Have you ever been miserable? Did you have a good reason to feel that way? Have you ever been miserable…and not had a good reason? That was me just a few short years ago.
If I stepped back and looked at myself from a 30,000 foot view, things looked great. I had a successful career, a nice home, beautiful family and financial freedom. But yet I was still…OK, maybe miserable isn’t the right word…how about discontent.
It wasn’t work…I had a successful career at a job I enjoyed. It wasn’t family…Kim and I had been married about 15 years and our son, Weston, filled our lives with joy (and the occasional struggle, like all parents). It wasn’t finances either….thanks to the common sense principles we learned from Dave Ramsey we had found financial freedom. No, it was something else…. After a lot of talk with Kim, and some real-life conversations with my Dad, I finally began to realize that I felt stuck.
Stuck. That’s about the best way I know to describe it. It basically felt like I was laboring (at work and home) but not really gaining traction and didn’t have a clear goal for my life. I was working hard and saving for retirement but not really enjoying life in the moment. I encountered people every day who shared stories of how their lives changed drastically and permanently in the blink of an eye from some unforeseen illness or medical condition (I had even witnessed that first-hand in my own family).
I began to realize that their story could be my story. Would I have the perfect combination of time, health, energy and finances to travel extensively in my 60’s and 70’s? What good was saving for retirement if I became disabled and was never able to enjoy the retirement I dreamed of? Kim and I began to realize that, while saving and planning for the future was important, it shouldn’t eliminate experiencing life today, because none of us are guaranteed tomorrow.
- Have you made the most of your time on Earth?
Fortunately my parents did good job of raising me with an awareness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I knew that I was a sinner (news flash…we ALL are!) and I knew that my sin separated my from the holiness and perfection of God (which is the standard we are all held to)…and there were times in my life where that sin was very evident. But, I also knew that Jesus was God’s son, and that he left heaven to be born on Earth to offer himself as a sacrifice to pay the sin debt that we all owe. In fact, I had prayed to Jesus, confessed my sin, and accepted his free gift of salvation as a pre-teen (the Bible says “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” 1 John 1:9, and “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” Romans 10:9). So through the midst of this struggle I did have eternal security through Christ.
You can have this same eternal assurance. If you don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ we would encourage you to call out to him today for forgiveness and salvation, and find the eternal security only He can provide.
It’s at this time that Kim and I became committed to sharing the love of Christ with others and making the most of the time God has given us with the ones we love. We committed to travel now, while we still have our health and form those lasting memories that will help shape and define our lives in the future. And, we want to inspire you to do the same.
Most of our travel comes in the form of weekend warrior trips. Its amazing how much you can see and do in just a few short days with the right amount of planning and research…Kim does most of that for us (and she’s really good at it too!). We’ll share that knowledge (and our experiences) with you to make it easier for you to get out and make the most of your time together. In fact, our Weekend Warrior Guides are designed to do just that, with ideas and itineraries to help plan your weekend getaways.
So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and discover new places, create unexpected adventures, and have experiences that you will treasure for a lifetime…and we want to show you how! Whether it’s rediscovering a neighboring city, taking an epic family road trip, or having a campfire and s’mores in the backyard it’s the time you spend together with loved ones that you will remember for ever.