OUR NET WORTH

Anyone who follows me knows that I have been going through boxes of old materials - some of which I haven't looked at since it was originally packed away. I share this to give you a humorous glimpse into young married life in the early 1970's. Feel free to smile or laugh-out-loud as you read through our assessment! 😁

I recently came across a page from 1977 [we had been married and attending seminary in Kentucky since our marriage in 1973] that calculated our net worth.

Thankfully, it's in Debbie's handwriting; which implies that we were both involved in this process.'

We started out renting an apartment owned by the seminary.  A year later, we bought an 8'x40' trailer adjacent to the campus. A year later we moved into an apartment in Nicholasville, KY [nearby]. In June, 1976, I was appointed to the Jeannette Free Methodist Church [in Harrison City, PA].

Our most valuable asset was a 1974 Ford Mustang II that we valued at $1,400.

Next came record albums - 214 of them that we valued at $1,070.

Next was our bedroom suit of furniture - valued at $600.

Bedding and jewelry were each valued at $300.

Of course, with all those albums, you have to have a stereo: $250.

And with all that bedding, we had to have a washer: $300.

My clothes: $200.   Deb's clothes: $250.

The all-essential Britannica Encyclopedias: $300.

[When we had our three T's, they found them invaluable for making tents in the living room!]

We had a $100 television.

Tools - $100

Two ten-speed bikes - valued at $100 each.

Camping gear - $100

An overhead projector - $100  [A gift from my home church! Cutting edge visual equipment for the day!]

My books - $300  [this would grow to be thousands as the years unfolded!]

Portrait album - $150.

Wall pictures - $120

Kitchen items - $200

Recliner chair - $100

Food on hand - $100

Then a plethora of small items ranging from $5 to $60:  

toaster, electric knife, can opener, blender, broiler oven, coffee pot, mixer, iron, wall clocks, lamps, desk, utility shelves, lawn chairs, dryer, suit cases, brief case, games, Christmas decorations, snack trays, .22 rifle, cameras, radio, calculator, four steel folding chairs, crafts, sewing machine, nursing rocker, desk chair, cassette tapes and recorder, baby crib, playpen [Travis was born in February, 1976], dressing table, cedar chest, book shelf, typewriter, slide projector...

We also had an accrued savings of $304.

Consequently, our total assets came to $7,939.

_________________________________________________

Our liabilities included:

• We had been told by my conference superintendent that the conference insurance was covering us.  However, when Travis was born, they admitted that they were wrong. We were on our own. He was delivered by C-section - making it quite expensive. We took out a loan to pay for our new son and paid for him on the installment plan.  Total liability - $619.
• We had borrowed from my dad to buy the 40'x8' trailer we lived in. Total liability $1,250.
• We had several charge accounts and hospital bills.

Our liabilities totaled $6,258.

OUR NETWORTH AT THE END OF 1977 -:  $1,681

_____________________________________________

At this time, I had been appointed to my first full-time church in Harrison City, PA. My pay - including insurance - was $520/month. 

We were able to make it because we qualified of 'Women, Infants, Children' [WIC] program that provided milk, cheese, peanut butter, eggs...It was the only time we've ever received a benefit from our government!

But, thanks be to God, we made it! Upon my first move, my salary doubled! Sounds great, huh? But Troy and Tracie were born during that five-year period!  🙄 But God was good and we managed.  

A NAIL-MAKER AND A CANDY CLERK

My sister, Beverly, and I didn’t get along real well for the first eleven years of my life. In my earliest years, she was my babysitter! I came along seven years after her and displaced her as the ‘baby-of-the-family’.  We were too far apart in age to play together. We did have to work together from time-to-time. We were expected to do the evening dishes after supper. She always got to wash; I had to dry! I remember when  mom and dad would go shopping at a large department store like Kmart or Hills or Gaylords, my dad would give me a dime to spend. It sort of bothered me when I saw him giving Bev several dollars. But, by the time I hit eleven, she graduated from high school and launched her adult life in Rochester, New York. From that point on, I was raised like an ‘only child’.

Before I left home, she and Dick were married in our New Brighton home on December 2, 1967. I liked Dick – he had a really cool, blue Mustang! 🙂 They settled in the Rochester, NY area where Bev worked at Suburban Cravats tie factory and Dick worked for Tobin Meats. When I later entered the ministry, she kept me supplied with great ties! And when we went to visit, we ate lots of meat! I remember when Dick plopped a porterhouse steak on my plate, I told him that mom would have fed the whole family with that steak! 

When I started attending Roberts Wesleyan College, their house became a frequent stopping place where I could get a good meal! When I got a job working as a night watchman at the college, I used to call Dick at all hours of the night to tell him what I was doing.  He would cuss at me as I walked down the dark, deserted hallways – laughing out loud!

The next stage of engagement was after Debbie and I were married and our family was growing. My pay was ridiculously low. We chose camping as our way to have vacations because in the late 70’s and early 80’s, it was an inexpensive way to go on vacation. While we were living in East Liverpool, Bev invited us to come and camp in their back yard! So we hauled our ‘pop-up camper’ to Rochester and set it up in their back yard [I think we did this two or three years in a row!]. We played video games and swam all day in their backyard pool. We had cookouts almost every day! Bev took us to the Rochester zoo for entertainment! Bev made us great meals and we played together constantly – making some fun memories!

Then, life began to take over! My ministry began to flourish and the kids grew. We became occupied with raising our family and didn’t see one another as much as before. However, one of the good decisions that I made was to visit each of my siblings at least once every year! And I held to this legalistically even though they very rarely came to visit us.

Many of my ministry years kept us within reasonable distance from the New Brighton/Beaver Falls area. So, Jeannette and Lib made their backyard pool available to us too! Sometimes we showed up when no one was there and we just had a ton of fun swimming together as a family!  Jeannette was fifteen years older than me, so we were never close, but I interacted a lot with her sons: Tommy and Bobby [who were slightly younger than me].  We still maintain contact, but get together far too infrequently!

