My husband, Paul, is an artist. He has been painting since he was 11. He made his career as an art director for several ad agencies and owned his own for 12 years. He now paints for himself and has started painting outdoors again. I found one of his sketchbooks the other day and these are a few examples of some of his watercolor plein air paintings.
A grove of trees, a cloud filled sky, a building set in the midst of nature,
Anywhere the road takes you can become the perfect destination for a painting,
When you’re an artist, your paintbrush, your imagination and your skill find it,
When you know all about color and light – shadows and definition,
Your hand responds to the invitation.
You find beauty in all things, because you take the time to enjoy,
to see the details of life – the important things – not the clutter,
You can sort through the garbage and darkness and find it,
The word contrition comes from the Latin word, meaning to crush.ย What a vivid description of how we should come to the Lord with our burdens.ย We should be crushed by the weight.ย Even the smallest of our wrongdoings are like filthy rags to God.ย He looks at all sin in the same way – with total disgust and repulsion.
On the other hand, God is also merciful and loving.ย He came to earth in human flesh to suffer and die so that we could be free of sin and guilt.ย He became our sin bearer and was crushed for our iniquities. This is one of those inconceivable things about God.ย We, in our human understanding, would be quicker to judge and much more severe in our sentencing. He then overcame the power of death, by raising from the grave and appearing to many afgterHis resurrection.
God uses certain circumstances in our lives to crush usย and evenย take us down a peg or two.ย He does this, not to punish us, but because of His insurmountable love for us.ย Everything that happens in this life is another lesson leading us to depend on God in all things. He knew in advance that His Son, Jesus, would be crushed physically – that he would be humiliated and scorned, yet He also knew that those things were necessary for our redemption. What a great love that is.
An artist creating a piece of pottery will often reshape the clay and pound heavily on it at times, and the heat of the kiln only adds to its strength. The finished product will oftenย become aย piece of beauty.ย All the battering and bruising we received in this life will be replaced with peace and forgiveness in the next. When trouble comes to our lives it is for our benefit, even though we rarely think so.
God also wants us to know that He’s with us every step of the way – even in our darkest hour – He is there.ย When we are truly sorry and saddened by our sins, God will forgive and restore us. Will we be contrite today? How about tomorrow? Remenber that you are not alone in any of it.
Psalm 34:18ย The LORD is near to the brokenhearted And saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Have you checked yours stats lately? How do you rate in the public eye? How many Facebook or Instagram friends do you have? Have we all grown a little crazy about ourselves with social media and blogging? I have to ask myself what the true reality of my purpose is in writing a daily blog. Am I doing it to bring comfort to others, to share God with them, to let them know that God is their best friend and that He loves them so much that He gave the ultimate sacifice? Am I truly doing His work or am I looking for self-gratification?
I think we must examine ourselves daily to see the true motivation behind what we do. As soon as we put ourselves in the driver’s seat and forget the One who is driving, we’re setting ourselves up for disaster. Doing the right thing for the wrong reason is an easy trap to fall into, especially with the way we measure success today. Giving medals for simply participating in something, doesn’t set the right standard. Expecting more pay for actually doing your job shouldn’t be an option. Thinking we are better than others because of what WE do is the lowest form of narcissism. Today, let’s remember who we are – Forgiven, restored, children of the only Almighty King.
Dear Heavenly Father, You are the giver of all things. You alone deserve the glory. I am merely an instrument – a vessel – to carry your message of love to others. Help me remember that. Guide my use of the right words. Be my inspiration in all that I do and lead me in the Way everlasting. Amen!
I liveย in a part of the country known for its extreme weather changes.ย Only a month ago, we were experiencing temps in the 50s and 60s.ย When you’re a menopausal woman – or just an old woman for that matter – summer means sweat – lots of it.ย I never used to sweat when I was younger.ย Now I’m dousing deodorant twice a day and when I work outside, I can say goodbye to any semblance of a hairdo.ย Sweat pours out of me like a prize horse after winning the Triple Crown, but I’m not even movingl.
