If the Lord Wills

In James 4:13-15, we read:

¹³ Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” ¹⁴ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵ Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”

If the last two years have taught Shirley and me anything, it is that every second is precious and that our times are in God’s hands (Psalms 31:15). So, we plan, but God determines our steps (Proverbs 16:9).

If the Lord wills, our plans are to move from our home in Auburn, Washington to Port Charlotte, Florida in July 2024.

Why the Plans to Move

This is a difficult decision. It means moving away from our daughter, Marie, and from our son, Josh, and his family—and our three granddaughters. We moved to Washington six years ago to be near them.

There’s a line or two from the theme song to the old show, Here Come the Brides that says,

“The bluest skies you’ve ever seen, in Seattle!

The hills the greenest green, in Seattle!”

That’s true—four months of the year.

The other eight months in Seattle, the song should be,

“The dreariest skies you’ve ever seen, in Seattle!

The weather cold, damp, and rainy every day in Seattle!”

As Shirley continues her remarkable, God-given recovery from her stroke, one area that remains impacted is her left side, especially her left arm. When the weather is miserable in Seattle (cold, damp, dark, rainy for eight months), then Shirley’s left side freezes and seizes up.

Out of the Mouth of Babes

Our son tried to explain to our granddaughters why “Grandma and PopPop” would be moving away. The next day when our seven-year-old granddaughter, Phoebe, saw us, she said,

“Why don’t you like the rain?”

Then Shirley explained that the cold and rain made her left arm hurt.

Phoebe walked up to Shirley, gently touched her left arm, rubbed it. I think Phoebe was thinking,

“I’ll make your arm feel better so you can stay!”

The Wise Decision 

Though difficult, we believe this is the wise decision for us at this time in our lives. Ironically, we always thought we would retire to the Gulf Coast of Florida. My Mom and Step-Dad lived for years in Englewood. My brother lived for years in Sarasota. We would always take family vacations there and loved Siesta Key Beach as the most beautiful beach in the world. In fact, we were at Siesta Key Beach one week before Shirley’s stroke.

So, now, for reasons we would not have predicted, we are back to our original dream of a Gulf Coast retirement. We have extended family living in the Tampa-Sarasota area (and nearly 20 extended family members live in Florida). We have great friends (over two dozen) from our various church ministries living in the Tampa-Fort Myers area. We are looking for a new home in the Port Charlotte area.

As we’ve said, “If the Lord wills…”

Timing 

We need to prepare our current home for selling (which is the picture to the right). We need to look for a home in Florida. So, we are thinking the move might occur sometime in the late Spring, early Summer of 2024.

“If the Lord wills…”

Prayers Appreciated 

We’d appreciate your prayers for:

• Selling our home in Auburn, Washington.
• Purchasing a new home in Florida.
• Shirley’s continued health improvement.
• Wisdom in timing.
• God’s blessings on our family (our daughter, and our son, and his family).
• Sweet times with family and friends in Washington before we move.
• Finding a gospel-centered church in Florida.
• Grieving our leaving…and celebrating the next stage of our lives.
• Being a testimony for Christ in our daily lives.

An Update (November 9, 2023)

On the 45th Anniversary of our first date, we’ve bought a new home in Port Charlotte, Florida! Our home is being built and will be ready in July 2024 (it will look similar to the home in the featured image). We’re excited!

We also hope, Lord willing, to spend each summer part-time in Auburn, WA to be by family and friends, and part-time each summer in Crown Point, IN to be by family and friends. Our Florida home is also near family and friends–do you detect a theme? We love family and friends (and we love warm weather)! Oh, and our new home has a guest suite–for family and friends to visit us!