Spent the last four days at Smith Mountain Lake in southern Virginia. What a blast. Caught 27 fish off the dock. Parker took the fishing honors, but Summer pulled in her fair share. And Josiah pulled in his first fish! Somehow we managed to go canoeing as a family without tipping over. Did a little exploring. And played a ton of board games–monopoly, cranium, and guesstures. So great to get away for a few days and be together as a family!

One of my New Year’s Resolutions was to use all my vacation days in 07. I’m realizing more and more that vacation days are sacred. One of the great challenges pastors face is their life totally revolving around church. I don’t think it’s healthy. And it makes us less effective! One way I’m trying to put my family first is by prioritizing my time with them. I’ll be honest. It’s hard for me to check out. I’m pretty driven. And I love what I do. But I love my family more. I’m reminded of that after a week like this.