24-7-365
Naida Retires Soon
- That means she won’t be working 10 hours a day. She’ll be home.
- She won’t be working 6 and 7 days a week. She’ll be home.
- She’ll be home every day!
- She’ll be home 24-7-365.
- Yikes! I mean, yippee!
A New Season
Join Our Adventure
Follow our story as we navigate the joys and challenges of retirement in a new country. Every Monday morning Mark puts out a new post.
You Know the Old "Spouse" Story
We always love them, we just don’t always like them.
Years ago Naida and I realized that was an important thing to “share” with the other, when necessary.
I was thinking about that the other day, because, well, 24-7-365 is permanent!
Once it arrives, there’s no going back from it.
While I joke about this 24-7-365 stuff, there are two very sweet things which have implanted themselves, on my heart and in my mind:
- I am married to a woman who is LOOKING FORWARD to spending retirement with her husband. I’m LUCKY! I know many men, many pastors, who cannot say that.
- There are times when I can just lean into my bride and say (honestly), babe, I am SOOOOO looking forward to spending 24-7-365 with you. And I mean it! It is sweet!
Am I looking forward to 24-7-365 with my bride? Yes, most of the time
What We've Learned
★★★★★
Hard Lesson
“I can’t control ANYTHING, and I want to. I have to (and get to) trust God for EVERYTHING.”
NAIDA
I’ve been forced to live out Proverbs 3:5-6.
★★★★★
Hard Lesson
“Trusting God and being obedient to move to Italy, has required me to give up EVERYTHING.”
MARK
On this Visa, I’m not allowed to write novels.
★★★★★
Firm Reality
“Challenges, yes, but our sense God has called us to Italy, has NEVER wavered, NEVER.”
MARK & NAIDA
That reality is SO SPECIAL.
Upcoming Travel Plans
October 20, 2024
The last time we flew to Europe, this is where we ended up, the island of Santorini, in Greece.
Well, on October 20th, we are traveling to Italy, we’ll take a bus East a couple hours to Pescara and start looking for a home in Italy, specifically, the Abruzzo Region.
Some say we’re CRAZY, some say we’re COURAGEOUS, but we have seen that LIBERATING is a better description. We have learned that it is liberating to trust the Lord, even if it’s outside of your wheelhouse (Naida) or miles away from what Mark thought he’d be doing.
And we’ve been forced to accept that we will be together, 24-7-365.
Stay Updated on Our Journey
Find our weekly posts which chronicle OUR ADVENTURE . . .