What. A. Week. I haven’t blogged as much as I intended to, which I’m kicking myself for, but I haven’t touched my computer all week! So now… it’s time for some catching up.

This past week, my mom and I volunteered at the Foodbank in Dayton, OH.

We were asked to help with a wide range of duties while we were there, ranging from sorting donated food, to hand addressing envelopes to donors, to writing encouraging cards to children in need who would soon receive “Good-to-Go Backpacks.” Each week, volunteers at the Foodbank have these backpacks that they fill full of food. These packs are then given to schools and agencies, who in turn, give them to children they see have a hunger need. The children receive the backpacks on Friday, and it sustains them over the weekend.

Every person we came into contact with at the Foodbank was incredibly kind, generous, and willing to answer any questions that us rookie volunteers had. My mom enjoyed it so much that she is now talking about getting my youngest brother, Ian, involved with volunteering as well.

Wednesday evening held a much anticipated Beeksma family outing… and it didn’t disappoint. We ended up doing an escape room (and managed to escape with only a few curse words and no hurt feelings, so I’d call that a success). Afterward, we all went out to dinner and I honestly can’t remember the last time I laughed that hard. Did I mention how nice it’s been to have the family back together?

On Friday, my mom and I took a last minute road trip to Alabama to visit my grandparents. My grandpa was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last month and just started undergoing chemotherapy. I haven’t seen my grandparents in years, and it just seemed like the perfect opportunity to drive down and surprise them. It was a short and sweet weekend trip, but every chance they got they thanked us for making the trip. It easily made the 18 hour car ride (round trip) worth it. I wouldn’t have had that opportunity if it wasn’t for this sabbatical, and for that I’m forever grateful.

I have a few more days left in Ohio and then I’m back on Texas soil… for a day. I’m very excited for this upcoming week of travel and the opportunity for me to finally catch up on something else – my reading.

-E

Hello everyone,

After returning from Washington state I spent the last week focusing on rest and family. I really put forth some effort to ensure I was getting at least 8 hours of sleep each night and be intentional with my efforts to avoid any activity too strenuous as well as make time for naps. I also spent a fair chunk of my time fishing as I have always found this activity a perfect medium for relaxation and meditation. As easy as all of that sounds I would be lying to you if I said I have not struggled. The first half of my Sabbatical has been filled with so much activity that there was not a whole lot of down time where I was beside myself and now that I am spending the majority of my time alone it has really taken me out of my comfort zone, but also opened up an opportunity for exploring my thoughts and feelings. When I first heard Sabbatical testimonials, there was almost some humor in the testimonies describing the awkwardness and power of a month long Sabbatical, but now I think I am starting to understand the true meaning behind those individual descriptions and have been able to use this time to come to terms with some personal struggles.

As for family, my immediate family lives here in Abilene, but whether it be fatigue or laziness I have not been successful in giving them the attention they deserve. It would be easy to blame time spent with work for falling short in this area of my life, but personally I know it is a failure that I have created and so this Sabbatical has been a massive blessing in clearing aside any excuse I have previously manipulated. Throughout this Sabbatical I have been able to spend meaningful time with my parents and brother and not just give them the usual hello goodbye while I prioritize the rush of life over their relationships. I am also fortunate to have my maternal grandmother living in Abilene, having recently moved here from the metroplex. She has been another recipient of my time during this Sabbatical and every opportunity to spend time with her is a joy. I have always been guilty of trying to solve any problem presented to me regardless of whether it affects me and while that can be a wonderful quality it is also quite taxing on my mental and physical health. I know it is not feasible to help everyone you love with every issue they face, but I will always try and this Sabbatical has helped me come to terms with this in the form of clairvoyance and the opportunity to give more than I normally would be able.

The focus of this week has been concluding my book studies and winding down from a month away from work to gear up for my return Friday. My last blog post will entail what I have learned from the book studies and Sabbatical as whole.

Take care,

JZ

This morning, I began my service project at Global Samaritan Resources. This organization is a Christian humanitarian nonprofit, headquartered in Abilene. It began in 1999 with a very simple mission in mind: collect surplus goods and share them with people in need. They started by working out of the back of a truck and stored donated goods in a borrowed garage. Today, they operate out of a 55,000 square foot warehouse and have supplied goods in Abilene and more than 50 countries on five continents!

The five areas they are most involved in now are:

1. Supplying medical supplies to developing countries
2. Providing food to refugees in war-torn countries
3. Providing water purification systems and products anywhere they are needed
4. Supplying disaster relief at home and abroad
5. Providing dozens of Abilene non-profit partners with a wide array of supplies

This is an amazing organization! They do all that they do with a very small staff of six full-time and 3 part-time employees, so they heavily depend on volunteers to help meet the growing need of being “His hands and feet.”

As you might imagine, the logistics behind shipping a wide variety of material all over the world can be overwhelming! Everything must be intricately placed onto a shipping pallet, shrink-wrapped, then loaded into a shipping container – you know, the type of containers you see huge cargo ships loading in any port city. As Esther (the head of their logistics and my boss for the week) was giving me the tour of their warehouse she mentioned that up until a few months ago, they had to shrink wrap everything by hand! I can’t imagine what hard work this must have been – we’re talking about pallets with material stacked 8 feet tall and even higher! Then, she stopped at the new machine they recently installed that they are so proud of (and now I understand why)…a massive shrink wrap machine. And, my ears perked up when she told me that they were able to purchase this machine as a result of a generous donation from our DIG Foundation. How cool! I have to admit that my chest poked out a little more upon hearing this news! The photo below is a picture of the massive shrink wrap machine.

Tomorrow, I will begin loading medical supplies for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, along with loading food for a Kurdish refugee camp in Iraq.

“There’s a bond that brothers know, and it gets stronger as they grow;

A love that time and miles can’t come between, there will never be two closer friends;

They’ve got something special, it’s brotherly love.” – Earl Thomas Conley

God blessed my wife, Sherry, and I with two great sons. Three and a half years separate them, so when they were little neither one really had a lot to do with the other. Most of the time, Brett (my youngest) would do everything he could to pester Blake (my oldest). However, I never could have anticipated how close they would become in their adult lives. Both of them, as young men, have had to deal with their share of heartache, but through it all they have grown closer together. Each one has had their opportunity to have their brother’s back…and have never failed to do so. As a matter of fact, I am certain that the adversity they have experienced has drawn them closer together!

This week I have had the opportunity to spend some one-on-one time with each of them. I thank God for these moments and I am so very proud of both of them!

Hello everyone,

It has been awhile, so I have quite a bit to tell you. Last week I travelled up to Washington state to visit my good friend Anna Robbins. Anna and her family graciously offered to house me for an entire week during my stay. I have been to Washington before and I absolutely loved the mountainous beauty and progressiveness of the state, so I had been excited to not only see Anna, but explore the country side in Washington. My trip started with a flight to Portland where Anna picked me up and we drove to the coastal town of Ocean Shores, Washington. We stayed the night in a hotel near the beach and the next morning set off to explore the beach and town. Ocean shores is on a peninsula so we drove to the southernmost tip to check out the beach and ocean. Despite it being about 40 degrees and windy, it was beautiful nonetheless and the wind made the ocean waves a sight as they were quite large. You can check it out for yourself here: https://goo.gl/photos/dLkMzmii3NpKB8MA8.

