Tax season is here. Our mail for the last several weeks has included several W 2 forms and notices of interest accumulating accounts. That has reminded me of the old saying "The only sure things in life are death and taxes."
Well, not really. There are many things that you can be just as sure of. How about batteries? You can be absolutely sure that if you are in need of a 9 volt battery (say, for that annoying smoke alarm that kept you awake last night, beep, beep, beeping), you will only have AA, AAA, C and D batteries. Probably several of each kind. But, no 9 volts. That's a fact of life, and a sure thing.
Another item is an ice scraper for your windshield. It never fails. There is never an ice scraper in your car when you really need one. Ice appears and you suddenly remember that you broke the scraper on your windshield last winter or that you left it in your spouse's car last week, when he broke his own. It's just another thing you can be sure of.
I could go on and on. The sure thing is that there are dozens of life's little sureties. Ain't life great?
Dear Lord. You are our most sure thing. Your presence is eternally with us. We are your high priority and you should be ours. We are thankful and grateful for your love and care. We praise your name.
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
More power to you, girlfriend!
Do you know how to age gracefully? Let me tell you that I know of one lovely lady who is doing it spectacularly well.
Recently, this acquaintance of mine wrote an essay on aging. She entitled it "Gimme Gravy."
It seems, that at 94, she has done all of the Yoga, watched all of the calories and eaten all of the Kale that intends to. She is as healthy as she is going to get, so she figures, why not live a little in the time she has left. In other words, it's time to have a little gravy on all her breakfasts, lunches and dinners.
I think she's right as rain. There comes a point in life where you don't need the "lifetime warranty"that is a draw to many fine items. Those are for the folks who intend to beat the odds and live to be a hundred or so. Over the age of seventy-five, however, just who benefits from a 30 year mortgage or a lifetime guarantee on a furnace? Well, I just don't think it's us, the aging buyers. Nobody guarantees us another 30 years of life!
Maybe after age 75, it's best to go for the cheap. After all, at a certain age a little cheap glitz and a lot of gravy makes growing older a real treat.
Great God: We humans are a funny bunch. We are all concerned with looking younger than we are and living longer than we should. Our lives here are just a precursor of what it to come in your heavenly kingdom. Help us to focus on our everlasting souls.
In your blessed name we pray. Amen.
Recently, this acquaintance of mine wrote an essay on aging. She entitled it "Gimme Gravy."
It seems, that at 94, she has done all of the Yoga, watched all of the calories and eaten all of the Kale that intends to. She is as healthy as she is going to get, so she figures, why not live a little in the time she has left. In other words, it's time to have a little gravy on all her breakfasts, lunches and dinners.
I think she's right as rain. There comes a point in life where you don't need the "lifetime warranty"that is a draw to many fine items. Those are for the folks who intend to beat the odds and live to be a hundred or so. Over the age of seventy-five, however, just who benefits from a 30 year mortgage or a lifetime guarantee on a furnace? Well, I just don't think it's us, the aging buyers. Nobody guarantees us another 30 years of life!
Maybe after age 75, it's best to go for the cheap. After all, at a certain age a little cheap glitz and a lot of gravy makes growing older a real treat.
Great God: We humans are a funny bunch. We are all concerned with looking younger than we are and living longer than we should. Our lives here are just a precursor of what it to come in your heavenly kingdom. Help us to focus on our everlasting souls.
In your blessed name we pray. Amen.
Saturday, January 17, 2015
Move it!
Since the new year has begun, I have had to deal with quite a few folks that just aren't trying. I mean, they aren't trying to enjoy life. They aren't trying to learn. They aren't trying to "do" anything. And, you know what? They aren't happy.
Good Lord! What's wrong with waking up every day? Not a darn thing. It's a sure bet that each of us can think of ten people, in the blink of an eye, who no longer wake up every day. And, I really believe that if they could, they would be willing to switch places with us.
We all have aches and pains. (I don't know of anyone over the age of 60, who doesn't.) Getting older just hurts most of the time. It's a fact of life. But, sitting, doing nothing, doesn't help the situation. My friend, the fitness expert says that it actually makes the aches and pains much worse.
Life isn't a bowl of cherries. We've all messed up. What we have now is the result of what we have done and how we have lived. We can't change the past, no matter how often we choose to dwell on it.
So, the cure to the "do nothings" is to "do something". Whether it's exercising our minds or bodies, or just "doing" a change of attitude, our lives are bound to be better.
Many people have many millions of dollars by preaching and teaching about a positive outlook on life. But, it is up to us to do it.
Lord: Why do you waste your time and effort on us? We are so unworthy of your steadfast love and devotion.
Help us to be more thankful and grateful for all that we have. We praise your name.
