For Whom the Bell Tolls - New Year 2014

For Whom the Bell Tolls 2013 has been a year of milestones for our family. Our older children have neared or established themselves in their third decade of life, while one daughter reached the magical 21st year mark! Our youngest is one year away from double digits, while Luz and I celebrated 24 years of marriage and press on towards the silver marker of 25 years together. While we have had much to celebrate, my generation has entered that season of life as a caretakers for those who are entering the winter season and culmination of their lives and are stepping into the hereafter having run the hard race and fought the good fight. Not only are we caretakers for those who are passing on, but some of our generation have already heard the bells of eternity toll for them. Those chimes serve as a stark warning for the rest of us that our date with Forever looms as a closer reality than we have thus far allowed ourselves to consider. Psalm 90:12 asks the Lord to, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” while Psalm 39:4 implores God to “Show me, LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.” These are not morbid reflections, but rather fresh calls to action. For those who, like me, belong to the trailing end of the “boomers” and the leading edge of the “busters” this is the beginning of the marathon portion of the Triathlon competition! We’ve come a long way and a good bit of our race is recorded, but there’s a whole lot of race ahead and we must still run with focus, determination and devotion. We have reached that opportune time when our mortality is very apparent to us, while opportunities and possibilities to make a difference and impact lives yet remain. We have much work to do and the maturity to understand that time is precious in doing it. With the dawning of a New Year, whatever our stage of life may be, we have new opportunities to shine! Let us make the most of our days, realizing that while our time is limited, our potential impact is not. Let us strengthen our resolve, redouble our efforts and fix our eyes on the prize, serving God and humanity with love, joy and peace firmly embedded in our hearts, souls and minds! May this year be the best ever and may it set the pace for us to have an impact and be a blessing or many years to come! Happy New Year and may the Lord sustain you and bless you in all that lies ahead!