A Decision, part 2

(Image from StoneMill.com — posted here for inspiration’s sake 🙂

Well, in my last post, I mentioned that Something New is coming, and it is.

But this is not that.

This is something else.  This post has to do with our home building plans.

In my post back in February (“A Decision“), I wrote about the decision to take out a construction loan to build our home.  Well, it seems that we may have to go a different route, given certain financial obstacles that are proving repeatedly difficult to overcome.  And so, we are grateful to God for this “trial” (James 1:2-4), for it will compel us to build with little-to-no debt, but requiring great resourcefulness.  I am truly thankful for the necessity of having to go this route.  Why?  Because once our house is built, we will own it free and clear.  We will not be beholden to a 30-year mortgage.  And in America’s current economic landscape, that may be vital.  (Perhaps I will not be enslaved to the 40+ hour work-week, for the rest of my life, after all?  That’d be good.  🙂

A few things of note:

• Montana’s “building code” requirements are extraordinarily minimal; so while we will strive to build everything “to code”, we will only be bound by excellence of craftsmanship, within the bounds of frugality.
• We already have water (a well), electricity and phone/DSL going to the property.
• We have always had our sights set on heating the home with wood, since that resource is abundant at the property site.  That decision remains.

In summary, here’s how I see things unfolding, Deo Volente:

1. We will install a septic system and a (mostly-finished) basement.
2. We will temporarily roof the basement and live there, while we plan to build our timber framed home above it.  The basement will be 1,280 sq.ft… which is at least 200 sq.ft. larger than the place we have been renting (!) for the past 4 years.
3. All former rent payments (and all other available resource$) will go toward purchasing building materials, prioritized by immediacy of need.  Building materials (both purchased and gathered/salvaged) will be stored in a timber-framed barn, which we will build on the property (near the 40’x80′ garden), as a “test build” in preparation for building the home.
4. Once the Timber Frame House Plan is complete, and the timbers designed and fashioned, the frame will be constructed, clad with SIPs and roofed. (Timber material will have been harvested from our property, milled and stacked.)  Basement occupancy will continue, until…
5. When interior walls and flooring have been framed and clad, the family will “move in”, and continue with the “finishing touches”.
6. Estimated completion time: 5 years from start date.

This is all I have time to write… thanks for reading, and we’ll keep you posted.

The Price Tag

“We get what we want, but there’s always a price.”

Our move to the wide-open spaces of Montana, from the populous (and expensive) confines of Southern California has been one of the best life-decisions my dear wife and I have made (by God’s grace) in our 21 years of marriage.  (I feel fairly confident to speak on her behalf in this matter 🙂  Here are some of the other choices that have benefited us greatly, or allowed us to simplify our lifestyle in an effort to pursue contentment with godliness (1 Timothy 6:6-11):

• Owning one car, and using public transportation when necessary.
• Becoming a one-income-earner family, allowing us to consistently supervise our children’s growth and development in accordance with our faith, without relying on (i.e. paying) someone else to do so.
• Home-educating our children, using readily available and straightforward materials, drawing out our children’s God-given aptitudes and interests, in accordance with the Scriptures.
• Avoiding involvement in “organized team sports”, in order to minimize unnecessary drains on our family’s time, attention and finances.
• Preparing most of our food at home, in order to facilitate nightly dinners together, be more healthy and save a lot of money.

Like Abraham in the Scriptures, we left all that was familiar to us and, by faith, moved to a land that was “foreign” to us.  Now, we live in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and while our means are still humble, God has blessed us with so many incredible relationships and opportunities, including the ongoing effort to purchase and build a house on our own acre-and-a-half of fertile, wooded land.  We are so very grateful to Him for His provision.

Still, this undertaking has come with a price or two.  We are now much further (2-days’ drive) from some dear family members, whom we miss very much.  I had to leave the comfortable and familiar venue of “full-time paid church staff work” (notice how I avoided the term “ministry” — that’s a blog post for another day).  Instead, I had to practically change careers, spending at least 2 years before I began to feel confident and adept at this new line of work (2-way radio and internet installation, and radio tower groundwork).  And ultimately, having my earnings reduced by at least 50%.

All that notwithstanding, I wouldn’t change a thing.  And now, we have a beautiful new “Made in Montana” addition to our family, firmly “anchoring” us to our residence here, as it were:

Meet “Elliana Mercy Calvi“

So, for those of you contemplating leaving the bustling metropolises of SoCal (or any other densely populated area) for the rural life in wide-open spaces, I would first caution you to be aware that there is a price to pay.  You’ll have to trade one lifestyle for another.  It may cost you your “nest egg”.  (As the joke goes, “How do you make a million dollars in Montana?  Bring 2 million.” 🙂  You may have to leave the comfort of your extended family… but who knows?  Some of them may follow you there.  In any case, any major life choice is inevitably followed by a lengthy period of adjustment, as you know.  But for those of us who live by faith in our Creator and Redeemer – King Jesus – our hope and trust in Him is never misplaced.  He provides everything we need!

“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.”

1 Timothy 6:17-19

So go ahead and grab hold of the rural dream.  With Christ, all things are possible.  Desire Him above all else, and He will work all things together for your good (Romans 8:28).

As always, I welcome your comments.  Have a fruitful day.

–Ric

Musing in Montana

I recently had a talk with my dear bride, after she read a formidable blog post I drafted (which will most likely go unpublished).

“So what do you think,” I said.

[Pregnant silence]

She takes a deep breath and says, “Don’t you ever get — I dunno — kind of tired of writing all this ‘get ready for the future’ stuff?  I mean, don’t you think people want to know what’s on your heart?

“Well,” I reply, “This ‘future’ stuff is on my heart…”

“Yeah, but there’s more to you than ‘prepare for such-and-such’ or ‘have you seen this news story’, isn’t there?  I think you’d draw people in a lot more if you dig a little deeper.  Tell them about your struggles.”

[Another pregnant silence — this time it’s mine]

“You’re right, you’re right, I know you’re right,” I say, referencing one of my favorite “When Harry Met Sally” lines.  (Movie quotes are a closet hobby of mine.)

I hate it when she’s smarter than me.  Actually, it happens way more than I care to admit.

So I spent the next few days thinking about what I could possibly write, that would let you in my experiences, thoughts and feelings over the last six months or so.  In a day or two, when I blurt out the next post, you’ll have lots of juicy gossip to use against me.  I hope we can still be friends after that.  🙂

Until then, call me “Musing in Montana”.

Lunchtime Literature

It’s lunchtime, and I know you’ve been looking for something challenging to read while you munch that leftover pizza.  Take 15 minutes to read this two-part article from Brandon Smith at http://www.alt-market.com/ and Stewart Rhodes of http://www.oathkeepers.org/.  Then, please post a comment or send me an email about how this article affected you.

“Getting Off the Globalist Chessboard”
http://www.alt-market.com/articles/96-getting-off-the-globalist-chessboard-an-introduction
http://www.alt-market.com/articles/232-getting-off-the-globalist-chess-board-safe-haven-relocation

God bless you, and let freedom ring.