FReeper Canteen ~ Sunday Chapel ~ REFLECTIONS ON GROWING OLD(ER) ~ 22 October 2023

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[Kathy in Alaska]

 

 

 

REFLECTIONS ON GROWING OLD(ER)

Someone once said that we are now living in the age of age. In fact, there are more old people alive today than at any time in history. There are, today, more people over 65 in the United States than the entire population of Canada. Faced with these figures, and faced with the fact that you will someday be, if you are not already, in the category of the aged, the old, or the elderly, how do you, or will you, look upon the final chapter of your book of life?

Some look at age philosophically, like Jack Benny, who said: "Age is a matter of mind; if you don't mind, it doesn't matter." Some look at age sarcastically, like the wisecracker who said: "You know you are getting old when the gleam in your eye is from the sun hitting your bifocals." Or, as Bob Hope said on his 80th birthday: "You know you're old when the candles cost more than the cake." Some view age evasively, like the elderly couple in California who were stopped for speeding and when asked where they were going in such a hurry, replied, "We're escaping from Leisure World." Some look at age shrewdly, like Agatha Christie, who quipped that she married an archaeologist so that the older she became, the more he would appreciate her.

But what about scripturally? In the Book of Genesis, Abraham made a comment about his advanced years and how his faith was strong even at 99 years of age. St. Paul even once wrote of Abraham that, "He (Abraham) did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old . . ." While his body weakened, his soul grew stronger. St. Paul wrote: " ... he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God." (Romans 4:20)

Abraham didn't need any White House Conference on Aging to figure out how to handle the afternoon of his life. His senior years were the "Sabbath" of his soul, not to rest but to refresh. They were the garnering years, alive with rich possibilities for self-realization, a time of harvest, abundant and manifold. With the patriarch as a paradigm, St. Paul intimates that age is a time of spiritual enrichment, of growing close to God. The aging saint has no time for regrets. Age is the country he's always wanted to reach. The saints go marching in! It's the land of freedom: freedom from the striving of making a living, freedom from the strains of child-raising, freedom from the real, or imaginary, necessities of social acceptance, freedom from defining one's own status by occupation, income, and social approval, freedom to live where you want, do what you want, go where you want; and yes, freedom at last, to wear shoes for comfort instead of for style. Age, a la Abraham, is a time to sift for nuggets of meaning, to make psychic gains, and experience spiritual satisfaction, to add life to years, not just years to life. To try to link faith and age in any other non-productive way is to have as a motto: "In God We Rust."

LCDR Jeffrey Nordhaus, CHC, USN

 

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Taxman, and a Blessed Lord’s Day to you and yours.

[mountainlion]

Got a good start on the firewood this year. Heavy sweaters are ready. Already had snow and Trailridge Road is closed for the season.The Aspen are turned. Winter is rapidly approaching. I suspect it is headed your way.

[The Mayor]

October 22

Headlong into Danger

Bible in a Year:

• Isaiah 65–66
• 1 Timothy 2

A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions. The simpleton goes blindly on [toward danger] and suffers the consequences.

Proverbs 27:12 nlt

In 1892, a resident with cholera accidentally transmitted the disease via the Elbe River to Hamburg, Germany’s entire water supply. Within weeks, ten thousand citizens died. Eight years earlier, German microbiologist Robert Koch had made a discovery: cholera was waterborne. Koch’s revelation prodded officials in large European cities to invest in filtration systems to protect their water. Hamburg authorities, however, had done nothing. Citing costs and alleging dubious science, they’d ignored clear warnings while their city careened toward catastrophe.

The book of Proverbs has a lot to say about those of us who see trouble yet refuse to act. “A prudent person foresees danger and takes precautions” (27:12 nlt). When God helps us see danger ahead, it’s common sense to take action to address the danger. We wisely change course. Or we ready ourselves with appropriate precautions that He provides. But we do something. To do nothing is sheer lunacy. We can all fail to miss the warning signs, however, and careen toward disaster. “The simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences” (v. 12 nlt).

In Scripture and in the life of Jesus, God shows us the path to follow and warns us of trouble we’ll surely face. If we’re foolish, we’ll barrel ahead, headlong into danger. Instead, as He leads us by His grace, may we heed His wisdom and change course. .

Reflect & Pray

When have you refused God’s wisdom? How can you better learn to respond to His warnings?

Dear God, please help me listen to You and turn away from danger.

[Taxman]

Thank you Kathy.

And a Blessed Lord’s Day to you and yours backatcha!

My philosophy of life has always been “What, Me Worry?”

And, as I get older, it still works for me, for the most part.

I saw this painted on a wall in the “Legends” restaurant in Martinsburg, PA: “Worry is like sitting in a rocking chair; It is activity, but it gets you nowhere.”

[SuperLuminal]

At one month shy of 90, I have started to feel one or two effects of aging...

Wife (an 84 year old youngster) says I am much slower washing the dishes and cleaning up the kitchen these days... (She cooks...I clean up)

Also, when we make our bi-weekly trip to the MGM at National Harbor, I can only last for a couple of hours while she assaults the slot machines before I need to sit down and rest...

