Places to call home.

"'Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.' Thomas said to him, 'Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?' Jesus said to him, 'I am  the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.'" [John 14:1-7]

I was reading in the book of John last night and came across the passage you see above. Whenever I read through scripture God blesses me to think of songs or hymns that I've grown up singing at church, VBS, or once learned at Camp Okoboji. [I am a musician, yes?] Last night was no different...the lyrics of "Big House" began running through my mind. Maybe because we'd sung it at VBS the night before or possibly because I've been thinking lately about the homes God has blessed me with in my life thus far.

My childhood home in Urbandale, IA has been a great haven to grow, learn, and be formed under my loving parents care. It's been nice to spend another summer here...reconnecting with those I've not been able to see as much & getting to meeting new people through my church internship.

Camp Okoboji has always been a second home to me. Why? Well...living and serving there for 5 summers just makes sense to me for calling it one of my "second homes". Also, spending each of summer of my life there has created many precious moments with my family. While as we grow older it's been harder to get everyone there at the same time, I will cherish those memories for years to come. [Treasure Village golfing, playing cards, visiting, swimming at the beach - to the raft, BLTs, Clearly Canadian, puzzles, Dad's kite flying escapades, Stomp Rocket, sleeping in, etc]

Seward, Nebraska....is and always will be considered to me (& I'm sure many others) a treasure of a place hidden amidst the corn fields. I am beyond thankful to have been a student there at Concordia University and so blessed for the ways God taught me more about loving others with the love of Christ. Even as the years continue to pass by, I will ponder the moments, memories, people, and all the learning that happened there.

Now I look forward to my next home in this life: Ft. Wayne, Indiana. And I know it will be another place to call home. In my 3 short visits there, I already feel I can call it home. It will be exciting to let time unfold there and see what God's planned for me to experience during my studies and formation there.

I am abundantly blessed with homes.

While all of these places seem to be amazing to me...you probably have your own set of homes/places that are near and dear to your heart. How blessed we are to experience moments & create memories in different areas of this beautiful land called the US of A.

I can't help but wonder what our heavenly home will be like.
& Something I can't even begin to describe.