23 Jul, 2008

Olive lived in three centuries!

Meet the world's oldest blogger.

World's oldest blogger posts final message before dying at age 108

An Australian woman described as the world's oldest blogger has died at age 108 after posting a final message about singing "a happy song" in her nursing home. Olive Riley "passed away peacefully on July 12 and will be mourned by thousands of Internet friends and hundreds of descendants and other relatives," a note on her Web site said. Ms. Riley had posted more than 70 entries on her blog from Woy Woy, north of Sydney, since February last year, sharing her thoughts on modern life and her experiences in three centuries. Born in the outback town of Broken Hill on Oct. 20, 1899, she lived through two world wars and raised three children while doing various jobs, including ranch cook and barmaid. "She had people communicating with her from as far away as Russia and the United States on a continual basis, not just once in a while," said her great-grandson Darren Stone. "She enjoyed the notoriety -- it kept her mind fresh."

photo courtesy ap & story nationalpost.com 7/15/08

Leviticus 19:32 (NLT)

32 “Stand up in the presence of the elderly, and show respect for the aged. Fear your God. I am the Lord.

What does today's God's Story scripture teach us about how we should treat the elderly?

God gave the Israelites a direct command to show respect for the elderly, because this brings honor to them and to God. This instruction is timeless, meaning we must also apply it today.

A lot of jokes are made about the elderly in our culture. It's often easy to ignore them and not spend time with them. When their memory fades, their hearing goes, their eyes fail, and their ideas are different than ours - we often disregard their opinions and God's command to give them honor.

Every old person is precious in God's sight. If we spend time with them, we will learn from their life experience and wisdom. And it will make their day!

I love today's story about Olive, the world's oldest blogger. She obviously had an incredible will to keep living. Think of the stories she told before she died.

Wouldn't you love to hear her story and how it connected to the stories of others? I wonder if Olive knew about God's Story?

How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?

  • First of all, be very honest. How about you and your friends? Do you show respect for the elderly like God's Word teaches?
  • Talk to God through prayer right now. Thank Him for His instruction for us to care for and respect the elderly. Pray for one elderly person (other than a relative) you know. Ask God to show you how to encourage this person. Now thank God for your grandparents and remember to pray for any of them who are still living.
  • Try keeping a daily journal for thirty days. Write down a daily example of God's Story in your life and a daily example of what you learn from or see in elderly people.

How can we connect today's story, God's Story scripture, and our story to others?

  • Once a month, help out an elderly person in your neighborhood.
  • Write a letter of appreciation and love to your grandparents, even if they live nearby or you see them quite often. They love letters and email. If you don't have living grandparents, do this for another older couple or single.
  • In your small group or youth group, develop a plan to reach out and honor the elderly in your community. It might involve visits to a nursing home or the homes of some older folks in your church or community.
  • Use today's story about the world's oldest blogger to start a conversation with someone you know who needs Jesus. You could ask, "If you lived to be 108-years-old, what would you hope to know about God by that age?"
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The Daily Bide is brought to you by a team of writers from Youth for Christ/USA. The writers all have various years of experience in youth ministry but share a common bond in serving Jesus and discovering what it means to abide deeply everyday and to connect God's Story with those around them. A number of the Daily Bide writers have also written portions of our 3Story® resources. You can check out our resources at the 3Story.org website or connect with our writers at 3story@yfc.net. If you have a question or a story you would like to share, please reference the Daily Bide date in your email.

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