Reflections on a Good Life

I was sitting here doing some thinking ( a rarity, I know), and asked myself this question " What 6 things do I consider memorable in my life?" That is MY life, not the world.

 Why six?

Why not?

In chronological order:

1. My parents for installing the basis for a belief in God. They positioned me at an early age where I learned the meaning of hard physical work and the satisfaction of working with my hands and body, not just my mind. They taught me what I needed to know in life, hard work pays off; perseverance pays off; loyalty to God and country is important; people are what makes life worthwhile.They gave me the basics, some of which I am still working on.











2. A good wife that has stuck by me through thick and thin.I was not ( and am still not) the easiest person to get along with. I have been described as stubborn, pig-headed, self centered, biased and compulsive. Through all this Elaine has stood by me, and given me the option of an easy way out when things were at their worst. She ran the household, gave up a good career for the children , and stuck by me during a period of burn out, the through- sickness- and- good- health bit of the marriage vows. Elaine has stuck by me even when we had moved to what seemed at times, the end of the earth. She has been the rock of my foundation.

3.My first born, Andrew who I watched grow from an idea through manhood. He caused Elaine and I to grow together through his teenage years. He was so much like me, in my childhood, yet, surprisingly different. I have always loved the outdoors, the hunting and fishing and camaraderie that goes with it. I taught him, but overall, I have learned much more from him than he has from me. I watched him pursue his life's dream, the military, but watched him pull out of it when it was taking him to a place where he did not want to ethically, or morally, go. I watched him learn from life experiences and better himself in the process.







4. My second born, Micheal, who was the "free spirit"of the two, who caused us a lot of pain and joy, who was the recipient of a major dose of "tough love" in the mid teens. He survived it, learned from it and has stepped up in many occasions to the task of being a man. What does that mean? Owning up to mistakes, taking responsibility, growing ethically and spiritually. In many ways, he has far surpassed any expectations that  I have had.







5. Six grandchildren. What can I say? Each one is an individual. Each one is a gem. Each one is a joy to watch develop into mature toddlers, pre-teens, and young adults.Each has had his/her share of difficulties and have managed to grow through them.










6. My discovery of the Lord Jesus Christ, that put meaning back into my life at my darkest hour. I always believed in a God ( more in my testimony), but did not realize just how powerful He is, until I stepped into the baptismal tank with Elaine on June 15, 2005. From that moment on, I started to change and get rid of most of the  attributes in section 2. ( I am still working on a couple). From the layman's viewpoint, it is almost impossible to comprehend the changes the Lord can do when a person accepts Him as his Savior.

I am sure that someone will ask  "What has been the most important of the six items." They are all important and part of God's plan, but as I write this, I wonder what my life would have been like had I accepted #6 as my top priority in my childhood. Items one to five may still have happened, but I am sure my life would have been much better!

I could go on and on, but I don't want to put out too much detail. The details aren't important, the main events are.

What about you? What are the most important things in your life?
 It might be worth a blog!