It’s been an eventful few days for the Messersmiths – I had a birthday, we did some traveling and visited panhandle relatives, and now I will be ending my sabbatical in Dallas with the kiddos at my parents’ house.  I can’t think of a better way to conclude this experience than with my family.  After a pool party with my aunts, uncles, and cousins in Lubbock on Saturday, we drove to Amarillo to have lunch with my grandmother – she’d never met Scotty!  It was so cool to see them meet for the first time.  The introduction was long overdue.

On Friday morning, I wrapped up the service portion of my sabbatical by setting up for the CALF festival with Palette of Purpose – I got to draw on the concrete with sidewalk chalk! (complete with flashbacks to my youth and that wonderful feeling of dirty hands from making art)  After we set up, Stephanie Prosser (PoP’s founder) and I went to talk to a group of young people at the Texas Workforce Commission about art, community involvement, and volunteering.

Stephanie shared her story about following her passion to found PoP, and the organization’s goals to keep creative minds in Abilene engaged and to enrich our community through the arts.  She has a great story, and it’s very clear she’s passionate about what she does!  When it was my turn, I felt called to speak to this group (all between 17-22 years old) about how creative outlets and tapping into our right-brains can help us in our careers – even careers outside the arts!

I used to tell people I had a degree I never used (Bachelor of Fine Arts, Studio Art – Concentration in painting).  Art has never been my primary source of income.  I used to wonder if I’d wasted money / time / blood-sweat-tears on a degree that would never really serve me in any way other than to support a “hobby.”

This is wrong.  And this is what I shared with the group at TWC, along with some tips about unlocking their creative sides, getting involved in something (outside work) that they’re passionate about, and approaching professional issues with creativity to set themselves apart and grow their careers.  It was rewarding to listen to the group’s questions and see their eyes open (I hope) to the idea of embracing their inner “maker” – no matter the career path they take.

I also offered to review and edit their resumes – when you look at resumes all day / every day, you get pretty good at writing them!

This week we went on a family vacation.  This was really important for us as part of our sabbatical was getting closer as a family, so what better way than to drive 15 hours each way in a car together lol. Anyway, were heading to Gulf Shores Alabama.  As some of you may know Rob can never relax, so vacations are not fun for him.  On the way so Rob could enjoy some time too, he is not usually a fan of sitting on the beach.  We stopped on the way to get him a travel guitar. I think his travel life has changed for him forever. Not to mention Rylee showed real interest in learning how to play a guitar! Best hour we have ever spent! In the past we never had great times on vacation.  I think feeling like we had to pack everything in created a weird dynamic of not relaxing and always trying to make everyone else happy which made us miserable.  Anyway this trip was different.  We all decided together what we wanted to do and did a little of everything and had our best trip ever.  With Rylee getting older it is harder and harder to all be together. I will always treasure this much needed quality time that I got to spend with my family. It was a true blessing for us!!

Wow!  What a week!  Let’s start by giving you names of my kids because a lot has happened with each of them.  Emma (11), Logan (almost 9), Cooper (9), Taylor (2).  Taylor and I visited the Arbor Springs, a retirement/assisted living home, and she went from table to table shaking hands, sharing smiles, and dancing.  Her favorite line was holding up two fingers and saying “I’m two!”.  She put more smiles on faces in 2 hours than any adult volunteer working there all day.

Logan played Spring flag football.  During the season, they lost two games and had to play both teams during the playoff run.  They beat the Panthers 26-25 by scoring a TD with only 6 seconds left.  In the semi-final, they beat the Patriots 28-26 in the final seconds of the game (this is a team that had beaten them by 20+ points in the regular season).  Finally, they played an undefeated Redskins game in the final (Logan called it the “Super Bowl”) and won a thriller, scoring then catching an interception in the final 16 seconds of the game, final score was 12-7.  As a parent, this game meant more to me than any Super Bowl that I had ever seen!

Logan is the blonde boy in the middle with dark gray shorts, fifth kid from the left.  My oldest daughter, Emma earned straight A’s for the year, sang a solo part at her 5th grade graduation, and was honored for her role as Vice-President of her school.  Cooper finished Kindergarten and earned excellent grades.  As part of my sabbatical plans, I am spending a full day with each of my kids.  It’s hard to get one on one time with Dad when there are six in the family.  Today, is my day with Cooper.  I’m so excited as it is sure to full of sports, eating, visiting Arbor Springs, a Bible lesson, pool, and having fun!

It’s been OVER a week now since I’ve worn a watch.  Enjoying each day without really caring about the time has been really refreshing.  I typically have a VERY full schedule. This Sabbatical has been so refreshing. No schedule is pretty nice!!!

Not all areas in the country have “Lightning Bugs” (some regions call them “Fire Flies”).  Around here, they are Lightning Bugs.  I couldn’t help but to think that this little fella is gloriously and beautifully created!  If you’ve never watched a summer sunset being sprinkled with the beauty of a Lightning Bug filled sky, then you really need to put that on your bucket list.  It’s pretty amazing actually to witness thousands of small (and harmless) bugs illuminate the sky…..a second at a time.   How can we apply this to our lives?  I have to ask myself, “Do I “light up” the room when I enter?  Do I “beautify” my surroundings? Do I bring light into the darkness?”…..I sure try.  Today was super!  On to another day!!  Here is a picture of a Lightning Bug.  You’ll have to see for yourself the beauty of them glowing at night!

I awoke much earlier today than I did yesterday as it was barely light out.  I stayed in bed for quite some time thanking the Lord for all he has given me.

Today was the first day where I was able to sit still and enjoy the silence without monkeys jumping around.  I went on several walks and spent several hours in the Meditation Meadow reading, often drifting away with my thoughts as I listed to God’s natural orchestra while the sun graciously beamed down on me.

When your day is not bustling with meetings, to-do lists, children, family tasks, etc., time tends to creep by which gives you great opportunities for deep soul searching, which we all need from time to time.  I know I do!

For those of you who know me well, know I lean on the spectrum of OCD, or as good friend of mine would say, OCC (Obsessive Compulsive Complex).  I have a complex rather than a disorder.  Let’s go with OCC for obvious reasons!

OCC can be your best friend and work to your benefit in certain areas of your life.  For example, in my position as a Product Manager for Passare, it works to our advantage as we are quickly growing our platform and need the obsessive careful eye to ensure consistency in all things, big and small.

On the other hand, OCC can also be your worst enemy and work against you in certain areas of your life.  For example, when the kiddos want to play a game, go for a bike ride, or go for a swim, my first reaction is – What order is the house in?  Are shoes put away?  Are coats hung up?  Are toys all over?  Are the dishes done?  My OCC kicks in and tells me those tasks need to be completed before I can play a game, go for a bike ride, or go for a swim.

Within the first few pages of Hybels’ book, Simplify, he sets up a scenario where God says, “Let’s sit down together.  We’ve got some things to work out, you and Me.  You’ve lost a connection with me somewhere.  You’ve lost your bearings on true north, and now you’re just spinning.  But I have a better plan.”

Vulnerability time here – At times, I lose sight of true north and think, we’ll go on a bike ride tomorrow, or we’ll go swimming tomorrow.  The Lord has convicted me today telling me that if I’m too busy for my own kids, then I’m too busy.  They ought to be a big part of my life, and I want to be a big part of theirs.  I have some work to do in this area.

Tomorrow morning, I depart this soulful place and head back to reality.  I hope and pray that my time here at Well of Compassion will have a profound effect on me as I continue uncluttering my soul and attempting to keep my bearings on true north and fill my soul to overflowing.

Hybels ends his book Simplify with these powerful words which I will end this blog post with.

“We get one shot at this life.  Choose a purposeful, God-first life, and you will reap rewards for today and for eternity.  Choose a life where the God-shaped void in your soul is filled to overflowing, and you will leave a legacy for those who follow you.  Live your one and only life with all the clarity and focus you can give it.  This is simplified living.  This is the life that satisfies.”

This first week I decided to complete my service project. The first Saturday of my sabbatical, Alvino Sanchez and I along with several other volunteers helped prepare tennis courts for the Grand Slam tennis tournament here in Abilene. I was glad to be able to give back to youth sports; I was a part of them growing up and they made a huge impact on me. There are many kids blessed by these tournaments but a lot goes into them. I am appreciative that we have so many volunteers that give their time in order for this to happen. Thanks Nadene for asking us to be a part of it! I also served with Alvino to help some of our FD family with lawn and landscaping work. I enjoyed being able to serve some of our FD family and was humbled by the experience but I’m so glad to have my cushy desk job the rest of the time. Despite what Alvino tells ya’ll, I actually did most of the work. (HAHA!) All jokes aside, Alvino really is a hard worker and I really enjoyed serving some of our FD family with him.

Since the yard work finished up in the afternoon, I could go pick up my daughter Emery from daycare every day last week. – I usually don’t get to do this. This is such a little thing but it meant a lot. When I would walk into her classroom her eyes would light up and she would walk, as best as she can at this point, over to me squealing with joy (loudly) and gave me a huge hug. I loved making these sweet memories with her and it became something I really looked forward to in my day.

One of the best parts of sabbatical thus far has been getting to just spend more time with Emery and play. I’ve had more time to play with princesses, have tea parties, and build block castles with her. (She doesn’t play right though because she always comes to knock my castle over and laugh at me). In the prophetic words of Ferris Buehler, “life moves pretty fast, if you don’t stop to look around once in a while, you could miss it.” With this being said, I’m enjoying every precious moment with her that I can.

These next three weeks, I’m going to be focusing even more time on my wife, Emery, and our families. I’ve been blessed during this first week and I look forward to what is to come during the rest of my sabbatical. Stayed tuned………

After day 5 of my sabbatical, I am still overwhelmed by the fact that I do not have to make the time to do things that I love, but I now have the time!  Regularly, I have to add simple things to my calendar, just to get them accomplished!  Such as, reading my daily devotional, 15 minutes of strength training, spending quality time with my family, etc.  I have been able to do these things daily and not had to make the time!  I was able to plant flowers, watch my oldest son, Trey, start his high school basketball career, spend quality time with my middle son, Ty, who absolutely loves the outdoors, and watch my youngest son, Alec, play his last season baseball game (loves to make a silly smile for photos! :).  Normally it doesn’t come easy fitting these things in.  What a joy it has been so far!  I feel extremely blessed and am looking forward to starting my first community service project on Friday.

As my final week of Sabbatical has come to end, I am truly overwhelmed with gratitude for this time of rest and rejuvenation. The words “thank you” really don’t quite do it justice. I am truly blessed to work for such a great company. That being said, my final week’s service project was with Love & Care Ministries here in Abilene. As most of you know, this ministry is absolutely incredible! I saw literally hundreds of people being helped and served by this ministry. From the minute the doors opened until the minute they closed, Love & Care would serve the homeless and poor. The attitude was very upbeat and Christian music was played everywhere I went. There was just this joy that I couldn’t describe about the people and the work they were doing. The job that I was given was serving in the Clothing Ministry. We would grab plastic trash bags full of clothes and sort them into Men’s & Women’s categories along with categories for sizes. I was amazed at all the clothing that Love & Care had received from the community. At the same time we were sorting the clothes,  there were literally people waiting in a room to receive those clothes. Needless to say, it was something I will never forget, and also serving in that ministry is something that I will definitely do again. Thank you Funeral Directors Life!

Here is the pile of clothes that we would sort through.

Today is my dad’s Birthday.  When our Sabbatical was first mentioned, I submitted my ministry project….I wanted to take my dad on “THE Roadtrip of a Lifetime!”.  Dad loved the open road.  He loved to go places and see new things.  I felt that it would be an incredible trip and I suspected it would be his last as I knew that his health was beginning to become more frail.  So, I selected June for my Sabbatical so I could be on the road with dad on his birthday—which is today, June 12th.   I wanted it to be a great “last trip” for my dad.  The Lord had better plans for dad.  December 2nd, dad enter into the presence of the Lord and I know for sure that he’d rather be there than on an old lonely highway somewhere here.   My day started early as I went to the cemetery to water the grass.  I also brought a “cupcake Happy Birthday” helium balloon (dad loved his sweets!) and a CATERPILLAR Tractor (where he worked for 30 years).

I then met up with my sister over at mom’s house.  Nancy had a GREAT idea.  Nancy gets all of the credit on this one.  She bought several bouquet of flowers and we took them to each of the houses that we lived in when we were children.  We blessed each house with a pretty bouquet and then we also prayed over each of them.  Out of 4 stops, only 1 was not home.  Our first stop was in the south end of Peoria on Kneer Street.  The lady just beamed with joy when she learned that we were bringing her flowers.

Our next stop was the “nobody home” house on Rustic Rd in East Peoria.  So, I hope they were pleasantly surprised when they came home to a card / flowers on their front porch.

Next stop was Apple Tree Lane.  Mr Williams was SO touched and thrilled that he insisted that we come into the home and look around.  So, I checked out my old bedroom that I had when I was around 6 + 7 yrs old.  In that bedroom, one of my greatest memories is that our cat had her kittens under my bed (it was a “Captains Bed” with a large open/storage drawer under it).   We learned that his wife had passed away several years earlier, and more recently his son…and then his son’s best friend (which was like his own kid).  He’d suffered much loss over the last 5 years.  He was so touched that we came to visit him.  We were there for about an hour just talking and sharing stories.

The last home we stopped at was the house that I really did “grow up” in on Smith Street in Creve Coeur.  We lived there from my 4th grade–High School graduation.  It was there that I was a paperboy for 8 years and then went off to the US Navy when I was 17 yrs old.   The lady answered the door and I think “maybe….” she was a bid scared of us.  She did let us pray for her.  I’m not really sure she could hear us because she had 2 very loud yapping dogs that we were trying to talk over.  But….in the least, she did get a pretty bouquet of flowers and also prayed over.  She couldn’t hear what we were saying…..but, no doubt she understood what we were trying to do.

So…..I didn’t get to go on the road trip with dad.  But—-today on dad’s birthday, we were able to be a blessing to several families.

I love my dad so much.  He was my best friend.  He was the “Best Man” in my wedding.  I miss him like crazy, but I’m so glad that I had him for my 47 years.  Here we are sitting on his front steps last summer.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!
I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

Day 12 of my sabbatical I figured the time would go by slow but I was wrong.

Last week we went back to Brownsville I was surprised how well our grandson did on the long 8 hour drive, we were  able to visit South Padre Island and go to Schlitterbahn  it was a great time.

I was able to visit my grandfather who will be turning 95 in September and I also saw my great aunt who was visiting from Nuevo Laredo she is turning 80 this year.

On Saturday we had our nephew’s graduation and I have to be honest it was the longest graduation ceremony I have EVER been to. Close to 500 kids graduated which is absolutely wonderful but LONG!

We headed back to Abilene on Sunday arrived close to 10pm and my mom came with us. She will be here for a week and then we will be traveling to Georgia to meet up with 2 of my brothers that we haven’t  seen in over a year.

Today my mom and I worked on the vegetable garden and on the rose bushes. I love gardening and its nice to have someone volunteer to help you versus forcing my husband or son be out there with me.

I have been enjoying my quite time, it’s usually early in the morning about 6am I still haven’t mastered the whole sleeping in thing not sure that I can. My daily devotional is 30 Days with Jesus todays passage was on making every day a Sunday and about 4 years ago  that would of made no sense to me but now I can say I find myself praying about everything and frequently throughout my day. I’ve also been reading God Loves Broken People ( and those who pretend they’re not) my reading for the day ended in a good spot it reads “When you are broken in the hands of the Master, you would never, ever go back to living the illusion that you are, in your strength, whole.” Its a really good read talks about how God uses our brokenness to bring us closer to him. I still have a long way to go but now I know I don’t have to face it on my own.

Till next time.

Today we were fortunate enough to play in a golf tournament to benefit Love and Care Ministries. On a Monday! Crazy right?

It was a great event for a fantastic cause. We raised some good $ to help bless the less fortunate in the big country. Here is a pic from one of the tee boxes:

Next we were puppy sitting because our girls went to the lake. Here’s a shot of the little mongrel :

It’s a hard knock life! Until next time…

Week four has been long, hard, and exhausting. I’m glad that it is finally over and that my life will be back to a regular routine. I am a creature of habit.

Taylor Stokes and I decided that we would help out some of our FDL family members by doing yard work and trimming trees for our service project. We survived each other and most importantly, we managed to get a few yards back in order and looking good. Poor Taylor, he’s never worked so hard in all his life. It was funny to see him so chipper on the first morning. He was laughing, giggling, and very upbeat for the first morning. The rest of the week was a different story. He did a great job and was great to work with for an entire week.

All in all, I have really enjoyed the time off from work. This sabbatical has been totally different from the first one. I made time to rest, relax, and enjoy family and friends. Thank you FDL for making this sabbatical possible for me and the rest of my coworkers. I am truly blessed to work for such a great company.

My 3rd week was a little more relaxed than the first couple of weeks. I got to enjoy the time off with my wife and 3 boys. It seems like their favorite thing to do is wrestle on the floor and play “good guys – bad guys”. I can see how much they are loving this time with daddy being home. One of the things that I have realized through my quiet times these couple of weeks is God the Fathers heart for his children. I was reading Psalm 107 and all throughout the chapter it talks about those He has redeemed and His heart for them. It says “Some wandered in the wastelands – they were hungry and thirsty – then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble and he delivered them from their distress. Another verse says “Some sat in darkness and their deepest gloom – then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble and He saved them from their distress”. Again, another verse says “Some became fools through their rebellious ways – then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble and he saved them from their distress.” I love these verses of scripture because they paint a picture of the Fathers heart for his children. Most every morning I wake up before my sons and my 2 year old still sleeps in a crib (because he would constantly come out of the room if he slept in a bed) and every morning when he wakes up his first words are “Daddy – Daddy – Daddy” and there is something that pulls in my heart every time I hear him say those words to go get him and rescue him out of that crib. I truly believe this is the way Father God feels about his children every time they call out to their Heavenly Daddy. One of my service projects for the Sabbatical was helping out with the “Boots on the Ground Ministry”. This ministry provides help to people in preventing possible hazardous situations in the homes of the elderly, disabled, and poor. Boots on the Ground has built numerous wheel chair ramps for the handicapped, repaired roofs for the elderly, and also provided needed essentials for the poor. During my service project, Boots on the Ground generously received 218 mattresses from ACU. We moved and stored the mattresses at the Boots on the Ground Warehouse on North 1st Street. I was surprised to see how many items Boots on the Ground had in their warehouse. From Refrigerators, Washers and Dryers, Furniture, Clothing, and Kitchen dishes to Lawn Mowers, Mattresses and home décor, they had it all. So if you are looking to donate to a wonderful ministry here in Abilene, you couldn’t go wrong with “Boots on the Ground”.

There are not many better ways to start a sabbatical than a vacation. I took my family to Hawaii and we had a blast. It was filled with much needed laughter and reconnecting. We enjoyed many activities but also took time to slow down and just enjoy one another. It was special how the Lord allowed me one on one time with my wife and each of my boys individually. One of my favorite memories from the week is at dinner one night the four of us laughed and truly enjoyed each other’s company. We are coming off a difficult time as a family and we really needed this vacation (and this entire sabbatical). I am taking this opportunity to intentionally connect and make purposeful time with one another to reestablish ourselves as a family and grow our relationships. The timing couldn’t be better and I praise the Lord for this first week as well as what is to come.

I can’t believe I’m on my 11th day of my Sabbatical! I try not to think about it because I start thinking about all the things I want to get done.  Funny rite, since it’s not about what I want to get done but what God has planned for me.

The first couple of days were of rest and taking it all in.  I didn’t worry about what time it was and what I needed to get done.  I’ve also made time to pray every morning, taking a nap, and reading my books (Rediscover Jesus and The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic both by Matthew Kelly).  As I was reading my book, God reminded me to “slow down and enjoy the journey” and that’s what I’ve been trying to do.

On Wednesday, I went to the Wellness Center to sign up with Deonna for the Live Fit Challenge and also went to Love and Care Ministries to drop off my volunteer form.  The next couple of days I cleaned my house, rested, watched movies, and got ready for our trip to El Paso.

We arrived to El Paso last Sunday night and my brother in law had some food ready for us to eat.  Monday, we visited my cousins and made lasagna for dinner and spent the rest of the evening talking and reminiscing.  Tuesday, we celebrated my son’s 12th birthday and went to Rockin’ Jump and had a blast! It’s different size of indoor trampolines and the best part of all was when my kiddos told me they were happy that I got to jump with them.  Wednesday was a day of rest.  Thursday, we went bowling and again had so much fun!

On Friday, my sister came over and visited with us.  When I told my kiddos that I had a sister from my dad’s side of the family, they were really surprised.  I didn’t realize I hadn’t mentioned that to them and my son quickly asked where she was from. I told him that she was from here (El Paso) and he asked why they had never met her.  I told him that I hadn’t had a close relationship with her because we were both very young when we met but that I wanted to change that and wanted for us to get to know her.  I also have a brother but he lives in California and hopefully one day we will get to meet him as well.  For rite now I am very thankful that my sister and I met again and spent time together.

Saturday, we went to the cemetery and cleaned my baby’s grave and put fresh flowers.  It’s been 18 years since her passing but it always feels like yesterday when my Jesus needed an angel in heaven.  Today, Sunday, we went to mass and had a relaxing day with my mother in law, brother in law and his family.  I am really enjoying spending time with family and not having to worry about time.  I’m learning how to live in the moment, leaving yesterday in the past and not worry so much about tomorrow.

Till next time…

Read more…

This week has been such a blessing. First, I got to spend time with my mom in San Antonio for her birthday. My stepdad and my mom both mentioned how much it meant to her for my brother and me to be able to come down there for her birthday. On Sunday, the minster at my mom’s church, MacArthur Park Church of Christ, preached on the Armor of God and talked about when he lived in Abilene when he proposed to his wife.  I figured it couldn’t be a coincidence that the sermon was about the scripture on our sabbatical coin and my hometown was even mentioned. Here is the link to the sermon if you would like to listen to it: http://mpcc.buzzsprout.com/5224/521586-ambassador-in-chains. My mother also gave me an old photograph of my grandmother with her mother and sister that I was able to add our family records that I keep.

“Pupa” is an Italian term of endearment. It can mean “doll” or “cutie.”

Monday, I was blessed by two wonderful guys who are also on their sabbaticals. Alvino and Taylor transformed my yard into such a beauty. They trimmed trees and bushes, edged and mowed my lawn. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate everything they did for us.

I also began delivering for Meals on Wheels. It really is one of those things that is so simple to do that leaves a huge impact on people. I delivered a meal to one lady and I realized from the delivery sheet that her birthday was the next day so I wished her an early happy birthday and her face lit up with the biggest smile. She even told me about some of her birthday plans.

I’ve been reading The 360 Leader by John Maxwell, which is about leading from the middle, and The Just Like Jesus Devotional by Max Lucado. Both ask you a lot of big questions that are often times hard to answer and its usually not intellectually difficult but emotionally difficult. Here are two hard ones from each: “What is worth spending your life on?” (Maxwell) and “How would you have responded if Jesus, knowing everything about you, knelt before you to wash your feet?” (Lucado).

Maxwell’s question might be easy to answer in some categories. Most people want to spend more time with their families and on their relationship with God but after that it gets kind of blurry.  You could even ask a bigger question and ask yourself “Am I spending my time in the way that God wants me to?” I know for me that question could be oftentimes be answered with a big fat “No”. I’m pretty sure that God had not intended for me to make so many trips to Taco Bell in my life and that instead of ordering a 5-Layer Burrito I should be doing something more valuable with my time. But what should I be doing? Perhaps today writing a blog is something I should be doing. It may make a positive impact. God always has a way for opening doors to others. I used to write quite a lot when I was younger.  I used to write poetry and even wrote articles for some newspapers and a magazine. I have even kept up a couple of blogs in the past. As I am writing this, I am realizing that maybe something I should be spending my life on is writing.

Don’t worry I’m not going to forget Lucado’s question. I personally think that if Jesus tried to wash my feet that I would not want him to, especially with him knowing everything about me. I wouldn’t want anyone to wash my feet, let alone someone who knows how imperfect I really am. I would feel so incredibly unworthy and embarrassed. Perhaps some of the disciples felt this way. One of thing Max points out is that Jesus washes the feet of Thomas, Peter, and Judas. One doubts the resurrection of Jesus, one denies him, and one betrays him a way that leads to his death. None of these guys knew this was in their future but I think they knew what was in their hearts. They knew that doubt, fear, and evil lived in there and here comes the Savior to wash their feet. Peter even says that he would never want Jesus to wash his feet. I can only imagine the tension in the room. Jesus also says he does this to be our example. How many of us could humble ourselves enough to wash someone else’s feet, especially people we know everything about, good and bad?

Besides getting to read some pretty impactful books, I also got to take Garrett and Odin to the CALF (Children Arts and Literacy Festival) this year. It was our 3^rd year going and it was spectacular.  What I love most about the CALF is how it brings literature alive to kids. This year’s illustrator was Garth Williams, who illustrated Stuart Little, Charlotte’s Web, The Three Little Pigs, and much more. We also got to spend Saturday with Jessie Martin and Addie on Saturday at the CALF. I loved the ventriloquist Nancy Worcester. She taught the kids and the adults how you can build a better world by building a better you. I only wish all children’s entertainment had such positive message.

The power of this week makes me look forward to next week even more and I hope that blog número dos can only have as many positive things in it as the first.

I LOVE Sunday mornings at Riverside Community Church (RCC)!!!  Today was no exception!!   We’ve been so fortunate to be a part of RCC since day one.  We helped start this church and it continues to do amazing things in Peoria for the Lord.
Here is a picture from today’s time of worship.

