I just received word via e-mail that my grandparents bought a house in Topeka. Wow! I knew they'd been looking, and pretty seriously, but there's that part of me that thought it wouldn't happen for a while, and part of me that didn't want it to happen.

Life is in general a progression of changes. Very few things in life are constant, but there are those few things. Friendship, Love, etc. Most of these are intangible. For me, there's been a few tangible things which have always been there in my life. One of these was the combination of things located at the old mail stop of Box 36 Rt. 1, Alma KS. The old farm house and surrounding lands occupied by Earl & Naomi Diepenbrock from the time they were married.

The address has since changed to accomodate 911 emergency being added to their phone service, and the land had slowly changed, from various things growing in the fields, various farm cats, various dogs - all trained not to chase the cats (a minor miracle), and slow changes to the house - from new concrete being poured on the, siding put up or cieling fans installed on the porch. But these slow changes didn't really have an impact - they were still living there, and it was always good times to visit. Memories of all the family get togetheres we had there, somehow craming 13 people into that small farm house for weekends or weeks at a time. Riding the tractor/lawn mowers because we wanted to be old enough to drive but would never be able to reach the pedals in the car. Playing in the creek. Feeding the cows. Smashing pennies on the train tracks. Cutting wood for the furnace. The smell of oak burning to heat the house. Being thankful that the Catholic Mass was earlier than the Lutheran service in town. Uncle John sleeping in the easy chair. Basketball in the Barn. The old forever rusting '57 chevy.

When I think about it, that place and my home church are the two places that have always been constant in my life. Time marches on. Soon that too will be lost, and new "constants" will be formed, only to also be eventually lost.

Times are hard, Times have changed, Don't you say
But I keep holding on to You
It's hard to keep the faith alive day to day
Leaning on the strength I've found in You
"You are my Hope" by Skillet