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.