Good Lord! What's wrong with waking up every day? Not a darn thing. It's a sure bet that each of us can think of ten people, in the blink of an eye, who no longer wake up every day. And, I really believe that if they could, they would be willing to switch places with us.
We all have aches and pains. (I don't know of anyone over the age of 60, who doesn't.) Getting older just hurts most of the time. It's a fact of life. But, sitting, doing nothing, doesn't help the situation. My friend, the fitness expert says that it actually makes the aches and pains much worse.
Life isn't a bowl of cherries. We've all messed up. What we have now is the result of what we have done and how we have lived. We can't change the past, no matter how often we choose to dwell on it.
So, the cure to the "do nothings" is to "do something". Whether it's exercising our minds or bodies, or just "doing" a change of attitude, our lives are bound to be better.
Many people have many millions of dollars by preaching and teaching about a positive outlook on life. But, it is up to us to do it.
Lord: Why do you waste your time and effort on us? We are so unworthy of your steadfast love and devotion.
Help us to be more thankful and grateful for all that we have. We praise your name.
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Fiddlesticks!
I try to keep a positive attitude at all times. But, sometimes I run into a real downer. It's as if I'm just cruising along, happy as a fat tick, and then I just get slapped in the side of the head with the ping pong paddle of life. When that happens, I have a very hard time trying to push myself up and be a happy camper.
When the people you love the most disappoint you, time after time, it's hard to forgive and forget. It's really hard.
But, you know, that has to be the way that God feels about all of us. We disappoint Him, time after time, but His unconditional love is there as our constant.
So, listen up, ME. Buck up and continue on. Life always gets better and there is a silver lining in every Life Cloud.
Life is a blessing. We can't know how much until we live another day. We have to take life a day at a time. Sometimes there are roses and sometimes there are thorns. Ouch!
Great and all powerful Lord. You have given us so much. We get disappointed when life doesn't turn out the way we want it to. We are fair weather believers, after all. Remind us that you didn't promise us blue skies every day. Help us to look on the bright side. Life does have its rewards. Your steadfast love endures forever.
When the people you love the most disappoint you, time after time, it's hard to forgive and forget. It's really hard.
But, you know, that has to be the way that God feels about all of us. We disappoint Him, time after time, but His unconditional love is there as our constant.
So, listen up, ME. Buck up and continue on. Life always gets better and there is a silver lining in every Life Cloud.
Life is a blessing. We can't know how much until we live another day. We have to take life a day at a time. Sometimes there are roses and sometimes there are thorns. Ouch!
Great and all powerful Lord. You have given us so much. We get disappointed when life doesn't turn out the way we want it to. We are fair weather believers, after all. Remind us that you didn't promise us blue skies every day. Help us to look on the bright side. Life does have its rewards. Your steadfast love endures forever.
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Hello. How the heck are you?
A New Year has begun. My number one goal, this year, is to renew old friendships.
These days, in the rush of living, it is really easy to walk away from those folks who were once-upon-a-time our close friends. But, because stuff happens and our circumstances change, friends fall by the wayside.
Today, I spent a couple of hours with a former work colleague. I hadn't seen her in over a year, but we made time this morning to see each other. We had such a great time. I loved it.
This afternoon, while walking through a nearly deserted department store, I spotted a woman that I hadn't seen in years. Actually, I couldn't remember her name, but I knew that I had once known her. So, I walked up and re-introduced myself.
She seemed genuinely glad that I had taken the time to say hello. We chatted a few minutes about "old times" then we went on our separate ways. Brief but nice.
My take on this whole thing is: Life is too short not to speak to everyone we know or once knew.
Life is much more meaningful if we share it. I am going to make the effort to let people know that I remember them and care about them.
Great God: Thank you for allowing us to share our lives with others. We have such abundance that keeping it all to ourselves is selfish. Thank you for friends.
These days, in the rush of living, it is really easy to walk away from those folks who were once-upon-a-time our close friends. But, because stuff happens and our circumstances change, friends fall by the wayside.
Today, I spent a couple of hours with a former work colleague. I hadn't seen her in over a year, but we made time this morning to see each other. We had such a great time. I loved it.
This afternoon, while walking through a nearly deserted department store, I spotted a woman that I hadn't seen in years. Actually, I couldn't remember her name, but I knew that I had once known her. So, I walked up and re-introduced myself.
She seemed genuinely glad that I had taken the time to say hello. We chatted a few minutes about "old times" then we went on our separate ways. Brief but nice.
My take on this whole thing is: Life is too short not to speak to everyone we know or once knew.
Life is much more meaningful if we share it. I am going to make the effort to let people know that I remember them and care about them.
Great God: Thank you for allowing us to share our lives with others. We have such abundance that keeping it all to ourselves is selfish. Thank you for friends.
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