After church service,  I visited “City Church” in Pekin.  They had a few cool cars outside….cookout….fun/games for the kids…..and, a few other outside fun things!  My son-in-law Russell was in the dunk tank and I made sure he got wet!  I made him put his ball cap over his eyes so he couldn’t see when the ball was going to hit the target to release the drop arm.   You’re welcome Russell!!!!!
Look closely in the tank. There is a window at the front and you can see Russell’s feet in there!!!  (click photo to see it better)

Later, we celebrated my Great-nephew’s 7th Birthday.  Logan is the kindest and sweetest little guy!  He laughs and giggles.  Due to autism, he’s mostly non-verbal.  He loves so freely and without judgement or reservation.  He lives every day with such joy!  Today, we all watched him as he’d swing on or slide down his new swing set that was put together last week.  He was just glowing with joy today as we were all watching him play.  He is such a joy to watch play.
    

Late afternoon, I watered the grass at the cemetery.  I noticed that there is a “green patch” at the cemetery where we’ve been maintaining.  Oh, such a sermon there….but, I’ll not go into that here!  hehehe    When I was watering the grass, I noticed that there were 2 trains in the background passing through.  It reminded me of some of my earlier years with my dad.  He had a train set that was downstairs.  He and I would go down there and I would watch him control the speed of the trains.  He even cut a hole midway through the board where I could “pop up” through and get closer to see the trains.  Today, once again…..I was reminded of many good times that I had with dad.  What a lucky kid I was to have a dad that cared so much about me that he’d build a train set so that he and I could spend time together.

Notice a green spot there?

There go the trains!

Jesus is “the good shepherd”.  John 10:11 ““I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”

Gotta go!
Time for rest!!!  hehehehee
What a great day today was!

I awoke to the serene noise of a gentle rain shower making its way through the land.  It was light out, but I didn’t bother to check the time.  I could hear off in the distance the rain showers becoming heavier as they approached my hermitage.

I awoke again a couple hours later.  I laid in bed in anticipation of a full day without any schedule, no phone calls to make, no emails to return, no text messages to answer, no kids to tend to.  Just a day for me.  Again, I didn’t bother to check the clock as I had nothing prompting me for my time.

I spent about 30 minutes reading my Bible while listening to the birds sing a multitude of what sounded like perfectly choreographed concerts.  I made my way up to the lodge for a quick shower.

Upon my peaceful, 10-minute, walk back to my hermitage, I decided that I would grab my Bible, a book, and my journal and I would take a walk through the trails eventually ending up at a small open field named the Meditation Garden where a picnic table awaits you in the open sunlight.

I sat at the picnic table and just stared around in awe of God’s miraculous beauty in nature.  The monkeys were clearly asleep as I felt for the first time in a decade, that I had nothing, nada, zip, zilch, NOTHING on my mind in those moments.  It was quite strange to be honest.  I could not hear the static of life, but I could hear something that I never hear.

• Bumblebees were buzzing.
• Caterpillars were crawling.
• Chipmunks were scrounging.
• Deer were dancing.
• Dragonfly’s were whizzing.
• Flies were flying.
• Squirrels were squeaking.
• Trees were whisking.
• Turkeys were gobbling.
• Woodpeckers were pecking.

As I sat there in what I thought was silence, I was blown away at the amazing orchestra that surrounded me.  Then it dawned on me – you cannot hear this God-produced orchestra unless you are in silence.  Silence is challenging, but oh so beautiful.  As Paintner wrote, “Cultivating silence is about making space for another voice to speak. Silence is presence rather than absence.”  Today, I am thankful I made space for God to speak through His creation.

I returned to my hermitage and shortly thereafter the monkeys were jumping around again.  Should I turn the data back on on my phone so I can check my emails, my voicemails, my social media messages?  Should I check in with my wife?  Should I spy on them via our in-home camera?  Should I, Should I, Should I…

I laid down and prayed that God would tie those blasted monkeys up and give them a good dose of Tylenol PM for the next 27 days.  After successfully subduing the monkeys, I was fast asleep for another good nap.

I spent the remainder of my evening reading, journaling, sipping tea, and sitting in silence listening to God’s perfectly orchestrated masterpiece that we call nature.

I urge you to regularly practice silence as it helps us grow aware of the chatter of our minds and the judgments we carry about ourselves and others.

– Nick

It’s been very busy since I left Texas for Tennessee.  On Wednesday after work, I said my goodbye’s and headed out made it to Bossier City, LA to stay the night and up by 7am for breakfast and hit the road for a very long 9 hour drive to Cleveland, TN…my new home.  We unloaded my car, which by the way, I looked like the Beverly Hillbillies coming to town.  Jeff had dinner ready and we relaxed the rest of the night.  The next morning we began putting things away, which is still not all done yet. We went to visit his mom and helped her with a few things that needed done.   Friday, I began reading the power of humility by R.T Kendal and reading from our Book of Mysteries from Kris. We have been to town Friday and Saturday just trying to get things we need, groceries, etc.  Each morning we wake Jeff and I get in separate rooms do our reading and praying then come together to get our day started.  Today we are working on straightening up the office finding a place for me to work.

Things sometimes do not work out just like you plan…we had planned to help with the Ronald McDonald House in Chattanooga but that fell thru so we began talking, praying and listening to what we wanted to do…We went to the  Salvation Army and signed up to work with them…not only for the our Sabbatical but from now on. Our hearts tell us working with the homeless children/families are where we need to be.  We have the Duck Race coming up and every Friday night at our greenway they put on a free night for the kids with music and activities in which we will help do where ever we are needing for this.  We have planned to help a family or child in need of food or clothing, this has really been heavy on our hearts.  Looking forward to seeing what God has in store of us with the Salvation Army from here on out.

On with my day…

Today was not very “full”.  Just a laid back and easy day.
Early today, I started out by watering the grass at the cemetery.  See the baby grass peeking up?  It’s coming in!!

Tonight, Hannah (my daughter) & Russell (her husband) joined me for dinner in Peoria in the old “Warehouse District” at a restaurant called “Sugar”.
Brick oven baked pizza and dining outside—–PERFECT weather today!!   Sunny and a high of 87 degrees.  PERFECTION!!
      

           All laid back and enjoying life!

Following dinner, Russell & Hannah gave me a tour of their new church (City Church).  Their first Sunday there was 6 days ago!
They are the new Youth Pastors at City Church in Pekin, IL.  They are excited to be here in the area so they may serve the youth (Jr + Sr High students).
They are also excited because they are getting their very first home!  They take possession of it in a few weeks.  We stopped to snap a picture in the front yard.

I’m looking forward to tomorrow!!  Church in the morning!  It’s going to be a great day!!!

Blessings,
Robert

I arrived a few minutes before 11:00 a.m.  I was greeted by Blair Anderson, a retired pastor of the ELCA after 40+ years of faithful service to the ministry in the northern suburbs of the Minneapolis metropolitan area.  He and his wife, Betty, have made it their mission to provide a place (62 acres) in Central Minnesota for spiritual retreat in silence and solitude.

We enjoyed a cup of coffee and a pleasant introduction of each other.  Toward the end of our conversation, Blair asked, “What are your hopes for your time here at Well of Compassion.”  The question was somewhat a loaded question that I hadn’t anticipated.  My answer was simple however: “A time of silence.  A time of peace.  A time of rest.  And a time to reconnect with God.”

He escorted me to my hermitage, gave me the nickel tour, prayed for me and my stay, and away he went.  He said he would return in about 30 minutes with water and a basket of breads, fruits, and cheeses.  Before unpacking, I made my way out to the screened-in porch where I sat in silence in awe of this opportunity to become a ‘hermit’ for a few days.  Something I have longed for over the course of many years.

It didn’t last long, minutes in fact, for the monkeys in my head to start jumping around reminding me all the things I should be doing.  I should be blogging.  I should be reading.  I should be journaling.  I should be resting.  I should go for a walk.  I should, I should, I should…

Blaire returned with bountiful basket of breads, fruits, and cheeses and wished me well.  I was thankful for his return as it distracted me from the monkeys.  He graciously invited me for dinner at the lodge with he and the other hermit.  I hesitated for a second as I wanted to say no, but couldn’t resist good Christian fellowship.

After pacing for what felt like an hour as I attempted to put the monkeys to sleep, I laid on the bed and began to pray a prayer of thanksgiving for this sabbatical opportunity and this ministry.  I awoke several hours later, just in time to head in for dinner.  I’m thankful I said yes, as we had a pleasant dinner, just the three of us, and some spiritual direction from Blair.  He shared a writing from Christine Valters Paintner about Silence.

As I walked back to my hermitage, The verse “Be still and know that I am God,” encapsulated my thoughts.  Do we really know what it means to be still?  I mean, do we REALLY know stillness?  I know I don’t.  Paintner says, “A person can live alone and still experience much noise within and a person can live in the midst of a crowd and have a true sense of silence in their heart.”

Painter goes on to write, “Silence is challenging.  We create all kinds of distraction and noise in our lives so we can avoid it.”  Do you create distractions to avoid silence?

 I spent the next several hours reading “Simplify – ten practices to unclutter your soul” by Bill Hybels with the flickering light of the lantern as darkness fell while listening to the rustling noises of leaves crunching as critters roamed around outside.

