Down Time

After a very busy spring leading up to Easter Sunday, Rachel and I loaded the Tahoe, packed up the girls, and headed 8 hours down the road to spend a week with my mom in Dallas--thank God for lots of beef jerky and a DVD player with "I Love Lucy" re-runs. It makes those long trips bearable! (What did our parents ever do with us before the age of technology? You can only play "I spy" and count Volkswagons for so long before you end up declaring war and marking off your "do-not-cross-this-line" space in the back seat.)

It was a great time to let off the accelerator of life and get caught up with what's happening in the world of sports. I must have watched a dozen hours of ESPN Classic, getting caught up on the past 15 years I have gone without cable! It's amazing what you can learn by watching old news...I just found out that Larry Bird retired from the Boston Celtics--just teasing...it's not that bad.

One of the highlights of our time off was the day we went to the Galleria and decided to try out some ice skating. The girls have never seen snow before, much less gone ice skating. Talk about "down time." I think I spent more time being down than I did standing up! Word of wisdom to all you rookie ice skaters like me: never do an intense leg workout 24 hours before you try your luck on ice...it can be brutal! Alexa, is my little ice princess. She's never seen a risk that she didn't like to take. Mikaela, on the other hand, took a lot more convincing before she reluctantly strapped on the blades and held on for dear life! It took some creativity and a lot of perspiration to do our laps around the rink, but we finally found a way that worked. I scooped her in with my right arm, pinned her little body between my knees so her skates were on the ice, and grabbed the rail to pull us forward with my left arm (do not try this at home without the help of a trained professional). I've been walking funny for the past 4 days!! If you've been praying about how to kill your pride and destroy the "cool-factor" that can hinder your spiritual development, I think I have the revelation you've been looking for.

Rest and recreation are two important components of God's plan for our spiritual and emotional health. If you've been runnin' and gunnin' with little time for either, make sure you carve out time soon to include them in your routine. It will help you laugh at yourself more, learn about life easier, and love those around you better!