Ira and Joyce had moved to Canton, Pennsylvania by the time we were raising our family. Joyce hosted the whole Haire family several times; that was really great! I know once was over July 4^th and another time was over Thanksgiving. I REALLY appreciated those opportunities for us all to be together! On our annual visit to visit Uncle Ira, he would let the kids ride his quads around the yard. THEY LOVED THAT! When we moved to Spencerville, Maryland, we bought them from him during one of our annual visits. Especially Troy and Tracie rode them endlessly! Our grandkids – Rylie and Coltin – have also enjoyed them immensely when they have come to visit us!

I practiced ‘retreats’ while I was leading churches. One of the places I went to was Mt. Zion Retreat Center, less than an hour from Ira’s home. Any time that I was on retreat, we would grab breakfast together for several hours! I loved that!

But life changes!

Mom died first at the early age of 67, from complications after open heart surgery! It was 1981, just two months after Tracie was born – almost forty-four years ago!  !

Dad lived for another eleven years, dying during Family Camp in July, 1992.

On September 27, 2021, Ira died. I got to spend a wonderful day with him while Debbie and Joyce attended a bridal shower. We talked all afternoon about our parents and the way we were raised. I had always looked up to him and he had always introduced me as his ‘kid-brother’!

On December 1, 2021, Jeannette died, after a long time of gradual decline. Because I had retired and lived in Enon Valley, I was able to visit her regularly. In the earlier years, we had some great times of reminiscing! 

And now, yesterday [June 10, 2025] Beverly has succumbed to the trials of dementia and changed her residence for all eternity! [I’ll write about her soon!]

That’s a brief history of the Haire Family – so far!

Years ago, I wrote a story for our family and titled it “A Nail-Maker and A Candy-Store Clerk”. It told of a young man named Leonard [from New Brighton] who was shopping at G.C Murphy’s in Beaver Falls and saw an attractive young woman – named Hazel Walton - working at the candy counter. From what I understand, he bought a LOT of peanut clusters back in that day! After a period of courting, they were married on August 17, 1934. They started this story!

And I have to tell you that I’m feeling VERY, VERY LONELY THIS MORNING!

NO ALLOWANCE

I had a memory this morning while I was wiping the dust off my dress shoes for church.

WIWAK*, my mom would – about once a month – hand me the family ‘shoe-shine box’ and take me to the garage where she would have all of the family dress shoes piled up.  I was to shine all the shoes.  I didn’t question her on this assignment; I just settled in and did the job. I didn’t get paid for doing it, it was just part of my responsibility as the youngest member of the family.

I had other jobs too.

·         In the summer, I cut all the grass.

·         In the fall, I raked and burned all the leaves.

·         In the winter, I shoveled all the snow.

·         Occasionally, I’d be asked to wash the car.

·         In the spring I was asked to wash all of the screens for the windows and install them.  In the fall, I had to pack them away again for the winter.

There were probably other jobs that I’ve forgotten after sixty years or so.

My parents didn’t believe in allowances.  They didn’t hand me money, except a few rare occasions:

·         They would often go shopping with their best friends [Speed and Estella Fisher] on Friday nights.  Sometimes they’d go to ‘Northern Lights’ in Baden.  Other times they'd go to Boardman, Ohio and shop in a Gaylord’s store there.  They had other favorite spots, all of which were huge department stores/discount houses.  [Later, when I became older, they’d allow me to stay home alone.]  When we went to Gaylords, my dad would almost always give me a dime to spend.  He knew there were some arcade games in the back.  I would spend a good bit of time deciding which game I wanted to play.

·         When we went to Family Camp for ten days every July in East Liverpool, Ohio, he would give me a quarter every day – except Sundays, of course!  I usually bought ‘penny candy’ and pop cycles – which were $.05.  I learned early how to stretch money.  Of course, I also went through the straw in the tabernacle and frequently doubled my money by doing so!  Plus, I would pick up pop bottles and return them for $.02.  👌

I never complained about these small gifts – I thought they were great!

My dad was a firm believer in something that became a reality during the industrial revolution.  I later studied about it in college and seminary.  It was called the Protestant Work Ethic.  This emerged from the Puritan and Calvinistic beliefs of the early founders of our nation who believed that working was a way of fulfilling one’s duty to God.  Therefore, the work of ordinary believers had a dignity of its own.

“After flourishing for three centuries in America, the Protestant ethic began to disintegrate, with key elements slowly disappearing from modern American society, vanishing from schools, from business, from popular culture, and leaving us with an economic system unmoored from the restraints of civic virtue.”

[https://www.city-journal.org/article/whatever-happened-to-the-work-ethic]

The way this played out in my home was for my father to get me a job taking care of our doctor’s lawn all summer and fall.  I was eleven. The first two Saturdays, he took me to Dr. Chadwick’s home across from the Beaver County Country Club on Patterson Heights in Beaver Falls. 

He literally taught me how to work.

·         Don’t work real hard and then sit down for a rest.  Work steadily the whole time you’re there.

·         Never sit down to do your work!  If necessary [for instance, when mulching] work on your knees.  “You don’t want Mrs. Chadwick to look out and see you sitting down.”

·         Do a good job!  They’re paying you a dollar-an-hour – earn your money!

·         Be proud of your work when it’s all done – not until!

There were other points too – I don’t consciously remember them all.

So, every Saturday, I would ride my bike from Brighton Heights to the doctor’s – probably four miles that included some very steep hills. 

For an eleven-year-old-kid to be away from home all day Saturdays indicates that it was a far different period than we currently know.

