The Transitions of Aging

In our later years of life, God changes our ministry. We often forget that He created us all to be Human BE-ings, not Human DO-ings. In our younger years, we DO for God, because our health encourages us to be strong and active.

Then, in our later years, we often feel that God has no use for us. This just isn’t true. Our ministry just changes, from a physically active one, to a more mental and spiritual one. God still uses us mightily in His own way and time.

Daily, we simply continue to surrender our will to God’s will, and ask Him to reveal to us His purpose for this stage of our life, just as we did in the former stages of our life. There are many things God can still use us to do.

God will show us His specific plans as we spend time in prayer to seek His will for our life. This enables us to be as fulfilled now as we ever were in our prior ministries - even though we may have many more limitations and painful physical and emotional trials now.

Like the three Hebrew children, there is a fourth man in this furnace with us (Daniel 3:25). God obviously has a purpose for our life on this earth, or He would take us home. Jesus Christ is still walking hand-in-hand with us now, and abiding within us, just as He did in the past.

Prayer:
Father God, You are still working out Your will for us, even in our Golden Years. If You choose to take us to our reward in heaven, then we rejoice. Our family may feel at a loss without us, but You will comfort them with Your love, peace and inner joy. Living means more opportunities to serve You, but dying means we will be immediately in Your physical presence.

This world is not our true home. As we age, we look forward more and more to our everlasting home in Heaven with You (Hebrews 13:14). However, if You choose to keep us in this earthly realm to perform some ministry, we pray and seek Your will for what Your perfect plans for us include. Of course, You may want nothing more from us than to passionately worship You all day long, and to pray for those You place on our heart, and that is a very vital and necessary ministry.

Thought for the Day:

Ministries for Senior Saints: 

·       We can pray for our family and meet any needs they may have that we are capable of meeting.

·       We can get the prayer lists from several churches, from the persecuted churches in other countries, and from missionaries in the USA and around the world, and pray for them several times per day. 

·       We can write our name on greeting cards and send them to the sick and dying.

·       We can call people and let them know they are loved and are being prayed for, as well as to give them someone to talk to who will listen and care.

·       We can tutor people in reading or in some other subject area that we enjoy.

·       We can pay for flowers to be sent to other people, who share in our infirmities, in order to encourage them in their trial.

·       We can make calls for our church office, or help to do menial chores in the church office to lighten the load for our secretaries.

·       We can help to decorate for church functions ~ placing tableware out or arranging flowers for each table.

·       We can go and visit other infirmed church members, if we are still driving or have someone else to drive us.

·       We can assist in a children's Sunday School class to help with various classroom duties, take children to the restroom, or hold a misbehaving child on our lap during the Bible story.

·       We can work at the register in our church bookstore or library to free others to do other chores.

·       We can assist in our church's kitchen ministry by cooking, washing dishes, donating desserts, or cleaning up after fellowships.

·       We can give time-saving advice to younger men and women, as they seek to maintain and repair the church facilities.

·       We can do community service for needy citizens in our locality, and also share with them what Christ has done in our own life. 

Our God of Hope

When we come to understand who God is, and what His purpose is for humanity and the earth and the cosmos, we lose our pride and rebellion, let go of our wounds and sorrow, and we see God as He truly is. He becomes our true identity, and we no longer struggle with fear and insecurity.

As we lift Him higher, we decrease and He increases in importance and influence in our life (John 3:30). We spend less time focusing on our self, and more time seeking His face, entering His rest, and trusting in Him with our whole heart (Proverbs 3:5-6).

This increases our validation, affirms our value, and makes Christ the sum total of our whole life (Colossians 3:3-4). Our past no longer defines our future. We live in the present moment, enjoying all that God has for us in it, and becoming more aware of His divine appointments for us.

We can relinquish all of our fears and anxieties and stress, because God always has us in the hollow of His hand (Psalm 31:15). He attempts to preserve us, by keeping us on His straight and narrow path for us. This keeps us safe, and in the center of His will.

As we cooperate with Him in this, and walk in His ways, He is able to shower us with His blessings (1 Peter 5:7). We learn to be vigilant against the spiritual, mental, emotional and physical attacks of Satan, and to stand firm on our Rock, Jesus Christ, in spite of the devil's lies (1 Corinthians 10:3).

Spending time alone with God, as we pray without ceasing, gives us the opportunity to have a new encounter with Him every day. We praise Him for who He is, for what He does for us, and for His plans for our future. His Holy Spirit transforms our thoughts, emotions and choices, so that they align with God's will for our life.