Do you know how dark it gets in the middle of a forest with no electricity!?

– Nick

This past week I had the great opportunity to partner with Eastridge Baptist Church. They are a congregation that ministers to the most diverse and one of the poorest areas of Amarillo. The church offers ESL classes, helps refugees fill out any needed paperwork, they offer services in other languages and much more. They have a kids program after school and in the afternoons in the summer. It’s an open gym time where kids can play in a safe environment. They also serve a hot meal each and every day.

The program is run by the senior pastor, Mike Garmin. I was thankful to help him this past week. My help was simple yet was something I believe blessed him. I put together a tool bin, vacuumed their artificial turf, helped prep the meal time, swept floors and hung out with the kids.

On Thursday and Friday I was able to open up the gym and oversee the days program. Pastor Mike was sick and asked me to cover it for him. This turned out to be a blessing because if I was unable to help those days he would have had to cancel. I was happy to help out.

The church is doing some great things for their neighborhood and I look forward to working with them in the future. Pastor Mike definitely needs help taking care of the program and I will be a voice for him and what they’re doing in hopes more people will get involved.

I’m so grateful for the opportunity to help them and serve a different community.

Michael

Today ended up being a great blessing!!!!

A friend of mine was able to get his very own apartment today.  I’m so proud of him.  This is a HUGE step for him.  I was able to help him move into his new home.   When it was realized that today would be “the day” that he was going to get his place, we decided that a “Dude’s Night Out” should take place there.  So, several of us went there to help him celebrate having a home.  We had pizza, chips, soda…….and projected “Star Wars” onto the wall.
  

Earlier in the day, I watered the grass at the cemetery.  Next to dad is my grandma and grandpa’s graves.  Just above his Veteran marker was a little toad hopping around.  I think that the toad was enjoying the water that I sprinkled onto the grass.

It was a great day to be able to serve others.  Tomorrow is Saturday and I have no plans at all.  I think I’ll just wait and see what God provides for me!

Blessings,
Robert

Matthew 25:31-46

The Sheep and the Goats

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

It’s Friday, and I just finished up my week volunteering at Love & Care Ministries. This was just an amazing week for me. Every day, I came home dog tired, but incredibly happy and fulfilled. Here’s the whole team:

On Wednesday night, I went out with Janet to do a street feed. We gave out about 60 meals to people who were out walking on the streets and living in various camps, motels, and homes. The street feeds were some of my favorite experiences from my time at Love & Care!

Janet warned me to put on bug spray for our evening out, and she wasn’t kidding. The mosquitoes were the size of rodents out there! I must have some sort of domesticated variety at my place because these bugs looked like monsters! I asked Janet if they gave out bug spray to the people living in the camps, and she said that they’d give it if they had it. Bug spray and repellants are one of those things that get overlooked as donation items, I guess. I wondered if we might do a bug repellant drive up at work. Collect some bottles/candles/etc., especially for those who live in camps?

On Thursday, we served pasta with meat balls and fried squash that came in from a local farm. The squash was delicious! Then we made a fruit salad for Friday and called it a day. I’m not sure if my feet have ever hurt as much as they did Thursday night. What a workout! By the way, my “exercise” for this week has been walking, standing, and hopping up and down from the back of a truck for 7 hours a day. I think that counts, lol!

Today, I helped out at the food pantry and got to give out sack lunches and weekend kits to our homeless friends. I’ve started learning some names throughout the week and even recognized some faces from our street feeds and from working the kitchen.

As I reflect on the past week, I learned a lot more than I ever have on a mission trip. During the sabbatical, our time of service is intended to be a time to refocus, and working at Love & Care has certainly helped me to refocus. Here are a few of my thoughts:

I need to do more of this. Life is made up of all the little choices we make. Every week, I plan out what I want to accomplish, and I usually get most of it done. I need to make more room in my life for helping others. Not out of some sense of duty, but for the sheer joy of it. Because it makes my heart feel good to put a smile on someone’s face.

It’s not that hard to get involved. It was a lot easier to help out than I thought it would be. And, there are a lot of great ways to help from volunteering for a lunch service, to donating items or giving money.

I don’t really need the stuff I think I need. I don’t think of myself as materialistic by any stretch of the imagination, but I have a new appreciation for “wants” and “needs.” Any time I want buy something because I “need” it, I want to take pause and remember my week at Love & Care. Because I don’t really need it, and I can probably be completely happy without it.

Wealth is not about money, it’s about having a bountiful spirit. I don’t know how many people I served this week who said “I’m blessed” when they were asked how they were doing. They were rich in love and joy, even in the midst of difficult circumstances. I want to be more like them.

Don’t forget to smile! Early in the week, I was concentrating on my work and trying to be helpful, and someone came into the kitchen and said, “Hey, you have to smile if you want to work here!” I can’t believe I forgot to smile! I didn’t get to have long conversations with most of the people I served, but I did get to smile at them a lot for the rest of the week, and I hope it brightened someone’s day :).

Do what you feel in your heart. As with any organization, there are rules at Love & Care to protect the generosity of others and make the most of what is given. But sometimes the rules get in the way of helping people who really need it. One of the topics of conversation in the kitchen this week was about when to give beyond what the “rules” said. Janet’s edict from Mark Hewett? “Do what you feel in your heart.” I think those are good words to live by.

Blessings,

Heather

And so it begins………… test post!

Just testing that I know how to post here!

Shout out to the Customer Care team because the image is on my computer!

I started this sabbatical doing something I have never done before, PLAN!!  I am a planner and a serious planner, so I have vowed to plan as little as possible over the next month.  I did have to plan a hotel for the past weekend, we visited LegoLand and Sea World Aquarium, along with Build-A-Bear.  It rained the entire weekend, but didn’t stop us.  Monday was suppose to start my service project at Meals on Wheels and to my surprise they did not need in to fill-in help, so I hung my head and drove back home.  When have they not needed help?  So I thought I would just have a relaxing Monday, that quickly changed when Ms. Val (dear friend) called and asked that I go sit with a lady alone at the ER until she could get a room.  Ms. Val was in Atlanta and couldn’t be there for her friend, so I went at 4:30pm and sat with Ann until her room was ready at 9:30pm.  During these very long hours Ann & I talked, she wanted to know about me.  As the hours went on she asked where my husband was, I told her out of town working in far west Texas.  She asked how I was able to let him do that and at first I couldn’t figure out what she was talking about. I was confused and thought her medication was causing her not to think clearly, but she wanted to know how I trusted him being away from 4 days.  I was speechless, mainly because I had no answer.  I had never even thought about that, as I told her she was in awe that I trusted him 100% and wanted to know how to get that.  I explained that it is not something you get, this had been in our relationship from the first date 20 years ago, I had never doubted his loyalty and that went both ways. She started crying and said that she has never had that feeling in any of her relationships.  So while I was sitting in a hospital I was blessed by Ann for reminding me that I have a great marriage and a wonderful husband that works very hard for his family.  When I got to the parking lot I made sure to send him a message about how much I appreciate him.  My husband said that God didn’t want to use me at Meals on Wheels because he had to make sure I was ready to sit with Ann.  The rest of the week was spent running errands, appointments and serving as a Meals on Wheels fill-in driver.  As a fill-in driver you never know which rout you’ll be assigned until you get there.  This took me to some areas of the town that I have never been to and it also served to open my eyes to the elderly in our area that need help.  While I could only deliver their meals I made sure they were also greeted with a smile and kind words to make them smile.  I did have a run-in with a chihuahua, but we both survived!  The kids have really enjoyed this week as I have not been setting my alarm clock, so I sleep as much as I need and then start our day.  Most afternoons have been spent on the patio relaxing.  Please pray for Ann she will be having major back surgery on June 16th, she also feels that God has left her.

This was my view this morning and most every morning during my Sabbatical quiet time :

A daily reminder of God’s majesty! All the glory goes to Him. This is the day the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Today was SO FULL of fun!!    Today is my sweet Robyn’s Happy Birthday!!!!!   I am so fortunate to have her in my life.  We’ve been married since we were 19, so we pretty much grew up together.  It’s such a privilege to celebrate her life!!!

My day started out at the cemetery.  Robyn and I have been maintaining my dad’s cemetery space. Robyn planted grass seed and it’s looking really good!  We take 5 gallons of water out (almost daily!) and water the new grass seed.  My visits there are often and even somewhat therapeutic.  I miss my dad so much.   Here I am pictured in front of dad’s headstone.  

Tonight, we treated Robyn to “Texas Roadhouse”!!!   Yeeeeeeeeeee-haaawwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!
Here is Robyn (far right) next to her sister (Donna) and our daughter (Hannah).

My piece of cow was delightful!!   Not bad, ey??

So, around here……..for just about EVERY birthday……….we make home made ice cream.  Tonight, was no exception!
Home made ice cream to celebrate Robyn!

