Early last fall began a huge transition for our family that has resulted in some wonderful changes in our lives.  Kim and I began having the conversation about living more frugal by downsizing and tried to envision what that might look like.  We briefly considered a “55 and over” neighborhood in Jacksonville that that was very intriguing - smaller house, less to maintain,  smaller yard,, less to maintain, strong amenities, potentially more free time.  It made us stop and think what are we really doing with our time and what do we want to be doing with it in the future.  

For me, it made me think about use of time, how much do I want to sell every week, how much do I want to give away and how much do I want to keep?  These are serious questions that I needed to step back and consider.  

In September things began to change a bit at work and I started to realize that the vision and direction that I had hoped to implement at this company were not equally shared by the owners, although we had agreed conceptually before I started, the reality of change and giving up control was a difficult task.  After making several appeals for change and no significant response, it became apparent that my influence and time of contribution was over.  In a very short time, my career opportunity had diminished to that of a stale job.  Very disheartening.  I resigned my position the second week of November.  The owners were very gracious to me and offered to extend my pay through the end of the year as I shared with them how Kim and I were contemplating a significant change in our lifestyle.    

At the very same time, our church of (17) years was also in transition with almost a complete turnover in staffing and the senior pastor scheduled to retire in December.  This was rapidly changing my once close relationship with our church to more of a casual connection.  

For Kim the search for meaningful community was also high priority as she wrestled with what she is passionate about and where can she use her skills and talents, plug in and make a difference.   In October Kim decided to drive up to see Sarah-Grace at Covenant College for her fall break and take some time to be reflective about our future.  While she’s in Lookout Mountain, opportunities present themselves for her to meet people, get introduced to a “55 and over” community that is being developed, take a closer look at Chattanooga and comes back with a vision and startling news.  

She announces, “I could live in Lookout Mountain, Georgia”.  For a Jacksonville native with extended family in the community to even talk about such an idea is quite a revelation.  Her enthusiasm for the idea did not seem to wane over the next few days or weeks.  So I began to take her idea with real consideration.  Why not?  If this revelation is truly from God, then we need to be obedient and trust that He will work out the details.

Over the next few months, we made two trips to Lookout Mountain to get more affirmation with the idea.  Each time the sense of calling to this area increased.  By mid-December we asked each other “How fast can we do this”?  It was bittersweet news to share with our immediate family that we really felt led to move…without them.  However, God also used our Christian mothers to encourage our decision.  They both felt the opportunity and timing was right. 

So on the 4th of January we had an estate sale to thin our belongings and on the 11th listed our house.  I bought Sarah-Grace back to school on the 12th and took possession of a rental house on Lookout Mountain.  Before I could return home on the 15th we had a negotiated contract on our house with a preapproved buyer with no contingencies that could close in 45 days.  Wow, God delivered again. Now the scramble begins to find a new place for Haley and Philip to live, select a moving company, sell some more stuff, give some things away, box up our entire house and get some repairs made to the house in accordance with the contract. 

Although I have nothing specific lined up in the way of employment, each of the visits to Chattanooga were encouraging to me to see an up and coming entrepreneurial community and making contacts with community leaders each time.  About the middle of January, I receive a call from a former associate dating back to the mid to late 90′s that was responsible for me getting the opportunity to work with Caterpillar. He indicates that he has another client lined up for consulting work and wants to know I would be available.  Then he tells me that the client is located in Adairsville, Georgia which is about an hour south of Lookout Mountain and we can start in February.  Another example of God providing the right thing at the right time.  I am speechless.

So we moved the last week in February, closed on our house the first week in March, landed back in Lookout Mountain on March 8th.  We know for a fact this is where we are supposed to be, our steps have clearly been ordained.  What is not so clear, is the mission(s).  We are very excited about the possibilities and our new beginning.   

Country Club Hotel, Lima Peru

I recently returned from a business trip to Lima, Peru.  I had not been there since the  late 1990′s and what an amazing transformation.  The city is still about 8 million people, traffic is crazy as ever although the vehicles are newer, less emissions, and for the most part they seem to honor the traffic lights now.

In the late 90′s I worked with the Caterpillar dealer in Peru about 2-3 times per year.  During that time, the city certianly had its overcrowding, no opportunity for people to get ahead and you could see it in their face and read it in their eyes…no hope.

Today there is an emerging middle class.  There are jobs being created, no one is sitting idle.  There have been 3-4 new universities opened, the government seems to be stable and the world is knocking on the door for the minerals and natural gas being extracted there.  With an emerging middle class with money to spend, the demand for shopping, restaurants, theaters, virtually anything you can think of will be available in the future.  Cell phones are the norm, Wi-Fi is readily available, and for those with the Starbucks obsession, they have about a dozen or so throughout the city.  It is amazing the changes over the last ten years.

Is there a common thread to all of this?

I recently studied the book with the same title, “Not the Way It’s Suppopsed to Be”, by Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.  and it is well worth the read.  I wante dto share some exerpts as it has certainly helped me gain a new perspective on the world we live in.  We all know that God created the heavens and the earth and everything in it.  He created man in his own image and gave him dominion over all the earth.

The webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight is what the Hebrew prophets call “shalom”.  Something has gone terribly wrong.

Sin entered the world.

Sin is any act – any thought, desire, emotion, word or deed – or its particular absence, that displeases God and deserves blame.  Let us add that the disposition to commit sins also displeases God and deserves blame, and let us therefore use the word sin to refer to such instances of both act and disposition.  Sin is a culpable and personal affront to God.

Sin distorts our character, the human image of God.  We know that when we sin, we pervert, adulterate and destroy good things.  We create matrices and atmospheres of moral evil and bequeath them to our descendants.  By habitual practice, we let loose a great, rolling momentum of moral and spiritual evil across generations.

Along the generations, human nature itself, with its vast and mysterious amalgam of capcities to think, feel, supervise, love, create, respond and act virtuously – that is with its vast capacities for imaging God – has become the main carrier and exhibit of corruption.

Let that sink in for a while.  More to follow.

Latest Creations

wooden beams and finally about 100 square feet of rubber flooring that is almost 2″ thick.  Now that I have it what to do with it?

I first thought I would be able to sell the entire package to someone that had a warehouse and wanted to have an instant mezzanine.  Haven’t been able to sell as a bundle…so I began to look at alternative uses for the materials.  What I have found is this can be turned into very functional tables, benches, desks, etc.  So take a look at me new creations under the PICS tab on the site.  I’d love to hear your comments, suggestions and what you think a fair market price should be on the different styles.