Thursday, January 18, 2007

Decisions, Decisions!

My mother used to say, "Getting old is heck!" That's exactly the way she said it too. Although I don't feel old (except after climbing a mountain trail), I know it doesn't get much easier.

After giving consideration to our future, Delores and I have pretty well decided it is time to do something else. I've been in ministry for 45 years. Those years took me from congregations of 50 to a brief stint at a congregation of over 10,000. I've taught at three different colleges and one seminary here in the good ol' USA. I still teach online courses and recently received a commission from a Christian College to develop and teach two online history courses for their program. I will continue to do that as long as I can. In fact, I'd like to have another opportunity or two to teach online. Otherwise we are in the process of redirecting our lives. Delores plans to return to the accounting field for a while, then slow down after she become eligible for her retirement benefits.

Our son moved to Palm Springs, CA, late last year and wants us to join him and the family. We spent the holidays there and took a day or so to look at housing options in the area. Provided our home here sells, we will most likely relocate there within the next 3-6 months. The real estate market in our area is slow (as it is elsewhere), so we are realistic and know it might take longer. Join us in praying that we can sell and move in a realistic time frame. Our home is going on the market this week. Finding a realtor to represent us was not an easy task. Each realtor thinks their service and their company is the best. So, we simply throw caution to the wind, take a risk, and make a decision.

In an earlier entry to this blog -- the one about the Boise State win over Oklahoma -- I noted that football is a funny game and the football often takes some strange bounces. That's just the way life is! It too takes some "funny bounces." But the old adage is still true. (Pardon me if I mix my metaphors.) "When your dealt a lemon, make lemonade."

Oh, one other thing. If we can figure out how to free up the time in all this, Delores and I are wanting to take a 10-day tour of the Seven Churches of Asia. We can do it for something over $2,000 a person including air fare from Arizona, 3 and 4 star hotels, morning and evening meals, and professional guides, connecting flights and more. The tour would take us to the Seven Churches, Cappadocia, and Istanbul. If any of my readers would like to join us IF we go ... or when we go ... give me a comment on this entry with your email and I'll get back to you.