Sharon,

Happy birthday.  He does not call us His children for nothing.

Phil.




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sharon Hooley" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, July 30, 2016 1:55 PM
Subject: Growing Older and Becoming Child-like


I remember sending this to you last year, when I turned 50.  Now, this past 
Monday the 25th, I turned a year older, but for the sake of keeping the 
number rounded as a decade, I'm going to leave it as it is.  I hope I've 
just started a  tradition to send this every year now, as I'm sure it is 
something we should always keep fresh in our hearts.

Yep, I'm 50.  It's kind of hard to believe  this! I've been rubbing it into 
myself over and over, but I'm realizing more clearly that I'm still a 
largely under-adult girl, still liking to play around.  I hope I never grow 
up completely.  I'm not saying that it's okay for me to  just play around, 
be lazy or irresponsible  my whole life.  I know that I need to not take my 
free finances that makes it possible for me to live in a family-type home 
for granted, and automatically expect to get free meals.  I have to remind 
myself that most things cost money, which, were it not for a supportive 
family and government funding, I'd either have to find any good job and work 
hard, or be homeless.  But in the middle of all the productive activity I 
must do, I want to become more and more child-like in faith in God, who is 
The faithful Creator; to be  like a child who understands more and more that 
there's nothing for me to worry about if I but only    communicate with Him 
through His written and  personal Word  and  prayer with  focus on who He 
is, trust Him, and obey when I'm given instructions.  This is my picture of 
a child, who loves and trusts her mama and daddy.  She is carefree, and 
playful when she's not doing her chores, and does  not worry about the 
bills, taxes, if, when or where the next paycheck will come.  Perhaps as a 
very young child, she might not even be anxious about whether or not she 
will get her next meal,  confident that they'll always be  faithful.  So 
that's how I want to become, like a trusting, teachable, responsible little 
girl.


Sharon H.


Sharon H.