Five Peeps and a Beagle

WE ARE ALL HOME!

And by "all," I actually mean Dad, Mom, Ken, John, Daniel and Daisy--the full compliment of Pittsburgh Behrenses.

Mom has been gone since December 14th, as has Daniel (disregarding a 2-day stint here before flying to Orlando to run a half marathon in Disney World). Ken and Dad joined me here last Tuesday after Christmas/New Year's and today saw Daniel's airborne return from Florida and Mom's land-based arrival from Chicago. Verily, not in...months? A year? have we all been here together. Pretty cool. Mostly way cool to have Mom, Daisy and Daniel back. Ken is always gone, but their absence was felt keenly. Though God did use it to show me that I can indeed live alone, or mostly alone, and survive in a state other than abject misery. In fact, I'll have to watch now that I don't set my plates down on the hearth or leave candy up on my bed, since the little four-legged food monster is back on the prowl :-)

Grandpa is home from the hospital now (after a month there!), which is the biggest piece of good news in a long time. He's still very weak and eating little, but he walks around a bit and has at least some semblance of normalcy to his life. Grandma is now full time nurse and keeper of the house, which is a challenge only God's grace can (and is) meet(ing).

My co-op job is going pretty well, though the magnitude and difficulty of my work load is challenging my innate laziness, and the early mornings are ruining my evenings. 'Tis good, though, and fertilizer to the field of my character. (hmm. Some parallels with manure come to mind... :-P)

Funny how easy it is to fill time in the evenings, even with AIM gone. Ugh.

I'm off to read the Gospel of John. Holy Spirit, please turn my eyes to Christ! Fill my gaze with Him, as You love to do, and may that captivation propel me to ditch sin and enjoy God.

Direct my steps by your word, and let no iniquity have dominion over me.
Make Your face shine upon Your servant, and teach me Your statutes (Ps. 119:133 & 135).

Thusly does the psalmist voice the cries of my heart with the words of God.

--Clear Ambassador