On the Way Home

I'm typing from the floor of the airport at Sky Harbor International in Phoenix, AZ. It's 101-degrees outside, but we're cool as cukes here on the floor. Just enjoyed a spectacular lunch from the Blue Burrito Grill (Jackson says, on a scale of "1-to-Moe's," this is a definite 9!), and Amy and the boys are playing cards. (No money has exchanged hands, at least to this point.) We're heading for Minneapolis and then back to Charlotte. We'll arrive at 10:15 p.m. tonight... just in time for a good night's sleep... a little grass cutting and unpacking... and repacking... and a final summer trip -- to the lake. We'll be in Greenwood until Sunday, and then we're back in Charlotte for school, and PRBC. Though it's been an incredible summer, we are all feeling a bit antsy to be back home and in a routine.

I woke up yesterday morning having endured a nightmare... Carson Allen's funeral was in a few moments. I was in my robe. Carol Cramer was there, hurrying me on to the sanctuary. We were at PRBC (though it didn't look like PRBC in my dream). I was to speak the eulogy. And I had not written a single word. Panick. And... I couldn't find any paper. Any paper! I was working through what I wanted to say... but I wanted to at least write notes... Give me some paper! I finally found a few scrap squares, but... there was no flat, horizontal space on which to write. NONE! I finally found a little square block of some kind and I turned it over, put the paper on it, and began to write, only to find that the block was filled with little knobs of some kind, so I had no smooth surface for writing. Carol wouldn't quit beckoning me to the sanctuary and I was PANICKED...

That's when I woke up and realized... I need to be home! It must be about time to be back in the pulpit (because this is a recurring theme for Saturday night dreams in our house!)

We're parked on the floor under a large ad for Sky Harbor's free Wi-Fi, and Jackson asked... "Who does that look like?" (the girl in the advertisement). Without hesitation we all answered in unison -- RACHEL STONE!

How good it will be to see Rachel... and Carol... and to have those Saturday night dreams again. Really. It's been an amazing summer. Can't wait to tell you more and show you all 2500 pictures the boys took (no shortage of Wednesday evening material for the fall!).

And again, we're grateful.

Trusting that we all will be made better by this absence. Our hearts are growing fonder by the moment.

See you soon.