Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

They will still bear fruit in old age,
    they will stay fresh and green,

• Psalm 92:14

Even to your old age and gray hairs
    I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
    I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

• Isaiah 46:4

Since my youth, God, you have taught me,
    and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.
Even when I am old and gray,
    do not forsake me, my God,
till I declare your power to the next generation,
    your mighty acts to all who are to come.

• Psalm 71:17-18

Our days may come to seventy years,
    or eighty, if our strength endures;
yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow,
    for they quickly pass, and we fly away.

• Psalm 90:10

When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”

• Genesis 6:1-3

The New Boilerplate

My wife filled a small book with “Angel” on the cover.  It was hidden with a box of crafting things.  On 18 July 2025, I thought I had posted the last of these.  But this little angel book held a prayer, followed by 71 quotes.  So, the “with a little help” series is back in business for a while.  And it will be fun for me.  She did not attribute any of the quotes.  The first, next week’s installment, is from James A. Garfield, the 20^th president of the USA.  The next one is disputed, with some thinking it originated with Teddy Roosevelt and others saying Fred Astaire.  After the prayer, these might be on the lighter side.

Her quote

“You know you’re getting old when the candles cost more than the cake.”

• Bob Hope

The Discussion

These days, when the number of candles might represent a fire hazard, they have those candles in the shape of the numbers.

And just think of an octogenarian trying to blow out over eighty candles in one breath.

I would rather take the pulmonary test than to try to do that.

But to be honest, my wife might have baked a few cupcakes, or bought some cupcakes, and then put a candle on top.  I guess her concept was for us to have our friends keep guessing.

But not many people are given more than the life expectancy in years.  There must be some or the life expectancy would go down.  But while the few out live the life expectancy, they are not passing the midpoint in their lives.

But, what should our reaction be to those extra years?

I do not know about you, but as long as I am able, I feel that has God left me here to glorify Him even more.

I do not need candles for that.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory