Shake it up baby

With our recent move from New Mexico to Pennsylvania, a lot of routines got turned upside down. My new job has totally different patterns from my old position. We are still trying to find the right church for our family and no matter which one it ends up being, it will be different from our old church. Together time with the family is different now. I used to exercise by playing basketball a few times each week. Now my exercise is cutting and splitting wood. As I write this, it's hard to think of anything that is exactly the same. Even the pastors I listen to on my way to and from work are different. I have to say I didn't like that at first. I was so used to the 4 or 5 regular guys I heard on my New Mexico station. These guys seemed to pale in comparison. But after awhile, I noticed that I was getting a lot more out of listening to these new pastors. They were speaking about familiar topics but presenting in ways that were different from what I was used to. Ultimately, it was a good shake up for me. I was too comfortable and didn't even know it. There is a fine line between routine and rut. And the most dangerous ruts are those we don't even know we're in. The shake up has been hard but it has been good. I would highly recommend occasionally shaking up your own routines. Maybe you always seem to read the new testament. Crack open the beginning of the bible for a change. Take a small break from your small group and visit a different one. Pick a Sunday and visit a different church. Maybe do something as simple as sitting some place different on Sunday. Whatever it is, just shake up your routine every now and then. It might reveal some ruts you didn't know about.

Have a great week.
Your brother,
Bob