What a beautiful day!!   Great temperatures!!  No stress…….just a wonderful day celebrating Robyn!

Blessings,
Robert

I don’t always pick up on the nuanced impressions and messages God sends my way.  This week I received two messages loud and clear.

One:

I was meant to volunteer at Freedom Reins Ranch this week with the kids, not last week without them. 

I knew it would be hot and tiring and, honestly, I didn’t want to deal with whiny kids who I knew would rather be swimming at the pool than painting a pipe fence.  So, in my infinite wisdom I tried to force the service project so that it would be done by the time I picked up the kids from Kristi.

God had other plans, and sent some summer rain.

As a result, the kids and I spent three mornings this week painting about 100 feet (but it felt more like 100 miles) of pipe fence at and around Mike’s main horse pen.  Connor (9) and Scotty (4, going-on-16) worked so hard!  They were excited to help out at the ranch, and whining was at a minimum – especially if you don’t count my own.

I love physical and manual labor – it’s not that I don’t like volunteering with kids or feeding the hungry, but I feel my calling (from a volunteer standpoint anyway) is just to be the guy who’s willing to do the menial stuff.  Dig the ditches.  Remove the stumps.  Paint the fences.  Working my tail off in Cancun for Back2Back Ministries with the FD (and friends!) team was by far the most rewarding part of my first incentive trip.  This week, I was blown away that my kids were willing to do the same with me at Freedom Reins Ranch – they worked their tails off!

God is good, and He has given my children a great gift in hearts for helping others.  I couldn’t be more thankful that He reminded me of that this week.

Two:

I desperately needed this time away from work to rest and refocus.

We all have stress in our jobs.  It’s normal, and many times that stress can energize us and motivate us!  I’ve read about stress in everyone’s blogs, along with how beneficial the sabbatical experience is to relieve that stress.  It wasn’t until this week I realized just how much I needed this relief, too.  My stress levels – magnified by life events of the past year and my own insecurities – were affecting my work, my productivity, my motivation, and my outlook.  And for that, I’m sorry.

In classic rookie fashion, I’ve tried to plan every day of my sabbatical – and (thank you, God) I’ve failed to execute that plan in its entirety.  Simply allowing myself to wake up naturally – or with a 4-year-old jumping on me – in the morning has been so refreshing.  Contrary to what I thought, not planning every moment and simply being open to the moments presented to me has allowed me to experience even more than I planned over the past three weeks.  More play-time.  More reconnecting with old friends and family.  More sunsets.  More service.  More hugs.  More reading.  More (good) coffee.  More prayer.

I am far from irreplaceable, and it’s been so comforting to know that Dan, Mary, Paul, Todd, Sonia, Judy, Gabby, and many others will more than fill any gaps in my absence.  Thank you, everyone, for stepping up and giving me the gift of peace of mind!

At this particular moment of my sabbatical, the kids want to go to the pool – and I’m inclined to say yes!

P

All day, I felt like I needed to “be doing something”.  ANYTHING……calls, e-mails, appointments………..
BUT, I pushed through today.

This morning, I posted a short video from the campground that we were staying in.  I hope you had a chance to see it!
If you’ll notice, we alllllllmost had the campground to ourselves.  Here’s a picture of our camping spot today.

We made it back safe and sound.  I DO have to say that today….a VERY rare event occurred today.  My very first “Sabbatical Nap” occurred today around 5pm for an entire 15 minutes!  My wife captured this anomaly as proof:
     See?  Look Kris!!!  I did it!!!!!   Maybe tomorrow will bring in a 20-minute’er!

After that power nap, I assisted my super lovely wife by cooking on the grill.  (she prepares it and all I really do is put it on the grill and then turn it over and over every few minutes until I “think” it’s done)   Chicken anyone???

Tonight was just a relaxing evening at home.  I’m looking forward to tomorrow!!!!!

Blessings!
Robert

This post is a little late, but better late than never.

Week three has been dedicated to honey do’s.  Vera has asked me to get a few chores done around the house for some time now.  She was on vacation this week and together we accomplished and completed most of the projects on her list.  Notice I said her list not mine.   It’s amazing how much can be accomplished when you have someone helping (pushing) you!

Don’t think that my sabbatical has been all work and no rest. Napping for at least two hours daily has been wonderful.  I have made rest and relaxation priority Numero Uno!  Perhaps that is why waking up early everyday has not been an issue at all.  I can say with confidence that I have the rest part down to a tee!

The Book Love Does by Bob Goff is now in the history books.  It was a great and enjoyable read.  The author uses stories to make his points and connections to God.  Who doesn’t love stories?  He must be an expressive!  My kind of people!

The takeaway from this book is:  Always love people and use things.  Never in the reverse order.

First thing on the list was to finally bury my Aunt’s ashes at sea in Galveston.  I’m sure some eyebrows raised from co-workers and funeral directors when I posted our ceremony and her final disposition on Facebook.  But I’m getting ahead of myself…

I technically started my sabbatical on Sunday morning.  The night before I received notice that my application to volunteer for Northwest Ministries wasn’t received, (I’ll have to find a different service project due to time restraints,) my car started making funny noises, my son was getting a fever, and perhaps the most upsetting— my husband lost a contact.  Tyler has very bad eyesight and without the contact he can’t drive and it effects his equilibrium dramatically.  All of this occurred the night before we take off for a quick family trip to Galveston to bury my aunt’s cremains and spend quality time together.

Despite it all, I woke up Sunday morning, read my devotional, and we persevered.   The drive down to the gulf went well, and Cade was feeling better.  We arrived at the dock and met the captain.  Rain delayed our service for about 30 minutes.  I knew we had made a good decision when the captain asked if he could start our voyage in prayer.  Roughly one nautical mile out at sea, we stopped the boat and started our ceremony.  (The captain will send the exact coordinates to us so we can mark the final resting place.)  I opened the ceremony in prayer and then the children read their thoughts, prayers and comments they had prepared.  My sister closed our ceremony with her final thoughts and prayers.  We placed the biodegradable urn in the water and watched it float down and away while the sun set.  It was dramatically beautiful.

Some may question why with my many years of experience in the industry, and all of our outstanding Wolfelt training, I would choose this type of service for my aunt.  Even though we had the funeral home provide the cremation, we had no visitation or memorial service provided by them.  This might even appear blasphemous to some.  If you are still reading this you may, or may not like my rationale.  I fully believe that for most situations a traditional service with body present is the most respectful, appropriate, and most importantly, HEALING type of service.  And while this is true MOST of the time, like most things in life, there are exceptions.

My Aunt was near 80 when her cancer returned.  She never married nor had children.  She lived in California the majority of her life until my grandmother turned 100 and could not live alone.  In an effort to take care of Nema, my Aunt moved back to Ohio where she spent the last several years.  She developed friendships in Ohio, but due to age, many of her friends were disabled or in nursing care homes.  Few of her distant relatives are left in Ohio, and they are very distant. (They are second and third cousins mostly.)  My mother and father have passed away and only Nema survives on that side of the family.  Nema is 105, and she doesn’t attend funerals.  She did not attend my father or mother’s funeral.  The only funeral I know of that she attended was her husband’s 30 years ago.  (Nema tends to live in denial at times, and this coping mechanism has served her well.)  In addition, and perhaps most importantly, a traditional funeral experience does not reflect the life of my aunt at all.  There was nothing traditional about her.  She was extraordinarily compassionate, literally brilliant (IQ around 150,) quiet, introverted, gentle, progressive, free spirited and well, different.  Very different.  I am thankful that in her final years she went to bible study with friends and studied Christianity.  She declared herself to be Christian, and we found numerous evidence of this when cleaning up her home after her death.  Declaring herself to be Christian was the only thing “traditional” about her.  She loved dolphins and the ocean and always wanted a condo by the beach.  My decision on her final tribute considered everything mentioned above.

As for what now? We are back from Galvez, but only for 24hours.  We are traveling back to the beach to enjoy some Carpenter family fun for a few days tomorrow.   Oh, and the car and the contact?  We are still working on the emergency contact and the car wouldn’t replicate the noise when we brought it to the shop.  Strange.  And today I am working toward finding different service work since the volunteer application was not received.

Stay tuned.  Who knows what will happen next…

Morning of Day 3

Today was a great day to bond with the fam. Matt and I played nine holes of golf on a weekday which is something we have never been able to do. I was so grateful because he and I don’t get to spend as much time together as we used to. The weather was perfect and the golf wasn’t too bad either (although I did have one tee shot that didn’t make it past the ladies tee box). Oh well.

Had some pool time.  Went on a walk. Read. Took a nap.

The best part of the day was preparing dinner together as a family. With Teri and I both working and all the kids being busy with their schedule it’s so rare we get to enjoy dinner together with a home cooked meal.  Everyone participated so that made it even more special.

