As we drove through the hills of North Carolina we saw a scenic overlook coming up on our right – a place to pull off and enjoy the mountain view for a moment.
Despite having a plan for the day, we could not pass up pulling over to take a peek.
The pictures don’t quite do the view justice. You can’t help but pause quietly as you take it all in. There are no words to accurately describe the beauty of what you are seeing.
As we continued our drive down the mountain road we came upon 3 more scenic overlooks. We stopped at each one of them.
We laughed as we noticed another older couple who pulled up a few minutes behind us at each view. This couple already knew a lesson my wife and I were just learning:
Resting sounds good in theory. When God commands us to take a sabbath, we love the idea of it.
But the work comes calling.
I am terribly guilty of not putting sabbath principles into practice.
Instead of taking a full day to rest, I spend the weekend working and worrying about all manner of little things that need to get done. I think if I rest I won’t have the time to get everything done.
You may do the same thing.
Even worse, you may not have even had a day off this weekend. You may have worked double shifts. Or you may have been up all night taking care of a couple of screaming babies.
If you missed your chance at rest this weekend, maybe you could use some Monday Morning Music.
This dog has figured out a way to say no to his owners. The dog knows what he doesn’t want.
The dog hates being put in his kennel. After being dragged into it against his better wishes too many times, the dog stands his ground.
This dog says no to what sucks the life out of him. We should do the same.
A dog is meant to be free. Dogs are made to run and jump and explore, not be confined to a kennel or a cage.
What were you made to do? Are there things that are stopping you from being who God made you to be? Why not take a lesson from this dog and Say No?
This weekend is your weekend. Instead of getting bogged down by busyness, try saying no this weekend.
Say no the projects, the activities, the relationships which suck the life out of you. Do something you’ve been meaning to do, been wanting to do, been dying to do but haven’t made the time for it.
Here’s my challenge to you this weekend: Say no to at least one opportunity that comes your way. Whether it’s an invitation to hang out, or a call in to cover someone’s shift at work, just say no.
Saying no doesn’t make you a bad person. You need to rest. You need time to do what gives you life.
When God created the world, He took a day off. He took time to rest. How quick we are to forget this!
We think we need to work to feel worth. We think a day off is a day wasted. But your soul needs to recharge. You need to fill up before you can pour yourself out.
Whatever it is that fills you up, do more of that.
Rest looks different for everyone. For some people it’s staying in bed and bingewatching the first season of “Scandal”. For others it’s getting in the backyard and gardening. For others it might be scouring record stores in downtown Athens.
Take a day of rest. Say no to the things of life that make you feel caged in.
Here’s the new plan: don’t waste your day in the shower. Make Friday count. Don’t spend too much time relaxing today that you miss out on opportunities to really get stuff done.
The weekend is coming in just a few hours. You deserve your weekend after all you’ve done this week. Enjoy it. Rest.
But you have just a little bit more to do. Go do it. Level up before you head home today.
Welcome to Episode 6 of the POP GOD POPcast – an exploration into the lives of people seeking God in the present tense.
This week’s guest is Greg DeLoach. Greg is the Pastor of First Baptist Church of Augusta, GA. Greg shares stories from his 8 years on the job at FBC Augusta as well as his journey into the ministry through dairy farms and balloon animals. We talk about the importance of interruptions as well as the equal importance of knowing when to say no. First Baptist Augusta is on the forefront of some big changes to their worship schedule and we chat about what it means for a traditional church to stay relevant. Plus Greg takes the Pop Quiz and much more! Enjoy this look behind the ministerial curtain and get to know one of Augusta’s leading pastors a little better.
I’m so excited to open up POP GOD and share more stories of people seeking God in the present tense. I’d love to hear your feedback. Leave me a comment and let me know how to improve things, what you’d like to hear discussed, and give me your ideas as to who you’d like to see on the POPcast.
Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes, share it on Twitter and Facebook and anywhere else. I’d really appreciate it. Thanks. Enjoy.
As we drove through the hills of North Carolina we saw a scenic overlook coming up on our right – a place to pull off and enjoy the mountain view for a moment.
POP GOD 