An Old Guy's Birthday and a Holiday to Honor Youth

Something To Think About An Old Guy's Birthday and a Holiday for Youth:

I never thought it would happen.  My birthday is a national holiday.  It’s not a holiday in the country where I am a citizen, but it is in the Republic of Palau where Kathy and I are living for four months. My birthday, a national holiday, and I’m not even dead, yet! OK.  Reality check. Yes, March 15 is a holiday in Palau, but it isn’t because this is the day I came into this world.  The fact is it is “Youth Day.”  Youth is a demographic of which I am not a part.  I am ruled out by having celebrated an excessive number of birthdays.  I am glad, however, to be making a small contribution to the development of youth, here, in Palau.  One of the goals of Pacific Islands University, the college Kathy and I are involved with, is to help students, most of whom are young, develop a Biblical Worldview.  This is a nation still in its infancy.  The Republic of Palau was born in 1994.  Though it is a tiny nation it must deal with mammoth issues.  Some of the most powerful nations in the world are interested in Palau—USA, China, Japan, Australia, to name a few.  The increase of tourism is taxing the infrastructure.  Far more damaging, though, is the cultural strain that interface with other dominant cultures is bringing to these islands.  The internet here is slow—often frustratingly slow; it is fast enough, though, to bring in everything that is polluting the rest of the world.  Add to that the music, television, and other media, and one can quickly get to a place where you need to hang up signs, “Don’t SWIM IN THESE WATERS!”  It’s not unlike what Paul experienced in Athens.   While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city.  (Acts 17:16, NLT) Sign or no sign, this world is where we live; we can’t avoid contact with all that is around us.  What we need to do is to get ourselves some glasses that enable us to view the world according to the truth of God’s word.  Wherever we are in the world, we are in the world.  Our goal needs to be not of it. (here)    The fact is Jesus not only left His followers in the world, He sent us into the world with a world changing message (See here) So, here is my birthday (Did I mention that it is a national holiday?) wish.    LIVE FOR JESUS! It’s STTA.