I had an epiphany last night.

While being trapped in the middle of the bed, between the man and boy in my life, and staring at the ceiling in total darkness. It was another night with too much on my mind, and the uncomfortable position of being sandwiched by the 2 boys really did not help to lull me to sleep.

It was a post Christmas + pre-new year night that got me overwhelmed by the thought that the year was ending soon and we were entering into another new year. Throughout the whole year I have been lamenting that time is passing too quickly, my kid is growing up too fast and everyday is the same for me; there is simply not enough time in a day. While I was dwelling about the lost time and how I wish time doesn't go by so quickly, I heard this quiet still voice in my spirit, "I am eternal. I stand outside the confines of time, Why are you lamenting about the time?"

Unlike men, God is eternal and sovereign of time. And He is not confined to the 24 hours in a day, and the certain number of days that He has given us. With God, one day is as a thousand years and thousand years as a day (1 Timothy 1:17; 2 Peter 3:8)

This verse came to my mind as I heard the small quiet voice

Ephesians 5.16: 'Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.'

What do I hear God saying to me here? Does redeeming the time means I should be more efficient, work more quickly, or be better organised? Or does it mean that time spent without a result yield or accomplishing something tangible is wasted time?

The bible teaches that we need to be good stewards of our time given on this earth, however we need to be careful and not fall into a utilitarian mindset where performance and accomplishments is the all-important goal. When we start to have this mindset about time, we lose the capacity to simply enjoy God, people, and the life God has given us.

As I get older, I feel the urgency of time pressing down on me.

Before we go into the new year, I want to take stock of how I can be a good steward of the time that God has given me :

– Stewardship of time means giving God first priority. I cannot be too busy not to spend time in God's word daily, learn to be wise by understanding what God's will is, taking the time for meditation in God's word, time alone with my heavenly Father. Time to rest and renew my mind and strength.

– Stewardship of my time means setting aside time to be with the ones that I love most on this earth. So many of us tend to get caught up in the busy-ness of life, that all encounters with friends and even loved ones are so fleeting. I need to make this commitment to spend the time needed to pause, linger around for a longer while and develop deep relationships with loved ones and friends.

– Stewardship of my time means making use of my gifts and talents. I am still discovering what exactly are my gifts and talents that God has equipped me with. My prayer for this coming year is for the Lord to show me what they are, who will benefit from it (really goes beyond just earning some money or a salary from it) and how I can use them for God's kingdom.

I guess this is not the typical resolution setting post for the new year, but a time where I can take stock of where I am in life and remind myself; who God is, who am I in this life, together with how my relationships and talents should be managed with the time He has given me.

Studying 1 Peter the past few weeks have reminded me that I must understand who I am really as a Christian. I am a child of God and a citizen of heaven who is a sojourner to this earth. Everything in this world is designed to get us to make life in this world our ultimate aim, but I should not live my life simply as an earth dweller who search for his/her meaning and purpose in life from this world alone.

It means adopting and maintaining this new attitude toward my time on earth and what I do with my life. It means surrendering all to God and saying, "You are my God, all my time is in your hands." It is time to redeem my time here and use it to the best that God has ordained it for me.

I will move ahead to the new year with courage and hope, living one day at a time.

I don't know what tomorrow holds, but I know Who holds tomorrow and Who holds my hand in this journey

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Spirituality has always been a big part of my life. For me, it is not a religion but a relationship; a relationship with my Creator, thankfulness in a Saviour who has redeemed me from the abyss of hopelessness + sin and the full assurance and joy that the promises of my future that are given in me through my belief in Christ.

For many, spirituality transcends the boundaries of organized religion, resonating deeply as a personal journey of connection and faith. Within this tapestry of belief, tarot reading emerges as a unique avenue for spiritual exploration, offering seekers a pathway to divine insight and introspection. Much like seeking counsel from a trusted confidant, individuals turn to the cards to navigate the complexities of life’s journey, seeking clarity and guidance along the way. Amidst the ebb and flow of daily existence, the call to ask a psychic resonates as a beacon of hope, inviting souls to delve into the depths of their innermost truths and aspirations.

In the tapestry of spirituality, tarot reading becomes a sacred dialogue between the self and the universe, a bridge between the tangible and the ethereal. Beyond mere fortune-telling, it becomes a tool for soulful introspection, empowering individuals to uncover hidden truths and navigate life’s twists and turns with grace and wisdom. As seekers embark on their spiritual odyssey, the cards serve as faithful companions, illuminating the path towards greater understanding, purpose, and enlightenment.

God has been very real in my life and Christianity for me explains more about my life and the world than any other system of belief I’ve encountered, so naturally, I will want to share this hope for our lives with my child. We talk about the wonders of creation, how good God is to us, how we should love friends and other people around us even when they are not lovable.  For a 3 year old, he is confident that God is real, when our prayers for good weather are answered 100% of the time, whenever the activities for the day are planned for outdoors.

One morning, dh told me that K said this to him when he woke up, “Daddy, I had a dream, I dream of Jesus. I love Him and I believe in Him!”

Dh thought it was really cute, while the hairs of my arms and back of the neck started to stand when I heard that from dh. I started bombarding K with a barrage of questions,

Mom  :   “What does Jesus look like?”

Kyle   :   “He is handsome, with a beard.”

Mom  :   “Did he say anything to you.”

Kyle   :   “No, he smiled at me and I know He is Jesus and I know He wants me to sleep well, because Jesus also likes to sleep!”

For skeptics, this may sound like a 3 year old dream. For me, it sounded that K has his first spiritual encounter and I was deeply touched that our Saviour answered my prayer for my child to know Him more.

The next evening, K randomly told me this, “I know God wants Uncle Nick to believe in Him.”

I am beginning to suspect that my little one has his own direct line to God, something which I may not be even privy to…in fact, I have yet to dream about Jesus in my whole 30+ years of life, despite asking every once in a blue moon in my prayers for Him to speak to me in my dreams

Despite that I don’t need to see to know that God is real and Christianity is demonstrably true, as He has proven Himself countless times that He is a true God and can be fully depended on with my life.

Do you ever wonder why Christians tend to be rather irritating and are always asking people to believe in their God, or maybe you think we are a group of silly people who couldn’t deal with reality? Do you have the courage to find out if the God that Christians talk about is really true? Ask Him and you will surprise how He will show it to you.

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