Rest

deck

 

For the last ten days, our family took some time off. We went to the beach at Pawley’s Island, South Carolina and enjoyed just having fun. We played golf. We went fishing, We played in the ocean and in the pool. We ate way too much food. We laughed and we acted crazy. And we visited a church and worshipped together while on vacation. The last few years have gone by way too quickly, and this is the first time we have ever taken a vacation this long. We have been a little stretched financially  over the past few years and have only been able to take long weekend trips, so this trip was extra special.

I quickly realized that when I am under stress, I am not that fun to be around. I don’t laugh as much and I’m always thinking about problems and what needs to be done. Personal conflict especially bothers me, and as a pastor, there are always people who don’t like something you’ve said or done. It’s hard for me to not take it personally, so I’ve had to learn that I can’t please everyone and that I only need to focus on pleasing God. Getting away helps me to focus on what is really important in life. I love what Mark Batterson says: A Change of Place + A Change of Pace = A Change of Perspective.

I appreciate everyone stepping up at Cornerstone while we were gone. I really am recharged and ready to move forward. I can’t wait to share some of what I’ve read and learned.

It was also great to disconnect from email, the blog, Facebook, and twitter. I checked things a few times, but I didn’t worry about responding to everyone, and I didn’t worry about what everyone else was doing. Our society has become consumed with reading about everyone else’s activities, while neglecting their own families. I don’t want to make that mistake. I am blessed to have an incredible family. My wife and I have been married for 17 years, and our journey together just keeps getting better.

Here are a few more pics from the trip.

Mike

I am a former design engineer who now pastors Cornerstone Community Church in Galax, Virginia. I'm passionate about following Jesus and I love technology. I've been married to Jennifer for 28 years, and we have three adult children.

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