Sixty-Five

Here’s a poem to celebrate my momentous birthday:

Although I’m just turning 65, sometimes I feel barely alive
My knees are giving out; my muscles no longer stout
I can’t see much anymore; can’t bend to reach the floor
My arthritis gets me down; I find it hard to move around
My legs are badly bruised; my mind is all confused
My crooked back is ailing; my whole body is failing
My vision is just about gone; can’t see the sunset or the dawn.
But I’m not ready to die since, I still have my driver’s license!

😆

In the year I was born, we had 48 states, not 50.  President Dwight D. Eisenhower was beginning his second term. The first rocket was launched into space.  A new car could be bought for $2,500.  Gas was 30 cents a gallon.  Bubble Wrap was invented.  A cell phone was something you found in a prison.  Buddy Holley was singing about ‘Peggy Sue’ and Elvis Presley had everyone ‘All Shook Up’. 

Next week my family will gather here in Fort Worth to celebrate my official entry into senior adulthood, although I feel like I already entered it years ago.  I’ve been doing some yard work at David’s house this month and my body has been relentless in complaining about it.  But I figure if I don’t get some exercise, I might die of a heart attack before the cancer gets me!

November is also Missions Month, and I want to tell you about one of the greatest organizations in the world.  It’s the Southern Baptist International Mission Board.  Last year 3500 IMB missionaries working among 770 people groups around the world helped share the gospel to over half a million people and saw over 100,000 newly baptized believers formed into 8000 new churches.  That’s worth celebrating!

The IMB is not only the largest Christian mission sending organization, it’s also one of the most innovative in discovering the best means to communicate the gospel into the cultural context of the people God has called us to serve.  Here’s a great example of one of our Philippine missionaries, the Hagans, and how they started churches among the Bugkalot Tribe, a once fierce people known for beheading their enemies.  Now, the Hagen’s are training them to become missionaries to other tribes.

Beginning this month our Southern Baptist Churches encourage giving to the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for Foreign Missions, 100% of which goes overseas to support the work of missionaries like the Hagans.  As Christmas approaches and our thoughts turn to giving gifts, what better gift to help give than the gift of salvation to people who have never heard the gospel.  Join with us in the greatest endeavor of seeing lost people born into God’s Kingdom.