Keeping Up With The Jones'

This was my backyard before the New Neighbor on the Right moved in.

He brought in white Adirondack chairs, a grill, and of course… laid down a bright green cushy sod lawn. It looks great! The thing is… as a kind gesture/buttering up to the neighbor on the other side of me, he laid down a lawn for him too. Leaving me with a lovely patch of sandy cat-littered lawn.

As a bridge between the grass that is quite literally greener on either side of me, I put in some stepping stones, grown cover, herbs, and 5 square cubits of mulch that is supposed to stay brown for Up To One Year*. 

I am satisfied with my results. It is nothing too fancy and I don’t think my landlord will mind. The cats even are starting to sunbathe on the stepping stones. 

The way it should be...

Unhurried. 

Restful. 

Contemplative.

Fresh air.

Sunshine.

A great way to start Sabbaths. 

Sweet papaya and windswept hair. 

Grown Up

Did I tell you that my little brother graduated? He can now design houses and build them too! I'm very proud of him (and those golden cords that he is wearing around his neck!). Last weekend was the end of his college career and the beginning of being all grown up. :) 

Andrew and I (For those curious- we are 16 months apart in age)

1,135 Miles and Lightyears Away...

You don't realize what you have until it's gone...or far away.

When I left the hospital yesterday, I immediately picked up my cell phone and pushed the speed dial to call Home. It said that it had been 22 hours since I had last talked to Home.

Time to call again.

When I lived at home, I wasn't homesick.

Besides the fountain of tears when my parents hugged me goodbye at Academy, I wasn't homesick. They were just 1 hour and 15 minutes away.

In college, I had my brother and sister. Then just my sister. Then my little brother and my sister. Not to mention, cousins galore. It was a piece of home.

Now the kitchen table that I am sitting at is precisely 1,135 miles away from the family table on the farm. Too far away. As my dad says, "the umbilical cord doesn't stretch that far..."

The funny thing is, I am o.k. with being 1,135 miles away from home. I am at peace with it. Coming to grips that this world is not my home has not been easy though. Realizing that I have a larger family than my large Fisher family has been a good thing too.

If this world is not my home... then I need to call Home more often. 
I need to prepare for our next reunion- Heaven! 
If my family is God's family- then I am surrounded. 

These are comforting thoughts to me.

So, brothers and sisters, until we meet again: be faithful until the end. It's o.k. to be homesick for those you love, but let it ever be a reminder of our our real Home.

Picture taken on the "Crooked Bridge" with my family near my Oklahoma home. :) 

University of Florida

Big things are happening here.

I'm not talking about finals, college drama, football... I'm talking about something bigger.

The Holy Spirit has been at work at the University of Florida. Some of my friends are working hard too. It is their passion to share Jesus with the entire school.  This is just a snippet of what they are up to.


Baby Isaac from Omar Torres on Vimeo.