A Whole Month?!

A whole month. It’s odd to think about the fact, that for the whole month of July our family has been away from home.
That being said, it is with great reluctance and mixed emotions that we turn our truck South and make the last few legs of our journey. This last night will probably be our last multiple night in a campground.
Don’t get me wrong, we still have some of the best sites in front of us as we drive the Oregon/Northern California Coast, but there’s something that drains a little of the color our of the view when we think about returning to what we’ve called “Normal Life” (I’m not so sure it’s normal, or should be normal, it’s just the non-Biblical dysfunction that we’ve all decided to settle into).
And so we begin the journey South…
More Rambling Reflections…
• I am thankful for 24/7 time with my family. Spending this much uninterrupted time with my boys has allowed Kiley and I to gain insight into their personalities, character and world that we might miss when we share their time with school, work, etc. We’re better parents, I hope, because of this time, even though I have felt, more often, like a worse parent this summer. (How many times do I have to say “No” to buying another tacky overpriced souvenir?!)
• The Holy Spirit has done some serious overhauling inside me. I’m not ready to talk about much of it yet to anyone but Kiley, but I pray that it’s permanent. Saying, that, there are a few things I hope to follow-through on:
o Listen more, talk less.
o Keep my soul well fed and my emotions and body increasingly healthy.
o Put my ego and pride on the cross and keep them from poisoning my thinking and causing me to open my mouth.
o Remember that I really am not smart enough to think that I know how God wants His church to move. I am utterly dependent on Him because every church is uniquely designed by Him.
o Encourage and express my belief in people more and inflict the weakness of my personality to give suggestions as to how they might be better less.
o Give priority to my relational world, beginning with my family, no matter what the cost or price.
o Practice Sabbatical living (engage in Biblical patterns of rest, celebration, and relationships – by the way, those are three different kinds of time off, not the same)
• I am thankful for an extended family that we enjoy…on both sides of the family.
• I love our camper. Yes, we’ll probably sell it this year to replace the savings we’ve drained, but we’re hooked. ☺ (my friend Jim said we would be).
• Our family is called to be in the ministry. It’s in our blood. It’s who we are. It’s the way we think.
• I need to read more of the books that the world around me is reading and less of those that keep me trapped in Christianese-thinking.