Home Sweet Home

After our 8 week holiday turned into 4 months, I can honestly say I am HAPPY to finally be home. We are no longer living in "limbo". Goals and a vision have returned and we are again moving forward.

Upon our return, we "hit the ground running". We immediately began moving furniture and personal items out of the our home so we can finish the remodeling we began last fall. We need to finish it up so we can sell our house here in Texas and MOVE to the beautiful farm land that we had the pleasure of enjoying all summer long.

Yes, that's right ... it looks like after more than 12 years of saving and scrimping we have finally been blessed with a chance to move out to the middle of "no where". Although we will certainly miss our beloved Texas (you can take a Texan out of Texas but you can't take the Texas out of a Texan), and many close friendships we have formed over the years, we are so very excited about this new adventure.

The first few days home, emotions that only flow from the surroundings of familiarity engulfed me, feelings of peace, relief, comfort, joy. Our dear friends and fellow church members welcomed us home with smiles, warm hugs and a genuine enthusiasm to share all that happened while we were away. But we've also experienced several changes. The road we live on that was under construction when we left is now finished. Our local grocer invested in a "face lift" in his store. Our church is enlarging the vestibule, redesigning the youth hall and praise and worship are more vibrant than before. While life was in a holding pattern for us, everything here at home continued to move forward.

The other day as I drove home from the grocer the Lord reminded me that these feelings and emotions are also experienced on a spiritual level. I don't know about you, but there have been times in my walk with Christ when I've drifted away. Life just got so busy or so complex that I allowed other things to creep in and take a greater priority than my relationship with Christ. As time went on, I realized that my relationship with Christ had become stagnant or I had placed Him "on the back burner". After this realization, I went to the Lord, repented and re-established our relationship. Just like returning home from a long vacation, the Lord gave me a warmer welcoming home than my dear friends gave me. I felt a comfort, peace, joy and even relief that I hadn't felt in a long time. But just like returning home from a long vacation, I also found that some changes had occurred. I saw things with a renewed spirit. I was able to clearly see how when I'd drifted away from the Lord, sin had drifted into a few areas of my life, thus, requiring more repentance on my part. Of course, our merciful Lord was eager to forgive and make me whole again.

If any one out there in blog land finds that you've drifted away from the Lord. I encourage you to stop right where you are and turn back to the Lord. He is waiting for you. He is longing to welcome you back home. He is eager to have a restored relationship with you. Yes, you will have to repent and turn away from whatever sin you've allowed to creep into your life, but remember relief, comfort, peace and joy will fill those areas where it now exists and you will once again be whole. Romans 12:2 tells us, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (NKJV)