"Don't regret growing older. It's a privilege denied to many." (Mark Twain)

Time, the relentless tide, carries us forward, each passing moment etching lines on our faces and stories in our hearts. It's a journey that some never get to experience.

I’m soon approaching my 67th birthday. Bring it on. I’ve got the lines - I’ve got the stories - I’ve got family and friends - I’ve had the heartaches but I’ve had so much joy too - I’ve got the memories - I have albums filled with pictures - and now - a phone filled with photos - that I look at over and over again. I cherish these stories. I ponder over the journey of my life so far and embrace the ups and downs, the comings and goings - grateful to experience so much.

Let’s not lament the passage of time, the inevitable advancement of age. Instead, embrace it as a gift, a testament to resilience, a capacity for growth, and enduring spirit.

So…..I embrace these days and months and years. I go to the gym and lift heavy somedays and other days - not so much. I play pickle ball as often as I can - some days the games go well and other days - not quite. I get my 10,000 steps in each day. Right now I’m walking the full camino (on my garmin) and I’m a quarter of the way there (200 kms done). I cook good meals for Harv and I - and for our family and friends. I bake. I read. I write. I play endless games of SkipBo with Indy. I talk to my older brothers and sisters each week. I go to church each Sunday. I read my Bible daily and pray and meditate. I sing. We travel.

Each year that passes is a chapter in our story, a chance to learn, to love, to experience the world in all its beauty.

I celebrate the wisdom that comes with age, the lessons learned, the scars that tell tales of battles won.

There have been times when I’ve battled - I’ve fought - not physically - but emotionally and spiritually. When Randy and I and our boys lived in Cambridge, our pastoral ministry became complicated as some of our congregation desired that we should be relieved of our pastoral duties. (I just said that in a nice way - they wanted to and eventually fired us). It was a painful time. It wounded us but the wound wasn’t fatal. We healed over time. We had family and friends to stand with us - encourage us - love us. We were reminded that our pastoral service was to the Lord and He gave us great grace to walk through and maneuver a difficult time in our lives.

There have been times in my life when a relationship has changed - perhaps even ended! Where once there was laughter and shared companionship - it was replaced by complacency and indifference. The older I get, I realize that relationships do change. Some are meant to last a lifetime and some are meant to last a season and that’s okay.

I love the verse that says - “the joy of the Lord is my strength”. Gratitude and joy go hand in hand.

Nancy Demoss writes - “Over time, choosing gratitude means choosing joy. . . . It’s a choice that requires constantly renewing my mind with the truth of God’s Word, setting my heart to savor God and His gifts, and disciplining my tongue to speak words that reflect His goodness and grace—until a grateful spirit becomes my reflexive response to all of life.”

Let us cherish the moments, savour the memories, and appreciate the gift of life, for it is a precious treasure.

May we grow old with grace, with gratitude, and with a heart filled with the joy.