As we go through life, things change. Our bodies sag, our hearing fails, our teeth need replacing and many times we lose track of the replacements. Our energy level sinks to a new low. Our daytime hours include naps. Our memories fade. Becoming old isn’t for the faint of heart.
I resist the heat as much as I resist aging.ย I’llย undoubtedly spend the day inside or at an air-conditioned place.ย I can refresh myself with a nice tall glass of lemonade or water.ย By tomorrow it might be back to 60. My air conditioner is totally confused by the weather changes. One day it’s on and the next day not.
When we become uncomfortable in our walk with Christ, we need to take a closer look at Him and realize that He’s the One who brings refreshment to our souls. No matter how difficult our journey – no matter how others affect our walk – no matter how things get in the way – He is there with living water to satisfy our thirst – to wash our sins away and to bring us closer to Him. The problems of this life are trivial when you compare them to the glory of what lies ahead.
Stay thirsty, my friends.ย His Holy Word will refresh, restore and renew you..
Why was I born? Why am I living? What do I get? What am I giving? Why do I want a thing, I darent hope for? What can I hope for? I wish I knew. Why do I try to draw you near me? Why do I cry? You never hear me. I’m a poor fool, but what can I do? Why was I born to love you?
This haunting tune, written by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II in 1929 became popular as it was sung by torch singer, Helen Morgan. She draped herself over a grand piano in a club in Chicago and the song became an instant hit. It was the height of prohibition and speakeasies were the fare of the day. Helen was born in Danville, Illinois in 1900. She never received more than an 8th grade education and grew up in a dysfunctional family. The lyrics of this song mimicked her own life. This time of excess led Helen to become an alcoholic and often she performed while under the influence. She died at the young age of 41 from cirrhosis of the liver.
The words tell a sad story of someone who feels they have no value – no purpose – other than loving someone who doesn’t return those feelings. It sounds hopeless and daunting when you hear her mourning voice capture the mood of the piece. The song was redone over the years by Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne, Dorothy Lamour and Judy Garland (who also suffered from depression and self degradation.)
When we look at our lives, we could wonder what place we have in this world. Are we successful by the world’s standards? Do we have what it takes to make friends and influence people? Are we driven to be better than others and to achieve greater things along the way? Or are we simply satisfied to settle for less?
If the latter is the case, we need to examine ourselves. Take a good look at what we have to offer the world. Every gift, every talent, every bit of kindness and love which has been planted into us before we were even born, needs to become the focus of our journey. What’s your gift? Find it! Often the things we loved doing as a child of 10-12 leads to our passion in life. Sometimes we have to search hard before it becomes apparent and when we do, it’s time to give it away. That’s the beauty of it. The things we hold within us, can serve others. So why would we cling to those talents and not share them?
Why were you born? Why are you living? You are more than you think you are, because God made you, and God doesn’t make mistakes.
Spring has sprung and summer in the midwest is bound to be tomorrow. We’ve been having a pretty good entrance into the season we all look forward to in Minnesota. I recall summers on the lake and sailing regattas on Saturdays. The beautiful white sails would fill with air and race to the finish line in a succession of billowing synthetic fabric. The above painting was done on the lake at Hudson, WI, where sailing is in full bloom right now. The poetry was written a few years ago by me.
Was itย only yesterday, Iย didn’t put the hose away?
The winter months sailed swiftly by, but when they left I did not cry.
Theย winters in the great Midwestย are absolutely not the best.
But finally the cold days passed.ย I yearned for spring, but it went fast.
It seems we’ve jumped from cold to hot.ย I do not like it – absolutely not.
(I’m beginning to feel like Dr. Seuss.)
The hose still lies where it has lain, for it will now be used again.
