“Lauren, you are going to fly away,” Elise said to her sister as they sat down to watch a taped episode of a reality show.

“Yeah,” Victoria added, “ I heard chirping when I passed your room earlier. You are really turning into a bird.”

“Y’all are just jealous of my feathers,” Lauren said in her own defense.

Feather hair extensions are Lauren’s latest fashion accessory. Although I don’t think she needs more, I love the ones she has. She’s young, and they’re a fun summertime trend. In my opinion, which I freely give to her before she ever has to ask, hair extensions are better than tattoos or additional piercings.

Lauren is not shy about, well, anything, but certainly not about sharing her favorite fashion items. She has begun to do so via her Facebook page. Soon after she featured feather extensions, she chose to highlight her most comfortable summer shoes. Her next installment will be devoted to soap, which is OK, but I’m waiting for her to discuss eye makeup. She’s told me what to get, but as soon as I walk into the store and see all of the shades, I cannot remember what to buy.

I have my own list of favorites, which includes reading an interesting book, watching a baseball game, dessert, laughter and sitting on my patio. In the past two years, I seem to have prayed more on my patio than in any other location. When I pray I like to use Scriptures, and I often revert to a few favorites. Lately, those favorites include one I first heard Milton Simoneaux use about 30 years ago, Exodus 23:25, 26. “Worship the Lord your God, and His blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span.”

Children, the children of my friends, and my own nieces and nephews are high on my list of prayers. I cling to Proverbs 22:5, “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.”

Finally, with all the recent emphasis on the end of the world, I turn to Matthew 24:36 where Jesus tells us no one except God knows the day. Although I pay no attention to a human who believes he has it all figured out, I pray we don’t become callous toward the subject but live our lives in constant preparation for eternity. My prayer includes Jesus’ words in John 14, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going… I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

So, Elise is right. One day we will all fly away. With or without feather extensions.

Ronny may be reached at rmichel@rtconline.com.