Life is filled with surprises, uncertainties, changes. The surprises and uncertainties come with not forewarning. They catch us off-guard and unprepared. Some are minor disturbances which result in nothing more than a slight deviation from the norm. We deal with them as they come, oftentimes with almost no effort, while others are life-altering.

Changes are somewhat different. Some of the changes are expected and planned, while others are completely unexpected and unplanned. Some are the result of long-term dreaming and planning, while others are more spontaneous. The spontaneous changes can result in nothing more than a sudden decision to take an unplanned mini-vacation to your favorite get-a-way spot, or an on-the-spot decision to go out for a movie. Those keep life adventurous, and are the special moments that you learn to cherish as you share them with the ones you love.

The type of change I want to focus on in this blog is the type that comes from long-term dreaming and planning. My wife, Teresa, and I have been married 44 years. Through the years, and especially for about the last 10 of those years, we have been dreaming. A lot. Those dreams have taken us in many imaginary directions. From moving to the majestic mountains of western Wyoming, to moving back to Texas to be closer to kids and grandkids, to purchasing a bed and breakfast somewhere in the Blue Ridge Mountains, to becoming full-time campers working at an amusement park. Wow! I read that sentence again and think, “You don’t know what you want, do you?”

Well, you see, that’s the adventure of dreaming. Dreams may or may not come to pass. But they are so much fun, and are such good topics of conversation. Just to sit and talk with your spouse about the adventure of doing certain things, and dreaming about the many possibilities the fulfillment of that dream might bring about. For us, dreams have kept the spark burning brightly in our relationship.

And now, the dream, through the years, has narrowed. As a matter of fact, through the passing of time and the filtering of those dreams through day to day life, the many dreams have now morphed into one. We are now on the verge of seeing our dream become reality. And we can hardly contain our excitement.

Teresa and I are now in the beginning stages of a major life transition. I have been in pastoral ministry since 1979. I have loved this calling of God in my life, and Teresa has been a source of consistent support in the fulfilling of this calling. I have now served New Horizon Community Church since its founding in 2005. This church family is OUR family. We love each member of this church family deeply and dearly. Many of them have been with New Horizon from its inception, while others have joined this family along the way. They will continue to be our church family for the foreseeable future. However, we know that there will come the day when we will say our goodbyes, and another pastor will assume the pastoral duties. But, NHCC will still be our family. There is a relationship that runs much deeper than blood, and that describes our NHCC family.

We will then move to a new field of ministry: Carowinds Amusement Park. We are in process of putting our house on the market. We have just this past week made a purchase of our dream home: a beautiful Montana fifth-wheel camper (didn’t make it to Wyoming, but will be able to live in Montana!!!). Teresa and I have always been amusement park junkies, and both of us have worked at Carowinds. Teresa just received news that she has been hired for a job in the human resources department at the park, and I will be returning to work with the Carowinds family as well. The dream is coming true!

But, some will be wondering about my calling. Am I turning my back on the calling of God on my life that has truly BEEN my life for these almost 40 years? It might appear that this is the case. But nothing could be further from the truth. I will continue to fulfill my calling – just in a different location, and utilizing different methods of reaching people for Christ.

Teresa and I have felt for quite a while that this is what God was leading us to do together as we entered into our “retirement” years. Neither of us have any plans to retire – life has just too many opportunities to continue to bring glory to God through the various avenues He opens before us. We simply feel that this is the new direction from God to provide us with continuing opportunities to bring glory to His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Now, in closing, might I be so bold as to ask a favor? Would you please keep us in your prayers as this transition begins to unfold. We are super excited, and yet there is a degree of anxiety as we move into this new chapter of our married life. We have absolutely no doubt that this is God’s will for us at this juncture of our adventure called life. Pray that God will always be honored as we strive to serve Him.