On The Road Again!

I am almost home. I am at the Holiday Inn in Hays, Kansas and thankfully, they have free wireless internet. The hotel is great because it has a pool with a slide. The kids are able to burn off all the excess energy they have from being in the car all day. We just ordered pizza and now I am hoping to get some sleep so I can safely drive the rest of the way home tomorrow. I am very proud of myself today. I actually stopped and stayed at a hotel. I have a tendency to not stop and it can be dangerous to my family and my relationship with my parents :). They are not fond of my habit of driving 12 or more hours in one day. So, I did the mature thing and spent the $75 to stay at the Holiday Inn. I am so glad I did. The free toothbrush was incentive enough. I love hotels that will give you a toothbrush if you forget yours or in my case, can't find it the car that is packed FULL! I am tired of hotels that charge you to stay there and then they charge you for everything else you need. Thank you Holiday Inn.

I have driven through seven states on this trip and flown to Mexico. Three of the states I have driven through the whole state, including Texas. I am quite the traveler at this point. I am tired of my car. I am carrying Flexall in my purse to help with the kinks in my neck. I am realizing that I have some personal limits that I didn't used to have. My knees begin to ache, my neck is so tight it gives me headaches, and gallons of coffee can't keep me up for hours - it just makes me sick to my stomach. I am not the girl I used to be. I used to think that that harder and longer I went the better. Now, I am learning to slow down and enjoy. Two flat tires has a way of doing that to you!

I am excited to get home but not ready to start life again. I dread the busyness and clutter that life brings. I love the days spent at the lake where we just hang out with the family on the deck. School starting is looming over my head. I have a boy going into middle school and that makes me very sick to my stomach - no coffee needed. I want to find that balance of doing what God has called me to do without getting involved in too much. I am praying that I careful consider what I say yes too. I am asking God that, like my decision to pull off the road and stop at the hotel to rest and renew for the day tomorrow. I will do the same when I get home. To consider and weigh the consequences of every yes. I want our family life to be pleasing to the Lord from the way we spend our time to the way we spend our money. I long to please Him in every respect. I am so glad He is showing me that resting in Him is so good and the more I do isn't always better. The activity we do for Him is often the thing that hinders from spending time with Him.