I haven’t posted in a few days for 2 reasons.
1. I wanted to leave my comments up about UNLEASH at Newspring as an encouragement for those that were there and in hopes that anyone who missed it will be there next year
2. I have not had time. Really.

As I prepare to wrap up the Road Warrior series, let me reflect on the past 5 days. There is no way I could give you anymore accurate picture of what life on the road is like than this.

THURSDAY
Up at 5 AM, unable to sleep, I got ready in the dark because the rest of my family is normal and they sleep at night. I did not want to wake them up. I attended UNLEASH all day long, seeing old friends and supporting Perry and Newspring. I left the conference a few minutes early so I could drop by and surprise my parents for supper. They are aging and sick and my daddy has total kidney failure. He is on dialysis every other day. Time with them is precious. I fell asleep on the couch at 8 PM on my 4th attempt to watch “Pirates of The Carribbean: At World’s End.”

FRIDAY
Awake at 4:37 AM, shower and dress in the dark so as not to wake up Charie. On the road by 6:30 AM, I drove several hours to Spruce Pine and Crossnore, NC. I spoke 4 times to 4 public school assemblies; 2 of them middle school and 2 of them high school (over 3,000 students in one day). Got lost on the way home in the pouring rain, but made it in time for supper with my family. I gave the boys a bath after 45 minutes of ‘rassling with them in the floor, and fell asleep on the couch by 9 PM while “Pirates of The Carribbean: At World’s End” played for the 5th time in the background as I snored.

SATURDAY
Wash clothes and pack for the next 3 days. I took my oldest son with me back to Spruce Pine for the Ignite Youth Outreach. Over 2,500 students and adults came to the event with 104 salvations. Jacob and I drove back home, in more rain, and pulled in the driveway at midnight on the dot. He had long been asleep in the back. Crawled into bed about 12:30 AM.

SUNDAY
Up at 5:45 AM and on the road by 7 AM for the 90 minute drive to Newspring. I preached 4 back to back to back to back sermons to approximately 8,000 people with a short break in the middle to watch Clemson lose to Carolina. Left Newspring at 8:15 PM and drove to Charlotte, NC to spend the night with a buddy, Nathan Smith, who lives close to the airport. In bed by 11:30 PM.

MONDAY
Up at 5:30 AM to be at the airport by 6 for a 7 AM flight through Memphis to Tupelo, MS. Landed in Tupelo at 11 AM, spoke to 4,000 students at the state Beta Club Convention at 3 PM. Caught a 5:15 PM flight out of Tupelo, through Memphis, landed in Charlotte at 10:15 and was home around midnight, in the bed by 1 AM.

From Friday to Monday, I had spoken 10 times to over 20,000 people, driven over 1,000 miles, flown over 2,000 miles, and experienced enough adrenaline to keep me awake til 2016. But as of today, I have 12 days off, at home, with no speaking or preachng engagements til the end of the month. The Road Warrior will be watching cartoons, making lunches, driving the boys to school in the mini-van, and going on some dates with my wife. Work hard, play often, rest well. I cannot believe I get to do this for a living!

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