A Day with KIDS!

Fridays are usually my Sabbath.  I'm a strong believer in taking a Sabbath every week.  I think we should take more seriously the 4th Commandment (See Exodus 20:8-11) and remember that we weren't supposed to work 7 days a week.

It's easy to say, but life is more complicated than that, isn't it?  It's HARD to be disciplined enough to look at your long and growing to-do list and set it aside for 24 hours so that you can focus on God and family and rest your body, mind and soul.

I try really hard to do this.  Most every Friday, I try to not work at all.  Most of our staff at PCC also shut down on Fridays.  People who do vocational ministry don't have typical or predictable schedules.  This is not to say that we're completely unique.  I know lots of people - from business owners to emergency professionals to teachers to homemakers - who all have crazy, erratic schedules.  There is always something that needs to be done and there is always a crisis.  You can probably relate.

That's all the more reason for you to take a time-out!  I like to say that you cannot give what you do not have.  Rest is important for your body.  Focusing on God and remembering His goodness is important for your spirit.  And playing - just raw, plain ol' fashioned fun - is good for your soul.

So, yesterday I had a chance to play hard for almost the entire day.  First, I let my boys play hookey from school and I took them to Busch Gardens.  We met my Mom and stepdad there, along with our daughter and her fiance, my brother, and another brother's two small kids, Max and Ava.  While the big kids went to ride rides, Susan and I stayed with Mom and Bob so that we could take the little kids on the little rides.

Yesterday at Busch Gardens, our 3 kids:  Daniel-18, Joshua-11 and Mary Ashleigh-22

I have to say that I originally thought this would be a chore...kind of like something I had to do, even though I really wanted to ride the big rides, I had to stay in toddler land and help with the...toddlers.

But I actually had a blast!  I forgot how fun it is to take little kids (Max is 3 and Ava is 2) to a place like Sesame Street Forest of Fun.  I rode with Max on his first roller coaster ride and both kids were mesmerized by pretty much everything.

We left the park early so that Susan could get ready for a MAJOR event at church last night - something we've never done before:  The Edge Half Nighter!  The Edge is the 5th and 6th grade group.  These are the kids that are not really little kids anymore, but they're not teenagers yet, either.  This Edge is fun and spiritual exploration and Bible study and small group - all tailor made just for them.  And last night, I got to spend a couple of hours having a blast with about 50 of them.  

For example, we played hide and seek in the Powhatan Campus building.  It was AWESOME!  Some kids found the most creative hiding places and they were so good, I actually started to worry.  "Have we ever lost a kids permanently playing this game?" I asked.  But once we started looking in every remote place, we uncovered their very good hiding places!

And of course, there was the Velcro Wall!  That thing is really cool, and was a big hit with the kids.  It was a really great day.  Check out these few pics...