Principle to Tap Into ⇨ A.I.M. — APPROPRIATE IN THE MOMENT
There’s a verse that has become more meaningful to me the older I get:
“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” —Psalm 90:12 (NIV)
And I’ve found myself asking…
What does that actually look like?
Not just in theory… but in real, everyday life? Because the way my brain works…
I need the dots to connect.
Can anyone relate? 
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One thing I’ve begun to notice as I get older is this:
Life has patterns.
And once you start to see them… you realize they show up everywhere.
You start to see it in your own life…
in your kids…
in relationships…
at work and in your work…
in seasons that come and go…
all those kinds of situations that seem to repeat themselves
And wisdom isn’t just knowing more…
it’s learning to recognize those patterns and respond rightly within them.
I’ve come to think of it like this:
A.I.M. — Appropriate in the Moment
But here’s what I’ve learned the hard way:
You can’t be appropriate in the moment if you don’t recognize the stage and season you’re in.
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Stage vs. Season
Stage of Life = A stage is a window of time that eventually closes.
Your age Your children’s ages Certain opportunities that don’t come back around
And if you’ve lived long enough, you know this is true…
When it’s gone… it’s gone.
I remember seasons when I felt frustrated—like life was limiting me…
But looking back now, I can see:
It wasn’t limiting… it was time-specific.
There were things I could do in that stage that I can’t do now. And there are things I can do now that I couldn’t do then. And that shift in perspective…
helps you embrace the moment instead of resist it.
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The Seasons of Life
Then there are seasons.
And we all understand seasons intuitively…
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
You don’t have to be taught that they exist—you’ve lived them.
What’s interesting is…
life moves the same way. Not in a straight line…
but in cycles.
And when you begin to see that, it can be both empowering and freeing. Because it means:
You can anticipate what’s coming You can prepare for it You can steward it well
So you’re not constantly surprised…
or discouraged…
or anxious…
or wondering if you’re somehow “behind.”
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Why This Matters
So much of our frustration comes from this:
misreading the season.
We expect harvest in spring…
rest in summer…
we resist winter…
and rush past fall.
And without realizing it…
we start fighting the very season we’re in.
But when you understand the season:
Your expectations shift Your effort aligns Even your heart settles
And you experience peace as this verse comes back into focus:
“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” —Psalm 90:12 (NIV)
This is one way we gain wisdom.
Not by doing more…
but by doing what’s appropriate for the moment we’re in—and aligning with what God is doing in that season.
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Before We Go There…
Before we jump into the seasons…
Let’s slow down for a moment.
Because this only helps if you can answer one question:
What season am I in right now?
Not what you wish you were in…
Not what someone else is in…
What is actually true for you?
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Coming Next…
In the next post, we’re going to walk through a simple way to discern your season:
Are you in a season of starting? Sustaining? Harvesting? Or in a hard season?
Because when you can identify your season…
you can respond wisely you can align your expectations and you can truly redeem the time
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Question to carry with you:
What season do you think you’re in right now?
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