On the road again...

It seems as if Diane and I just returned from our last trip (that one to the cornfields of Iowa), and now here we are again leaving the familiar comforts of home, driving north on the always exciting I-95. On the previous trip we celebrated the marriage of the son of our dear friends, Nancy and Dave Lee, but this time we will join in an even more personal celebration: the marriage of our youngest, Brendan, to his sweetie, Amari. The wedding will take place on October 1st on the island of Nantucket where they both live. Of course, we will also make the rounds and visit our other three children and eight grandchildren who, sadly for them, all live in Massachusetts.

I like to think age has had little effect on me, that I'm still as vigorous and healthy as ever, but there's nothing like a long rode trip to bring reality to the fore. It's especially evident whenever we stop for gas or a bite to eat. I swing my body out of the driver's seat and my aging back and joints rebel. I suspect it's quite a sight for onlookers. Also, in the past I often drove 700-800 miles I'm a day; now I'm lucky to log 500, which is how far we drove today.

This, I believe, is one of God's blessings. As we age and our bodies begin to deteriorate, we are reminded of our mortality, that death cannot be avoided. While pondering our faith and the brevity of our lives, we come to realize that we had better turn to our loving God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit -- and reorient our lives to God's will. There's nothing like advancing age to remind us of the true insignificance of our petty, worldly concerns and all the pomps and works of men, and force us to confront that which is truly important: our salvation.

Oh, yes, it's also cold here in North Carolina. Right now it's a miserably cold 59 degrees, which for us Floridians is downright wintry. We were looking forward to a nice balmy September in New England, but now I expect we'll be regretting our decisions on what clothing we packed. Ah, well, it will only make our return to Florida that much sweeter.

Keep us in your prayers as we negotiate the insanity of northeast Interstates. God's peace.



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Location:Lumberton, NC