Puppy update.  I forgot how wild puppies can be. As cute as they are they still like to chew, bite, whine, etc.

He finally crashed under the couch!

Still feeling super blessed to have this time! Memories we will hopefully never forget with the people who matter the most.

Until next time…

After six days, I am beginning to settle into the sabbatical mindset.  I am spending more time with family, more time with God, and feeling more relaxed.  My weekend was a bit hectic with Logan’s football games, pool outings, family weekend commitments but the past few days have been more peaceful.  Although I am being asked for a lot of favors, my rest and spiritual focus is starting to take shape.  This morning, I was reflecting on Psalm 40 and a verse struck a cord with me.  Psalm 40:5 (NKJV) “Many, O Lord my God, are Your wonderful works which You have done; And Your thoughts towards us cannot be recounted to You in order; If I were to declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.”  God is thinking of us all the time!  How comforting.  During the past six days, I have continuously thought of my children.  I have spent several hours taking care of our 2 year old, Taylor.  These moments have been precious.  On two different ocassions, I have taken care of her and her best friend down the street.  They are so sweet! 

Taylor is in the pink outfit and her friend, Lilly, is in blue.  Taylor is in my thoughts constantly and my love for her abounds.  Yet, my Heavenly Father thinks of His children more often and loves more deeply.  It absolutely blows my mind!  Taylor and I are on our way to share some smiles, love, and laughter with a group of folks at Arbor Springs, an assisted living home, near our neighborhood.  I can’t wait to see what God has in store for us today!

 Day TWO—– (2 down, only 28 to go!)

We’re still in Hannibal, MO at Mark Twain Campground.
Last night, mom & I took a private tour into the “Mark Twain Cave”.  I say “private” because we were the ONLY people on the 7pm tour—-not because we paid the big bucks like Elvis or anything.
(Here are a few pictures from Mark Twain’s Cave)  This entrance has been used for MANY decades for the tour.  The inside of the cave has around 3 miles of trails total.  It was verified that Jesse James was in (and likely stayed inside the cave) because his signature is inside it.  Years ago, EVERYONE would etch their name inside the cave to “mark” their place in history.  The earliest name/day goes back to the early 1800’s!

              The water here is SUPER CLEAR and pure!

Today was a very leisurely, laid back, easy going, stress free, and fun day.
Breakfast was pretty much Daniel Plan compliant.  Oatmeal with walnuts & banana (ignore the Mocha Drink =o)    After breakfast and when we felt like it….and, not until we totally felt like it, we drove downtown so we could walk around for a while.  We browsed several antique stores (Mom bought me a 1957 IL License Plate to hang in my garage, aka “Man-Land”!!)  It was fun to spend time in “small town USA”.

The downtown was a neat sight to see:

I talked a long time with this Native American, but he’d only answer back when I’d give him $ 1.00

If you’ve NEVER seen the home that Mark Twain grew up in….then you can’t say that any longer.  It’s right over our shoulder!!!

We stopped by the local cemetery for a few minutes.  Wow…and am I glad that we did!  It was a very narrow and winding gravel road.  But, once at the top…..oh, the view!  This cemetery was so beautiful.  I can’t imagine how difficult it was so many years ago to get to the top of the steep hill.  (and, about 1 mile out of town)  The cemetery is called “Riverside Cemetery”.   What do you think of the view!??!

We closed out the day by driving about 30 miles south to Louisiana, MO (at the recommendation of the local “cheese guy” that we bought cheese from).  A REALLY neat drive on a very narrow 2 lane road.  The drive there treated us with views of many farms, cows, abandoned homes / properties, etc.  Louisiana, MO is a very old little town that at one time was FULL of commerce.  There are many old mansions in the town that were fun to admire from the road and reflect upon days once gone by.  The houses cry out for someone to restore them.  Sadly, the likeliness of this town recovering is very little.  More than likely, the mansions will continue to one at a time get more and more worn down and dilapidated until they are uninhabitable.  I noticed that one of them (and it wasn’t even one of the “bigger one’s” had been divided into 4 apartments—yes–1 house, divided into 4 apartments!).   We had dinner at a local downtown restaurant that was originally built as a hotel (down near the river).  Many of the stores were for sale or rent.  I hope they recover.  Small town USA is becoming more rare all the time.  Here is a picture of us in front of the restaurant.

Day 2 is gone and full of SO MANY memories and great times with mom.  This has been an incredible start to my 30 Day Sabbatical.   It has really forced me to NOT be on my phone, calling, e-mailing, etc.  It’s allowed me the opportunity to slow down and enjoy the music of a calliope being played on a steamboat….arguing with an old chief behind glass….wander a cave that has been there for thousands of years…..and MORE—–all while sharing memories with my sweet Momma, Sheila Joiner.

I wonder what DAY 3 will bring!!!

My sabbatical began this last Saturday, and for a couple of days, I woke up in the middle of the night thinking “Oh my gosh–I forgot to…(fill in the blank)” With work still on the brain, I have been trying to tell myself, just be like Elsa, and let it go…at least for 30 days.

I love my job. It’s fast-paced and deadline driven, and it gets my blood pumping to try to get everything done that needs to get done in a day, and then some. I LOVE feeling needed and appreciated, which I do, every single day.

But, I do need a rest. A good rest. I’ve been so wound up and stressed out for months, that today, I just sat on my back porch, poured myself a chai tea, and had a good cry.

I just feel so blessed in this moment. Blessed to have time to unwind. Blessed to serve at Love & Care Ministries this week, and blessed to be able to sit in my rocking chair and enjoy the sunflowers on a lovely afternoon with my puppy in my lap and my chickens scratching around and clucking contentedly. Life is beautiful.

I chose to start my sabbatical volunteering at Love & Care Ministries because my husband is going to be busy this week in a training session out at the Gold Monarch healing center. So, in order to have a little time off together, we thought we would line up our “busy” weeks, and then play the rest of it by ear.

Spending time at Love & Care has been amazing. Food is one of my love languages, so I love getting to serve food in His Kitchen with Janet, Birdie, Lacy, Mike, and other volunteers. I like getting out from behind a desk and being a part of something so special. Birdie was telling me today that the homeless can get a meal in Abilene on just about any day of the week between Love & Care, Salvation Army, churches, and other ministries. I was blown away by the generosity of our city. Love & Care gets donations of food from restaurants, grocery stores, universities, farms, individuals, and other organizations every day.

Yesterday, we served brisket and ribs, and today we served chicken with cobbler for dessert. I mean, this is good food. I was expecting spaghetti every day, but man! Today, after serving lunch, Janet took me out to feed people on the streets. I got to hand out the meals and drinks, and I loved every minute of it. We scanned the streets and stopped for anyone who looked like they could use a meal. Janet and Mark, who drove the truck, chatted with regulars and new friends alike.

The thing is, I know I’ve done good today. I know I’ve helped feed someone who was hungry. Someone who needed a meal, and didn’t know where that next meal would come from. I know I’ve played a part in God providing for someone. What a powerful feeling! My heart is alive! My soul is satisfied, and I feel at rest.

We are so incredibly blessed. We have so much to be grateful for. A roof over our heads, loving family and friends, a wonderful place to work, life everlasting! And now, to get to pay it forward, even in this small way. This is the life.

I want to thank Kris and the board for giving me this opportunity. Tears are streaming down my face again as I write this. I am overwhelmed by your generosity to us, your employees. This is unheard of. This is unimaginable in most workplaces. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

I’m reading a book by John Eldredge called “Moving Mountains: Praying with Passion, Confidence and Authority “. Now get this, there are roughly one hundred billion stars of all sizes in a galaxy, and one hundred billion galaxies in the universe. Which means there are approximately four hundred billion billion suns like ours that God has made! It’s beyond our words to describe God’s power.

Power is not an issue for God. His resources are unlimited. Is this the who we have in mind when we pray?

I’m so grateful for today and all that it brings and all that HE brings!

Not only was today the first day of Sabbatical it was also our 26th wedding anniversary! Seems like just yesterday we were exchanging vows. We are feeling extra blessed today!

Today Julia and I drove to Shawnee Oklahoma to pick up the latest member of the family. The girls named him Bentley because he has a bent tail!  He is a West Highland terrior. We already have a 12 year old Westie named Petey. I’m sure things will be interesting around our house for a while!

It has been great to see the joy in the faces of our kids! God is great!

It felt strange today being a Monday and not going in to the office. I guess the business world does goes on without me!

This morning after devotional time, I went on a long walk. It’s amazing what God can share with you when it’s quiet. And we are intentional about listening. I’m so grateful for this time!

I spent a good part of the day running errands and getting caught up on the things we put off for work and life. Car repairs, registration, etc. It feels good to mark stuff off the list! We ended the day with a home cooked meal (gotta love the crock pot).

