Life is short; don't waste it.

As every single second passes, we really hardly think about how fast time actually slips by. We're left to live the lives governed by the actions we made years, hours, even minutes before the present. Each and every second that goes by is gone--gone without remorse; you see, time is ruthless. Time ticks down to the point of our death...and it still continues. We have no power over it; it's an endless being that pushes us through life whether we want it to or not. We cannot grasp a moment when it's gone. Memories become precious only because we can't relive those moments outside of our minds; they become the only connection between us and the moments of our lives that have long passed away.
My point here is that every single moment counts. As each second of our lives ticks away, we have the choice of either wasting it or using it to craft our intellect, bodies, and hearts into something more. Friends, we only have less than 100 years of life to live. Don't waste your years chasing something that won't matter in the end. Earthly possessions and successes pale in comparison to that which you can gain through the saving work of Jesus Christ: eternal life. 
Live for Him; Jesus is the only thing worth living for.

holding her heart

Friends (especially guys), please don't take relationships lightly-- especially romantic ones. Yeah, hormones and feelings are hard to fight, but there's a reason why now is not the right time to dwell in them. Many of you are sick of waiting, but it's the waiting that pays off in the end. As time passes by, we only get more mature (most of the time); our eyes are opened to see the amount of responsibility needed in order to hold the heart of someone else. What you feel and maybe 'have' now may feel good, but without a longer and more realistic perspective (like hm, marriage, maybe? and will / can you really keep that relationship intact for the 5-6 years that you have of school left?) in mind and in sight, what is the reason but out of self-fulfillment? Now keeping your eye and heart ultimately on marriage isn't bad; however, making it an idol and distraction from what our focus should be isn't right. Don't blind yourself or give yourself a license to dabble in the affections of another right now by promising yourself marriage in the end because nothing is certain. Marriage should certainly be the end goal of any relationship, but don't spend your time playing around with the heart of someone who may not even be your spouse in the end. You're not only wasting precious time that you could be spending crafting your own heart to be fit for the person God has made for you, but you're also leading yourself and the other person down a path that could potentially harm the two of you and leave scars and awkwardness that will be hard to undo. Don't make promises you don't know you can keep.

Brothers, lastly, it is a man's duty to cherish, guide, hold, and protect, not deceive, misguide, or mislead a woman's heart. Treat her with respect, honor, and humility. Don't dwell in perverse speech or actions no matter how 'fun' it is (Ephesians 5:3-4). Be a man worthy of marrying. Yet furthermore, it is of utmost importance that in any relationship a man points to and promotes above all the example of Jesus Christ's love seen upon the cross. That is the key to a relationship that strives to glorify God. It is His love that should be exemplified in any relationship. 

(Most of these points are from the CC messages on relationships, so they should sound a little familiar)

The top 5 regrets people have on their deathbed

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
2. I wish I didn’t work so hard.
3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.


Don't let this happen to you.
What can you do to avoid this? Well, maybe...

• Live a life that's not solely dependent on how others view and expect things out of you.
• Live a life where you can have time to relax with your family, spend time with your kids and spouse.
• Live a life not out of fear about how one would respond to your feelings-- we're given feelings for a reason; don't hide it (be discerning, of course haha)
• Live a life based on community and others; the 'lone ranger' technique seems to have only worked for one man. 
• Live a life of joy; you only have one life. Why waste it with a pessimistic view on everything around you?

That's what I think, at least. What about you?


Research behind the 5 regrets from: this article