On the Road People

A little over a week ago we were at Zion Nation Park.  I woke up after very few minutes of sleep early Saturday morning.  You see, I have this thing - a syndrome maybe.  I can NEVER sleep the first night I'm at the foot of a new National Park.  It is like the night before Christmas for me - I simply cannot wait to get into the park, explore the new area, and embark on adventures that Bilbo Baggins would approve of.  On top of the excitement of exploring Zion, I was facing crazy anxiety over the COVID-19 spread and being in Utah.  We wanted to be home to stop the spread but had no practical way of coming home early.  The night was full of tossing, turning, excitement, and anxiety. The next morning I was simply glad it was time to be awake.  My nervous/excited energy was still flowing with little need even for coffee!  We were up early, off to breakfast at the hotel, and then onward to Zion! At breakfast, we had become a Zion community in S...

Seven full days with my children on a trip is a long time.  A very long time.  Now, don't get me wrong, I am super thankful for our travels and experiences together.  Traveling in the wilderness gifts us a distraction free environment that gives us glimpses of my children's hearts.  On our hikes, even one minute of transparency and vulnerability is treasured deeply and stored in my heart. However, plane rides, van rides, and making stressful decisions in the moment with 3 highly energetic children is very intense.  My word of the week ended up being "HUSH!"  I think it's because I was tired of SHHH and hush seemed like the most child appropriate version of other words I could think of to BE QUIET! Our kids are full of noises, outbursts, hyperactivity, laughter, and obnoxious behavior.  Multiple times a day, usually in some kind of vehicle or the 4 walls of a hotel room I spoke "HUSH" into their lives.  HUSH!  I would threaten them with ev...

I am a fixer and a doer.  I am a planner and adventurous.  I am an achiever and a perfectionist.  Until this week.  Now I'm a...not so sure what the heck I am. This week uprooted our world.  You see, I had a plan when I returned from vacation.  I had a to-do list.  I had visions to strive for,  lists to accomplish, ministry events to plan, goals to reach, gym classes to attend, and new recipes to cook.  In less than a week every single one of those plans were wiped clean. I know I've been needing a break.  I know I've been needing to slow down and live a more worshipful lifestyle and manageable pace.  I know I've needed to be more present, available, and have more margin in my life.  I knew all this, yet I didn't act. Now today, I'm facing a day when everything on my calendar is obsolete.   There are no gym classes at the Campus to attend, no church meetings to attend, no office hours, no kids' activities, no ...

We are all on our own road and personal journey right now.  I'd like to reflect for a moment on the parable of the Good Samaritan.  In Luke, Jesus wrote of the Good Samaritan who traveled down the road to Jericho and came across a man who was injured and needed help.  Prior to his arrival, three other religious men walked down the same road but passed by the man with a hasty excuse.  The Good Samaritan was on his road with a destination to reach.  Yet, he stopped his daily plan, took great care of the injured man, found him housing, and paid for his stay.  All this when both men were supposed to be enemies due to cultural disputes.  What amazes me about this story is that the Good Samaritan not only helped the man in need but he was present, accessible, compassionate, and acted.  He didn't just pray for the man or give him words of encouragement or Scripture.  He acted.  He cared for his injuries, helped him get to Jericho, paid for his...