FOLLOW THE GEEZERS

They like to refer to us as senior citizens, old fogies, geezers, and in some cases dinosaurs. Some of us are "Baby Boomers" getting ready to retire. Others have been retired for some time. We walk a little slower these days and our eyes and hearing are not what they once were. We have worked hard, raised our children, worshipped our God and grown old together. Yes, we are the ones some refer to as being over the hill, and that is probably true. But before writing us off completely, there are a few things that need to be taken into consideration.

In school we studied English, history, math, and science which enabled us to lead America into the technological age. Most of us remember what outhouses were, many of us with firsthand experience. We remember the days of telephone party-lines, 25 cent gasoline, and milk and ice being delivered to our homes. For those of you who don't know what an icebox is, today they are electric and referred to as refrigerators. A few even remember when cars were started with a crank. Yes, we lived those days.

We are probably considered old fashioned and out-dated by many. But there are a few things you need to remember before completely writing us off. We won World War II, fought in Korea and Viet Nam . We can quote The Pledge of Allegiance, and know where to place our hand while doing so. We wore the uniform of our country with pride and lost many friends on the battlefield. We didn't fight for the Socialist States of America ; we fought for the "Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave." We wore different uniforms but carried the same flag. We know the words to the Star Spangled Banner, America ,and America the Beautiful by heart, and you may even see some tears running down our cheeks as we sing. We have lived what many of you have only read in history books and we feel no obligation to apologize to anyone for America .

Yes, we are old and slow these days but rest assured, we have at least one good fight left in us. We have loved this country, fought for it, and died for it, and now we are going to save it. It is our country and nobody is going to take it away from us. We took oaths to defend America against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and that is an oath we plan to keep. There are those who want to destroy this land we love but, like our founders, there is no way we are going to remain silent.

It was mostly the young people of this nation who elected Obama and the Democratic Congress. You fell for the "Hope and Change" which in reality was nothing but "Hype and Lies." You have tasted socialism and seen evil face to face, and have found you don't like it after all. You make a lot of noise, but most are all too interested in their careers or "Climbing the Social Ladder" to be involved in such mundane things as patriotism and voting. Many of those who fell for the "Great Lie" in 2008 are now having buyer's remorse. With all the education we gave you, you didn't have sense enough to see through the lies and instead drank the 'Kool-Aid.' Now you're paying the price and complaining about it. No jobs, lost mortgages, higher taxes, and less freedom. This is what you voted for and this is what you got. We entrusted you with the Torch of Liberty and you traded it for a paycheck and a fancy house.

Well, don't worry youngsters, the Geezers are here, and in 2012 we are going to take back our nation. We may drive a little slower than you would like but we get where we're going, and in 2012 we're going to the polls by the millions. This land does not belong to the man in the White House nor to the likes of Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid. It belongs to "We the People" and "We the People" plan to reclaim our land and our freedom. We hope this time you will do a better job of preserving it and passing it along to our grandchildren.
.....copied Ann Coulter

The WINTER of my life

AND THEN IT WAS WINTER (copied)

       
        You know, time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years.  It seems just yesterday that I  was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate.  Yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the  years went.  I know that I lived them all.  I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams here are some pearls.

        But, here it is, the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise...How did it get here so fast?  Where did the years go and where did my youth go?  I remember well seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like.

        But, here it is...my friends are retired and getting grey...they move slower and I see an older person now.  Some are in better and some worse shape than I am...but, I see the great change...Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant...but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we'd be.

        And  so...now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did!!  But, at least I know that though the winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last...this I know, that when it's over on this earth...it's not over.  A new adventure will begin!  Yes, I have regrets. There are  things I wish I hadn't done...things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I'm happy to have done. It's all in a lifetime.

        So, if you're not in your winter yet...let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. Whatever you would like to accomplish in your life, please do it quickly!  Don't put things off too long!! Life goes by quickly.  Do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not!  You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life...so, live for today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember...and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past!!

        "Life" is a gift to you. The way you live your life is your gift to those who come after.  Make it a fantastic one.  LIVE IT WELL! ENJOY  TODAY!  DO SOMETHING FUN!  BE HAPPY!  HAVE A GREAT DAY! Remember "It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver."  LIVE HAPPY IN 2013!  LASTLY, CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING: TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU'VE EVER  BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU'LL EVER  BE. SO - ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS.

        ~Your kids are becoming you......but your grandchildren are perfect!  ~Going out is good.. Coming home is better!  ~You forget names.... But it's OK because other people forgot they even knew you!!! ~You realize you're never going to be really good at anything.... Especially golf.  ~The things you used to care to do, you no longer care to do, but you really do care that you don't care to do them anymore. ~You sleep better on a lounge chair with the TV blaring than in bed. It's called "pre-sleep".

