I was listening to the radio this afternoon, and "Eve of Destruction" came on. Now, some of you may not be familiar with this, but it is a song from 1965 sung by Barry McGuire, written by P.F. Sloan. It lists all the things that could kill us, or could or are causing people to fight with each other, then asks if we don't realize we're on the eve of destruction. It's not exactly a hopeful song.

One phrase caught my ear: "Hate your next door neighbor but don't forget to say grace." It catches the hypocrisy many Christians are accused of. We are often accused of giving lip service to loving others, to being inclusive, to caring about the least, the last, and the lost. We are accused of being so wrapped up in each other and maintaining our buildings that we forget about the world just outside our doors. Not good things to be accused of, but now and then maybe we need to be reminded to double-check our priorities.

Today we need to be sure to pray for Roger and Sue Grace on the death of her father.

Loving God, today we need your help so we can walk the talk. Don't allow us to be all talk and no action. Help us to live the life we espouse. Help us to remember that the ones who need us the most are the ones outside our doors. And on this day we especially lift to you Sue and Roger and their family. Hold them in your loving arms as they gather to say farewell to one who has been so important. Let them know they are not alone in their grief.

It seems as though everyone in my life is reaching the geriatric stage of life. Oh, not me, of course, but others. My parents will be 88 and 89 this year. My brother and I had to trick them into going to Arizona for the winter, without telling them they would not be returning to Ohio. It still weighs on my mind, but the more I find at their house and the more he experiences with them at his house, the more I know it was something that needed to be done.

My cats turned 15 in January. Even though their breed (Ragdoll) tends to live a long time, I am quite aware that after 15 every day is a gift.

It is that giftedness that we often miss when dealing with geriatric folk. The difficulties that come with age can overshadow the offerings they can still impart to the family. Whenever I mention my parents on Facebook, my cousins jump in with memories. No, I don't share the frustrating moments. But the sharing of memories helps me to put the frustrations in perspective. When we deal with difficult people, no matter their age, it often helps to remember good times, so we can see beyond the frustration of today.

Thank you, O God, for the joy of good days and good memories. Thank you for kitties that sleep by my side, that run and jump and play. Thank you for friends and family members and all the good times. Thank you for trips to the beach, for cookie baking and project making. Thank you for history sharing, and soul baring. And when the days become difficult, let those memories and your supporting love see us through.

I watched a video this morning of a Dachshund playing in the snow. It was having so much fun! The snow was deeper than the Doxy was tall, so it was burrowing and tunneling, and then popping up way far out in the yard. Doxies are designed for burrowing, but most of the time we don't let them do that because it messes up the yard. You could tell this dog was very, very happy, both to be playing in the snow, and to be able to do what it was created to do.

We are created to love. To love the rest of God's creation. To love the unlovable. To love our enemies. To love one another. But things get in the way. We get busy, we become a bit self-centered, we find loving others to be too hard sometimes. But it is what we were created to be and to do. And just like that little Dachshund, we will find our greatest joy when we are doing what we are designed to do.

God, who loves us far beyond our deserving, we thank you for your grace and mercy in those times we fail to be what you want us to be. We thank you for showing us what it means to live a life of love. We thank you for those who love us, and for those we can love. Today we also lift up to you all those struggling with weather issues. Some are in desperate need for moisture, others are trying to dig out from tons of snow, and still others are without power from ice. It's been a tough winter, but we know spring will come, and whatever comes our way we know that you are with us.