Afterwards I got to spend some quality time with Matt on the driving range. I really miss being with him now that he’s in college. I really miss our time together, he’s really grown up. We are so proud of him!

off to tend to the new puppy, whew!

Until next time…

Hi everyone. It’s day 6 of my sabbatical and its going good.  We traveled to Brownsville Tx over the weekend for a Quincenera on my husbands side of the family. We stayed at my mom’s house whom I hadn’t seen since Christmas. I really miss her. I love her company, advise, fresh homemade flour tortillas, café, mole, barbacoa  just to name a few.  In a time span of 2 nights and 2 1/2 days she fed me almost all my favorite meals.

My son and I have been helping at the West Texas Food Bank which has been really great and on the plus side for me I get to spend more one on one time with my 16 year old. We have managed to clean and pack 3 huge bins of canned products. So if you are still unsure of what your service project should be please call Chad Kirkland at (325)695-6311.

I have also been able to dedicate more time to my vegetable garden and its looking great!

We will be heading back to Brownsville on Thursday for our nephew’s high school graduation wish us luck our 5 year old grandson will be traveling with us.

My second week started off quite like my first week of Sabbatical. Getting all 3 kids packed in the car and headed East (Just not as far East as Florida). We were headed to the big city of Alto Texas (Population 1,223). We were going there for my nieces High School Graduation. The weekend was very relaxing and it was wonderful to be with family, but this time it was a little different. My Mother and Father couldn’t make the trip. My Father the week earlier was picking up broken limbs from the storms we’ve had these past couple of weeks and hurt his back pretty severely. So much so that he’ll be having back surgery in July. My Father is the most Godly man that I have ever known. He pours his heart and soul into others and into the Lord more than anyone I’ve ever seen. This has been very hard on our family, because he’s basically in pain all day every day. We have prayed more into the Lord healing his back than ever, and things just seem to be the same. We are confident that God has a plan for this and will ultimately heal him, and we will continue to pray until it happens. Needless to say, when we returned from the Graduation our plans changed a bit. We have been driving to Winters and helping out my parents as much as we can with things around their house. I can tell that the hardest for my Father is not being able to get out and work. He loves to work outside with his hands, either in the wood shop, garden, chicken coop or his new orchard. I completely believe that God has his hands on this situation and that my Father will experience physical healing either by the miraculous or by surgery.

I officially started my sabbatical today (Monday), which felt much like an extended weekend as I enjoyed time with the kiddos playing outside, swimming, and going to their favorite pizza place for lunch, but not before making a trip to the walk-in clinic first thing this morning with two kiddos in tow.  One with pink eye and the other with an issue she had to whisper to the doctor so no one else would hear.  Where Malia is, drama and sheer cuteness are trailing close behind.

Tomorrow a new adventure awaits me.  For years, my dear and precious friend, Coral Popowitz, Executive Director of Children’s Greif Connection, has been suggesting that I take myself to a ‘hermitage’ where I can get away from all the static and distractions of life and focus on just ME.  While this sounded appealing, I’m not one to focus on me.  A best friend recently reminded me that at times in your life, you need to be selfish in order to be selfless.

Right now, you’re thinking…a what, a hermitage, what is that?  Yes, a hermitage – a place to go where you can become a hermit.  A private and safe retreat center for rest and renewal!  This will either sound very appealing to you, or not appealing in the least.  It’s very appealing to me…not so much to my wife, hence the reason it has taken me years to jump on this opportunity.

I am anxiously awaiting to arrive at this quaint little cabin nestled in the woods of central Minnesota for a short season of silence, solitude, prayer, listening, and contemplation.  No electricity…which means no phone, no tablet, no computer, and no TV.  Just ME and GOD.

As I mentioned earlier, Coral has been suggesting I do this for years as she knows that I struggle balancing work with everything else in my life as work typically overpowers all things.  Work is not only my job, but my hobby.  The hardest word for me to say is the word ‘NO.’

My plate runeth over with all things imaginable.  Work, children, family, children, work, volunteering, children, work, and did I mention, children?

At the end of 2016, I determined my theme for 2017 needed to be ‘Simplify.’  I desperately need to simplify my life so that I can refocus and hone in on what’s most important – my family.  If I were to be graded at how well I’m doing at sticking to my theme so far this year, I’m afraid I’d receive a failing grade.

For those of you who know me well, know that I have a very high regard for one of the greatest leaders and pastors of modern day.  Bill Hybels, senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago who recently wrote a book titled ‘Simplify – Ten Practices to Unclutter My Soul.’  I’m departing for my hermitage in the morning armed with my Bible, Hybels’ books Simplify and Holy Discontent and a whole lot of eagerness for silence and solitude.

Oh, the quietness.

Oh, the stillness.

Oh, the darkness.

Oh, the whispers I’m anticipating hearing from the Lord as I attempt to unclutter my soul and be reminded that God is God.

P.S. – A special thanks to my wonderful wife, for once again, holding together the Tunheim Zoo while I skip away for a few days.

– Nick

When I was a teenager in high school my dad would send my little brother and me to work the summer as ranch cowboys on one of the ranches he managed outside of Tucumcari, New Mexico.  Early June was  in the middle of branding season and it was our job to wrestle the calves and hold them down while the more senior cowboys would brand them, castrate the bull calves, ear tag them, de-horn them, give them shots, etc.  In a typical afternoon we would wrestle 40 to 50 calves in 100 degree heat.  I remember feeling completely exhausted but also feeling a strong sense of accomplishment.

I felt the same thing on my drive home from Camp Courage.  It is a good feeling.  There is a quote out there (I don’t know the source) that describes it, “felt like I had been rode hard and put up wet.”  See my previous post for a description/purpose of the camp.

Confidentiality precludes me from giving specific details, but I spent last week sleeping in a cabin with 3 other counselors and 15 boys aged 8 to 10.  The subject of “herding cats” came up often.  The experience was exhausting but extremely rewarding.  I spent a lot of time helping them find a bathroom, filling up water bottles, applying sunscreen and insect repellent, taking them to the dining hall, etc.  They were good kids and I loved seeing faces of children having a good time.  I went there to try to be a blessing to the children who had suffered loss.  However, as you all can guess, I was blessed as well.  Probably more.  I felt like I was doing something important, and I plan to volunteer again as long as my family agrees and I am in good physical condition.

This camp has several teenage counselors but needs counselors who are older.  That is, it needs more men to help lead the young boys.  We have many generous people working for this company, so I decided that I would make a plea.  Come see me or email me if you are interested in becoming a counselor for Camp Courage.  This experience is going to stay with me for a very long time.

-Matt

Sabbata–what??

That’s a common response that I get from people when I tell them that my employer has offered a 30 day Sabbatical for employees. And, they ask, “What does that mean?” It means that I’m being paid by my employer to not go to work for 30 days. Why would they do this?!! Are they crazy? I’m sharing the “short” explanation of what a Sabbatical is. FDLIC’s Sabbatical is focused on allowing employees to rest, refocus, and also participate in a service project to be a blessing to the community in some way. What a Godly idea this is! In the Old Testament book of Exodus 23:10 and also in Leviticus 25:4 it instructs farmers allowing the field to rest every 7 years. (paraphrasing the text) By allowing the fields to rest, it actually causes the field to then have a better yield the following year. The number “7” is used so often in the Bible!!! (but, THAT is another story!!) Our company has embraced this teaching and has decided (at the request of our CEO Kris Seale and with the blessings of the Board) to invite willing employees to participate. I am unsure of how many days I’ll be able to blog….what I’ll say….etc But, I’ll certainly do my best to share my experience with anyone interested in following my journey. ——–30 DAYS!!! Heeeeeeeeeere we go!

Today was my first day of my 30 Day Sabbatical! Yesterday, I had the incredible privilege to preach the word at the church I grew up in. After church, I changed out of my suit and put on my shorts + t-shirt and headed to moms! She and I are away for a few days camping in Hannibal, Missouri. We’re staying at the “Mark Twain Campground”. We’ll be touring the cave in just a bit. (Ever read “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer & Huck Finn”???—–it was written here inspired by the local caves)

This morning was different. I awoke to knowing that today I had no appointments to run, no e-mails to return, no calls to return………..weird. Today has really felt weird. Ever have that “Skipped School” feeling? I never skipped school, but today is what it MUST have felt like! I almost “cold-called” on a local funeral home about our Select Producer program, but I’m in shorts + a Harley Davidson t-shirt……so, I avoided the temptation and kept rolling!

Mom and I spent some time in Quincy where I pulled off a surprise visit with Todd Hasting,
a minister friend (AND former missionary) at his place of work—–TOYOTA!!!  

Last night, mom and I enjoyed some fine BBQ at a local restaurant.
        

Today was definitely fun and a great blessing! Now, we’re headed out to tour Mark Twain’s Cave!!!
I hope you’ve enjoyed my 1st blog!!   Please comment below so I know that you’re out there!