Live every day with wisdom, understanding, purpose

Today is the time to live, love, laugh and praise God. Today is the day to leave a good memory, to say, "I love you," to forgive a wrong, to mend a broken relationship.

Today is the day to give your appreciation to someone you have long admired. It means more now than all the words spoken at a funeral.

God has set eternity in the hearts of all of us. It is imperative to number our days and to live them with wisdom, understanding and purpose.

This world seems impatient with time. The young can't wait to grow up. The young adult can't wait to get married. The grown-ups wished time had not passed so quickly. The older ones wish for the "good old days." No one seems to have enjoyed the stage they were in. Yet, God means for every stage to be enjoyed. He is the giver of life and he gives it abundantly.

Instead of living one day at a time, many live in guilt from yesterday or they dread of tomorrow. Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.

God's word reveals wisdom in living this life. "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matthew 6:34, NIV).

Life is precious and should be respected as such because God is the source of life.

We have been given life. Let's live it with gusto. Each day is filled with God's wonderful surprises. Not appreciating the day is to merely exist and endure.

Today is the "now" of our lives. Today is the day to make our day count. Attitude determines the kind of day we have. Determine, with God's help, to have a good day. Determine to be joyful, happy and grateful.

"Be joyful always; pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NIV).

Let's no let anyone or anything spoil today. Don't ever lose hope.

Where there is life, there is always hope.

Today can be the best day of all and the next one can be too. I'm trying to be positive because negative thoughts and words destroy the joy for today. I've discovered the happiest people are those who make other people happy. I don't want to murmur or complain. It displeases God. "Do all things without murmurings and disputings" (Philippians 2:14, KJV). I must guard against self-pity because everyone has been unjustly treated at some time in life. Forgiveness builds the bridge for moving on. Look for the good. I can always find it because "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows" (James 1:17, NIV). I must let go of past mistakes. Rehearsing the past is reliving guilt and pain.

God has given you and me time to live each day.

How we live is the gift we give back to God.

Portales resident Joan Clayton is a retired teacher and published author. Her e-mail address is:

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