Today's Friday Five challenges us to think of five things that we like about where it is we live now. This is an exercise I hope to repeat, and perhaps expand upon, every five or so years to allow me to reflect upon where I'm living and serving at a given moment and as I live into what it means to be an itinerant minister!1 - I love my neighbors. Everyone is friendly.There is a wide variety of ages, interests, and backgrounds represented. Homes and yards are generally well maintained. People seem to genuinely care about one another. It's nothing to ask the folks across the street to feed the dogs for us while we're gone, or ask the guy a couple of houses down to pull our garbage can in on his way home. They're happy to do it and we're happy to return the favor!
2 - I love the convenience. With the exception of work, I can get to everything I truly NEED in less than 10 minutes. Publix is a 4 minute drive, which is wonderful. I don't think I would want to be any closer to all this if I could be. It's fantastic. It's not a big deal to run to the store or pick something up on the way home. If there is a problem with anything, it can be easily fixed. And if we absolutely had to, we could even walk down to the gas station!
3 - I love having a yard. I especially love that there is fence around this yard in the back and it is filled with a nice oak tree, a deck, a pool, and a garden. The only thing missing is a swing set, and that can come with time! I like having a place for the dogs to run and getting to really experience the glory of growing something. I like being able to go out and have a place to watch the stars and feel the breeze and enjoy life without having to worry about being in anyone else's way or anyone else being in mine!
4 - I love being in the 'burbs. Don't get me wrong. I loved being in the heart of Nashville while I was there. It was great to go back and visit and I do miss it. But it's definitely not where I want to spend the rest of my life. I like that things are quiet. I like that there's generally no traffic after 8 pm. I like that I see kids riding their bikes down the street and hearing dogs bark and having a little bit of space between me and the neighbors. I like having a little distance between me and the bars and the parties and the excitement. I like my nice, quiet existence.
5 - I love my kitchen. I always dreamed of having a yellow kitchen with a round table and a big island and I have it now! It's really wonderful! I feel very at home in my kitchen and knowing that it is really mine. It's the one room of the house that I feel is best representative of the person that I am and the things that I value (and in keeping with that theme it is, and probably always will be, a work in progress!)
Now, the "bonus" is to come up with something you don't like about where you live now. The biggest thing I dislike about where I live now is the distance from the church. Not just from the practical standpoint of taking almost 45 minutes to drive one way from the house to the church (and ultimately often spending more time driving than I do actually working at the church). But I also dislike being disconnected from my people. I wish I was more aware of what was going on closer to them and knew more about the business and areas that are often discussed.
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