Here's the real question, "Got milk? And is it the sincere milk of the Word?"

As you no doubt have noticed, I often wonder about myself. I used to tell people all the time I didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up, and for better or worse I am still saying that same thing up until my current age. That famous line from Peter Pan comes to mind, "All children, except one, grow up." I know, I know. I had better make up my mind soon or what is already a moot point will become a moot fact of history. It's mostly a joke anyway but it has always been intended to portray a sense of adapting to whatever situation that God places me in. Back when I was at the big company people often said things about my career. I always corrected them by telling them I saw it as a place to come each day to work and use my skills, not a life pursuit. This is what came to my mind on this Thursday, April 14, 2011, and I bid you welcome once again. I do know that God has in mind for us to be like children in many ways. He through the Apostle Peter told us, that we, regardless of our age, should always desire the sincere milk of the word and the illustration given was that of a nursing baby. ("As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby:" 1st Peter Chapter 2, Verse 2) The mother's milk is a matter of survival for that newborn child and if you have ever seen a very hungry baby you know just how desperate they can become for that nourishment. I used to think that growing up in the faith meant putting aside milk and substituting something stronger to eat. There is the need for maturity and to become meat eaters as opposed to always eating baby food, however, our maturity can only be achieved as we continue to be like a nursing baby in our desire to take in nourishment from God's Holy Word. It took me many years to gain insight into this, and I pass it on because if we fail to desire the intake of God's Truth we will surely end up taking in the wrong stuff which always leads to unhealthy results. Been there and done that.

I continue to think about thinking about all that I need to do to get my medical stuff lined up for that huge life changing event that will take place later this year when I turn 65. I pretty much know what I will do regarding Medicare and additional insurance coverage but you still have a number of procedural hoops to jump through to get it all set up. I called the 1-800 number for enrollment and spent maybe 15 minutes getting everything set up so that I could be handed off to a real person. I finally got the real person and was told that it would be necessary for me to make contact with a local office in our area. Therefore, I went through another process to find out that I now have an appointment to receive a telephone call next week from someone in our local area office. The only thing missing from all of this was one of them telling me that I had forgotten to say 'may I?' but I fully expected to hear it at anytime. They didn't use a laugh track but I really thought the dialogue and interaction had much potential for a Tim Conway and Harvey Korman skit, but since I seemed to be making it through the various steps without any static, I decided not to share this insight with the government worker on the line. I know that Harvey Korman passed away in 2008 but that didn't stop me from enjoying the thought of that dynamic comic duo. If you were to somehow figure out a way not to be feeling like you are getting older, I have a bit of news for you, this process will change that in a hurry.

Having to work through all these issues and knowing my wife will be walking down that same road soon is enough to make one begin to wonder about things like when the statue of limitations runs out on this age deal. The other night when I was up leading the cheer for our Bible club meeting the thought hit me that perhaps a man my age shouldn't outta be doing things like that. I get those thoughts quite often these days. Maybe that tune I'm hearing in my head is the late Ernest Tubb singing "Too Old to Cut the Mustard Anymore". That sentiment actually originated back in the late 1600's when mustard was used as a metaphor for the genuine article. Since mustard, the condiment, was used to add spice and vitality, it became a part of the lingo of that day indicating something that was excellent or the best. There are different views about the use of the word cut. Some think that it has to do with cutting the actual mustard plant, meaning that you are really not up to it if you can't manage to cut the plant. However, it has come to mean that one is not up to meeting the expectation associated with a particular activity. It's not something you hear every day but I do remember hearing it from time to time when I was growing up. The 'too old' part was added and there you have it, an anthem for those who reach whatever the 'too old' age happens to be or it could perhaps be for those who have to play word games with the voice automated system on the other end of that 1-800 number. You know me. When they asked the spelling of my mother's maiden name I couldn't help but remember the variety of ways it has been spelled, even within our family. I went with the one she uses and the system took it, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Now you know why I started today's episode wondering about myself. See you next time and until then don't forget to nourish yourself by taking in the sincere milk of the Word. Regardless of your age, it will do a body good! Amen.     ....More later.