After spending some time exploring the small tourist town of Ocean Shores, we got back on the road to head east and then north up to Seattle and then to Anna’s hometown of Sedro-Woolley. On the way, we stopped in Aberdeen, Washington for a quick visit to a small park established by fans of the Aberdeen native and Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain. The park, known as Cobain Landing, is hailed as an area that he frequented and so it has been created in memoriam. Cobain Landing is barely a park as it consists of a small grassy area with some seating, a couple of monuments to Kurt Cobain, and a bridge decorated with graffiti. Nevertheless, I have always been a fan of Nirvana so it was an interesting destination to visit along the route to Seattle. From there, we continued east through the Washington capitol of Olympia and then got on interstate 5 which would take us north through Seattle.

Before reaching downtown Seattle, Anna suggested we visit the Museum of Flight which is located at a Boeing manufacturing facility in southern Seattle. The Boeing installation was massive, spanning several blocks with a multitude of facilities they use to perform the manufacture and testing of various types of aircraft. The museum was extraordinary and contained what seemed like hundreds of flying machines dating from the birth of mechanical flight to present day. The museum boasted a large indoor facility where aircraft were littered all over the showcase floor and hanging from the ceiling. There was also an outdoor showcase where massive commercial airliners, world war two era bombers, and modern fighter jets were housed under a very large hangar like structure. As a lover of aviation, this place was a dream. I was very impressed by how interactive the exhibits were and many of the aircraft were open for visitors to climb aboard and explore the interior. The museum also housed a large space exploration exhibit which featured a replica space shuttle that can be boarded and various other relics of the last half century of space exploration. Even if you are not a fan of aviation like myself, this place is a must see and would be great for children. Here is a 360-degree photo sphere of the museum’s indoor showcase: https://goo.gl/photos/oyhkfXnFR2c2SUVp8.

Once we had our fill of the aerospace museum, we got back on interstate 5 and booked it up through Seattle and finally made it to Anna’s hometown of Sedro-Woolley, Washington which is about an hour north of Seattle. Sedro-Woolley is small logging town whose downtown streets are lined with all kinds of marvelous wood carvings. There were carvings of bears, eagles, fish, and even a cowboy atop a bucking bull which I found kind of curious in northern Washington and thought it might be more fitting if that one came back to Texas with me. Unfortunately, the thousand-pound statue would not fit in my check bag. During the week, Anna had to continue her remote work with the MIS department, which I had accounted for and planned to go exploring solo until she was off work. Being a member of the MIS department, it was interesting to see her remote set up and how she has adapted to working in this fashion. She runs a tight ship up there in Washington and I am grateful she has been able to remain a part of our team despite the transition to remote work. Anna graciously offered to lend me her vehicle for the work week so I could travel around Washington while she was working, however I rarely needed to take her up on that offer because her parents, John, and Julie Robbins, were so wonderful in filling my spare time with a couple of trips to some amazing locations. John and I have had several conversations pertaining to fishing so of course I was stoked when he offered to take me up into the mountains and show me around his mountain lake fishing spots. Unfortunately, it was the middle of February and the lake was frozen so we could not do any fishing of our own, but this place was a beauty nonetheless and as you may have expected I captured a photo sphere to share with you here: https://goo.gl/photos/Ui7yZCsPDFfzs12t9. Another touristy location Anna’s parents took me was a massive bridge known as Deception Pass. The bridge connects Whidbey Island in the Puget Sound to mainland Washington. If you are daring enough you can walk the length of the bridge and look out over the strait of ocean whirlpools and the tree tops of the surrounding land masses. I did not walk the full length of the bridge, as it only took one logging truck shaking the bridge and nearly clipping my head off to realize this was a bad idea, however I did go a little bit of the way and captured the most horrifying photo sphere of my life: https://goo.gl/photos/NCFgu2KoBHNtUq1BA. The image really does not do justice to how high up it is. Here is one more image from a state park further down the strait that looks back upon the bridge: https://goo.gl/photos/dGRwgfQtCWBs54j47.

For my last day in Washington, Anna and I had decided to travel back down to Seattle and explore some of the tourist attractions in the city. We traveled down there in the morning and after a lunch of world famous Ivar’s clam chowder we set off to Pike Place Market. At the market, we saw the many shops that line the interior and exterior, the first Starbucks, the legendary gum wall, and of course the famous fish throwers. Here is a 360-degree image of the center of Pike Place: https://goo.gl/photos/UpNG8PfXQRcaMdYb9 and another of a nearby park:  https://goo.gl/photos/Y5SKRzkwXd7qU7oo7. Having never been to Pike Place before, Anna kind of just let me stumble through it and take in all the sights, sounds, and smells. What I really had my heart set on finding when we got there was the fish market and I knew I was there before I saw the boisterous employees due to all the shouting. After observing their operation for a few moments, I started to realize how the fish throwing attraction works. The employees wait around for a largish crowd to develop and then one of the throwers stands directly in front so that the flying aquatic creature gives the illusion that it will hit the crowd. Almost immediately after coming to this realization I look up and a Pike Place fish market employee is standing directly in front me screaming the fish summoning chant. I start to panic at the realization that I could potentially be smacked in the face with a 20-pound king salmon. Fortunately, these guys in the fish market got hands like Julio Jones and never did drop a fish that day, although secretly the pessimist in me was kind of hoping they would lose one. After spending several hours at Pike Place and spending some time in a nearby mall it was starting to get dark and we decided it might be fun to go up the Space Needle at night since there was a tram close by that takes passengers all the way to the tower. The last time I was in Seattle I went up the Space Needle, but it was broad daylight and so the opportunity to view the downtown lights in the dark was appealing. Downtown Seattle at night has all the spectacular and bustling of most American cities, but displays uniqueness with the nearby bay filled with illuminated ferries and other water craft and the Seattle Great Ferris Wheel performing an elaborate light show by the piers. Here is a still image of downtown Seattle at night from the Space Needle: https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMMhRrPWcC95WNB5XxM4Sm51ZnXuAv9Ip_0HAo_. I was glad we went up the Space Needle in the dark, but feeling drained from the day and ready to get some sleep before another long day of travelling back to Abilene. Anna was nice enough to have booked us a stay at the Mayflower Park Hotel in downtown Seattle for the night. Those of you who have had conversations with Anna may have heard her speak about her fascination with staying in haunted hotels. To my knowledge, she has spent the night in some haunted hotels in both Dallas and San Antonio. I have no fascination in haunted anything and do my best to avoid all super natural areas so you can understand my alarm at hearing Anna say, “that’s the haunted room” as we walk down the hall of the 11th floor of the Mayflower Park Hotel. Thankfully my room was not the haunted room, but being on the same floor as the ghost was enough to ensure that I would get almost no sleep that night. I guess I am grateful for the experience if nothing else.

