This picture was taken on my way home back in March. I think it captures so much of my home in Georgia. The beauty and familiarity of the peach trees with the pride that the picture of the flag brings, even when it is on a stack of hay. That same beauty, familiarity, and pride is seen in my family.

As I have continued to get used to being a part of my family away from them I have come to the realization that while the house we shared will always be home to me, my family is my home. They could move to China and while visiting them, I would be in foreign terrain, I would still be home. 

 Happy Memorial Day, Daddy! Thank you for instilling such a pride in me for my country and for my family. I am so proud to be your daughter! I love you!

In honor of being homethe past two weekends, here are 13 of my favorite things of home.

1. Madison; we got our first little Shih Tzu my junior year in high school. She is our dainty little queen and I miss her trusting eyes when I am not here.

2. Morgan; we got her in my sophmore year in college and while we are not supposed to have favorites, she is mine. She may not be as dainty as Madison and sure she is a little chunky, but that is what endears me to her.

3. The openness of that house. The living room just goes on for days. I never realized how big it is, but after six months of 538sq ft. it looks BIG!

4. The easy and playful banter I have with my Moma and my sweet brother. I get their jokes and their senses of humor and they get mine.

5. The familiarity of the terrain.

6. Being in the presence of my whole family at the same time.

7. Lazy Saturday evenings with friends, family, and steak! Yumm!

8. The sound of nothing but crickets. Just say no to delivery trucks!

9. Sitting around the kitchen table on a Sunday afternoon with my family, laughing till I cried.

10. The couch…it is so comfy!

11. The weather…last Saturday it was chilly and overcast. It was just one of those days that was perfect to curl up on the comfy couch and watch a sappy Hallmark movie.

12. I get to be Kathryn in every way that counts.

13. Even when I’m wrong and crazy they love me!

So…it has been a while! Sorry for that.

The past several weeks have been pretty rough emotionally in Kathrynland. No particular reason really, I was just a little crazy and I tend to shy away from writing for the masses while I hash things out in my own mind.

Home was great, the wedding was great, the conference was great, and getting to bring part of my new world into my old world was awesome!

One of the things that struck me on the last trip home was that where the Lord has me in my life no longer fits with where He had me. I think a lot of growth and healing came from that revelation. I do not fit in the things of home any longer. Home being Columbus, GA not the place a grew up with my family…I will always fit there.

I don’t really know how to explain it, all I know is that I came home to my Florida home more excited about where God has me than ever before. I think that when I moved I only had a tunnel vision for Exodus. God brought me here for Exodus…true, but He also has me here for the people I will meet and the church I will plug into. He has me here because there is a ministry at First Baptist that only I can fill and I can’t wait to find out what that is.

In the meantime, big things are happening with Exodus and I am so excited! The annual conference is coming up this summer and we are preparing for that which is fun in a controlled chaos kind of way. There are also several other trips coming up that we are excited about so prayers for travel would be very much appreciated!

More to come later!

Updated 3/24/06 11:14pm

One of my pictures from last weekend…

 

Today at lunch we talked about several places we’d like to visit and in honor of that here are thirteen places I’d like to visit.

1. Europe, Europe, Europe…wait, that is too vague. France - Yes, I know it is dirty and the people are rude but there is sooo much history there.

2. Ireland – There is something about the Emerald ‘Isle that calls to the Irish in me.

3. Montana – Just so you know…I don’t think I could visit Montana without learning how to fly fish.

4. New York City – I was there for only 12 hours eight years ago. I want time to explore the city.

5. Washington DC – I went with my family when I was seven or eight and I did not appreciate it. Again, I want to go back and explore.

6. England – Again, so much history and so many stories!

7. Italy – Two words…Sistine Chapel

8. Israel – To walk where He walked would be an amazing experience.

9. New England in the fall – the foliage!

10. Greece – Have you had real Greek food?!?

11. The Grand Canyon

12. Mt. Rushmore

13. Alaska – and if I ever get to go, I’ll take my daddy with me.