We also trust the Lord, regardless of our trials, realizing that Christians everywhere are experiencing the same issues that we are. God proves Himself strong for us, and always makes a way for us through every storm that we face in life (1 Peter 5:8-9).

Prayer:

Father God, it is evident to us that nothing - not even death, principalities or powers, or any created thing, can separate us from Your love for us, which is in us through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (Romans 8:35-39). We have nothing to fear, because Your Trinity is always abiding within us. You strengthen us and help us, and You lift us up above the cares of this world (Isaiah 41:10).

When we are afraid, we shift our focus from the fears, and place it firmly on our complete trust in You (Psalm 56:3). We have no reason to be anxious about anything, because we make our requests known to You through prayer with a grateful heart, and You infuse our soul with Your peace. You guard our spirit and soul, and You help our body to heal either in this life or in Heaven with You (Philippians 4:6-8).

Thought for the Day:

Jesus gives His peace to us, which overcomes the fears and sorrows we face in life; therefore we have no need to worry or stress or grieve or fear what will happen to us in life, because God gives us His power, love and sound mind to deal with anything that comes our way.

- John 14:27; 2 Timothy 1:7

Healing our Soul

There is a grouping of tree limbs across the street from my living room recliner, which is shaped like a ballerina, suspended in air in the light and graceful Ballon Pose. It is only visible in the winter, when the landscape looks like the valley of dry bones. This beautiful alignment of branches blesses my soul through the long winter months.

God is so good. He constantly spoils His children in ways that bless us individually. We simply need to let Him care for us, and then be aware of His "hugs" in every aspect of our life (Exodus 14:14). Our soul longs for our God, and waits on Him, because He is our only true salvation (Psalm 62:1).

God cares about the health of our soul as much as He is interested in the salvation of our spirit - which is dead in sin until we repent and trust only in Him (Ephesians 2:1; Romans 6:11). We actually prosper in body and spirit to the degree that our soul prospers (3 John 1:2).

The soul of a content, authentic Believer is like a weaned child on its mother's lap (Psalm 131:2). This is the perfect picture of rest. This Biblical reference of a mother is a symbol of nurture and protection. We have no cause for concern; therefore, we have no need to strive to control life (Psalm 131:1).

We have this same euphoric feeling in the arms of our loving Father God. We rest in His wisdom, as well as in His love for us, trusting Him with our whole heart (Psalm 131:3). As we walk in the Spirit, we learn to be satisfied with God's provision, and we no longer strive to provide for our own needs (Philippians 4:12).

The Lord is our Shepherd, and He causes our cup of blessings to overflow (Psalm 23). We have need of nothing. He supplies all of our needs according to His glorious riches from the moment of our submission to Him to the moment He takes us home to Heaven to live with Him for eternity (Philippians 4:19).

Prayer:

Father God, all of our days are in Your capable hands, and You bring peace to our troubled soul (Psalm 31:15). You are our refuge and our strength, and You are always available to help us in any time of trouble. We have no need to worry about our life, or to fear any future calamity, because of Your vigilant eye watching over us (Psalm 46:1-3). You even restore our soul when life discourages us (Psalm 23:3).

Your love refreshes us like the river, which will flow from Your throne in New Jerusalem. This majestic river makes everyone in Your city rejoice (Psalm 46:4; Revelation 22:1-2). You are always with us, and in us - our fortress in times of trouble (Psalm 46:5-7). Daily, we are quiet and still before Your presence in us, and we acknowledge that You are our God. We exalt You and give You all of the praise and glory due to Your holy name (Psalm 46:10-11).

Thought for the Day:

With God within us, no one can stand against us; He is our source of joy, peace and hope in this troubled world in which we live; we find our rest in Him, and He is our hiding place.

- Romans 8:31; Psalm 32:7

Deliverance In Life and in Death

Just so you know, a 5G network crisscrossing our nation sounds like a miracle, but scientists tell us it is very harmful to our health. To use them, wireless companies will have to build a massive infrastructure of literally thousands of small transmitters.

To increase signal range and capacity, it is estimated that a transmitter will need to be placed every two to ten homes apart. These super, high-frequency radio airwaves have cellphone radiation risks.

It is estimated that a transmitter will need to be placed every two to ten homes apart. These super, high-frequency radio airwaves have cellphone radiation risks. This is decreasing the health benefits of us spending time outside, and they even invade our homes. ( https://ehtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/Scientist-5G-appeal-2017.pdf )

We can appeal to our government officials right now, and ask them to put ordinances in place to protect us. However, just like Roundup and other convenient chemicals created by people to "improve" our life, it is virtually impossible to totally protect us from long term, negative effects of these chemicals.

