Making excuses or seizing opportunities?

I had a thought strike me yesterday: "Am I making excuses or seizing opportunities?" I had the chance to spend the day with Josh Jamison (one of my closest friends and co-worker) and a mentor to us, Monty Hipp. It was a day full of thinking, praying, talking and reflecting about life and ministry.

We had the opportunity to change our location a few different times yesterday. One of the places we went to was one of the most beautiful places in the world to be on a sunny day: the Kirkland water front. It was there where I spent some time praying and reflecting about some different areas of life and ministry. Out on the edge of the dock on Lake Washington, as the sun was shining down on me the thought struck me: "Am I making excuses or seizing opportunities?"

All of us can come up with lists of why something cant work, or shouldnt work, or why it hasnt worked. It is amazing how often when asked a simple question, there seems to be a need to preface the answer with "information", which is basically an excuse.

I want to be a leader that is seizing opportunities! In your life, do you find yourself making excuses or seizing the opportunities that you do have? Think about your friendships, your work, your goals and dreams...opportunity is there, but you have to be willing to take it.