Vacation and a Restless Mind

This was written last night, but posted this evening.

I’m restless. I’m very tired, but I’m restless. Today was a good day. My sermon apparently came across better than I thought it was. This afternoon I spent at a hospital because of my kids was going through terrible stomach pain. They thought it may have been gull stones, but it wasn’t and she was feeling better and went home today. On the way home she started hurting again so they are running some more tests. A mom in my youth group has a cancerous tumor on her breast. She will have surgery next month. They caught it early, and the family is doing pretty well with it. They have been through cancer before many times with their extended family. But I have been through another youth group family having breast cancer, and it was a difficult time. I hope they don’t have to do radiation.

My vacation was great, but it wore me out. I always stay up way too late visiting and I don’t get much sleep, then I am exhausted after my final day of too much driving because I want to maximize my visiting time. Despite the tiredness, it was a soul feast seeing so many friends and not having to worry about a thing. I am so terrible about keeping up with friends, thankfully they are forgiving and allow our friendships to carry on like we were never apart. I visited my friend Jeff in Searcy. Thanks for letting us crash there. I visited with some professors (Dr. Wages, Dr. Aquino, Dr. Childers for a moment, stupid finals week and a few others I got to see in passing) , my aunt and uncle, some friends (Dustin & Carolyn and Nancy) who still live in Abilene, and one I know from Cali (Grace) that is now going to ACU. I got to see my brother and sister-in-law in Waco, as well as her parents who I always enjoy. I also got to see a friend (Carl) that I met at Pepperdine who has since moved to Waco. His family lives a block from my brother. I also got to see a youth minister friend of mine (Rob) who I have known since before I was in high school (he was a youth minister then too). Then I went to Austin to see some dear college friends, Sarah and Joel, Holly, and Heather.

What made this trip much better though was being able to share it with a good friend Justin. I am so used to traveling alone, and it was so much better having great company along. Thanks for joining me Justin and being such a good traveling companion. Your excitement for seeing Texas the first time rubbed off on me and made everything so much more enjoyable. You kept me from having a lonely drive, especially back home. Lonliness…sounds like another post. More later this week. My mind has been taking inventory, and that is probably why I am restless. But writing this has helped. I’m going to bed.

-Written to “Pride” by White Lion, which I shamefully enjoy much more than I’d like to admit (there is such a fine line between 80s hair metal butt rock and solid hard rock from the 80s. They straddle the line.), and “Picking up the Pieces” from Seventh Day Slumber.