I sold my 1950 Ford two-door Coupe with a flathead V8 today. I bought it about three years ago with the plan of totally restoring it and driving it as my daily driver. I had a 1950 Ford Coupe just like it in High School, and I loved it. I have purchased at least a dozen books on restoring this car. Some of you may have seen and remember the old movie with Robert Mitchum called “Thunder Road.” It was about a family making and selling moonshine in Tennessee. Like mine, the car that transported the illegal whiskey was a hopped-up 1950 Ford Coupe. I sold it because I didn’t think I would ever have the energy, the money, or the time to get it done before I died. Even though I am sure it was the wisest decision, as I watched the old car go down my driveway on a flatbed trailer, I got all choked up; I was experiencing the death of a dream. Selling it was part of my goal to simplify my life and have more time for ministry activities. Someone asked me the other day how much stuff I would sell, and I said I would consider selling anything and everything I had except for Patty! She was glad to hear that! In a couple of days, I will be over my melancholy fit over the loss of the car and be off to some new things. I have a couple of new goals for ministry coming up, and I know they will stretch, challenge, and be very fulfilling.

I think I am entering into a new chapter in my life. I have had a lot of variety in my life, including fishing, hunting, bicycling, building, restoring cars, traveling a lot, family, and ministry. I have always done a lot in ministry, but I want to do even more in the next ten years as I streamline and simplify my life. I am declining rapidly in my physical energy, but the cool thing is that I can write, read, and teach with little expenditure of physical energy. My mind is still sharp, and my mental and emotional energy seems to be increasing as I focus more on that area of my life. I am maintaining my basic exercise goals so I stay healthy, and I will still fish, and who knows, I may even start gardening.