What a Ride!

Last Monday, Labor Day — instead of grilling burgers or napping in a hammock, Carl and I decided to shake things up. No “same-oh, same-oh.” We took ourselves on a field trip to the Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin — and oh my, what a ride through time!

Carl’s from Lubbock, I’m from Dallas, and you’d think we’d know our Texas roots by now. But standing there, seeing Texas from its beginning to today — wow!

It was a crash course in courage, grit, and God’s providence. From shipwreck artifacts and frontier battles in the 1600s to Austin’s live music scene since the 1980s — the Austin City Limits Music Festival (ACL), every floor told a story.

The IMAX theater even plopped us right in the middle of wildlife in their natural habitat. I kept thinking: why sit glued to the TV with the wah-wah-wah of bad news when real inspiration is just down the road?

And because Carl and I like to live on the edge (well, our kind of edge), we made another bold decision: no more defaulting to the same handful of restaurants that we usually frequent.

With over 4,800 restaurant choices in Austin, why settle for a rut? So off we went to Matt El Rancho, a Tex-Mex icon since the 1950s. Chips, salsa, enchiladas — let’s just say hallelujah and pass the tortillas!

Here’s the lesson tucked inside our little adventure: life with God is not meant to be boring or predictable. He invites us to embrace His creation, to enjoy community, to savor each day as the gift it is.

Psalm 118:24 reminds us: “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

So let’s stop trudging through life like it’s an endless Monday. Let’s try something new, laugh louder, eat the chips and salsa, see the sights, and thank God for every moment. Life is too short for ruts and reruns.

Let’s try something new, laugh a lot, savor every moment — and thank God for the ride! One day, when I come sliding into heaven like a kid on a slip-n-slide, I want to be shouting at the top of my lungs: “WHAT A RIDE!”