When my husband worked as a naturalist, he would demonstrate what the world looks like from above. He also highlighted the fact that we don’t often realize that we may be walking over an entire living community without even knowing it. He challenged them to block off a square of land and take a really close look at the tiny plot. The kids were flabbergasted to see the earth alive with life. Tiny insects could be seen. Each blade of grass, became a sanctuary for those microscopic beings.
Is this how God sees us?ย Are we just a tiny piece of the puzzle?ย We are so much more to Him.ย He holds each individual in the palm of His hand.ย His data storage is beyond human comprehension.ย He can tell immediately when we hurt – when our hearts are heavy with grief and loss –ย our minds are full of indecision and hopes for the future – when we are led into temptation.ย He knows in an instant when a personal prayer is lifted to Him.ย Not even a miniscule instant passes before He is already working on finding an answer.
I wrote this poem a couple years ago, to accompany my husband’s vision of creation in his painting:
What if Jesus were to come to earth again,
What would His thoughts be about the state of this world,
Would He accept what we’ve become,
Would He forgive what we’ve done,
Would He sentence all humanity to eternity in hell,
What if we were just like the animals?
What if our minds weren’t so full of thoughts, hopes, dreams,
What ifย we had become so full of hatred, violence and sin,
That God stopped loving us,
What if God never sent His Son to save us,
We’d be no different than the beasts of the field,
He will return to judge every one of his people living and dead,
Will you be among those who go to the right side of His throne,
The victory has already been won.
Our sins are forgiven because God loves us.
What if He didn’t?
Next time you’re in the garden or taking a short walk in nature – stop and take a look.ย God has provided for the smallest of His creatures.ย ย It may seem that we’re walking through the desert at times, with no one even noticing our isolation, but God is the well of living water within that wilderness.ย We can be assured that we aren’t just a speck in the desert.ย We are His children and He is our loving Father.
WHEN THE TAXI DRIVER SUDDENLY TURNED IN THE WRONG DIRECTION, I ASKED HIM WHAT HE WAS DOING. HE TURNED AROUND, HAD A NASTY GRIN ON HIS FACE, AND TOLD ME THAT HEโฆ
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When the taxi driver suddenly turned in the wrong direction, I asked him what he was doing. He turned around, had a nasty grin on his face, and told me that he wasn’t a taxi driver at all, but a terrorist. He said he had a bomb in the trunk, and it was going to go off in five minutes.
I had become his hostage – his insurance policy to get the job done. Within seconds my life passed before me. After a long life of eighty years, I knew my time was limited, so I only hit the high points. I realized my only hope was to break out of the cab and put a stop to his treachery.
Fortunately, I had my trusty sidearm in my purse. I grabbed it and placed it up against the back of his head. Little did he know, the gun wasnโt loaded. His body stiffened but he continued driving. and I could tell he was scared, but not nearly as frightened as I was. My hands were sweaty, my knees were knocking, and my blood pressure was rising to infinity and beyond.
He pulled over to the curb. I escorted him to the trunk of the cab and told him to open it. He obliged. The trunk lifted with ease, but there was no bomb. Instead, I came face to face with my husband, who handed me a dozen roses and a birthday cake. He jumped out and yelled, “Surprise!”
โBe still, sad heart! and cease repining; Behind the clouds is the sun still shining; Thy fate is the common fate of all, Into each life some rain must fallโ โ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
We are surrounded by various storms in life.ย We may lose a loved one – lose jobs – reach for the stars only to be knocked down over and over again.ย Youย can see a similar thread weaving its way through this patchwork of pain and loss.ย When a storm occurs, itย can result in complete desperation or the victims rallying together to rebuild.
When we place our troubles in the hands of the One who controls everything, we are truly letting.ย That doesn’t mean we simply sit back and wait for Him to fix everything.ย He gives us the means with which to mend our physical situation, by providing us with logical minds – physical strength – determination – and even our faith.
When Jesus slept during a raging storm on the Sea of Galilee, His disciples panicked. They thought all was lost. We think that way too when trouble comes our way. We often raise our hands in despair and sometimes even curse God for bringing this torment into our lives. Jesus calmed the sea. He rebuked the wind and it became quiet. He proved He was God.
