This is Looking To Be a Very Long Summer...

I am really hoping for something great to come along for Caroline in the next two months, because I am already being driven crazy by her boredom, which never seems to lead to doing things like helping around the house or cleaning her room.  I am wishing we had some amazing out of town trip planned for the whole summer like my pastor and his family are embarking on for their sabbatical this week.  We once had a two month sabbatical when my husband was on Young Life staff and I still treasure those memories of a wonderful family adventure in Colorado and California.  That was many years ago and now life just feels mundane.  The daily grind would definitely describe life at this point.  Between yesterday and today I have driven my kids and myself to six different doctor and dentist appointments!  And much of that meant driving 20 miles away and, several times.  A dear friend shared in a Bible study last night that she feels like she has no margin in her daily life to just breathe.  We all concurred that this is very much lacking in all of our lives right now.  I think margin has to be created, even if it is only for 10 minutes here, 20 minutes there.  Mine is my new daily morning walk, when I leave my kids and the cell phone behind, and for 30 minutes it is all about taking care of my need to be alone, to exercise, enjoy nature, and talk to God.  And I get my other "margin" at night when I plop into bed, pull out the Bible or some other great book and go to sleep thinking about what I have read, praying for those things to be worked out in my life and the lives of my loved ones, things like greater faith, grace, self-control, love, and leaving idols behind and embracing the truth that sets us free.  I pray for those small moments in your day to grab time for you, to breathe, to think, to pray.