We all reach and pass milestones in our lives. We are born (which starts, hopefully, a rather lengthy string of birthday celebrations); we learn to use the potty, tie our shoes, dress and feed ourselves; we say our first words, start school, find our first true love, join the band or football team. Most of us go on to college, finally meet our really truly true love, get married, usually have children. Now we’ve added wedding anniversaries to our calendar beside our birthdays.

My Mom in Iowa recently commented that she never felt old (she just turned 84) until her first child, me, became eligible for Social Security!

Well, Saturday, February 1st, I became eligible for Medicare even though my birthday isn’t until the 15th. Wow! Have I actually survived this long? I guess I have. I’m sitting here at the G4 writing this piece! (g)

Saturday, I went to one of my favorite places to think, cogitate, contemplate, ponder, reflect, ruminate, speculate, deliberate, consider, remember, recall, cerebrate, contemplate, entertain, excogitate, muse, mull. Speaking of pondering, I’m one of the best! (g)

I remembered many things from my childhood, most of them pretty good. Moving to Iowa was a good experience when I was 10. I loved the schools there. Met my first wife, Joyce, there while we were both in high school. Played in the band, sang in the music department, made speeches and acted in plays under most excellent teachers.

College had some ups and downs, largely due to the demise of the college I first attended! The teachers all had doctorates, but it operated by faith and, I guess, someone didn’t have enough faith. (g) I survived and went on to other institutions. No, I wasn’t crazy, just wanted more edumacation! (g)

Marriage produced three great kids. Have never been given a reason to regret parenthood. I do feel a bit older as I see their birthdays pass the 40 year old marker. With so much for which to be grateful, I just can’t complain.

Joyce went home to be with Jesus. Pat came into our family. What a kind and healing touch she provided to me and our three teens. Certainly one of the milestones that will never be forgotten.

Kids left home. Now have wonderful mates, people who fit in our family and bring joy to our hearts. Grandkids are a special part of our blessing bag!

I wonder how often any of us take opportunity to count blessings, recount great moments, and praise the Lord for His inerrant goodness? Even with our sick house and car problems, we’re blessed. After all, they are only things. They can be fixed, replaced, etc. Family is extremely important and always will be. They’re a lot harder to replace! (g)

Do I “feel” old? Absolutely not. Yeh, my knees are pretty well shot due to a bad accident in ’84. Very few people believe I’m nearly 65 when I do tell them. My sense of humor coupled with my optimism gene have stood me well over the years. I look forward to the years ahead with faith and excitement. After all, Col. Sanders started KFC with his first retirement check at 65. Paul Harvey is 84 and just signed a 10 year contract to continue his programs. Says he expects to outlive the contract.

Wonder if you’ll have things come to your mind you’d like to share with me? I could write books about this stuff, but don’t think you’d stick with reading all the way through! (g)

If you want to share a story or stories from your life, please do. As always, if you have a prayer request, please send it along. Just use the “Leave a Reply” box below!  Thanks and God bless!

SOME SELECTED RESPONSES TO “LEADING MY KIDS TO JESUS”

– I have said often of late, we spend too much time introducing doctrine and too little time introducing the One Who gave it to us.

Learning about God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit is good, but it isn’t as filling (g) as learning to know Him. I commend this lady for doing what is too lacking in all together too many “Christian” walks today, getting to know Him, not just about Him. Tell her that she will be on my list (prayer).

– Excellent

– I was just wondering this morning if Pat had gotten home safely and was hoping to join in your celebration of being back together after all this time. I’m so sorry to hear she had car trouble. I will pray for a safe trip back for her…and her car.

– Her car problems remind me of what happened to us recently. My husband called one Saturday night a couple of weeks ago to say he had run out of gas and to ask me to take him some gasoline we had here. I loaded up the kids in their pajamas and we took him the gas. Well, turns out his truck wasn’t out of gas; there’s something wrong with the computer that controls the fuel pump. So he asked me to tow him home. I drive an Explorer. He drives a Ford F-250, King Cab, Extended Bed. I said, “WHAT?!?” I would have to tow him up the mountain. He assured me it would be all right, so away we went. We got home just fine. Except that when Mike went back out he saw a trail of transmission fluid coming up the driveway and a puddle under the Explorer. We can NOT afford car trouble right now, much less a new vehicle (the Explorer is a 1991 model and the pickup is even older). I was just managing not to panic and to put my trust in God. Mike drove the kids and me to church the next day in his work truck, and he came to pick us up in the Explorer!!!!! Apparently the transmission got hot and the pressure blew the fluid out, but it has not leaked since. God is SO good!

– Was just thinking about you and Pat last night, and wondering how things were working out. Sorry to hear about her car problems – will keep her and your friend, Nathan, in my prayers. The cold weather that we’ve been having in PA – has been something else. Looking forward to spring. Hope all is well – what a lovely article – enjoyed reading it and it made me start to thinking – I assumed that my children were receiving the same messages that I was!!! Was I being narrow minded or what?

– I did read the article about the lady who is having her children over on Sunday. I think it is wonderful that her children really want to do that… I’m starting a Bible study on listening. Joyce Meyer says that God will cause people to stop and listen to you. The other day, my daughter came over and we got into a discussion about God and our emotions. Most of the talk was about God being the one who helps us through the tough times, stress and anxiety. She listened and seemed genuinely interested. She is the one who brought up the whole subject. I could never have talked to her before.

God is working in many peoples lives these days. It might not seem that way sometimes because of all the bad things happening in this world… but when I read about someone like this lady…determined to bring her children to the Lord… it blesses my heart. It is an encouragement to me.