We are much like those men who feared for their lives in that storm. When faced with difficulties, we panic – we lose hope – our faith wanes – we firmly believe this is the end for us – we give up. We quickly forget that Jesus is our companion through this life and He will never let us down. Even in our darkest hours, He is with us.
Thank you, Lord, Jesus, for calming the storms of life – for rebuking the devil and all his wicked ways – for walking beside me – for carrying me through the most difficult times – for dying for me and giving me eternal life.ย I ask that you give comfort to those who face great loss.ย Remind them of your presence in their lives.ย ย I will forever praise your Holy Name.ย Amen
There’s something about Memorial Day weekend that seems to conjure memories of camping trips interrupted by rain. It seems to never fail. There is almost always a certain amount of rain during this holiday. Maybe it’s the tears of God – enriching the soil with thoughts of those who perished in war. Maybe it’s because we tend to put so much focus on plans for summer fun and the beginning of vacation season. It might be a simple need for the moisture that makes things grow and flourish.
I recall a camping trip when our two oldest children were very young, and daddy wanted to give them the experience of living outdoors for the weekend. Mommy wasn’t too crazy about the idea, since she had never been camping in her life. Off the little family went, with tent in tow and various cooking supplies, sleeping bags and survival stuff. I had no idea why we needed supplies for survival, but soon found out. We all helped to pitch the tent and set up our meager camp site. The sky was looking rather ominous as a wall cloud began to form. We finished our supper, made over an open fire – toasted marshmallows and succumbed to the end of the day. Everyone immediately fell asleep after a day of living in the wilderness. Mommy and daddy were wakened by the sound of a fierce wind swirling around our little tent. The two children slumbered deeply not realizing the danger that was approaching. Daddy went outside to secure the tent to a nearby tree. Mommy thought she would help by pushing the side of the tent towards daddy’s direction. As water poured into her armpits, he scurried outside in nothing but his underwear. We both realized we were in for a big-time storm so sent our prayers to the One who would protect us through whatever would happen next. The children slept through the entire ordeal. We discovered the next morning that a tornado had leveled most of the tents in our campground. Ours was still standing. We spent the rest of the day at the laundromat, drying out the sleeping bags and our clothes. You would think my experience that night would’ve made a seasoned camper out of me. It didn’t. I rarely camped after that experience, but I was amazed that my children were oblivious to the danger which surrounded them.
There will be storms in every aspect of our lives. Trusting that God will see us through gives us the confidence we need to weather those storms. As we begin this Memorial Day weekend, always look for the rainbow that follows a storm. It’s God’s promise to us that everything is going to be alright.
As we approach Memorial Day, there is so much to think about. A senseless war is being waged in Ukraine. It has no real purpose other than greed and power. Lives are being snuffed out for no reason. Cities are being destroyed and the economy is in shreds. Here in our own country, we’ve seen a continuing battle ensue among our lawmakers, pertaining to the sanctity of life and abortion law. The world around us is still suffering the effects of a pandemic that has wiped out countless lives. People have become isolated and afraid to venture out. We’ve become secure in our seclusion and fearful when we attend church or other events which call on us to gather with others. Our schools are unsafe, and parents wonder if their own children will be subjected to bullying, shaming or even death by a maniacal killer. We all live in fear. Where is God?
Our world is an ugly place. The country I knew as a young girl is no longer. Patriotism is a thing of the past. Politics is much like the government that America was trying to escape in its early days. We have career politicians who really don’t know the problems the average American faces.. Food shortages, gas prices, no baby formula, hoarding, fear and anxiety is ruling our land. Honoring our military and their sacrifice just means a long weekend for many. Where is God?
