12/27/19 A SOJOURNER'S RECOLLECTION

12/27/19 A SOJOURNER'S RECOLLECTION

Just reflecting on some of the facilities I have called home, while on this journey through a weary land. I am only passing through. Some of you that have traveled along with me might enjoy my, recounting places I have called home.

My daddy built my first home around me and mama, after they brought me home from the hospital (1947). The house is still standing in Morehead today and looks to be in great condition.

I have lived in Morehead, Leland, Miami, Los Angeles, Hollywood Hills, Glendale, Scotland, Greensboro, Stella, Kinnakeet, Draper, Cleveland, San Marcos, Fort Worth, Alvarado, Knoxville, Crossville, Myrtle Beach and Beaufort.

Since graduation from high school (1965) I have made my home in dormitories, funeral home, parsonages, houses (rented and owned), rented apartments, summer cabins, motel rooms, a bus, a travel trailer, a tent, a 15 passenger van, and houses built by fellow believers.

Although I only helped others build homes, it was fun, rewarding, inexpensive and a great experience.

The houses we built were in Texas and Tennessee and they were built up on posts, like beach houses, though we lived in the heart of Texas and then in the mountains of Tennessee. This kept the under side of the houses dry and kept us safer from snakes, but folks did ask about our strange foundation. I hope Mark Gould, Bill Vest, Wade Gregory will help me remember the sizes of those houses. I will give you the dimensions as I remember them, but will change the info if I am in error.

Texas: The Thompson/Gregory, a 2 story 12x24 (I think); The Tiny Duplex, a 2 story 12x16 (I think); The DG family home, a 2 story 16x30.

Tennessee: First we built a tiny house, 8x30, from the trailer frame up. Then the DLG home & Ministry house, a 1 story (with double loft), 24x40 (I think); The Gregory/Vest home, a 1 story 16x16 (I think) with a loft; The DWG home, a 1 story 16x16 (I think) with a loft; The Lydia/Joanna home, a 1 story 16x24; a 1 story; MJG home, a 20x20 then 20x28 with a partial loft.

Brother Wade also built another little house and sister Robin built a little house as well.

The Cushwas built a log cabin.

Have I ever mentioned that I had the most innovative, adventurous, capable people in the world in my congregation, not only in ministry skills, but in daily living skills?

I have not even mentioned that our small team of ministry people were also Lab Techs, Nurses, Computer Programmers, Mechanics, Painters, Emergency Room Techs, Teachers, Business Managers, among other jobs.

But they became Yard Art Crafters and Road Side Merchants, when it was necessary to serve God, unencumbered by the State and worldly pursuits.

I realize this won't be of much interest to most folks, but I enjoyed thinking about it, as I wrote it.