Auld Lang Syne

Nearly everyone is familiar with the popular song sung on New Years Eve. But most have probably wondered what the words actually mean. These three words were the title of a Scottish poem by Robert Burns in 1788 according to www.wikipedia.org. The words literally translated mean "old long since" or more commonly used as "long, long ago".

So as you sing the popular verse tonight, think about what the words really mean.
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind ?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And days o' lang syne ?

Should we really wait until the end of the year before we think about our past relationships and friends? What about the people we care about now? As our fast paced lives get more and more hectic year by year, we need to remind ourselves about the truly important people in our lives, past and present.

Let me give you some examples.

I know parents will be able to relate to this. Imagine your loud and obnoxious teenager leaves with the car one afternoon to go to the mall. Hours later he has not returned. You begin to wonder why he has been gone so long. Your anxiety builds with each passing minute. Your imagination begins to think of countless possibilities for the delay, each one becoming more and more distressing. Minutes seem like hours. Hours begin to turn into eternity fearing the most dreadful possible outcomes.

Later that evening, he strolls in the door like nothing has happened. Your frantic nerves are shot. You barrage him with questions about where he was and your concern. You convey that you were about to call the police. He casually answers that he met some friends and went to movie and forgot to call, wondering what the big deal is. How precious is that relationship now when you think that it could have been gone in an instant?

Or, think about what Jimmy Stewart learned in the movie "It's a Wonderful Life". With the help of his guardian angel Clarence, he got to learn what things would be like without him. The town was totally different, the people he cared about did not know him and were much worse off. He was not there to save his little brother from drowning in the frozen pond, and because of that, his little brother never became a war hero saving the lives of many fellow soldiers on a plane. And on and on.

After this lesson sunk in with Jimmy, everything had new meaning. From the movie theater in town to the rickety banister that kept popping off. And of course, his wife, children, friends, and all the other people he helped through his family's savings and loan bank meant so much more to him.

Do we really have to experience some drastic occurrence before we too realize what is really important in our lives? Do we only think about our departed friends and loved ones lost long long ago only one day a year?

Our relationships are precious. From the time God gave Adam a helpmate to him from one of his ribs, we were meant to have others around us to help us and strengthen us.

Let us never forget our loved ones and friends. Not one day a year, but all the time.

But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

The man said,
"This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called 'woman,'
for she was taken out of man."

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. Genesis 2:20-24 (NIV)

If you have questions or comment, please feel free to contact me at the address below:
Email: DeltaInspire@hushmail.com

The Bucket List

I apologize to my regular readers for the prolonged absence. The past six months have been very challenging for me personally, so I have not been able to post frequently.

As stated before, I am somewhat of a movie buff. I just had a chance to see the movie "The Bucket List" released last year starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. Both men meet in a hospital room where they each are dealing with terminal cases of cancer. One is a billionaire, the other a mechanic. Outside of their imminent futures, they have nothing in common.

They decide to make a list of things to do before they "kick the bucket", but want it to be a positive experience rather than just waiting to die. This brings me back to the title of this blog and why I started writing these posts 15 months ago. What is the meaning of life? How do we want to be remembered? What is our purpose for our lives?

The most telling thing about the movie can be summed up in two questions asked while looking at the Great Pyramids in Egypt. Have you experience joy in your life? Have others experience joy because of you?

There is a lot to contemplate in the last two paragraphs. The question is, do you want to answer those questions?

The past 15 months I've tried to share many insights and things I've picked up over the years. The more I learn, the more questions I have. I don't have all the answers. No one does. I have tried to make a positive difference in the lives of others. I have no regrets. One life at a time. One person at a time.

What about you? What is important to you? What gives your life meaning? On your deathbed, what do you have to say? How do you want to be remembered? Did you have an impact on others?

The last several months the financial markets have been in turmoil to say the least. If you create wealth, does that really change things? In the movie, the billionaire still faced imminent death. It did allow them to do their final wish list and enjoy those experiences that they never had before. But nonetheless, we all die. We cannot take material things with us.

Wealth only allows more choices while you are alive. Because of wealth, you may be able to impact far more people, either positively or negatively. As I like to say, the choice is yours.

What will you put on your bucket list? Don't wait until you have a terminal disease to do it.

Live each day as if it is your last. As always, the choice is yours.

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,

he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever. Psalm 23 (NIV)

If you have questions or comments, please feel free to contact me at the address below.

Email: DeltaInspire@hushmail.com

New contact information

Due to a number of reasons, I have a new email account for those who wish to contact me. It is DeltaInspire@hushmail.com.

Please feel free to use it for questions or comments.
DeltaInspire