Wanted to share a quote that has been on my heart and mind for the past 3 weeks...

"What I feel does not trump what I know"

I will be going home in a few days (doin' the happy dance) and I want to soak in every bit of my family and friends while I'm there. But I have to remember that no matter how much I miss my family, I KNOW I am right where God wants me to be.

I am often moved to tears when I think of my niece and the fact that I am not there to kiss her bald little head every week, watch her growing up in church, to squeeze her and to SPOIL her! My brother and sister-in-law have had such a tremendous impact on the lives of my 3 children and I sincerely wanted to return the favor. But God is in control and knows what is best.

So I will hog Baby Sarah for the few days we are there, beat my nephews in a few card games ;), cry most of the way home, then get right back to work knowing I'm exactly where I need to be.

(This post was actually written Thursday, December 07, 2006)

"Ducky" has gone to Kitty Heaven... We burried another animal yesterday. Turns out our cat had lukemia, but we didn't find out in time. This was my first, and I pray my last time to watch an animal die. As difficult as that experience was, I know God is preparing me for something much bigger. 2 weeks ago I started getting really homesick and other than it being Thanksgiving, I couldn't figure out why. As I looked over my calendar the following few days, it hit me that 4 people I know had died just a few weeks apart. We lost 2 people from our church, but I had only known them as older and sick. But over the past 2 weeks, I've had 2 college friends lose their dad's. That hits a little closer to "home." What's strange is that my initial thoughts weren't "my dad is getting old..." It was I am getting older. Perhaps this is just a reality check reminding me that time is flying by and that I didn't just leave Fort Worth yesterday. (Can you believe we've already been "on the right side of Texas" 4 years?) That kids I worked with in church as an older teenager/college student are old enough to be college graduates, married AND have children! (This is the one that really makes me feel old!) Maybe the fact I feel like I just left college or "my hometown" is a testament of the love I feel for those I left behind. I know that for the majority of my family and friends, I could pick up "right where we left off..." even if that was 5 or even 10 years ago. So to all of you "back home..." the kids and I will be leaving for Fort Worth the day after Christmas and if I can stand to put my precious niece down long enough, I'd love to play catch up!