Enjoying Being Home

I'm writing this on Friday, sitting out in my back yard.  I've joked about living in an area surrounded by cows and cornfields.  My chair is facing the cow pasture, but none are out where I can see them right now.  I can see the rows of green in the farm next to me, but I don't know how to tell if it's corn or soybeans yet.  The blue sky is broken up with a few white puffy clouds and the warm sun has the temperatures at about 70 degrees right now.  Its beautiful.

I'm really enjoying being home right now.  It's not just because the temperature is just right in a week where temps have been fluctuating from 40 to 80 degrees, although that does help.  It's because...

...I'm taking the time to slow down and enjoy the day.  I'm taking the time to slow down and enjoy God.  I'm taking the time to be with my family.

This is what I'm supposed to do on my day off, but it's been quite difficult to do over the past eight months.  Travel has messed with my schedule.  Tasks, deadlines, and unexpected emergencies have thrown any sense of control to the wind.  Fridays just haven't been a consistent day off for my Sabbath rest.  So, today I enjoy being home.

We just finished a series entitled "AHA."  It was based on the story of the prodigal son. (It's actually a story about a father and two sons.)  The series wrapped up with the father throwing a party for the younger son and the older son being angry about it.  He wasn't enjoying being home.

We begin a new series this Sunday.  I'm looking forward to it with more and more joy.  It is entitled "Breathe."  It's about the Holy Spirit.  It's about enjoying the Father.  It's about enjoying being home.  See you there.