Those who give up what they have rightfully worked for and give it up to serve this country aren’t even appreciated for what they do and have done. These heroes should be honored for their service, their sacrifice, their dedication. Many veterans come back home to no home at all. They must begin again from the bottom and work their way back up the ladder. That in itself takes courage. Many become homeless. Many suffer from mental illness. Many take their own lives. Where is God?
This weekend, look for God in every situation. He is there. He’s always there. He is at our side and will hear our prayers. He loves us. He wants the best for us. We can have complete confidence in that truth. We may be a broken nation, but we are not yet fallen. Let’s begin again, with the same zeal as our founding fathers who pledged allegiance to those who live here. Those who were willing to give ultimate sacrifice for the benefit of that tenet deserve our respect, our gratitude and our honor. Through them, we will see God at work.
Dear, Almighty, God, only you can change hearts.ย You have shown throughout history, that there is redemption and restoration in your name.ย I call on you to heal our land.ย You are our only answer.ย Amen!
Perpetuity is one of those words we don’t make a lot of use of, but it’s one that should be brought forth again from time to time. It means timeless – eternal – everlasting – forever – to infinity and beyond. It’s a perfect description of our God. All knowing, ever present and powerful are adjectives that are used to get to the core of who God is. We definitely need someone who shows consistency – someone who listens to our prayers – One who will guide us through the difficulties of this life – One that we know has already prepared a place for us in eternity. This world is an ugly place; filled with lawlessness, hate, anger, fear, mental problems, egotistical behavior, lack of respect for the living and loss of morality. We have been placed on this planet for a purpose, yet there are so many times we wonder what that purpose might be.
The events which occur on a daily basis have become the norm in our time. Evil continues to invade the minds and hearts of many. The devil is on a rampage during these last moments of his time on earth. He is determined to win the souls he can snatch away from God. Maybe he didn’t get the memo. Even though he’s been allowed to spread his lies to the people of the world, he has been defeated once and for all. Judgment day will bring him to his knees. In the meantime, we’re still members of the world’s population. Our armor may be tarnished at times, but God will never let us go, if we place our trust in Him.
In my years of living, it seems that there is nothing new under the sun. There are just new ways of accomplishing them. We need to get back on track and stop passing the buck. We can blame the devil, we can blame the gun lobby, we can hold our politicians responsible, we can even demand stronger laws, but if those laws are not enforced, they become nothing more than words. We can go to God and ask for forgiveness; for not trusting in His divine intervention; for thinking of ourselves as better than others; for not following His perfect law; for losing faith in his Omnipotence. He has already won the victory, but the war will continue until we are reunited with the One who defeated the enemy.
We are the recipients of His divine love and will live with Him in perpetuity when He calls us home. In the meantime, we pray, we speak out, we defend ourselves, we care about others, we try to be kind and forgiving, we teach others about the love of God, we look forward to our perpetual home where sin is no more.
When you reach the Golden Years, you are at the epitome of your existence. Life is finally winding down and you don’t have to work as hard as you did in your 50s. You have earned the right to take it easy and enjoy the rest of your days. NOT!
What really happens is this. All your worldly belongings are now considered antiques. You crash at 8:30 in the evening. You put your teeth in a cup at night and your ears and eyes on the nightstand. You still roll out of bed in the morning, but you spend half an hour trying to get on your feet. When you do get up, your body no longer reaches full height. You take so many pills it’s no wonder you forget which ones you took. Your memory is failing. You’re not as quick in your movement. Your body has lost the battle with gravity and everything is now five inches lower than it used to be.
You suddenly have to rely on help for the simple tasks, and since you can’t depend on others, (because they are taking care of the same tasks in their own lives) so you must take a part-time job to pay a professional to do the job.
Once you reach retirement age, you have outlived your earning potential. If you are depending on living only on Social Security, you might as well throw in the towel. Financially planning for old age is a great idea, but no one tells you that your 401K could have dissolved by then or that you’d be spending most of it on car repairs, home maintenance, doctor bills and medication.
Everything in our society is geared towards youth. Even the idea of caring for aging parents has been almost forgotten. Many countries still revere the aged. Not so much in the United States. In the land of the free, it’s everyone for himself.
