Leaders Keep Moving

Mick Daly (Elder)
March 2009

Leadership involves many things: one of them is knowing when it's time to move on. During our four years as full-time RVers, we were known as 'the nomads'. Then, in 2001, we landed in the Roaring Fork Valley. Now, as many of you know, we are moving on again!

We've loved living here; we love our church and our many friends. Over the years, I've been privileged to be an Elder, Purpose Leader, a member of the Men's Ministry Team (Band of Brothers), webmaster, usher and general 'meddler' at C@C.

Having enjoyed building our dream log home with our sons, Ben & Kevin, back in 2001-2002, we thought we would stay here forever. Then a couple of years ago we started thinking it would be nice to build again, in the same neighborhood. Our sons are now professional, experienced home builders in the Vail Valley, so this time we would have them do all the work.

Fully expecting this to happen sometime in 2008-2009, God (I do believe it was Him) began whispering some new thoughts. We started looking ahead 5-10 years. Our family is growing, with 3 grandsons and another grandchild on the way. Eagerly anticipating several more in the coming years, we reconsidered where to build.

In 10 years time, with 6, 7 perhaps 8 grandchildren, ranging in age from 2 to 16, we realized (thank God!) that living just minutes from our family would allow us to be more heavily involved in their lives and the lives of their young friends. We believe God is calling us to that as a ministry.

You see, once I hit 60, I decided it was time to do something to counter, perhaps even reverse, an insidious trend in western society. In the past 50 years the status of us 'elders' has been seriously demoted. Not so long ago (and still in some societies today), the older a person gets the more they are revered, honored and listened to. The wise sage has always been seen as just that - wise; but no longer. Today in America and across the western world, the old are seen as decrepit (defined as "wasted and weakened by or as if by the infirmities of old age"), even if they are physically and mentally fit. My commitment is to live a productive, purposeful and passionate life for as long as God permits.

Jenny is all for this too!

Being that 'sage' to our grandchildren and their contemporaries is very important to me. It's my next season of Leadership.

Back to the move: we had to weigh the pros and cons. We looked to see if there was anywhere we could build and enjoy living with anything close to the joy of life here. Frankly we expected a fruitless search - wrong! God showed us the perfect lot in Eagle Ranch.

However, before we could take the next step, we needed permission. Permission from our sons, of course, but more importantly from our daughters-in-law. Being that close could be a problem - it would have been for us when we were their age! Jennifer and Erin graciously said 'yes' ... and the rest is history.

I've attended my last C@C Elder Meeting, and my last Band of Brothers event (though I plan to show up in future as a participant.) I've prayed my last (public) prayer for Pastor Doug and 'ushered' one last time. Also, I will be working on a complete overhaul of www.churchatcarbondale.com (with the ability for many different people to take charge of their section); this needs several more months, but the end result will be really good.

Where are we moving to? Eagle. Ben & Kevin broke ground last August, and we expect completion this August. If you are interested you can follow progress on our house at www.dalys.com/eagle. By the time you read this we will already have moved out, and will be in Belize (for all of April and May - check us out at www.dalys.com/sueno!) Then we'll be homeless again for a couple of months.

Until we find a new church home in the Vail valley, we will continue to be members of C@C, so don't write us off just yet! For some time, expect us to be back on the first Sunday each month, both to keep in touch, and so that Jenny can continue playing piano with Clayton Collier's team at Heritage Park. In time, we will move to a new church, but our gratitude to God and to all at C@C will never wane.

C@C has been a tremendous source of love, discipleship and fellowship over the last 7 years. The future God has in store for C@C is as bright as ever, even though a financial storm is brewing as I write this, because giving has plummeted. But God is good - all the time - and I have no doubt we will look back again and again (as we do now) and say "look what God has done, again"!

In fact, we are saying that right now, realizing that, without our house to build, our sons, their 5 employees and their many subs would have little or no work, and no pay. God's economy is different, complex and hard to see; but when you get a glimpse like this, we are in awe. Hallelujah!

To the many of you we count as friends, once we've moved in, we expect you to come by when you make a trip to Costco or the airport, or just happen to be driving along I-70. Please don't disappoint us!

Live out Philippians 4:4-8. May the joy of the Lord be your strength and may God bless us, every one.

"Do what you love in the service of others who love what you do"

~ Leadership ~