Temporary Home

I've been working on this post for weeks and I'm finally getting it out there.

I know it's time for all things Christmas and farther on down in the post, I'll get to that.

Years ago I came upon this vintage framed print at a yard sale.

It is so old that the paper has become very brittle and has started to crackle and fall off.

I plan to hang it in the RV once I get it into a frame with glass

and will also find the perfect place for it in the farmhouse, God willing.

And it's at Christmastime, especially, when our homes become our havens of peace, 

rest and comfort like no other time.

Home...

Dorothy said a mouthful when she clicked the heels of those ruby slippers together...

"There's no place like home...there's no place like home".

Even a thirty-five foot camper can feel like home.

This became a truth for me when we returned from our travels from North Carolina and Ohio

the last two weekends of November to celebrate Thanksgiving with family.

This. Place. Actually. Felt. Like. Home. 

My dear blogging friend, Pamela Steiner, recently shared the article below, 

shortly after she moved into her new home a few of months ago.

When I read it the words spoke such amazing truth to me as I was in a very similar place in my life.

Thank you, Pamela, for allowing me to share this as well.

 Your address is not a coincidence...

Where you live — house, townhome, duplex, apartment, or dorm — is not ultimately a consequence of your budget, your stage of life, or your commute. You live where you live because God has deliberately, sovereignly placed you here. The long series of events, decisions, and circumstances that led you here really did lead you here. He brought you home one detail at a time. 

The God who made the world, and everything in it, as Paul preached at Mars Hill, “made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:26–27). 

God not only knit you together in your mother’s womb; he also sovereignly orchestrated all the places you would call home — the periods and boundaries of your “dwelling place.” You do not have a home by accident. Your home is an invitation from God to seek God, and a commission from God to help others seek God."

Article by Marshall Segal, Staff Writer, desiringGod.org

For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.

Hebrews 13:14

Illustration courtesy of Rene Hamilton 

My friend Renee, began Bible journaling a couple of years ago.

I admired every work of art she had completed as she shared them on her IG and Facebook.

But when I saw this one, it really stirred something up in my me.

I knew right away I wanted to share it on my blog once we made our move to Tennessee.

Y'all know that there have been so many twists and turns in our story...

...there were many days when this dream seemed like it would never become a reality.

And we are greatly anticipating early spring for the actual construction on the house to begin...

...barring any more twists and turns. 😉

~

As I said, we traveled to North Carolina for an early Thanksgiving,

 to celebrate two special birthdays and also had our Christmas with Aaron and his bunch.

 I cooked a turkey and made my mom's dressing, especially for Aaron...

...what we do for our grown children.

Dacey, our oldest grand, turned 21 that weekend and Dylan turned 19 this week.

Oh how can this be??

 So it was back to Tennessee for two days (just long enough to do laundry and re-pack our suitcases)

and then off to Ohio to spend Thanksgiving Day with family.

I don't even remember how long it had been since I was with my siblings on Thanksgiving! 

Back in the day, we all got together at one home but that hasn't been the case for several years.

So we made our rounds.

I didn't get any photos of all of us together, just the four of us here...

sisters, Barbara and Janet and my brother, Doug.

And the four of us with our better halves. 😊

It was a good trip despite all of the traffic but we had a wonderful time.

So it was back to our humble abode once again and back to life as we now know it.

~

Jim and I have joined the rec center and are taking aquatic exercise classes among other activities.

This is something that we've talked about doing for a long time...there are no more excuses!

We also feel blessed to be involved in the younger grands' activities...they're growing up so fast!

Parker was voted to represent the 7th grade class for the Homecoming Court!

He's the one in he middle with the bow tie.

He was the escort of darling Anna...they have been friends since they were two.
And what fun it was to join in with the rest of the family to trim their tree...

...and as you can tell, Jim was doing what he does best...supervising!

~

Since we are still camping here in the yard, I have only been able to do so much.

It has taken much longer to get set up down on the property than any of us thought it would.

If we get down the hill before Christmas, it will be quite surprising.

We have had to keep everything to a minimum in the RV since it will all have to come out before we make the trek down the steep driveway because of the weight.

I say all of that to preface the "unveiling" of my elaborate display of Christmas decor!

We'll start with this charming wreath from Dollar General.

I must admit that it's pretty darn cute and looks quite festive!

And what says Christmas more than a red poinsettia?

And I thought this cute checked table runner (also from Dollar General) was just perfect.

This is a sorry photo of our little mantle but I promise it looks better in person. 😏

Then there's my Charlie Brown Christmas tree that Aaron got for me...

I just love it!

The Bible tells us that our time on this earth is only temporary, that life is but a vapor 

and that we are only passing through until we get to our ultimate destination.

As believers, it doesn't matter if we make our home in a 20 room mansion, in an RV,

or anywhere in between, Heaven is our real home.

Wow...now that's something to look forward to!

For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

2 Corinthians 5:1

"This is our temporary home
It's not where we belong
Windows in rooms that we're passin' through
This is just a stop, on the way to where we're going
I'm not afraid because I know this is our
Temporary Home."

Songwriters: Zac Maloy / Luke Laird / Carrie Underwood

Until next time...

Love,