Finally, I’ve begun an exercise program that should get me through to my 103rd birthday above ground...

[radu]

Howdy, Kathy.

The Lake Hood cam is working again! Now to see how long it stays up this time. Nice to see clear skies up there but I gather it’s been a bit cold lately. There’s a thin layer of ice on the lake.

It was a decent weekend at the museum. Definitely slower than last weekend but hey, we had everyone there today unlike last Saturday. LOL
It was a gorgeous day and I imagine no one was really interested in doing inside stuff. They wanted to be outside and I can’t blame them.
First tour yesterday was with a young man and his 6, maybe 7 year old son. It was a short tour, unfortunately, because the son was afraid of the mannequins. We barely managed to get him through the front room and when we stepped into the back room which is larger, he was ready to go NOW. A lot more mannequins in there and he wanted nothing to do with them. A shame because his dad was VERY into the place. I felt bad for him because the disappointment was so obvious in his eyes. He said he WIL be back the next time he’s in the area.

Two men showed up and I was disappointed it wasn’t my turn for a tour. One of them is a tour guide a couple of times a year at Normandy. He did take a minute to show me a few pics he has on his phone.

The one tour I had today was with an Army veteran and his wife, and he was loads of fun. He was like a kid in a candy store - - kept pointing to things he wanted to buy from us. LOL He had a lot of stories to tell and he tossed out bits of information as well.

Slow but it was a fun weekend overall. And da tootsies aren’t screaming tonight. LOL

[luvie]

Dallas Christian Sound~This Is My Father's World

Glad~Before the Throne Of God Above

Cathedrals~He Cared That Much For Me

Casting Crowns~Praise You In The Storm

Bill Gaither/Velstal Goodman~The Lighthouse

The Trevecca Madrigalians~It Is Well With My Soul

Statler Brothers~Sweet Beulah Land

Have a Blessed Sunday

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Janey...((HUGS))...Shavua Tov and a Blessed Lord’s Day to you and yours.

Glad your studying is going well. Interesting/fun times spent with the mechanics.

[lightman]

Keep the Lord’s Day in the Lord’s way.

A blessed Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost (Western)/Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost (Orthodox) to all.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, ETR, and Shavua Tov to you and yours.

Thanks for the links.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Oh my...the road is already closed.

Yep...it’s headed our way.

We had one day of snow, it melted, and the rain returned.

Hopefully no rain in the near future...because it never got out of the 20s today. Down into the teens tonight.

[radu]

Howdy, luvie.

How’s your weekend going? It looks like you might get a little rain tomorrow, provided it doesn’t evaporate before reaching the ground. That’s happened here often enough lately. LOL We did finally get a splash Thursday night when a thunderstorm rumbled by just before I went to bed.

[Kathy in Alaska]

“Worry is like sitting in a rocking chair; It is activity, but it gets you nowhere.”

I like it!

[luvie]

Hey there, radu!

It’s been a good weekend! The days have been gorgeous until the late afternoon when it’s just a bit too warm to suit me. Yeah, we’ve been promised “70% chance of rain” all day today, and we haven’t seen a drop. Whatever is coming is slow as molasses! LOL!

It’s a shame you didn’t get more than just a “splash”, but we take what we can get nowadays, huh. Hope your days at the museum were fun and busy!

[Kathy in Alaska]

Happy Almost 90th Birthday, SuperLuminal!!

Click

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, Mayor, and thank you for today’s sustenance for body and soul.

And a Blessed Lord’s Day to you and yours.

Hope you are enjoying your weekend.

[radu]

It’s the leading edge of the rain with Hurricane Norma that’s moving up. The rain’s moving in your direction but it’s light rain. That’s why I figure it might evaporate due to the air being so dry. But over time, it moistens the air and rain will eventually make it to the ground. Primin’ the pump. Now to hope the remnants of Norma move far enough north to give you a decent dose.

We could have used more than the tenth of an inch we got, no doubt, especially since there’s no rain in the forecast for the next week. But dry is good for the farmers who are all hustling to harvest now. They’ve been going like gangbusters all week.

[luvie]

I knew it was supposed to give us some rain....we hope....and I hope this is just the beginning. So far, though, there hasn’t been even the smell of rain on the air. LOL!

I am sure the farmers are racing to get done before what they know is inevitable ....a good hard autumn rain. Sounds like they might just pull it off. Of course, you can’t breathe, but soon maybe... :)

[Kathy in Alaska]

Hurrah...the cam is working again!

It was a beautiful, sunny day today, but it never got warmer than the mid 20s...I sweep all the leaves off to the side of the driveway last night, and will get them into the trash barrel tomorrow. And rake the one spot in the back yard that is annoying me.

Upwards of 40 ducks this evening, AND the lady duck with the bad leg was here. I got a bunch of corn within reach to her and then spread more in all directions away from her to get the others spread out.. Worked pretty well.

Glad you had a good day, even if it was slow. Hopefully the dad will be back without the kid.

[SkyDancer]

Hai! Yeah, got good and greasy. LOL