It's a numbers game

In a week I will put another year between me and 40.  My birthdays don’t bother me so much.  Can’t stop them from coming.  It’s just another year I’ve survived.

I was 4 years old when I finally figured out when my mother’s birthday was.  I was proud as punch that I knew that “Today is my mom’s birthday”.  I told everyone in church that day that it was her birthday.  Of course, just because I knew what day it was, I had no idea how old she was.  So, when someone asked me that inevitable question “How old is she?”, instead of admitting I didn’t know, I just sort of guessed.  To me, at 5, everyone lived to be 100.  Nice even round number.  In the scheme of things, and in relation to 100…. well…uh, 40 wasn’t that old or that big of a number.  I proudly told everyone who asked, “She’s 40 years old!”  (sorry Mom)

She was 24.  She wouldn’t be 40 until I was 21.

Oops.

My mom married young and had us kids young.  Growing up I wanted to be just like her.  Until i got closer to the age she was when she married my dad.  As I approached that age, I realized there was no way I was ready to get married and have a child.  I was too young.  I would be 4 years older before I got married, and two years beyond that when I had my son.  Even then, I was pretty sure I was too young.

I remember my 13th birthday, how excited I was to finally be an official teenager.  I couldn’t wait for my birthday that year.  Until my cousin took the wind out of my sails by telling me my birthday that year was no big deal, it was just another day, like any other day.  I would be the same, look the same, feel the same, I would just be one year older.   I was mad at him for taking the shine off my 13th birthday, but he was right.  It was just another day, like any other day. It was only special to me, but I looked the same, sounded the same, felt the same, was the same, except I was another year older.

From that year on, my birthdays never really bothered me.  The number of years celebrated was just that, a number.  My younger brother’s birthday’s didn’t bother me either.  Besides, I don’t care what his number is, he never ages in my mind.  My (baby) sister’s birthdays make me feel older than my own.

I was always convinced no matter how many years had passed from the day I was born, I would never be “too old” to wear blue jeans and tees.  The day I got ‘too old’ for jeans would be the day I was just too old.   So, come next Saturday, as the country gears up to celebrate our nation’s birthday, I will be celebrating yet another year survived, another year put between me and 40.

And I will be celebrating in blue jeans and a tee shirt.

The One true God? Really?

My favorite keep-my-sanity-while-driving-in-traffic radio talk show has been having an on going discussion on faith, and heaven. Is there a God, is there a heaven, what proof is there. Click on the link and listen to the audio post “Faith”.

I know that I’m not giving this a proper introduction and there fore I’m going to jack this whole thing up, bear with me.

We believe in God, Jesus, Heaven because that’s the religion we were raised with. Muslims have their belief system because that’s how they were raised. Buddhists believe how they were raised and so on and so one. And every one of them believes they are the right way and the rest of the world is wrong.

I am the way the truth and the life, no one comes to The Father except through Me. John 14:6

Our justification that our way is the one true way and everyone who doesn’t believe in God the Father, will burn in hell.

So I come to this. is it possible that every religion has their own afterlife and it’s right? We don’t know what our Heaven will be like. No body does. Is it possible that our afterlife is different for every single one of us? My heaven could be a beach with endless margaritas and cabana boys. My sister’s could be 24 hour yoga. How do we know there is an afterlife? Because the bible says so? So, we now pick and choose what chapters and verses are literal and which ones are figurative?

Isn’t every religion based on the same basic principles? A higher being and an afterlife? Is it possible there is one single higher being and we all just call it by a different name?

He wants proof there is a god. Is there proof there isn’t a god? Why do we think our god is the One True God for the entire world? Is there proof there is a Heaven? What is that proof and what is it like? My afterlife could very well be as specialized for me, as yours would be for you.

Oh and lets not get started down the road of faith… believing without proof.