"With God's Grace Our Worst Past
Becomes Our Best Future"
Becomes Our Best Future"
PLEASE WELCOME
JO MASSARO
TO
HAVING THE PRIME OF MY LIFE
Recently, I looked in the mirror and asked myself a question. Am I fulfilling the path that God has put me on?
When I was young, I couldn’t wait to get older and live my own life. The problem was that I had no idea what that meant. I would look in the mirror and see the reflection of a person I did not know. I did not know who I was, who I should be, or who the world thought I was. I did not know what was waiting for me.
Most of my life, I was trying to please or be like someone else. As a grown woman, I continued to search for the person that was inside of me but only skimmed the surface. I never tried to discover “me”; my strengths, my success.
Now, at my age, the world's view is I'm past the prime of my life. What exactly does that mean?
Google says the definition of prime is “a state or time of greatest strength, vigor, or success in a person's life.” If this is true, then why do I feel at the age of 69 that I’m in the prime of my life? Is there anyone else who might feel the same as me? At my age, if my life was painted in a series of sketches, what would they show?
Photo by Girma Nigusse on Unsplash
When I think about it, two people come to my mind. The first is Abraham Lincoln. If we took paint and brush to canvas, what would we see? His first attempt at a job failed, miserably. He then ran for the state legislature, unsuccessfully. He applied to law school and was laughed out of consideration. The woman he loved died, and he had a nervous breakdown. He ran for Congress and lost. Six years later he ran and won. The list of losses continues.
Then in 1860, he was elected president of the United States. He was 51 years of age, long past the prime of his life.
The second person who was past his prime of life is Paul of the New Testament. Paul, then Saul of Tarsus, persecuted Christians and was present when Stephen was stoned to death. If we put paint and brush to his early life, we would not want his paintings on our walls.
But, if we stay close to his side, and see the man who was transformed on the Road of Damascus, we begin to see different strokes of the brush. The Word of God shows us how a man who hated Christians became a man, other than Jesus, who had the most profound influence on humanity. He was a man that was past his prime.
At my age, if my life was painted in a series of sketches, what would they show?
My life is not where I thought it would be. Four years ago, God told us to move from New York to Fort Wayne, Indiana. Talk about a culture shock!
In New York, I ran a book club, Yahweh Sisterhood Book Club. When I moved to Fort Wayne, God said to bring the fellowship of the book club with you. This time, ask the authors to speak either in person or on Facebook. WHAT! Me? I listened, I asked, and they said yes. I also followed my chosen path and started a nonprofit. All of this was accomplished after my prime of life.
What does your prime of life look like? You worked hard and endured many hardships. Maybe life was not what you thought it would be. Maybe, you are living the “American dream.”
No matter how young or old you are, you are in the prime of your life. May you be encouraged to put paint and brush to your canvass and see where God will take you.
ABOUT JO MASSARO
Jo’s love and relationship with Jesus have taken her from the woman at the well to a woman of faith. She has been involved with numerous ministries and churches. She co-led, along with her husband, Celebrate Recovery for ten years in New York. She was the co-founder of a nonprofit that worked with children, families, and individuals infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.
Jo brings her humor, energy, authenticity, faith, and strength she has found in the Word of God. She can describe her through the darkest times and how God reached out and brought her into a relationship with the Light of the World.
https://www.yahwehsisterhoodbookclub.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1681659932123276/?ref=bookmarks
https://twitter.com/jmmassaro1
https://www.instagram.com/jmmassaro1/
Jo can offer themed messages to your group, or she will work with your team to customize a topic that you have selected. She will speak before small or large groups, churches, and wherever God leads her.
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HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF BLUE ZONES?
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WHO SAID GROWING OLD IS FUN?
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MY CULTURAL DISCONNECT
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WHAT IS RETIREMENT
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LOOKING UP OR LOOKING AWAY
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SEEKING GOD
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HOW OLD ARE YOU
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IT'S NOT OKAY
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EMBRACING MY INNER BOOMER
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THE RACE FOR LILY
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GRANNY ALICE
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RESILIENCE
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LIVING WITH CHANGE
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WHEN THE GROCERY STORE CLERK HAS TO CHECK YOUR AGE
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THE IMPORTANCE OF CREAMING
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FRIENDS AT ANY AGE
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IDENTITY CHECK
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IF YOU CAN'T BEAT 'EM, JOIN 'EM
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MY POSSESSIONS MATURE ALONG WITH ME
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EYES FRONT
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THE TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGING'
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SANTA'S RELUCTANT HELPER
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THE PURSUIT OF WEALTH
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VANQUISHING THE CHRISTMAS BLUES
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GRANDMAS THEN VS GRANDMAS NOW
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TECHNO BLUES
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ADAPT OR DIE
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CREAMING
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When our Get Up and Go Gets Up and Goes
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LIFE IS THE ADVENTURE
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MY LIFE AS A BARCODE
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THE QUEST FOR THIN
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THE AMERICAN DREAM
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FROM GOLDEN YEARS TO GOLDEN BELLS
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THE CHORDS THAT BIND MY MEMORIES
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JUST BE STILL
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PRINCE CHARMING, SPIDERS, AND CHEMO
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GRAY IS GRAND
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A GOOD QUESTION
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LOVING THE BABY BOOMER GENERATION
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MAKING PRETTY THINGS
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ARE YOU TOO OLD TO BECOME AN AUTHOR
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ENJOY THE MEAL
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IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME
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KEEPING IT FRESH
7/8/2019 1:00:00 AM by: WANDA O. HOT
OVERFLOWING WITH BLESSINGS
7/1/2019 1:00:00 AM by: CLEO LAMPOS
HAVING THE PRIME OF MY LIFE
6/24/2019 1:00:00 AM by: JO MASSARO
GOLDEN GIRL
6/17/2019 1:00:00 AM by: PAT JEANNE DAVIS
WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW
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Food, Families, and Fond Memories
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FOR THOSE OVER FIFTY-FIVE
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NEXT GENERATION
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Mimi and Bop
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NEVER TO OLD TO START OVER
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THE WRITER'S CALLING
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PLAYING THROUGH THE FOG
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DON’T CALL HER MA’AM
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When Your Past Looms Longer than Your Future
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OUR MCDONALDS
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BORN TOO LATE
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PERSPECTIVE
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IS IT THE BEGINNING OR THE END
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MY TO-DO LIST
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ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING
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EAT RIGHT NOW LIVE LONGER LATER
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AM I STRESSED?
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SHOULD VS WANT
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I'LL BE ALONE FOR CHRISTMAS ... YOU CAN COUNT ON ME
12/24/2018 1:00:00 AM by: Julie Cosgrove
THE ONLY CONSTANT IS CHANGE
12/17/2018 1:00:00 AM by: LINDA SHENTON MATCHETT
LIVING WITHOUT REGRET
12/10/2018 1:00:00 AM by: Grant Ferguson
GROWING UP CAN BE FUN SO IS GETTING OLDER
12/3/2018 1:00:00 AM by: ELLIE GUSTAFSON
SOARING WITH BROKEN WINGS
11/19/2018 1:00:00 AM by: Linda Wood Rondeau
NEVER TOO LATE
11/5/2018 8:33:00 PM by: DIANE TATUM
The Not So Good Good Old Days
10/22/2018 1:05:00 AM by: Linda Wood Rondeau
