Month: July 2017

30 days have come and gone but the memories will last forever. I am beyond thankful for the sabbatical opportunity.

Well… It’s been a wild and crazy week…

My first official day of sabbatical was Thursday, July 20th.  I said my goodbyes to my team on Wednesday and walked out the door with mucho anxiety…  Anxiety that stems from the “what-ifs” of my job and the unknowns of  what the next 30 days would bring while I was away.  Thursday and  Friday, I didn’t know what to do with myself.  I ran a few errands with my wife and caught myself pacing the floor as she checked out, my brain going 1,000 miles per hour, wondering if I left enough instructions for Terry, Jessie, and Jake, second guessing myself if I had sent an email that I needed to send, etc…  The good news?  I woke up on Saturday morning to an epiphany!  This is MY sabbatical and I’ve got all the confidence in the world in the people who are handling my responsibilities while I’m gone.

So what have I been up to?

Friday and Saturday, July 21 – 22, My cousin’s wedding:

I was able to help my family setup my cousin’s wedding at T&P on Friday.  We setup the wedding and the reception, attended the rehearsal dinner as my oldest son, Griffin, was the ring-bearer.  Saturday morning came around and we arrived promptly at 9am for the 10am wedding.  After the awesome ceremony the reception was a huge bacon… I mean… breakfast buffet with anything you could imagine… including mimosas.  Sam Corbett (who you will all soon meet) is the father of the bride!

July 22 – 28, trip to the beach:

My family of five, my parents, my grandmother, and my sister’s family all trekked down to Galveston shortly after the wedding ended.  We rented a big beach house and just RELAXED for five days.  Nothing to do, nowhere to go, just  bum out on the beach, fish, and SLEEP (and eat).  We  had a great time, but also had a scare on Wednesday.  All the ladies decided they didn’t want to watch the men fish all day, so they went shopping.  My grandmother, who is 80, ended up falling on a sidewalk in downtown Galveston and hit her head and elbow. We later found out that her elbow was broken and her wrist fractured.  Thankfully, her head was fine.  God provided a lot of good people  that day to help her out.  There was a registered nurse who witnessed  the fall and immediately took action.  My wife called 911 and an ambulance came right away.  The ER doctors at UTMB were first class all the way and made her a priority.  They communicated with her doctor here in Abilene.  She does require surgery on her elbow, but will be able to do that here at home.  Please  keep her in your prayers.

Jeff and Rob:  As you look through the pictures below, you will notice I haven’t shaved in quite some time.  Please don’t hold this against me.  (HA!)

Saturday, July 29, My Cousin’s proposal:

You remember my cousin from that got married up there ^^^?  Well, her brother proposed to his girlfriend, Becca, TODAY.  He had this planned for a while now, and the entire family got to witness it from the press box at the McMurry baseball field (a good amount  of my family graduated from McM, me included).  It was an awesome sight, and reminded me of my proposal to Andrea.  The memory of the nerves I had that day all came back.  The journey that they are starting is the same  journey that has given me a beautiful, hard-working wife and three amazing boys, and I look forward to witnessing those events in their lives.

So what’s on tap for this next week?  I begin my service project at Global Samaritan in the warehouse.  Football is back with a vengeance and practice starts on Tuesday for my two older boys.  This will be Griffin’s (age 8) fourth year and Kipptyn’s (age 6) third year in football, and my 3rd year  of coaching their football teams.

Gazaille… Over and out.

For my helper of people portion of my sabbatical I felt a strong calling to be there in any way possible for a friend.  We grew up together and were best friends in high school; however, with as busy of a life as I lead, we have spend almost no time together in the last several years.  Within the last year, his wife was diagnosed with ALS.  Currently she is unable to move the majority of her larger mussels and for the last six months she has refused to allow anyone in the house.  This has made it very difficult for my friend as he is the sole caregiver, runs a business, works 60+ hours, and tends to every need of his three young boys and the home.  I am completely amazed that he has managed so well for this long, especially knowing that 4 hours is a dream amount of time for him to sleep.  In a private conversation, he let me know that he has no time to clean the house, mow, or take care of anything.  There are also things he needs to do for the house in order to care for his wife.  I told him that I would be honored to clean the home and help him with modifications.  Unfortunately, he told me that there was no way that his wife would allow anyone in the home for these jobs except for him.  I told him that I wanted to be there for him and asked if there was anything I could do.  He finally let me know that what he would really like to do is clear land in order to maneuver his lift van closer to the home and to build a entertainment room for the kids that is not connected to the house.  The children have not been able to have any friends over and this would give them a way to achieve this.  In addition, it would give the children (ages 8, 11, and 15) a place to be when their mom needs rest.  He feared he would not ever have the time to do this.  I told him that I would love to do this for him.  At first he persisted that it would require being in the heat for days and that I would have no ability to cool down in his home.  To this I said, “perfect”.  I told him about our sabbatical process and that for my sabbatical I was already committed to spending the entire time 30 days mostly outside and with no use of computers or technology.  Ideally, I wanted to avoid any air-conditioning as well.   The lack of computers and communication devices is to detox from a rough year.  The only exception I am making to this objective is this blog.  My friend already knew that I love the heat and that my way of relaxing is physical work.