My trip to Washington was a wonderful experience and I am appreciative of Kris Seale and FDLIC for allowing me this opportunity through Sabbatical. This week I have been focusing on rest, relaxation, and family before beginning my bible/book studies. My next blog post will entail details about what I have learned and been up to this week. Expect the next post soon. I hope everyone is doing well.

Until next time,

JZ

Week 4 (Feb 20-22) Kayaks and Gratitude – The last few days have been full of household and lawn & garden projects as well as a little bit of cycling to keep the heart pumping. Wednesday was the most gorgeous day ever and it seemed to require pulling out the kayak.

What is it about water and a kayak that stirs something spiritual inside me? Maybe the quiet solitude when you’re floating and rocking on the water with no engine noise to offer distraction. Maybe it’s the beauty of the water and surrounding landscape from a perspective that is different from the norm. Maybe the combination of all these things was a whisper from my Lord “Let’s go spend some time together”. I think it’s the latter.

While on the water for over two hours, I started thinking about blessings and gratitude. While our blessings are abundant, I’m not sure that I give adequate time to gratitude for His blessings. So, let me give you a partial list of what I gave thanks for while on the water.

• My salvation; I’m thankful He made new that which was old.
• Lori – She is a Proverbs 31: 10-31 kinda gal (Look it up)
• Our extended family – in-laws and outlaws
• Good friends
• Our Timothy Department and Pioneer Drive Baptist Church fellowship
• My Appalachian heritage – moonshiners and ridge runners, thankful for the lives of my parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts
• Blessed to live in the USA, Texas, and Abilene! It doesn’t get much better.
• Our health
• Our home
• The love of being outdoors
• Music
• Work that I enjoy
• The time set aside for reflection during this Sabbatical

Although this is a partial list of the things I am grateful for I have to add one more. I’m thankful for the whisper “Let’s go spend some time together”.

Anyone who really knows me will tell you that music has and will always be something I cherish. The Stewart family has a rich history of music history, from professional performers to teachers. So, I suppose I was destined to have a love for it.

Today, for the first time in a long time I got my trombone out and played for a good while. I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of recall I had, and it sounded pretty good…considering how long it had been since I had really played! As I spent part of my afternoon reacquainting myself with this instrument, I was reminded of the scripture, “Make a joyful noise to the Lord all the earth, break forth into joyous song and sing (or in my case, play) praises!” – Psalm 98:4.

Music is therapy for me. For the past few years I have exercised this therapy with my guitars, but I have to say that today I was reminded why I love the trombone, too! I will make playing my trombone more regularly one of my goals for the future.

“Next to the Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world.” – Martin Luther

It’s true when I was told that my sabbatical plans were likely to change. My original plan was to help out with Love and Care Ministries but I had a hard time scheduling a time to volunteer with them. Luckily Meals on Wheels was eager to accept me as a volunteer. It was great working at Meals on Wheels. everyone who worked there was awesome and friendly. They made it really easy to get accustomed to their system. It was also great that all of the people I met on my various routes were nice and I was happy to have met them.

I think now that I am used to doing deliveries for Meals on Wheels it would be great to volunteer there again in the future.

Also don’t call the cops if you check the security cameras at FDLIC’s parking lot at 2AM and see some weirdos driving around in circles over and over. It might look like someone scoping out the place for a heist but I promise it’s just me teaching a friend how to drive. I had promised a long time ago that I would teach them to drive and I thought there wouldn’t be a better time than during my sabbatical.

So far I’ve had a fun and productive sabbatical!
Since Seth is only in trouble in your mind all you have to do is stop imagining that he is about to be destroyed. You can stop imagining now Matt.—Ben has to choose one of three rooms to spend the night. The first room has 3 tigers that haven’t eaten in a year, the second room contains 8 enraged walruses and the last room is full of bees. Just lots of bees. What room does Ben choose so that he doesn’t get hurt?

This last week on this Sabbatical journey was very fulfilling as well as interesting. I will get to the interesting part in a moment.

We have been preparing this month for our big event, the baptism of Patrick Nello Strickland! Completing the finishing touches on honey do chores, re-working all of the flower beds for the front and back yards, and getting the food and accommodations ready for our out of town and out of state guests.  So fulfilling to see our children, grandsons, parents and other family members arrive at our home with such joy and then for all to gather at the church for this wonderful occasion. It was a beautiful ceremony filled with emotional laughter and tears as well as deep spiritual ritual, meaning, reflection and perspective. God is so good and kind. So all is well, right? Oh, did I forget to mention my son became extremely sick the day before and my daughter-in-law during the night. Well you guessed it, while everyone was gathered at our home, my wife and I both had to retire from the party to our bedroom suite because we became terribly ill. The celebration for Patrick’s new spiritual journey continued on regardless of our non-presence or hosting the party we had planned all month! Talk about perspective, celebrating with others even when we were in our sick bed! What a great lesson (looking back but not during the time it was actually happening to us)! My children and family are great hosts and our home is set up for everyone to make themselves at home and they did! It was a great celebration! Come to find out it was not the flu but evidently bad sushi the four of us shared Friday evening! Never again sushi from this particular place, however, the lesson learned was more than just about bad sushi but about how to see this event and the journey from a different perspective. A perspective, viewpoint of joy and celebration from a sick bed! How odd?

The Bible is full of faith heroes (some call saints) who could see joy and celebration of the journey from the particular perspective they were experiencing whether it was pleasant or very unpleasant or even to the point of death. Jesus is our finest example and hero:

Hebrews 12:1-3 “So then, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us, too, put aside every impediment — that is, the sin which easily hampers our forward movement — and keep running with endurance in the contest set before us, looking away to the Initiator and Completer of that trusting, Yeshua — who, in exchange for obtaining the joy set before him, endured execution on a stake as a criminal, scorning the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Yes, think about him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you won’t grow tired or become despondent.” (Complete Jewish Bible Translation)

Now to the interesting part? It so happened that my wife and I while resting from our sickness (yes, this is the first time we were both sick together) watched a movie called “Tracks”. The movie tells the story of Robyn Davidson, who in 1977 set upon a 1700 mile journey in Australia’s most roughest terrain and desert by herself, her dog and a few camels to reach the Indian Ocean. The “Camel Lady” as she was called, took to this journey to find maybe answers for her mother’s death and other losses in her life. Through her journey she found the kindness of others to guide her along the way. OK, I’ll get to the interesting part. At the end of the movie this is her quote. Something I was not expecting at all. Here is her statement, “It is not what we pack on the journey that matters, it is rather what we leave behind”. So the journey has meaning and significance when its events are viewed from various perspectives and these include ahead, during and behind. Whether the perspective is from a milestone church event, a father’s and grandfather’s (Pa) eyes, a  sick bed view of helplessness, a 1700 mile camel journey movie or a 56 year old birthday, God allows life events for us to experience His kindness, grace and love. Nothing can change or separate us from His Perspective and that’s my view these 56 years today! Amazing.

