Recreation & Rest

Saturday, I'll drive down to Camp Adventure with my nephew, Tyler, and Liv's friend, Tori to pick up Liv (who's been leading a group of girls all week as their counselor) and head to the airport. We'll meet Laura, her brother, Bruce, and his wife, Heather and head to Florida.

Our destination is New Smyrna Beach where we'll link up with my in-laws, Harold and Myra. Beach-side, we'll spend the next seven days riding waves (actually my in-laws probably won't), swimming, eating seafood, and relaxing.

Recreation and rest.

I'm looking forward to it for a few reasons:

• Any time with Laura and Liv is treasured time for me. My girls make me smile and laugh. I love being with them.
• Laura's family accepted me as their own nearly 27 years ago. They're really good people (and I'd say that if they never read this).
• I need the rest. Laura needs to unplug. Liv is cruising fast this summer. She needs to rest. It'll be a week-long Sabbath. Actually, in Old Testament, Jewish terms, it's more like a festival. A week-long party. And that will be good rest.
• I'm seeing opportunity to continue practicing spiritual disciplines in this week.
  • I want to intentionally celebrate God's goodness over every meal, every cresting wave, every sunset, every book, every song on my Zune. I'll practice celebration. I hope to reap a fresh growth in joy (gosh, I hope everyone cooperates with my plan).
  • There will be opportunity to practice patience. This trip won't be all about me (nuts). This will be a shared experience (most of the time). They'll want to do things differently (read "wrong") than I do them. Human stuff will happen this week. Stupid human stuff. I'll have occasion to be impatient a time or two (and so will they, I suppose). I'll practice self-control. I'll hopefully grow in patience by extending grace, not merely tolerance (remember, rest, rest).
  • The ocean, the sand, the breeze, and the sun will help me meditate (I'll sneak away now and then for some quiet, not just because I'm impatient, but because I'm an introvert). I'm looking forward to connecting with God. I want to listen - on the beach and in the middle of noisy family conversation for what he might be saying.
• The waves refresh me. I don't surf though. A body board is good enough for me. Watching Olivia beside me, laughing and screaming as the waves crash over us is a hoot. And it's rest.
• I just finished my book, Lasting Impressions. I'm going to go read someone else's book this week.
• I'll be better for the task of leading my family, leading our church, and moving forward with my team after some rest. They all need me to rest.

I don't know that I'll have or find internet access to post often or at all while I am away (New Smyrna isn't your cutting-edge, technology town; people retire there). If you see a post related to church and ministry - I cheated and put it up in advance. If you see vacation pictures, I'm online - not to read email or engage work... only to post snapshots of recreation and rest.

See you soon...