        ~You miss the days when everything worked with just an "ON" and "OFF" switch..  ~You tend to use more 4 letter words... "what?"..."when?"... ~Now that you can afford expensive jewelry, it's not safe to wear it anywhere.  ~You notice everything they sell in stores is "sleeveless"?!!! ~What used to be freckles are now liver spots.  ~Everybody whispers. ~You have 3 sizes of clothes in your closet....2 of which you will never wear again. ~~~But Old is good in some things:  Old Songs, Old movies, and best of all, OLD FRIENDS!!

Alzheimers

MAY 26, 2011

Alzheimer's and Gospel Transformation
A few weeks ago, I met Karyn Heath at a conference. As she spoke to me about her job caring for people with Alzheimer's, I immediately asked her to write a guest post for my blog. This is necessary reading for all those who fear the future and those who are dealing with this disease right now. --Carolyn

-----------------------------

Recently, I left two years of teaching in China to return to my home and job in the U.S. For me, introductions have become routine. After a few months in China, I could predict which questions would be asked when I met someone and what responses my answers would provoke. Now, as I transition back into my home church and hometown, I am finding that the questions and answers are equally predictable. While “Where do you work?” may seem to be a standard question, people’s responses to my answer are usually revealing.

I currently work in the activities department of an Alzheimer’s special care unit. This translates into the fact that I spend eight hours per day in a room with 20-30 people who are experiencing moderate to severe dementia from Alzheimer’s disease or another cause. Revealing this usually opens up interesting avenues of conversation. One sentiment that I hear often from people who talk to me about my job is this one: “I’d rather be dead than go through that.” People have a variety of ways of expressing this feeling, and most often I just nod and say something like, “It is a difficult situation for people and their families.” There are very few ways to accurately communicate anything about Alzheimer’s without becoming too intense for a “Hi! I just met you” conversation.

However, when I am speaking with someone who professes to have been transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I often cannot contain my passion when I hear him or her make a comment of this sort. Until recently, this passion would have come across with a strong flavor of righteous indignation, but now wise admonition, further study of God’s Word, and personal experience have tempered the expression of my views. To look ahead, even in one’s imagination, and see something as difficult as Alzheimer’s disease looming over one’s last days is naturally heart-wrenching and daunting. As Matthew Henry commented regarding Jesus’ prophecies in John 21 about Peter’s own difficult death, “He that puts on the Christian does not put off the man. Christ himself prayed against the bitter cup. A natural aversion to pain and death is well reconcilable with a holy submission to the will of God in both.”

That very concept of “holy submission” in the face of certain humiliating and ugly death is that with which my heart longs to challenge the body of Christ.

As Christians, we should recognize and revel in the sovereignty of God in every aspect of our lives. Our goal should be to bring glory to God, and, as we face trials and difficulties in this life, we spend much time in learning how to do that. In our growing, we learn to submit to God in all the twists and turns of life’s pathways. This is a common theme of our times of fellowship around the Word, of our songs, of our books. If we face death in an early or unnatural setting such as persecution or disease, we exhort one another to glory in the affliction as it brings us closer to God and brings to pass His purposes in the world. His joy and strength shine through our most trying moments with a light that is so much brighter than anything we could possibly manufacture with our own willpower or resources. The whole of life seems a classroom in which we learn these lessons.

I believe that we fail to see the fullest scope of God’s plan when we do not actively encourage one another to think rightly about God’s sovereignty over the last days of our lives. Perhaps, I exaggerate, but it seems that we envision that each godly Christian is entitled the perfect death scenario. We want be in our right minds, surrounded by loving family and friends in graceful dignity or otherwise slip away to heaven gently in our sleep. An extended illness we might face with fortitude, but certainly not one that might steal away our memories or personalities on its way. Yet in the very loss of self that terrifies us when facing Alzheimer’s or similar diseases is there not an unparalleled opportunity for seeing the transforming power of the Gospel?

In the years that I’ve worked in Alzheimer’s care, I’ve never actually heard someone say, “This may not be my choice, but it is God’s choice for me. I relinquish control of even my mind to Him. I can trust Him with even this.” I have, though, watched a tiny handful of people live this out. The beauty of their lives truly demonstrated the fact that God is magnified through weakness. They reached people that no one else will ever reach. In the process of Alzheimer’s disease and other illnesses that cause dementia, there is a point beyond which a decision like this can no longer be made. Whatever is inside will just begin to spill out, embarrassingly and uncontrollably. So, it is the thought processes or, rather, the heart processes that a person goes through before hand that have potential to shape their experience. Sometimes the emotion that pours out of a person in the throes of such a disease is fear or bitterness or anger long forgotten but now providentially dredged to the surface. In such a worst-case scenario, the witness of the Spirit of God’s work in that life is preserved in the memories of family members and friends who rehearse the Truth that ultimately sustains. More often in my experience, grace still shines through in small joys and courageous humor, in peace that transcends turmoil, in love that gushes out around the jagged edges of the mind.

