Frequently Disconnected

Our family has just returned from our annual vacation where we hide out on the beach and completely unplug. It's a refreshing time for the five of us to be together and eliminate many of the distractions we face back home. The past three years we have gone technology-free in an effort to engage in the moment without having our attention pulled to social media and the need to respond to every email and text. My wife and I agree we could have stayed for another week while our teenage daughters were not as willing to forgo that connection any longer (or to share a room for one more day either.) All of us agree, however, on the health of disconnecting.

There is tremendous value in stepping away from the frenetic pace of life on a regular basis. While we have committed to making our family vacations free from the tether of our electronic devices, I think we need to make this a more consistent habit. Too much life can pass us by when we are constantly feeling the need to be connected to the rest of the world. Our week away proved that the world can keep moving just fine without my input, influence, or reflections. It's a healthy reminder of the need to focus on the people and events taking place right in front of us.

Are you feeling the need to unplug from the rest of the world? How can you create space to be in the moment and enjoy the people sharing your physical space? What do you need to do to make this a regular habit to help you refocus on what matters most?

Pause

One of the things I've been looking forward to in Arizona was running in the morning. As much as running has now become part of who I am, I love the experience of running in new places. Even though the territory out here is familiar, it isn't the same neighborhoods and routes I am accustomed to traveling.

I enjoy the scenery when I run, but I am also focused on keeping my training goals in mind and making good time. I use a running app to track my speed and have it set to let me know my mile intervals so I can adjust my pace. When I was running yesterday, I was hitting a good stride (especially for being at 6500 feet above sea level) and crested a hill to see the sun peeking over the trees. Normally, I don't do anything to break my rhythm, but I decided I needed to stop and take a picture to capture a moment that would be gone very quickly as the sun continued to rise. I paused my running app and quickly snapped a photo before continuing on my way. It was worth the momentary stop to capture a moment.

I probably need to practice that concept more often. In the hectic pace of trying to keep moving forward and keeping up with the flow of life around me, I forget to stop and capture the simple beauty of what is happening around me. Life isn't just made up of forward progress and productivity, but it's also in the moments you stop and enjoy along the way.

Low Levels

I have a wireless headset I use to listen to music when I'm running. It keeps a charge for a decent amount of time and will also warn me when the battery needs to be recharged. It will interrupt my music to speak, "battery is low" in my headphones. I was about 2/3 of the way through my run today when it started the warning. It repeated the warning as I was about to start the last mile of my long run and I blurted out loud, "Mine is too!"

Wouldn't it be convenient if we had a warning sign when our personal battery level was getting low? It would be a clear signal that it was time to stop and recharge before our minds and/or bodies quit. In retrospect, we do have those warnings if we learn to pay attention to them. Decreased personal battery levels show themselves in our irritability, difficulty sleeping, lack of concentration, diminished creativity, lack of patience, overlooking of details, and even personal relationship upheaval. These all point to low energy reserves and predict a crash on the horizon if we don't do something to restore our levels.

Today's the Day

We spent the day with our girls out of town on my weekly day off. It's a trip we had talked about a couple of months ago and intentionally scheduled for today . We went tubing down a river, had a picnic lunch, walked around a town while window shopping, took photo booth pictures, and listened to music while playing car games on the way home. It was a perfectly timed day spent with the four most important ladies in my life and one I desperately needed.

Time with family is essential to my health and while I value the small daily and weekly interactions, these trips are very important as well. I've just got to make sure to plan them out so they happen more frequently for all of us to enjoy. I wouldn't have traded anything for today and the reminders of what matters most. Even the small memories we make have tremendous value.

The Trap of Busyness

A book I recently read convicted me about the busyness of my schedule. In fact, my full calendar had become an area of pride and a marker of professional significance. Obviously, this is less than healthy as it leads me to avoiding rest and looking for ways to inflate my self-worth through a full slate of activities and meetings. As a result, I’ve been meditating on ways to change my perspective and alleviate some of my self-imposed stress.