As I got older, I would stop at Waite’s restaurant at the top of Ross Hill for a hot fudge Sunday before heading home.  😉 

I eventually picked up several other lawns to care for including Mr. Zachary Taylor’s home out Mercer road.  I’ve never admitted this before because he was the principal of the New Brighton High School.  I kept the fact that I worked for him a secret [until now] for fear of being ridiculed.  Once I turned sixteen, I picked up two or three more lawns in Beaver. 

I also had a TV Guide route all through my teen years.  That was nice because I only had to deliver it one day per week!  I had over seventy customers. Want some humor?  At that time, they cost $.15.  I made $.04 for each one that I delivered.  My dresser always had stacks of coins on it.  My mom taught me to take 10% and set it aside for my tithe.  Dad spoke to the church treasurer who, in turn, handed me a box of envelopes to use for my offering.  When my dad dropped his envelope into the plate, so did I - even though it only contained a few coins. 

My mom gave me $.35 every day for my lunch during high school.  Although we had an open lunch period, we were still allowed to buy our lunch [for $.35] at the Junior High cafeteria. 

Sadly, I have to admit that somedays that money was taken from me by bullies.  😒

However, I had several friends that would join me in hustling down to the Brighton Hot Dog Shoppe for lunch.  I would order three hot dogs with ‘everything-mustard’, a chili-fry, and a chocolate milkshake.  With $.05 tax, the order came to $1.  Because I worked, I was always able to add my own money to what my mom gave me and pay the bill. 

Please understand that we weren’t a poor family!  In early 1957, my parents bought a brand new home on William Penn Way – moving from Mt. Washington in Beaver Falls.  My dad worked forty-eight years for Townsend Company – mostly at Fallston, but some years at Elwood City and one year in Butler. 

As much as I loved sports, I received no encouragement to participate in them.  I regret that.  My encouragement was to work! 

I hope you don’t misunderstand this.  My parents had an approach to Christmas that was almost embarrassing!  I got everything that I would need for the year under the Christmas tree.  The gifts would be piled high!  It would take all morning to open them.  They would include:

·         New tennis shoes

·         New underwear [jokingly called ‘seat covers’ in our home]

·         Packets of Bic pens

·         Shirts

·         Pants: dress and blue jeans

·         School supplies

·         And, of course, toys and other gifts.

I remember being teased at school after Christmas break because every day I would wear a new shirt.  “Is that shirt a Christmas present, Harold?” 

When I turned sixteen, my dad went out and bought a 1963 Chevy Impala that was in great shape.  I loved that car!  He said, “Now son, this is your mother’s car, but you can feel free to use it anytime that she doesn’t need it.”  The car was virtually my car, because my mom didn’t like to drive and rarely needed it!  I could see my dad’s plan!  😉  A lot of Fridays, my mom would ask me to drive her around to pay bills and buy groceries.  I loved doing that!  And she loved having me do it! 

I had a remarkable childhood!  My parents gave me so much that would later help me to be fruitful and effective as I matured into adulthood. 

I never rebelled against their authority.  Oh, I smoked a few cigarettes and let a few profanities fly, but those were mostly to gain approval from my friends and classmates.  I loved my parents and tried my best to honor them.  They were one of the greatest blessings that God gave me!

I think what I got was much better than any allowance might have been!  😊❤

 

*  WIWAK  =  When I Was A Kid

SEASONS OF LIFE

Good morning, Lord,

The calendar says it’s still summer, but we all feel fall in the air.  Leaves are already blowing through our yards.  School has begun and football has us excited.  We’re more than half way through another year.  It’s been a good year so far!  Thank You for the wonderfully mild winter we enjoyed.  Spring was incredible as farmers got their seeds in the ground a little earlier than usual.  Summer was hot – just the way we like it.  And now our fuel bills get a break as we don’t have to run our air conditioners.  Living in our area is a pleasure as we get to experience four fairly equal in length seasons (well, winter could be a little shorter!)

And through it all – You’re faithful!  You are the Master Designer behind all of this wonderful creation!  We marvel at Your precision and delight at Your creativity. 

 

THE SEASONS OF LIFE MIRROR YOUR CREATION!

 

Spring

Oh, how I enjoyed the spring of my life!  Like so many others, I ran and played and was carefree as my parents accepted all of the responsibility.  I learned and grew and stretched and abounded in energy and curiosity!  Fortunately for me, I did so in a safety zone that my parents established with guard rails that helped me avoid a lot of the painful and dangerous experiences of life.  I chose to adopt the principles and values that they had modeled for me and those values travelled with me into the summer season of my life!

 

Summer

Summer was independence and freedom!  Finally, after the stressful period of adolescence, I was able to direct the course of my own life.  My parents were still there to consult, but this was the season of fun, major decisions, developing skills and advancing education!  It was surely an adventurous time! 

One of my best decisions was marrying Debbie!  Everything changed after that!  Your ‘call’ on my life was another major course-correction!  Early summer found us moving frequently and clearly leaving the nests where we had each been established.  Kentucky seemed so far away from our homes back in 1973.  Even long-distance phone calls were rarely made due to the expense of doing so! 

Then, our family began to arrive:  Travis (1976), Troy (1980) and Tracie (1981).  I made $100/week at my first church!  The only government support we ever accepted was during those early years when WIC [Women, Infants and Children] provided milk, eggs and cheese!  The responsibility of raising children was fun, but demanding.  Our finances – already tight – were stretched to the limit!  But our joy was full and our partnership as parents was developing experience and purpose! 

Summer was a long season!  Raising our family, gaining my education, and establishing myself as a pastor with experience dominated this period.  Keeping our balance and surviving the strains on our marriage took perseverance and focus!  Our greatest enemies during this season were financial distress and my own personal struggle with depression.  I actually had a burn-out episode during this season when I quit everything for almost four months while living in East Liverpool!  But God, You were faithful and turned it into the only real miracle that I attribute to my life!  Thank You!

