After a long absence, I'm back. I cannot say why I've been away for so long. So many distractions to take me away from writing, none of them important enough to keep me from something I love, and something I need to do.

A lot has happened since I posted my last entry. My father has been in and out of the hospital since December. He's 81, and suffering from dementia and congestive heart failure. His health is sometimes fragile, especially while he is hospitalized. I hate seeing him in that condition—hooked up to IV fluids and other equipment, because he seems so delicate and fragile. It breaks my heart. It's been so hard visiting him during those hospital stays, but fortunately, he's out now and doing much better. Recently, we moved him into a brand-new Sunrise facility in John's Creek, and the cheerfulness of the staff and his new surroundings have helped all of us to feel better. Daddy is the first—and only—resident on his floor, and everyone is competing for his attention. At times I think, surely he must realize how pampered he is, and then at other times I'm not sure he knows. His dementia worsens as the day wears on. This is a common symptom, I am told, and happens often in elderly dementia sufferers. My family and I are so thankful he is in a wonderfully supportive environment where he receives lots of attention, therapy, and great food! At this point, his new home is more like a resort than an assisted living facility.

Growing old is never easy. Seeing my parents age reminds me that I am not far behind them, and teaches me how short and precious life on Earth is. You blink and you're 30. Blink again—40. Time moves faster and faster with each passing year and decade. I don't know why that is, but maybe it's because by the time you reach say, 50, you've seen so much of what life has to offer, experienced so much, that you begin to wonder what's left.

For me, I have no children of my own to love and occupy my time. I am blessed with two wonderful and adorable nieces, which is the next best thing to having children of my own, I suppose. I love them so much, and they are growing up fast.

I read a while ago that one way to slow the passing of time is to vary your routine. Learn a new skill, take a class, get a new job, go on an extended vacation—things like that. Anything to change the way your day flows will help give you a new perspective on life and just may trick you into thinking that time is slowing a little. Keeping the same schedule day after day is boring and monotonous, and allows one day to blend into the next....and the next, and pretty soon a whole month goes by and you wonder where all the time went. Throw in something new and different and you upset the system, thus allowing new experiences to enter and slow things down. It's kind of like baking a cake. You add ingredients into a mixer and turn it on. Pretty soon the eggs and sugar are well-blended and the mixer seems to speed up just a little. But then you add in the flour and milk, and things get messy. The mixer has to work a little harder, and "appears" to slow down until everything is smoothly blended again. That's kind of the way life is. When something new is added to the mix of your daily life, it takes time to incorporate, and once in, makes a richer, fuller batter. I guess I'm comparing life to cake batter, huh? In some ways, it is.

I thank God every day for my family, my home, and my health. All are fragile, and all could be gone in an instant through some unforeseen event. If you'll think of every single day of your life as a gift, you won't go wrong. Every tragedy, every sickness, every death, brings healing and new life. Everything which tries to tear us down ultimately makes us stronger. Just as exercise is good for the body, trials and tribulations are good for the soul. Healing comes only after pain, and that's the secret of how life works. Take your trials as a gift, because through them comes a stronger You, better able to face new obstacles that may come your way.

Some of the best advice I've read stressed the difference between Thankfulness and Praise. Thankfulness is when we thank God for things we've asked for, things we've wanted and received through prayer and work. That's easy. But then there is Praise—praise is what we must give God for everything. Even in the midst of our greatest hardships, we should still give God praise. That can be very hard to do, but do it we must, because ultimately, God has a plan for us all, and that includes whatever miserable predicament we find ourselves in at the moment. By praising Him, we surrender to His Will, and that brings acceptance, which allows God to work in our lives.

....Gosh, I didn't expect to preach a sermon today. In fact, this is probably the first such sermon I've ever put down—anywhere. I didn't know it was in me.