Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible. – Hebrews 11:1-3

As I finish up writing my current book-length project, a memoir, I have noted threads that run through the manuscript. One is that I hold two seemingly opposite values simultaneously. On one hand I am “a Wanderer” who enjoys travel and is in love with this world, and on the other I crave the quiet, the stability and the comforts of home.

What “home” means, of course is not just a place to hang my hat but a haven of rest and regeneration for my heart.

Both orientations are key steering currents, but as the years go by I think I am leaning more Tarboro than Tashkent, less Far East and more east of I-95, more home than hostel, less Parts Unknown and more “Does my cabin have a balcony?”, more On the Square than off the grid.

This post’s key image speaks to me, because the gold of the tree represents the adventure of looking for photographs and stories – and the house speaks to the sense of love and nourishment and being rooted that is home.

I guess I should have asked Rebekah and Max to sit on the front steps to round out the shot.

One Singular Connecting Truth:

At the same time as noticing these threads, these themes that have played out since I first flew west and became captivated by the dream that is America, I recognize a singular truth that lies behind everything, and that is the undeniable, buoyant, spilling over, bubbling up impetus not just to survive but to really live, to engage this life with passion and enthusiasm and unbounded love. This is something that comes up from inside of me yet is obviously placed there – sown, seeded – from the mind and heart of God.

What I’m stumbling around here is that the real connecting truth that runs through all 160,000 words is like a spring of living water bubbling up, the spark of God that literally animates my soul – the combination of mind and physical body but much more. I guess what I’m saying is that I am infinitely more than merely alive, I am.

This life is an amazing adventure. But all of these experiences, all of the travels, all of the stories, all of the challenges and struggles and achievements and serendipities – the entire almost seven decades point to more because it is all evidence of what the writer of Hebrews calls “things unseen.”

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. – DEREK