That 5 day weekend

As I am sure many of you are aware of I don't sit still well at all. I don't get invited to the movies very often because I don't sit still that long unless it is a very good movie. I don't attend a lot of events simply because I don't like sitting around. After being a team pastor and enjoying the sidelines the past 7 years I don't like sitting in teh stands watching high school football any more, and I love football. Well, last weekend was a 5 day weekend with little or no big plans. I didn't get a whole lot done, but I did find time to relax some and to be honest it wasn't all that bad. It was fun, Tara, Alexa and I watched a lot of football and as much as I love football there is no possible way I could plan my weekend around sitting all day and watching football. I saw several amazingly great games, one that ended with a missed field goal returned for a touchdown and one that ended in overtime. I don't do meetings well, I would prefer that you go to the meeting and tell me what needs to be done. That way the next time you are meeting I can be out doing what needs to be done. I don't attend staff meetings at Betty Griffin House unless it is pushed on me, I am required to attend one or two a year and that is fine but sitting for an hour or two talking about what we are going to do is just not my thing. I use the late night hours, many nights I use my pillow time to pray over and plan out what I want to accomplish. I don't need to waste an hour of my time. And these people who get up early Saturday morning to watch a show about football, what the heck? People honestly plan on sitting all morning and listening to people talk about football, hearing people predict who is going to win and why, I just don't get it. I work two full time jobs one as a pastor and one as a community educator for the Betty Griffin House. August thru November I am the team pastor for the football team so I am out there hanging out all the time and planning team meals and settnig up speakers. November thru December I start my conditioning for softball where I coach at PEdro MEnendez on Tuesdays and Thursdays and then January 6-mid April I am at softball every evening with practices or games. Not to mention countless hours sitting on a bucket with Alexa pitching to me, dribbling and shooting a basketball with both of the girls and enjoying their practices and games for all different sports. People ask me how do you do it? Why do you do it? I tell them that is just how I am wired. God put me together to be active and wide open at all times. That is just me. I also plan my down time. I have a few different ways that I take care of what I call self care. I am completely ineffective in helping anyone if I don't take care of myself. I do this in a few different ways. 1. I spend time in prayer and reading God's word every day. It sounds like the Vacation Bible SChool basic answer coming from a Pastor but it's what I need. I can honestly tell you that I hate Mondays with a passion. All week long I work on sermons and messages to share them on Sundays. Sunday morning is now the day that I spend the most time with the most people from our ministries. Monday mornings is like that day after Christmas when all of the excitement is gone, so some quiet time with God is all that it takes to get me going. And ofcourse I close out my Monday with the Bridge at 7 which is a great ministry that I am in love with. 2. Drag Racing, people think I don't take any time for myself I do it's every Saturday afternoon that I can afford to do it. I sneak away and enjoy it with my family. Drag racing serves two purposes. First of all it is the onlything I do all week that is totally about me, everyday, all day long I am husband, father and pastor and those jobs all intertwine in a way that you can't tell where one ends and the other starts. All three of those are on call positions 24-7 so drag racing is a nice get away. Secondly, I am probably the most intense competitor that you will ever meet. I love competition, drag racing for me is boring and I do not enjoy the speed or the thrill of a hard launch or driving fast. I enjoy the competition and Jeff Gatlin has got to have somewhere to compete. This gets all of that out of my system. Some pastors fish, play golf or collect stamps none of those work for this pastor so I choose to go to the drag strip on Saturdays and I am so thankful for a family, ministry and friends who understand that about me. Thanks for reading and have a great day!