It Takes Time

We previously discussed the "EYE"s of time but did not exhaust the topic by any means. Everything takes time - especially if they are important enough to deserve our attention and effort. Here is yet another acronym: TIME, with the "t" for temperance, tenacity and transience, the "i" for indeterminate, individual, and instantaneous, the "m" for mastery, magnification, and ministry, and the "e" for experience, expectation, and excitement.

T is for temperance, tenacity, and transience. It is for temperance because time must be carefully and wisely budgeted, managed, and leveraged. It is for tenacity because we need to stick with something through boredom and hard work if we are going to see it through. It is for transience because it is passing by never to return. The moments in which we live are fleeting. The opportunities are in transit. They will soon be gone and cannot be recaptured. In summary, time is temporal and fleeting.

I is for indeterminate, individual, and instantaneous. It is indeterminate because, no matter how carefully we plan, we just never know how much time we have left to accomplish our goals. We must live with awareness that the curtain could fall at any moment and we want to be found faithful. We want to be like the hikers memorialized at the base of one of the Alps with these words, "They died climbing." It is individual because we each have our own, are responsible for our own, and are the beneficiaries of such. We must be grateful for the time we have because it is ours and it is a gift. It is for instantaneous because it is now. Now is the time for what we are impressed to do and to be in this very moment. There is really no other time than now.

M is for mastery, magnification, and ministry. It is for mastery rather than management because management is not enough. We must become the masters of our time or time will master us. We have a Master above us who enables us to master than which is beneath us. We must bring time under our control by mastering our moments. It is for magnification because we must duplicate our efforts and more by leveraging time if we are going to maximize our potential as faith-business-social entrepreneurs on a mission of transformation. It is for ministry because ministry is another word for service and time spent truly serving others is never time wasted, but multiplied. In fact, we can magnify our time through ministry and thus, master our moments.

So far, all of this could be expounded and expanded upon to our benefit - and shall be, but that brings us to the final letter: E

E is for experience, expectation, and excitement. We could add energy, effort, and eternity along with so many other concepts, but we can get to those later. Experience is what happens over time and cannot be gained without time. It is acquired slowly, but, once accumulated in critical mass, expedites the process of gaining more. Expectation prompts us to plan, execute, and evaluate our efforts toward to goal of accomplishing more in less time. It keeps us on track and in the program.

At the MultiLeveler, there is a great insight into some time management skills: Don't Be Get Rich Quick.

Whatever you want to do and be, it takes time.

There is always more at The Dream Factory.

Discover Mangosteen

Novel Journey: It Takes Practice!: "
Proverbs 13:4 The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; but the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.

Lord,
Please help me to be diligent to exercise this gift. Give me a vision of what I will be in the future if I work hard. Thank You for all You are teaching me on the way.
Amen"

Janet's prayer is the perfect addendum to our comparison between what NIV translates as Cravings VS. Desires.

Thanks for bringing it on home, Janet. The story here is wonderful!!!

Cravings Vs. Desire

Below is an excerpt from my article in The Dream Factory on Cravings or Desires.

Proverbs 13:4 - "The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied."

So what is the difference between the desire of a dilligent person and the craving of a lazy person?

From the start, we nod our heads knowingly, acknowledging that this proverb is true. A craving is a carnal drive that overwhelms our judgment and woos us into reckless thinking and action.

The key is to distinguish between the two and to dilligently pursue what is real and lasting.

Co-published in sister blog: Vast Possibilities .

The Road to Success

The = Definite article – Indicates something specific. We must be specific about:

T – Time – A goal is a dream with a date on it. It takes time to develop.

H – Hope - If there is no hope, there is no dream, no goal, no objectives, and no action.

E – Expenditure of Energy. Nothing will happen without work.

Road = Indicates process. We must fall in love with the process of moving toward success, not just the outcome.

R = Repentance. The word means change of mind, heart, and attitude. Change is necessary.

O -= Opportunity thinking (as opposed to obstacle thinking. Embrace obstacles as opportunities.