Blessings,

Don (Donie)

Romans 8:28

If you are like me, as a parent you feel what your kids feel – both good and bad. Lately, the Stewart family has been experiencing the highest of highs and seemingly the lowest of lows…quite the roller coaster ride! My oldest son, Blake and his wife Julie are expecting their first child (a girl, Taylor Renee) the first of June…these are definitely joyful days for them and for my wife and I, as we are looking forward to our first grand child being born! On the other end of the spectrum, our youngest son, Brett, is going through a divorce right now…the details of which continue to tear all of our hearts apart!

We were able to spend some time with Brett yesterday, perhaps one of his lowest days yet! In spite of the bad day he was having, he had decided to go visit a young couple from church who just had twins. I am amazed at what my 26 year old is teaching me and others about faith! If you read the following excerpt from a Facebook posting this morning by Brett, you will see what I am talking about:

Yesterday was a difficult day for me. In fact, I’ve had more days like that than not. However, I had the chance to hold two precious baby girls that were born yesterday. And as I looked at them and held them, suddenly all of the difficulties, all of the turmoil, all of the uneasiness of my life in this season left because I held in my arms these two gifts of life that the Lord brought into this world. Pure beauty. Pure miracles. Purely the love of the Father. And holding these two precious girls reminded me of the gift of life the Lord gives us. The fullness and joy of life are not found in any person, any thing I accomplish or possess, any circumstance, or anything else in this world. The fullness of life only comes from the Father. These two little miracles of life reminded me of the miracle of life that I have: both life on this earth, but more importantly my life that is found in Christ. My worth, my purpose, my joy, and my satisfaction only come from the truth of God the Father: His love is indescribable and unfathomable. There is nothing I can do and nothing that I can face that will cause God to love me any less. And there is nothing I can do that will cause God to love me more. He loves 100% all of the time. It’s just who he is…That is the truth that I walk with and live with each day. Life comes only from the Father, and it’s full of his unending mercies and love.

Amen!

Psalm 3:3 – “But you, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high.” 

And I was worried about not being busy! Whew – having this much fun is exhausting! On Saturday, I started the week by attending movie night at my son’s and daughter in law’s house. They invite friends and family over for a themed day/night of fellowship over movies. It was “musicals” this month, one of my favorites. On Sunday, I had a great mother/daughter day, we painted pottery, had lunch and spent hours just talking (no better feeling than that). On Monday, I attended my volunteer training at Ronald McDonald House (I encourage you all to visit their website http://rmhcmilwaukee.org/ to learn more about this amazing organization, better yet visit your closest RMH and get involved (there are 359 domestic sites). Wednesday was my first day of actual physical work at the RMH, and oh man is it physical work!  I came home exhausted lol, but returned to do it all over again on Thursday. I chose RMH in memory of my lifelong friend’s son who lost his battle with cancer at age 10 back in 1994. Their family was very grateful for the availability of such a wonderful place that allowed them to be near one another and yet also close to their son’s hospital. I stayed there with their daughter while she was going through pre-bone marrow donor procedures. When I first entered the building, even this many years later, it brought back a flood of emotions. Like the book I am reading, these families are enduring so much and yet they are filled with hope, faith and optimism. Very humbling place to be. Thursday after working at RMH I drove back to Mayville so that on Friday I could prepare for a visit from my sister (by prepare I mean clean and do laundry). It was a sunny day so very motivating. On Saturday, she came to town and we had a wonderful day/night filled with a lot of sisterly bonding, starting with lunch at a small local place (the owner is legally blind) but operates this store, albeit with help, like a well-oiled machine. Very inspiring. Sunday I returned to Kenosha to start week 2!  This is a very applicable bible passage to summarize the folks I interacted with this week. Psalm 31:24
“Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord”.

Week 3 (Feb 9-17) – Deliveries and Discoveries – This week has been focused on the service project which is working with Meals on Wheels (MoW). I am more than impressed with this local organization. Their facilities are top notch, but what is most impressive is the organization of the staff and volunteers. This is a well-oiled feeding machine that serves north of 1000 meals per day!

The clientele of MoW is very diverse and the needs are diverse as well. Some of the clients are receiving the meals due to poverty, but most are elderly or have health issues and need a helping hand.  Some have temporary needs that may be the result of recovering from a surgery or injury. We have to watch for signs of need, abuse and general well-being along the way and report anyone that does not answer the door and phone. MoW then follows up with those to make sure everything is all right. If you are a regular driver you will establish your own route so that relationships can blossom. Due to the short period of time that I was scheduled to work, I am listed as a substitute driver and I had a different route every day.

Something that hit me was the fact that there are needs for meals that cross every socio-economic spectrum. The needs are real. I walked up to doors in very impoverished neighborhoods on one day and delivered around my own neighborhood the next. A few places that I delivered to made me thankful that I have a concealed handgun license, but 95% of the time I felt very secure.

I made some discoveries along the way beyond the diversity of needs.

• Some people are very lonely and need the contact as much as the meal.
• It takes very little effort to make someone smile who needs a little sunshine in their day.
• Some people want you to deliver their meal and move on.
• Most people are appreciative and thankful for the meal and contact.
• A few are ungrateful, unappreciative, and feel entitled. Thankfully this was a small percentage of the contacts that were made.
• Every one of us needs a little help every now and then.

I must be honest, I struggled with being judgmental in some cases. I found it very difficult not to judge when the door opens and smoke starts to pour out from the 4 packs of cigarettes that were smoked in the previous 10 minutes. I can’t understand people continuing to smoke when the issue they are dealing with is rooted in this habit. I also struggled with those few that have ungrateful or entitled attitudes. I also know that this is a shortcoming in my personality that God wants me to deal with, yet I struggle.

My favorite delivery was my last delivery on my first day. “Frank” was 96 years old and sharp as a tack. He lost his wife 2 years ago, and probably needed the contact as much as the meal. He was a pilot in WWII and a retired engineer for Chevron/Texaco. He was very proud to be a UT Longhorn and very proud of the body of work during his career. Frank built the first pipeline over the Andes mountain range and other impressive projects as well. He was very proud of his house that he served as the General Contractor for the project and the craftsmanship was evident. Frank wasn’t afraid to share his faith and quoted scripture freely.

As I chatted with Frank, God gave me an impression that as we age, He prepares us for home. Our bodies wear and Heaven becomes more populated with our friends and family than what we have here on Earth. Although Frank was a positive, happy person, it was evident that he would be even happier when his time comes, in our permanent home.

The week left me grateful and hopeful, but it also left me heavy-hearted experiencing the needs and struggles that others have. We are grateful for health and the many other blessings that God has graciously allowed on our lives.

*taps microphone* “…is this thing on?” I’m not even sure how to start this first blog… but, hello. Welcome.

I feel like I’ve been living off the grid, both in real life and on social media (for the most part). It’s been nice – and much needed. Recently, I’ve found myself incessantly checking social media. Often 10 minutes after already mindlessly scrolling through my Facebook/Twitter/Instagram feed. So earlier this week, I sat down and thought about why I feel the need to be so connected, so dependent on these sites. Why am I so consumed with following others’ lives? Am I envious of their belongings, their relationships, their overall well-being? That seemed like the most likely answer, and I knew it wasn’t healthy. So, I decided to give up social media for the remainder of my sabbatical. I’ve definitely had issues sticking to it 100% – it’s not easy, okay?!

