what we believe how to vote this election year and how to live their lives without first introducing them to the One who did the ultimate sacrifice in order to save them.  The Gospel then becomes more about us and our beliefs and less about Him and His love. 

Because of how our world interprets its own troubles, we are often enticed to follow its own solutions.  Paul warns us not to be drunk, or be impaired, with wine (a depressant) which serves to weaken our right judgment, but to be filled with the Holy Spirit (a suppressant), which will provide us the wisdom to react righteously as we face every day obstacles and unexpected trials.  When we are filled with the Spirit, it isn’t a one-time event, but a constant filling as we grow more in our desire to praise and thank God despite our circumstances.

In this particular passage, “redeeming the time” doesn’t mean to make the most out of our days as I had first hoped it would mean, but to seize the season we are in as an opportunity to bring glory to our Lord. 

What if you are not fond of the season you are in?  What if you despise the unjust world we live in?  What if you are allergic to pumpkins?

I really hope you are not allergic to pumpkins because a) you are missing out and b) fall is probably really miserable for you, but in all seriousness, are we content in the season God has us in?  How can we find contentment in such a divisive culture in election year?  How can you thank God while unemployed?  How can I praise God while I grieve?  How do we love each other despite our disagreements?  How can I make time for what I’m passionate about?

I don’t have all the answers, but Mother Wisdom has been able to walk me through some of her answers with experience.  I know true love, the one which really hurts us, is the answer to these questions.  When we love God we take time out of our lives to thank Him and praise Him in the most turbulent times of our lives.  When we truly love others, despite where they stand, we are able to find common ground and spend time praying  for them with a genuine heart.  When we love what we do, we simply make time to do it.  It takes wisdom to make us see that love is directly linked to time because we express our love through the time we spend with God, people, and our craft (job, passion, ministry, etc).

Paul speaks of a time in Philippians 4 when he’s experienced both a season of abundance and a season of insufficiency,

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:11-13

Priorities definitely change when we get married and have children, but we realize this way too late after it happens.  I now remember with great affection how my dedication to my work, when I was working full-time (and more!), had possessed over all the time I had.  During my days off, I chose not to work towards any hobbies or any fun activities attached to any personal goals of mine because I was tired from my week and all I wanted to do was binge watch as many TV shows and movies in hopes of finding escape and relaxation.  As someone who gets lost in thought, my attempt to stop thinking was a success.  There’s nothing wrong with axing evil thoughts out of our minds, but I was also depriving myself from having creative ideas coming into fruition.

When I lowered my hours at work after I had my son, time was surprisingly still scarce and I never ventured to pursue any personal goals I may have had.  But now that I no longer have to report to a job, it is much easier to fall into old habits.  A little TV will not do any harm… until it turns out I’ve watched way too much of it.  There’s always going to be pestilent distractions that will keep us from working towards our dreams.  Now I don’t have a job, but free time continues to be a rarity and there’s always a house project for me to take on, such as cleaning termite droppings and dealing with an army of ants– no joke!

My son is now my main priority, but unfortunately, sick days are not granted for us moms and we still have the responsibility of caring for another human being all the while we are trying to survive ourselves.  In some odd way, I fall on my knees to rejoice and thank my sweet Jesus that I only have ONE child, I can’t imagine having multiples!

Last week was one of those weeks.

My sinuses flared up causing my watery eyes and my sniffly nose and my throbbing head pains and the rest of my achy body to bed rest.  I then recalled those days when I was child-less and I could just lay in bed and watch all that TV without a guilt trip.  But this time with a one year old calling “mommy” for anything and everything (he also calls his daddy, “mommy”), I had to suck it up and attend to his needs first and foremost.  After he was taken care of, mommy could now submerge herself into deep rest as she lets him play with his toys in his pack-and-play by himself.

But that guilt trip came quick!  Even while sick, no TV could make me forgive myself or tell my thoughts to take a hike as it has in the past.  My self-condemning thoughts remained all the way until today as I write this,

I could have done more. 

I could have read a book or two. 

I could have written ten blogs if I wanted to. 