Now that I am part of this growing population of the elderly, I have to tell you it isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. We start our lives as totally dependent infants and find ourselves in the same place when we reach our 70s and beyond.
What does God say about old age?
Dear, Lord – You have sustained my life for a long time now. You’ve given me strength when I need it; patience when things seem overwhelming; hope when it looks like nothing will ever be right; faith when I lack it; and perseverance when I think I can’t go on. Help me, in my old age, to put my focus on all you have done for me and give me the stamina to press on to heaven where perfection waits for me.
Leviticus 19:32 โ (ESV) โYou shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.“
“Go toย the ant, Oย sluggard; consider her ways, andย be wise. Without having any chief, ย ย ย ย officer, or ruler,ย she prepares her breadย in summer andย gathers her food in harvest”
Proverbs 6:6-8.
My husband will tell you, I get way too involved in my garden. I spend hours on just one bed and by the time I’m done, I feel pretty good about it. Being in the garden is my chance to clear my mind and focus on the important things in life – like the One who created a perfect garden with NO WEEDS!
Yesterday was a beautiful day to take them on.ย For some reason they keep coming back – kind of like old sins that nag at us.ย I was pulling bricks from a small pathย when I intruded on a colony of carpenter ants.ย No, they weren’t wearing little tool belts, but they came on with the force of a burly construction worker. Soon the disturbed little creatures were on theย defense.ย I had invaded their space and they were angry..
I brushedย ants off my clothing, my gloves and any exposed flesh.ย I was soon crawling with them.ย They were now invading my space! It got me thinking about how closed we can sometimes be until we have to take a stand on something.ย Our lives move along with normality until something gets in the way of our thinking, our planning, our goals.ย Then all of a sudden – we go ballistic.ย Our faith is being challenged – our beliefs stomped on – our core values pushed aside by some idea, philosophy or the devil himself.
It got me thinking about the Proverb regarding the ant. They work hard for their survival. They meet obstacles and overcome them. They’ve no taskmaster or ruler, yet they aren’t the least bit lazy in going about the job of gathering food and storing it for the winter.
We should be like the ant in continuing our work, despite obstacles. Our work will be blessed by our Creator. He’ll watch over us as we struggle and give us relief. He’ll show us which direction to go, by giving us choices. He’ll provide for every single need, but still it’s up to us to repent of our wrongs and have faith in Jesus, Christ, our Savior that we are forgiven, despite the devilish weeds that continue to infest our lives.
God set this day aside for a day of rest. ย He had a pretty busy week prior to the final day of creating the world, the universe, every living thing. ย He established night and day and placed all the stars, planets and constellations in the heavens. ย He divided the land from the sea and carved majestic landscapes, gardens and flourishing plant life within them. ย Then He created man in His own image and gave him a lifetime companion from the man’s rib
For most of us, we’re lucky to get through a 40 hour work week, take care of household duties, make meals and spend time with family. We often complain when we have to put in overtime hours. Some of us can’t stay awake much past nine o’clock. When Sundays roll around, we’re ready for some rest.
If you really want to find some quiet time – a time to connect with the King of creation – spend an hour or so in His house. He’s waiting for you in His holy sacraments. He speaks to you through the Bible. The beautiful music, the glorious sanctuary, all the trappings of a church enhance the experience, but the truth is this is a time reserved just for you to be with God.
Why not try it? Once you make up your mind to give God that early Sunday morning time, you will find true rest. The coming week will take on new meaning. You can face it with the confidence that God lives in you, through His Holy Spirit.
Dust covers the now stagnant and aging photo albums on my coffee table.ย My youngest daughter still loves searching through those picture books โ hoping to find memories of her own childhood. When it became easier to put them on a computer, it seemed a waste of time to save the albums.ย Still there was the tactile, the tangible, the sensory, the very physical experience of touching, smelling, visualizing, remembering the situation in which those photos were captured. It was like recapturing a memory from the past and bringing it back to life.