I am reminded of a dear friend who recently died after struggling with early onset Alzheimer’s for a number of years. When I met him, he was only sixty-five years old. If you didn’t know his diagnosis, you’d have never guessed. His confusion and cognitive issues were slight and only his recent memory was unstable. Without a trace of bitterness, he gave up his dreams of retirement and threw himself wholeheartedly into “volunteering” at an Alzheimer’s day center. While he paid to attend, it truly was volunteering. He helped run programs and activities. He cleaned and cooked and sang. He courageously watched people around him lose their abilities and memories, knowing that this was his own path, also. He loved the other patients and the staff with a joyful passion that was free of bitterness. He comforted families with his humor and endured the breakup of his own marriage with longsuffering grace. By preparing for his future wisely, he was ready when it really was his time to live in the full care program since it had been his life for years. He was unashamed of his tears. Once he told me, “It’s like I’m going down a ladder into a dark hole with no way out. I feel like Job and ask God why.” Yet the darkness that shadowed his last days could not erase the blessing he had been to residents, staff, and families for so long. Examining my heart in the light of this possible painful path for my own family, I pray that we would have transparent dependency on God’s grace if such a situation were His plan for us.

We live on the edge of a time when a large section of our population will be heading into old age together, and the transition will include diseases like Alzheimer’s, financial problems, relocation, grief, and other problems. Our churches are full of people who, now in their fifties and sixties, will be facing these issues along with their families. The communities around us are already filled with needy seniors--physically, emotionally, and spiritually needy. While education and resources and programs are important, the preparation of our hearts before God is primary.

To return to Matthew Henry, “What a change will certainly be made with us if we should live to be old! Those who, when they were young, had strength of body and vigor of mind, and could easily go through business and hardship, and take the pleasures they had a mind to, when they shall be old, will find their strength gone, like Samson, when his hair was cut and he could not shake himself as at other times… It is the great concern of every good man, whatever death he dies, to glorify God in it; for what is our chief end but this, to die to the Lord, at the word of the Lord? When we die patiently, submitting to the will of God—die cheerfully, rejoicing in hope of the glory of God,—and die usefully, witnessing to the truth and goodness of religion and encouraging others, we glorify God in dying: and this is the earnest expectation and hope of all good Christians, as it was Paul’s, that Christ may be magnified in them living and dying.”

By God’s mercy and grace, may we endeavor to uphold our senior brothers and sisters in Christ who aspire to live and die this way!

Posted by Carolyn in Elder Care, Trusting God | Permalink ShareThis

Getting Old

I've had two bypass surgeries, a hip replacement,

new knees, fought prostate cancer and diabetes.

I'm half blind,

can't hear anything quieter than a jet engine,

take 40 different medications that

make me dizzy, winded, and subject to blackouts.

Have bouts with dementia.

Have poor circulation;

hardly feel my hands and feet anymore.

Can't remember if I'm 85 or 92.

Have lost all my friends. But, thank God,

I still have my driver's license.

YOUR TIME IS COMING

When you wake up in the morning, push your elbows out away from your body. If you don't strike wood, you haven't been buried yet.

When you wake up in the morning and nothing hurts, you will know you are dead.

When you wake up in the morning and can get out of bed by yourself, it's the beginning of a GREAT day.

Then check the obituaries in the morning newspaper and, if your name isn't there, get dressed.

HOW OLD AM I?

---

How old am I ? 

 

Stay with this -- the answer is at the end.   

One evening a grandson was talking to his grandfather about current events. 
The grandson asked his grandfather what he thought about the shootings at schools, the computer age, and just things in general. 

The Grandfather replied, 'Well, let me think a minute, I was born before:

 

'   television

'    penicillin 

'    polio shots

'    frozen foods

'    Xerox

'    contact lenses

'    Frisbees and 

'    the pill

There were no:

'   credit cards 

'    laser beams  

'    ball-point pens

Man had not invented:

'    pantyhose

'   air conditioners

'    dishwashers

'    clothes dryers

'    and the clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air and 

'    man hadn't yet walked on the moon 

Your Grandmother and I got married first, . . And then lived together. 

Every family had a father and a mother. 

Until I was 25, I called every man older than me, 'Sir'.

And after I turned 25, I still called policemen and every man with a title, 'Sir.' 

