It is almost Wednesday!  What a wonderful day Tuesday was.  That is what I want to talk about for now.  Have you ever noticed how some days go by real quick and others seem to drag on, and on, and on?  I got to thinking about that and it seems that those days that are jam packed and I am doing a project that I really enjoy, goes by quickly.  The ones that are taken up with Doctor appointments, dental work, or having to do something you would rather be home doing something else, seem to be the ones  that D R A G   o n   a n d   o n  forever.

I am remembering back to the time when we lived in North Minneapolis.  We had an attached two car garage and one car.  The "un-car" side was taken up with a 9'x20' model railroad.  I was a Minneapolis Metropolitan Transit Commission Bus Driver (12 years).  At that time, Pat (lovely wife of now almost 46 years) and I had three children of our own, and for quite a few years were Special Needs Foster parents licensed by Hennepin County.  At one time we had THREE - THREE year old boys!  Pat is really a Saint, being able to deal with all of that.  I helped when and if I could, but was always available if I wasn't at work.  The reason was: I was in the basement garage building my own world through the miniature world of model railroading.  All Pat needed to do was call down the stairway and up I came like the little mole in the hole popping up!

I spent hours and hours down there, laying track, building buildings, houses, and a bunch of bridges!  I learned about geology (rocks, etc) electronics, engineering (bridges) trees, electricity (theater lighting for different times of the day/night).  Those times down in the garage were long in the hours but short in the elapsed-perceived time.  Why?  Enjoyment.  Relaxation.  Personal time.  Got a lot done too!

It is when we are doing things that we enjoy, that is the GOOD Times that we remember and savor for years.  When we find something that we really like . . .  that we feel we are getting something out of. . . that is the time when we invest in ourselves to take the time to relax and de-stress.  Our lives are much to busy it seems. Perhaps for you it is listening to music.  Or perhaps to Read a book...doesn't matter what kind...paper or electronic!  (had to put that in there, given todays "high technology" thingies)  Which swings me to a short side trip.  My daughter was visiting this evening and gave me another lesson on iPad usage.  Did you know that when you open a game to play or email to check, that files on that application stays on there, taking up space until you actually press the button on the bottom twice and up pops the apps along the bottom and then you de-activate them one at a time.  I had a BUNCH floating around.  I didn't know that before, but then at 66 years old, there is still a lot I don't know about . . . yet.

For those interested, I will do some scanning and get some Model Railroad pictures to post in the next issue...for those NOT interested, I will still post a few pictures.

The point to this seems to be this:  God has given us all 24 hours in a day, 168 hours in a week.  Every one of us gets the same amount.  It is how we use those hourly gifts that is what is important.  We all need SOME downtime for ourselves to rejuvenate.  It is also what you decide to do with how that rejuvenation time will be used.  Mine was creative.  Others are relaxation with reading, or playing a musical instrument perhaps.  Some, it seems, choose a destructive form of rejuvenation.  Choose wisely.  Oh. . . and don't forget to tithe to God 10% of your time per week.  That would be 16.8 hours. I shared a sermon once on that theme.  Something to think about.


Blessings,
Gary