Secret to Youth & Long Life...Really!

In a Chinese Valley near Bama, there is a longevity cluster. It's a village with only 500 residents, where six of them are centenarians. Tourists, of course, are now flocking to this village trying to get their hands on the secret to long life. There is some kind of magic that runs throughout the valley. The supernatural potion is in the water. Or the home grown food. Maybe in the soil or the grass or the air that surrounds a mysterious magnetic field. But it is there. Somewhere. These thousands of people believe it is anyway. That a magical key that opens the door to lengthening our very mortal days is just waiting to be unearthed. Hotels are going up. I'm sure that will help. I mean, what a better way to preserve their simple, organic way of life than to bring in skyscrapers and souveneir shops. They are now marketing the villages all fresh and natural foods in a variety of packaging (kinda loses it's freshness that way doesn't it?) and bottling their special, sometimes unconventional, serums in the brand new businesses now springing up.

The thousands of tourists stay for weeks and months on end just to drink the pure blue, low alkalityity water, eat the home grown food, and hang around the magnetic fiield all hoping to absorb some kind of physical preservation. My favorite part is that these tourists spend hours watching, yes, just standing around gazing, as the villagers go about their day doing their chores. Doing nothing. Brilliant. That will definately help you live longer. What I love about this 'news' story, is that the Western scientists who study these longevity clusters say it has nothing to do with the lifestyle or surroundings many credit for the added decades of these villagers. It's what the villagers were born with. It is in their DNA. This is how they live so long, they were simply created to. Bummer for all those hoping to learn some secret for long life, eh? Well don't despair just yet. I know how you can add length to your days.

The answer was found on ancient scrolls.

They were written just for you.

You too were created to live long beyond your years...

You were created to live forever.

So how the heck do we get the answer!?

We ask for it!

Seriously. It's that simple. We ask God to save us from death. We ask Him to live in us, to guide us, to give us length of days, for ever and ever. He gave us His word, the Bible, which contains all the answers on how to live eternally with Him. And what do we learn from His word? To ask. To ask Him into our lives. Once He's there, in every aspect of our life, He will direct our paths and help us make right decisions by following His commandments and using the words He gave us in the Bible to gain understaning. Through Wisdom we will prosper with eternal life in Heaven. We will mess up. Absolutely. Positively. Everyone of us does. But we can be saved. Not as a liscense to sin, but because Christ loved us so much He already gave His life so we could live ours forever. The bonus, as if there could be one on top of eternal life, is that God wants us to be renewed in our physical bodies as well. That's right! He wants us to live in health during our days one earth. Our days mind you, that He will lengthen!

Don't believe me? Read for yourself:

Psalm 21 (For the director of music. A psalm of David.)
1 O LORD, the king rejoices in your strength.
How great is his joy in the victories you give!
2 You have granted him the desire of his heart
and have not withheld the request of his lips.
Selah (weigh these things thoughtfully; pause to reflect)
3 You welcomed him with rich blessings
and placed a crown of pure gold on his head.
4 He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—
length of days, for ever and ever.
5 Through the victories you gave, his glory is great;
you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.
6 Surely you have granted him eternal blessings
and made him glad with the joy of your presence.


Proverbs 3 (The Rewards of Wisdom)
1 My son, do not forget my teaching,
But let your heart keep my commandments;
2 For length of days and years of life
And peace they will add to you.

8 It will be healing to your body
And refreshment to your bones.

16 Long life is in her right hand;
In her left hand are riches and honor.
17 Her ways are pleasant ways
And all her paths are peace.
18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her,
And happy are all who hold her fast.

21 My son, let them not vanish from your sight;
Keep sound wisdom and discretion,
22 So they will be life to your soul


Proverbs 4:4
Lay hold of my words with all your heart;
keep my commands and you will live.


Psalm 103:5
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

As christians...we ARE the LONGEVITY CLUSTER! Ask for your eternal life today. God is listening. God is able. God wants you to have it, so take hold of it right now.

Daddy, we come before you today and ask for your wisdom. Breathe her into every area of our lives. May she guide us in every decision, every direction, every thought. Come into our lives and fill us with your presence. Help us worship you with our actions and tongues. We ask you Lord, as David did, for life eternal with you. If any of us does not already know you, may they ask you into their lives right now. And for those of us who claim we do, may we come to know you better. So be it; truly. We love you Lord, you are so good!

Daily Walk

foot to concrete
concrete to soul
repeat
repeat
repeat until your heart is pumping with promise
repeat until your breath is the sound of earth's pride
pause
smell the petunias
chase a lizard
turn up the volume of your soul
sun to eyes
eyes to sky
sky to beauty
beauty to Christ
Christ to mind

feet to pavement
pavement to spirit
walk
walk
walk until you meet who you've become
walk until you read beauty on the pages of your sorrow
stop
find yourself in a new day
rest your thoughts in God's hand
drink in the restoration of your spirit
mind to God
God to peace
peace to sweet
sweet to dreams
dreams to fulfilled

Broken Earrings

The last few times I've worn my favorite earrings they've flown off whenever I hug someone...or get too animated...or dance around suddenly...and if you know me you know I hug everyone, long past the moment where it becomes uncomfortable for the poor stranger I am smothering, and my gestures tend to span the entirety of any space I dwell...and I am always, unashamedly, breaking out into sudden robotic moves paired with a little move I like to call the 'Running Rabbit'. Not the Running Man. Not the Roger Rabbit. The Running Rabbit. I do a little jig of each and they combine for a mind blowing display of sweetness! At least in my mind.

So you can see that a person of my, shall we say, energy, cannot go around stabbing people in the face with a runaway earring every time I breathe. The last time I removed my illustriously large silver hoops, I paused before placing them back in their bed of foam and felt. I considered tossing them in the tin trash can next to my jewel tower. My heart skipped a tearful beat at the thought of never wearing my prized circles-of-silver again. But they could no longer serve their purpose. They were broken. Worthless, really. Certainly not worth saving.

As I swaddled those precious metal loops in my hand, taking a moment to honor the joy they always gave my ears, I thought about my own purpose. I too was like those broken earrings once. Worthless, and certainly not worth saving. I felt so broken that I assumed God would simple discard me, toss my calling aside, and replace me with a more Godly, virtuous woman who could actually serve her purpose.

But God saved me. He scooped me up, wrapped me in His healing balm of grace, broken dreams and all, and loved me into His own precious gem. I was not only repaired, but restored. He gave me back my dreams. He returned my purpose. He put my weakened spirit back into existence so I could be used again. Only this time I could recognize the image He made me from...His. I was made not only whole, but stronger, more compassionate, more confident in who I am as a woman of God. With my leather bound toolbox, I continue to use every implement God gave to continue His healing over my life. Those scriptures make me feel refreshed, at peace, and once again able to see that I am, despite all the times I still stab people in the heart with my runaway attitude, able to be used by God.

My favorite earrings never made it into the trash. Instead of tossing them aside, I wrapped them in gauze and set out to mend the weakened clasp that could no longer hold the post in place. I got out my tool box and tightened the prongs, so once again, they could serve their purpose. I then took the time to meticulously clean every inch of those silver hoops, making them better than they were when I bought them. And just like me, they are restored. Purposeful. Worth more than rubies. Sparkling with pride simply because they were given a second chance. A chance we are all offered, if only we'll seek God, being confident that He who began a good work in us, will carry it on to completion.