WOW! WHAT A RIDE!

This may become one of my favorite quotes: "Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, throughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming WOW! What a ride!

Every season of life has its own challenges and joys, and we are to savor them with faith and enthusiasm.

You are as young as your faith, as old as your doubt; as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fear; as young as your hope, as old as you despair... Douglas Macarthur

This was from a devotion this am titled, Aging with Grace....Walk into any bookstore, pick up any popular magazine off a news rack, and you will quickly be reminded of how significant an issue aging is to millions of people. Questions abound:

Am I making enough money to secure a comfortable future? What will I do after I retired?Am I in the right career now? How are my kids doing? What kind of world awaits them? How am I doing health- wise? Will I be active and strong after retirement? How do I keep my mind active and strong. How do I keep my mind sharp and alert?

Improved healthcare, diet and other medical and sociological factors mean people are living longer than before ( except for early Old Testament records of pre-flood characters like Methuselah). Questions of aging aren't just asked by the "old"- and "old" is a very hard concept to define and not just matters of health and money.

The good news is that God has given us everything we need to enjoy life now. Yes, we should plan for and look to the future- the Apostle Paul describes with great emotion how he yearns to be present with Jesus in Heaven ( 2 Corinthians 5:1-10) , but the real secret to aging with grace is how you live today!

The question of how to age gracefully is no different than the question of how to live each day gracefully. Seize the day and enjoy it and live it fully.

God gave us life, so make the most of the time we are given . That is how I want to live my life. I want to experience the thrill of every moment. I want to know I have completed my life using all that I have, enjoying the journey that God has given me....

How about you?