Finish Well: Embrace Freedom

In the previous two UPGRADE posts, "Take Courage" and "Build Strength," we considered a number of ways seniors can finish well. In this final post in the series, I (Dawn) want us to consider how we can "Embrace Freedom."

In my span of 65 years, I've discovered two kinds of seniors.

One kind retires from life and fails to dream new dreams. As one such woman told me, "I'm just waiting for the rapture." You may have heard someone say that too.

The other kind grabs hold of every day, buying up the time. As one senior I know said,  

"I don't know how many days I have left on this earth, but I'm not dead yet and I'm going to drink my cup of life dry!"

The first woman foolishly sqandered many opportunities to serve the Lord. The second woman was living out Ephesians 5:15-16, redeeming time, wisely making the most of every opportunity.

I want to be like that second woman. I want to redeem the rest of my years. Because I have freedom in Christ, I want to embrace freedom and finish well.

Now I don't know what redeeming the senior years looks like to you, but here are four ways I'm going to embrace freedom in my own senior years.

First, I'm going to . . .

1. Purge the Unnecessary.

In today's culture, with so many things to buy and so many storage units to keep them in, it may not be as natural to pare down in the senior years as it used to be. To be sure, many are "down-sizing" as they get older, but others are still burdened down with too much stuff.

In our elder years, we should be simplifying our lives, purging out the unnecessary, making much of our sweet memories, and preparing for heaven!

Many problems would be helped or even solved, if we just owned a lot less.

• We might find extra hours in our day or more money in our checkbooks;
• We'd have a lot less housework to do—like dusting all those knick-knacks;
• We'd eliminate a lot of stress about our stuff;
• We'd find the calming freedom of "space;"
• We'd be able to, perhaps, release ourselves from others' expectations (just think about the freedom of not having to keep up with the Joneses or fashion's dictates); 
• And maybe we'd finally learn true biblical contentment.

It's not about being a minimalist. It's about becoming a wiser consumer and a better steward. It's about finding the joy of freedom. It's about not being "encumbered" and distracted by so much stuff!

If you're looking for help decluttering, there are many good books that can help. I recommend Kathi Lipp's book, Clutter Free, and Marcia Ramsland's, Simplify Your Space.

2. Use Resources Wisely.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to enjoy financial freedom in old age? That doesn't just happen. Many seniors have frittered away valuable dollars that could have been invested for the latter years.

But regardless of our past foolishness, we can still learn to be good financial stewards. There are so many helpful resources to read and apply, like Ron Blue and Jermey White's Faith-Based Family Finances; Dave Ramsey's Your Money after the Big 5-0; and numerous books and booklets by financial expert Ellie Kay.

It's not just financial resources we need to consider. I believe God wants us to walk through our homes and ask Him how we might better use the material goods in our homes. Maybe we could lend or give an item we own to someone in need. Or maybe we could sell something we have to make compassionate use of the money we generate.

Maybe there is a skill we have that could be used for the Kingdom. We could make quilts, blankets or clothing for someone in need. We could paint someone's fence or help plant a garden. We could write or edit for a financially-strapped ministry. Ask, "What can I do?" Then ask, "How can I use this, Lord?"

Another wise use of resources is considering where we might leave special financial gifts in our will for a favorite ministry or two after we pass on. (You do have a will, right?)

3. Keep on Dreaming.

As people in many walks of life have noted, when we stop dreaming, we start dying inside. If nothing else, our dreams die! And that's sad. Seniors need to keep on dreaming. Dreaming is a diamond for old age with many facets.

Part of dreaming is creativity—figuring out ways to act on our dreams and keep on contributing to our families, church and society.

Creative expression is said to benefit the elderly, promoting health and wellness. I've always admired people like "Grandma Moses" (Anna Mary Robertson Moses), the American folk artist, who started painting in earnest at the age of 78!

Dreaming also includes visionary thinking. Cam Townsend, founder of Wycliffe Bible Translators, went to Moscow and learned Russian to assist in Bible translation when he was 72.

