Inspiration!

As I grow older and older and older...I discover inspiration in the smallest tasks and sometimes the most unusual places. I wouldn't expect it, but God gives it to me anyway. These surprises are often rewarding and usually quite enlightening. Let me explain my hitherto rambling reflections in this latest-of-my blog attempts (only been at this stuff for 10 days or is it 10 daze?).

With our healthy eating of late, my wife commented recently that she is surprised that I didn't miss cheese. I used to eat it on about everything. Food just seemed better with American, deli deluxe, cheddar, etc., melted on it. It really did! But now pretty much the only cheese I've had in the last four months is goat cheese and goat cheese spread. I love the latest experient: bison loaf and goat cheese omelets. Delicious!

I don't know if I had the capability with Widows XP or Vista; but recently I discovered with Windows 7 that I can not only have a slide show of photos for the screen saver, but I can do that with the desktop wallpaper. So I have set up grandkids and kids photos to run as both of those. It's really pretty cool to catch yourself pausing from whatever computer task you were trying to accomplish to simply sit and stare at the cutest kids on the planet.

Then there are those spiritual moments of inspiration God allows us to have. Passages I've known for years and heard most of my life take on new meaning in a new set of circumstances. For instance...

Proverbs 17:6 states that Children's children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children. I recognize the crown of love that grandkids bring to my life not only in sceensavers and wallpaper, but also when my wife Skypes them. From 1,100 miles away (the highway mileage from Columbia, TN to Hobbs, NM (the boys in Kyle, TX are only a little over 800 miles off), we can see the 14-month-old twin toddlers playing and hear them talking clearly (well, as clearly as babies talk at that age...hmmm). But how about that last part of the proverb: parents are the pride of their children. That verse was driven home when my older daughter in a blog complimented her old man on his weight loss and his joining the cyber communication age by blogging and being on facebook (as I already said, for the last 10 days or so). What's really neat is that all of our children seem genuinely happy to welcome us whenever we want to travel to their homes. Awesome!

Proverbs 23:12 states that The father of a righteous man has great joy; he who has a wise son dellights in him. I can change the wording of that proverb to add woman to man and daughter to son. How true it is that I take great joy in having four believing and faithful children all married to incredible spouses. Seeing them supporting one another in their daily spiritual walks as well as in their more secular journeys on this planet is a marvelous delight. Whether buying vehicles, getting out of debt, purchasing a house to make into a home (with a grandparents' guest room of course), raising my grandkids, leading Financial Peace University, walking their dogs, changing the kitty litter, cooking and cleaning and working and traveling, etc...it's an absolute joy to know that Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain...and Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward form him.

Though my children and their spouses all have a lot to learn and life will surely teach them much through the years along the way, they're off to a great start! Keep it up, kids! I'm proud of each of you (all eight of you)! If I throw in the grandkids so far...there are an even dozen. I absolutely refuse to count the three dogs and seven cats in their homes (at last count). Like God in all His children, I take great delight in all of mine.