ON THE MOVE

For some time, Joanne and I asked whether the Lord was asking us to leave New Jersey. We have lived in a number of states, beginning with New York, then Pennsylvania, and North Carolina; of course, we’ve lived here in New Jersey for most of our time in ministry. We’ve actually moved here three times. This last time has been the longest we have lived anywhere. Next month will be nineteen years that we have lived here. However, we (I mostly) have an adventurous soul. Admittedly, I’m always looking for the next thing. As the years passed, we asked what to do with what we had left. As we aged, our options grew fewer. So, this was an ongoing question without a clear answer—until recently.

Before I explain our current thinking, let me back up and provide some context to help clarify how we arrived at the following decision.

Most of you know that we lost our daughter, Jennifer, to colon cancer over six years ago. At that point, we anticipated that life would change more than it had when she was first diagnosed.  While we knew life would change, we didn’t realize how deeply it would impact us. One immediate change was how we marked holidays and birthdays. After Jen’s passing, we tried to gather with our son, Joseph, who lived near us, and Jen’s family, but these traditions soon changed as well.

Around four years after Jen’s death, our son Joe moved to Florida, too. Since then, we have spent holidays either with my sister’s family or Joanne’s family. While our relationships with them are good, they aren’t the same as being with our own children and grandchildren.

Fast-forward to last summer, in 2025, my granddaughter Allie announced that she and her family were buying a new, larger home in a development not far from their previous home. Joanne and I were happy for them and recognized that her three boys would benefit from more space. However, that was not the end of developments for our family.

As the process of building their new house continued through the end of November 2025, Allie invited us multiple times to come see it. Joanne and I would discuss what it might be like to live closer to our grand- and great-grandkids, though we never seriously considered moving. Then, in mid-November 2025, just before Allie’s family moved in, we decided one of us would visit. Due to circumstances beyond our control, only Joanne was able to go.

During Joanne’s visit, she eagerly sent me photos and even a video of the homes available. Our great-grandkids put the pressure on telling her how great it would be to have her down the street. However, despite the excitement, Joanne and I both didn’t have the sense that it was the right time. She came home, and we both decided to shelve this idea for the moment.

What we didn’t realize then was that other plans were unfolding in the background. I have often thought that God acts behind the scenes as much as in front of us. During all of this activity, Allie’s husband, Bryan, and I discussed options for the house they were leaving—whether to rent or sell it. Before a decision was reached, we learned that my grandson Raymond and his family would be moving into that house. This meant that, starting early 2026, two grandchildren and five great-grandchildren would live within walking distance of each other.

Recognizing the growing significance of these changes, I told Joanne this was too much to ask and that we ought to seriously consider what this meant to us. We decided to speak with my son and grandkids, and the realtor selling the lots in the development. This was a month after Joanne had been to Florida, and we considered going back. Unfortunately, Covid-19 struck, and both Joanne and I were down for five days.

Although Covid-19 interrupted our plans, as soon as we were able to make the trip, we went down for a couple of days. To make a long story short, we settled on a lot to purchase and began the process. As a result, our plans began to take shape quickly. We knew this would be a big change for our family. To say the least, everyone in Florida was excited.

We considered how we would tell the church amid all the other circumstances it was facing. Many of you know Tony Moss has been mostly hospitalized since June. Fortunately, he is home now, recovering from multiple surgeries. I have worked with the elders, Les Taylor and Tony DiMauro, in Tony’s absence, helping the church. We told the church in January and continued working with them.

What we are not saying is that we are “leaving” Long Branch Covenant Church (LBCC). We remain committed to LBCC fulfilling its mission. We’re going to Florida, not somewhere off the continent. We’ll be a short plane ride away after the move. Also, technology will play a part as video calls are common these days. We trust our relationships will continue, and we’ll be part of LBCC’s future.

We are looking to spend our last years with our family. For too long, we’ve been absent from the holidays, birthdays, and other milestones. We trust that God will grant us years to make up what we’ve missed.

Thank you for understanding. Please pray with us to make a smooth transition.