"I Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now" ~ Song by the late Rusty Goodman

Hello to everyone who either tuned in on purpose or landed here looking for something in obviously the wrong place. Perhaps it isn't the 'wrong' place. Stick around. Who knows what might be in today's issue? I'm waiting around to see for myself. It is Thursday, May 9, 2019, and we continue the journey God has graciously provided to us. The other day I wrote some about dealing with the challenges associated with age-related forgetfulness. I understand based on what I have heard that I am not alone in dealing with this development. I know, for me, it can be very frustrating. At the same time, I am reminded of my late and dear brother-in-law, Bro. Milton, who lost his short-term memory after suffering a series of strokes. He was fully aware of his situation. But, he took it in stride and made it into a source of laughter. He never could remember what he had eaten at his last meal, therefore, he often requested the same thing for his next meal. His wife would gently remind him, "No, hun, we just had fried catfish for lunch." He would burst out laughing and then he would say, "Well, I do think I could eat it again." His memory had been messed up but not his sweet spirit. We all should hope to be able to deal with limitations in that way. Amen.

My wife Marilyn, their mom, and the sister Dorothy.

Speaking of the journey God has given to us, the other day I was talking with The Wife's sister's new husband. Both widows, they married last September. He was commenting on how wonderfully blessed he was to have married such a fine lady. I told him that one of the things I am glad I did was to be able on more than one occasion to thank The Wife's parents for raising up the girls they did. These sisters are so much alike, I think everyone knows that's why I call them twins born 18 months apart. They are both attractive. However, their true beauty really does come from the inside out. They were brought up in Church. They were brought up to serve. They were brought up in God's Word. Today, each of them has great influence in their circle of friends and loved ones. Interestingly enough, many of their individual friends have, over the years, become friends to both of them. I would say that is quite rare. The other day we had a memorial service for a dear lady we've known for nearly 25 years. The wife's sister came over for the service. She helped with the music. She told me she would have come just to be there because she loved that lady too. I told my new brother-in-law that out of all the blessings I've had in my life, certainly, my wife for these 54 plus years comes right behind my relationship with God through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. I understand his feelings. I get it. Thank You, Lord, for these wonderful ladies. Amen.

In the Psalm attributed to Moses, the servant of God, the 90th Psalm, he, via inspiration gives us this insight into the aging process, "As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength, eighty years, Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; For soon it is gone and we fly away." (Verse 10, as rendered in the New American Standard Bible, NASB) I know everyone zeroes in on the 70 or 80 mentioned here. Reading the great commentators from the past, the more important factor is to recognize the brevity of life as the writer makes clear in verse 12, "So teach us to number our days, That we may present to You a heart of wisdom." Many folks yearn for a long life. They are focused on doing everything they can to extend their time here on the planet. The truth tells us it is more about how we use the time given to us than how much time we have. It's also a reality check about the facts of life and the trouble and difficulties associated with living a long time. I close with a song that makes this point very clear:

In The Time That You Gave Me

In the time that you gave me, did I give all I could give
Did I love all I could love, did I live all I could live
Was my faith in your grace strong enough to save me
Did I do all I could do in the time that you gave me

In the time that you gave me did I face the devil down
Did I make him turn away every time I stood my ground
If today is the day you should decide to take me
Did I do all I could do in the time that you gave me

Oh and I'll never know 'til it's over
But I wanna fly on your shoulders
Might have strayed from the path
I might have gone a little crazy
I like to think I did you proud in the time that you gave me

Oh and I'll never know 'til it's over
But I wanna fly on your shoulders
Might have strayed from the path
I might have gone a little crazy
I like to think I did you proud in the time that you gave me

And as the hourglass empties, no it won't even phase me
If I did all I could do in the time that you gave me
If I did all I could do in the time that you gave me

Songwriters: Shawn Camp and Dennis Morgan

Look it up on YouTube. There are several renditions by different singers. One of my favorites is by Owen Mac, the young Irish singer. Until next time, may God help us all to focus on finishing strong. Amen. ....More later.