We’re that family that loves adventure and writing
a good story.
We’re the Claborns! John, Celeste, Addilyn Grace, Gavin & Jack. We hail from the great state of Texas and now live in beautiful Colorado. John is a business owner, an incredibly average fly fisherman, and an avid Liverpool soccer fan.
He possesses a deep desire to see families thrive through the adventures of life.
Celeste is chief caretaker of the family and an amazing writer. She possesses a deep desire to see families thrive through the adventures of life as they seek the face of Jesus each day.
The Beginning of the Call
Let’s start in late 2017. John was really struggling with his role at his job. He had worked for the family’s health insurance business and had been operating in the same role for about six years. He was tired of it and wanted a change.
The job was no longer challenging. He didn’t really see much of a chance for change within the company. Ultimately, he wanted to see what life was like outside of the family business. The only problem though was that it was family.
It wasn’t cut and dry. He couldn’t just quit and move on.
So, after reading The Circle Maker, he gave God five months to speak and provide clarity. Putting a timeline on God? Unheard of… March 1st, 2019. That was the deadline. That’s what the book said to do, so he did it. He knew it wouldn’t work, but what did he have to lose. He walked around the park every day he was in town for five months. A literal circle. Every day. For five months. The first Monday of March, after five months of applications, conversations, research on different careers, etc. to no avail, his dad walked into his office and promoted him to Chief Operating Officer. He wanted to prepare John to take over the business when he was ready to retire. There would be more say in the direction of the company, with challenging problems to solve and new things to learn. God had given John an answer, and He was clear.
Deciding Our Future Would Change
So why is that last part relevant?
Well, it was the first time John had ever considered life outside of the family business. Why would anyone give up guaranteed job security, a salary, autonomy, a C-suite title, and freedom to do what he wanted when he wanted to do
it? He had considered giving it up because there was a burning desire for something different. He just didn’t know what it was. But he did know that it wasn’t insurance.
Yet for the time being, we felt peace knowing we were exactly where God was wanting us to be. John was COO of the business and helping his parents, and Celeste was busy with Addi and Gavin.
Honoring Our Word
Life was really good. As 2019 came to an end, we had a conversation one night in late December that would change things for the rest of our lives. John mentioned to Celeste that he thought he wanted to move on from the family business.
Something just wasn’t right. We were being called somewhere, but we just didn’t know where. And John knew it. So we started praying. John had heard the Lord say that, yes, we were being called somewhere else later on. But for now, for this season, we both felt we needed to honor his parents.
This meant that John was to remain loyal to the family business until they were able to sell it. So he committed. The next week, he told his dad that he was committed to the end, whether that was 1 year or 10 years. He would see this through. Little did he know, the reason for that would be revealed in September of 2022.
Becoming CEO
As we headed into 2020, we were in high spirits. Our word for the year was “Expansion.” Yes, Celeste was pregnant with our third child, Jack, but we just knew we would be expanding into realms we had never experienced before. We would be pushed like never before. In late January, John’s dad pulled him aside and told him that he wanted him to become CEO. He knew John was ready. We needed new leadership in this final chapter of the story.
It was something John knew would happen one day, but he didn’t expect it this soon. After the mantle was passed, we spent the next month transitioning towards the next chapter. John’s first day in charge was March 1st, 2020.
Covid Enters the Picture
Then, thirteen days later, the world shut down. As the year progressed, our family found ourselves with tons of time together, time to think, time to dream, and so much more.
Over the course of several months, we began to discuss what “the good life” for us looked like. Where could we live? What could we do? What could we build? Who could we serve? We began dreaming about property for people to gather. We thought about a ministry that served people living life just like everyone else with no ability or desire to dream…people who are stuck in the mundane…stuck pursuing the American Dream. We discussed a big, white barn, a horse arena, mountains, tiny houses and organic farming.
The Decision To Sell The Business
As 2020 came to a close, John quickly realized our business model was deeply flawed. Unfortunately, it wasn’t due to our planning. It was completely out of our control.
The insurance industry was changing, and there was nothing we could do about it. The family agencies could no longer compete with the national companies. We were simply being overtaken. So, we decided now was the time to sell. We set a timeline of 6 months to sell the business. As a family, we knew this was it.
This is what the Lord was calling us to. In the summer of 2021, John would no longer be employed. We started asking questions of what was next. Where would John work? Would we move somewhere else? What would life look like? It was less strategic and more philosophical. What did we actually want?
Our Plan For John’s Sabbatical
It wasn’t about what was expected of us or what people would think. For the first time, it was about us. The Claborns. We decided after we sold the business, John would take a six month sabbatical.
We would take an extensive RV trip and then go spend time with Celeste’s brother and his family in Guatemala. So we started planning. On July 9th, 2021, we set off on a month-long RV trip across the West. We started in Colorado then headed north to South Dakota followed by Wyoming and back through Colorado before heading home. Below are a few pictures of our excursion.
RV Trip through Colorado, South Dakota, Colorado, and Utah + Guatemala
While it was exhausting with three little kids, it also refreshed our appreciation for each other as we made special memories along the way. We arrived back in Texas on August 3rd. Our plan for Guatemala City was set to depart on August 9th. It was a quick turnaround, but we were ready to go. Unfortunately, we hit a snag with Gavin’s passport. Long story short…we had twelve bags, three car seats, three kids, and two adults fly from Lubbock to Houston.
As we were boarding for Guatemala City, the gate agent discovered Gavin’s passport was torn. They didn’t let us get on the plane. We booked another flight back to Lubbock that night and tried to figure out what was next. Eventually,
though, we ended up getting a new passport and departed the US of A on August 18th. Our goal over the next four months was to pray and ask God what was next
Discover Our Journey So Far
Our time in Guatemala included some of the best experiences we had ever had as a family. Celeste’s brother pastors a church there, and the church community welcomed and loved us in such a special way. We saw the body of Christ in action and received a fresh new perspective on the importance of community. It was really hard to leave there and we both shed some tears.
Over the course of our time there, God had opened the door for us to move to Colorado Springs, however, and we planned to move there after the Christmas holidays. This was another big life change that was very sudden for us, and it was a much bigger adjustment than we had planned. In Guatemala, we were basically handed a loving community.
Colorado. The Best of Times and The Worst of Times.
In Colorado, it took much more time and energy to build. We knew it would be worth it, though, and dove in head first. We found a church and schools for our kids. This last year, we have been extremely blessed to have met some incredibly
godly people. While we came with an excitement for pursuing our dreams, God seemed to be impressing upon us the importance of slowing down and going at His pace. He stressed the fact that building a community should come first.
He also reminded us that while He has put some specific dreams within our heart the Lord with all our hearts. While going through some financial struggles and missing home, we learned the beauty of living in the moment.
Pain. Heartache. Helpless.
Never was this more apparent than when John’s dad passed away unexpectedly in September of 2022. It was the most difficult event we could have imagined at a time when we were at our lowest personally and as a family. This led into a holiday season of pain and deep grief, but we knew the power of God was at work in us. He was the only source of joy in those moments, and we have immense gratitude for how he Fathered us during this time. While getting to the end of our ropes at times, we learned that this is truly the best place to be with God.
In our becoming nothing, He became our everything. And in this place, we are getting to watch Him carry out “His” dreams in our hearts in “His” divine way. We want this blog to serve as a resource for those families seeking something different. We want to be a catalyst for people to see that choosing the unknown can be done. Seeking more from life than just work, vacation, Netflix, and weekend sports is worth the sacrifice. Join us on this journey. You’re welcome in our community.
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