Have you ever noticed how often we spend our time majoring on the minors while minoring on the majors? We get so caught up in things that really don’t matter that we overlook the things that matter most. We judge people by how they dress, what they drive, or where they live instead of looking at their character and how they treat others. We spend time worrying about what people think of us rather than focusing on the people and relationships that really matter. Sometimes we become so focused on the little things in life that we completely miss the big picture.

Parents can become so focused on a child’s grades, athletic performance, or keeping their room clean that they overlook the importance of teaching kindness, honesty, and good character. In business, we can become so consumed with winning a small argument or proving a point that we damage a relationship that took years to build. The truth is, we sometimes win the battle but lose the war. Imagine taking your car to a repair shop and becoming so concerned about a small scratch on the door that you completely overlook the fact that your tires are bald and your brakes are worn out. You spend your money fixing the scratch so the car looks better, while ignoring the very things that could save your life. Don’t become so focused on the scratches in life that you overlook the things that can truly make a difference.

Life is too short to spend it majoring on the minors. At the end of our lives, I doubt we will wish we had won more arguments, made a little more money, or convinced everyone we were right. But we may wish we had spent more time with family, shown more kindness, helped more people, and enjoyed the journey a little more. The next time something gets under your skin, ask yourself one simple question: Will this really matter five years from now? If the answer is no, perhaps it doesn’t deserve so much of your attention today. Don’t become so consumed with the little things in life that you miss the things that make life worth living. KT

What do you do when you are faced with challenging times, a difficult season of life, or simply a moment when things don’t go the way you had hoped? I don’t know anyone in history, with the exception of God Almighty, who has had everything unfold exactly as they wanted. Things happen, opinions change, circumstances evolve, and sometimes life simply doesn’t go according to our plans. That is just part of living in an imperfect world.

So, what do you do during those times? I don’t know about you, but those are the moments that cause me to lean even more heavily on my faith. Malachi 3:6 says, “For I am the Lord, I change not.” I take great comfort in knowing that regardless of what happens here on earth, God never changes. His Word never changes, His promises never change, and His principles of right and wrong never change. In a world where almost everything seems uncertain, we serve a God who is forever constant and faithful.

So, when challenging moments come, or when you find yourself walking through a difficult season of life, take heart, take a deep breath, and rest in the assurance that God is still on His throne. He is still ever-present, He is still in control, and nothing that happens in this world catches Him by surprise. And never forget, no matter how complicated or impossible your circumstances may seem, God can change everything and bring about His perfect plan in the twinkling of an eye. KT

As we go through life, without consciously thinking about it, we tend to believe we have all the tomorrows we could ever want. The truth is, we don’t.

Last Tuesday, a friend of mine passed away. He was only a year or so older than me, appeared to be in great health, and was still actively working managing hotels. About 10 days earlier, he developed blood clots in his leg and lungs. Doctors decided to operate, only to discover cancer had spread throughout his body. He died two days later. He entered the hospital fully expecting to return home the next day, but he never made it home.

One thing I’ve come to realize is that when the Lord calls us home, He doesn’t check our Outlook calendar, our meeting schedule, or the plans we had for the week. He doesn’t ask whether today is a convenient day for our homecoming. We simply don’t get a choice in the matter. I believe that when a Christian closes his eyes for the last time here on earth, in the twinkling of an eye, he opens them in heaven, standing in the presence of the Lord God Almighty.

We should all strive to redeem the time we have by doing what is right and, to the best of our ability, making right what is wrong in our lives. Why? Because none of us knows how many tomorrows we have left. KT

Many of the greatest ideas come when we are doing the mundane, routine, every day boring stuff. I can’t explain it, but it seems God favors those who go about their life with consistency and integrity in our ordinary daily lives.

It’s almost like God can get through to us when we are not so focused on the world around us. It’s a dance recital, chorus concert, T-ball game, sitting with the children in the backyard or just simply reading a book. It’s in those moments, when we are faithful in the small things that big things can happen.

You have heard me say this before, but one idea from God, can change your future. Take the Hula Hoop story, Joan Andweson saw children playing in Australia with bamboo hoops swinging them around their waist. Her and her husband brought the idea to Wham-O toy company. Long story short, they sold 25 million in the first four months and 100 million worldwide in the next year or so.

I don’t know this to be true, but Joan was probably at a family picnic when she saw the kids playing with the bamboo hoops.  A mundane, ordinary boring moment and she sees the idea.

The next time you are going about your everyday life, doing probably something boring, perk your antenna up. You never know what idea you could have in that boring moment. KT

As we go through life, we encounter countless challenges, complications, heartaches, joys, and circumstances that shape not only the course of our lives but also the people we become.

There have been many times in my own life when things seemed complicated and confusing, and I found myself wondering what God’s plan was and wishing He would simply show it to me. It is only later in life, when we look back over the years, that we begin to recognize God’s hand at work. I have almost always had a sense that God was guiding the events of my life for a greater purpose, even when I couldn’t understand why certain things were happening.

I would love to share all those experiences with you, but it would take hundreds of pages to do them justice. What I have come to realize, however, is that my life is much like the back of an embroidery board. When you look at the back, you see knots, loose threads running in every direction, mismatched colors, and stitches that look as though a five-year-old made them. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to any of it. It’s simply a tangled mess.

But when you turn that embroidery board over, something remarkable happens. Suddenly, all those seemingly random threads and knots come together to reveal a beautiful picture. Every stitch, every color, and every thread on the back had a purpose. What looked like a mess was actually part of a carefully planned design, necessary to create the finished picture on the front.

And that’s really the point. Our lives often look like the back of that embroidery board because we can only see what is happening at the moment, not what God is creating. Every disappointment, every hurt, every troubled relationship, job change, financial setback, health concern, and unexpected turn in life becomes part of the tapestry of who we are. We may not understand the purpose of those experiences while we’re going through them, but that doesn’t mean God isn’t at work.

I’ve come to believe that one day, when we are finally able to see the other side, we will understand how all those tangled threads fit together. What once seemed confusing or even painful will make sense in the light of God’s greater plan. And as I look back over my own life, I can already see glimpses of that picture taking shape.

Sometimes we just have to trust the one holding the needle, even when all we can see are the knots and tangled threads. KT