Taking a rest is re-energizing, sounds obvious doesn’t it?  Nothing can improve your health, productivity, family life and stress levels than time away from the regular grind.  Yet I am shocked that half of American’s won’t take a summer vacation.  With so many fruitful benefits of taking a break, we are not doing ourselves or anyone else any favours by skipping vacation.  Here are the four reasons why I take a 2 week summer vacation:

• Re-focus - I’ve been spending countless mornings alone enjoying the tranquel water in solitude with nothing but a cup of coffee, my notebook, and Bible.  This has allowed me to re-focus on what is important in life.
• Re-Connect – I’ve been able to focus on my relationships with my 3 children and wife spending one on one time with everyone.  I played a round of Golf with my daughter, spent hours fishing with my son, and spent dozens of hours with my wife around a quiet campfire.  These are moments that I will cherish forever.
• Re-organize – Taking time away allows you to take a 1,000 view of your life with no distractions and re-flect and re-tool what changes you need to make in life, relationships, career and family life.
• Re-Charge - simply put, I’m relaxed, I’m calm, and am getting the itch to make a difference in the daily tasks of regular work/life.

Here’s to vacation!  What are your plans?

I’m indulging myself in some much needed rest and relaxation.  This post finds me on the North Eastern shores of Lake Ontario enjoying a tranquil summer night contemplating the importance of a sabbath rest.

Over the next two weeks I’m taking in quiet moments with family & friends, fishing with my children, embracing moments of solitude, immersing myself in God’s creation, reading a few books and indulging my creative urges by writing song (with my guitar of course).

I brought a number of books that I plan to tackle including The Screw Tape Letters by CS Lewis, The Autiobiography of F W De Klerk “The Last Trek, A New Beginning”, Linch Pin by Seth Godin and I’m re-reading Loving God by Charles Colson.

So if you find me unresponsive to tweets, emails and phone calls over the next 2 weeks  it’s because I’m busy enjoying the important stuff in life.