I’m not really sure when summer drew to a close and fall began.  I suppose it was the season when our three T’s began leaving the nest and launching into their own ‘summers’.  Our role as active parents was coming to a close.  However, You raised new challenges for us as we engaged with the Shelter Care Social Serving Agency, the Akron Cornerstone Church and later, the Free Methodist Community Church in New Middletown.  Debbie’s work at the Springfield Elementary School with Cindy Marchese was an extremely fulfilling time for her. 

The greatest thing to happen for us during these years was retiring our burdensome debt that had caused so much of my depression!  By diligent adherence to a plan and God’s abundant provision for our family, we reached our goal in a mere eleven years!  Hallelujah!  Debt is gone FOREVER!  Thanks be to God!

The awards and rewards that resulted from leading and participating in growing churches were fulfilling.  But You weren’t finished with us yet!

The next three years were invested by living and working in Changchun, PRC for three years!  A book would be needed to describe the amazing and life-expanding experiences of that adventure!  New friends populated our lives!  Students endeared themselves to us by their kindness and love for life!  You enabled us to see fruit for our labor, for which we will be eternally grateful.  We would not surrender those years for anything!  They are a treasure to us! 

Fall

I suppose that’s about when our fall season of life began.  Although I pastored for nearly two years at Kittanning, doing so as a commuting/part-time pastor was too much of a limitation! 

It was about this time that we experienced the greatest loss of our lives – Travis died!  It knocked us down pretty severely!  Debbie retired almost immediately.  I retired at the end of the next year.  During this interim period, we lived in a small trailer on the Whippo farm.  We were comfortable, but knew that we wanted to establish a real retirement home.  We found an opening in Heron Woods and carved out a shelf overlooking two beautiful, small lakes.  Our manufactured home was delivered after significant clean-up and preparation.  Then came two years of building a two-car garage with Troy – one of the greatest joys of my life!  Landscaping and sowing a lawn also kept me busy.

This was followed by five years of being a Lyft driver.  God gave me a vibrant and creative ministry in this role.  Losing that job thrust us into living on our retirement income [there’s a story behind this – ask me sometime!].  We made the necessary adaptations and did fairly well. 

Then, in February of 2024, I was called back into ministry as the interim pastor of The Foundery Free Methodist Church in Wellsburg, West Virginia.  It has been a rewarding experience and I hope I have helped the church as it now prepares to embrace a new, full-time, pastor!  A little piece of my heart will always be invested in these wonderful and accepting people! 

So, we consider ourselves to be in the late fall season of our lives now.  Winter is coming – we know that!  Our major accomplishments have probably already been realized.  Our love for one another deepens almost daily – it seems.  We thoroughly enjoy being together!  We serve one another and enjoy every day!  We love our family and treasure the times when we can be with them.  We take enormous joy from the fact that they are serving the Lord!  We celebrate their accomplishments with pride and joy! 

Debbie is still making major contributions by being a session member and library director at Bethel Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Enon Valley!  She is deeply appreciated at this church and we have developed great affection for the people there!  She also enjoys regular fellowship with four of her sisters [Janie lives in Connecticut]. Two brothers and three sisters also attend Bethel, so every Sunday includes some reunion!  Deb also reads!  Her love for historical books and novels propels her from book to book.  I absolutely love walking into the house and ‘catching’ her sitting quietly in her chair with a good book and a cup of tea!  😊

In another week, my patterns will change significantly!  No more three-hour round trips to Wellsburg. 

I long to return to extended mornings in my home-study, reading the scriptures and writing my own personal summary of the Bible!  I have a list of projects that I’ll be attacking as well.  I hope to reduce the boxes of files that I’ve accumulated over forty-three years of ministry.  There are photos to organize and scrap books to make.  There’s a coin collection that I inherited from my mother that needs to be dealt with.  I have backpacking gear galore that needs to be given away. 

Then, of course, there are home projects and yard work that will keep me busy. 

 

Winter

Winter does not cause us fear!  We’ve always loved winter and now that it’s our final season we’re fine with that!  We’ll use our influence to bless our family, neighbors and church.  We’ll keep each other warm and serve one another as long as we can.  We’ll seek to be wise in the deployment of our time and resources.  We’ll love people and try to invest in them strategically and generously. 

We each have aches and pains.  Arthritis has finally become my travelling companion.  These once-young bodies have some miles on them now.  But our minds are still active and functional [with occasional blips for both of us].  Our passions are still vibrant. 

When the Bible says that “…your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;” [Acts 2:17 KJV] I have come to believe it is right!  I’m an old guy now, but my passion for ministry is still strong.  I have dreamed for years of planting a church.  But I wonder if I could negotiate something so vigorous?  I have three enemies:

1.   My major hearing deficit!

2.   My high passion is unfortunately accompanied by a lower level of energy than in previous seasons of life!

3.   My seemingly increasing inability to pull up words and details with efficiency.

We’ll see what God has in store, but I suspect that most of my ministry and time will be invested in the seclusion of my writing, meditating and study carrel.  And that’s okay with me! 

But the greatest comfort for both of us is the reality that we have held to throughout our lives.  Even when our winter season draws to an end, it is always spring in Narnia!  We hope to see you there, friends!

CAMPING

I’ve been a camper most of my life. 

When I was growing up in the 1950’s and 1960’s, that was pretty much our only vacation.  My dad had a lot of seniority in the nail mill where he worked, so he could get summer weeks off.  We camped in a tent and cooked on a Coleman stove.  We almost always went to the Allegheny Mountains on the border of Pennsylvania and New York, near Salamanca, NY.  We’d typically stay for two weeks.  Dad did a lot of the cooking and we ate good meals.  Their best friends, Speed and Estella Fisher, always accompanied us.  The Fisher’s kids were my sister’s age, so I was pretty much a loner.

