Today I got news of a number of old friends who recently died and also of a number who have cancer, heart conditions, and other serious health issues. My old friends are my age and we are at the age when things start wearing out and stop working all together. It reminded me of the Bible verse Hebrews 9:27 “it is appointed into man to die and then comes the judgement”. We all tend to have this attitude that we are never going to die, and if we do it is going to be tomorrow or next week or next month or….A scripture passage I have memorized and meditate on often is Psalms 39:4-6, “Lord, make me know my end and what is the extent of my days; let me know how transient I am. Behold, You have made my days as hand breadths, and my lifetime as nothing in Your sight; surely every man at his best is a mere breath.” My every morning prayer of commitment of myself to live for God includes a piece that says “today I will my life as if it is the last day I have before I stand before You, Lord and give an accounting of my life and am rewarded for the deeds I have done in this body in this life whether good or bad. This morning commitment is the most self motivating thing I do.