I don’t take off for vacation until the end of the month, but I”m feeling the pull of it now… which is pretty unusual for me.
Do you need a vacation? It seems like the time leading up to getting away is more work than anything else! And I know I’m fortunate to get away and have a great job, but still, this pace can be tiring. I have to be responsible to take care of what I need to do before I leave.
I said it before and I’ll say it again – and I admit I’ve borrowed it from someone else – we need to:
- Divert daily
- Withdraw weekly, and
- Abandon annually
People who do this with the intentionality of spending time with Christ are the people who make it through life differently.
Bon voyage…in a few weeks. 
I realize it’s a blessing to have friends, a great job and fulfilling commitments… but does it ever feel like your schedule is strangling you?
I’m feeling it a little bit…
Between my daughter’s graduation, a sons marriage, other weddings I’m officiating and other responsibilities of the church, it can get crazy.
I can let it strangle me or make it a priority to weave my busy day with God’s word, reflect upon what it says and respond with obedience.
When I spend time with Christ praying ,reading, journaling, even when hectic, there’s a peace around me.
I can’t do it on my own. When I try it just doesn’t go right. You’d think I’d learn sometimes! But I’m learning and have a long way to go….
I love it when I talk to people who can at a moment’s notice remember the words to the opening theme song from an 80′s sitcom, but who can barely remember what they had for lunch yesterday!
Now I’m no brain-iak, but between ATM PINs, online account passwords and phone numbers, it’s tough to cram more info into my brain!
A recent study found that immediately after a 10-minute presentation, people only remembered 50% of what was said. By the next day that had dropped to 25%, and a week later it was 10%. While this is humbling considering what I do for a living, one thing is clear – you can’t expect to be able to stay sustained from only attending church on Sunday!
Memorizing scripture, God’s word, the manual God gives us to live by is a huge priority for my life – so forgive me if I forget what I had for lunch yesterday…
Being able to use a Bible verse when I’m praying, when someone else needs it helps me calibrate and changes my attitude. God’s wisdom is far greater than my wisdom.
1 Thessalonians 5: 16 – 18: Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
What this means to me is to always be joyful, always be praying, no matter what happens, always be thankful. If I’m joyful I’m praying and I’m always thankful. I’ll have a different demeanor in my life, a different bounce in my step.
By living this verse, by memorizing it, I can be reminded to:
1. Be a positive influence on others.
2. Live in a joyful way that can’t be manufactured.
When I’m tapped into God’s spirit and His word, this comes easily, even when I can’t remember a name!
I’m at a transition in my life.
My baby girl, my only daughter…. and I’m getting emotional just writing this… my angel, my gift from God, is graduating.
I’m so proud of her!
And while I’m sad about this big change in her life and what it means for me, I wouldn’t take it away from her for one second.
Those moments in the car picking her up from cheerleading practice, driving her home from school, her asking me to get a coffee from Biggby… list goes on and on…
She’s in another phase in her life and as a result I am too.
It is what it is and I can’t stop her from growing up. I’m glad she knows Jesus and I pray she will continue to be guided by Him.
Even if it means I get a little sappy.
Image via.
…when it comes to a recently departed friend… a lot.
Father Leo Lulko led the Holy Spirit Catholic Church for 33 years and was in fact a friend, a true partner in ministry, right up until his death last month. It didn’t matter what our “denomination” was. Leo and I got in many great conversations about life, about God and to be honest sometimes they were lively debates. We always respected each other and I appreciated that so much.
We lost a man who truly sought Christ and made an incredible difference. Just look at the sheer number of people who turned out for his funeral!
He will be missed by me, by our local Catholic church and by the countless other lives he touched. He followed Christ and honored his calling.
Thanks Leo, I miss you already!