Don't Quote Me

     In the book of Revelation, Chapter 22:18, it says "I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book;". I think I may be in trouble. In one of the blank pages in the back of my bible, I've added some thoughts and sayings over the years. So, in case I break out in boils or get scorched by the sun, I've posted them here:

• "The Lord rewards faithfulness about fruitfulness" - Billy Graham
• God looks at our methods, not results
• Excuses are often lies packed in the skin of reason
• Excuses are just reasons why you would do it again
• "The ship belongs in the water of the world, but if the water gets in the ship, it sinks" - Dwight L Moody
• If you have faith enough to ask, you have faith enough
• The central struggle of the Christian life is the struggle to keep on believing Jesus
• Glorifying God is not what you do for Him (Law), it's what God has done for you (Grace)
• The beginning of entitlement is the end of grace
• Vision will not be embraced by anyone if it's not embraced by you
• The fear of consequences is no deterrent when the fear of God is gone
• The pillars of trust are competence and character
• "It's amazing what you can accomplish of you don't worry about who gets the credit" - Ronald Reagan
• "God doesn't want you to invite Him into your business, He wants to get you into His" - Brett Johnson
• The Holy Spirit doesn't make me better than you, He makes me better than me
• "Jesus isn't looking for salesmen, He's looking for witnesses" - Travis Osborne
• "We pray that God makes our circumstances better, but God uses our circumstances to make us better" - David Jeremiah
• "Greatness = calculated and constant action that benefits others" - Travis Osborne
• No God, no peace; Know God, know peace
• Far from God? Who moved?

    Now my only dilemma is that the next verse in Revelation says "and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book".  

Now what do I do? 

I'm Not Old, I'm Older

     Getting older (not old) is a good thing, considering the alternative. But getting older is not a good feeling. It's a tutorial of our anatomy as each recently used muscle inflames itself to notoriety. It's a reminder that remembering is.... ah, forgetting what you were going to say. Getting physically older betrays the immature thoughts of our mind or notion that we are still able to unscrew jar lids, lift 50lb bags of dog food without consequence or sleep through the night without interruption. The adage the older I get, the faster I was rings true. Racquetball succumbs to Pickleball. Basketball is replaced by Cornhole, and Golf becomes par for the course. 

    And speaking of courses, when or who teaches us how to get older? Throughout our adolescent years, parents are tasked with teaching the necessities of getting through life, but who teaches the old to get older? How do we keep from being grumpy but gracious? How do we get better and not bitter, selfless and not selfish? How many times have I heard myself and peers say "I don't put up with that anymore"? Why? How do years of walking on this planet entitle us to being impatient and graceless? Who gave us permission to express our unfiltered thoughts via an unbridled tongue?

    Lord help us (me) to be gracious in speech and humble in thought as we age. To remember that our role as parents of adolescents no longer exists. Our assigned task of nurturing, leading, teaching and modeling maturity ended years ago. We had our opportunity the first 18 years of their life and there is no make-up session. May we embrace the freedom from our earlier responsibilities and behave more like cheerleaders, advocates, and encouragers. May our counseling be in response to inquiry, not our unsolicited expression of opinions. The proverb to be slow to speak and quick to listen (James 1:19, Proverbs 18:13) seems especially applicable to us. 

    Though getting older may feel like uncharted waters, rest assured the Captain of life's ship is in control and we've been endowed with the very presence of God in our lives when we place our faith in Him. May we exercise the gift of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control throughout the remaining days of what we may think we have.