When we arrived, he and Speed and I would go to a nearby lumber mill and load up on wood.  Dad had a roof carrier to carry our tent and all the camping gear.  With it emptied, he’d lift me up to the roof and they’d hand me the wood so I could stack it neatly; then they’d fill the trunk and we’d be good for the duration of the trip.  It made me feel important to be able to help.   

We’d swim in the Red House Lake in the afternoons and occasionally go to the park’s dump in the evening in hopes of seeing bear.  It was pretty exciting!  Some guys would feed them hot dogs and marshmallows – getting remarkably close to them. 

The campfire, however, was the main time of the day for us.  We’d sit around the campfire and I’d listen as everybody told stories and laughed heartily.  We’d eat marshmallows and occasionally make popcorn over the fire.  Quite often, we’d be visited by raccoons and they enjoyed the marshmallows as much as we did! 

We all slept in an umbrella tent with mom and dad on cots while Beverly and I slept in sleeping bags on air mattresses.  Campers were available in those days, but I was a teenager before my parents bought their first camping trailer. 

Games were popular back then; we’d play Rook, Stadium Checkers, Monopoly and a few others.  I was often allowed to play and it was a fun, family time.

My parents got into camping when I was about two years old [1954-5].  My dad took several weeks of vacation and took our whole family on a trip out west.  No hotels – we camped along the way.  My only memory of this trip is based on movies that my dad took as we travelled.  I do know that we hit Seattle [where dad’s best, boyhood friend lived with his wife and family.  He was my namesake:  Harold McNeese.]  We saw the California Redwoods and also the Grand Canyon.  I was potty-trained on this trip because all gas stations had a two-hole outhouse.  My dad would sit me up beside him and I learned to ‘go potty’.  J  Sorry!  TMI?

Camping was – from that time on – our annual vacation. 

Debbie and I followed suit when we were married [August 11, 1973].  We inherited their umbrella tent which we used for a number of years.  Eventually we went through several pop-up campers as we raised our family.  It was an inexpensive vacation in those days.  We’d haul our kids' hot-cycles and bikes along and they had the run of the campground.  We went to Pymatuning Lake [on the border of Pennsylvania and Ohio] for a week or two almost every summer!  Usually these trips included Deb’s sister, Laurie, and her husband, Charlie Mahosky.  They also had three kids – Marshal, Barbie and Jesse – who were about the same age as our kids: Travis, Troy and Tracie.  Swimming, water slides, bike riding, canoeing and riding in Uncle Charlie’s boat were the activities we enjoyed – along with, of course, playing lots of games. 

My love for the outdoors and hiking eventually led me to develop an interest in backpacking.  I’ve hiked major portions of the North Country Trail from the Ohio line through Pennsylvania and into New York State.  As the kids grew older, I began backpacking with a close friend, Tom Roush.  He taught me what I needed to know, having been a boy scout.  We hiked the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail together several times [a 70-mile trail in southwestern Pennsylvania]. 

Most of my backpacking, however, has been done alone.  It was adventurous and gave me lots of time for solitude and developing my own skills.  Consequently, I’ve spent hundreds of nights alone on various trails – including three hundred miles on the famous Appalachian Trail in 2018.  Over the years of my ministry, I’ve taken several groups from the churches I served on backpacking trips over the years – even coed groups!  Too many stories to tell for this blog!  J

Debbie and I are camping as I write this article.  We’re celebrating our fifty-first anniversary at Geneva-On-The-Lake [Ohio] for several days.  We have a nice camper now.  About ten years ago we graduated from pop-ups to hard-tops.  We camp alone sometimes, but often with a large group of family and friends!  On a pastor’s salary, it’s been a great way for us to travel, explore and get away from the normal pressures of life.

For quite a number of years, we camped in my sister, Beverly’s back yard in Rochester, New York.  They were kind enough to feed us and let us swim to our heart’s content in their backyard pool.  Great memories of cook-outs, playing video games and trips to the Rochester Zoo – which was a great adventure!  We’d also occasionally add a trip to Lake Erie and Niagara Falls!

Camping today is not as cheap as it used to be, but it’s still a great way to see new places and have tons of fun.  As the kids were growing up, we went almost every summer to Punderson State Park – near Aurora, Ohio - so that we could visit Geauga Lake Amusement Park one day and then Sea World the next day!  Great vacations and precious memories were made! 

This week we’ve enjoyed just being together alone.  We each brought a novel along.  We’ve split our time eating in the camper some and eating out a few times too.  A lot of times, we’ve played games – but not this trip.  We’ve just enjoyed being lazy and being together. 

I’ve always wanted to take our grandkids – Rylie and Coltin – on a one-night backpacking trip along with their uncle Troy.  But they’ve always lived too far away to make that happen.  Sad!  😒

As we’re hitting our mid-70’s, we’re finding it a bit challenging to do the work needed to prepare for camping trips.  We always dreamed of doing a cross-country vacation to see parts of this land that we’ve never been to, but that dream is seeming less likely to happen now.  But, maybe…

Pardon my late-night ramblings; I just came in from watching the campfire die out.  Deb and Gabe are sleeping.  I will be too – shortly. 

It’s been a good way for us to entertain ourselves and our family through the years.  I have no regrets about these experiences.  We made lots of good memories!  As long as I can hook it up and haul it, we’ll keep at it.  We talked today about how laid-back we are when camping; it gets us away from the responsibilities of home and work.  Now, more than ever, it’s a time for reflection and enjoying one another!  I highly recommend it!  😊

TROY AND I - ON THE TRAIL

We lived in Spencerville, Maryland at the time.  It was probably the fall of 1995 - early November.  We had decided to go home to Pennsylvania to visit family.  Troy would have just turned fifteen three months earlier.  

