On the Move

Well, I have a little announcement for those who haven't already heard the news - Southern Renaissance Man and family are relocating from North Alabama to Virginia.  That's right, we're on the move.  A new door has opened to advance in my career with the added bonus of being close to some of our family.  We're excited and apprehensive about the move but confident that where God leads, He will sustain and bless.

I'm proud to say, Virginia is still very much a southern state; I wouldn't have it any other way.  It's home to tons of amazing places with loads of history and things to get into.  The location is actually a great central hub to many interesting places, including D.C, Baltimore, New York, the Outer Banks of North Carolina, etc.  Virginia is a real "mecca" for incredible restaurants and the state boasts large navigable waterways, but then, who's interested in that kind of stuff?  There is great fishing and hunting throughout the state including trout and saltwater fishing destinations within driving distance.  As far as horticulture, Virginia has fertile soil and well defined seasons, so we'll be getting used to the white stuff from time to time and a slightly lower humidity.  I might even plant a grape vine...or two.  We'll be within easy driving distance to destinations like Nags Head, Mt. Vernon, Monticello, Arlington, Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Lexington, Lynchburg, Jamestown Settlement, Williamsburg (Busch Gardens), Chrysler Museum of Art, Old Town Alexandria, National Air and Space Museum, Fredericksburg, Yorktown, Shenandoah National Park, Hampton, Fairfax, Virginia Wine Country (only California, New York, Oregon and Washington have more wineries), etc.  As you can see, it will be a difficult adjustment.

Now I must digress a bit.  While there is little doubt this move means a lot of new opportunities, as far as SRM Blog goes, I hope it means a lot of new material.  I like to think of SRM as my online journal; my own personal magazine where I am editor and thief  (I meant chief).  I can talk about any and all things that interest me.  If others like what I write, then great!  If not, it doesn't hurt my feelings because I delete the comments I don't like (okay that's never happened, but it could).  My point is, I write because I enjoy it.  It is a creative outlet. I also happen to like sharing my experiences with other people.  I think in general people should try not to live boring and somber lives.  Life is much too short for that.  Too many people I know get stuck in routines they never deviate from.  Having a career and babies doesn't mean you can't enjoy life.  Now I'm not suggesting we worship pleasure or fall slave to getting a fix from fun.  Quite the contrary.  I'm just saying don't be idle; don't waste your life.  A lot of folks just stop living life once they have children.  They think, "I just don't have the time to do things anymore."  If you ask me, I think this is self inflicted.  A cop-out really.  I am not a wealthy man.  I don't pay someone to do the work around the house.  My wife does it for free! No we do it and still have time for the things we enjoy.  I don't know if it's just that we're lazy or what, but I know it doesn't have to be this way.  It's about priorities. Do you spend 4 hours a day watching TV...I don't.  Instead I cook.  I read.  I write.  I fly fish.  I play with my kids. I plant a garden.  I work on a boat.  I play the guitar.  I paint.  Not all at the same time, mind you.  I am not super human.  It's not because I'm so unusually talented, it's because I choose.  I choose to do something instead of nothing.  To be productive. You see, it's a choice.

Love and serve God first and only, provide for your family, and make time to live life as you go.  These ideas are not mutually exclusive - they are interdependant.  It's called the abundant life...it's what a friend of mine spoke about once.  Perhaps you've heard of Him?  His name is Jesus.  Get to know Him and you'll figure it out too.