As I think how things have changed so much in my lifetime, looking at old photographs is right up there with reading a physical newspaper or hard cover book. Thereโs something missing when we look at those things through the eyes of a screen which has no emotion, no feelings, no connection.
I have an old wooden cigar box filled with pictures from a bygone era. Most of those pictured are unknown to me, but they represent another time and place. The ladies in their long dresses, sitting on the ground at a picnic โ the derby and straw hats worn by a group of young men gathered at a bar and raising beer glasses in a toast โ the stoic faces of those pioneers who trudged across an unknown continent in search of a new life. Those faded, black and white, sometimes sepia toned images are a piece of history to be preserved. I hadnโt thought much about those old pictures until our oldest daughter recently asked to look through them. It was then that I realized the importance of hanging on to them.
As time wears on and life changes, we need to cling to the old with a tight grip.ย Our history is the beginning of our future.ย We not only learn from our past mistakes, but we can use the experiences to guide us to a better life ahead.ย When any part of our past is erased, there is a void.ย It’s almost like taking a portion of your existence away.
There’s something about Peter Pan that always rings true for me. I never wanted to grow up. It’s not that I’m irresponsible. In fact, I’d consider myself quite responsible. Yet the idea of remaining childlike has always appealed to me. When we’re children, all we want to do is become adults. I guess it shouldn’t come as a surprise that when we grow old, we wish we were young again. Wouldn’t it be great if we didn’t have to be accountable? If, like Peter Pan, we had our own place – our own followers – our games to play and time to frolic? Wouldn’t it be amazing to make our own rules and carve our own path? Sometimes it seems like that’s what may be happening to the youth of today, but that just an old grandmother talking.
As we grow up, we’re taught to put away childish behavior, to forget about nonsensical things, to live by the certain standards, but maybe those standards have been tainted from one generation to the next. Growing old is not for sissies, but it can be filled with joy and laughter if we let it. We don’t have to isolate. We don’t have to hide from others. We don’t have to grumble and complain about every ache and pain. We definitely don’t need to impose our feelings on the younger generation when that’s what we’re longing to be.
We must remember how to play – how to get enjoyment from the little things – how to feed on the beauty of God’s creation. Yesterday, a small bird landed on my husband’s shoulder. That was amazing. I thought he had become an animated cartoon. We need to take time to stretch our imaginations again. Children have the great ability to picture things in their minds and make up stories to accompany them. Kids love to explore and learn. Somewhere along the line we lose the ability to be children. We become bitter because of something that has distressed us. We lose our ability to look ahead when our final years approach.
Yet there is still so much to be hopeful for. We have a home waiting for us in eternity, where we will never grow old, feel pain, discouragement or anger. That place is not Neverland, but heaven. While we’re going through these remaining days, let’s never forget how to be young.
C.S. Lewis, who wrote the Chronicles of Narnia, had this to say about aging:
“You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”
โYou see, I don’t think age matters so much as people think. Parts of me are still 12 and I think other parts were already 50 when I was 12โฆ.โ
“Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.”
As I reach the end of my years, I find I have a lot of good information stored up in this old decrepit mind of mine. If I don't write it all down, it may vanish and no one will have the advantage of my thoughts. This is why this blog exists. I love the Lord, Jesus with all my heart and soul. I know I'm undeserving of all He's done for me, but I also know that His love is beyond my comprehension.
I've always wanted to write. I never kept diaries, but tucked my thoughts in my head for future reference. I use them now in creating stories, plays, poetry and my blog.
I continue to learn every day. I believe the compilation of our time spent with God will have huge affect on the way we live. I know I'm a sinner and I need a Savior. I have One through Jesus, Christ.
My book, "Stages - a memoir," is about the seven stages of life from the perspective of a woman. It addresses all the things girls and women go through in life as they travel it with Jesus, and it is available on Amazon.com.
