Clovis

After a great two weeks with my parents and Grandma in England and Scotland, Rusty and I are back in our hometown Clovis, New Mexico. We really enjoyed showing them around Scotland and introducing them to some of our friends. We also left with some very special gifts to remember Scotland by and are already missing our cottage, the beautiful scenery, and the friends who became family over the past year.
The trip home was not without adventure. We never did a bag count, but Rusty and I checked 7 and carried on 4, several of which were overweight, but Praise God, we didn't have to pay a cent for any of it, they just let us through! Our pets did great on the flights as well and are adjusting to life back in Clovis just fine.
It's almost surreal to be here right now, almost as if the last year never happened. I'm sorry to say that Clovis has never looked uglier, but it does have its perks like sunshine, heat, Mexican food, and lots of family support. When I look at the facts, such as the fact that we are unemployed, we have no place of our own to live, no car, etc., I could definitely work myself into a state of "freaked outness". BUT Rusty and I are so blessed to have 2 families that love and care for us and allow us to lean on them a bit AND I know that we are walking in obedience. I don't have the book handy, but I'm reminded of a chapter in Compassion that discusses the call of Christians to come out of the "ordinary and proper places", to peel back the layers of competition, the striving and the voices that call us to get ahead, to follow the world's plan for happy, successful, and fulfilled lives, and I know that we cannot use the world's lens to define or evaluate where we are in life, but simply listen and follow day by day as God continues to call us out of the "ordinary and proper places" to participate in His body and His Kingdom.
So for right now, we enjoy the sunshine and heat, we soak up family goodness here in our home town, and we work to be a blessing to those around us in Clovis. And I know that in God's timing, He'll lead us to a new home and show us how to serve Him and His people there.