Another part of dreaming is reading and being a lifelong learner. Did you know Chief Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes began the study of Greek at the age of 92? People no doubt wondered why he waited so long. He said, "When else would I have had the time to take it up?"

So keep on dreaming. It will keep your mind young and give you unexpected opportunities to serve the Lord.

(Lost your way and think you can't dream again? Cindi McMenamin can help—read her book, When a Woman Discovers Her Dream.)

4. Pursue New Adventures.

Related to dreaming is: Never be afraid to try something new. When I think of the word "freedom," I often associate it with the word "adventure."

There's just something exciting and freeing about going on an adventure with God!

My friend Pam Farrel has modeled adventursome living over the years. I loved Pam's book, Becoming a Brave New Woman: Step into God's Adventure for You. 

This year, "Adventure" is Pam's focus word—with perfect timing. God is taking Pam and her husband Bill on a big detour in life, but rather than sitting around and complaining about it, they are contemplating what might be right around the corner! They are on a fresh adventure with the Lord. They are anticipating new opportunities with their family and growth in their ministry together.

When we allow God to lead us as He wills, as our Sovereign Lord, we can know that all our adventures will be for our good, others' benefit and His glory.

So don't be afraid of new adventures. Embrace them! (I'm determined to run my life race, wherever it takes me, with joy! Isn't that what you want too?)

• Let's take courage and fight the good fight (2 Timothy 4:7).
• Let's build strength so we can "press on toward the goal to win the prize" (Philippians 3:14).
• Let's "run in such a way"—embracing freedom in Christ—as to get the prize" (1 Corinthians 9:24, NIV; Hebrews 12:1).

Let's FINISH WELL!

What does finishing well look like for you? What is God asking you to change in the days to come so that you can hear His words, "Well done, good and faithful servant"?

 Dawn Wilson, founder and president of Heart Choices Today, is the creator of three blogs: Heart Choices Today, LOL with God (with Pam Farrel), and Upgrade with Dawn. She is the Director of the San Diego chapter of Network of Evangelical Women in Ministry (NEWIM). Dawn is the co-author of a devotional, LOL with God, and contributed "The Blessing Basket" in It's a God Thing.She and her husband Bob have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Graphic Adapted: image courtesy of Mike Enerio, Stocksnapio.com.

Finish Well: Build Strength

In the last post, "Finish Well: Take Courage," we considered four ways to become a more courageous person in the second half of life. Today, we want to consider four UPGRADES to build strength.

First, a short testimony.

I (Dawn) am struggling with many health issues right now. I joked with my friend, Pam Farrel, "I have always been a Type-A+ person. These days I've added a lot of 'A's to my life: allergies, asthma, arthritis, apnea, acid reflux ...." LOL, right?

I'm discovering—as I strategize to regain my health—one of the most important aspects of recovery is my frame of mind.

So it's my first "finish well" strategy under building strength:

1. Cultivate Powerful Attitudes.

It's not about mind over matter; it's about searching out God's perspective and framing my thoughts and attitudes according to His Word.

All the self-talk in the world will not encourage my heart and guide my life as well as the powerful truth of scripture. My "self-talk" needs to be God-talk.

I need to read, know, memorize, meditate on and apply the rich, strength-building Word of God. God wants to change my attitudes from the heart out.

It is the application of God's Word that enables me to experience His joy, offer Him gratitude, trust Him in difficulties, and more.

God colors our attitudes with His abounding grace, and frees us to respond to life's cirumstances with inner strength—HIS strength in us.

What we think and say can become building blocks for greater character and strength with the goal of pleasing the Lord (Psalm 19:14), but first we need a transformed heart. God can transform our heart (and thoughts and attitudes) at any age (Romans 12:2; Philippians 4:8; Proverbs 4:23.

2. Focus on Friendships.

Another source of strength in the Christian's life (or it should be) is godly friendships. God made us for such relationships!

While our friendships are primarily a wonderful way to bring glory to God, they also are meant to help us build up our lives.

• A friend's encouraging or challenging words can keep us accountable to our goals and spiritual growth (Proverbs 27:17; 11:14; 19:20).
• A friend's loyalty, when we feel wounded by circumstances or other people, can help us move forward and not get stuck (Proverbs 18:24). 
• A friend's acceptance and forgiveness can teach us more about the freeing, loving forgiveness of our Father in heaven (Ephesians 4:32).
• A friend's love can encourage us when times get tough (Proverbs 17:17; John 13:34-35).

Some may find it difficult to cultivate friendships, but it is always worth the time and effort.

Some friendships last for a lifetime; other friends enter our lives at a needful season and leave a warm glow when they depart.

We need many kinds of friends: friends to laugh with, pray with, study with, etc., because no one friend (except Jesus) can meet all our needs!

With my health issues, I pulled away for a while; I thought I could deal with things alone—just me and Jesus. That's silly when God has given me so many good friends!

Remember: Although Jesus is the sinner's dearest friend, earthly friends can also come alongside to encourage and strengthen us when we need them most.

It's never too late to make a new friend, especially when they are solid, biblical relationships that honor the Lord.

3. Create Family Legacy.

I don't know about you, but I want to leave a godly legacy that will outlive me. I may be physically weak and frail when I leave this earth, but I can leave behind something strong!

I read that revivalist preacher Jonathan Edwards and his wife Sarah left a far-reaching legacy. Their decendants were quite accomplished (including 100 lawyers, a law school dean, 80 who held public office, 66 physicians, 65 professors, 30 judges, 13 college presidents, 3 mayors of large cities, 3 state governors, 3 senators and 1 Vice President of the US). What a testimony of blessing and strength in that family!

I want to leave a worthy legacy of children and grandchildren who know, love and live for the Lord (Psalm 112:1-2); descendants who are caring and compassionate, and accomplishing God's will in His world. One of the most important ways to do that is to live an authentic, Christian life.

It's been said, "The legacy we leave is the life we lead."* The truth is, our children and grandchildren are watching our lives, and what they see is probably more influential than anything we will say. If I want them to follow and live for Jesus, it makes sense that I must lead the way.

That's pretty humbling and convicting sometimes. I'm an imperfect servant of the Lord. But I still have time to build strength in this area.

I must remember: I'm not just building strength for my own life, but for generations to come!

4. Make Healthy Choices.

I opened this post mentioning my struggle with many overlapping health issues. I must admit, at least two of my health issues have grown out of my poor choices. (And that's hard for me to admit when my entire ministry for the past 20 years has been about "choices.")

I've made poor eating, exercise and rest choices. And it shows. You may have done the same, but not experienced destructive, even debilitating consequences ... yet.

The truth is, we can all still build strength.

Until the day we die, it's never too late to make new, healthier choices.

It a battle sometimes, and it takes discipline, but as Pastor Brady Boyd says, "Tiny disciplines tend to win great wars!"**

Here are a few of my new choices:

• I'm taking more breaks in my schedule for "down time"—times for genuine rest. (The book that has influenced me greatly on this is Brady Boyd's Addicted to Busy.)
• I'm planning more time to commune with the Lord in meditation and prayer, often going outside because God's creation "speaks" to me about His greatness.
• I'm eating foods that are green, lean, clean and "alka-lean" (a word I coined that means I'm "leaning on more alkaline foods" and less acidic foods).
• I'm doing simple exercises and stretching with the hope that I'll be able to do more intensive movements as I heal.
• I'm doing my best to get more sleep!

Yes, we can build strength as we cultivate powerful attitudes, focus on friendships, create family legacy and make healthy choices.

Which of these four upgrades would help you Finish Well?

