Adjusting to Springtime

It's spring! How lovely it is! But oh, how grueling the transition.

For the past 10 days I've felt like I needed a nap. Have you?

Somehow "springing forward" into Daylight Saving Time ends up affecting me much more than losing one hour of sleep. I've felt downright bedraggled. I've struggled to get out of bed in the morning (it's so dark!). I've struggled with preparing dinner in a timely manner. I've stayed up way too late, and not just on NCAA tournament days.

But I can't complain too much, because here's how my house looked at 5:00 P.M. last week:

Isn't it nice to have light in the evenings?

Oh, Lord, thank you for the seasons.

And Lord, please improve my attitude about Daylight Saving Time.

What about you? Do you struggle with springing forward?

Welcoming the Lord

The calendar tells us it's not quite springtime yet, so our hearts may be a little surprised that it's already Palm Sunday.

Are we ready?

Is my heart prepared to welcome the Lord?  Is my mind open to welcome the Lord?  Is my soul ready to welcome the Lord?  Is my strength girded to welcome the Lord?

Oh, God, please make it so. Give us grace to welcome you, today and every day.

A different kind of dream vacation

When I was younger, I dreamed of vacation spots that looked like this:



Or this:

Or maybe this:

Maybe I dreamed about cobblestone streets and historic buildings.  Or perhaps I dreamed about glorious museums. Always, though, a vacation spot was some kind of preferred destination--some place I'd always wanted to go.

I'm on vacation this week, and this is the view from my room:

Nice, isn't it?

But I haven't dipped a toe in that pool. I haven't ventured onto a boat. I haven't walked on the beach. Why? Because this vacation wasn't about the destination. Sure, I'm in Florida, but the landscape isn't what I came to see. Instead, my vacation is about this:

That's my whole family, gathered around one table.

My oldest son (in the very back of the photo) became an officer in the U.S. Navy last fall. Since then, he's been at the Naval Air Station, in Pensacola, Florida, awaiting flight training. Soon he'll be part of the force of men and women who serve "around the world, around the clock." 

Oh, there are still plenty of spots on my list of preferred destinations. But for now, anywhere I can be with all of my children is a dream vacation for me.

Funny how dreams can change, isn't it?

How about you? What does your dream vacation look like?