Considering the Future

My husband and I are beginning to consider what our lives will be like once our young folks sprout wings and leave our nest.  We are looking at downsizing our home, even though we just moved here last year.  We are looking at possibly having more property, even though it means more work to do the things we'd like to do.

We're realizing that we are limited with how much activity we can participate in at church living almost an hour away.  The special things that happen on days other than Sundays and Wednesdays simply cannot be attended because it isn't just a short jaunt over to the church or to a Couple's Night with our dear folks in our Sunday School class whom we've grown to love.  So we pray.  We'll find out soon enough what the Lord's will is for this as we lay this at His feet.  There is a lot to consider and even still, we consider the necessity of selling our current house when the time comes too.  Lots to consider.

We're realizing that we will be physically limited with how much we can accomplish on a daily basis due to the fact that our young folks will be out of the nest.  I mentioned to my husband that we could get him a good tractor (not to be confused with "new") with accessories that would help him do the work that is needful without needing one or more of the kids around to do it.  But, the other things, like putting up fences or things like that, if course we'd ask the kids to come help.

We're realizing that we'll need a house with 2 master bedroom/bathrooms just in case there is a need for one of our parents to move in with us.  Additionally, we're looking at building an apartment over a garage just in case our oldest son needs a place.  That will give him his own space and as much autonomy as possible.

We've talked about "puttering" with our days on the property.  We've talked about having a garden and having fruit trees and selling the produce.  We've talked about going to different festivals with things that we make to sell.

It's a sweet thought for us to have things like this in mind for our future.  I don't want anything ornate, but simple and all one level, but nothing too big.  I want to be able to have family and friends over to love on them.  I want to bless others and serve the Lord with my husband.

"Ponder the path of your feet, and all your ways will be established." 

(Pro 4:26)

In Christ,

Albany Bound

It is currently Friday the 8th.  My Mr. G has been retired from his job for almost 24 hours and he is resting today.  He may be resting tomorrow and the next day too, who knows?!   After a job protecting all of us from the dregs of society for 21 years, he is much deserving of a rest.  He needs to rest his mind and his spirit.  He has needed this break for a very long time and it has come at the best time for him.

All that said, our family and home is facing some very important changes in the not so distant future.

We are moving from Pennsylvania to Albany, Georgia.  Through the course of events, the Lord has directed our paths to Albany.  What are those events?  Some of them are blatant, others are subtle.  If you're interested, I will definitely share with you.  It truly is amazing.

What do we plan to do in Albany?  For starters, fix up a house.  During that time, we'll be involved in Civil Air Patrol with our kids, as well as one (or more) of the many homeschool groups in the area, and serving in church goes without saying.

Other things we plan to do is to rekindle the bond that Mr. G and I have for our marriage.  With Mr. G working in the line of work he had been, the issue remained that there has been a great brick wall between us.  We have been married for twenty-five years, twenty-one of those being that he has served as a corrections officer.  That is a very long time for that brick wall in its various heights and thicknesses as well as knocking it down.  Throughout all this time, we've struggled to keep our relationship alive and growing.  Now, we'll be pursuing one another and with God's help, creating greater deeper spiritual connections that have been sorely lacking, having been put on the back burner for so long.  This distance and disconnect is something that occurs with this line of work with many marriages.  Many times out of a sheer survival mechanism, our loved ones who work in these places shut down a part of themselves to simply protect their heart and mind from the horrid events they witness daily.  It is time for us to water our garden.

Now is a time of healing not just for us, but for our children, too.  One of the things that comes out more flagrantly from a person who works with the dregs of society for so long, unfortunately, is anger and impatience.  Our children have witnessed the anger and impatience.  While with time Mr.G has mellowed, with counseling and prayer, he's become more patient and his anger has subsided a bit.  The further away we get from his job, literally and figuratively, the more relaxed he becomes and the walls come down.  I've seen this happen temporarily while we're on vacation over the years.  I suspect that there will be a time of healing and with healing comes regeneration.  With regeneration comes growth.  It is my hope that this experience will bring us closer together now that we're on this side of his employment experience, but I also hope that the Lord redeems the time the locusts have eaten and that Mr. G and his kids can grow together in the repairing of their relationship too.

This is one of the main reasons we're moving to Georgia.  For most of us our move is met with excitement and an air of "let's get-r-done," but for another it is difficult because of leaving friends.  Your prayers would be appreciated for our family through this change and while we continue to heal, repair, and grow.

God Bless,