Man's Best Friend....

Wow.. It's been over a year since I have waltzed on to this bloggin' dance floor. I almost feel like a stranger in my own blogger house... weird. I haven't been "home" in a while for several different reasons. First and foremost, my "inspiration well" has been dry as dust.

I'd like to totally blame my oldest son, Justin for this lack of inspiration. I mean.. come on son!!! It was your photography that fired up my creative juices and you have just left your mom out to dry.? Okay, the blame game isn't always the "Christian" way to play, but it's always been one of my favorites.

So Justin has put down his camera to tend to his own life. I will let him have that I guess. I pray that one day soon, he will pick his camera back up. He has a god-given talent, but it's not his season of life for photography.

True writers have to have motivation. I don't consider myself a "true writer" but I do know enough to know that if the motivation isn't there for me, then neither are the words.

Over the past several weeks, I have felt a tugging in my heart to return to this bloggers life. And there has been .. okay.. a tinge of motivation. I felt it when I saw this picture that my youngest son, Jordy took. I could feel my fingers tappin' on my best friend, Mac... tappin' a few words of reflection.

That particular picture was taken on the evening before Justin, Jordy and I headed out to Louisville, KY. It would be moving day for Justin within a few hours, and our family had decided to "bond" one last time before the pilgrimage. Our destination ... The Red Lobster in Savannah. We would also celebrate May birthdays.!! "May babies are the best" has always and will always be my motto especially since Justin, Jordy, James, Amanda, Terry Parker, Shelly, Maclain, John (plus a zillion other people) and I have May birthdays!!

So before the descent to Savannah, we had a brief photo session. Ironically, it wasn't the pictures of the family that stirred my heart the most. But this one.. this one particular capture of a man and his dog.

I do not know of two better friends than Randall and Bandit. The saying... "A man's best friend is his dog" is to say the least .. true in the Tippins household. Our Bandit is a pure breed Boston Terrier who has been a part of our family for 13 years. In case you don't know, there is a new formula to determine dog years in comparison to human years. The formula is: 10.5 dog years per human year for the first two years, then 4 dog years per human year for each year after. Good gosh, excuse me while I calculate that. (why do we humans always have to complicate things!!!)

Okay, so Bandit is practically 65 years old. This means Bandit is eligible for medicare, social security and membership in AARP. (Okay, so Randall and I are both eligible for AARP as well.)

But Randall and Bandit have a bond that is so very precious. The boys and I have always known that we take second place to Bandit. Possibly it has something to do with the fact that Bandit continues to shake his tail when Randall comes through the back door. I quit shakin' mine years ago, although I do try to force "hey honey, how was your day" in between farmville and twitter.

Bandit is so very loyal when it comes to helping out on the farm. Bandit never misses an opportunity to ride with his daddy to the chicken houses. When those magic word's "let's go" are spoken.. Bandit makes his way to his masters feet. The boys on the other hand... there is no other hand. They are gone and in their own corner of the world. Not that they wouldn't help if destruction was on the horizon, but the everyday monotonous routine of the farm, has not peaked their interest in ... years. Bandit, even at 65 still wants to ride side-saddle with the Sheriff.

As soon as I saw this photo, I was reminded of Proverbs 12:10, "Whoever is righteous has regard for his beast." (ESV) I love that particular translation, because I personally think Bandit would choose it above all the rest. Beast.. yes, Bandit our little beast.

I have started pondering what will happen when our little beast is gone. What will my man do.. without his beast of a best friend? Will I have to learn how to wag my tail?? Will the boys have to come home to comfort their dad.. and jump on board the mule at his beckon call. I don't know what that day will hold. How will I encourage Randall? For believers, "in death there is not sting".. but what about our beasts?? I wrote of Palin when I first started blogging. She was a beautiful lab that was taken from us way to soon. The sting still hurts when I think of her.

I have to resign myself to the fact that God created Noah. Noah built the Ark. God called all the animals of creation to come on board the ark. Obviously, He made a place for them.

But in the meantime, I won't dwell on that. I will just enjoy the friendship that these two have with each other. I love this captured moment...

and it's good to be back.