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

Serving The Best Troops and Veterans In The World !! | The Canteen Crew

[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

 

[SuperLuminal]

Looks yummy!
Thxs...

[radu]

It’ll all depend on how that storm tracks as to you getting rain from it. I hope the little cold front coming down doesn’t move far enough to keep the storm too far south of you. It’s only here for a day so maybe that’ll be in time for that rain to reach you. I sure hope so.

It’s going to be pretty warm here all next week. Today was perfect and I wish we could keep it for a while. It did keep things slow at the museum since people wanted to take advantage of it.

I drove past two fields being harvested this afternoon on the way home and of COURSE, the dust was blowing across the highway. It still has the ol’ sinuses in an uproar. LOL

[Taxman]

I use it FRequently when it seems appropriate to do so; more and more, I find a lot of folks worrying about stuff, most of which can’t be fixed by worrying about it!

[radu]

BRRRRRRRRRRRR! Too cold! No wonder there’s ice on the lake surface. It sure was nice to see the cam up and running again but it’s worked before for a day or two and conked out again. It’s still a little hitchy so the problem isn’t completely resolved yet.

Glad to hear you were able to get some of the leaves raked up. I hope the leaves in that spot in your yard are dry enough to deal with.

I have a feeling your duck population is going to grow quickly now that it’s so cold. LOL They know where to go to get good meals to keep them going. And YAY that the lady duck showed up again! She’s still ok. Glad to hear your feeding arrangement worked out for her.

It’s a pretty safe bet the dad will be back, though it won’t be until next year. He was pumped. He went to school at the university at Sewanee and comes back to visit from St. Louis at least once a year. It would be nice if his son can get over his fear of the mannequins because he really did like everything else in there, especially all the vehicles.

[left that other site]

Hi Everybody!

(((HUGS)))

[luvie]

Is it too much to ask for the rain AND the cool front? LOL! I don’t mean to be greedy, but dang! It’s nearly November!

I have sat outside as much as MY allergies would let me, it has been so nice. I’m glad you had beautiful weather and sorry it was spoiled by the ol’ sinuses getting all revved up. LOL!

[radu]

It WOULD be nice to get both. LOL But to get any of this batch of rain, you need the front out of the way.
It isn’t much of a front as far as cooling us down. It was 74 today and will be around 70 tomorrow. Upper 70s, maybe even an 60 here and there, all week.
Much as I hate it, I need to mow the driveway next week. The yards aren’t bad and can wait a while but the driveway is very shaggy.

I spent as much time as I could outside at the museum today. The air was so clean up there. As soon as I reached the foot of the mountain on the way home, my head clogged up and sneezing commenced. ‘Tis that time of year but it won’t be long before we get a hard frost. That will tone things down a lot.

[Delta 21]

You got me 30 years gramps. Thanks for being a role model and

HAPPY BIRTHDAY !

[Delta 21]

Gen_3:19 By the sweat of thy brow shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

This verse always puts a boot in my ass.

[E.G.C.]

A very pleasant good Sunday morning and ((HUGS)) to everyone at the Canteen and to all our military at home and abroad. Thanks for your service to our country.

Yesterday at Comanche Lake:

We also had ribs for supper.

Today is Sonic Drive Inn Day. We also plan on doing Comanche Lake later today.

How's everyone doing this morning?

[luvie]

Well, I’d rather have the rain then. It will cool things down to some extent.

Isn’t it funny how the nose knows? I can go anywhere and breathe great, but the minute we get back to this area, my allergies are all back. I think I’m allergic to Odessa. LOL!

Guess I’d better head out. I’m already dreading the alarm going off in the morning. See ya tomorrow night!

[radu]

Howdy, E.G.C. ((HUGZ))

No blues skies yesterday but Gizmo didn’t seem to mid it a bit. He had his happy face on. Have good time at Comanche Lake tomorrow.

[radu]

You need the rain BIG time. The cool can wait a little longer. It WILL get there.

Yeah, the nose knows. LOL When we’d go to FL to visit Dad, it seemed like my sinuses would go haywire as soon as we crossed the TN/AL state line when we came home. I must be allergic to TN. :-)

Be kind to your alarm in the morning. Sleep well. Catch ya tomorrow.

[SuperLuminal]

😎

[ExTexasRedhead]

Letters: A Hero’s Journey to the Medal of Honor

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFYZCUxhWl8

On Nov 21, 2010, Lance Cpl. Kyle Carpenter threw his body on an enemy hand grenade to save a fellow Marine. The medical professionals that stood by him through his recovery talk about Carpenter’s return from the brink.

From the Brink: Kyle Carpenter’s Recovery

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SK_XgZcLB5w

[Kathy in Alaska]

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

Hope you got a nice nap.

And thank you for the hymns

[luvie]

I hope you had a lovely Sunday, too. And that you actually rested!

I got a great nap....just didn’t last long enough. LOL!

[Kathy in Alaska]

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

And a blessed Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost (Western)/Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost (Orthodox).

Still getting some rain?

We are finally getting some drying, and the frost is on the pumpkin...mid 20s during the days.

[lightman]

First frost will likely be Monday night followed by true “Indian Summer” with day time highs in the 70’s Wednesday through Saturday.

[Kathy in Alaska]

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