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What I Learned in July (2015 edition)
Big D and I are almost done with our road trip and will meet up with our other two family members next week. It has been a great trip but it will be delightful for our whole family to be reunited once again. Our trip has been full of adventures, rest, and a few lessons here and there. It is that time of the month where I look back over my month and muse about the lessons I have learned. Once again, I am linking up with Emily and other bloggers at Chatting at the Sky.
1. Home is more a state of mind than a place.
Tennessee is home if you go by my driver’s license. It is also where we have our doctor and dentist who always are excited to see us. Iowa is home if you go by where I was born. A different part of me comes alive as I help mow the lawn on mom’s John Deere or sit in a pew in the church where I was married. Iowa is also where my mom lives who always makes me feel at home. But Texas is also home. We have a room we can stay in at a friend’s house when we visit. I get to take long walks with my best buds. My children were born here. Then let’s not forget Central Asia. It is a place where I currently live and hopefully thrive. Most days I love the colorful outfits, and all days I love the food. I have friends, both local and foreign, that are like family. It is the place where God has us. All these places are home yet not home.
That said, next week I will be home when my family is all together. We will be in one place for two weeks, and we will enjoy and cherish every minute of it. It is in seasons like this where I know that my true home is heaven. There we will fully be who God made us to be. There we will be with our heavenly father and never have to move again.
2. Road trips are great for good conversations and getting caught up on the new music.
Big D and I have enjoyed talking about all sorts of things as we have traveled from Tennessee to Indiana to Iowa and now to Texas. What is your favorite music? What do you think about this or that issue? The questions could go on. The conversations go best when I ask a few questions and just listen. Big D has also been exposing me to lots of new music. We have also enjoyed christian radio as long they don’t play the same songs over and over.
3. Iowa is a great place to learn to drive
Big D passed his written driver’s exam and now has his learning permit. He chauffeured mom and me almost everywhere while we were in Iowa. He learned to drive on gravel, in the smaller and bigger towns, and even how to pass someone on a two lane highway. He drove every opportunity that he had. On our last leg to Texas, he was ready to try the interstate for two different 45 minute periods. Just that little bit made the drive much easier for me.
4. Seth Wadley Dealership in Paul’s Valley, OK was amazing.
South of Oklahoma City, we heard a sound on our car that was not good. The plastic thing that protects our engine and other parts was coming loose and starting to drag, not a fun thing to happen in the middle of our drive from Iowa to Texas. I stopped at the Seth Wadley dealership thinking they would have someone who could help with what could be a quick fix. They had us in and out in 30 minutes with no charge. Don’t you love how God takes care of us through others?
4. Trader Joe’s has cold brew coffee already prepared.
One of my favorite treats this summer has been drinking Trader Joe’s cold brew. It is good for about 8 to 12 iced coffees and keeps in the frig for up to a month. As I have traveled, it has been nice to have my cold coffee each morning with a little bit of milk and chocolate syrup. I might say I am slightly addicted and will miss it when I go back to Central Asia.
5. I have missed my inductive study bible.
When I was in Iowa, I was purging some of our containers that are stored there. In one bin, I found my inductive study bible. It is made to be marked in and has big margins. I enjoyed looking at my notes and using it in my daily time with God each day. I am in Texas, and it is still with me. Not sure if it will make the trip overseas, but for now I am enjoying using my colored pencils and looking for patterns as I study.
What have you learned this month? I would love to hear all about it in the comments below.
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3 thoughts on “What I Learned in July (2015 edition)”
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I have an inductive study bible too, and love using it for more intensive times in the Word.
I have an inductive study bible too, and love using it for more intensive times in the Word.
#1 really resonates with me. I moved around a lot growing up, and have many different "homes." Whenever I feel homeless, I remember Philippians 3:20, "But our citizenship is in Heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ."