My childhood...

It's really small. The town can now boast of three traffic lights.:)

I went "home" for a visit this past weekend and that tiny town makes me smile. As I walked the housing development around my parent's house I could almost see my obnoxious little-kid self running around with all my neighborhood friends.

The next door neighbors were adopted family. The mom in that house has more embarrassing pictures of me than probably anyone else. Their son educated me in "Star Wars" and we spent many long hours saving the galaxy.

The neighbors two doors down put up with me a lot:) Their oldest daughter, Katie, was my friend that had an equally wild imagination as I did. We spent hours and even days playing out the same dramatic narrative. We were the most-traveled kids in the neighborhood as far as we were concerned. We had been to China, the Wild West, traveled aboard The Titanic (and survived Her sinking), ridden wild brumbies in the highlands of Australia, and we even accompanied the Israelites out of Egypt!

Katie was also my real-life horseback riding buddy. We spent hours and hours riding our horses through the hayfields. But i sometimes wonder just how we survived all those bareback races...

To this day i still prefer an open hayfield to just about anything. The sweet smell of a meadow is one of the most relaxing things on earth.

Three doors down (in the same direction) lived my piano teacher. And once a week I walked up the street trying to see if I could come up with enough confidence to undermine the fact that I hadn't practiced much in the last six days....

Two doors down in the opposite direction was Kelly...another friend who shared my love for animals. We both seemed to think that rescuing injured bunny rabbits and taking in stray dogs was our calling in life. Our parents put up with a lot of critters:)

All of us built massive snow fortresses, defended great kingdoms in the woods against attack and still made it home in time for dinner.

My childhood...one of my sweetest memories. I'm not one of those people that "lives in the past." But whenever I pull this memory off the ole shelf, and open it up, I breathe a lot deeper and smile a bit more.

Time stands still for just a few minutes.

Gypsy life

Due to our vocation, we spend a lot of our lives "on the road." It has it's pros and cons. It's mostly work...not vacation. That's ok...we signed up for this:) But one of the best descriptions I've ever heard to describe our life is "a gypsy life." We will set up "house" in three locations this week alone. Then we will return home to a house that is also a temporary dwelling place. As a woman I love having roots...but I am continually learning that I can have roots....they just have to be put down deep in God. Home is a matter of perspective...

Today we have occupied ourselves while driving along with (among many other things) the world news on the radio and a session of me reading Sherlock Holmes aloud. I also learned how to play a cheesy little frog computer game.:) our gypsy son John has mostly occupied himself by snoozing today...

You should see the back of our truck. For that matter, you should see the inside of the truck. But amidst the the hang-up clothes, the car seat, the diaper bag, and the trash from our chic-fi-la lunch...you will find a little family that's excited about what God has already done and what He is going to do.

We have two meetings scheduled later today. Only a little over an hour left in the car...then I'll step down from the gypsy caravan for a few days and set up camp until Wednesday. Call me crazy but I will love (almost) every minute of it.:)

So...I'm a gypsy, I guess. But I am secure with my strange identity...because I know I am secure in Christ.

The Name's of God & Infant's Ibuprofen

There is such hope found in the names of God...and in the names of Jesus' Christ His Son. He has a great name. There is infinite power in His name. My heart is in awe at the name's of God. He is all this and so much more. My mind just can't comprehend Him. (image from rubber-stamp-shack.com - obtained through google images)

"...Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)

(image from speaktheworknow.com - obtained through google

images)

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While there's no comparison to those things mentioned above...I was thinking about what I am especially thankful for today...and this sticks out in my mind: infant's Ibuprofen:) My little guy had shots today. He does FANTASTIC when he actually gets the shots. Its about 4 hours later that the screaming "bloody murder" starts. But so far he's doing ok...sleeping....and I'm thankful that he has baby meds to help with his chubby sore legs:) 

Baby Feet:)

Head and shoulders, knees and toes, knees and toes!!!!

JB is learning that he has feet...and that its so much fun to grab them! I love to kiss them over and over and over again! Simple joys in life....I just love 'em baby feet!

My Mother!!!

Some call her "Ma'am"

Others "Mrs. Roby"

My daddy call's her "Babe"

Her brother says she's "Marcey"

Business counts on "Secretary"

Librarian knows "Regular"

God's Word named her "Christian"

Family says she's "Homemaker"

Kitchen calls her "Chef"

Laundry knows "Cleaner"

Bedroom says she's "Maid"

School room knew the "teacher"

My cousins call her "Aunt"

The grandkids dub her "Mammaw"

Her neighbor calls her "Friend"

My husband loves his "In-law"

To me she is "Confidante"

Understanding "Listener"

My heart knows "Faithful Friend"

And she's always been "Encourager"

She's got quite the resume

This list and far beyond

A qualified phenomena 

But best of all....she's "MOM":):):)

The Deep Place Where Nobody Goes

From - The Deep Place that Nobody Goes 

p. 16-17(by Jill Briscoe)

“They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

I ran to the deep place where nobody goes and found Him waiting there.

“Where have you been?” He asked me.

“I’ve been in the shallow places where everyone lives,” I replied. I knew He knew. He just wanted me to admit I’d been too busy being busy.

“I’m running out…” I began.

“Of course,” he said. “I haven’t seen you in a while.”

He sat down on the steps of my soul in the Deep Place where nobody goes and smiled at me. Angels sang; a shaft of light chased away the shadows and brightened my daily day. I smiled back.

            “I’m such a fool…”

“Shhh,” He said, putting His finger on my lips. He touched my hurried heart. Startled, it took a deep breath and skidded to a near stop. My spirit nestled in to nearness in the Deep Place where nobody goes.

My soul spoke, then: He answered with words beyond music. Where “on earth” had I been while “heaven” waited? Such grace!”