I hadn't been backpacking in a while and asked Troy if he'd like to do several days with me on the Laurel Highlands Trail - near the Seven Springs Ski Resort.  He quickly agreed and we started laying our plans.  Being late fall, the weather can be unpredictable, but we were already beyond turning back!

Debbie and Tracie dropped us off at Seven Springs to a surprise of 2-3 inches of snow.  Already, we had some misgivings about the footwear we had chosen.  We donned our backpacks and headed down the ridge-trail disappearing into the white scenery - choosing our steps carefully to stay upright.

Because of the lateness of the day, we had planned a short hike of three miles - to the Grindle Ridge area - before hitting our shelter for the night.  The shelter is a nicely constructed lean-to with a large fireplace taking up much of the open side.  We gathered enough wood to get us through the night, then sat on the edge of the floor staying close to the fire.  We were cold!  Our feet were wet!  Troy, in particular, had cold feet.  I later wished that I had tucked them into my midsection to warm them.  He told me the next morning that he had been miserable all night!

We traditionally brought frozen T-bone steaks for our first night on the trail.  We wished we had brought a tarp to block the wind from our enclosure.  We weren't miserable, but we weren't far from it!  We saw lights pull into the shelter area and I knew it was my ranger-friend, Pete.  Gradually, he made it to our shelter and reported that he was there to take us out.  The temperature was expected to drop to well below zero overnight.  

The male ego is a dangerous thing!  We looked at those steaks cooking and felt the adrenaline of a challenge.  In a moment of bravado and stupidity, I announced to Pete that we'd be alright.  We watched with uncertainty as he pushed through the snow and drove back out of the shelter area.  [Keep in mind that this was the pre-cell-phone era!]

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A CAVEAT:

Of course, Debbie and Tracie continued their trip home.  Not too long after dropping us off, they stopped - on the PA Turnpike - for gas.  After gassing up, they walked across the parking lot to the service area for a restroom break.  They later reported looking toward the dark mountains as they hugged themselves to stay warm and had a sense of foreboding as they thought of us on the trail in this severe cold!

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We had already set up our tent.  After devouring our steak and hanging our bear bag, we crawled inside and slipped into our sleeping bags.  We were cold and the wind blew relentlessly shaking our tent and fueling our fire.  I got up several times that night to feed the fire - knowing how essential it would be to be able to get warm and cook breakfast the next morning.  

After breakfast, we quickly broke camp knowing that we had almost twelve miles to complete - with short daylight - before arriving at the Ohiopyle camping area.  We fairly quickly dropped to lower elevations and left the snow behind.  The subtle and chronic elevation changes kept us warm, but also wore me out.  I was forty-three and not in the best of shape [at the time of this writing, Troy is forty-three].  😊

I remember that we found a nice rock and stump to sit on as we ate our lunch.  In spite of the hazards and my exhaustion, it was fun being on this adventure with Troy!  I told him that I was really tired but that we had to get to the Ohiopyle camping area or Pete would be out looking for us.  

Miles nine and ten involved a steady, relatively steep climb.  I slowed, but continued.  I never verbalized it to Troy, but I was worried as the temperature started dropping again and the winds picked up!  

Miles eleven and twelve were all downhill which was, in a way, a blessing!  However, when you're hiking at a point of near-exhaustion, just picking your feet up to take the next step is a chore!  But finally, we reached the side-trail to the camping area - in the darkness.  We hiked past several groups of hikers who were enjoying their evening meal.  When we found our shelter, I gave Troy some instructions:

"Troy, I have nothing left!  You need to get our tent up and get me into my sleeping bag as soon as possible!  Gather some wood and start a fire.  Hang our bear-bag and then get into your bag to get warm."

He did everything that evening!  He put the tent up and got me out of my boots and into my bag.  I don't remember much after that - except the clanging of pots and pans that Troy had apparently hung from some shelves in the shelter.  I woke to him climbing into his bag and checking on me.  I could see the flickering of his fire as I fell back into a deep sleep!

I woke up in the pitch dark several hours later and realized that Troy was awake as well.  I asked him how he was doing.  He said he was hungry.  I was too!  I asked him to get our cans of Dinty Moore Stew, a can opener, two forks and our small stove; also to feed the fire!  

We sat in our tent and cooked our stew in the cans and ate them - smiling!  We agreed that it was the best meal we'd ever had [no offense, Debbie!]  Then, with full stomachs and a blazing fire lighting our tent, we slept until morning!

After breakfast I made a hard call to abandon the trail to Ohiopyle which included two relatively steep mountains that we had to go up and over.  Instead, we packed up and hiked out via the railroad tracks that ran along the Ohiopyle River.  

We snacked at the shops in Ohiopyle and watched the rafters and kayakers for hours before officially ending our trip!  A memory made that we would NEVER forget!

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ANOTHER CAVEAT:

Years later, a friend of mine from Akron - who I introduced to backpacking - Derek, took his son on a trip on the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail.  Derek is a man who makes friends easily and he befriended the ranger who had replaced Pete.  As they talked, Derek mentioned that I had introduced him to this trail.  Then he mentioned our horrible experience in the cold at the Grindle Ridge Shelter Area.  

The new ranger's face lit up and he told Derek that Pete had told him about the father-and-son who had chosen to stay on a twenty-below night because they didn't want to leave their steaks!  They had a good laugh together and Derek called me when he got home to let me know that Troy and I had become a legend!  :-)

MY FRIEND, MAX

There was a point early in my career when I seriously considered moving my family to San Antonio, Texas.  Our family was young!  Troy and Tracie were babies.  We lived in McClellandtown, PA.  I was going to be moving to a new church and thought: "Why not explore some different options?"  

Somehow or other, I heard about the Free Methodist Church in New Orleans - looking for a pastor - and wrote a letter of inquiry.  They responded immediately.  An invitation came to fly in for a weekend.  I only had one thought on my mind.

