I Live In Baltimore

Yes, I know...I've been living in Baltimore for 5 months now but I still find those words to be some of the most defining of my life. Said with surprise, "I live in Baltimore!" or in astonishment, "I live in Baltimore?", they catch me off guard occasionally. And there really is no punctuation to express the sadness those words sometimes bring when family and friends feel so far away. I think I've experienced all of those this week as I've had to start thinking about the logistics of gathering together as a family for the holidays when the five of us live in four different states with as much as 1300 miles separating some of us. With sincere apologies to Atlanta and Delta, this has become the symbol of our family's connection:


I have become quite adept at searching for inexpensive flights and after much planning, we now have plans to spend Thanksgiving together in Orlando with Tiffany. Their apartment complex has a fully furnished rental apartment that's cheaper than most hotel rooms so we can cook together and watch Georgia Tech beat Georgia for the second year in a row. (The trash talking has begun!!)


It's still hard for me to not have a family home anymore, but I know God is up to some interesting things in all of our lives and this time apart is good for us. I don't always remember that or like it, but He's used His people and His Word this week to remind me that it's true. Now I just need to figure out how to get us all to Georgia for Christmas!