Hey Lifers,
All three of my kids play soccer, so I'm up at the Baysl fields 4 nights a week and most Saturdays. At the beginning of the year, I would walk 4 laps (3.6 miles) on what they call the Vita course (slightly wooded trail around all the soccer fields) while my kids practiced. It was a great stress release, healthy for me, and kept me from being the dad on the sidelines who catalogs all his kids successes / mistakes during practice only to do the recap with them on the way home. (A subject for another day - If your kid plays any kind of sport, you know the temptation I'm talking about.) About halfway through the year, I stopped. Stopped walking and started sitting. I found myself getting a bit lethargic. Eventually I didn't have the same kind of energy to get through the day. I knew what I should be doing… I just didn't want to do it. I had all sorts of excuses. It’s too hot. I don’t want to get sweaty. I “forgot” to dress for it. I'd rather watch my kid’s practice. Which is funny because if you've ever actually watched the first hour of a soccer practice, you know how lame that excuse was.
Well, with the Global 5K approaching (Commercial note - this Saturday at 8 am – almost 300 runners/walkers will take to the course – come cheer them on), I figured it was time to get back into the swing of things. When I first started walking again – all the faithful people on the track greeted me with a “look who’s back! Good for you!” Now that I'm a month back into the habit, I feel great and I've even started jogging a few of the laps (hoping to run the 5K Saturday without walking). It’s time that I really look forward to it again.
Our walk with Jesus can get like that. We can stop doing the things we did. Stop the patterns in our life that drew us to Him. Stop connecting with him in the ways we used to connect. In our minds we know we need that time with Him but we make every excuse to avoid it.
In the book of Revelation, chapter 2, Jesus tells the church at Ephesus that they've abandoned the love they had at first (Jesus). He tells them to remember (what it was like when you had that first love), repent (turn around from what you are now doing) and do the works they did at first. (Go back to those patterns that connect you to Jesus).
How about you? Have you fallen away from the patterns in your life that connected you to Jesus? Is it time to get back on that path? Will you take some time this week to reconnect with him? Hop back into what used to be your way… through song, journaling, praying, being quiet, or studying his word. Let me encourage you to jump back on the path. That time and those patterns that connect you back to Jesus will become the times you look forward to again.
I'm looking forward to seeing you this weekend as Mark continues his Seriously series. Also – we're going to unveil some big news about Easter week this year at Bay Life. I am so excited about this and believe that God is going to use the week before Easter to help us connect with Him anew. Find out more about that this Sunday.
Tom
Thomas Eichem
Executive Pastor
Spring forward - time change this Saturday, Mar 10. Don't forget to move your clock forward 1hour on Saturday night!
INFOdesk@baylife.org
- Spring Break Week – Mar 11-18 | no adult Life Groups meeting on campus
- Blood Pressure Screening - Sunday, Mar 11 | between services in the Cry Room
- Parents Night Out – Friday, Mar 16 | 6-9:30 pm - $10 per child or $35 for four or more
- Pre-baptism meeting – Mar 17 & 18 | after each service at the Fountain
- Welcome Lunch – Mar 18 | 12:30 pm in the lobby, register by Mar 11
- Feed the Bay – Mar 24 & 25 | t-shirts and bags on sale now
- Prayer Night – Mar 27 | 7 pm in the Student Center
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