My wife and daughters – ages 3 and 9 months – are driving on Wednesday & Thursday with Grandma and Grandpa to Georgia for my brother-in-law’s graduation from college. I don’t have enough vacation time from work to go, so I’ll be home alone – a bachelor – for nearly a week (they return on Monday).
While they’re gone I’ll be working an overnight shift at the hospital and also worshiping with my internship congregation, but otherwise I’ll catch up on some reading and house cleaning (I just got Barbara Brown Taylor’s Leaving Church – I’ve been bothered by what I’ve heard and read about her decision to leave church, so I figured that I should read the book). And – I hope my wife is not reading this – I’ll be sleeping soundly through the night. That will be nice for a few days, but I’ll look forward to the 1:30am cry from my baby Cana when they return.
Safe travels, my loves! I’ll miss you!
Lord God our
Father, you kept Abraham and Sarah in safety throughout the days of their
pilgrimage, you led the children of Israel through the midst of the sea, and by
a star you led the Wise Men to the infant Jesus. Protect and guide us now in this time as we set
out to travel, make our ways safe and our homecomings joyful, and bring us at
last to our heavenly home, where you dwell in glory with your Son and the Holy
Spirit, God forever.
– from Evangelical Lutheran Worship, Suffrages
The Lutheran Zephyr 
I was bothered by what I heard about BBT’s book, but when I read it, I found it far better than I’d expected. There are things to quibble about, but it was pretty good.
I’ve heard pretty good things about that book as well. Maybe you can review it here when you are done.
Your daughter-age three and nine months- is driving… isn’t that… um… illegal… and how does she touch the pedals?
Peace,
Chris
Looking forward to reading your reactions to BBT’s book. I found her a bit disingenuous in claiming the local church ministry burned her out, given that she was concurrently enjoying enormous success as a writer, teacher, speaker, preacher — a fact she doesn’t really acknowledge.