Lingering Longer

I know it has been so long since I've actually sat down to write in this blog (technically this is my second in a few days). I think that the Lord has been doing so much in me that it was difficult enough to speak let alone write. I'm glad to report that my book is coming along. It is much deeper and more challenging than I ever imagined. Someday, I will have it in print.

I am presently learning the fine art of lingering. That's right, lingering. You see, I don't stop to linger in any one place long enough to enjoy it most times. I am presented with the challenge of living with, caring for, and schooling 3 boys, one of which is a special needs/learning disabled child (which by the way is one of the greatest joys of my life), but also a 92 year old Alzheimer's grandfather. I am acutely aware that neither one of these loved ones have opportunities to linger longer either. Kyle suffers from some short term memory issues when learning. OH he tries, and it sometimes sticks...but what it takes to stick would exhaust the average person. Pop, well, he has Alzheimer's. He doesn't linger with a thought or anything for more than 10 minutes. It breaks my heart!

So then there is me. I need to learn to linger longer with the Lord first and foremost. My time with Him is amazing. He has taught me more this past year than in my lifetime I think. Then I need to learn to linger longer with my loved ones. My husband and children. I think that my "Life is an Education" blog series may have been my undoing because I miss that time like you wouldn't believe. I really do think that after that trip, I long for nothing else, but to go back. Not because it was Miami and the Keys, but because we were forced to stay in one room together, we ate every meal together, we did exciting things together and my boys would say..we all went to bed together! We all miss Miami! Living the life we live with our grandfather certainly has it rewards, but it has incredible challenges as well. My boys are growing up so incredibly fast. I homeschool them, but I still can't get enough hugs, kisses and sweet talks.

So maybe your thinking about now...what does any of this have to do with these pictures (as cute as they are)?

Here I am, doing it! Lingering. My boys and I woke up last Thursday, started a pretty decent day of school and by 9:30am, I said...how about we go to the beach? Let's bring our favorite CDs (well Shane's favorite), a couple chairs and a bucket and shovel for each boy.

We laughed and played in the ocean. Kyle and I held hands for 35 minutes in the water, and he laughed like I haven't heard in a long time. Belly laughing is my favorite past time I think. We played our music nice and loud...sang as loud and silly as we wanted...it was 10:00am on a Thursday and hardly a person on the beach! Oh how desperately I needed that. I have been so bogged down with about 23 phone calls to return in a week, meetings almost every week and often times more than one a week. (I started turning my phone off during my school day because the thing rings continuously.)

I received some wise counsel from my friend Rhonda as she could totally see me going down the exhausting road known as "burn out." Pouring out without being replenished is very dangerous. I'm grateful for the Lord who is my supply, because sometimes I feel alone too, even in the midst of 23 phone calls to return. So, feeling the pressure all around, I realize sometimes, we need to snap out of it, get off the treadmill of life and hold hands and belly laugh. Ahhh..that feels so good!