Birthdays – From A Pastor's Heart

When I was kid, I thought anyone in their 50’s was old; anyone in their 60’s were really old; and anything beyond that was ancient!! Well, today I am celebrating 56 years of life which moves me closer to the 60 mark. As I consider the fact that I have more years in my rearview mirror than the front windshield, many thoughts come to my mind. Most days I don’t feel old; I’ve gotten through recent surgery, and I’m ready to start running again; many times I still think I’m 30 something. Nevertheless, the finish line is getting closer if the Lord permits me to live to 70 or more, or the Rapture doesn’t occur in my lifetime. With that in mind, today causes me to consider the following:

By God’s grace, I want to stay faithful to Christ, my wife, my family and my Christian family.
I want our marriage to grow sweeter and sweeter each day as we grow older. May we never get calloused, uncaring, mean-spirited, or withdrawn. Keep us warm and tender toward each other, holding hands, finger-dancing, winkin’ and smoochin’ until the end!!
Oh, how I long and pray that my daughters and sons-in-law are used to the hilt for God’s glory, and I will hear God’s “Well done” spoken to them at the Bema!!!!!!
I don’t want to grow old and be grumpy! May the joy the Lord be my strength!
I long to see the power of God moving through the local church in such a sweeping way that souls are saved and believers are extremely passionate about Christ, His Word, and sharing/living the gospel.
May I not be so stiff and rigid and wound up that I miss out on laughing and crying and rejoicing in all the good things that God has given and wants us to enjoy.
In the rest of my years, I long to see a huge number of souls truly come to Christ and be genuine, sold-out believers; followers, not fans!
May the impact of the Bema loom over my life in such a way that I finish strong!
I long to see my neighborhood follow Christ!!
I want to be used of the Lord for His glory and for souls until the day He calls me home!
May my heart become more and more tender and sensitive to the things of Christ and to people. Help me, Lord, to see the sheep as You do.
Lord, teach me to pray.
May I continually run to Christ.
Help me, Lord, to know when it’s time to move on. I never want to go down with a sinking ship because I won’t let go.
Keep me balanced, Lord.
I want to memorize more Scripture. If I can worry, I can memorize.
Let me run until I’m 70! Hike until I’m 80! Race around Bristol when I’m 90!! And jog the streets of gold when I’m 100!!
May the UK Wildcats win the NCAA basketball championship each year!!!! #BBN
Don’t let me miss out on any senior discounts! 🙂
May Dunkin Donuts Coffee keep America running!
I want to keep a burning heart for Christ, His Word, and the local church, His body!

So, so much to be thankful for in my past!! God has been so very good to me!! The truth is, every day is getting better and the best is yet to come!! Click on the following link and see why: What A Day That Will Be

While eating dinner yesterday in celebration of a dear lady’s 89^th birthday, the server came to clear off our table. The “birthday girl” was still working on her plate, and she said to the server, “I’ll be finished in a moment.” With that I said, “Take your time. You’ve waited 89 years for this!” That sounds like a long time.

Yesterday evening, my wife and I attended a memorial service for a man found dead in his apartment at the age of 38. The words spoken by his father during the service were, “My son lived 78 years in those 38 because he got all he could out of life!”

Interesting, that in the same day, my wife and I would celebrate a birth and then later on sit through a memorial service; life and death.

The truth is, no matter if you truly live to be 89 or try to squeeze 78 years into 38, time is fleeting and life is but a vapor. James 4:14 reminds us, For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

A gentleman who spoke at the memorial service is a well-known artist in Kentucky and pastor. In his message, he said, “I used to make good money painting, but that is not my goal anymore. It is telling others about the brevity of life and the gospel.”

So the question comes, what will you do with your “vapor”? What are you doing right now with your “vapor”? James goes on to give us the answer to those questions, Instead you ought to say, If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that. But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil (4:15-16). The Lord wills that you be born again, The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). God wills that you have a true view of Him and His Son, for only when you do are you really ready to live! God is in total control of your vapor. He started it, and He knows when it will end. Life is a vapor, but only God can give substance to what is so fleeting (John 10:10, 28-30).