But I’ve had some luck with deleting the apps off of my phone and keeping myself distracted in other ways – reading! I’ve finished 1 of the 4 books I bought to read during my sabbatical: You Are a Badass – How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero. Mini book review: I loved it. I’m not going to lie, at first I was a little hesitant to read a self-help/motivational book, but this one has just the right amount of motivation, humor and relatability that makes you want to go out and make changes to impact your life – and others’. One of the chapters that stuck with me most is about giving. Pretty appropriate, considering I start my service project this week!

“…giving is one of our greatest joys. It’s also one of the most fearless and powerful gestures there is. When we trust that we live in an abundant universe and allow ourselves to give freely, we raise our frequency, strengthen our faith, and feel awesome, thereby putting ourselves in flow and the position to receive abundant amounts in return.”

It’s also been amazing to spend so much time with my family. My brother and I flew up here on Thursday, and my parents are just a little excited to have everyone under one roof 🙂 We’re lucky if we are all able to get together for Christmas, so getting two weeks with them has been the biggest blessing. I’ve been enjoying every minute of it.

Until next time,
Emily

Day 1 of my Sabbatical got off to a great start. I achieved an accumulated total of 9 hours of sleep last night (if only I could sleep straight through the night with no interruptions). With it being President’s Day, my wife (who is a school teacher) had the day off. After we slept in a bit, we went for a mid-morning brunch. After a few errands, I decided to begin my book “Chase the Lion,” by Mark Batterson. It was interesting how I selected this book to read. Several months back, as I was beginning to make plans for my Sabbatical, I did an Internet search for Christian-based books that I thought sounded interesting, and I was drawn to this book. You have to admit that the title is pretty intriguing! Little did I know, that our church would introduce a study series around the book, “The Circle Maker,” by the same author! Coincidence? Hmm…

Based on 2 Samuel 23, and the story of Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada a valiant warrior who did many heroic deeds…including chasing a lion into a pit and killing it, “Chase the Lion” is a book about running “toward the roar,” rather than away from it. As the author describes in the first chapter, “Most people believe God is real, but few people actually live like it. The result is a widening gap between their theology and their reality. They allow their circumstances to get between them and God instead of letting God get between them and their circumstances. Lion chasers measure everything against almighty God, including five-hundred pound lions.”

I have a feeling this will be an interesting book to read, and one that will challenge me!

Going to Lowe’s!  Ha!

Those who have been or are currently on Sabbatical, will tell you that your idea of what your Sabbatical will be and what your Sabbatical ends up to be can be quite different!

My Sabbatical has been no exception!  I really thought it would be all about resting and reflecting.  Something quite amazing and surprising has happened.  But first, here’s some background:  My youngest son Brendan is living with us while attending Cisco College this winter.  A year+ ago, when he went off to Hardin Simmons, he just wasn’t quite ready.  When he hit a few bumps in the road, he wanted to try a different path.  He asked us to stand with him as he tried to become a professional video gamer.  He moved back home.  and worked diligently for several months trying to pursue that path.  He then came face to face with reality: being in the top 1% of anything is really hard!

During his gaming stint, he was playing 12+hours per day.  Most of those hours were in the evening and at night.  With my work schedule, we rarely got a chance to connect.  During my Sabbatical, this has all changed.  I’ve spent more quality time with Brendan this month than I have in the previous few years!  It took me a long time to figure out how to really connect with him.  Brendan loves to work with his hands.  He loves to build and fix.  He loves to talk politics.  And he is now learning to stay in shape physically.  But he really loves to work with his hands.

So during Sabbatical, we’ve done the following together:

• Changed the oil and filter in his car (He asked me to teach him how.  He did all the work.)
• Worked on the swing set service project over a few days
• Finished painting our fence
• Played basketball at Beltway in the mornings
• Discussed his progress in school and his plans for next year
• Ventured together with my wife on a new low sugar diet plan
• Drove to Dallas to pick up a new free weight set
• And today, we’re going to build a squat rack/lifting station together.  (Yes.  This means a trip to Lowe’s!)

It’s been amazing watching his confidence grow as he learns new skills and realizes what he’s good at.  It’s priceless to watch genuine internal pride show in the eyes of a son when a father says, “You do this.  You got this.” while building something.

Coincidentally, on the treadmill on Sunday I was listening to the Success Magazine podcast.  The lady being interviewed was talking about how to interrupt cycles of self doubt and anxiety and replace these with self confidence.  She said having strong self confidence is not a personality attribute; it’s a skill, a habit of thinking, that is learned by DOING things successfully.  It’s not something that is generated by thoughts or our mindset.  It’s something that’s generated by our ACTIONS.  Watching Brendan grow and become a self confident young man this year testifies to wisdom of her teachings.

In my devotional today, I read Peter’s words to the early church.  He wrote: “you, also like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house.” — a fitting scripture to sign off with this morning, don’t you agree?

My Sabbatical just ended! It has been 4 wonderful weeks. I learned a lot and grew in many ways.

Thank you for making it possible.

Elephants walking on the beach in Koh Chang island

Pretend I wrote this on the 4th. This is a post dated post.
I helped out at the AYSA Sports Expo with several cool people which was really fun. I’m not sure how useful I was since I was coming off of really bad caffeine withdrawals and found it hard to drag myself out of bed and walk in a straight line. Other than that one early morning this sabbatical thing is pretty nice for my restfulness. Pretty sure I was born to wake up at 4PM every day and fill my day with naps and meditation.
Speaking of meditation I had a though while meditating that was somewhat related to our business: I really hate it when a funeral plays one of my favorite songs and I am unable to enjoy it ever again. “Simple Man” by Lynard Skynyrd and “Wonderful World” by Louis Armstrong are ruined because they remind me of my dead brother and uncle. So I decided I only want songs that I hate to be played at my funeral. That way afterwards people can be like “Oh this song makes me sad because it reminds me of one of the times Charles died, but I’m also annoyed because it’s still ‘Achy Breaky Heart'” As an added bonus it will help people move on after my death because if I play “Whip My Hair” and “All About That Bass” everyone will be glad I’m dead.
Imagine Seth is in the middle of the ocean on a small boat full of angry bears. Sharks are swarming the boat and a pterodactyl is swooping at him. How do you save Seth?

Hello all,

One of the greatest aspects of our FDLIC family is the culture of altruism. This can not only be seen by how we treat each other at work, but how so many of us consistently pursue methods of service that embody the helpers of people ideology. With that said, we are often only able to dedicate small portions of our lives to service projects before the responsibilities of life reel us back in to reality. For me, one of the beauties of this sabbatical opportunity has been the ability to set aside my normal responsibilities and dedicate my services as a helper of people. My service project goal was ambitious in the sense that I wanted to volunteer my time to as many Abilene organizations as possible, but after meeting with the staff at Meals on Wheels it was apparent they needed my help the most during a shorthanded week. I spent all last week volunteering with Meals on Wheels, taking on a different route each day. The fact that the routes were different each time made it a lot of fun because I never knew where I would need to go and I got to meet a lot more people. Although I had participated in Meals on Wheels in the past, spending an entire week there has provided me a heightened sense of appreciation for what the employees and regular community members accomplish daily. I plan to return to Meals on Wheels and help in any way I can before the end of my sabbatical and I encourage those of you who will be serving in Abilene to find an opportunity to reach out to the folks at meals on wheels.

