Should I Stay or Should I Go?

That is the question.

I'm looking for a new job. Not that I don't appreciate my current one but it has it's limits and it's not what I want to do with my career. I have a semi-offer from SimCom in Scottsdale, Az. It pays well, good place to work, good bennies, nice area. But it means moving away from Redding. We've been here 15 years. Know a lot of people. Our kids were born here. Good quality of life. Comfortable. We know where everything is in Costco and FoodMaxx! And if we left then decided to move back, we couldn't afford the house we currently live in. We'd probably wind up with a 50-year mortgage just to move back in! (Our kids would be paying our mortgage after we became fertilizer!)

But then there's the possibility of working for the California Department of Forestry's contractor, DynCorp. I could be flying an OV-10 around in circles over fires for about the same pay as SimCom is offering. I would be living somewhere away from home for about 6 months out of they year (summertime when the kids are off!) but I'd make in 6 months what some make in 12. I'd have time in the off-season to do what I wanted to do and I'd still get to keep my family in Redding. I'd be gone more during the summer but home (and under foot) during the winter.

What to do?

I'll sit the wife and kids down and get a feeling from them. Both jobs are exciting opportunities. One is to teach others how to fly; give them the benefit of my experience. The other is just plain old flying in a fire environment; using my skills and abilities to better aid someone else.

Both offer something I need...stability. Set hours and expectations. At this point in my life, the ebb and flow of on-call charter, not knowing when or where you'll be, not being able to plan to do anything, is just not for me anymore. Too much stress and right now, I don't need anymore stress.

So my prayer is....where do I go? What should I do? What's the best for me AND my family? Would appreciate some prayer help on this one.

Eric