As an inheritor of autoimmune issues, I have had to learn to use alternative plant-based toiletries, cleaning supplies, weed killers, etc.; and there are some devices we can purchase for our home and phone that will help to block the effects of the harmful 5G radio waves on our body.

We can also trust the Lord whether our body stays healthy or succumbs to the chemical pollution in our modern society. How we view life and death is based on how we approach life and understand the character, nature and purposes of God.

Thankfully, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8); so the power of death has been defeated by Jesus, and we can look forward to Him releasing us from this sin-cursed earth so that we can join Him in Heaven. Death has no "sting" for the Believer (1 Corinthians 15:55).

Prayer:

Father God, remind us to encourage our self and one another to have an infinite focus on life, rather than a finite one. There is so much to fear in this world, and we can drive our self into an early grave with the unhealthy effects of worry and stress on our body. We dedicate our self to serve You now, for as long as You want us to remain on earth.

However, we also look forward to coming Home to Heaven to receive our reward for a life here on earth that is dedicated to bringing You glory, furthering Your Kingdom, and increasing our intimate union with You now and for all eternity. We will not stress over the ill effects from chemicals all around us, but we will trust You to have Your will and way in both our life and in our death.

Thought for the Day:

As we devote our self to walking in God's Spirit and obeying His Word, we purposely change our focus from our self to God's perfect plans for our life; He alone is our provider and protector, our fortress and deliverer, our shield and the horn of our salvation, and our stronghold and our rock in whom we take refuge in every time of trial and trouble.

- Galatians 5:15-25; Psalm 18:2, 119:15

A Good Marriage - Benefits of a Unified Marriage

A unified marriage helps us as individuals in so many ways. We are yoked with our best friend, and have a partner to share life's load. Unity helps us to mature spiritually, to enjoy someone with whom we can cry and laugh, to experience a cure for loneliness, to give us a safe place to heal, etc.

Unity enables us to learn to accept one another's foibles and failings, to remove any overbearing expectations, to have patience with each other's faults, and to love one another unconditionally - just as Jesus loves His Bride (Romans 15:7; Ephesians 5:25).

We freely chose to marry our mate for whatever reason motivated our decision; therefore, we can develop the habit of not focusing on mistakes made, disappointments, outburst of anger, opposite personalities, divergent life goals, broken promises, etc.

Instead, we share compassion and acceptance with each other. A unified marriage provides us with a haven in storms, someone to share our laughter, a safe place when life often scares us, the joy of family and belonging, the security of Agape love, a ladder on which to rise above our circumstances, and loving arms to embrace us in our stress and sorrows.

Our mate gives us a sounding board for our questions and concerns, a prayer partner when life threatens to overwhelm us, a companion in the pursuit of holiness, opportunities to purify our soul, chances to allow patience to perfect us, grieving our losses together, and finding fun and playfulness in our daily experiences.

We share a history of decades of togetherness, victories over challenges, joint experiences that we helped each other to overcome, memories that we cherish, and the opportunity to enjoy the fruit of our labors as we grow old together. We actually love, honor, respect and cherish each other for a lifetime.

Prayer:

Father God, as humans, we often focus on our differences, lose patience with one another's frailties, and cultivate disappointments from unintentional slights and hurtful behavior. We also suffer from grave financial losses, experience disrupted personal relationships with our children and extended family, as well as discomfort with members of our church family, and stunted personal growth in so many areas. We often choose to give up. However, this causes us to disappoint You, because You hate divorce and infidelity (Malachi 2:16).

You want a pure and holy Bride for Your Son, free of the habitual stains of sin, and the wrinkles of selfishness, pride and willful disobedience to Your commandments. Create in us a clean heart, and renew a true spirit in us that walks lock-step with Your Holy Spirit each moment of every day (Psalm 51:10-19). Help us to see that adultery and divorce rob us of a lifespan of memories to cherish. We rely only on You, and we look forward to our increasing peace and joy in Your holy presence within us.

Thought for the Day:

When two or more people attempt to dwell together in unity, we often experience more conflict than harmony; therefore, it is vitally important for us to serve one another in love, to accept each other just as we are, and to help each other by lovingly encouraging each other to walk in holiness as God perfects our individual shortcomings.

- Psalm 133:1; Galatians 5:13; 1 Peter 1:15-16

Ultimate Freedom

Our parents, best friend, spouse, closest relatives, workmates, boss, etc. will say things to us - even in fun and gest - that wound our soul. They are stored in our subconscious mind and debilitate our soul, as well as affect our health and behavior when they are triggered by current events in our life.

