"There's no place like home..."

April 23rd at 3:35pm, our American airliner touched down in Des Moines, IA, USA. What a much anticipated event that was for 12 men, and also a married couple that traveled with us to Togo, although their anticipation was not quite the same as ours! As we descended from the gate into the greeting area for those who were awaiting passengers, we were met with cheers from wives, children, brothers/sisters from church, our pastor - welcoming us home and celebrating God's faithfulness in lives - all our lives! (Solomon gave me a hug when I arrived, but I noticed that he quickly disappeared, only to return a few minutes later with a picture of he and Tom Arnold on his cell phone!) What a great homecoming!
Fast forward 1 week: While all of me has been adjusting to being home (mind, heart, body...all in many different ways:-), there are some things that will be true of me no matter where I am. Like Whose I am, and whose I am - God's and Jody's, Samuel's, Solomon's & Emma's. I will always be theirs!
Friday night, Emma and I had one of our daddy/daughter date nights, and we enjoyed a high school production of my favorite movie, "The Wizard of Oz". It was incredible for a high school production. A friend of mine's daughter was Dorothy, and her mother designed all the costumes (very elaborate and brilliantly put together!), so we were able to have some inside knowledge of what we were going to see. They actually flew people (Miss Gulch on a bicycle, the witch on a broom, flying monkeys, Dorothy, the wizard in the balloon, Glinda...), they had pyrotechnics (the witch intros and exits, throwing fire from her broom, the wizard's throne room) - all made the evening an extraordinary time. Emma and I both enjoyed the evening. It was good to be together.
I love the Wizard of Oz, and I relate to many of its characters at times in my life, and so that probably helps you to understand me a little better. God's word defines and directs and corrects and exhorts all of my life - absolutely. Sometimes I am amazed at how He uses parts of that movie to confirm His word in my life. "Courage" - not thru yourself, only thru Me!(Josh. 1:9) "Heart" I am affectionately known as the "Tin Man" to Jody at times, because I seemingly act as if I have no heart-yet I must love, and that only because I am loved (1 John 4:19) "Brains" well, I plead the 5th - God's wisdom is perfect and His word is true (Ps. 19:7-14) "Home" There is no place like home! Home is here, for now, in Des Moines, Iowa with Jody, Emma and Solomon (Samuel in the summers only, Spokane the other 9 months - although Solomon may be in Cedar Rapids next fall for 9 months). But my eternal residence was set when God called me to Himself through the blood of Jesus who died in my place, and gave me His perfect righteousness, and now is preparing my room in heaven - there's my real home! And, while I am here and with the ones God has shared with me and called me to love and care for, I will love them as I have been loved, encourage them as I have been encouraged, share the teaching and truth of a great, loving, good God, and tell them of the home that is somewhere over the rainbow, far better than anything we could ever imagine, but will one day experience if we are His children. As His child, I do long for home, and there is no place like His home!!