How many times have you either looked for or checked your cell phone today? I hate it, but yet the temptation is there.

The latest statistic says most people check their cell phones every 12 minutes. This boils down to being on your phone almost 24 hours a week. Ugh.

Can you imagine what this world would look like if those people opened the Bible every 12 minutes, looking for guidance?

The problem is not the cell phone itself, but temptation. And, this is not anything new. Temptation started with an apple in the garden and now it’s an Apple product that society has become addicted to.

The temptations will always be out there in some form. Most of them are subtle and just seep into your life slowly.

Recognize them. Speak to God about them and ask for His help in overcoming them.

Just remember, it’s satan who tempts us, not Jesus.

Let’s put a smile on God’s face and a frown on satan’s, and resist the temptation. 

You’re not a bad person if you’ve been tempted.  What really matters is how you respond to the  temptation. 

1 Corinthians 10:13 - “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

A lot of successful businesses keep ahead of everyone else by how they manage their time.

I’ve worked in 2 large law firms and I can affirm that time is money. Most people are particular in who they pay to do their business, or to represent them. Clients also research firms to see how proficient they are in handling certain types of cases in terms of time management.

After all, if you’re paying an attorney to do some work for you and he/she’s charging $500.00 an hour, they better know how to manage their time.

So it is with life. How are you managing your time each day? Are you so caught up in busyness that you don’t have time for God?

Most of us do have to work during the day, we may have other obligations that fill our evenings and you end up having an hour at the most before you have to go to bed, so you can wake up early enough to do it all over again.

Time is something that once its gone, you can’t get it back.

It is possible to manage your time to include God, even for the busy new mom, the single mom or dad who works two jobs, or the guy who works twelve hours a day.

It took me years to surrender my time to God. Now, I purposely and intentionally wake up an hour before I have to head out the door, and spend time with God.

If you’re willing to try, God will meet you wherever you are. Start out small and work up to more time with God.

Manage time with God; it will be your greatest achievement!

Ephesians 5:15-17 - “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

Take cell phones for example. It’s not a sin to have a cell phone, billions of people do. And it’s not so wrong to have a fast sporty race car. But, are these things really necessary?

People ask us older folks all the time, “so, what did you do for fun when you were a kid?” I answer, “we had good clean fun, like playing outdoors with each other. We played jax with marbles; we climbed trees. We pretended we were adults and played ‘house.’”

In my opinion technology has robbed kids today of all this. What would the average teenager do if you took away their cell phones or computers? They would be devastated. These items aren't a necessity, they’re distractions of every day life.

You can ask my daughter, who just turned 30, even her generation had some good ole fashioned fun. These foundations give kids routine, good boundaries, fun and friendship.

Computers aren’t necessary to child rearing. Sure, computers in schools help in learning, but lets leave them in the schools.

When your kids or grandkids get home today, how about going outside with them and having some good ole fashioned fun. Have a picnic, take a walk or just lay down on the grass and look up at the sky.

It’s a necessity of life.

Proverbs 17:22 - “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

It’s an every-day thing now, people taking a picture or selfie of some famous landmark. Whatever happened to just looking at the landmark, viewing the natural beauty of a mountain or waterfall?

I actually missed seeing a whale come up out of the water once because I was fooling around with my camera.

This pertains to every day life too. Most people are so busy going here and there, making appearances so they can say they were there, that they miss golden opportunities of just being in the moment.

It’s always a whirl-wind of a time when 2 of my grandkids visit. They’re both trying to tell me something at the same time, or the older one typically dominates the conversation altogether. But, I intentionally slow my mind down and just breathe in their presence. I do capture the moment in my mind often so I can remember it later.

In the moment is a wonderful place to be, especially if you’ve invited God in. Precious moments can be found in stillness, in a baby’s laugh, in an elderly person’s smile, or in the middle of a worship song.

Stay in the moment with God.

2 Corinthians 4:18 - “as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”

To my fellow ‘texters,’ don’t you just love predictive text, suggestions on what the next word will be that speeds up the text message. They call this ‘predictive text.’

But, you have to be careful of what the phone’s prediction of what you’re about to say may be something totally different from what you were thinking.

As a Christian, I guess you could say that I have a predictive life in a way. No, I’m not a robot and I don’t take commands from someone else. But, I do follow Jesus and I ‘sometimes’ take His suggestions and follow through.

The more I do this, the better my days are. Instead of being head-strong and doing things my way, I often pray and seek God’s advice.

No one can predict the future, only God knows that.

So, why not trust God’s suggestive tips along the way instead of letting the world predict your next thought.

Matthew 6:1 - “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.”

The above statement made by Rick Warren is very insightful on a spiritual standpoint.

I’ve worked in the IT arena over 30 years and I’ve been around some very powerful people. In knowing them, I had an advantage in obtaining new positions. The problem so many times in my career was that I neglected getting to know God, the one who holds the keys of life. Thus, it was forever a struggle. Trying to please man will get you nowhere.

Had I invested in my relationship with God, I may have gone farther and faster in my career.

Know the man (God) who holds the keys. Start each day talking to Him. Let Him know your fears and desires. Ask Him for guidance. Never underestimate His love for you.

Revelation 3:7 - “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.”

Serve God, not man.

Did you know that God’s best work is turning ashes into beauty? But, before He can do a work in us, we must let go of the ashes.

We can’t hold onto the past and expect to go forward. We can’t dwell on what happened to us and expect God to turn things around. You also can’t harbor unforgiveness and hurt and trust that God’s going to honor your requests. But, once you let go and give it all to God, you’ll be blown away at how God can turn your life around.

It’s hard to see the beauty in anything when all that’s present is ashes.

God can turn hopeful dreams into reality.

Try it. Serve Him. Get to know Him and watch your life change for the better.

How do I know this? Because He changed me and He’s continually making me better every day.

He’s not done with me yet, and I look forward to every day with Him.

Isaiah 61:1 - “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;”

I admire some aspects of the minimalists. Most have a clean, sometimes sparse home. They tend to live life simply. The few I know have a small amount of furniture, with very little art on the walls.

On the other side of this as a group, sometimes called, “hoarders.” A hoarder is someone who hoards things. Some collect and keep things, even things that may seem useless or of little value. These things tend to clutter the living spaces and might limit them from using the space or area as intended.

Hoarders tend to have a lot of anxiety. They are overwhelmed at times, when they look at all the clutter closing in on them.

In addition to being cluttered in your home, your mind can be cluttered. Worry clutters your mind. Doubt distorts your view on what’s right or what’s wrong. When your thoughts dwell on the negative, you’ll soon find your mind cluttered with doubt, worry and anxiety.

Try focusing your thoughts on what’s good in your life. Clear out the clutter.

Philippians 4:6-7 - “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”