{"id":3353,"date":"2012-12-21T09:22:03","date_gmt":"2012-12-21T14:22:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/simplelife\/?p=3353"},"modified":"2012-12-21T09:22:37","modified_gmt":"2012-12-21T14:22:37","slug":"the-end-of-my-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2012\/12\/the-end-of-my-world.html","title":{"rendered":"The end of my world?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"keep<\/a>Okay! I had to do this. \u00a0But I have more reason to write about December 21, 2012 than most folks. \u00a0It\u2019s my birthday and it\u2019s a big one. \u00a0That is, it\u2019s a big number. \u00a0For many people, my age might even signal the end of the world.<\/p>\n

However, I don\u2019t intend to go away today. \u00a0I plan to live to my sociologically prophetic 100 years and continue to work. \u00a0There is a great deal of freedom that comes with age. \u00a0I\u2019ve heard from a variety of people different milestones that change you.<\/p>\n

My good friend Mama Poulsen said that 50 was the changing age. \u00a0When my friend, Grace Caldwell, died at 79, her only regret was that she didn\u2019t reach 80. \u00a0\u201dBecause at 80 you can say and do whatever you want.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"me<\/a>Since I\u2019ve pretty much lived that way many years of my life, \u00a0maybe it\u2019s time for me to pull back. \u00a0Whenever I asked my husband for his opinion about a decision, he used the old phrase, \u201cDo whatever you want. \u00a0That\u2019s what you always end up doing anyway.\u201d \u00a0When he said it, I chaffed at the notion. \u00a0Nevertheless, looking back, I see that he was right more times than he was wrong.<\/p>\n

Of course, I had three children and a fairly demanding husband; but in the end, I\u2019ve seen circumstances and realities change to the point that I seem to \u201cend up doing whatever I want.\u201d \u00a0Through this, I\u2019ve learned that in the Christian life sacrificial giving often becomes a doorway to your greatest blessing. \u00a0The first really become the last and the last often finish first.<\/p>\n

\"HB<\/a>It takes years to comprehend. \u00a0Yet in God\u2019s economy, there is a strength in weakness. \u00a0The poor in spirit always obtain the heavenly riches. \u00a0Those who weep acquire the greatest consolation because their comfort emanates from the throne of God. \u00a0And the whole earth will be given to the humble.<\/p>\n

Happy Birthday to me! \u00a0I pray your day will be as blessed as mine.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Okay! I had to do this. \u00a0But I have more reason to write about December 21, 2012 than most folks. \u00a0It\u2019s my birthday and it\u2019s a big one. \u00a0That is, it\u2019s a big number. \u00a0For many people, my age might even signal the end of the world. However, I don\u2019t intend to go away today.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":387,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,20,40,186,49,16,8,4,41],"tags":[620,21,688,696,14,18,699,720,262,621,715,703,701,694,689,6,700],"class_list":["post-3353","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christianity","category-church","category-faith","category-hope","category-inspiration","category-intellectual-disability","category-mentally-challenged-community","category-simple-truths","category-spirituality","tag-birthday","tag-christian","tag-christianity","tag-church","tag-death-and-dying","tag-discipleship","tag-faith","tag-friendship","tag-gods-grace","tag-happy-birthday-to-me","tag-hope","tag-humor","tag-inspiration","tag-intellectual-disability","tag-mentally-challenged-community","tag-simple-scriptural-truths","tag-spirituality"],"yoast_head":"\nThe end of my world? - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, nofollow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The end of my world? - A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Okay! I had to do this. \u00a0But I have more reason to write about December 21, 2012 than most folks. \u00a0It\u2019s my birthday and it\u2019s a big one. \u00a0That is, it\u2019s a big number. \u00a0For many people, my age might even signal the end of the world. However, I don\u2019t intend to go away today.…\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/simplelife\/2012\/12\/the-end-of-my-world.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"A Simple Life, a Childlike Faith\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2012-12-21T14:22:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2012-12-21T14:22:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/specialgathering.files.wordpress.com\/2012\/12\/keep-calm.jpg?w=510\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Linda G. 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