These subconscious thoughts are influencing our thoughts, words and deeds every day of our life. These lies originated since our infancy, and even these old issues continue to affect us to this day. Many are lies spoken to us by the devil, the world, and our caretakers from our past.

One of the most effective tools for discerning our thoughts and the intents of our heart (Hebrews 4:12) is to take time to regularly jot down a searching inventory of the concerns on our mind, and the emotions that these thoughts are stirring up in our soul.

Keeping a journal is the best way to free our soul of the effects of any negative issues we may discover. Writing them down helps to take them off our mind, and renders them ineffective in influencing our emotions and behavior. This is a very liberating habit to form.

We can also journal positive affirmations that describe how we feel about our self. If we can think of nothing to write, or only a few positive attributes, then we can find our true worth by reading God's thoughts about us in His Word. This helps us to reprogram our negative thoughts.

(See: https://equippinggodlywomen.com/faith/who-i-am-in-christ/ )

Journaling helps us to change our negative behavior, which tends to cripple us from reaching God's best for us. When we over-react from these past wounds, they erect walls between us and our loved ones. Therefore, journaling allows us to plan our words and emotions both for the moment and for future interactions with people.

Prayer:

Father God, remind us that a grateful heart fuels positive feelings in our soul, as well as focusing more on what You provide for us each day, rather than on any discontentment we feel that is fueled by our fleshly desires. Help us to see that this practice will increase our ability to concentrate on each moment of our day, to shed the condemnation of our past, and to discard our fears of the future. We want to consult You for Your guidance each moment of our day (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Help us to walk in Your serene peace, abundant joy and unconditional love. Show us in Your Word how to order our thoughts, and to follow Your Spirit to develop these habits as our new routine. This way they will influence our interactions in the challenges and disagreements that will inevitably arise. We trust You with our whole heart, for Your mercies are new every single morning (Lamentations 3:20-25).

Thought for the Day:

As we grew up, we did not have the power to choose our beliefs, habits, and opinions of our self; we were influenced by those in authority over us; however as adults, we can decide which ones we will discard, and which ones we will adopt as our own.

Attitude of Gratitude

We often express thankfulness when someone does a favor for us, gives us a word of encouragement, or when we receive a gift. Our parents may have drilled this reaction into us by constantly reminding us, "What do you have to say?" We learn that it is actually human decency to show appreciation.

What few people realize is that feeling grateful for a kindness or a blessing is healthy for our body and soul. Health professionals tell us that positive feelings, words and actions pay us big dividends. They reduce stress, apprehension, self-doubt, hopelessness, resentment, and other negative emotions.

When we feel grateful, we feel more like eating a well-balanced meal, rather than snacking on the empty calories of high carbohydrate foods. We have the mental and emotional energy to take a walk or to run in the sunshine, to ride our bike, to stroll through nature, to go boating or for a swim, etc.

When we feel grateful, we have fewer mentally induced illnesses, get better rest, plan more fun activities into our schedule, sleep more soundly at night, and have more patience with set-backs in our life or with irritating people with whom we live or work.

Gratitude also increases our energy levels, positive emotions, courage, hope, confidence, joy, peace, positive self-talk, and other positive emotions. In addition, gratitude positively impacts our life as we give the gift of approval, love or encouragement to others.

As a positive, grateful, kind-hearted person, we express gratitude to those around us, and we enjoy deeper friendships, a more intimate marriage, and better relationships with our children, friends, co-workers, neighbors, acquaintances, church and extended family members.

Prayer:

Father God, make us a vessel of Your love, not only to those around us, but also to our self. Teach us to encourage our soul by giving our self compliments, showing our self gratitude, encouraging our self for a job well-done, etc. First and foremost, however, we show our gratitude to You for who You are and what You continually do for us.  

As You firmly establish us to have faith in Your faithfulness, we are encouraged by You, which makes us overflow with gratitude (Colossians 2:7). We give thanks to You, because You are always good and benevolent (1 Chronicles 16:34; Psalm 92:1). Thank You that even in negative circumstances, You work out everything for our ultimate good, and You give us the victory over and through our circumstances (Romans 8:28; 1 Corinthians 15:57).

Thought for the Day:

Whatever our day holds, we do everything in the name of Jesus as we give Him thanks, because His loving kindness is everlasting, and we never tire of proclaiming His redemption story.

- Colossians 3:17; Psalm 106:1, 107:1-3