Tag Archives: Life

Message In A Minute: Ornaments

We decorated our Christmas tree a few nights ago.

It’s an annual extravaganza.

Christmas music, hot chocolate, boxes of decorations, and me praying all the lights will glow. The kids are much older, life is busy, but it’s a moment that has more meaning each year.

We have ornaments that are decades old, some are brand new, but almost all of them remind us of a person, place or time.

We have beautiful store bought ornaments, traditional family ornaments, and ornaments our kids made when they were little.

You likely have ornaments like these, each ornament means something special. Each signify an important memory. Though the ornaments are made up of plastic, cardboard, or glass, they symbolize something much more important.

No one would say that a simple ornament is important on its own. But for each of us, when we see one that takes us back in time, our thoughts reveal deep importance. We see more than the material before us.

Some of these ornaments are unforgettable, indescribable, deeply meaningful, incredibly personal, unquestionably memorable.

This season, when you remember, I encourage you to stop for a moment and thank God for wonderful people from your past, the many special times in your life, and for this present moment.

God is always at work, thank Him for the past, trust Him with the future, and walk in His grace today.

Decorate your life with memories of God’s goodness.

-Tom Wise

Message in A Minute: Perspective

A little perspective from a day I welcomed a friend’s newborn into the world, and later that day spoke at a funeral for a church member.

I think each of us should be required to stand at the nursery window and quietly watch the newborn babies for twenty minutes.

Then immediately each of us should drive to a cemetery where we would quietly read the tombstones for twenty minutes.

We should do this every few months and maybe we wouldn’t waste so much time and energy on things that don’t matter.

Life is a gift, time is a treasure, and you have both at this moment.

Let go of things that aren’t meaningful, focus on the things that matter the most.

And if you are willing, let God be involved in all you do.

-Tom Wise

Message In A Minute: Close Encounter

In the summer of the year 2,000, my wife and I took our youth group to a convention in Orlando, Florida.

We heard that the largest McDonald’s in the country was a few minutes away from our hotel. During a break at the convention, we gathered the group together and headed for our Mcxperience. Everything was going well. The place was huge, the food was fattening, and all were happy.

One of the girls suddenly runs up to where my wife and I were seated. Her face was red, she had tears pouring down her cheeks, and she couldn’t speak. I instantly assumed something terrible had happened. It took a few moments and some help from her friends for us to get the story.

It turns out, A.J. McLean from the Backstreet Boys was in line ahead of her. She recognized him, they exchanged a few words, and he kissed her on the cheek before leaving.

You can imagine a teenage girl meeting one of her favorite celebrities unexpectedly. And this was at the pinnacle of the Backstreet Boys’ fame. No one was bigger in a young girls mind than the young men in the group.

Much of life is predictable, day after day the same thing. Month after month, the same routine. Year after year, similar events.

But every once in a while, an out of the ordinary moment comes along.

Some people wait for moments like that to happen. But it’s very rare for life to unfold that way. Other people are determined they can force big moments to occur in their life. And a certain group of people believe God makes those moments happen.

The truth is…

There are certain things in life that just happen.
There are other things that you have to make happen.
Then, there are times when God intervenes.
To believe in only one of these leaves you confused and powerless.

True wisdom is found in knowing how to see each event or circumstance.

Meeting a Backstreet Boy in a fast food restaurant. That just happens. No real rhyme or reason to it.

But, getting the results you desire in education, physical fitness, or relationships, those are areas where you play a part in making it happen. Don’t sit back and dream, push forward and do what you know to do.

Then there are times where things seem to super-naturally work out. It is very possible God is at work in those moments. We pray, and we do our part, but there is something deeper happening.

Don’t limit your understanding of how life works to just one category.

You might have moments that just happen. You will definitely have moments you need to make happen. Most of all, I hope you have a life filled with moments when God intervenes.

For all of us, “I Want It That Way.”

-Tom Wise

Message In A Minute: Running Is Winning

My dad worked at a college when I was in my teens.

One summer, I would meet a girl to play tennis at the college almost every morning, her father was employed by the college as well. It worked out great, our dads would be in their offices while we played tennis and hung around the campus.

Once, my family went to this girl’s house. The girl and I played tennis, went swimming in the pool, and our families shared a meal.

That evening, the girl told me she was going to go running and invited me along. I ran track, so I thought I would be fine. And as a normal teenage boy, I wanted to impress the girl.

That’s when the difference between sprinting and distance running was made crystal clear to me. In track, I usually competed in the 100 meters, 400 meters, and the high jump.

This girl was a cross country runner. For the first half mile of our run, I was good. But soon after, she was still able to carry on a conversation, and I felt like I was going to die. I could barely breathe, much less talk. If I remember correctly, we ran 2.5 miles, though in my mind, it felt like a marathon.

My pride wouldn’t let me stop, but I was out of my element to say the least.

Life is more like a marathon than a sprint.

We assume if we’ve fallen behind we don’t have a chance to win. But the truth is, there is always time to get back in the race.

Because it’s a long race and it’s worth running.

The story behind the first marathon is a great lesson itself. A messenger named Pheidippides ran from Marathon to Athens (about 22 miles) proclaiming that a battle had been won, and his people were victorious.

If you feel like you’re behind in life, like the race isn’t worth running. Don’t give up, there is more distance to cover, more meaning to uncover, and more joy to discover.

And when you get back in the race, you will be carrying a message about how your battle has been won, and you are victorious.

Learn from my teenage experience, ask for help if you need it. Maybe even stop and catch your breath. But whatever you do, make sure you get back in the race.

Life is a long distance race, running is winning.

-Tom Wise

FEARLESS: WEEK 1

From an early age and for over two decades I was crippled by severe panic attacks. Damaging my growth as a student, the depth of my relationships with others, and my pursuit of a career. Leading to years of depression and struggle.

By God’s grace and with some very practical steps taken, I was able to overcome the panic attacks and all that came with them. After doing research and gaining understanding on the biological, emotional, and physical realities I dealt with, I now see clearly the actions and mindset that can remove this type of fear from a life.

I instinctively took steps to cope and heal, I now understand the reasons behind the steps I took. I want to share these ideas with as many people as possible. Continue reading →