Hey It's Good to be Back Home Again

(In case you were wondering, that title's a line in a song)

Ah. Beautiful hot. Nothing like coming back to HOT weather when you've been immersed in cold, bone-chilling stuff. I love Louisiana.

After the looooooonngg trek from Swaziland to Louisiana, the wonderful greetings from our great family at the Baton Rouge airport was overwhelming. Rhodes and Rhett (Danny's two-year-old twin sons) hollered "Maw! Maw! Maw!" (that's close enough to 'Meemaw' for me!) and "Pop! Pop! Pop!" melting two old people all over the sidewalk. Hugs from the grandkids (Tori, JD, Lincoln and aforementioned Rhodes and Rhett), son Danny, and nephew Todd were worth the torture of being squeezed up in an airplane for all those hours...

So it's back to this other life...

Popeye's (cajun) chicken. TJ (barbeque) Ribs. Land of lovely laundry stuff--Tide, Clorox, Downy (ah, Downy). Grocery stores with all the shelves well-stocked. Jumbo eggs that are really jumbo--and white. Jimmy Dean sausage. Kleinpeter milk. Community coffee. Iced tea. Rice Krispies. Bounty paper towels. Corn bread. Blue Bell Moo-lenium ice cream. (Well, that's at least 20 lbs. the first week back.)

And cheaper gas. Yes, cheaper. We were paying more than $4 a gallon in Swaziland. I don't want to hear you whine about the gas prices here.

The lump-in-the-throat sight of all the Old Glory flags on the streets, put up special for Memorial Day, flapping in the breezes seemingly saying, "Let Freedom Ring!" and "God Bless America!"

One of the very most important events in our USA life is attending services at Healing Place Church. Wow. We just sat there in the Saturday night service and soaked in the presence of the Lord. Enjoyed the warmth of the fellowship of the saints. And celebrated the thrill of joining our voices in praise to the Lord along with the hundreds of others during the praise and worship.

Yes, and hey, it's good to be back home again.