Good morning and welcome to this particular Wednesday, August 16, 2017. This is the day that I pause to thank the good Lord above for His providence and His provision throughout my three score and ten years plus one. That’s right. I am blessed, as of today, to have been breathing the air here on the planet for these seventy-one years. There are way too many blessings to even begin to mention by name, but, I will summarize my journey thus far in this way: Faith, Family, and Friends. Faith: Simply put, God. He has been good to me. Family: I have a wonderful immediate and extended family. Friends: I have a host of those who have blessed me with their support and friendship. I’ve learned some things during my time. Some of it came the hard way. Being somewhat reflective, I share this quote from the late, celebrated American poet, Robert Frost, “The afternoon knows what the morning never suspected.” I do thank God for His blessings. Amen. (The photo collage depicts myself and Marilyn as kids. Believe it or not, just 10 or so years from that photo, we were dating. The rest, as they say, is history. She reflects God’s best in my life for over 55 years.)
Since I ushered myself into a reflective mood, I suppose I should say something that would be an attempt to utter a profound assessment of this life that God has given to me. I looked up some famous words spoken by famous people in their conclusions about the meaning of life. Some of them sounded pretty good but they were not what I was looking for. I then thought about the Source of Truth given to us by God Himself. And, this is the passage that jumped into my mind. It is from the inspired journal kept by Solomon and it is his conclusion having devoted himself to pretty much every pursuit known to humanity. "When all has been heard, the end of the matter is: fear God [worship Him with awe-filled reverence, knowing that He is almighty God] and keep His commandments, for this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, every hidden and secret thing, whether it is good or evil." (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, from the Amplified Bible.) He's still working on me and I am too. It is a full-time occupation. No retirement. Amen.
I most likely could have come up with some flowery sounding words but never would I or anyone else be able to have the impact that comes when we share God's Holy Word. He speaks through His Word by the power of His Spirit who is able to communicate truth to the human heart. Here's a tidbit from the ProEdit website: "So 860.3 million words certainly sounds like a lot. However, getting our heads around that number requires some perspective. Here goes: In one lifetime, the average person speaks the equivalent of the entire text of the complete 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary (OED) more than 14.5 times." I know what some of you are thinking. You think I am way ahead of that schedule. You are probably right. Please humor me a tad, because it is, after all, my birthday. I may not show it all the time, but to me, I surely should have an attitude of gratitude because God has been there with me throughout my lifetime. Like I said, I may not show it all the time. I may not even feel it all the time, but, the good news is how that doesn't change the reality of His provision and presence. I close with that thought, I am thankful. Amen. ....More later..
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