Until next time,

JZ

I finally dove headfirst into my devotional, Walk the Talk.  I read 1 Peter through completely twice, and then I read though it again using the Message interpretation just to give me a different viewpoint.  Going through all of 1 Peter reminded me how much I enjoy reading the letters to the Christian community authored by Peter, Paul, James, John and others.  These letters are great reminders how important it is to provide encouragement to others who are facing difficulty.

And reading 1 Peter was a great reminder of the gratitude we all owe early Christians for their dedication to keeping Jesus’ message alive during the very difficult times of the early church.  Simply being a Christian was life risking decision.   We, as Americans, tend to view the words “life risking” from a spiritual or maybe even metaphorical viewpoint.  Following Jesus means ending our life and replacing it with a new one.  But in the early Church, following Christ meant you put your literal life on the line.  Becoming a follower of Christ was a whole ‘nother level of commitment!

The first section of the study, the focus is on verse 13-15. “Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.  As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.  But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.”   Now there’s a standard to live up to– Just be as holy as God Almighty himself.  Never sinning!  Limiting my thinking to only spiritual things!

Are you encouraged or discouraged by these words?

Initially, I was discouraged– an impossible standard for me to meet.  But then the study defined holiness in a way that gave me hope and encouragement:  Living a holy life “is being passionately in love with Christ which colors the way I think and act.”  Definitely doable!

Todd

And so it begins!  I enter into my sabbatical with a variety of emotions; excitement, nervousness, faithfulness and gratitude, just to name a few.  I am incredibly nervous about what I WON’T be doing!  How do you break away from a typical nonstop routine?  I am hopeful that I can learn to focus on my own needs (body, mind and spirit).  I am looking forward to spending time with friends and family, volunteering at Ronald McDonald House and learning to relax.  Like most of you, I have spent most of my life focusing on the well being of others both personally and professionally.  I am prayerful that this next 30 days of focusing namely on my own self will bring back a spring to my step and clarity to my personal life. My goals for my sabbatical are listed below.  I ask for your prayers and support as I enter this amazing journey.

• Renewing my commitment to my faith
• Continue to work on mending a few relationships, reconnecting with a few friends and family. Righting a few wrongs.
• Complete my 30 day devotional “A 30 day walk with God in the Psalms” by Nancy Leigh De Moss
• Quiet my mind at night and prayerfully sleep, sleep and sleep. A Good night’s sleep eludes me most nights so this will be a challenge!
• Rejuvenate and Refresh! Because I invest myself wholly and completely in our work, meeting with several families a day, creating the emotions and talking about death every day tends to get ME emotional.  I am looking forward to hitting a reset button and having a bit of a break.
• Eat healthy, cook for myself, take longer walks, and visit the lakefront and local parks. There I can spend time in quiet reflection and break out my camera to capture God’s beauty.
• Read “Always Looking Up (Biography of Michael J Fox) – The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist”. I have always been a fan of MJF, but this book is truly inspiring.

During my send-off Ray asked me what I’d be doing during my Sabbatical.   I said I’d be in search of peace and quiet!  A strong sign that I found it came on Friday when I had two naps!  Certainly a success to celebrate! (And repeat.)

It took me a bit longer than I thought to hit my Sabbatical stride.  I haven’t slept in much so far.  As a natural early riser, that’s always been a challenge.  Since I’m playing basketball on Tuesday and Thursday at 6:00 a.m., I’m getting up at 5:30 on those days.

Physically, I’m feeling great!  I’m working out steadily on top of the basketball, and we switched up our meal plan at home.  We’ve cut all processed sugar and most carbs since my Sabbatical started.  Once we got through a week without sugar high/low cycles, it’s been good.  We’ve tried a bunch of new recipes and all but a couple have been pretty good.

There’s been a lot of basketball in my life lately.  It’s a game I’ve always enjoyed playing and watching.  On Saturday, I watched the Minnesota Golden Gophers beat up on Rutgers.  The Gophers look to be headed to the NCAA tournament barring some calamity.  On Sunday, I watched the Timberwolves destroy the Bulls on NBA.com.  They’ve got an outside shot at making the NBA playoffs.  Tonight we’re headed to Graham to watch the Lady Bulldogs in the playoffs, and Tuesday we’ll catch Wylie boys v. Big Spring.

For my devotional, I’m doing a study of 1 Peter.  It’s called “Walk the Talk.”  I’ve been a little less diligent that I should be with it.  (Yes, I also get the irony in this statement.)  There’s a part of me that’s whining like a tired 6 year old: “But Daddy, I don’t WANT to walk the talk!!  A sure sign I better keep reading…

I’ll post again in a few days!

Todd

As most of you know, I’m a task person at heart; loving to work and working to accomplish!  But, what I’ve loved about my sabbatical is that I have more time for people!  (So, the challenge for me in life is making time for people while I’m involved in the task of working.  LIFE LONG GOAL to improve upon that Mr. Seale is helping me to address!)

Since I last blogged, I’ve been:

• involved in a tennis project that keeps me hopping
• planning a baby shower at my house (and I wasn’t even in town when it happened but side note; Andrea in our office is a great baker)
• going to Houston to play tennis (OM GOODNESS…. 2 much fun!)
• hanging out with God for long periods of time each day (Did you know that “Shanah” means to duplicate or repeat.  It also means to change.  So, we’re all forced to either repeat the same mistakes day after day; year after year…or, change them.  And, we all know true change comes with Jesus’ help)

I can’t lie….I did think about the VIP trip happening at the office (I do hope it was successful for Vicki!) but my first week sabbatical was FILLED to the brim with activity!  When I’m asked how the time off is going, I just keep saying; “IT”S INCREDIBLE!  I’M SO BLESSED!”

I can tell my creative side is kicking in which is super positive.  When I’m more creative, I get refreshed!  It started with Kathy Byrum hooking me up with a coloring book and markers.  Just a few days ago, my love for piano music hit and I spent time on the piano  (Of course you’ll only hear me when no one else is around!  RUSTY!)

So, my prayer these days has been; “Jesus, change me.  Help me not repeat the same mistakes.  Help me see people through your eyes.  Help me to be the woman of God you intended”.

This past Sabbatical week was filled with relaxation, responsibility and relationships! The Lord has been reminding me about the power of teamwork when accomplishing significance. The book I am reading Finishing Well, The Adventure of Life Beyond Halftime the says following:

“Success commonly means using your knowledge and experience to satisfy yourself with fame and fortune. Significance, however, means using the same knowledge and experience to serve others—that is, to change lives. The outcome defines the difference and changes your attitude toward what you do.” I realize that God changes lives and my responsibility is to have an attitude of expectancy with complete rest along life’s journey. The outcome pressures of the past, present and future is on an all loving and all powerful Heavenly Father and His enduring plan. My role is be a positive and encouraging team player.

