Lynda’s Journal of Blessings – #754 – Coming Home
Lynda’s Journal of Blessings – #754
>> Coming Home << March 9, 2026
Walking by Inner Vision, since December 2009.
_My Thoughts
Coming Home: 2014 and 2026
Today, my thoughts are about our grown children and COMING HOME..
We live our life as a family across the miles and years.
Last week, I wrote a short story about how , my daughter, Salome’ Heather celebrated her 63rd birthday with me at a Syrian restaurant. Read it here!
This week’s story came as a surprise on Friday afternoon when I received a short e-mail message from our youngest daughter, Ilsa. She lives in Kentucky.
Today I am speaking about COMING HOME, a visit from our youngest daughter, Ilsa Hoelz Lambert Barry.
On Friday as I was working, I received a short note from Ilsa via my e-mail.
Hello mom!
We are heading to Ellwood…. see you tomorrow!
See you soon. Love you.
Ilsa
Like many other senior citizens, all of our children live in different locations in the country,
When they contact me to say they are “coming home” it’s a welcome message. Despite the miles between us, there is nothing like those messages that tell me they are coming home. No matter what I was in the process of doing, everything shifts immediately from my plans for the day, to my expectations for their welcome arrivals. My day turns to the anticipated arrival of one of our children, or any of the other family members.
You may be asking, Where is Home?
Our home was built in 1929 in a little Germanic village in western Pennsylvania. This is the Village of Wurtemburg nestled in the valley where the Slippery Rock and Connoquenessing creeks define the boarders of the village. I can stand in my yard and see both creeks every day for i live at the confluence where the Slippery Rock Creek enters into the Connoquenessing Creek.
My grandfather, James Addison Kirker, was a carpenter and most of his German-born family members were carpenters, too. Many homes in this western Pennsylvania area were built by my Kirker and Kiesling ancestors. Grandpa was a Kirker and Gramdma, Ida Matilda, was a Kiesling.
My husband and I purchased this present home in the summer of `1967. We moved into the house in June that year. It was a familiar landscape, because my grandparents and ancestors all lived in this village for generations before I was born. In fact, my ancesters built and lived in many of the homes nearby in the original “village” that lingers along the banks of the two creeks, and contains three bridges.
My husband, Bob, and I came here to live in this village in western Pennsylvania With our two daughters. Salome was 4 and Heidi was 2. Three more children arrived in the years that followed. Ilsa is our youngest daughter.
In 2014, I wrote a poem about a visit with Ilsa. It seems that I always learn something new when my adult children are here visiting. On this particular visit, Ilsa taught me how to cut the stems of my roses so that they would stay fresh and last longer in a vase of water.
“There is no such thing as an ordinary moment.” ~Paula White
See the poem, below.
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My Daughter Cut the Roses
My daughter looked
at the bouquet of fresh roses
noticed two of them were drooping.
“Let me show you how to trim the roses
so they stay fresh and strong.” she said.
Her hands held the roses tenderly
One-by-one, trimmed off extra leaves
“These will make the water stink,” she said.
She found scissors in the drawer
put the roses in a bowl of tepid water
held each stem under water
sliced them all, diagonally –
“As I cut the rose under the water,
little bubbles of air come to the surface.
Now, when the rose inhales
it will only breathe water into it,
it won’t fill up with air.
The living water inside the stems
gives longer life to each rose.”
She carried the freshened flowers
In the tall glass vase
back to the center of the dining room table
darkest crimson buds, sunny yellow petals,
deep green fern leaves
and a frilly white carnation.
by Lynda McKinney Lambert. Copyright 2014. All rights reserved..
First Published by Magnets and Ladders: Voices of Writers with Disabilities, Inc.
Read the Latest Issue of Magnets and Ladders: Voices of Writers with Disabilities Read it here!
Scripture
I refer to the Source of Truth – the Holy Bible.
I’ve added a VIDEO below, and I think this is the perfect way to introduce the scripture for Coming Home. Whatt do you think? I think yo will really enjoy the music and the message that reflect how I define what it means to be HOME.
© Lynda McKinney Lambert. All Rights Reserved. 2026.
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Published:
My Daughter Cut the roses, poem (2014)
_First Published by Magnets and Ladders Literary Magazine, Spring/Summer Issue, 2015 Read it Here!
