Road Trips, Restoration, and Renewal

Yesterday morning we sent off a group of around 30 members of our church family, including our daughter Olivia, to Texas to work with a small congregation there on outreach efforts this coming week.  This road trip for them will be of great value to them in growing their faith and aide the membership of their hosts to restore their spirit of service and renew their efforts to reach those who have not found, or who may have forgotten about Jesus.

After sending this group off on their week long journey to Texas, Angie and I took a little road trip of our own.  We set out on the highways and byways of North Central Arkansas and enjoyed the beauty of God's creation.  For those who may never have been to Arkansas they have missed out, as our state is full of beauty that in many cases can only come from God.  The photos I have included are from Blanchard Springs near the microscopically small town of Fifty Six, AR.  What a beautiful site to have right here in our backyard.

Not only did we visit the spring, but stopped by Lake Norfork, a man made reservoir, but nonetheless capturing the beauty of God's creation all around it,  Throughout the journey it was hills and curves, trees and pastures, streams and sunshine, so much to take in and absorb.  The beauty of it all awoke my heart and restored my soul in a way that could not occur just hanging around the house.

The other piece of this journey was just spending some quiet time alone with my lovely wife.  We don't do that enough any more.  We enjoyed one another's company, talked of various subjects, and enjoyed a whole lot of oldies music, primarily from the 50's and 60's.  Yes we are old souls, and yes we are proud of it.  Had we not have taken advantage of this time together, in this way, we likely would have stayed in the ruts and routines of laundry and yard work.  Such a day would have done little to thrill our souls or inspire us in any way.  I am thankful to God for allowing us to take such a road trip, and even more thankful for what it meant to us emotionally, relationally, and spiritually.

Enjoy the beauty of God's creation.  It doesn't take a grand trip to the Rocky or Smoky Mountains, a vacation at the beach, or hiking in the Grand Canyon to set our eyes on God and His vast creative powers.  There are elements of it visible in everyday life, and additional bursts of it all within a one day road trip of your home, I dare say wherever you might live.  To DO WELL this week I challenge you to get off the beaten path, out of your routine and to seek God in a simple yet special way. 

Sleep and Life

How did you sleep last night? There are any among us who struggle in this area.  The Bible tells us in Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know I am God. . ."  This is good medicine for our body, mind, and soul.  Some of us have physical difficulties that give us problems with our sleep, such as sleep apnea.  Others can't stop their minds from working on the problems of the day.  No matter the issue we must realize that a lack of quality sleep dulls our senses, fatigues our bodies, and taxes our systems.  Several recent studies indicate sleep deprivation can impact us similarly to, if not more so, than being under the influence of alcohol.
A couple of thoughts to help us out in this area are to take breaks during your day to clear your mind even if it is just for a few minutes.  This temporary decompression will tend to make us more productive and put us in the habit of letting go, thereby making it easier to do the same at bedtime.  Second many of us go about our daily business in a dehydrated or nearly dehydrated state.  Additional hydration throughout our day will help us feel better and in turn help us sleep better at night.
Finally, as Christians the calming effect of prayer is a must.  Not a trite repetition ran through out of habit, but a simple thank you to God for seeing you through the day along with a request for a good night of sleep to prepare you for service to Him in the day to come. 
Try these simple tips to see if you can improve your sleep quality.  If you sleep better you will have more energy for God, your family, friends and work.  Sleep better, feel better, with God we will. . .

The Second New Year

Personally I have had some struggles the last couple of weeks with keeping my routines and commitments to improving my fitness.  This must change.  In order to be effective in my service to God I need to maintain the best level of health that I can.
Today I look at the back to school season as a "second new year", a time to renew or update my commitments.  So here are a few things that I am looking at to closeout the remainder of the calendar year:
1) Continue my daily Bible reading to complete the reading of the full text this year.
2) Continue toward my goal of reading 30 books this year.
3) Improve my physical activity level further to increase my average daily steps above 10000 per day for the month of September
4) Lower my weight to under 200 pounds by end of year.
As you can see these goals relate to fitness on the physical, mental, and spiritual levels addressing the whole person.  I challenge you to take a look here at "the second new year", and set a few simple goals.  Even if you fail to achieve them you will have at least taken the first step to improvement, recognizing where you are now.  Join me on the journey, set your sights on improvement, and remember "with God we will."