Relaxation- I have been able to enjoy some restful naps throughout the week. This was odd at first having purposeful naps! I will have to say at the end of the week my mind and body have been rested. It is amazing how the body, mind and spirit can work together as a team to accomplish a goal and its purpose. When one is out of balance, the mark can be missed!

Responsibility-I took responsibility this past week to do something I have been “to busy” to get accomplished.  No one ever seeks to have a colonoscopy if they are in their right mind, however, it is necessary towards responsible healthcare for yourself and the ones who love you and count on you. So, I sought the advise of a learned sage on the matter, Jeff Foxworthy. I will tell you that my experience was a dream compared to his. As his friend Larry the Cable Guy says, “Get-r-done” seemed to be my battle cry. The day of preparation before the procedure was not that bad. My physician and his staff were very professional, caring, supportive and knowledgeable in this hour procedure. As a team, they provided excellent care as each had their own role towards one goal, the health of their patient, me! The results were good and I will do this again in 5 years.

Relationships-It was great to work again at our church food panty this week. Working together with Ginger, Sue, Kelly and Larry was an awesome experience and I observed first hand how God uses each person’s talent, perspective, energy and communication style to accomplish His purpose and plan while serving each family’s need. However, those of us serving seemed to be more blessed. Working with Tiffany and Barbie, administrators of our church food pantry, demonstrated how a Christ centered, service oriented, organized plan can accomplish great things even though some activities may appear chaotic at times. “No man is an Island” by Tenth Avenue North is a great song that has been on my mind this week which shares the importance of Teamwork on a journey of significance. The whoever is much more important and relevant than the where ever, however, whenever or whatever. Enjoy!

This coming week will be filled with family activities including the baptism of my grandson, Patrick! I am looking forward to seeing our family together. Getting the house ready to celebrate and entertain as well as finishing a few projects is making me smile already. Hoping you enjoy your week!

Blessings to each of you!

Don (Donie)

Romans 8:28

Week 2 – (Feb 6, 7, 8)

On Monday, the reality of the Sabbatical began to hit home. After being in Colorado the first week it seemed like a short vacation, but now I am in my usual surroundings during the work week without the work. I am at peace knowing that our Southern Region managers are capable and willing to take care of things. I guess having the first Sabbatical in 2010 taught me that God will make all things work out.

As far as my devotions, I have continued with the 2 daily devotions that I started on January 1. One is titled “Men of the Bible – Insights from the Warriors, Wimps, and Wise Guys”.  This gives a brief insight from the lives of ordinary men, that gives a lesson that can be applied to our lives. It shows the good, bad, and ugly. Monday focused on Jonah and Luke 11:29-30.

Luke 11:29-30New International Version (NIV)

The Sign of Jonah

²⁹ As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. ³⁰ For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation.

In contrast to Jonah’s disobedience, Jesus obediently offered to sacrifice himself to save many. Jonah also saved many through following through with God’s plan that he ran from. It is a comfort to know that even in our disobedience, we can still rest in Christ’s obedience.

The other is titled “The Shadow of the Cross” and is focused on the Gospel of Mark (my favorite :)). On Wednesday, the focus was on Mark 2:23-24.

Mark 2:23-24New International Version (NIV)

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

²³ One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. ²⁴ The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”

Although this devotion deals with legalism, I found my thoughts going in a different direction. I will start working with Meals on Wheels on Friday.  These verses reminded me that the field owners left grain on the ground for the widows and others who could not provide for themselves. I can only hope that the experience with Meals on Wheels is a positive time and I will find satisfaction helping some of our elderly that need just a little bit of help to maintain their independence. Maintaining your independence when aging or invalid is so important to the dignity of one’s existence.

On Wednesday I added a 3^rd book to the daily devotional plan. “The Book of Mysteries”. This is not done in a typical devotional style and if the 1^st day is any indicator, I am going to love this. It is done in story fashion but leaves you with something to work on during the day to bring you in closer relationship with God. Today started with a question ”Can that which is finite encompass that which is infinite?”. The answer is only if the finite is an open vessel. Only by opening yourself up can you come to know what you don’t know already.

Today’s mission: Open my mind, my heart, and my life to what I  do not know so that I can contain that which is greater than myself.

As I mentioned previously, my service project has been helping co-workers with some things around the house that they’re not able to do for themselves.  Today marked the completion of one such project.  With the help of my son, Brendan we finished a swing set for 3 little boys.

If you’ve ever assembled one of these, you know the feeling of satisfaction (or relief) upon completion.  There were missing parts, extra parts, and instructions that had confusing uses for parts.  We also learned Lowe’s doesn’t carry parts that are measured in the standard system for threads and diameters, and in millimeters for lengths.  Who in their right mind would combine standard and metric on the same bolt?  Pick one, please.

About 60% of our time was spent staring at the instructions trying to make sense of them.  We debated strategy, employed some red-neck engineering, and chipped away at the project until wrapping about 11:15 today.  Problem solving at it’s best!

Addison and I really enjoyed helping our co-workers.  We’re grateful that they allowed us to help.  What we’re doing isn’t new to DIG.  Over the years, I’ve seen of DIG’s people pitch in and help–many times.  We’re family.  We take care of each other.  That’s what we do.

Addison and I would like to continue helping our co-workers.  If you have a project around the house that you need help with, please let us know.  Or if you prefer, you can let Ray know and he’ll gather some basic information from you and connect you with the right people.  If it’s something we can tackle, we’ll rally the troops, and git ‘er done!

So, it hit me yesterday as I woke up early and started thinking about my FDLIC day, that in fact I wasn’t going to FDLIC.  That was weird.  Day 2 and It’s still not sinking in that I’m off of work for 29 more days!  As I goggle the definition of Sabbatical, it’s a “break or change from a normal routine”.   Well, so far I’ve done all the things I would normally do during a day (grocery shopped, cleaned, had quiet times with God, prayed, read, did non-profit work,…..) only it happened in a different order. BUT….God is so good to remind me that if I let HIM, my sabbatical can look very different than what I do on a daily basis.  For instance, a friend asked me to coffee Monday morning.  3 hours later, I left refreshed and thanking God for that gift on a Monday…during the week….when I was suppose to be at work!  And, today I get to play tennis….during the middle of the day…..unbelievable!   In my talk with God this morning, it went  something like this; “GOD, I’M SO GRATEFUL…….”  and at the top of that list was “FOR A PERIOD OF TIME THAT I CAN GET AWAY FROM THE NORMAL ROUTINE”.  It was quickly followed by; “CHANGE ME LORD TO LOOK MORE LIKE YOU!”  Pray my anxiousness goes away because I feel like I’m still playing hooky (Hooky:  Staying away from school or work without permission or explanation!)

Week 1 – My Sabbatical began with the reward and exercise portion, and we traveled Sunday January 29^th via American Airlines to Durango, Colorado. Lori took her weeks’ vacation and spent the first week of my Sabbatical with me and my next to the oldest brother Marvin, skiing at Purgatory Mountain.

