In a few short weeks my family and I will go away to the Adirondacks. Our first Johndrow vacation. Children and their children. On a lake with a boat and a beach.

So often in the world of Christianity, we have forgot the nature of having fun, times of respite and the over riding desire of family to be together.

In my family as a child, we took regular summer vacations. My mom was a teacher and my father had plant shutdowns. That meant we would be gone for weeks at a time. At first it started on Schroon Lake, but as we got older my parents thought camping would be fun. Tents and sleeping bags, Coleman everything and lots of food to go in the wooden wanagan my father made.

Indian Lake, New York.

Camping and family vacations seem to be at a stand still. But even today, despite a slow economy you can stay at a campground for $15 a night.(I know you won’t get Minnie Mouse and Pluto, but there is plenty of wildlife! I have had encounters with moose, bears, raccoons and pretty much everything you could imagine in the mountains!)

Camping is about as close as you can get to some of the Old Testament and New, with regard the life of a nomad. Now that does not make it biblical, but it does lead to enlarging of tents, moving tent pegs and strengthening ropes!

And fish! We ate fish from the lake, too! Bass, pike, trout and more! (We also ate eggs and bacon, home fries and bacon. BLT’s and …more bacon!)

It will be fun. The more citified are already deciding to not bring their Jordans and just boots! (Must have been my reference to bringing snake repellent!) I have promised my children FUN, not just with a capital F, but all the letters BIG!

Times of respite are super important to the vitality and demeanor of lives. Until the destruction of our home, we had the money to go away and stay away regularly.  (Not so much since then. It’s coming!)The restoration of my soul was the result. Clearly you don’t have to go away to find God and restoration, but sometimes it is the change of a daily routine that is required to begin the journey of restoration.

Family is another part of God’s kingdom. He desires healthy family. Years ago my family was splintered because of relationship breakups and situations. As I come up on my 60th birthday, the years have been good to me and I regularly see my children and their children. (Just this weekend I will see four out of my five children and six out of seven grandchildren. Next week I will see the remainder.)

It will be family BBQs (Because God loves burning flesh!) and paper plates. Swimming, boating and enjoying the peace that this place provides. I look forward to seeing what creatures the young ones bring to their moms!

I am looking forward to being with my children. In a day and age where life is so fast and families all over the landscape the idea of gathering and enjoying the children, the great outdoors and fun is gathering speed. I started a family vacation group. Each day I work to post a video to remind them of how many days, how much I a looking forward to being with them and what adventures we can look to!

I always talk about family, fun, food, fellowship and faith. My vacation time will be just that. My five Fs if you will!I am sure there will be adventures!Funny things that will happen. Creatures that cause shrieks! And memories that last a life time.

 

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