13 Things I miss About my old Home Town

We're going back to DeKalb soon for a little visit. B's attending a conference near there, and the kids and I have decided to tag along. (Ok, the kids didn't decide, but I did.) We only lived there for 2 years, but they were a good 2 years, and we have lots of happy memories. Here are some of the things we miss:

13. My lighter work schedule.
12. No traffic - at least not in our town. (Getting out of state, that was a different story!) It took me 4 or 5 minutes to get to work, depending on whether I made the light. It was about half that to our church.
11. Our neighborhood. We had very friendly neighbors. We all knew each other and liked to chat when we were outside. It was also a great area for taking walks with a stroller.
10. That "small town" feel. It was fun to live in a place where everybody knew everybody, or at least knew someone you knew. We rarely went anywhere without running into someone we knew. It just felt cozy.
9. Our small group at Wellspring. This was by far the highlight of my entire church experience. (And I've had a lot of church experience in my life.) It was such an awesome thing to be a part of a group of people who cared for each other, encouraged one another, held each other accountable, served together, and just enjoyed being together.
8. The open year-round, drive through Dairy Queen. Every town needs one of those!
7. The drive through Starbucks.
6. Having a park right around the corner from our house. Jeffrey and I had lots of fun there.
5. The bike path right outside our back gate.
4. Our "dream house." We loved that house. I could probably list 13 things we miss just about the house!
3. The Hamiltons. They were the people we bought our house from, and they lived right across the street. They were great go-to people for information about most anything around town or about our house. And they were rearing their teenaged granddaughter - can you say babysitter, right across the street. So convenient! Sadly, Mr. Hamilton passed away last year.
2. Egg Haven - our favorite breakfast joint. We'll definitely be eating there during our trip back.
1. Rosati's Pizza. Large thin crust with mushrooms, onions, and extra sauce almost every Sunday night. Yum!

See you all soon!

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Private Pain

The tragedy that occurred at Virginia Tech this week is overwhelming. It's hard to imagine the grief that one young man caused so many people. My heart breaks for all those who lost a child or a friend or a loved one. I know they're hurting terribly.

I can't help but also wonder about one who must be hurting as much as them all, but who hasn't received the outpouring of sympathy and support that the other victims and their families have received; One who also lost someone she loved, but no one else is grieving for: the mother of the shooter. He was a man whose actions were pure evil, unthinkable, inexcusable. But I doubt even they were enough to stop his mother's love. How sad to know that your child was so disturbed as to be capable of this crime. How sad to see his life ended like this. How sad to have the whole world talking about how awful a person your child was. Where does someone like that turn for support and comfort?

Mrs. Seung-Hui, may God give you the comfort and peace that only He can give. My heart goes out to you.

Can't Wait!

I usually sit near the back of our church. Most weeks I get called out, either to the nursery or to answer a page, and I don't want to be a distraction. One of the advantages of sitting back there, I've found, is that I have a great view of the whole congregation in front of me during the praise time. In our church there are white and black Americans, Nigerians, Asians, and Iranians; professionals, blue collar workers and homeless people.

Today I felt like I got a tiny glimpse of what it will be like in heaven one day. Our pastor had just finished a tremendous message on the power of the resurrection, many hands were lifted up, and people were singing "Worthy is the Lamb" with all their hearts. It was incredibly moving to be part of it.

What a day that will be when the redeemed from every tribe and language and people and nation will gather before the throne and worship Him in song! (Rev. 5:9) When every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, will sing:
"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" (Rev. 5:13)

I can't wait for the day when Christ will finally be given all the glory He is due; When every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord!

13 Quotes About Children

"Making the decision to have a child - it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking outside your body."
-Elizabeth Stone

"Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; now I have six children and no theories."
-John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester

"There was a time when we expected nothing of our children but obedience, as opposed to the present, when we expect everything of them but obedience."
-Anatole Broyard

"Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them."
-Psalm 127:3-5

"I would be the most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves."
-Anna Quindlen

"People who say they sleep like a baby usually don't have one."
-Leo J. Burke

"Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see."
-John W. Whitehead

"Having children makes you no more a parent than having a piano makes you a pianist."
-Michael Levine

"Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord."
-Ephesians 6:4

"The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother."
-Theodore Hesburgh

"It is a wise father that knows his own child."
-William Shakespeare

"If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do well matters very much."
-Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

"Before you were conceived I wanted you.
Before you were born I loved you.
Before you were here an hour I would die for you.
This is the miracle of life."
-Maureen Hawkins


Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Toddler Theology

We're a Christian family, which means -among other things- we talk about our faith with our children. J's too young to grasp many of the concepts, but he has learned some of the lingo. It makes for some interesting conversation. Here's a sampling:

J: (Looking at picture of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane) "What's Jesus doing?"
Me: He's praying.
J: But he doesn't have his eyes closed...Silly Jesus!
Me: Somehow I don't think He needed as much help concentrating as you do.


J: We need to get another fish sometime 'cause my other fish died, on a cross.


J: Jesus takes away our teeth.
Me: Don't you mean our sins?
J: No, that'd be silly.

Deuteronomy 6:5-7 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

We're trying!

Free Stuff

I'm always a fan of free stuff. Can't remember the last time I actually won any (unless you count Scanner law rewards), but I keep trying. So anyway, 5 minutes for mom is giving away a Dyson vacuum. I of course had to zoom over there and enter.

We have 2 vacuums, neither of which works great anymore. One is a cannister style, which is pretty cumbersome to lug up and down the stairs. The other is a portable, bagless variety. It has a filter that plugs up after about 10 minutes of use, and then requires a 30 minute cleaning ritual followed by enough time to air dry before it can be used again. And both of them are missing a wheel. Fortunately, I don't vacuum very often, or I might find these things annoying.

I linked back to their site after entering, as they requested, but I really don't want all of you to rush over there and enter too. That of course would decrease my odds. (Do I have issues with being a little competitive? No, why do you ask?) But then, since my husband makes up at least 50% of my readership, that might be ok. Go ahead, honey - go enter! Double our odds!

Thought for the Day

"We can hug our hurts and make a shrine out of our sorrows, or we can offer them to God as a sacrifice of praise. The choice is ours." Richard Exley

Psalm 56:8
You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.