Routine

 Routine is something we as humans desire and detest. We love routine and habit, and more often than not, to be successful, we have to have to be diligent in our routines. But yet, we want to break out of those routines, because those routines become stale and boring.

 In my world as a church musician, that routine is typically broken over the summer. Rehearsals take a break, the schedule gets a little more flexible and free. It's just the right amount of time to breathe in and rest a bit from that routine. The last 4 weeks for me were very much not routine. 4 weeks ago, I focused on getting a plan in place for the fall, so that I knew exactly what I was looking for at my conference the following week. The following week, my conference at Baylor, two weeks ago, trying to catch up and get some things done, all while having a massively frustrating and annoying sinus headache and congestion most of the week, and last week, my vacation of being a daddy and spending time with my daughters.

 But today is different. we're starting to ease back into routine. My girls start childcare today, Wednesday and Friday, while my wife works part-time on those same days. This is a new, exciting and scary reality for us. It will be an adjustment for us all, but once we get in that routine, things will fall into place.

 One of the things I have been spending time reviewing and anticipating over the past 2 weeks, especially with the whirlwind of changes knowing what our new reality would be, is looking at things I need to do to be the best husband, father, and church musician I can be. Throughout my nearly 36 years of existence on this planet, one thing I have been able to do quite well at is talk. But, one of the things I don't do well is follow through. Something seems different this time, though. It could be failing repeatedly, and actually deciding that THIS is the time I need to change, for myself, my wife, my daughters and the congregation I serve. Or, I could be fooling myself. I choose to think it's the former not the latter.

 So what am I going to attempt to do differently?

1. When I am home, no work, no IPad, no laptop. This means, no checking email, Facebook, Twitter, nothing. I have fallen very short in the practice of being there. And I see the adverse effects on me as well as my family. Whether that is picking up, doing things around the house, or being the "daddy pillow" my girls love to snuggle up with, this is imperative to change.
2. Exercise and make good food choices. I am 6 feet tall and weigh 278 pounds. There really needs to be nothing more said. I need to make the habit of early morning walking and making good, healthy choices throughout the day. Actually, routine helps in this. 
3. Follow through. This seems very vague, but I am great at marking off time on my calendar, then not following through. The result is the things are done halfway, whether that's practice, planning, or pretty much everything else. 

These are 3 really big and challenging things to do. How do I do it? Day by day. Little steps. Grace if I mess up. But diligence and resolve to start again. Prayer and encouragement from friends and family. I know that I can be and should be much more than I have been in the past. But, the past is the past. I HAVE learned from the mistakes of the past, and want to be a better husband, father, music instructor, church musician, and composer. I am praying that God gives me the strength and the desire to do these things and do them well because, on my own, I've failed miserably.