The day after Christmas in 2009, Kim and I left California and moved to the Phoenix, Arizona area.
We had been invited by a friend to stay in a house he and his wife owned in the Phoenix suburb of Surprise.
Surprise was a great refuge. Several months later, we rented our own place in a quiet community. When Kim later got a job in Phoenix, we moved there to be closer to her workplace.
There are four things I like about Phoenix:
First, my family is there: my step-father, mother, sister, step-sister, and two step-brothers and their families. I greatly enjoyed gathering together with family for major holidays. I miss them all very much.
Second, we found a great church: Christ’s Church of the Valley in Peoria. The church celebrated its 30th anniversary yesterday, and I so much wanted to be there. I’m sure the church has its share of problems – all churches do – but I rarely saw anything amiss. I learned so much at CCV about how to minister to a secular culture. And on our last Sunday, the service began with a spirited rendition of one of my favorite songs: “I Won’t Back Down” by Tom Petty. Gotta love a church like that!
Third, I enjoyed spring training. Several weeks ago, my friend Dave came to nearby Glendale to see the Dodgers play at Camelback Ranch, and we had a lot of fun watching the Blue Crew together. The following week, my friend Russ and I sat in that same stadium behind home plate with major league scouts. (Many of them had radar guns to time the velocity of pitchers’ fastballs.) I’ll miss the ease of driving to a stadium for a quick game.
Fourth, Phoenix was perfect for writing. I’m not sure I ever would have written a book in California. As difficult as it was at times, I needed solitude to complete my divine assignment. Moses, Elijah, Jesus, and Paul all needed wilderness experiences to prepare them for greater ministry, and Phoenix fit that role in my life. But to be honest, I’m weary of looking at the brownness of the desert. I need more green in my life.
Throughout my life, God has always called me to my next assignment through an invitation to serve in a church. This time, the call to move came through our minds and circumstances. There was no way I could pursue my ministry in Phoenix. For various reasons, Kim and I sensed that we needed to be in Southern California.
Reasons:
First, our kids are here. Ryan and Vanessa live less than 90 minutes away, making it possible to see them more often. And Sarah, who lives in the Bay Area, now lives 280 miles closer to us than when we lived in Phoenix. Hopefully that gap will decrease further in the days ahead.
Second, my network is here. The regional chapter of the Society for Church Consulting is having its initial meeting this week, and I want to be there. I may have another ministry opportunity nearby as well. Talbot School of Thelogy – my seminary – holds a variety of interesting events year round. And Southern California offers many more opportunities for my RKB ministry … like the workshops I’ll soon be leading at a major convention.
Third, many of my best friends are here. When I was in high school, I was a member of the Bomb Squad. Four of my friends and I viewed ourselves as guys who had “bombed out” in love … and that bond united us for a long time. Three of those friends still live in SoCal … while a fourth lives in Kingman, Arizona. Kim’s two brothers live in SoCal as well, as do various ministry colleagues. It wasn’t easy making friends in Phoenix, so it will be nice to see people once more who mean so much to me.
Finally, there’s a lot to do here. Seven days ago, we moved to Sun City, 20 miles south of Riverside. This is a beautiful area, a mix of rural and suburban, and a place of great beauty. (There are canyons and valleys everywhere.) We’re one hour from San Diego, Palm Springs, and the local mountains, and less than 90 minutes from the ocean. While the traffic in the LA area can be brutal at times, it’s because people love to live here. Phoenix is great if you like to hike, swim, or play golf, but those aren’t my favorite pastimes. Being closer to the ocean is more my style.
I haven’t written anything for two weeks because of the move – my computer was offline for ten days – but I’m all set up and ready to go, so thanks for reading.
And it feels great to be back home.
Restoring Kingdom Builders 