Hello neighbor. Glad you stopped by.
Al's folks had moved to Dade City, Florida due to some health issues with his father. The doctor had told him that he should be in a warmer climate and Maine winters could be very cold..Al's company transferred him to the plant in Buffalo, N.Y. After we were settled in a suburban town outside of Buffalo, Al and I flew to Florida to visit them. I thought that it was a nice place to visit, but didn't think it was a place I would want to live. Dade City was in the Central part of Florida and was more countrified than what I expected. My picture of Florida was like the Miami Beach area. This is what I saw on TV, Jackie Gleason and other celebs who lived or hung around that area. Also the pictures showed rows and rows of tall condos on the beaches. Not an inviting place for me to want to live. Well, the visit with Al's folks was a good one and we went back again taking the kids with us so they could visit there Grandparents. It was good that we did it when we did, because it wasn't long after that Al's father passed away.
"Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6;33 This was really put to a test when we decided to see if we could find a place in the country with land for Karen, who by this time was old enough to begin wanting a horse. So Al and I would go driving around evenings checking areas outside of the town to see if we could find a place suitable for a pasture for a horse. After looking and looking and nothing seemed right or available, I told Al on the last looking that perhaps God just wanted us to stay where we were. I was having a women's Bible study at our house and even one lady came to know Jesus there. We were attending a church where we were being fed spiritually and had made good friends. So we just let go of the hunt for a farm and figured God wanted us right where we were.
It wasn't long after making that decision that the company decided that they needed Al back in the Maine plant. So back to Maine we went. Back to our little town of Monmouth. God did not forget about Karen's desire for a farm for a horse. There it was, an old place that needed some fixing up, It even had a pasture with a small barn out in the middle of the field. So by letting God take control of our lives, He went one better. He gave us a farm, back in our home town. Now Karen has a place for a horse, the kids are back in the same school and we found a very small congregation just down the road who really needed some new faces. Sometimes when we give something we want back to God he comes through with something better.
So we settled in again making a home in a different part of the town with new challenges. Kids were getting older, the boys were into ball games, Karen got her horse and we were involved in this little country church with a hand-full of people (rather old ones), So God had me involved with trying to get some Sunday School going and getting kids to come. Things were moving along pretty smoothly.
One extra cold winter, Al and I flew to Florida to visit his Mother. I think it was on this trip that we began thinking about maybe making a move there. There it is, the "idea" was planted. I had thought differently about Florida after being there where is was so much warmer than what we had just left in Maine. I especially liked it out where Al's mother lived, so country like. In a couple of years Karen would be finished with high school. This would seem like a good time to work on our "idea".
Karen could go to college in Florida.I even sent for some college info to see what was available.
The boys were both doing their things, Scot, the oldest, was in the army and when he left that he stayed out in Washington state. Albert was going to college in Maine. So it seemed like the time might be getting closer to take a serious look at this "idea".
We never know what tomorrow will bring and this time it brought us another move, back to Buffalo. Again the company wanted Al back there for some special reason. Because Karen was still in high school now would not be a good time to follow up on this "idea". So we packed again and went back to Buffalo. This time settled in an area a little closer to Buffalo. Our plan was put on the back burner figuring we'd wait longer for Karen to finish high school and go to college, then we could pick up our plans and continue on with them.
We hadn't been there very long before Al sensed that something was going on at the Buffalo plant. Rumors were going around that the plant may be sold. Well, that would change things for us again. More than likely we'd be heading back to Maine. Not my favorite choice. Well, if this is what God wanted, than I would accept it and mentally began to house hunt in the area of North Monmouth where the company was located. Having lived in two other areas would try a different one. Al also was beginning to think that this might be a good time for him to retire since he had put in 25 years.
Karen would be graduating from high school soon and was set on a college there in Buffalo. Since Al's brother and family lived nearby, she could stay with them or on campus. So once again we began to figure out what to do.
We could see that God was beginning to give us some guidance, too. One day while At was at work he had a conversation a friend at the plant. Al shared with him what was going on. So this friend, Mike, told him that he had a Tool Rental business in Hallandale.Fl and he needed a manager. So he suggested Al and I go down and look the area and business over to see if it was anything we might be interested in.. Well, Hallandale is just north of Miami and so it certainly wasn't what I had planned for us in Florida, but if this was what God was opening up, guess it would OK.
So to make a long story short things did work out with Karen at her Uncle's, met a great fellow and eventually married him, and went to college. So with all three kids doing their thing, Al and I loaded up a UHaul truck and set off for sunny Florida.
The thing is, I wondered was the idea to go to Florida ours and God okayed it, or was it His idea in the first place and He had to work things out so that we would be receptive to such a move. I really wanted to be in the country part, but here we were in Hallandale and Hollywood right on the beach and all the rush and congestion of Florida living. Well, we stayed there 12 years, so I guess it all worked out all right. To God be the Glory.
Stop again some time and we'll have another chat.
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