This was the city where Max Lucado lived and pastored!  Maybe I would meet him at a pastor's gathering?  Maybe we would live near him?  Maybe we would become friends?  I could hardly imagine such joy!

But, it would be a huge change for us!  Our family was young.  We would be removing them from all our family connections.  My mom had died a year earlier. It wasn't a good time to move away from my dad.  It would probably be REALLY HOT down there - I was surprised when I consulted a map and saw how far south it was!  After seriously weighing all the factors - I moved to East Liverpool, OH instead.  

Actually, there's a story in that move, too!  I was told that I was going to the Apollo, PA FMC where I would conveniently be able to continue my seminary education in Pittsburgh.  But, a last minute change occurred and in the wisdom of the Ministerial Appointment Committee [and a story I can't tell here], I was appointed to the Oakland FMC, where I served for thirteen years.  

Consequently, I've never met my literary friend, Max.  I've read his books and tried to emulate his style, but our paths are not likely to cross.  

I'm currently re-reading his book, IT'S NOT ABOUT ME.  

In chapter two, in his masterful style, Max talks about the fact that God meets with Moses after journeying a ways into the wilderness.  God has already offered to wipe the Israelites out and start again with Moses - as He had done earlier with Noah.  God understands Moses' frustration with these unfaithful, chronic complaining, rebellious people!  

Consequently, God gives Moses one last request.  

It's like rubbing the magic lantern!  God grants Moses a freebee!  Ask anything you want, Moses!  He doesn't even have to think about it!  

"Show me Your glory!" [Exodus 33:18 NCV].

Max writes about this request:  

"We cross a line when we make such a request.  When our deepest desire is not the things of God, or a favor from God, but God Himself, we cross a threshold.  Less self-focus, more God-focus. Less about me, more about Him." 

"Flex your biceps.  Let me see the S on your chest...Forget the money and power.  Bypass the youth.  I can live with an aging body, but I can't live without you.  I want more, God, please.  I'd like to see more of your glory."  [p.18]

So, God tucked Moses into the cleft of a rock, telling Moses:

"You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me and live...I...will cover you with My hand while I pass by.  Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen" [Exodus 33:20,22-23 NKJV]. 

 Paul - in II Corinthians 3:7 - tells us the results of this exposure to God:

When Moses descended the mountain, "the sons of Israel could not look intently at the face of Moses because of the glory of his face". 

We must listen to my friend, Max, again:  😉

"Did Moses have reason for anger?  Cause for worry? Of course.  Challenges await him.  A desert and forty years of great challenges.  But now, having seen God's face, he can face them."

"Forgive my effrontery, but shouldn't Moses' request be yours?  You've got problems.  Look at you.  Living in a dying body, walking on a decaying planet, surrounded by self-centered society.  Some saved by grace; others fueled by narcissism.  Many of us by both.  Cancer.  War.  Disease.

These are no small issues.  A small god?  No thanks.  You and I need what Moses needed - a glimpse of God's glory.  Such a sighting can change you forever."  [p.20]

Whatever you're facing - be it frustrating people or enigmatic situations, CHOOSE CAREFULLY!  Wealth is devalued.  Things deteriorate.  Relationships grow distant.  Strength diminishes.  Memory becomes unreliable.  Choose an eternity with God - who loves you and gave His one-and-only-Son for you!  He - and He alone - will see you through to a good end!   

 

TRANSITIONS

I retired in June, 2017.  For the next year-and-a-half, I enjoyed working around our new home every day: putting in a lawn, landscaping, building a garage [with Troy], and just general ‘other’ stuff. 

Then, I found myself watching the news for several hours every morning – which led to feelings of depression.  One day, I simply said to Debbie, “This has to change!”  A month later, I started to drive for Lyft and have enjoyed it for five-and-a-half years.  In July, I lost that job.

Since then I tried being a Spark driver, but it doesn’t seem to be working for me.  So, it seems to be ‘transition time’.  Deb is leaning hard on me to just retire again. 

The idea is not offensive to me.  I’ve dreamed of being able to write daily.  I also have a ‘to-do’ list that I never seem to be able to get around ‘to-doing’  😆. 

If we do this, our lives will change rather dramatically.  The loss of income will demand strict adherence to a budget! 

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TRANSITIONS!

We all face them!  They tend to require focus and determination.  Transitions bring rewards and sometimes challenges.

o   My FIRST transition was leaving home in 1969, to live with my brother in Philadelphia and work on a roofing crew!  I lived in his attic for three months, worked hard every day, made decisions about the money I was making, and exercised some independence in managing my time.

o   My SECOND transition was heading for Roberts Wesleyan College that fall to start my undergraduate studies.  This introduced a whole new wave of novelties: cafeteria meals, living in a dormitory, having a roommate, attending classes, studying, exams, papers, balancing social life, cleaning bathrooms (a part-time job), and eventually working at UPS and doing weekend night-watch to increase my income!  [There was also a stint when I gave breaks at Chili Plastics from 2:30-4:30 AM!!!!!].  🙄

o   My THIRD transition was getting married in August, 1973 (after graduating).  Debbie and I immediately moved to Wilmore, Kentucky, where I was enrolled at Asbury Theological Seminary.  A whole lot of good came with this transition!  J

    · Enjoying my new wife!
    · Seminary life!
    · Our first apartment.
    · Gathering furnishings.
    · Classes, study, papers, exams – again!
    · Working at UPS – again!
    · We moved three times during those three years! A harbinger of things to come!
    · My last two years I began ‘student-pastoring’ a small church in English, Indiana, on weekends!

o   Then came our FOURTH, huge transition in 1976!  Our bicentennial baby was born and Travis Wilson Haire became a huge part of our lives!  What fun that was! 

