The days they pass so quickly now;
Nights are seldom long.
Time around me whispers when it's cold.
Changes somehow frighten me;
Still I have to smile.
It turns me on to think of growing old.

Those words, from a favorite John Denver song ("Poems, Prayers, and Promises") back in my college days, have never seemed more true than they are today. You see this is birthday week for our children.

It is the sixteenth for our daughter and our son will reach the quarter-of-a-century mark. As we celebrate these milestones it is not that I am saddened about where we are in our life, nor am I in a funk about how time has slipped away from us, or that our little ones have grown up too fast. It is not sadness that the rapidly passing of the days brings to mind, but simply the awareness that days are passing quickly. I suppose that is life.

When I think back twenty-five years and the days since, I realize that it has been a full twenty-five years. From crawling to football to coaching ... the days they pass so quickly. From nighttime prayer journals to stories written in school to blogs on the Internet ... the days they pass so quickly.

The last sixteen years with my daughter have passed quickly. From frogs to kiddie pools to climbing mountains ... the days they pass so quickly. From tummy aches to foot surgeries to heartaches ... the days they pass so quickly.

The last thirty years of marriage have passed quickly. From Friday night dates to weekend trips to vacations with the family ... the days they pass so quickly. From the wedding day to holiday family gatherings to saying goodbye to members of the family ... the days they pass so quickly.

I've always heard that when you get older it seems that time passes faster than when you are younger. Perhaps that is true. I am getting older. But the days have always seemed to pass quickly. Perhaps they pass so quickly because they are so full.

The days have passed quickly!

When I think of the time I've had with my family the days have passed quickly, and they've been good days. There are not many regrets. We have tried to take advantage of all the opportunities with our kids and we have enjoyed each age.

Could we have done better in some things? Sure. If we had it to do over would we do some things differently? Probably. Would I slow it down? Not necessarily. It has been pretty enjoyable just as it is.

Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is (Ephesians 5:15-17 NIV).

Holiness by Henry Blackaby Discover why a healthy, holy fear of God must come first if we are to experience true revival.

Tom Norvell is the author of "A Norvell Note." He ministers at the Hermitage Church of Christ in Hermitage, Tennessee.

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