Why is it so hard to take a day off or a vacation day?

You work hard long hours, (I know-I put in 5 12 hour days a week), and you earn time off, or (as in this weekend) a holiday approaches.

What do you have to accomplish before you can, in good conscience, leave the office behind? If you are like me, you want to double check to make sure everything is lined up and ready to go.

If I didn't make sure everything was in place and running smooth in my workplace world, I would never be able to relax and enjoy some time off.

You may be someone who, after a couple of days off, return to a mountain of work that has accumulated and you have to work 10 times harder (and maybe longer) to get it all done.

I am reminded of a sermon Andy Stanley preached when I was a youth pastor. He said, "There is not enough time to get it all done!" He is right. You can never spend enough time with your family. You can never spend enough time at work, but you only have 24 hours each day and 8 of that is supposed to be sleeping and resting/recharging (I get by usually on 5 hours). What happens is-we have to cheat.

Where do you cheat? A wise pastor-friend once told me-"Ted, you are the only father your kids will ever have, and you should be the only husband Amy ever has. Every church you have ever served has had a youth pastor before you and when you leave they will find another-but you are the only one your family will have."

I'm not suggesting you slack off at work. On the contrary, I am a work-a-holic and belive to represent Christ we must work hard and meet our employers expectations, but.......we must make sure we are balancing our family time and not just giving them what is "left over"

Enjoy the Labor Day weekend, spend time with the family-You deserve it! And then.......Get back to work on Tuesday!!!!