55 AND COUNTING

Hello friends and neighbors...blessings upon you in your remaining years.

Hmmmm...what an odd blessing..."in your remaining years" They say that the only thing that is certain in life is (1) death (2) taxes.

Yesterday...I celebrated my 55th birthday. That's right...fifty-five...55...double nickles. If I live to be 110 years old...I can consider myself to be middle aged. I am like a fine wine...aged... delightful bouquet...or like a chunk of cheese...moldy and stinky. I guess it all depends on how you view me. In the picture above...I am like my Canadian friend Red views me as Cute Little Rodney (CLR). I guess she sees the inner me versus the outer me. It reminds me of that old song...You must have been a beautiful baby...because you sure are ugly now.

In reality...I am actually 36 years old. I was born on August 15, 1951... a bouncing baby boy to Lonnie and Elizabeth Boyd...but in the fall of 1970 I was "born again" and became a bouncing baby Christian. From that point until now...I have been learning and growing by making mistakes...falling down...getting up...and walking again. God has taken everything in my life that happened in my life pre-1970...the good, the bad and the ugly...and everything post-1970...and has redeemed my life. He has forgiven my past... and now I am walking towards the future. Destiny is at hand...and like the exiles that were captive in Babylon...there was still a PLAN for them. I was exiled because of disobedience in the GARDEN...and restored because of obedience at the CROSS. (II Corinthians 5:14,15)

"For I know the PLANS that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for WELFARE and not for calmity, to give you a FUTURE and a HOPE. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to Me and I will listen to you, and you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all of your heart. And I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile." (Jeremiah 29:11-14)

For 19 years...I wandered in an exile...as a result of original disobedience...(Romans 5:12)...and then in the Fall of 1970...I was released from exile...because of the D.B.R. Ever since then...I have been on a journey...and adventure. I have made a few wrong turns...but always returned back to the correct path.

I am now 55 years old chronologically...and 36 years old spiritually... and I am alive and kickin'. As Johnny Winters...the albino blues man states..."I'm still alive and well..though it's kinda hard to tell..." On the outside...I may be decaying...the muscles, joints, and ligaments not as loose as they use to be...the kicks not as high as the younger bucks...but I am still kicking.

"Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our OUTER MAN is decaying, yet our INNER MAN is being renewed DAY...by...DAY."
(II Corinthians 4:16)

We started of this Rambling with a blessing upon your REMAINING years. Until we take our last breath...and assume room temperature...we all have the same amount of time...24 hours in a day...7 days a week...365 days in a year...and we need to make the most of the time we have. We can consume the time on our self...or for Him. It really is a wonderful life.

Love and Timely Kisses
Cute Little Rodney...in the Spirit