My personality and work ethic won’t allow me to simply “pull back” and ease up on the accelerator (at least not for extended periods of time.) I’m discovering I need to take a two-pronged approach to altering my pursuit of busyness. First, I must take more intentional time to rest. This starts with a regular weekly observance of Sabbath and also ways of resting my mind and body throughout the week. This will hopefully refresh me on a more regular basis and allow me to keep up a more regular pace.

The second focus is on being busy in the right way. I don’t believe all busyness is negative, but instead of allowing "all things" to dominate my schedule I need to be strategic with what I do. I need to be clear on my personal and professional purpose and do the things that lead me further along that path. This is the principle of missional velocity—moving intently in a direction with the purpose of fulfilling my calling.

I’m not going to fix this overnight, but I also haven’t become a “busyaholic” that quickly either. I’m striving to become more intentional about the balance of rest and purpose and feel certain I’ll be in recovery for the rest of my life.

Thankful Thoughts

It's not Thanksgiving, but I found myself thinking about the things in my life that I am grateful for today. I started to post a brief comment about it via social media, but felt that my gratitude would be better expressed in blog form. It's not a comprehensive list, but hopefully it reflects a few of the things I am grateful for today.

• A day off to replenish my energy reserves
• A stack of books I am excited to read
• The opportunity to preach this Sunday
• Having the windows open while cool breezes blow through the house
• Better physical health
• Being madly in love with the woman who has my heart
• Three maturing young daughters who also have my heart
• Connecting with people over coffee
• Confidence in knowing that I am a work in a progress that is heading in the right direction
• Looking forward to a good dinner
• Grace that redeems my past and offers a better future
• Having my mind stimulated by new ways of thinking
• The love of a faithful dog
• Grace-have I mentioned how thankful I am for this?

Close to Perfect

Perfection is unattainable, but there are some times when the details come together in a way that is good medicine for your soul. What does that day of rest look like?

• Waking up without having to get right out of bed, but spending the next hour in quiet, dozy, meditative thought and prayer
• Coffee being ready when I finally rise
• Two hours on our back deck with my wife, our dogs, and my Bible
• A random conversation with a kind, older, out of town couple in the parking lot of the church
• A lunch date with all three of my daughters filled with laughter and goofy stories
• Running into that same older couple as we went to lunch
• Parallel parking lessons with my oldest girl
• Playing a card game as a family instead of lounging in separate rooms
• A good nap with a puppy on the couch
• Ice cream for dinner
• Ending the night vegging with the love of my life.

I needed a day like today as refreshment from the weariness of the regular pace of life. It may not have been ideal for anyone else, but it was exactly what I needed.

Rest Up

Tomorrow is my weekly day off. I look forward to this day even though I actually love what I do (most days.) My passion is fueled by the fact that I'm doing what I have been called to do-it's more than a job to me. In ministry there are multiple projects going on at once, future planning & implementation to work through, people to invest in and develop, personal enrichment opportunities, and the day-to-day demands of caring for people. It wouldn't take much to convince me to work hard seven days a week just to attempt to keep up with the pace of ministry. While that might make me feel better about accomplishing my goals and crossing off tasks, I actually believe that I would be less effective attempting this pattern of work.

I've discovered that this day of rest is absolutely essential for my mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. The down time gives me a chance to break my weekly routine and gain some rest. I don't always spend the day lazing around, but the change of pace helps re-energize & refocus me to jump back in with increased strength. I've discovered that I'm actually able to produce at higher levels by taking a day away instead of powering through an extra day of work.

I guess God knew what He was talking about when He told us to rest.

A Closer Look

There is an ancient Christian practice called the prayer of examen. It was intended to be part of a

Sabbath reflection even though it has merit for each day. To take part in this liturgical devotion you would find a place to be quiet and ask two revealing questions.

1. Where did I feel most alive, most hopeful, most in the presence of God? 
2. Where did I feel most dead, most despairing, farthest from God?

Our answers will reveal the truth of how we see ourselves and our awareness of what brings us fulfillment. Inevitably, there will be weeks when it seems that we spend the bulk of our time in efforts that drain us emotionally. The key to peaceful maturity is to be able to stay in step with the Holy Spirit as we gain recognition of the small, life-giving things that God is working in our lives each day. This will help us celebrate these moments of spiritual prosperity while disciplining ourselves to stay centered in daily, life-giving practices with God.

