I65-I85-hwy110-hwy82-I75-I295-I95

and those were the interstates and highways that I spent about 11 hours driving along on an adventure from Hoover all the way down to Port Canveral. A time zone and two states later, our two car caravan made it. Needless to say, it was truly an adventure. Before I continue, let me apologize in advance for any typos and words out of place. I'm sitting on the end of my bed in a Days Inn 12 miles from the port my cruise leaves from. I am blogging away on my phone, largely in response to a challenge from one of my oldest friends. The last few weeks of school have been some of the craziest of my life. Paperwork, meetings, assignments, projects, proposals, emails, phone calls, plans, blah, blah, blah. These weeks have been filled with things. The list I just rattled off doesn't include intramural sports with the guys, weekend visits with the love of my life, or even weekends at home to just be with family. It's simple, I am tired, stressed, and worried to the point of losing sleep. And today made it crystal clear exactly why. I am a mechanical engineer, so when I get busy the voice in my head tells me to prioritize results over relationships. Plans over people. Things-to-do over things-that-matter. I got to call my girlfriend for about 15 minutes this morning and chat with her over Skype for about another hour this afternoon. I got to laugh top my face and sides hurt for 11 hours on road trip with two of my best friends. All of this was after a weekend of man time with my dad. Simply put, i got a healthy dose of the relationships my life is built around.

I needed it. I need another dose of it. I need a steady diet of it. I miss people. Im tired of being Ben who shuts all the doors and works and works and works himself to death. I don't want to die alone in an office somewhere, so why the hell should I live like that. I'm
Done cutting off relationships just to save more time for work. I'm done taking the safe road. I told some friends at dinner that if you show me a man who is safe, then I will show you a man who is not done yet. I was not created to be safe. Not created to just survive. So, don't stop at safe. Don't stop at surviving. Don't ever stop at anything. We don't serve a God that ever stopped short for us. Why would I hold anything back from that kind of Heavenly Father?

Show me a man who is safe, and I will show you a man who is not done yet.

John 16:33