The Start of the Summer

Tomorrow officially starts the summer of travel and speaking for my husband. I can't believe it is already summer. How does it always sneak up on us so fast year to year? It is always a bitter sweet time for me. Bitter because it's very hard having a husband who is consistently on the road for 8 weeks straight. Sweet because when he is gone I know his time away is worth it. He gets to do what he is called to do. Create collisions in people's lives that hopefully challenge them and impact them in ways that they start and continue to become agents of change in this world.

The kids and I are heading to his first event with him. It's just a 4 day camp in Hilton Head. I feel very blessed to have a job that allows me the freedom to travel with Dave when I can. I've just about got everything packed. I forget how much stuff is involved with taking an infant on the road. We won't be traveling much with him this summer due to that fact. It's just not doable at this stage with having Izzie so young. I've even begged my mom to go along this weekend to help out and she's going. She loves traveling with us when she can and she is such a huge help to me. It will be nice because I'll be freed up in the evening to sit in on the sessions.

Emma is so excited about going too. She loves to get to go with daddy on the road when he speaks to the kids about Jesus. She really loves it when she gets to go to the beach. She'll have a blast.

For me personally I am not quite sure what this summer will hold for me. A lot of challenging times with being a single parent for sure. I am however really looking forward to some good reflection time. I've really been in a spiritual slump lately. Just going through one of those times when I sit on the back porch at the end of a busy day and look at the stars and wonder why they seem so distant and why it seems that have not even had time to sit down and think about them much less anything else. It's funny that for me personally... the times when I feel closest to the Lord is when I am in the midst of great uncertainty and trial. I know it's because that in those moments I am constantly seeking him and counting on him for every breath. It's in the peaceful moments of life that I am trying to learn that he is still ever so evident even though I seek him differently and find him in other places. It's a constant battle for me. It's even harder in this season of my life because from the time the sun comes up until it goes down, someone is in constant need of my attention. It may be work, my children, my husband, the house, a meal to be prepared, clothes to be washed. And when all the stuff ceases... in most cases I am spent and get to bed so that I'm fueled enough for the next day. I struggle to find time for myself let alone investing in my relationship with the Lord. Although that relationship is constant, I still find in my heart this huge desire to know and discover yet time always intrudes. That was a little bit of a ramble I guess... Probably because it is past my shut down time for the day.

So yes, camp starts tomorrow and we'll be there. And rest assured I'll be seeking out ways to know and understand what is yet to be learned.