building while writing
It all begins with an idea. God has a plan for us and our future. The path we plan may not always be the path we take.
In 2020, we began to plan our retirement. There were a significant number of challenges and also amazing opportunities to stretch ourselves and step outside the box of what had grown to be a comfortable place for us.
My husband retired first and was enjoying his free time doing productive and fun things while I continued to work. For many years, while he was running a business and doing ministry, he dreamed of selling the business and retiring to write a book.
Life threw a kink in our plans when he suffered a heart attack and required bypass surgery. It was quite a surprise because he had been asymptomatic. The next few days were a blur, but he miraculously recovered and came home. When he woke up from a nap one day, he said, “I want to move to our favorite place and live there.,” Many things crossed my mind, too many to list, but the bottom line was, “Ok, you survived, so you get what you want.”
There were so many challenges to overcome. We sold our house, moved our furniture, and since we couldn’t find a house that we liked, we built a new house. No stress in that plan at all.
Just like in our careers, we didn’t let the challenges stop us. We had been to a seminar on writing books in January before his surgery. Coming from the world of IT and Education, I wanted to learn the right way to write and publish a book so I could help my husband with his. The following year, during 2021 and part of 2022, we BOTH completed books, had them published, sold our house, moved our belongings to storage, moved to our RV, and started building and eventually completed our dream home., Now we are settled and living our dream. More about all the amazing things God taught us during that time in a future post!
My book - Crushing Insecurity - Pushing Boundaries and Pursuing Dreams, is available now. I learned earlier this week that it will be published and distributed in multiple countries throughout the world! I am blessed to have this opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others. My husband’s book, Taking Care of Business - Live by Faith and Lead with Courage, will be available on November 10, 2023.
Believe me, if we can do it…You can do it., Share the gifts God gave you. Make a difference in the lives of others, and give God a chance to shine in your life.