“As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years, yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; for soon it is gone and we fly away. Who understands the power of Your anger, and Your fury, according to the fear that is due You? So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:10-12)

When we finished reading this passage in our Spiritual Formation group, having just celebrated another birthday (one young lady will be 19 this coming week), our conversation turned to the frailty of our existence, the brevity of our lives, and the necessity of making every moment count for God.

“That means I have 14 years, or if due to strength, possibly 24 years,” I pondered out loud.

I could see another of the young women starting to calculate how many years she had left. The mood was somber as the truth dawned on us. The message was even more poignant this week in particular since all of us had been sick to one degree or another.

“I’m going to make it my personal assignment this week,” chimed in the woman who had been calculating her remaining years, “to come up with a spiritual ‘bucket list’ of the things I want to accomplish before I die.”

Thank God for what He is doing in our lives this semester. Thank God with me for a good time in Personal Finance so far. Stay tuned for another snail mail school newsletter coming out soon with some fascinating stories of how God is using some of our graduates. And pray with us for God’s work through the mission conference this coming week, featuring Tucker and Grace Grose of NAIM (Native American Indigenous Ministries). They will be challenging the students to consider ministry to places where White Americans will never have the impact Native Americans can (Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, etc.). Please also keep remembering the requests from last month and pray for the Lord’s strength and wisdom for me as I oversee two new classes this coming term and next (Applied Math and Finance, and Creative Ministry Methods).

Martha