One Thing

 One thing never changes. Whether living in the energy and exuberance of youth or living in the exhaustion and weariness of old age, I am a child of the King. By His incarnation, sinless life, atoning death, and death-destroying resurrection, He took away my sins and replaced them with His righteousness. My life is hid in His. When God looks at me, He sees His Son--accepted in the Beloved. And my Advocate. I have been redeemed. With His own blood He bought me. He nailed the debt for all my sins to His cross, and the Father stamped the bill, paid in full. Every moment of every day, He immerses me in His grace and mercy. "There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus." I am regenerated. Dead in trespasses and sins, I am alive in Christ--forever. I have been reconciled. The Spirit has removed me from the kingdom of darkness, and placed me in the Kingdom of the Son of Love--daily transforming me into the image of the Son. No matter what happens on the journey, I am His and He is mine.

I'm a child of the King; I am kept by His love.

Love That Will not Let Me Go

 Here I am one month from 75. You would think the Lord would be saying, "well, that's all I need from you old man" Or "I've got other people to bless now, thanks for the service." But no, in the last three weeks, He has given me two of the richest spiritual times in my life: an afternoon to share my love for Him with my seniors and now, an afternoon with dear friends decorating The Acres, scavenging for books, laughter, tears, uplifting hymn singing, and a blessed time of Holy Sweet Communion and prayer. The two best days in my 74-year-old journey. "Oh Love that will not let me go."

Reaffirmation

 Truths God continues to reaffirm for e these last 6 weeks:

He cares.

His grace and the strength it provides are sufficient.

The wonders of God's Creation are a balm for the soul and spirit.

The providence of God is breath-taking.

You can't say "thank you" enough though you should try.

No matter how weak, isolated, or powerless you find yourself, God can still provide a way for you to encourage the faith of others.

One of the most powerful ways to encourage the faith of others is to embrace with a grateful heart the beautiful things they do for you.

The Battle Rages

 As I tread the last steps of my journey, the battle as expected rages. The physical strength all but disappears. The emotions stir up and try to undermine the soul's peace. The mind muddles the thoughts with all the wrong questions: why? where? how? But the child of God rests in the promise that as the body weakens and fails the Spirit daily renews His son's and daughter's.souls. The power of the flesh is no threat to the power of the Spirit. As the emotions stir, the Lord promises that if we fall on our knees, He will overwhelm us with the peace that guards our hearts and minds that we might love right and think right. Greater is He who is in you than He who is in the world. As the mind struggles, the Spirit will remind you that the one question that matters is Who. Who is orchestrating your life today? Your merciful, empathetic, omniscient, loving Father. Is the battle going away? No. We must rejoice each day in the Spirit's renewing of the soul. We must prayerfully rest each day in the power of His peace. We must sacrifice each day our bodies to the renewing of our minds. Surrender each day to the Captain of the Lord's armies. As your day, so shall your strength be.

Providence of God

 The chair lift is in! I can't begin to tell you what a tremendous difference it makes. WOW! And its impact should only increase. No more climbing Mt. Everest. And the man who installed it--another WOW. Dedicated to getting in put in as soon as possible and dedicated to excellence. Yes, he does this for a living, but he was as joyous and excited about the great benefit it was going to be to me as I was. This was not a job to him, but a calling. He is thrilled at being able to help those in need! A smile as huge as mine. A joyous sparkle in his eyes. Feet ready to dance. His response caused mine to soar. If you ever decide to put in a lift, he's your man! Donald Nickles Mobility. 1-440-225-0004.

And as I draw nearer and nearer Home, I rejoice that God isn't finished with me yet. There are things and practices I said as a young man I would never do. You wouldn't find me doing those things. Ta-Da! He continues to teach me humility, to accept the generosity of others with joy, to be conformed to His image, to be more like Him even on this "last lap" of my earthly journey. Oh, the inescapable, consistent, love of God. And patience!!!!! Beyond words!

With Confidence

 I was reminded of a marvelous aspect of our Christian walk that we often overlook. It has to do with waiting our favorite thing to do. The truth is that God's child always can wait with confidence. Think. Our Father only gives good gifts. Only. Paul reminds us that all things work together for the good of those He loves, all of His called ones. The prophet tells us that times of adversity do not sap our strength but give us the power to soar higher on the winds of the strongest storms. The psalmist tells us that "goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives" and as life enriching as that is. It gets majestic. "And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Believer we do not just wait. We wait in confidence that the good is coming. Wait I say on the Lord.

Blessing Perspective

 I was reflecting this evening on the friends who have impacted my life in the last couple of months. It's really astounding! I hope I don't leave anyone out. It would be impossible to count the number of times I have been taken into God's throne room to ask for His grace and mercy on my behalf. Yes, my name is daily, hourly brought to the Father who loves and cares for me. And the cards, letters, texts, messages, emails, fb entries, phone calls sent to uplift my faith and strengthen my walk! And gifts of such beauty they took my breath way. Teachers who have given up time with their families to briefly drop by to visit or to eat a lunch with me--even though I can't eat! My sons and Mindy May who have been dropping by to check on me and encourage me in a multitude of ways. One last duck!! My oldest sister, Chloe with help from Janice, put together a small, limited edition of some of my devotionals to give to family members and teachers and friends who may want one. Another friend is working with a graphic designer in New York City to do the same thing. An old friend for decades who has brought me things I needed that I didn't know I needed--but I did, worked behind the scenes to arrange for necessary work to be done at The Acres, and even used some of his own resources to make it happen. And Buzz!!! He has been my pillar, my soul-friend, my exhorter all along the way, with me every step of the way on this journey. And Tom Hayer, my Good Samaritan who has come numerous hours and tackled the impossible to keep my head above water--actually. He even does my dishes when he comes!!! He has been a faithful friend over and over again--I would not have survived without him. The cherry on top? The Chaplain from Hospice came by today and vacuumed my floors. Yes, the Chaplain. Whose heart does he have? So when in my self-pity and struggles I wonder where my Savior has been, He replies gently. Were all your needs met today? Yes, Lord. Did you receive comfort today? Yes, Lord. Did you feel my care for you experientially? Yes, Lord. Did you feel the power of prayer today in your life? Yes, Lord. Did you sense my inescapable love today? Yes, Lord.

Oh, Lord, Please help me when i try to put myself on the throne, to have eyes to see my beautiful God and Savior already enthroned there working ever so lovingly on my behalf. Moment-by-moment I'm kept in your hands And bless those of your children who willingly were Your hands and feet today in my journey Home. There are so many, Lord, who have been working and acting on my behalf that I don't even know about and never will. But you know them! Shower them with Your blessings. I do love You Lord--grumblings and all; but You know that.

Praise Him! Praise Him!