Reminiscing: My Journey Through The Past Decade

I live in divine hope born in the promises of God. In Jeremiah 29:11 God tells me that He knows the plans He has for me; “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me”.

I know, without doubt, that God is always with me and hears me when I talk to Him. He guides me, answers my prayers, and directs the circumstances of my life. He is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. I can have plans, but I can only see the moment I am walking in. When I am seeking to be in God’s will He makes my path clear. I know that He is working all things for my good because I love Him and I trust His promises.

I have seen many of my prayers, dreams, goals, and plans become realities over the past 10 years. Sad and unexpected events have also occurred. My Mom died, followed by Maynard, Richard’s Dad in 2000. Heidi, a best friend, died in 2009. The pain of 9/11/2001 touched all of our lives. Richie was in the building across the street and men he worked with were in the towers. They all were fortunate and able to exit the city safely but each of their lives was forever affected. There have been illnesses and disappointments as well. God gives me the strength to walk through the difficult times. My joy and hope is internal even when external circumstances are hard. I thank God for working in my life at all times and in all circumstances. He wants us to be thankful always as He tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-22. God rewards a thankful heart.

I am so very grateful and do not take for granted all of the good things that have occurred in Richard’s and my life through the past decade to bring us to where we are in 2010. Our first grandchild, Trevor Richard was born on July 9, 2003. Erica and Trevor had purchased their first home and relocated to Orefield, Pennsylvania the previous year. In 2005, our youngest daughter, Christa Grace graduated from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA. The following year, 2006, brought the happy event of her marriage to Khristopher. They had graduated together and were married in the Muhlenberg Chapel. It was very rewarding to see both of our girls happily married with their college years completed. Now we could think about retirement plans. Another event in 2006 was the birth of our second grandson, Hunter Ryan, on March 6. God is good and the boys are so precious. With the birth of the children, the three hour ride between Allentown and Long Island became a routine run.

Richie retired in 2005. He had built our home in Dix Hills and now had the full time job of completing the unfinished construction so we could put the house on the market, down size, and move on. We purchased a house in the Florida Keys in 1992. We planned to have it for retirement in the future and vacations until then. We love The Keys and are glad that we had the foresight and ability to buy the house when we did. But we also knew that when we retired we did want to have a little home near our girls and their families. Destiny found us a lovely, little home in Orefield, one mile away from Erica and Trevor and the boys. In the spring of 2008, I retired from Huntington Hospital, we sold our home of 35 years in Dix Hills, and we moved to Pennsylvania. We are now “snow-birds”. Our primary residence is Florida but we are back and forth between The Keys and Orefield, PA. Last summer, 2009, we were able to realize another of our heart’s desires. We took a wonderful trip to Norway. We visited family, toured, took a cruise up the west coast of Norway through the majestic fjords, and visited friends in London. Now that we are retired and settled in our new life we pray for continued health and the ability to enjoy our family and do some more traveling. It is good to make plans and have goals. I stay flexible because I know that God is the one who has the final say in my life, my plans, and in the next decade and beyond.