Time keeps on tickin'

 

I turned 65 this year, and I have to say that sounds old to me.  I know many older people, but my brother passed away at 69, which is very sobering.   I am fortunate to be in reasonably good health, but statistics suggest I am most likely in this last quadrant of my life.  I have a choice to make every day.  I can choose to groan about being old, or I can choose to treat each day as a gift from God.  That gift comes with an obligation to live that day for Him.  He wants me to love others, love myself and love Him in every moment.  I found this short sermon clip from Billy Graham which expresses my thoughts better than I can.   Take a few minutes to meditate on it.  

Note: Dr. Graham mentions the average life span is 70 for American men, but Google states it is now 76.5 for men and 81.4 for women.

Something Beautiful

 

June is one of the busiest months of every year for us.  We have Pirate Camp for our grandkids, birthdays and anniversaries, Father's Day and that all rolls into the Fourth of July weekend,  one of the most popular times of the year at the lake.  On top of all of that, June is usually one of the busiest times of the year for our real estate business.  After recovering from the excitement of being around so many people and the behind-the-scenes work to pull it all off, I feel like I need some rest.   Sleeping is not one of my greatest gifts, so I  have found having a restful mind during the day is critical.  I'm not very good at that either, but these things help me:  I am thankful for our small group from church that prays for me and encourages me.  I am thankful for the new Bible reading plan that I have started, The Bible Recap which is led by Tara-Leigh Cobble.  I am thankful for the  beauty of worship music and the way it makes me feel closer to God.  CeCe Winans is one of my favorite singers, and I found her version of Holy Forever this morning.  Take 5 minutes to focus your mind on Something Beautiful.

A Peculiar Glory

I am reading the book of Job.  Job is not one of the Bible's most encouraging books, but many people are drawn to it because it helps them in times of desperation.  Job is an upright man who seems to have everything going for him.   God is speaking with Satan, an accuser, who states that the only reason Job is righteous is because of all his worldly possessions.  Satan then claims that if those possessions were taken from Job, he would stop being righteous.  God allows Satan to take away all that Job has: his position, his possessions, his family and friends and his health.  The middle section of the book is a poetic conversation between Job and four "friends" about God's justice.  The first three friends believe Job must have committed huge sins to deserve such punishment, but Job claims he was righteous, thereby dismissing that argument.  The fourth friend, affirms that God is just and perhaps there are reasons God allows bad things to happen to good people, such as preventing future sins or teaching people more about themselves and God.  The last section of the book is a conversation between God and Job where Job continues to try to understand why there is pain and suffering on the Earth.  God doesn't directly answer the questions but states that while the world is beautiful and awe-inspiring, it is also complex and dangerous.  The world in its current state does not exclude pain and suffering.  Most importantly, while we may not fully understand the "why", God is pleased that we come to him earnestly to try to understand.

The Bible Recap is the Bible reading plan I am currently using, and it directed me to this great song by Shane and Shane with an interlude by pastor and author, John Piper.  I encourage you to take a few minutes to listen.