If home is where the heart is, then, I have a lot of homes. Our recent trip reminded me of my heartfelt attachment to the place where I reside, and how I also feel at home roaming in nature and spending restful and relaxing time by myself or with those I love.
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Where I Reside
My container gardens were budding and blooming when we left on our trip. I kinda wanted to stay and watch the gardenia bushes continue to blossom. They bring me great joy. But, leaving home allowed me to see some beautiful gardens where my sister lives.
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While I missed my own residence, I always love seeing my sister and enjoyed her home and hospitality. She made me feel quite comfortable in her personal space.
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My Home Away From Home – My Sister’s Home in North Bergen, NJ
Where I Roam
Homemaking is required wherever we reside or roam. That occurred to me on this trip, while doing laundry, straightening or cleaning the places we were staying, helping with planning, preparing, and picking up food, or working in the yard and gardens. I’m very much a homemaker at heart. It’s part of my life no matter where I pillow my head.
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While roaming on our venture, I was reminded that we can’t run from our roles and responsibilities. We may take a break and put our problems, pressures, and projects on the back burner for a few moments, but our responsibilities will hover over us or hitch a ride in our backpacks.
This time away taught me that there is a distinct difference between desperately wanting to get away from a place we’re not enjoying, and decisively choosing to go to a place to rest, enjoy different scenery, or take in new experiences. The first is running away. The second is roaming with purpose.
Where I Relax
The neat thing about roaming with purpose is the wonderful and exciting adventures it brings that refuel our heads and hearts. These times of relaxation can help to reset our spiritual, physical, mental and emotional clocks and rejuvenate our energy to return home with fresh motivation.
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North Bergen, NJ Park & The Storm King Sculpture Park, NY
As I contemplated my home and lifestyle, I also realized that there are places I feel comfortable and places I don’t. While we are all unique and have different needs to relax. There are spaces where we:
- don’t belong – (places that are not pleasing to God)
- won’t feel comfortable – (places that make us feel unsafe or uneasy)
- won’t feel welcomed – (places we’re abused, ignored, or mistreated)
- would rather not go – (places we don’t enjoy or look forward to)
Leaving the places we reside to go to places that deplete us is not a wise use of the time our Creator gave us to live our lives. Why would we ever go where we are left feeling defeated, discouraged, or drained?
Where I Retreat
Vacations and trips can be fun retreats from our residences and routines and should take us to safe places of solace that re-fuel us. This trip was full of experiences that did that for me.
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New York Botanical Gardens, Bronx, NY
This year, as I’ve been giving thought to how I spend my time, I’m realizing that I want more and more to spend my hours in places that I can retreat in peace, feel relaxed, and get good rest. I also want to spend my time doing things with people that make me feel uplifted, included, and inspired and who feel the same way with me.
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It is my prayer that my residence will be one of those places—a real home and retreat—where we’re comfortable and others enjoy visiting. No matter how big or small, efficient or inefficient the space is, or how tired of it I may feel at times, my home is home and there’s no other place like it on earth for me. It is a place God gives me rest.
“Come unto me, all ye
that labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28
Praying as we grow together,
Smiles, BRC
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