?uestioning the move?

This morning I was taking my dogs for a walk around the property so they could do what dogs do when its winter, cold, and snow gets in your shoes. They were smelling everything, peeing on nothing, and eating things they weren't supposed to - while taking their sweet time doing it. I got to looking around, at what God had allowed us to finance, at the work I've put into our home here in the last 3.5 years, and what I could potentially do in the next 35. I started to question whether moving to northern MN again was really a good idea. Add to that list the beauty of the homestead, the house itself, and our wonderful church family we'd leave behind, not to mention the feelings and memories that come along w/Dad's house.

And I know the housing market isn't great right now (and we've got two homes to sell when including our rental in Rochester,) so it would be easier to just stay put, collect rent/pay our mortgages, and continue on BAU. If we did move I'd have no desire to still own these homes in southern MN and the mortgages that go with them at such a distance to where we'd be living.

And then I heard something today that reaffirmed our decision to move. A highly respected economist (adviser to President Ronald Reagan) made comments about the near-term financial future of our country. He was confident that 2014 was going to be a good economic year and a start to a financial recovery for this country - pending his assumed decision of the American public to find a new administration to replace the current. (He was confident on this assumption due to the current feedback the Obama admin. is getting, and the expected results of his policies on the pocket books of the people.) But he said we've still got almost 4 years to get there and what happens in between will not be easy on us as a country. With the way the Federal Reserve is handling the interest rates and allowing lots of easy money to be used by the banks, interest rates and inflation are both expected to rise. Simple terms - pay more for the same goods and services. Add to that the expected drop of the current income tax cuts and now we've got less with which to purchase said goods and services. So, less money to spend for more expensive items and lending rates not seen in decades. This evidence, along with my wife Heather strongly saying again, "Oh Honey, yes this move is the right move for our family" I feel again comfortable to take on this daunting task of heading north.

This is not an opportunity that many get to experience in our current loan-to-own common lifestyle (of which I am currently a member.) Nor would I ever wish the events to take place that lead to this opportunity, EVER. But removing a mortgage from our list of 'todos' for a while and saving/investing the extra at what is to be expected high rates of return I believe is wise.

My Dad taught me many things and there were many things left to learn when God took him home. But I remember his prayers included requests for wisdom and God's Will be done.

I seek both as well. But how do you know when you've found what you sought?

More to come...