Eighty Things That Might Interest My Grandchildren (and Great Grandchildren)

 71. What life was like when I grew up without electricity (let alone electronics and telephone) running water and without an indoor bathroom in the winter, or cars to get around.

 72. How much I enjoyed living in Belize for 25 years, in the tropics with so many friends, a relaxed culture, a thousand fruit trees and so much more- like living on the Caribbean shores most of the years.

 73. How little I missed American living in all those years- except for family, and why I did not miss anything else.

 74. How we traveled through Mexico 7 times and sometimes had amazing experiences where it seemed we had angels watching over us in strange situations that could have been extremely difficult or worse.

 75. To read my biography if I ever get it down to size and on e-book- if I ever do.

 76. How I follow a regular morning routine that various little throughout the week: make coffee, use the bathroom, check the computer until coffee is ready; and then while drinking it, sit on the couch while Loretta reads a devotional, and then we, I especially, may talk until Loretta is a bit tired and we pray, especially interceding for family, missionaries, our grandchildren abroad. Also for our renters and Belize friends, the government, and wisdom for the day- all these, and nearing each weekend, we pray for our church and churches around the world.  Also that God would act in many situations- like with oppressors and the persecuted, and a few more things personally, not always in the same order. Then we bring in the newspaper and it’s time for breakfast, for me at least. All these every morning with the order varying a bit.

 77. Our daily life is mixed with a lot of freedom to do what we want to, with Loretta often in the back yard weeding while I am on the computer with email, Facebook, news, interesting articles, games and sometimes music on YouTube while reading. The demand to work at rentals sometimes disrupts a lot of retirement freedom. O yes, it also gives us opportunity to share our livelihood (financial) and conversation with about 5 single parents in Belize about once or twice a month.

 78. Can you imagine what it feels like to have 29 direct descendants by the year you turn 80. Names I can remember, birthdays, not so good.

 79. How interesting it would be if you would all note the most important things that happen to you each decade- how interesting your story would be by the time you reach 80!

 80.      How it feels to be 80 years

                            Eighty Things I Never Did and Probably Never Will

 71.  Become a millionaire or even get out of debt, especially on my home equity line of credit.

 72. Visit all the countries where my grandchildren have served in some kind of mission.

 73. Become a comfortable evangelist in ordinary conversations with persons.

 74. Get back the physical strength and endurance of my youth.

 75. Publish all the things I wrote that might be worth reading for someone.

 76. Be completely comfortable and humble when I am complimented or idealized for my life commitments.

 77. Relate on the same emotional level with my wife.

 78. Find a comfortable balance between looking forward for Heaven and yet enthusiastic about the present life.

 79. I have never been able to come to a well-balance view of Scripture as it relates to the idea of inspiration- what inspiration should really mean.

 80. Learn how to use all of my retirement time wisely, or know if God has such a plan or concern of  that for me.

                                          Eighty Things I Still Wonder About (Just curious)

 71. When I read of the amazing discoveries of astronomy on the vastness of the universe and the great age of stars, I wonder how anybody can imagine it all just happening by itself without  an even greater mind and powerful Being behind all of it, still far Greater than we can imagine.

 72. I still wonder if heaven is anything like people have thought of in history- whether it is more like here on earth perfected, or almost totally different in many dimensions. Will there be animals in Heaven?

 73. I still wonder if there are any perfect marriages. If any think theirs is, are they bored, or supremely happy.

 74. I always thought of myself as being of perhaps slightly above average in intelligence but some tests have suggested perhaps a higher IQ than I ever thought of myself. I wonder. Well, so what?

 75. Is hell actually what many have thought as like an eternal, burning fire? When I stood before a blazing brush fire, I wondered if any God could have the will to cast any person in there. I wonder if it may be any longer than just until the person has died. To realize there is no turning to God might be hell.

 76. Will we be spirit beings in Heaven, or more like the present? Will we see God physically or Spiritually?

 77.  I wonder if God has been pleased with my life, or if he just forgives and loves me anyway.

 78.  Will all people be judged alike by God, or does he have a much more complicated way of looking at people than the way we do.

 79.  I wonder if God will grant my prayer to take me to him easily as I pray, or if it will be like a long examination before I can go. And when?

 80.  I wonder if I should just relax and trust God and quit wondering so much.