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Boiled Frogs...



I'm sure you have heard it said that if you put a frog in boiling water it will jump right out.  But if you put a frog in a pan of water and slowly turn up the heat then the frog will stay in the pan and be boiled.

Ever feel like boiled frog?

Today I wondered...what are we doing to ourselves?  To our families?  Our churches? Our minds and bodies? To our spirits and our hearts?  More importantly...why?  

We are running ourselves backwards.

Where are we going?  What is the cost of our craziness?

Days like today give me the quiet and space to realize how close to boiling I have become.  Having time without noise and without demands on my attention is divisive.  It divides reality from deception.  Divides real and fake; authentic and hollow; shallow and significant.  

Spreading my calendar, boys' schedules and journal across my dining room table...I intentionally looked for places to carve out time.  

First I listed what we had talked about doing for fun:
Camping out
Rockies Game Weekend
Visits to Family
Family Fest
 

Then after adding all of the work and activity schedules I thought about ways to make those events relaxing and refreshing.  Could we spend the night before the game?  Or visit a museum when we go to another town?

Finally, I began marking off days for the fun stuff so we can plan ahead and take the time to make it happen.

Many years ago my husband and I decided that if we were going to make it for the long haul in our callings and work that we had to carve out the summer.  Summer is when most people gear up and get lots done so we give ourselves a let down time.   Many of our classes and groups are semester based and people are in and out for vacations etc.  So instead bashing our heads against the wall we instead focus our church on "hanging out" and just "organically" be together.  Accepting what is and letting the rest go.


So before we are all completed boiled up frogs...let's get out of the pot and turn down the heat.  Take some time to drop the thermometer and "chill!"
 


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