Saturday, November 10, 2007
hello strange house
I sent Lynne out to a party last night and got to put the kids to bed. I realised this morning that it was the first time I had enjoyed an evening at home alone in 13 days straight. That was made up of Sunday evening services, 6 nights at wider Baptist family events, Parihaka evening, 2 church meetings, some one-on-one growth coaching and pre-marriage preparation. (And to claim this evening alone I still had to say no to 2 commitments.)
My current lifestyle makes me less than fully human. The introvert in me needs space alone. The rooted garden lover needs a home. The father of children needs the routine of bedtime baths.
Lynne and I were wondering yesterday about creating travel free months – blocking out months in the year when I simply refuse speaking invites as a way of preserving my humanity.
)
Travel free months? What a great idea! Hope it works out.
Comment by MJG — November 10, 2007 @ 5:46 pm
That or a variation sounds like a good idea to me… I sent my beloved out to a BBQ/Party last night and I did the same thing 🙂
Comment by Paul Fromont — November 11, 2007 @ 6:52 am
I also thought – wouldn’t it be nice if my church community participated in this ie they took some ownership for my wider ministry by offering to partner with these spaces in my calendar ie no flying months = no speaking months in total; both church and conferences.
In the US, some churches give their speaking pastors a month to read and prepare as well as a month of holiday.
But I wonder if that is helped by the mix of Northern hemisphere with lectionary. In Northern hemisphere, summer is july-sept, which links with the ordinary sundays when it somehow seems nicer to have a variety of voices.
In the South, summer is dec-feb, which links with Advent, Christmas and the start of Lent- all highlights (for me anyhow), of the church year.
idle ramblings – off to preach Nahum in the morning service, stone Nahum at stoning the prophets, and preach (with the female side of emergentkiwi) on gardening as spiritual practise at the launch of Grow.
steve
Comment by steve — November 11, 2007 @ 7:35 am
I worry about/for you Steve!
Comment by mark — November 13, 2007 @ 3:08 pm
thanks mark. off to have a crisis 🙂
seriously, i get 5 weeks holiday a year and i am good at taking them and i am pretty good about days off and i have study leave coming next year, which will be great for adding compost into my soil,
peace, steve
Comment by steve — November 13, 2007 @ 3:38 pm