Dawn Wilson, founder and president of Heart Choices Today, is the creator of three blogs: Heart Choices Today, LOL with God (with Pam Farrel), and Upgrade with Dawn. She is the Director of the San Diego chapter of Network of Evangelical Women in Ministry (NEWIM). Dawn is the co-author of a devotional, LOL with God, and contributed "The Blessing Basket" in It's a God Thing. She and her husband Bob have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

* Legacy quote from A Leader's Legacy by James Kouzes and Barry Posner, p. 177.

** Tiny disciplines quote from Addicted to Busy by Brady Boyd.

Graphic adapted: Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Finish Well: Take Courage

If we want to finish well, I believe the first thing we must do is take courage!

As I (Dawn) mentioned in an earlier post, I am resetting my priorities and goals in order to "Finish Well" ... to complete the rest of my life with joy. I think it's important for seniors to pause and evaluate, to determine what needs to change in order to someday hear God's "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:21), but also for a better life while we are on earth.

God, I believe, gave me three marching orders last June: (1) Take Courage; (2) Build Strength; and (3) Embrace Freedom.

In this and the next two UPGRADE posts, let's consider these three "resets."

Today, it's TAKE COURAGE.

I think these are days when Christians must be brave. There is too much at stake for our nation, churches and families for us to sit back, timid shadows of the warriors God calls us to be "for such a time as this."

The Israelis have a word for this: hazaq (pronounced Hah-zahk).

Hazaq is a verb meaning to be or become strong, firm or courageous. It is one of the Hebrew words used for man's power ("strong hand") and also God's power.

Hazaq was often used in the Old Testament to encourage soldiers to be strong (for example, Deuteronomy 31:6; 2 Samuel 10:12) and not be afraid of their enemies, because God would go with them. According to a biblical scholar friend of mine, a form of this phrase (Raq hazaq) is still used today by Israeli soldiers. They shout, "only be strong".)

We see this concept in Psalm 27:14:

"Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!" (ESV)

We are to wait for and confidently expect the Lord! We are to allow our heart to "take courage" in Him!

Marvin Wilson, in his book Our Father Abraham,* describes how, in ancient and modern-day synagogue services, an entire congregation will shout loudly to each other, "Hazaq! Hazaq! Venith Hazeq!" ("Be strong. Be strong. Let us strengthen each other.")

One of the secrets to taking courage is to come alongside each other, supporting each other in the battles we must face!

I think there are at least four practical ways we can be strong and "Take Courage"—especially in the second half of life.

1. Face Uncertainties Bravely.

Our confidence is in Christ, as Psalm 27:14 indicates. Because our confidence is not in our weak flesh, we can face the uncertainties of life bravely.

In fact, when we trust the "arm of flesh," we are playing into the enemy's desire to destroy us! (See Isaiah 31:1; Jeremiah 17:5; 2 Chronicles 32:8.) We must always face life's uncertainties with the Lord, not in our own strength!

It's foolish to stay up worrying at night, afraid of the unknown. God is faithful in our future as clearly as in our past and present. And what's even more precious, if we have trusted Christ, God is our loving Father. He desires what's best for us—no matter our circumstances—and we can trust Him.

Wise King Solomon said it plainly:  

"Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes, for the LORD will be your confidence..." (Proverbs 3:25-26, ESV).

2. Confront Your Weaknesses.

Face down your weaknesses. And your failures. And your sins.

God can enable us to courageously face who we've been, what we've done, and who we are in our darkest moments even now. Covering up or hiding what is true about our lives is not the path to growth or freedom.

We like to stay hidden in the darkness, hiding our ugliness. We don't want to come to the Light of God (John 3:19-20); but who do we think we are kidding? Jeremiah says our "ways" are not hidden from God's sight (Jeremiah 16:17; Isaiah 29:15).

We must come to God and welcome Him to enter the secret places in our hearts if we ever hope to have mercy, forgiveness and strength in ministry.

• "Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy" (Proverbs 28:13, NIV)
• "... Forgive my hidden faults" (Psalm 19:12b, NIV)

When we have that merciful freedom of forgiveness, there's no need to fear being "exposed."

