Beautiful mountains, good people, and stewardship of our future
MONTREAT, NC: Rebekah and I up here in the Appalachians, enjoying a few days surrounded by the beauty of the mountains, the peace of a retreat center, and the gracious company of fellow-travelers in the journey toward what is being billed as, “The final third of our lives.”
Yes, that’s right, we’re finally putting our heads together with the experts and the number-crunchers, so that we can be more deliberate over the next decade when it comes to making plans for how to handle not to distant ideas such as Social Security, rocking chairs, shuffle-board, and retirement.
NOT NOW!!! Don’t misunderstand; there’s a better than good chance that Rebekah and I won’t even consider such a radical move until we’re close to 70. And we certainly weren’t called here to North Carolina to retire. No, we moved here to be part of God’s exciting plans and vibrant initiatives for Wake Forest Presbyterian Church.
Lake Susan
However, there are – apparently – many things we need to keep in mind between now and whenever. So – as a public service – I thought I’d share a few, just in case you are wondering what it’s going to look like for you on down the road.
Keep kicking. It’s a good plan to stay alive long enough to use some of those “pension credits” we’ve all been stashing away. It would be too bad if we were gone, and all that loot went to some other preacher!
“Don’t retire until you can be sure that your projected expenses have dropped below your projected income.” That’s a direct quote – and well worth the price of admission!
Divert as much of your income as possible to pre-tax “deferred” savings plans. This of course is not even vaguely applicable if you’re not currently meeting the criteria outlined above, in point number 2.
Apparently your retirement plan, plus Social Security, won’t be near enough. The “third leg of the stool” comprises all the supplementary savings accounts, IRA’s, TSA’s, 403-Bs, stocks, bonds, off-shore accounts, paper bags stuffed with $500 bills, and other investments we were supposed to have accrued over the years. “What?” you say, “if I’d have known that I’d have started sooner than now.”
In all seriousness, the seminar has equipped us with some timely information. Better than that, though, has been how good it feels to be sitting at a table with Rebekah, getting on the same page with our financial planning, and continuing to envision our life serving God together, well into our tomorrows.
One of the questions in our handbook turned out to be especially telling: “Can you identify the drivers that are going to determine what you will want to be doing in retirement?” it read. The answer for both of us was/is/always has been simple:
Derek and Lake Susan
“Rebekah and I want to continue to live as fully engaged disciples of Jesus, and we are driven by the desire to use all the creativity, energy, and passion we have been gifted with to encourage other children of God to see Jesus more clearly, to love him more dearly, and to follow him more nearly, day by day.”
MONTREAT, NC: Rebekah and I up here in the Appalachians, enjoying a few days surrounded by the beauty of the mountains, the peace of a retreat center, and the gracious company of fellow-travelers in the journey toward what is being billed as, “The final third of our lives.”
In all seriousness, the seminar has equipped us with some timely information. Better than that, though, has been how good it feels to be sitting at a table with Rebekah, getting on the same page with our financial planning, and continuing to envision our life serving God together, well into our tomorrows.