I could have started that cookbook my hubby and I have been dreaming about.

I could have done my daily devotionals consistently. 

I could have played with my son much longer. 

I could have learned to make a better and healthier lunch for my son.

I could have taken better care of myself to avoid sickness in the first place.

Commit your works to the Lord,
And your thoughts will be established.

Proverbs 16:3

Instead of allowing my thoughts to dictate my emotional state, I’ve made the decision to create a plan of action.  As a self-declared perfectionist, I can go overboard in my planning, but with God’s wisdom I’ve had to slowly and stubbornly learn that our plans may not always go our way because He guides our steps (Proverbs 16:9).  I can go into extremes of not wanting to plan anything at all because I’ve been disappointed too often when I have overspent a lot of my time planning. It’s about finding the right balance and setting goals for ourselves with the self-awareness that sometimes we may not be able to finish every single objective we have in mind and on paper.

As a family, we’ve had one goal in mind,

TO BE INTENTIONAL WITH ONE ANOTHER.

Hence, we got this Love & Money: Home Headquarters Kit from brightpeak financial.

Check it out!

My favorite part was coming up with our family motto, or our three L’s:

1. Lead with integrity
2. Love wisdom
3. Laugh a lot

Life is short, Live it well

All my actions as a wife, mother, daughter, and writer/blogger will revolve around those three rules we’ve set for ourselves,

To lead with integrity:

We live knowing that as Christians we are fish in a tank, but we don’t perform to get a prize.  Even when no one is watching, we are to choose what’s right in the eyes of the Lord because we perform to an audience of One.  He is watching.  Not in a creepy or stalkerish way, but as our Heavenly Father wanting us to set the best example for those who follow us.   For Joshie, to understand our deeds matter and affect others tremendously, whether they are seen in public or done privately at home because integrity reveals our true character.

Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
For I wait for You.” (Psalm 25:21)

To love wisdom:

Fear of God is the beginning of wisdom.  This fear is to be had as high reverence for the Lord and has nothing to do with horror, distress, or dread.  We love God first and foremost and we love His wisdom, knowing that “knowledge puffs up, but LOVE edifies.” (1 Corinthians 8:1)

Love is the foundation of our family.  And well, if you’ve been reading up on my blog, you already know how I feel about wisdom…

Finally,

To laugh a lot:

Life is busy.  Trials can test us, but they will not crush us and they will certainly not defeat us.  We know hardships can keep us down, but we choose to laugh and enjoy every season of life because we know that trials will make us stronger to combat the next ones to come.  Joshie’s middle name is Isaac, which means “he will laugh,” ascribing to the time when Sarah found out she would be conceiving a son at an old age and she laughed at the silly notion.  Laughing expresses true joy and we hope that as a family we get to embody that.  “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)

Enjoying every season of life and embracing all the lessons that come with them help us in our spiritual walk and growth.

Also enjoy  Pumpkin Season!!  Have a latte with a pumpkin bagel and some pumpkin cream cheese…unless of course, you are allergic.

As Switchfoot reminds us,

Life is short, Live it well!

When Was The Last Time

by Switchfoot from Where The Light Shines Through

Give me a little time to sink
My footsteps on the brink
My girl says that she’s freaking out
And I’m not sure what I can think
And I’m thinkingMy heart keeps skipping the beats
And my peace feels out of reach
And I wish I could say that the world’s gone crazy
But it feels like it’s just me
And it’s been so long“Mama, ain’t I normal?”
It’s been so long

When was the last time that you felt alive?
Singing when was the last time you tried something for the first time?

And let go

Life is already difficult
But I’d rather be happy than typical
The crowd ain’t hardly subliminal
But I’m the one living, no?
And it’s been so long

“Mama, ain’t I normal?”
It’s been so long

When was the last time that you felt alive?
Singing when was the last time you tried something for the first time?

And let go

When was the last time you did
Something that made you feel like a kid
Laughing just like we did
When we were just the little ones
It’s been so long

When was the last time we held
Hands underneath the stars as they fell
Laughing hard at ourselves
When we were just the little ones
It’s been so long