Seventy Blessings of God in My Life Updated
- A sense of call to serve in Belize until it gradually came to us that it would be totally fine between us and God to move back to the States.
- A comfortable adjustment to life back in the States when we moved back.
- A strong affirmation of Tri Lakes Church as we merged back into the church permanently, with a celebration day of our 25 years in Belize.
- Good health throughout the years of the 70s.
- Regular fellowship with my siblings practically every month, eating in each other's homes and sharing our life experiences.
- Three of our children living within a few miles and connections with them at our interest and need.
- Yearly trips out of States with our two children living “abroad” and always welcoming us to stay a few days or even longer.
- Seeing several of our grandchildren graduating from a Bible college and several serving abroad in missions.
- Grandchildren getting married, 8 couples in my seventies, married to Christian partners and becoming established in vocations or jobs.
- The beginning of a new generation- great grandchildren- 6 by my 80th birthday and another on the way.
Seventy Burdens of My Life Updated
71. Leaving the beautiful tropic of climate, friendly people, and calm culture, so comfortable and familiar.
72. Settling into a culture of unfamiliar people, uncomfortable weather most of the year, and a loss of meaningful goals in life.in the States
73. Retirement- the ambiguity of identity without vocation.
74. Repeatedly praised in church services in ways we felt so unworthy.
75. Difficulty of working physically without soon getting tired and unmotivated.
76. Differing so much with less energy than my wife.
77. Finding my identity as an old man between my feelings and the perception of others about my age
78. Frustrations of wanting to downsize my life while Loretta is moving forward full speed.
79. Finding balance of preoccupation with end of life issues and living fully now.
80. Seeking balance in my life for the strength I still have, using the talents I have.
Seventy Highlights of My Life Updated
71. On vacation from Belize in 2009, we planted 10 dwarf fruit trees where we expected our retirement home to be.
72. We lived for months in a house in Belize that was unfinished, had no interior doors or cupboards and the upstairs had an accessible door that kids would break through when we were not attentive.
73. We moved from Belize in 2011, shipping a van from Florida with stuff for Belizeans and brought it back with our final personal possessions from living in Belize for 25 years.
74. The same year we move back from Belize, our first two grandchildren to get married, Joshua to Natalie and Andrea to Kyle.
75. In 2012, we went to Ohio for Shiloh's harp performance and to Albuquerque for Charity’s wedding to Darnell. Nate also was married that year to Alicia in Malaysia, too far for us to travel.
76. Three grandchildren were married in 2013, Katalyn to Andrew, Zachary to Marlise, and Leann to Luis. Also the first great grandchild, Abigail to Josh and Natalie.
77. In 2014, the eighth grandchild to get married, Tanner to Kelsey in Michigan; also our first great grandson, Noah to Andrea and Kyle.
78. The twins were born in 2015, Emmitt and Eliza Ann to Josh and Natalie, and the day following Lydia Grace to Tanner and Kelsey.
79. Micah came into this world in 2016, the 6th great grandchild also to Andrea and Kyle, and a seventh expected in 2017, unnamed, to Kaytalyn and Andrew.
80. Celebrated my official entry into the old age of 80 with a party at Rachel and Bruce's house.
Seventy Things I Forgot Updated
71. Where I placed my check book when I came home from the store- that was weeks ago.
72. The names of people I knew very well in the past, until I accidentally happen to recall them.
73.How to get on certain games on the computer that I used to play.
74. The name of a stove part as we were conversing among siblings- something I would know very well, to my embarrassment.
75. To turn the motor off when I was went into a grocery store and discovered it only when I was looking for the keys when I came out of the store.
76. Combing my hair right before leaving the house for church services, I wondered why the comb stuck in my hair. When I saw the foam on the comb I realized that I had forgotten to rinse the shampoo out of my hair when I showered.
77. I was looking for an item of food at Aldi's. When a clerk asked if she could help me find what I wanted I was stumped for the name of what I was looking for and had top forgo her help.
78. Fortunately I am not the only one to lose my keys. When I could not find them one time, I asked Loretta and she went out to the burn pile and found them in the ashes, where she had dropped them when she carried twigs back from the front yard as we had come home.
79. At Julie’s overnight I wondered why my glasses were not on the night stand in the morning but a pair I did not recognize was there instead. Actually, I had just forgotten how they looked, having bought them not too many weeks of months before.
80. If I forgot anything else in my life so far that is noteworthy, I forgot what it was.
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