Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28

Life’s been pretty hectic lately and I’m so jazzed to have a 3 day weekend. My labor day plans? Rest. Just relax with the family around the house. Nothing big - just watch the Braves and cook some bean burgers. I love these lazy days because they never seem to come around.

So how are you spenidng your labor day?

I’m off for Big Shindig weekend on a spiritual retreat. This is something that’s direly needed. So I’m driving with a van full of folks.  I’m taking my Bible, an Erwin McManus book, and a tired soul. I’m excited to get out of town and spend some time with the Lord.

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.
-John Lubbock

I’ve been feeling a bit stressed lately. My body’s been feeling the toll of it as well (eg. twitchy eye, heartburn). So I was told that I need to rest more. Not sleep. Just relax and rest. I know that all day long I go, go go. So I’m trying to slow down when I have time.

I was reminded this morning:

“Rest in the Lord…”  Psalm 37:7

So let me ask you this. What does rest mean to you? How do you do it?

Okay, so we’ve been basically burning the candle at both ends lately as a family. New baby, new job at work, meetings at church, AWANA, in-laws visiting, school starting… the list goes on and on. So we decided to actually treat today as the Sabbath - not Sunday - but as an actual day of rest.

So, thus marksPajama Day. No church, no errands to run, no agendas, no projects, nothing.

After I returned from the Middle School Rock n’ Roll trip, everyone around the house - except me- got sick. When sickness hits like that the routine goes out the window. Kids aren’t sleeping thorough the night. Which means the adults don’t sleep through the night. It just throws everything off.

So this past weekend - all the long weekend - has been a recoup and refresh for the family. Thank God for these past few days off. It never ceases to amaze me that I won’t choose rest, it has to be forced upon me. I’d choose busyness and fatigue over refreshment. I guess I’m just a sadist. But it never fails, I run myself ragged and then God finds a way of kicking my butt and forcing me into a place of rest.

Did any of you have a restful weekend?