Ok...now that our potential news (and that is what it is to be clear...Potential news) is out, I can rewind a little bit and tell you how this all came about.
The reality is, that since I met Tom, the military has always been in our minds as a "backup" plan. We never talked about it very seriously but casually mentioned it when discussing our future as something that was a potential idea....until recently, that is all that it was.
As most of you know, Tom served in the Army from 2001-2005 so he has already put in 4 years towards his retirement. (At least with the way things are set up now...as we all know, anything could change in a heartbeat). This means, he could retire in 16 years with half pay and be able to get a job in the outside world to supplement. Of course...those are our plans...not necessarily God's plan.
Also, Tom has been in school for the past few years. He finished his associates degree in Computer Science about a year ago and is currently working towards his Bachelor's. Because of this, obviously, our future is a bit undecided as his current job is not in computers although we are very thankful for a steady job that he has been in for almost 5 years.
So, as many of you know, my grandfather passed away at the beginning of June. He was a Marine and proud of it. I would say that being a family man and being a Marine pretty much defined Papa. At his burial with the family, there were Marines there and it reminded Tom of the camaraderie of being in the Military as well as the great feeling it is to serve our country in this way. I think that my grandfather would be proud of anyone in our family who chose to serve in the military.
That being said, there are also many things that Tom did not care for during his time serving and we are well aware that some of those things would still be the same.
Again, this is something that we are pursuing carefully and slowly with much prayer and consideration. If we do go, it will not be until after Janessa has her surgery at the end of January for her Cleft palate. I trust the doctors here and would not want to move somewhere where I was unsure of their capabilities as this could effect her speech.
So....as we learn more, I will keep you all updated but covet your prayers while we make the decision to stay or to go.
Good luck with the decision! My two cents: double-down on the bachelor's, which will open a lot of doors, and count your blessings that your entire family is together every day of every week of every month.
ReplyDeleteThe picture would have been different 15 years ago, but a post-911 military career is likely to have multiple tours, which could add up to years of Tom being away over the duration, this time overlapping with your children being children.
Thanks for the input. We are well aware of the benefits of a Bachelors degree which is why Tom has been working hard on it. However, I know lots of people with jobs (with their degree) that require them to work long hours and travel, so there are no promises either way.
ReplyDeleteBasically, what it comes down to is God's will. I don't know who you are, but if you understand what it means to have a relationship with Jesus, than you understand that if God tells us to go, than He will take care of our family. I have to believe that if this happens (and that is a big "IF", than everything will be the way that it is supposed to be and we will find peace, hope and joy wherever we end up.