Wherever You Go

I remember one day when Adelade was about seven. We sold our couch on Craigslist so we could replace it with something a little bit smaller.  It was taking up our entire tiny living room, and a nice man in a cowboy hat came to pick it up, telling us that his wife had been looking for something just like it for quite awhile. I thanked him for buying it, and when I shut the door and turned to survey our empty-looking living room, I saw Adelade, face pressed to the glass, watching our couch drive away. And, she burst into tears.

Change can be hard on little people. Heck, change can be hard on big people, too.  When we moved across the state a few years ago, I worried myself to death about how the kids would handle the change. How long would it take for this place to feel like home? Would they cry every night, wishing they could be in their old house, with their old friends?

Thankfully, in no time at all, they had settled right into to their new routine and our new life. As much as we missed our sweet, tiny home in Texarkana, before long we felt a sense of that at-home peace that you get when you walk in the door of your house. And, I knew that, once again, God was gracious enough to help us love home.

I tend to think that it’s His presence and peace that make the difference. As Rich Mullins sang, “I am home anywhere if You are where I am.” I’m thankful that He keeps helping us love home, even through five cities in these last seventeen years. Each one has been a blessing filled to the brim with memories of how we were changing, what God was doing, and how time just never seems to slow down.

That’s one reason I love the new book that the good folks at Lost My Name have come up with. It’s called The Incredible Intergalactic Journey Home, and like their other books, this one is completely personalized. I ordered one for Sawyer, who’s eight, and he thinks it’s incredibly cool. The story follows little spaceman Sawyer after he and his trusty robot get lost in space (due to an unfortunate lemonade-spilling incident that knocked out the ship’s computer). Thankfully, they run into some rather adorable aliens who give them some clues as to which planet to head toward. From there, they get a little guidance from an African explorer, and finally they discover that the US is the country they’re looking for. At one point, Sawyer sees the skyline of Dallas, and he knows he’s getting close to home. Finally, the book shows an aerial view of our neighborhood, where Sawyer spots our house and crash lands, finally safely home again. We even see our house numbers at his front door.

It’s such a neat concept, and there are plenty of cool touches throughout the book, including spaceman Sawyer seeing his name spelled out in stars during their space travels. It was neat to read it with him and see him recognize our neighborhood. “How did they DO that?” was his first question. I was even able to add a personalized note to him at the beginning of the book.

 

I think this would make an awesome gift for any kid. Whether he’s just moved to a new town or has been settled at home for his whole life, any kid would love seeing his name and neighborhood show up in a beautifully illustrated space story. Sawyer is well beyond picture books in his reading, yet he loves this story and enjoys reading it over and over again.

One lucky Your Mom Has a Blog reader will WIN a completely personalized copy of The Incredible Intergalactic Journey Home! Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter up to four times! Or, if you just can’t wait and would like to order a book now, go to Lost My Name to order! The giveaway ends Friday, July 8th. Check back to see if you won! Click the video at the end of this post to get a closer look at the book. It’s really cool. And, I hope you’re feeling at home today, wherever you are. Just remember that no matter where you go, God is there. Let His peace and presence bring you comfort today.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Lost My Name sent me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.