"Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved." William Jennings Bryan

Welcome. It's Monday, June 10, 2013, and I'm most happy to offer up a hearty hello from the ole blogger ranch to wherever you happen to be. I don't know if the two mega high school graduations we were privileged to attend qualify as cardio workouts, but they should. Walking, stair climbing, and good old fashioned close communion among fellow graduation attendees was the order of the day. The one last Thursday saw more than 700 graduates cross the stage. There were perhaps between 8 and 10 thousand people there to cheer these achievers on. It's pretty heady stuff folks when you consider the magnitude of the learning opportunities our kids have today. And, may I just say a word about cultural diversity. Kyleigh's senior class voted for the teachers given the privilege of calling out the names. Talk about some tongue twisting names, from every ethic and language heritage. My youngest son remarked how that while having the honor of reading those names as they received their diplomas was a really big deal, that was one challenging assignment. But, this reflects our progress as a nation of immigrants and many of those students with odd sounding names graduated with honors. Both graduations were impressive. We have some impressive kids stepping forward to contribute to and shape our nation, and I pray that God will help them to apply themselves for the good of us all. Amen.

One of the young ladies who addressed the audience talked about the many changes of significance that had taken place since they all walked through the door as freshmen some four years ago. As she pointed out, the technology changes have been astronomical. She talked about how their class would be the most well equipped in history in terms of technology and social media use. While that is no doubt true, it will be even more so for the next class, and the next class, and the next, and so on and so forth. You get the idea. With the mind boggling speed of technological change comes the unprecedented increase in the speed of life. The technology planners talk about a day very soon when literally anything and everything is immediately at your disposal, 24 hours a day. This means just that. Anything. Any media of any kind, no matter where it exists, will be accessible on demand using a handheld device. Breathtaking increase in the speed of technology. Breathtaking increase in the speed of life. What is not apparent is how this will play out in terms of impact. That is yet to be seen but something we should all take note of is this clarion call from our Creator: "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." (Psalm 40:10 from the NIV) Amen.

Those wonderfully talented kids that will be the leaders of tomorrow need the wisdom from those who have been there and done that. They most likely think that we who wear the white hair would be the last place to seek out guidance. However, the Bible is clear about the priority of wisdom connected to age. The older folks may not be able to give input regarding technological matters. What they can contribute is much more important, they can offer up insights and understanding regarding life itself. My advice to the younger generation is for them to not let this Biblically ordained foundation get away from them. There is plenty of evidence that many have already looked to themselves only but my fear is when they do, it will take many hardships and hurts to remind them of this need. But, that's just an old dude sharing his heart for these rich lives filled with such great potential. God does have the answer as given in this verse: "How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word." (Psalm 119:9 from the NIV). Amen.  .....More later.