o   Our FIFTH transition was moving to Harrison City, PA, and pastoring the Jeannette Free Methodist Church.  It was 1976.  Travis was six months old.  We lived in a 70’ mobile home behind the church [The winters of ’76 & ’77 were brutally cold and snowy!]  I made $100/week.   The congregation had just built a brand new sanctuary, but had divided in the process.  They had an enormous debt of over $70,000 – and about forty people!  Yet before we left – two years later – the numbers had doubled!

o   Our SIXTH transition was moving to McClellandtown, PA, in 1978.  This ended up being a major period of change since it was while here that Troy William Haire and Tracie Elizabeth Haire joined our family!  Debbie became a VERY BUSY, young mother!  McClellandtown was a coal-patch-town.  It was very small and the congregation averaged around seventy people.  We had two dogs while there:  Rock, my coon-hound, and Chipoo, a fun little Chihuahua/poodle mix.  Again, significant growth occurred during these four years. 

o   Our SEVENTH transition set us up for a fairly long season in East Liverpool, OH.  I was appointed to the Oakland FMC in 1982, at the age of thirty.  Travis started and finished school during our thirteen years at Oakland – lucky for a ‘PK’!  I was driving to Pittsburgh 3-4 times/week to attend classes at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary to finish my Master of Divinity degree.  During these years, the church grew from seventy to over two-hundred.  I also acquired a Masters degree in Counseling at the Franciscan University of Steubenville [full-time for two years while leading a growing church].  Debbie watched kids in our home and then when Troy and Tracie began school – she worked as a teller at a credit union.  These were rewarding, growing, busy, and fascinating years! We travelled across Ohio following the sporting activities of Troy and Tracie and the East Liverpool Christian School.  Travis left home during this transition to attend college.

o   Our EIGHTH transition included a major move away from the Pittsburgh Conference to Spencerville, MD, where I became pastor of a small-but-stable church.  I needed a rest after all the educational pursuits and stress of leading a growing church!  Travis quit school after one semester and joined the Navy!  After being enlisted for a year-and-a-half, he ended up at the Naval Academy which was 26 miles from our new home!  He came to visit on lots of weekends since we were just within the limits of his travel restrictions!  I think that helped him survive the stresses of his ‘Plebe year’!  The church responded to our leadership and began to grow!  However, a family crisis arose that caused us to make one of the hardest decisions of our lives.  I quit at the church mid-year and we moved back to live on the farm with Deb’s folks.  We needed a loving environment to coddle us as we healed our family!  It was late fall, 1998.  After a few weeks, friends provided an apartment for us in Chester, WV.  For months we had no income.  We managed to buy each of our kids one gift for Christmas that year.  When Travis came home, he took Troy and Tracie out to buy a small Christmas tree and a few decorations.  [All our furniture and belongings were stored in the garage of the parsonage in Spencerville.]  It was a hard time!

o   Our NINTH transition became an amazing blessing!  After months of being told that I was ‘over-qualified’ for jobs, we were hired by a social-serving agency in Akron, OH, where we ran a licensed home for behaviorally-challenged children in Summit County!  They provided the home and a healthy income!  We attended the Cornerstone Church where a couple we knew from Asbury were leading this growing congregation!  Charlie Young had become Ohio Conference Superintendent and Brenda was now leading the church (of over 400)!  Within weeks, I was hired as a part-time associate.  By June, I became the Lead Associate Pastor.  During the next five years, the church grew to well over 700!  It was an incredible time of learning, excitement, development and financial recovery!  Fruitful years!  Troy and Tracie both launched their independence during these years! 

o   Our TENTH transition involved a painful departure from Cornerstone, but an adventurous [and somewhat shocking] beginning in New Middletown, OH, where I began leading Free Methodist Community Church!  After a rough start, the church responded wonderfully to our leadership!  Within three years the growth began, taking us from a congregation of seventy to eventually bouncing over two hundred!  Many new converts!  Exciting and innovative programs and involvement!  Debbie thoroughly enjoyed her job of working with Cindy Marchese in the Springfield Local School District!  We lived in the parsonage on the church property from June, 2003, until June, 2012.  Tracie and Troy were each married during this season: 2005 and 2012 respectively.  We welcomed Jon Kerstetter and Missy Noel to our family!  Tracie and Jon also gave us two wonderful grandchildren during this time:  Rylie Grace (2007) and Coltin Eugene (2009).  J 

o   Our ELEVENTH transition was undoubtedly our BIGGEST!  In late August, 2012, we left for three years in the city of Changchun, Jilin Province, People’s Republic of China!  We taught English at the Changchun University of Science and Technology!  I don’t dare start talking about this experience here; it deserves a book [yet to be written]. 😉

o   Transition number TWELVE was HARD!  Upon returning to America, we had no home, no income, no cars, and we were struggling with reverse culture shock!  I, particularly, felt lost!  We lived in a trailer at the farm in Enon Valley for over a year – courtesy of Debbie’s brother, Walt (and his wife, Lyn).  I was appointed back to the Pittsburgh Conference to serve the Kittanning, PA FMC as a part-time-commuting pastor. I began in September, 2015.  In October, Travis died!  We were devastated!  Then, on Christmas night, Deb’s dad – Ken Whippo – died!  We were overwhelmed with grief!  In spite of these losses, we secured a lot at Heron Woods in 2016, bought a manufactured home and had it placed on the lot.  It’s our home to the current day!  I retired in June, 2017 – being a commuting pastor just wasn’t working - although the church had been growing.  A year-and-a-half later, I began to work for Lyft.

o   And now we’re facing transition THIRTEEN!  I hope it’s not unlucky!  😂  It will certainly have its challenges, especially in the area of finances.  However, the ONE who has accompanied us all along the way, will not leave us!  Perhaps He has a plan that we can’t see yet?  No one knows what tomorrow holds.  We’ll cling to Him and take joy from the journey!  You do the same!