A Vacation with God

I was reading something on Lent recently, and the writer was saying that a loosely translated phrase for Lent was "a vacation with God". That has to be the best view of Lent that I have ever heard. Being Southern Baptist, Lent isn't something that I've consistently practiced. And, if I'm honest with myself, most years I give up something for less than spiritual reasons (ie., giving up something in order to lose weight---not exactly "the reason for the season", as they say).

This Lent season, I am going to make it a point to take at least one opportunity a day to "take a vacation with God"----to allow myself the freedom to "drift off" to a place where I can just converse with Him.

Last September, our family took a weekend to go to the beach. My mom went with us and gave Lee and I the treat of watching the kids in the afternoon so that Lee and I could just go sit on the beach by ourselves. Ya'll, it was the best "date" that Lee and I had taken in a long time. Just there, alone, with a beer, sitting and talking for 2 hours. Pure bliss.

That's what I want to do with God......just be, and talk, and get to know each other better. One day, it might be for 5 minutes and another for an hour---it might be talking, it might be singing, it might be being quiet---we'll see where God leads me......but I can't wait. God knows that I don't sit still and quiet very easily or very often....so, I know He is excited too. (Isn't that neat that God would get excited to spend time with us!?!?)

And, maybe, He'll allow me to drift off and imagine we're at the beach together, sittng in our beach chairs, listening to the waves that He created, and just chillin'.....I would have no arguments with that! : )

I may soon have a job at Google Maps....

ok, check out my new "lunch-time at my desk" pasttime.



http://jimspages.com/States.htm

Only done it once so far....got 84% right (42 out of 50 states).....average error was 33 miles....and a time of 321 seconds.

In my defense, Lee Academy let me skip Geography class in high school so that I could go to basketball practice. And, really, with Google Maps, Mapquest, etc----who needs a geography class anyway?? Lee Academy was so forward-thinking back in the late 80's/early 90's.

Hey UNC, Welcome to "Our House"

In honor of the Duke vs. UNC game at Cameron tonight, I thought I'd post one of my favorite moments from a Duke/UNC game of the past.

Lovin' the Weather!

The weather has been awesome the past few days. After church, we spent some time outside. We came in, changed clothes---and asked Reese to go get in her playclothes for outside.

This is what she chose....


Ah, my little princess.

The first picture I tried to take of her, she told me to "talk to the hand." Chip off the old block..what can I say...


So, Reese had fun on her scooter, and sliding upside down on the slide, in between torturing her brother,


Lee practiced the parenting skills for which he is so famous...



Until the kids decided to intervene...



And, we topped it off with a trip to Dairy Queen for hot fudge sundays.

Fun day had by all.

Do you see it?

"Miss" Paula (one of my mom's best friends---and a lady that did her fair share of raising me) sent me a picture of myself and Reagan ("Miss" Paula's daughter and one of my best friends growing up) when we were little. Fun to see a picture that takes me back. No cracks on the clothes, please---it was the 70's, early 80's at best.

Miss Paula said that she sees alot of Reese in my little face. What do you think? Do you see the resemblance?

I must admit that when I see my kids, I mostly see Lee. Every once in awhile, when John smiles a certain way, I see me in there. And then, of course, there are moments like the below when I can't deny the heritage I have lovingly passed down to my children....

Ah, how lucky they are to have a mom like me to teach them proper nutrition and table manners.