2007 has become an archive in the history of the world and 2008 is just beginning to have its’ pages written. Today, we have the opportunity to look back at the year that was and dream about the year that could be this year. For most of us, we can say that last year was a stressful one, as the demands on our time and our lives only increased during the year. However, just as the dawning of a new day, this year, we look for hope and for a less stressful existence. Here are five momentary getaways for our year of 2008.

1 – Take a moment and relax with a cup of coffee. Make it a point this year to at least visit Starbuck’s or your favorite coffee shop once a month for a thirty minute escape. Go alone and just relax. Take a notebook with you and maybe jot down what you want out of that week of the month. Take your Bible and really relax and absorb high quality caffeine (the coffee) and an even higher quality basis for life (the Bible).

2 – Catch a game this year. No matter what the sport, find a game to go to and make yourself go. Don’t use the excuse that you don’t have enough time and definitely don’t just stay at home to watch it. When you are at home, the phone rings and people come by. When you are at the game, you are locked into the experience and can let go of the things on your mind for a couple of hours. Go to a local college basketball game or a football game. If hockey is your game, go to an NHL game if you have a team nearby or go to a minor league game, which is fun and less expensive.

3 – Find a place to walk. At least one time each week, go for a walk. If you have a local state park, those are always excellent places to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. If not, find a local city park or even a neighborhood street where you can leisurely stroll and spend time in meditation with God. Walking is good for your physical health as well as your mental health. Schedule time for a daily or a weekly walk and step out of the rat race for a few moments.

4 – Hit the Links in 2008. You know that you want to go, but often find many weekends tied up with other things. Go ahead and schedule a weekend now to make sure that at least one weekend is set aside for you to go out and play a round of golf. If you don’t play, this is a great time to start. Golf, when not taken too seriously, can be a great way for you to get some exercise and spend time absorbing God’s work in nature as it surrounds you.

5 – Have a sleep day. This is one of the things that I enjoy the most and I assure you that you will too. Take a day and do nothing. Do not even get out of your pajamas for a day and just stay in bed or on the couch from the beginning of the day until the end of a day. Watch some movies, sleep, play some video games, or just sit in bed and read. Whatever you do, don’t go anywhere. We often abuse the rest factor in our lives and it wears us down. Take a day and do nothing but rest.

Each one of these will help us to relax a little and let go of the small things in our lives that we tend to find overly stressful. The key is to find a parallel or a way to incorporate God into each one. When going to the game, remember Paul as he wrote about running the race and he talked about boxing. When walking, think about all of the stories of the Bible that incorporate some form of nature in them. For instance, think about the flood, or the withering of the fig tree, or even Red Sea parting. For each aspect of nature that you see on the trial walking or on the links when playing golf, try to find a Bible story that will attach to it. And just remember, in all these things, give thanks. Have a great year!

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