AS FOR ME AND MY *NEW* HOUSE

This evening will mark one year since I made a quick phone call during our family's annual Labor Day week road trip to touch base with a friend who'd just lost a grandparent and was told a fire was burning along the freeway in the area my extended family lives. Within a few minutes I heard about the fire from two other friends and was asked if Dad was safe. I called him to find out what was going on. He and Debra had already evacuated.

We wouldn't know it until the next day, but that evening their home and my step-sister Ashley's home both burned to the ground in the Almeda Fire. So did thousands of other homes in their area, as well as many more throughout Oregon as our whole state lit up on that hot, dry, windy day.

One of the blessings that came from that horrible experience was that when I said I was raising money for Ashley to use on anything related to starting over and for Dad to buy a bike with, and that one of my nieces was raising money for Dad and Debra, you all held your resources with an open hand and gave as you were able.

A couple weeks ago, I was able to visit Ashley's new home for the first time, a home that your generosity helped her to purchase and furnish.  

Dad's put countless miles on his new bike that he's been riding since about eight weeks after his other one was destroyed, paid for with your generous gifts. 

On the same visit that I saw Ashley's new home, I also saw Dad and Debra's new home. They were still a couple days away from actually moving in, but it was theirs. 

A few days ago Dad sent me an e-mail with "As for me and my NEW house ...", a spin on the words of Joshua 24:15b, in the subject line and the picture above as an attachment.

Good gravy, typing this out is making me cry.

Here's the blog post that tells the whole story about the framed verse and has all the pictures, as well as pictures of Dad's bike, but seeing this new version of the Bible verse that's hung in his home for forty-six years, three months, and one day (minus exactly three months from the day the first one burned and the day the second one arrived ... not that I'm counting) hanging in his new home is so incredibly special to me.

To those who gave and said to use the money as I saw fit, thank you so much for not only making it possible for this verse to hang in Dad and Debra's temporary home for nine months, but for it to now be hanging in a prominent place in the home they get to stay and settle in.

On this first anniversary of such tremendous devastation, I'm grateful for the kindness, talent, generosity, and hope for the future that this picture from Dad represents.