A = Attitude – The way we approach life (attitude) determines the heights we attain (altitude).

D = Destination – Roads go places. Always have the desired destination in mind.

To = A tiny preposition. It denotes direction. Success is gradually, purposefully, progressively, and with determination, moving toward our worthwhile ideals.

T = To as a focus. Focus on where you are going TO, not what you are going THROUGH.

O = Obligatory opposition. You must pass this way and there will be resistance to your success.

Success = “… the progressive realization of a worthwhile ideal” (Earl Nightingale).

S = Settle on your source. Know where your connectedness is.

U = Unleash your inner force. Call upon a strength lying dormant in you,

C = Chart your course. Know where you are going and your game plan for getting there.

C = Consider that the course is a concourse. You are not alone.

E = Enforce discipline upon yourself for your own success.

S = Stay the course. There will be many diversions and temptations along the way.

S = Stay the course (Saying it just once is not enough.).

To Schedule a Workshop, call 559-647-2203 or e-mail tomsims@workshopstogo.com

© Copyright, 2005, Thomas B. Sims, All Rights Reserved

A New Pattern

We have a pattern problem. We have developed behaviors that we practice consistently, habitually, and without much thought. We start practicing these behaviors before we crawl out of bed in the morning and condition ourselves to practice them before we lay our heads on our pillows at night. When we realize that some of these behaviors are negative or destructive, we have a battle on our hands removing them. When we determine to introduce positive practices to the mix, we find that there is no room for the old is crowding out the new. The first change is in our attitudes . Then we can address behaviors. We need new patterns. We need to replace old, worn-out,, useless and even harmful behaviors with newer, more nurturing and positive actions. What are the steps?

• First, we must make the determination that we are going to introduce change into our lives. This comes out of careful evaluation and resolve.
• We must pray for guidance and strength. Our creative God will work with our creative minds to create a new scenario and unveil options we have never considered.
• Then, we must do the hard work of being institutional and aware. We must accept that change is awkward and new behaviors may be “forced,” contrived, manipulative, or uncomfortable. We must practice them anyway.
• We must repeat the new behavior (which includes avoidance of the old) day after day, keeping some sort of record of our progress.
• We must allow grace for the failures and celebrate the victories and patterns begin to change in our lives.

Attend a VAST Possibilities workshop with Pastor Tom

Big Ideas

Someday, after mastering the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love, and then, for a second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire. - Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Since once again, O Lord, in the steppes of Asia, I have no bread, no wine, no altar, I will raise myself above those symbols to the pure majesty of reality, and I will offer to you, I, your priest, upon the altar of the entire earth, the labor and the suffering of the world. - Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

The way to love anything is to realize that it may be lost.—Gilbert K. Chesterton

Perfect love is rare indeed - for to be a lover will require that you continually have the subtlety of the very wise, the flexibility of the child, the sensitivity of the artist, the understanding of the philosopher, the acceptance of the saint, the tolerance of the scholar and the fortitude of the certain. - Leo Buscaglia

Christianity has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and not tried. - Gilbert K. Chesterton

A room without books is like a body without a soul.—Gilbert K. Chesterton

You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have truly lived are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love.— Henry Drummond

Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity.—Henry Van Dyke

Before God we are all equally wise - and equally foolish.—Albert Einstein

Immature love says: 'I love you because I need you.' Mature love says 'I need you because I love you.' - Erich Fromm

Some people are so afraid do die that they never begin to live. -
Henry Van Dyke

Love is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired. - Robert Frost

An empty stomach is not a good political adviser. - Albert Einstein

An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered. - Gilbert K. Chesterton

When once you have tasted flight you will always walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward: for there you have been and there you will always be. - Henry Van Dyke

It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity. - Albert Einstein

Spiritual Entrepreneurship

Spiritual entrepreneurship is what happens when people of faith launch out in blod kingdom ventures incorportating all the principles that we bring to this table.

For that reason, this discussion must be broad enough to embrace all bold venturers.

Are you one?