Resting Discovery

I won't pretend to have the concept of Sabbath down pat. Even though I am fairly faithful (in recent years) with taking that day away from the demands of ministry, I don't always have the proper focus during that time. I find myself running all of the errands that must be done, catching up on reading, or otherwise occupying my mind. I'm missing out on the key component God intended for me to have: rest. 

I am learning that this is essential for survival as my mind, body, and spirit become weary and I function at less than full capacity otherwise. I am just learning that there is much more to Sabbath than my own recovery however. It's in the practice of quiet solitude (not just sleeping in late with a clear calendar) that I truly discover who God is. A packed ministry agenda might accomplish objectives and help lead people closer to Christ, but I am missing a level of personal intimacy when I am constantly on the go--even for the valid ministry of the church. 

It's in the rest (peaceful Sabbath) of God that we find the rest (all of Him) of God.

Stretched

“I am old, Gandalf. I don’t look it, but I am beginning to feel it in my heart of hearts. Well-preserved indeed!” he snorted. “Why, I feel all thin, sort of stretched, if you know what I mean: like butter that has been scraped over too much bread. That can’t be right. I need a change, or something.” 

Bilbo Baggins, The Fellowship of the Ring

I will admit that there have been times when Bilbo's words might have been my own. The demands of life,ministry, and personal ambition can threaten the necessary stability I seek. These feelings are warning signs that my life has been thrown out of balance and an adjustment is necessary. This highlights my need for rest and reinvigoration on a regular basis if I am going to thrive. When I stubbornly ignore that peaceful necessity I eventually run out of emotional, mental, physical and spiritual resources. I am left feeling like a hobbit in need of great change when the solution to my craving is to simply rest in the calming presence of my King who rejuvenates me completely.

The gift of the Sabbath is the remedy for this malaise. While it is often used as a desperate recovery tool when things are out of control, it was intended to be a regular respite for our soul. It's the recognition of our limited abilities and our dependence on God that gives us the strength to endure by finding regular rest. It's one of God's great gifts to us-it's why Jesus insisted that the Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath.

Refill

When you expend a great deal of energy you have to find time to replenish your reserves. Contrary to what we sometimes tell ourselves, we have a limited capacity for leadership and effective decision making. Even if that gift is exceptional we still need to rest to allow our mind, spirit, and body time to recuperate. Sometimes it's as simple as spending a morning reading, enjoying a simple lunch with your beautiful wife, and lounging in a recliner for the afternoon. It's a necessary process of finding peace, reveling in moments of quiet, and re-energizing for the days ahead.

Down Time

I enjoyed watching the video of the Miami Heat as they celebrated achieving their goal of winning the NBA championship. There was a tremendous release of emotion from a long arduous journey that included off season preparation, an 82 game schedule, and the intensity of the playoffs. For this team to win they had to be united and focused in their efforts over the long haul. As I listened to LeBron James he talked about taking some time to simply relax and enjoy the fruit of their labors.

It's good for all of us to find the time to celebrate and then to decompress. We end up running from one challenging part of the journey to another and never enjoying the moment or resting. A never-ending pace is not how we were wired even if we try to convince ourselves otherwise. We will enjoy victories more with a time of reflection and will find new energy for the next journey as we rest.

Rest Up

Today was the first day in over three weeks where I didn't have anything on my calendar to accomplish. I was able to sleep in, leisurely enjoy my coffee, catch up on website reading, and lay in my hammock. I
wasn't productive at all, but I also don't feel guilty about it either. We all need rest and too often I am foolish enough to believe that I can just keep going and everything will be fine. Not only do my relationships suffer from not having the time off, but I don't operate at the same speed and efficiency without that rest. There are times when the demands of life and ministry make it difficult (if not impossible) to maintain this weekly rest. However, I am reminded each time I rest how important it is in more ways than I can tangibly count.

1 out of 7

I take pride in my work ethic (that is a topic to be unpacked some other time) and struggle with taking time off. I have also worked for leaders who possess exemplary work ethics which set a precedent that infiltrates the entire organization. As a result, I have a difficult time relaxing and enjoying a vacation and especially struggle with taking a day off each week. In fact, I will often battle with a touch of guilt over taking time off when I know other people are working.

