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Monday, September 16, 2013

9.15.13 Live Like You Were Dying


Bountiful Blessings

 

September 15, 2013

            I was talking with a friend this week. (Wait, should I be offended? I saw that look. Are you being snaky about me talking or surprised that I have a friend? Well. Hmph.) Anyway, I told her that I have been reading this book called One Month to Live. To sum it up, the book talks about our time here on Earth is limited and how we choose to live it. If you knew that you only had a month to live, you would change a few things, wouldn’t you? So why don’t we live like that all the time? Even Tim McGraw has a song, “Live like you were dying” so clearly there is something to this thought.

            The four main points the book offers are: 1) live passionately 2) love completely 3) learn humbly and 4) leave boldly. Ok, so how am I doing on these points? Uhhhh, could use some work. So, then, as I started the book (it is kinda like Purpose Driven Life - one chapter a day to change your life and behaviors), I was driving to work listening one of my feel close to God cds. The song, Blessed Assurance, was playing. The line, “this is my story”, stayed with me the rest of the day. I believe that God was encouraging me, giving me a little nudge. If I had one month to live, what would I want my story to be? How would I want my last days to be lived? What would I want everyone to remember? Do I want to leave with regrets that I never said this or did this? Would my story be of one complaining, one bossing, one whining or would my story be of one loving, one sharing, one giving? Did I share God with others? What was my story? Gee, it seems so clear, doesn’t it?

            Pope Paul VI said  “Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Do it, I say! Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many tomorrows!”

            Today, please…. embrace the day. Is there something that you have always wanted to do?  If you got in better shape, if you had more time, if you had more money… c’mon now, admit it, there is something… well, hop on that bandwagon and go do it! I have lots of things stored in my fat, little head. Things that I would like to do. And then I have things that I wish I had said or done to others who have gone before me. What a waste. I had time. I had opportunity. I let fear (and lets be honest, most of the time, that is what it is), fear cause me regrets. Goal - no regrets just living a life of love.

Bible Verse for the week:

“Teach us how short our lives really are so that we may be wise.”     Psalm 90:12

Thoughts for the week:

“When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say - I used everything you gave me”.   Erma Bombeck

“It is never too late to be what you might have been”.    George Eliot

Bible Fun for the week:

The Ten Commandments

1) God wrote the first set of tablets with his finger. After Moses broke the original tablets, who wrote the second set? A) God B) Moses C) Aaron D) Joshua

2) What two Old Testament books list the Ten Commandments? a) Exodus and Deuteronomy B) Exodus and Leviticus C) Leviticus and Deuteronomy D) Deuteronomy and Numbers

3) When Moses came down from the mountain he broke the first set of tablets because the Israelites were: A) worshipping a golden calf B) shouting C) dancing D) all of the above

4) What is promised to those who honor their fathers and mothers? A) their own children will honor them B) others will honor them C) their days will be long in the land D) they will be prosperous

5) Remember the Sabbath is what number commandment? A) 3 B) 4 C) 5 D) 6

6) The last commandment in the list is, thou shalt not: A) kill B) steal C) commit adultery D) covet

7) Although Moses could go up on the mountain, God warned the rest of the people to stay away, if anyone came near the mountain, he would be: A) struck by lightning B) hanged C) stoned D) swallowed up by the earth

8) But one man was allowed to go up the mountain with Moses. That man was: A) Aaron B) Caleb C) Joshua D) Eleazar

9) How many days and nights was Moses up on the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments? A) 7 B) 14 C) 30 D) 40

 

Until we meet again, my friends. Take care and know that you are always in my thoughts and in my prayers.

Terri

And one last thing…. ROLL TIDE! (and for the rest of you, war eagle.)

 

Book: One Month to Live (thirty days to a no-regret life) by Kerry & Chris Shook ($4 at Lifeway)

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