Reflection & Relaxation….it’s a Choice!

Sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is to relax and refresh our spirits. Our bodies were not meant to Go, Go, Go, without times of reflection and rest. Unfortunately, this is one of the things we often fail to do . . . especially pastors! How will everything get done? Who’s going to answer all the questions that need attention? How will everything run smoothly if I’m not there? I have found that I can get so busy planning and doing church work that it's all I think about (even when I’m trying to rest). So . . . what do you do? For my peace of mind I've learned that I have to intentionally plan frequent getaways, whether it’s a day trip or several days of vacation time, but I need to take the time to just slow down and refresh my body and spirit.

 

Recently, Cathy and I took a trip to Arizona for eleven days. Now I don’t know if you’re like me, but it took me almost two full days to realize I was actually on vacation before I finally started to relax. One thing I did differently on this trip was I decided not to take my laptop with me! I knew this would force me to concentrate on just enjoying my time away. IT WAS GREAT!  I was able to get some badly needed rest and I SO ENJOYED being able to just have downtime. We spent some incredible days with my 92 year old father in-law; (talking about the good old days); I went to a couple of Spring Training Games with my brother-in-law;  we spent time at the pool enjoying the sunshine and working on our much wanted tans; we read; we took evening walks; we sat outside each morning in the warm sun and drank our coffee listening to the sounds of birds chirping. We rested. I choose not do any ministry work; I choose not to get on my smart phone and check in everyday to the office; and most importantly, I made a conscious decision to trust that God was more than capable of taking care of things while I was away . . . after all - it is HIS church.

 

So . . . no matter what your profession; for your own health of mind and body . . . choose to get away as often as you can; choose to not take work with you; choose to trust in God's ability to handle things while your gone; and choose to enjoy the time you have simply relaxing and getting some needed rest!  It's amazing how good you will feel!

 

Pastor Dave

Attitude of Gratitude

Attitude is everything . . . at least that’s what my coach used to say, and you know what? He’s right! It’s amazing how different you view life when your have an attitude of gratitude. Recently, I started making a mental list of all the things in life that I’m grateful for: my wife; my marriage, my children, my grandchildren, my health; my calling as a pastor; my church family; that I can breathe; that I live in America; and I could go on and on and on. I have so much to be thankful for. What I’ve noticed is that when you have an attitude of gratitude you start appreciating the little things in life that we too often take for granted.

Prime example was last night. Out of the blue my daughter called and asked if we could watch two of her kids; (my grandchildren). And of course we said yes! I was thinking how thankful I was to have my grandchildren living so close to me. I don’t ever want to take that for granted. So, I was watching the Disney channel with my granddaughter, (her favorite); out of the blue she looked up at me and said, “I love you papa so much”! Well, needless to say I don’t have the words to describe how my heart melted in that moment.

 

Just saying . . . I'm so thankful!

Dave