Travel Guides, Prayer, and Brave New World Vs. The Family

There’s really no place like home. I’ve been in Northern California for six weeks now, and I’ve already grown slightly immune to the charms of the geometrical beauty of orchards, the pastoral views along the freeway, and our glorious sunsets.

I realize now that my semester at CBU was a delicious vacation. At school, no one called me to pick up siblings, go into work, do an extra load of dishes, or come “watch the pool” (SJ’s favorite). Indeed, college is a weird respite from the Real World. As much as I liked school, I disliked the lack of obligations.

My time at home has been busy and fruitful: reading, working, and being with family. I was reminded of how much I loved my church, and at home, there’s no such thing as skipping church to sleep.
I’m now faced with a decision: whether to return to CBU in the fall of 2011 or transfer to PHC. Fiscally, practically, humanly, CBU is the best idea by far. But my God supersedes all things fiscal, practical, and especially human. My job right now is to pray that God leads me exactly to the school He wants me to attend. I do wonder sometimes if my wander-lust is what prompts my academic wanderings. 
Currently, my family is bereft of our little Abraham. Moose decided to join the Nelson family for the summer, living an 11 year old’s paradise. He will be one of 6 boys 14 and under living in the Nelson home, working on their small vegetable farm, and having adventures at The Ranch (for it is its own entity). I’m going to miss my little brother. Yes, he’s loud, and I dislike folding his underwear; but in our family of nine, each person adds his own personality to contribute to the delicious soup that is the Stephen Manthei family.
Several weeks ago I reread Brave New World. Today I realized how analogous families are to the clones in that story, yet how different we are. My siblings and I share the same religious, political, fiscal, automotive, and often, food preferences. People have told us that are faces are eerily similar—cookie cutter children. However, each one of us is a unique person with his own strong personality. God, in His wisdom, created the family to do that: produce people with similar views, yet contrasting personalities. The family is a beautiful and intricate creation.