Sabbatical comes to end - Ministry continues...

Here I am at the end of my Pastoral Sabbatical. We arrived home in Kane, PA, over the weekend and I will be at my first service back at Community Fellowship Church on Saturday night. Then Sunday morning service I will preach, well, actually share what the Lord has done over last the 3 months in a very condensed version.

Now let's catch everyone up on the last 3 weeks. We stayed in Pawnee City, Nebraska, until June 17 (Note: the pic is of me climbing and picking cherries in Joyce's mom's backyard)

Next we headed for Lincoln, IL, to stay with Joyce's cousin and family. It was a short visit, only 1 1/2 days, but quite an enjoyable time. Joyce's cousin (one of many) lives on a farm and her husband is a farmer. I loved the quietness, farmland, and family life displayed with their 3 daughters. We went with them to Lincoln's New Salem State Historic Site, which is a reconstruction of the village where Abraham Lincoln spent his early adulthood (http://www.lincolnsnewsalem.com/). It showed some rough beginnings in the making of young Abraham Lincoln. It was quite interesting but the hottest (and most humid) day of our entire sabbatical (didn't expect it to be in IL.).

Then onward on our journey to pick up our dog Rusty in Williamsburg, Virginia (900+ miles away). We made the mistake of going through (not around) Cincinnati, OH (worse part of our entire drive anywhere). The next day, after picking up our dog, we still had 420 miles to Kane (8 more hours). Thanks to Brady and Claire for taking care of Rusty for us! This was our busiest travel week and long, long, long! Finally, we made it to Kane, PA, (home) after a 3-month sabbatical and over 6,000 miles of travel in our car going through 16 states. The Lord took care of us all the way.

I consider it a once-in-a-lifetime trip, as I doubt I'll ever have a 3-month sabbatical (time of seeking God and being spiritually refreshed) or a trip to visit over 100 family members and friends from all around the country.

Since getting home, we have started to plant a late garden (still working on it) and getting ready in the next week or so to paint the outside of our house.

So that brings you up-to-date on what has been happening.

While the LORD has done a lot in us, for us, through us in the last 3 months, all the pieces of this segment of "my journey in Christ" have not been revealed to me. Yes, some, but not all! I continue to day-by-day seek His will for my life, thanking Him for what He has spoken to me and excitingly waiting for what He has yet to speak to me on this journey in Christ.

Things to remember during this ever changing year:


Matthew 6:31-34 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.


James 5:15 - Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that."


BTW - Christianity is not boring, it's exciting!!!

If your Christianity is boring something is wrong.

Next blog I'll try to hit mostly on the spiritual happenings of my sabbatical.

Going into week 9 of my pastoral sabbatical - What is happening!

Wow, missed blogging in May!!! Sorry about that! A lot happened in May.

Time is really slipping away on my 3 mo. Sabbatical, down to approximately 3 weeks.

Since my last blog we have made a trip to see Pastor friend and his wife who pastor a non-denominational church 20 minutes outside of Savannah, GA. Great friends with a small congregation in a very nice church facility. I see nothing but potential for growth there.

Then when I got back to Atlanta I went hiking with my son, got off the short trail and onto a long one, spent hours walking through woods but it was fun and memorable.

Then on to Las Vegas (May 7-16). I worked the booth with Gospel Trick Shot Ministries (GTS), and Christian Pool Players Association (I'm the CPPA founder) CPPA is doing all the follow-up on 100+ people that asked to be contacted and/or want to know more about God! AWESOME! We also had up to 21 people show up every morning for GTS Bible Study during the event. YES, in Las Vegas, at a very large Pool/billiards event in a Casino. YES, people can be hungry for God even in that environment! I hate the expression "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas". Well let me shoot that to pieces, with the fact that Casino's are starting to slow down, buildings are unfinished, people are hungry and searching, Bible believing churches are growing in Las Vegas, and as Romans 5:20 states: "...where sin increased, grace abounded all the more..." That's the scripture that comes to mind (though maybe not in perfect context). What a time of minstry!!!

Then 2 weeks ago tomorrow we headed for Nebraska, stopped at Joyce's cousin in Arkansas. Then next day on to Nebraska. Biggest highlight here was celebrating Joyce's mom's, Mary celebrating her 80th birthday with 58 others (mostly relatives).

On the spiritual side of things, it is quiet here, and not much to distract me, so I spend a good amount of time studying, reading, praying and resting. With only a few weeks until sabbatical is over, I treasure every minute and am trying to be fruitful with them.

It took awhile, but I'm missing my church, preaching and being "home." I still don't have all the answers since going on my sabbatical, but things are much clearer, and I feel I'm ready for Kane and whatever the future brings.

Some questions during Sabbatical were:
1. Am I even called to pastor? I believe it is a YES.
2. Am I called to stay in Kane long-term? That is yet to be determined, I don't think that answer will come until after a get back to Kane.
3. Does God still have a plan with me with CPPA (http://www.christianpoolplayers.com/)? I say absolutely YES. God has moved in CPPA in the last 6 months in bring leadership together nationwide and see no break in quality people coming into CPPA.
4. Do I have more clarity of vision/direction with priorities, family, ministry, church, finances, future? I have more confidence in these areas, which means some changes when sabbatical is over, but I won't be swayed in any of these areas from God's purpose for my life.

That is a little of what's going on! :-)

Let's close todays blog with the following clip.



Mike Massey doing something much more important than shooting pool - He's sharing Christ!