The Afternoon of Life

  In less than 5 hours I will have finished my 56 th January in my lifetime.   31 new days…744 hours…44640 minutes that I never had before and will never have again.   In the past I’ve often set goals…New Year’s resolutions…made plans.   But I’ve always tended to wait till the end of the year and then felt good and fluffy if I accomplished at least half of what I set out for. This year I’m setting the bar a little higher.   I’m not looking for perfection.   I’m not trying to be a superwoman.   But I do want to know that when I say I’m living an accomplished life that I’m really doing so.   I broke my year’s goals into monthly goals this year…thinking that “baby steps” are just plain easier than giant strides.   I remind myself that my day-to-day life stays busy these days because I’m blessed with a husband, children and grandchildren and a warm, dry house that all need my attention.   Dan and I have had some “discussions” th...

  In Matthew 18:3 in the English Standard Version we read:   “At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Children are humble beings for the most part.   There comes a point where they begin to understand that life is a competition, but until then, they can be persuaded to share their toys, to “pretend” with their friends, to believe in what adults cannot.   I’ve been blessed with healthy, wonderful, active grandchildren and I’ve found myself watching them a lot recently, trying to understand what it is about children that Jesus saw…and why we were instructed to “become like children” if we want to enter the kingdom of heaven.   Here are...

  I miss you, Mom.   I miss hearing you shuffle to the kitchen early in the morning to pour your cup of coffee before settling in to read your devotions.   I miss seeing your forehead creased as you think about the solution to a crossword puzzle.   I miss your authoritative spirit that could handle any given situation.   I miss the smell of Merle Norman makeup on your face.   I miss pinching the skin on the back of your hand and watching it stay in place.   I miss you reaching over to hold my hand, just for the feeling of connection it gave us in those final days.   I miss watching you rise to the occasion when your friends showed up and you didn’t really feel like visiting, but you felt you couldn’t turn them away either.   I miss knowing that you’re taking care of dad…feeding him nutritious meals to help with his health problems.   I miss hearing you complain about things that you had to pretend to be nice about.   I miss ...