Chapter Five

Moving to New Jersey from Waterloo in 2010 was a transition that was filled with anxiety for me. God had made it clear that our work at Walnut Ridge Baptist Church had come to a conclusion but moving to New Jersey wasn't something we were ultra excited about either. However, it was the opportunity God had put in our path, so we moved forward. Writing this blog helped me express my thoughts and keep me accurate without letting my emotions run wild as I knew other others would be reading my words. That is why I called this post Chapter Four.

So, when the opportunity to move to Phoenix (somewhere I always wanted to live) popped on our radar, we jumped at the opportunity. Our kids were all grown with families and responsibilities of their own so we thought it was time to slow down and relax a bit. Now we would move to Chapter Five.

But as you know, our plan is not always God's plan.

Our plan was to work with a new church plant for 4 years, then pack up, retire and travel the world until we wanted to come back home to settle down. That was in 2018.

THEN COVID!

Four years with the church plant turned into two years and the opportunity to fill in at New Hope became available. And since we weren't able to go anywhere, with travel being so limited, we took this opportunity, and loved it. I, also, decided to fill my time reacquainting myself with my past tax experience and also began to love it. So here we are, eight years down this new path and still loving it. 

When we agreed to this adventure we made it clear that one of our priorities was to limit Rich's stress level and not allow him to get caught up in the drama that normally comes with being a pastor. That stress was the cause of his first eye problem and now with the other eye experiencing macular degeneration we need to protect his now good eye that is vulnerable to stress.    

Another priority for me was that we would have ample time to travel the world and also spend time with family. For 20 years, I have wanted to wander the world but we just couldn't afford it. Now, we can afford it but we are happy here so we have settled for extended vacation time. 

So, once again, here we are, embarking on another adventure.

Thursday we fly to Colorado Springs to celebrate Parents Weekend with our son Jason and his wife Sara. As most of you know, their daughter Maggie is a cadet at the Air Force Academy. She has worked long and hard to get this appointment and it is exciting to see what she has accomplished. What most your you don't know is that she was born with a heart defect and "long story short" the Lord protected her through many situations and before she was two years old she had open heart surgery at Boston Children's Hospital. It was touch and go, but she pulled through with no lasting consequences. We are excited to see her and witness first hand how she has matured through basic training and the initial stage of the Academy.

Then, after a two day break back home to repack, we will be embarking on a new adventure. It will be one of our "we are flying in and out of" situations and letting our adventurous spirit guide us for three weeks. I will keep you posted,