Southside Baptist Church, Athens, AL

How many of you have said it?  You get home late one Sunday evening from an extensive family vacation during which the children have run you ragged; you show up at work on Monday morning, and your colleague asks about your vacation.  Exhausted, you reply, "I need a vacation from my vacation!"

Well, I finally got one.  My family enjoyed a few days in Gatlinburg, and I was certainly run ragged.  We got in pretty late on Sunday evening, but thankfully I didn't have to go to work the next day.  I was going to lose several vacation days if I didn't use them before the end of the year.  So, I just stayed home; I think they call that a stay-cation, but I called it a vacation from my vacation.  It was exactly what I needed.  I was able to be a part of the day-to-day home-schooling and spend time with the kids playing.  Andrew and I put Christmas lights on the house and just spent some quality time together as Father and son.  The family time was great!  Brooke has put several pictures from the week on her blog.

At the end of the stay-cation, we were able to worship at Grace Life Church of the Shoals.  What a blessing it was to worship together as a family with a congregation who strives to be Biblical in all that they do, espescially in worship.  It was refreshing, encouraging and challenging as well.  That evening I was back here at Southside for our Christmas Caroling fully refreshed and ready to go!

If you ever get a chance to take that vacation from your vacation, I highly recommend it.  Thanks, church family, for recognizing the importance of Refreshing Leaders and allowing me this kind of time.  I pray that you will benefit greatly from having a refreshed and renewed Pastor as a result.