Loss of Routine

Well, we finally made it. Today we begin our long anticipated vacation. We didn't have much success in getting any scheduled throughout the year, so now we are off until the end of the year. I am very much looking forward to the rest.

Having said that, there is something that bugs me about vacation. I can never seem to stay consistent with my time with the Lord when I am on vacation. For whatever reason, I often find myself going many days without it.

My first assumption is that it is due to the loss of routine in my life for those days. Not getting up at a specific time and having demands that dictate order in my life, seems to have something to do with it.

But then that leaves me with the question of discipline. Do I have any? I begin to wonder, "if the loss of routine in my life causes me to not do the things most important to me, then am I exercising discipline on the other days (non-vacation) or is it merely a habit?" It seems to me that habits and discipline are very different things. Is discipline only necessary up until something becomes a habit? And once something becomes a habit, does it still hold significance or does it become something just done within a larger cycle of repetition?

Hmmm, let's see if this vacation can be different. I may not be able to answer all of these questions, but at least I will be in proximity to the One who can.

I've been tagged . . .

Apparently, I have been tagged. I didn't know that was possible, but it seems that it is. The rules are: write 5 random facts about yourself and then list the five people whom you, in turn, tag.

1. I love to sit outside (under roof) during a storm at night.

2. I live to humiliate my kids (in fun ways!)

3. I really enjoy sports (watching and trying to play).

4. I climbed Pikes Peak once (it took 9 hours!)

5. I have gone to Barry Manilow in concert . . . twice.

I tag: Sue, Katie, Emily, Tom and Susan.

Bibles and Blogs

"If I should die before I wake . . . "

It struck me this past Sunday that I may die. Well, it didn't go exactly like that. I was preaching and I asked the congregation to open their Bibles and mentioned that, despite what they may have been told all their lives, it was OK to mark in their Bibles. I couldn't believe the stunned look some of the older folks gave me! When I prodded, some admitted that they struggle with this instruction. So, I explained that the way I see it, when we die, our Bibles, marked with our underlinings and margin notes and names of people we were thinking about when we read certain passages and prayers, would be an invaluable gift left to those we love. At this point the oldest of the saints leaned forward to the Corps Officer and whispered, rather loudly, "I guess I'm in trouble!"

Then, when I returned home and thought about this blog, it occurred to me that blogs can become the same sort of blessing to those left behind. If I were to die today, my blogs, or xangas, or whatever we may call them (depending on where their posted, I guess) would give a pretty good picture of who we were and what we were thinking. I couldn't even imagine how incredible it would be to find my name written in my father's Bible because of his prayers for me.

I'm not planning on dying tonight, but if I do, it is my prayer that those I leave behind would know how much I loved them and how I loved my Lord. I guess this is a start.

Skating?

As I look outside and see the newly fallen snow, I find my mind returning to memories of skating gracefully and falling somewhat less than gracefully on "The Resevoir," in Massillon, Ohio.

Upon joining the U.S. Army after High School, I quickly learned a new definition for the word skating. There, it meant sliding by without really doing much.

Personally, I have never had much success with the first description of skating. The second . . . well . . . we'll let that slide.

For whatever reason, in a recent dream of mine, I was riding on a skateboard. I say riding, because I don't think you can call sitting down on a moving skateboard skating. It was a strange dream. I was following my children who were riding their bicycles down the street. There was a great deal of traffic, but that didn't seem to phase any one of us.

It seemed as if we were riding for some time when we came up to a traffic signal and one by one we all filed into the turn lane in order to make a left-hand turn. Strangely, as I looked at where we were turning, there was no road, only a sidewalk. My oldest daughter, Katie, who is 12 turned with ease and was quickly followed by my youngest, Jimmy who is 7. Emily, 10, was next to go and planned on following. Emily started out across the busy intersection, but half way around the turn, her bike wobbled and she fell. I could see the cars coming and they didn't seem to even notice her. From my skateboard, I yelled with all my might (which, as you probably know, is tough to do in a dream!) "Emily, get up, there are cars coming! Get out of the road, Emily!" The cars got closer and I yelled louder. By now I was waving my arms wildly.

In a flash, several cars whizzed by and when I finally ran into the road, it was too late. Emily was gone. I screamed even louder and could do nothing but cry in the middle of the road. "Emily, please, wake up."

As you can imagine, I woke up in a start and could not calm myself down. I went to Emily's room and was over come with relief when I saw her intertwined with our Golden Retriever, Chloe in her bottom-bunk.

Relieved, or not, I certainly couldn't get back to sleep for some time. I decided to spend some time with the Lord in prayer about what I had just been through. "Why did I have this dream? Why Emily? Why didn't they see her and stop? Did they see her? Why did I just sit there and yell? This is my daughter, am I really that unwilling to put my life between her and the oncoming traffic?"

It wasn't long before the Holy Spirit began to gently show me that I do this everyday. Everyday I sit by idly as the world runs down His children. Whether it be my skating through life or just plain ol' cowardice, it isn't enough for me to sit and yell to them of the danger they are in. I must be willing to lay my life on the line, as He did for me. I must be willing to go into the traffic. The time is short. They are not promised safe crossing. He has given me eyes to see the danger they face. May He give me the courage and the resolve to give them more than lip service.