I recognize that this isn't the way it should be and that it requires a shift of my perspective. Instead of trying to determine whether I deserve time away (because I have earned it) it needs to be more about simply obeying God's directive to rest. He gave us the gift of the Sabbath so that we would bring a halt to the chaotic pace of normal living and refresh ourselves. It's a day that re-energizes us and allows us to remember the important things in our lives. It provides a solid reminder that we need to depend on Him for our strength and that the universe can roll along just fine without our input--even if it's just for one day.

Nothing Happening

I am a thinker and like to analyze & process things as I make decisions. This week has challenged my thoughts in many different things: parenting, ministry, vision, relationships, and even purpose. I don't have a lot of clear answers for these things just yet, but they are a work in progress. As a result of this, my sleep pattern has been off more than usual and the end of the week has left me more tired than usual.

These facts ended up changing my Friday-day-off routine. I normally mow yards (ours & our neighbors) and catch up on leadership podcasts & sermon series while doing so. Today I just couldn't bring myself to challenge my mind anymore & simply put my iPod on shuffle and mowed. My eclectic collection of tunes provided the soundtrack I needed today & gave my brain some much needed rest. 

This mental break only reinforces the decree from God to take a Sabbath. While I like to push myself to limits (and beyond) I'm only cheating myself when I don't "unplug" and allow myself to rest. I won't necessarily do a better job of it next week, but I'm hoping that I can slowly start to make progress in the art of doing nothing.

Day Off

It's not always intentional, but with the busy schedule of ministry, the list of household tasks that never ends, and life circumstances (surgery, sickness, etc.) I forget to have a true weekly day of rest. I know that I am not the only one that falls victim to this, but that doesn't make it right for any of us. God intended for us to have that weekly break for reflection on Him and for spiritual and physical refreshing. I am always grateful for the day when I take the time to enjoy it & wonder why I only allow it to happen periodically.

I had no agenda or schedule coming into today and can happily reflect on coffee, reading time, lunch with my wife & listening to my children play in the lake for hours. I love how God gives simple gifts like the time to enjoy what He has blessed me with. I've got to make sure that I regularly pause my scheduled life to rest in it.

Rest

Today was my Sabbath. It's a day that I have worked to get better at honoring by not going to the office or spending too much time writing & prepping for anything ministry related. I don't know that I spent it exactly how I should have today, but after sleeping in some and reading for a couple of hours, I was fairly busy. I mowed our yard (and our next-door-neighbor/landlord's), got a haircut, and went to the store. It was a 5 1/2 hour process for all of those things and now the evening with my family awaits. My wife & I have differing opinions on what to do on the Sabbath, but this seems to work for me.

One of the things I enjoy doing the most on this day is mowing the yard. I believe firmly in Mark Batterson's statement, "Change of pace + change of place = change of perspective." Spending two hours mowing the lawn is where I find that change and become intrigued by the potential of what could be. In those moments riding in the hot sun, I see tantalizing glimpses of what my future could look like. As I listen to other pastors on my iPod riding around, I am excited by the vision of what God is doing & what He might have for me to do as well. It's a way for me to engage with Him and be relieved of the some of the day-to-day routine.

Perhaps this is one of the greatest benefits of Sabbath for me. It is a way to reconnect with God and find rest and stimulation all at the same time.

Restful

I don't always do "rest" well. I get that it's important to my overall health and I completely understand God's command to do it. It's just that I struggle with sitting and not doing anything. Part of it is a feeling of guilt over not always reading, writing, or trying to get better. Honestly, part of it is a continual drive to prove my value by constantly working. I feel that I have to work a ridiculous schedule so that I can take an afternoon off and not feel badly that I was resting.

I did manage to take that time this afternoon. I talked with my wife, watched my kids play outside, played some guitar, read in my hammock (fiction too-simple brain candy), perused the internet and even watched some of the UF basketball game online. 

I struggled with it some as I kept wondering if I should be focused on something more productive, but I am slowly beginning to regain the understanding of my need for rest. It makes me appreciate the down time and provides the necessary energy to be more productive during the rest of the week.