_Lambert, Lynda McKinney. Walking by Inner Vision: Stories & Poems, 2017
_Lambert, Lynda McKinney. Star Signs: New and Selected Poems, DLD Books, 2019
_Lambert, Lynda McKinney – first snow, Finishing Line Press, 2020
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BONUS – VIDEO
Our home was the place where they all grew up over the following years.
As I was writing this article, I came across a lovely video that describes how I feel about this house and our many years here, raising our children. This video is one that brought good memories and left me smiling and thankful to God for our children and our life together.
A HOME is what we make together, as a family. A HOME is the place we can return to at any time, and where we celebrate birthdays, holidays, and just a little visit without any invitation. This link will take you to the video. Home
©Lynda’s Journal of Blessings, 2026._
Note About my Blessing Articles:
- In 2026, I am authoring a weekly article on my blog Walking by Inner Vision This is a collection of non-fiction stories based on the theme of “God’s Blessings.” I publish one every Sunday, and plan to create a book for publication in 2027. I am creating the book simultaneously, with each week’s focus and essay, here on the blog.
Writing a sequence of short essays, or memoirs, requires discipline and foresight. As I begin to author the essay for the week, I never know in advance what I will be writing. I wait to see what God has in mind for me to talk about. Often, the theme does not come to my mind until Saturday. In fact, I begin writing without knowing where it will eventually lead me. I think of it as a little journey that begins with no destination in mind. As I travel down the distant pathway, the theme begins to weave a story that will eventually be an article like the one you are reading right now. I walk in faith, knowing that before Sunday arrives, the theme will be established and my article will be submitted for publishing on my blog.
Themes are so much like my springtime journeys and the joy of walking on a beach looking for shells.
Though I am retired from my long-distance and international travels and teaching adventures, I am still faithfully searching for objectives every day and waiting for God to lead me to the theme for my writing projects.
In the same way that I walked with my students on the beaches in Puerto Rico, , eventually, I still discover the beautiful shells among the faithful words in my stories and poems.
Thank you for walking on this literary beach with me.
Daily Action Plan
- Consider what “Coming Home” means to you.
- Write in your journal about a particular time when you came home to visit your parents or other family members.
- Is there someone you could visit in person, or contact with a card or letter today?
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EXTRA…EXTRA…
“Two more days before I get my “ONE WORD” for 2023. Two more days to live with my 2022 word, “Evergreen.” I have had eight years of choosing ONE WORD for the year at this time. I have learned so much by doing this. Each year I find that the word takes me on journeys and gives me new ideas and wisdom. I grow and expand in new ways.”
©Lynda’s Journal of Blessings, 2026._
Please share my weekly articles as a blessing to others.
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” Lynda’s Prayer Garden”
Photo by Bob Lambert
FYI
More About Me Here
See My Books Here
Note:
What inspired me to begin writing blog posts about BLESSINGS?
In November 2025, I participated in a 21-day challenge to write three blessings each day (for 21 days) I began to see blessings in my life every day. Perhaps blessings were always there, but at this time I became aware of them because I was thinking about writing them down. When we can write down important things in our daily life, we can grow significantly in our spiritual walk with God.
This new awareness of daily blessings has become a template for living.
Thus, my awareness has led me to share what I am learning and receiving. I have discovered that my days are so much better since I began to look forward to those discoveries.
Your comments and prayers inspire the best in me.
Thank you for sharing my Sunday Blessings posts with others to encourage them and share the Love of Jesus.
©Lynda’s Journal of Blessings, 2026.
_365 Days_
This phrase is my ONE WORD for 2026
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Listen to this Interview with Lynda Listen Here!
Each Day Holds Some Small Joy – Collection of Haiku and Tanka nature poems.
You May Also Like:
Songs for the Pilgrimage…A Collection of Poems and short writings from journals and travels
Songs for the Pilgrimage:
Purchase Lynda’s Books at Amazon
©Lynda McKinney Lambert, 2026. All rights reserved.
Photo: Courtesy of Allauthor. Thank you!
Books illustrated were created by DLD Books.
Lynda has 6 published books.
Memoir, Poetry, Non-fiction.
More About Lynda
©Lynda’s Journal of Blessings, 2026.