We started by having a great meal at Pappadeaux’s at the DFW airport, one of our favorite restaurants. We arrived at 4:00 and Marvin picked us up at the airport and we settled in to our home for the week. This place is special to me for several reasons. 1) God’s creativity is so evident in the mountains and it is very spiritual 2) I love to ski 3) we spent very special time with Mom here.

The 2010 Sabbatical plans had to be changed, as I planned to spend the 1^st week hanging out with Mom and Dad in Lubbock. One month before the Sabbatical, Dad died unexpectedly. Lori and I had planned to spend a week in Durango alone together but decided to invite Mom and Marvin. We had a great time but it was evident Mom was missing her man. We returned the same time the following year and invited Mom and Marvin again and spent some great quality time together and Mom died unexpectedly 5 weeks later. This place is special.

Pleasant memories this week  of a train ride we took in 2010 between Durango and Silverton that brought back so many memories of my Mom’s childhood that she shared with us. As I sat at Purgy’s at the base of the mountain on Tuesday, a memory flooded over me as I looked at the spot of one of my favorite pictures of Mom that highlighted her humor and spirit. She grabbed a snowboard from the rack and had us take a picture of her after “her day of shredding the mountain”!

We had dinner Tuesday with Lori’s cousin David and his wife Kathy at Kennebec, a very nice restaurant just outside Durango. Kathy joined us skiing on Wednesday.

Lori only skied one day and I was concerned she might not be enjoying the trip as much as Marvin and me, but she made it clear that she was enjoying not having any responsibility. To quote Kid Rock – “she was chillin’ the most”! I skied 5 out of 5 days from the time the lift opened until they kicked my off the mountain and my legs and lungs should be in good shape!

Honestly, taking the reward portion first is a bit awkward because it really hasn’t sunk in that I’m on Sabbatical. Let’s see what happens today as I would normally be at work. I’m grateful for the time we had in Colorado and I’m looking forward to what God has planned for me over the next few weeks.

John 5:17Amplified Bible (AMP)

¹⁷ But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now [He has never ceased working], and I too am working.”

Wow! What a last week concluding with the wildest Super Bowl in History. Can you believe it? But for me, this was not the highlight.

My week started with serving and comforting my wife and littlest daughter who came down with the flu. I also served as a nurse for my little dog who had surgery. My household is doing much, much better. My readings have been great reminding me of how God’s plan and purpose are done with such love and care.

Working with our church food pantry was a great time of service and enjoyment. Our church has such wonderful people who give of their time and resources to people who feel despair and need encouragement or maybe have had setbacks such as job loss or sickness. Many of these families don’t even go to our church and come from referrals. My job of unloading supplies and placing produce in bags was so fulfilling knowing that God’s love is demonstrated through each carrot, each can of corn or each bottle of shampoo given. Each bag of supplies was given with such respect and love for each recipient. Being aware of God’s love demonstrated each day through His presence was such a focus for me this last week.

The most memorable event and picture I have of His love with such power occurred when I was in line to get drinks at Sonic one early morning. Even at Sonic (with their crazy commercials), God’s love was reaching out to me! I was waiting in line waiting for our order when to my left I saw a big and brilliant sun rise coming with such majesty and enclosed in that brilliant circle I saw an excavation tractor (like the one below). I wish I had taken a picture with my phone! The Holy Spirit immediately reminded me of the above verse in John 5 and how the Father is working each new day to demonstrate His love, good plans and the expectation of Himself to partner with me (and all of us) in each moment. Isn’t interesting Pastor Steve’s Sunday’s sermon was on this same subject regarding God’s love for us from His perspective. Coincidence? Being thankful for each occurrence of His love whether big or small and knowing He partners with me to do His “love work” each day with complete Sovereignty is very freeing even at Sonic!

Looking forward to the second week of this journey filled with working at the church food pantry, Doctor’s appointment, home projects and resting in His Word.

Blessings to you all!

Don (Donie)

Romans 8:28

I think the people benefiting the most from my sabbatical are owners of Lowe’s stock!  So far, it’s been atleast 2 trips per day to Lowe’s.  And Since I go back to work on March 1, I won’t be visiting there as frequently… a sure negative impact to their bottom line.

Since my last post, I’ve felt a little bit like Tigger–hopping around all over the place.  Addison and I have knocked out a few more “handyman” projects.  On Tuesday, we gave a much needed haircut to some shrubs for a co-worker.  And I spend a bunch of time in my garage staining and finishing a shelf destined for another co-worker’s home.  On Wednesday, Addison and I painted a garage door for a lady who tragically lost her husband in December.  Today I’ll be replacing a broken toilet valve and installing the aforementioned shelf at a co-worker’s home.  Hopefully on Saturday, my son Brendan and I will be tackling a swing set.  Next week will bring a return trip to help the recently widowed woman with a little more painting and a few other things.  I see several more trips to Lowe’s in my immediate future!

I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands.  There’s nothing like the feeling of seeing something broken restored.  Or seeing the before/after of a household project.  The results are so tangible.  I like to think working with my hands is a way that I honor my father and my mother’s father.  My dad was a diesel mechanic who later worked for a natural gas pipeline company as a repairman.  He was an accomplished “do-it-yourselfer”.  He could finish a basement, do a valve job on a car, or shingle a roof.  My grandfather was a farmer.  I have vivid childhood memories of his garage.   50+ years of farming meant he had accumulated a treasure trove of nuts, bolts, parts, and metal objects of all shapes and sizes that were housed in old coffee cans or strewn about on an old, oil soaked workbench.  His farm was quite a distance to the nearest repair shop, so he learned to fix just about anything.

On the fitness side, things are moving nicely–mainly by playing basketball on Tuesday and Thursday morning at Beltway.  I’m glad Kris joined in because those twenty-somethings we’re playing with are darn hard to keep up with!  And Jeff Stewart convinced me to do Zumba on Tuesdays at 5:30.   If you want some entertainment while working up a nice sweat, just come watch me try to Zumba.  Jeff can comment on his own efforts.  Maybe I’ll be able to coordinate my hand and foot movements by the end of the month.  Maybe.

Next week, the service projects should be pretty much wrapped up.  So I’ll focus on my devotional and catch up on some reading.

For those Tigger fans out there, TTFN!

Zack got me into the 20th Century and taught me how to post pictures so this post is a practice.  (What am I going to to do without IT for 30 days???) Can you tell I’m a bit anxious in the photo? Anxious about leaving work and wanting to accomplish so much during my sabbatical.  Kathy Byram has reminded me to SLOW DOWN; great reminder friend, thank you!  In advance, thank you everyone who is covering my job; especially Lori and Angie for covering the bulk of it!  This time off is such a gift and I don’t want to waste a moment of it! 

This sabbatical has been a blessing on my entire family. Helping out, resting, and reading has been wonderfully restorative. I’m hyped to get back into the thick of things, and start slinging some new API code for our systems. I’ve missed everyone from MIS. Excited to see you all tomorrow morning. This break was essentially the first time I’ve truly sat back, and stopped programming since the start of my freshman year in college! Ten whole years.

Thanks Kris for giving me this opportunity to recharge.

God bless everyone heading off on their February sabbaticals! I wish you all only the best, most refreshing experience of your work life so far!