Can I Just Slow it Down?

Life is like a theme park ride. I once rode a theme park ride with my son. We got on and immediately he bagan turning the wheel in the center of the ride. Needless to say the ride was going so fast and I was getting sicker and sicker. I crouched in the corner of the ride with my head almost in the seat, just praying the thing would stop before I showered everyone around me with what I will call, "After Lunch Smoothie." When the ride finally stopped, Joey had to literally help me off the ride and I walked around the rest of the day, with my head on my his shoulder. No, not to satisfy the romance in my life, it was to keep me from "throwing up" all over the place. I have never been so sick.
Interesting isn't it. No one made me ride the ride. I could have yelled and screamed, "Let me off this thing." But I didn't did I? Why? (Didn't want to make a scene, Didn't want to embarrass Matthew and Joey, Didn't want to embarrass myself, Didn't want to admit that I was not the "cool" mom that I so wanted to be. So, I faced the consequences. Boy, did I?
We all make choices everyday don't we? Our lives get so powerpacked. While we may not be ready to throw up, our bodies suffer greatly,(ulcers,high blood pressure, heart problems, etc). All of a sudden our baby is getting married and we missed its childhood. You wanted to spend quality time with your parents, but now they are passed that. 

Joey and I just spent some time in Berlin, Ohio. I watched the Amish and Mennonite's as they went about life. They have the same decisions to make everyday that we do about life, they just make a different choice. We say that is their belief... Actually they believe in the same God that we do. We pray, worship, praise, study, the same way. The different thing that I notice is that they were intentional as to how they would live their lives. Again, they intentionally make the choice to refuse to get wrapped up in the things of this world that hinder us from focusing on their relationship with God and spending time with their family.

Just that simple, make some choices to slow down.We intentionally choose things that we know will bog us down, rob us of time with our families and with God. When will we decide to make choices that allow us to enjoy life. 

How do you cope with the hustle and bustle of life. Are you able to slow down. How do you find the time to balance the fast and slow?