Home Sweet Home

Home Sweet Home!
Proverbs 10:22 (KJV) The blessing of the LORD, it makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.


I hope that this week’s blog does not bore the readers, but will encourage you! If you have family that loves you, I hope that you know how fortunate you are. That you are richer than you even think! Yes, most families have disagreements, arguments and even right down feuds, but at the end of the day, this is what you’ve been blessed with. God has reason behind putting you into your family. Maybe you are to be the example of who He is and go and love the unlovely anyway regardless of all their little quirks! Have you taken a good look in the mirror lately, if so, surely you can see that God has such a sense of humor! Maybe he wants us to laugh and learn to be joyful. It is my opinion that your family is your first test! If you can get along with them, hey…you can get along with everyone else!
I am returning home from a 1300 mile round trip from Georgia, to Kentucky and Ohio to see as much family as I could in nine days. I have five sisters! With all of their individual families it is quite a large family when we all get together. The reunions with them were wonderful and the time spent was priceless. I feel when we get together that we honor our parents who have passed away, but are never too far away that we can’t feel them with us. I also feel that we do them proud as they were the glue that held us all together! Unfortunately, in this time we live in a lot of families do not get together unless a loved one has passed and they all show up for their funeral… That is why this visit was so sweet to me. It was visited because we wanted to visit, no sad circumstances but just a joyful time with family.
While I have gone from this sister’s home to this sister’s and yet again another sister’s home, it is amazing how much we all have in common. As I was welcomed in by my sister’s I realized how much of our parents was instilled in each of us. It would show in the way we prepared meals, or in the way we chose the décor for our homes. Everyone that I visited, of course, had a treasured memento displayed on their walls, or in a curio cabinet that at one time had belonged to our parents.
This visit “home” Vanceburg, Kentucky, was so sweet. I had not only spent time with my immediate family, sisters, their husbands, nephews, nieces, even new great nieces that I had never met until this trip, but I also was able to spend time with several of my Aunts on my Dad’s side of the family. I chuckle when I am with them because they are so full of life and seem to never age. They honored me by coming to my first book signing event that was held in my hometown! As one by one entered the doors of the Library’s community room, I was so overjoyed to see them. Each had stories to tell of times spent with my Dad and their parents which were my grandparents. I loved every second of it not only for my sake but for my two boys who was able to meet with their great aunts once again! Again the time was priceless!
After the trip and reunion in Kentucky, we drove further to Middletown, Ohio where one of my sisters and her husband live. Her two boys, my nephews, live there as well with their wives and children. My children are extremely close to her boys and their children so of course the visit with them was wonderful. We went to see the new home of one of the nephews, which was absolutely beautiful. Again I rejoiced as it is wonderful to see the Lord’s blessings being poured out from one generation to the next!
Finally, we arrived in Oberlin, Ohio to yet another sister’s home, which is pictured! This visit is always great as my sister and her husband host a huge “Hog Roasting” event that has turned into a family reunion/ friend fest of sorts. This made the 9th year I believe that they’ve had it at their own home. They rent huge tents and chairs, even a porta potty which we joke about, the whole shebang! It is a wonderful time of food and fellowship that people talk about throughout the whole year. They live out in the country with a lot of little towns surrounding them. I love to just drive through these small little towns. We see such uniquely built buildings that have stood the test of time and such beautiful old two-story homes. We love driving through the country and seeing all of the farms sown with soy beans and corn as far as your eye can see. If you look very carefully which we always do, there are herds of deer lined at the openings in the fields. We are always thrilled to see them. This year we saw several wild turkeys which made it even more exciting! My boys love it as they run around barefoot and stay up practically all night when they put the pig on to cook. They build a huge bon-fire and roast marsh mellows and hotdogs. Again the time spent with them is precious and even though we dread the 13 hour trip back home to Georgia, we love it!
I hope that this personal vacation blog did not bore you, but truly made you homesick to want to spend more time with your family. You are Rich! I hope that you value them as a treasure that you’ve been given and that if they don’t make the effort to be close, that maybe you will!

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