3. Stand for Righteousness.

And then, when our spiritual house is in order, we're in a better position to have spiritual influence. And oh, how this world needs spiritual influence ... BIBLICAL influence.

Even as we are courageously taking all our sins and faults before the Lord—"confessing" them, agreeing with God about them (1 John 1:9)—we need to remember who we are in Christ!

We are already righteous in the sight of God, because of what Jesus has done for us (2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 3:22a; 4:5; 10:4).

The life we now live is "in the Son of God" who loved us and gave Himself for us (Galatians 2:20). In and through Christ, we can approach God with freedom and confidence. And in that confidence, we can stand against the wickedness in our world.

We can stand for righteousness, knowing God will be with us, enabling us to do the work He calls us to do.

4. Become a Warrior.

God calls us to be soldiers in His army. We must determine to impact this world for Christ, using our spiritual gifts and the Christian disciplines as tools for our warfare.

In Christ, we can be a soldier of the cross. We can go into to battle, enabled for the fight by the grace of God.

• Some will do battle on the front lines, exposing Satan's lies with the truth of the Word of God.
• Some will battle as mighy prayer warriors for those in the thick of the conflict.
• We all have a part. No one should be standing on the sidelines.

So take courage! In Christ, you will finish well.

Which of these four "Take Courage" goals is hard for you? Ask the Lord to show you how you can change in order to finish well.

* Marvin Wilson, Our Father Abraham, p. 190.

Dawn Wilson, founder and president of Heart Choices Today, is the creator of three blogs: Heart Choices Today, LOL with God (with Pam Farrel), and Upgrade with Dawn. She is the Director of the San Diego chapter of Network of Evangelical Women in Ministry (NEWIM). Dawn is the co-author of a devotional, LOL with God, and contributed "The Blessing Basket" in It's a God Thing. She and her husband Bob have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.

Graphic adapted, from pixabay.

Don't Say You're Too Old

Elaine W. Miller's practical humor never fails to make me smile, while I'm getting a kick in the pants spiritually! In this special UPGRADE for the senior set, she encourages us to keep on "running the race" with the Lord in the stewardship of our years.

"'It ain't over till it's over!' is one of my favorite Yogi Berra-isms," Elaine said.

You had me (Dawn) at "Yogi," Elaine. I thought, what can Yogi teach me about spiritual things? Aha!

Elaine continues . . .

I agree with Yogi! As long as we're breathing, our work on this earth is not finished. God still has a plan for our lives and a race for us to run whether we're 25 or 75, whether we're healthy or ill, whether we feel like it or not.

As birthdays come faster and faster, let us resolve to keep running the race God planned for us since before we were born. Will you run with me?

Let's be encouraged by what God says and enjoy a few more Yogi-isms to "drive home" the point.

1. God ordained all of our days, not just the days before we turn 65.  

"All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be" (Psalm 139:16b, NIV). God knows all our days. If we're alive, we still have races God wants us to run. 

   Or as Yogi says, "If you come to a fork in the road, take it."

Because . . .

2. God has work for us to do.

"The righteous . . . . will still bear fruit in old age. . .  " (Psalm 92:12-14, NIV).

If we wake up and our names aren't in the obituary, then hop to it. God has fruit for us to bear!

   Or as Yogi says, "You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you are going, because you might not get there."

So . . .

3. Let us persevere to the end.

". . . let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us" (Hebrews 12:1, NIV).  Let's not walk, let's run with all the energy we have (which is enough when God is our power source).

   Or as Berra said of Joe DiMaggio " . . . he never walked off the field."

Because . . .

4. Life is worthless unless we complete the task God planned for each of us.  

May our hearts resound with these words, "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me — the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace" (Acts 20:24, NIV).

   Because, as Yogi says, "It ain't over till it's over."

Jesus has our days planned. He has work for us to do. We must persevere to the end and complete the task. 

