One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works. Psalm 145:4-5

A lot of you have heard me talk about how much I like the popular prime-time tv show, "Ed"...and there's even been some of you who have gotten hooked on the show as well!!! While I wouldn't endorse the show as a good sit-down-with-your-family-after-dinner type of show, I will say that it does offer plenty of humor and even some good questions/arguments that can apply to our faith and beliefs.

For instance, 2 weeks ago: the main character, Ed, (who is the bowling alley owner/lawyer who runs both practices in the same building) was told by some agency that projects people's age-expectancy that he'd live to be 83. This news immediately affected Ed, to say the least. Realizing he was almost halfway through his life, he began looking at his ancestors and those around them while obseriving legacies people left behind. As a result, poor 'ole Ed became dissatisfied with the type of legacy he was leaving behind. So he began exploring different ways to become famous--pottery, painting, music, etc. Needless to say, he realized he was really good at two things: running a bowling alley and practicing law.

Throughout the show, Ed wrote different sayings and quotes that he would like to have on his tombstone. Some were funny, some serious, while others were sad. Finally, as the show closed, he came up with what he wanted. His second-to-last idea was "Ed Stevens--Art was his life". Well, watching the show you easily could see that Ed was not in the least bit artistic. Ed realized that too. But he changed the words around to something a little different so that it read: "Ed Stevens--Life was his art."

There's 3 observations I'd like to make:

1. Is life your art? There are many types of artists out there. Some, when they paint, appear to sling paint onto a canvas without much rhyme or reason to it. Others put amazing amounts of detail and care into their paintings. Both styles are considered artistic and are well-accepted! So what does your canvas look like? It doesn't necessarily matter what you do to it as long as you do something. Is your life consumed by work, or school, or worry, or sports? Or is your life a wonderfully artistic blend of passion, fun, sadness, success, and failure so that its a piece of art?

2. Don't focus on what legacy you'll leave behind. While its good to leave behind something...don't dwell on it! Use Psalm 145 as your guide. It talks of generation upon generation talking about God's splendor and majesty and wonder....not yours. So with the time you have, use it to aid this and the next generation in noticing the legacy of Christ.

3. Finally, while there are people out there who claim to be able to predict how long you live, only you can determine how you live. What does it matter what your age-expectancy is? You're in control of your life-expectancy--what you do with the life you have. So use it!

Peace,