Birthday Thoughts: Read Them Quickly Before I Forget Them


Today is my birthday. I'm 51 which means with a life expectancy of 153 I've now lived a third of my life. 51 of course is a great number that we hear a lot.

What would a steak be without some Heinz 51 sauce? Classic songs like Paul Simon's, 51 Ways To Leave Your Lover, the famous rapper, 51 Cent, and what tool box would be complete without a can of WD-51 to loosen those rusted bolts?

I found an article online titled, "People Who Did Great Things After 50." It had incredible things on the list like this one guy who stayed up until 9:00 pm (hard to believe). 51 isn't that old though. Tom Brady will still be the quarterback of the Patriots when he's 51, and they'll probably win the Super Bowl. It's because he doesn't drink coffee and only eats carrots and broccoli sautéed in water. Other 51 year olds include Nicole Kidman, Will Farrell, Julia Roberts, Keith Urban, and Cap'n Crunch's Crunchberries.

Anyway, so today's my birthday. When I turned 50 one brother in church said to me, "not everyone makes it to 50," which although true seemed odd. I'm not exactly breaking any records here. I have been around a few weeks though which has given me the opportunity to learn a few things it's just that I can't remember what they are.

I remember the most important one though.

Love God and love who God loves.

Jesus said all the law and the prophets hang on this, and that makes it seem rather high on the priority list. The Bible also says I can't love a God who I haven't seen if I don't love the people I see. We like to convince ourselves that we can hate on people but still be tight with God. You can't do it.

So for the next third of my life I'm going to really focus on loving God and loving people. I invite you to join me. And if you're still trying to think of the perfect birthday gift please go with something practical like a walking stick that turns into a sword.

Following the Son,

James A Williams

Comments

  1. UnknownJanuary 4, 2018 at 10:59 AM

    I enjoyed reading your reflection Pastor Williams! I am few blocks ahead of you though. I am going to leave you with a thought. Consider visiting Ecuador in 2018. I will happy to give you a free stay and a tour of main cities. This is for you and Sarai.☺

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. James A. WilliamsJanuary 4, 2018 at 9:43 PM

      We would love that and should really try to work it out this year. Thanks for your encouragement.

      Delete

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