In our older years, let us be encouraged by some who lived these principles:

• Benjamin Franklin signed the Declaration of Independence at age 70.
• Grandma Moses began painting at age 76 because her hands were too crippled to hold embroidery needles.
• Roget published his Thesaurus at age 73 and oversaw every update until he died at age 90.
• Peggy Smith, (age 84 and blind), and her sister, Christine (age 82 and crippled), were key people in the world-famous revival in the Scottish Hebrides.

God may have a home run planned in our extra innings.

Let's not walk or strike out, but let's go the distance for the Lord. I want to die a winner, don't you?

Which of these four "Don't Say You're Too Old" tips helps you move forward today?

Elaine W. Miller is an international author and speaker known for sharing biblical insights with warmth, enthusiasm, and humor. She is the author of three books including her latest We All Married Idiots: Three Things You Will Never Change About Your Marriage and Ten Things You Can (available in English, Spanish, and Bosnian). Residing in upstate  New York with her husband of 45 years, she enjoys having three married children and 11 grandchildren close by. Visit Elaine's website/blog to learn more about her unique ministry.

Graphic adapted, Image courtesy of photostock at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

A Scriptural Attitude Adjustment

In this Attitude UPGRADE, Liz Cowen Furman, a speaker, author and artist who also runs a motel in Wyoming, tells how she changed her whole outlook on life by doing two simple things.

“I wanted—no, I needed—a serious attitude upgrade," Liz said, “But I didn’t know how to make it happen.”

Do you identify with her words, like I (Dawn) do? Have you ever needed a change of attitude but couldn’t summon the wisdom to make it happen?

Liz continues . . .

I used to read the Bible dutifully.

But our pastor suggested that, instead of making a bunch of New Year’s resolutions—as good as they might be—we consider a new approach.

He said “Get yourself a blank journal and start reading your Bible in Psalms. Read it with an eye for something that speaks to you. Then jot that verse in your journal and write a few lines about how it affects you or ask God to reveal something to you.”

Many times, I would get to the end of a chapter and realize I hadn’t heard a word of it, and would have to reread it.

Since I started this approach, I have fallen in love with the Scriptures. I started in the Psalms but have been through the whole Bible a couple of times now.

Reading the Bible, listening for something that spoke to me, made it feel like a letter written just to me.

Talk about attitude adjustment! A total game changer.

The second thing I did that fostered a new attitude happened quite by accident; except that I had been praying for help in this area, so maybe it was by design.

The members of the Bible Study I teach chose to study One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voscamp. As part of that study we were instructed to write down 1,000 things we are thankful for.

We all thought this exercise would be an easy assignment.

I purchased blank journals for us to write these “easy to identify” blessings, and we began. The first couple hundred came easily, then we really had to start looking to write them down.

We asked ourselves, “What would you miss, if everything you didn’t thank God for was taken away?”

By the time I reached 1,000, I saw a blessing in almost everything in my life.

I have continued the exercise. I write five things a day I am thankful for, and plan to continue until Jesus calls me home. Knowing that I will be logging five every morning keeps me on the lookout for things that I appreciate. And, since whatever we focus on increases, this has been an amazing exercise.

I now see the silver lining in situations I would have thought terrible. I now notice and appreciate the many blessings showered on me daily by a God who loves me (and you) so much! Plus, I have a legacy of thankfulness to leave to my family.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says:

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

If your attitude needs a tweak as we start the New Year, as mine did a few years ago, may I suggest you try these two exercises, pray for help, and then watch what He will do to transform your outlook.

Start now! What are five things you are grateful for today?

Liz Cowen Furman is an author, artist, encourager, mentor, teacher and speaker. Writing is like the balm of Gilead for Liz. When she is not working on a book, she is writing articles and blogging. She has published three books, is a member of AWSA (Advanced Writer Speaker Association) and a graduate of Christian Communicator’s Conference. She has written humor for The Christian Pulse magazine and for AWSA’s Suicide Blog. Liz’s new Bible Study, Trusting God in Everything: A Bible Study for Women Who Wonder If They Can, released May 20, 2015.