We were before gay-rights, computer-dating, dual careers, daycare centers, and group therapy. 

Our lives were governed by the Ten Commandments, good judgment, and common sense.  

We were taught to know the difference between right and wrong and to stand up and take responsibility for our actions. 

Serving your country was a privilege; living in this country was a bigger privilege. 

We thought fast food was what people ate during Lent.  

Having a meaningful relationship meant getting along with your cousins.  

Draft dodgers were people who closed their front doors when the evening breeze started.  

Time-sharing meant time the family spent together in the evenings and weekends-not purchasing condominiums.

We never heard of FM radios, tape decks, CDs, electric typewriters, yogurt, or guys wearing earrings.  

We listened to the Big Bands, Jack Benny, and the President's speeches on our radios.  

And I don't ever remember any kid blowing his brains out listening to Tommy Dorsey.  

If you saw anything with 'Made in Japan ' on it, it was junk  

The term 'making out' referred to how you did on your school exam.  

Pizza Hut, McDonald's, and instant coffee were unheard of. 

We had 5 & 10-cent stores where you could actually buy things for 5 and 10 cents. 

Ice-cream cones, phone calls, rides on a streetcar, and a Pepsi were all a nickel. 

And if you didn't want to splurge, you could spend your nickel on enough stamps to mail 1 letter and 2 postcards. 

You could buy a new Chevy Coupe for $600, . . . But who could afford one?

 

Too bad, because gas was 11 cents a gallon.  

In my day: 

'   'grass' was mowed, 

'    'coke' was a cold drink, 

'   'pot' was something your mother cooked in and 

'  'rock music' was your grandmother's lullaby.  

'   'Aids' were helpers in the Principal's office,  

'   ' chip' meant a piece of wood, 

'    'hardware' was found in a hardware store and 

'     'software' wasn't even a word.

 

And we were the last generation to actually believe that a lady needed a husband to have a baby.   No wonder people call us 'old and confused' and say there is a generation gap . . .  And how old do you think I am? 

I bet you have this old man in mind . . . you are in for a shock! 

Read on to see -- pretty scary if you think about it and pretty sad at the same time.   



Are you ready????? 


This man would be only 59 years old!!!! 

p.s.  Being older than that, I could add a bunch of other things to this list.  Max

PARENTS WISH

February 19, 2009

 Today is the birthday of our youngest, Jimmy Max “Jim” Youngblood Jr. He is forty three.  Now I’m feeling older.

Carolyn and I along with Virginia and Debbie met him at Top China Buffet in Hoover for lunch.  This was impromtu. We tried to reach Kathy to join us.  We had a great lunch and a good-time together for an hour or more.  For those who do not know, we have four children, Virginia, Kathyrn, Deborah and Jimmy.

 Jimmy went back to work and I rode along with the others as they shopped.  We left the house at ll: 30 AM and returned home about 4:00 PM.  Those kinds of trips make me tired but it was worth it.

 My sister, Sarah Pauline “Polly” Youngblood Klaesen, called me yesterday.  We had a long enjoyable conversation.  If you have an extra car or computer she could sure use both.  She hit a deer with her car and totaled it.  Her computer crashed. 

 She told me that out other sister, Patricia “Pat” Ann Youngblood Gann, had moved in with her daughter Suzanne. She recently had knee surgery.

 A friend sent me a video called “Parents Wish.  It is set to the music of Josh Groban singing “You Raise Me Up”.  Carolyn and I watched it.  We both felt a little sad but grateful for our four children.  Each one of them takes care of us and shows their love in different ways.

 I realized, ‘Hey, that’s me’.  I’ll be seventy-five this year.

Above all I believe that God is in control of all that happens to you and to me. I don’t always understand why things happen as they do or when they do, but with Job I say, “Yea tho’ He slay me, yet will I trust Him."

 Click below:

 http://parentswish.com/site01/big.html

Dadgum, I just clicked on it again to make sure it worked and tears welled up. Sorry bout that.   Max

 

AGING AND AGE

George Carlin's Views on Aging Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions. 'How old are you?' 'I'm four and a half!' You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead. 'How old are you?' 'I'm gonna be 16!' You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life . You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony . YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!! But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed? You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone. But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would! So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40,REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60. You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday! You get into your 80's and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30 ; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; 'I Was JUST 92.' Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. 'I'm 100 and a half!' May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!! HOW TO STAY YOUNG 1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them.' 2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. 3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.' And the devil's name is Alzheimer's. 4. Enjoy the simple things. 5. Laugh often, long and loud . Laugh until you gasp for breath. 6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive. 7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music,plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge. 8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help. 9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is. 10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity. AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Why seniors citizens break things!

FIRST VIDEO PUBLISHED