Do you know where you’re going when you… live?

I grew up in evangelical church circles, where everyone knew where they were going when they died but few knew how to make the most of being alive.  At some point I snapped awake.  I decided that God, having created this amazing, vast world, had given me license to go explore all the possibilities it held. By grace, I am intentionally building a life together with my husband. That life feels extraordinary and full of hope.  We love it immensely.

We own our own company, a web based business that Steve operates. I educate our son and daughter at home, just across the hall from his office. We spend the better part of every day enjoying each other’s company. Ours is a family of travel enthusiasts and we frequently pack up laptops and school books to hit the road, and explore the world from our home base in beautiful Nashville. No boss or long commute, no fighting for raises or vacation time, no hectic mornings and exhausted evenings, and no weeks of crowded time slots. This is what we started dreaming of early on in our marriage. This is why we took those steady, courageous steps.

Looking Back

There was a time we seemed to be just drifting along, devoting the bulk of our youthful energy to build other people’s dreams. We grew so much through those opportunities and there are just a few regrets. Nevertheless, warning signals were popping up, accompanied by exhaustion and frustration. Initially they seemed to make no sense.

In retrospect however, I believe God was using them to help us to turn a corner bravely, without fearful restrictions. He created each us with innate passions and abilities and planned a specific adventure that would feel joyful and amazing to all 4 of us. I believe the joy of the Creator surged as he watched us dream bigger and step out into the unknown.

We Turned a Corner

Now we get a lot of comments about the life we lead, because it’s so unique. While it is true we don’t face the standard struggles, that doesn’t mean we are exempt. Whether we actively choose a path or passively wander into it, we all are guaranteed a degree of trouble. Challenges present themselves frequently enough to keep Steve and I on our toes – logistics, finances, and relationships. But their unusual nature highlights to me the amazing elements in my life and the independence I have.

So I choose joy. I choose to believe that no matter what happens, God will always have even more good in store for us. I choose to keep imagining the possibilities, trusting God, and exploring life on purpose with my family. God empowers us to keep succeeding. We feel his joy about our journey and are filled with strength and the guts to keep moving forward.

Dream On

Maybe this life sounds close to what your goal is, or maybe your goal is something else entirely. Regardless, the Brendtros have a passion to see each family discover the adventure God is offering them. One of our favorite things about traveling is meeting other couples who have resigned from busyness and carved out space to dream. Life isn’t passing them by in neutral, they are shifting gears and following a unfolding map, intentionally. Connecting to them gives us fresh courage and energy and we hope that we can do the same for those who cross our path… or – our blog!