Following the start of my sabbatical we began to work.  We mowed and cleared land, repaired and stained the wheel chair ramp at the front of his home and then began work on an entertainment room.  For this project, we planned to turn a large storage building into this room to brighten the daily life of the kids.  First we had to clear the buildings.  These required three large trailer trips to various charities and three large trailers of trash delivered to the landfill.  Following this, we cleared ever thing else out of the building and onto the land we recently cleared.  We then made several runs to Lowes.  We insulated the blank studs, put up walls, installed a celling, textured and painted the walls and celling, installed an air-condition window unit, put up trim, and added lights and electricity.  This required five 16 hour days, but we were able to complete the project.  I believe this was actually a surprise to both of us.  Additionally, it allowed me to completely take my mind off work for the first time that I can remember.  I realize this might sound odd to some, but it was the most relaxing thing I could possible do for my first week and I have a great tan to show for it.  It was also wonderful to see the excitement in the faces of his children.

The work is explained in the first two paragraphs, but the real blessing is very difficult to describe.  At the end of the last main day of work, my friend had prepared his wife for a visit by hospice.  She ended up canceling the meeting, but her mom came out and brought food.  For the first time she allowed me into the home.  I called my wife so that Robynn could say hi to her as they were college roommates.  To my surprise and especially to the surprise of my friend, she invited Robynn over as well.  I believe she almost felt guilty as I had been there and outside for the last five days.  This turned into a very emotional time of sharing and loving.  Robynn, my wife, lost her mom to ALS when she was only 9.  Robynn was able to communicate openly with her when she explained why she would not allow anyone in.  She said that she did not want anyone to remember her this way.  Robynn was able to explain how she went through all of this with her mom and how she now remembers the good times.  We explained that we wanted to be there for them and that we loved them.  The next day my friend called me with excitement in his voice.  He explained that his wife had had a wonderful time and was able to relax.  He shared with me how she had recently been voicing things like, “I am just ready for it all to be over (life).”  He said that she was now more open to seeing people and had invited my friends mom over for the first time in a long time.  We are hopefully planning another visit next week.  During our time working together, we shared many wonderful moments and emotions that are more than I could describe.  I am so grateful to work and the Lord for allowing this opportunity.

Following my time of helping my friend, I then switched my focus to my mom.  I repaired the wheel chair ramp in the front of the house and finished a storage shed she was working on in she back yard.  This was necessary to remove her items from the garage as space is needed for her van that is now equipped with a wheel chair lift.  My uncle requires a wheel chair and is Bing cared for by my mom (his sister).  The building was approximately 70% complete when the people she had working on it skipped town for good.

These projects differed from my original desire to help in some way my missionary friends in Mexico; however, I am still planning to help with some fundraising during my sabbatical.

As we wrap up our time in Buffalo, I’m thankful that we made ourselves available to our family here. They live very far from us, and the few times I’ve spent with them have been short lived. This week was different. We took our time and planned outings and dinners with as many family groups as possible. We even drove to Canada (it’s not that far)!

Tea time after swimming, and before coloring with the twin cousins in Canada!

Niagara Falls from the US side. Yes, the Canadian side is spectacular as well 😉

Uncle Scooter is looking for Bella. Can you find Bella’s shoes? 🙂

Enjoying some frozen custard with cousins!

Being available to hangout and have dinner was one aspect of our time here, the other was being available to serve. We were hoping to do some service projects for Caleb’s home church, but when that didn’t work out, we offered to help my in-laws with some work in the basement. Caleb helped his dad with some manual labor, and I offered to help clean and declutter. Just a few days after Caleb started his work, his stepmom injured her knee, making it very difficult for her to walk and bend. We all pitched in around the house to make sure she didn’t have to worry about things while she rested. I helped out in the garden, did some laundry, and made dinner one night.

The garden that Dad and June have worked so hard on.

Boxes to store, donate, and get rid of!

I also made myself available to help my sister-in-law. She has two little ones, a very active almost three year old and a growing four month old, and that’s more than enough! I spent two days with her, Caleb was there for one, and I’m so glad we were able to keep her company and help out. Moms give so much of themselves, and I wish I was more available to help my friends who are young mommies too.

Our sweet nieces!

How much have I missed out on because I’m not available? In a culture where productivity is an idol, perhaps even my idol, how do I make myself more available? How do I alter my current life choices (how I use the time God has given me) to reflect what truly matters to me (relationship with God, family, friends)? This is what I will continue to reflect on and hopefully this will help shape aspects of my life post Sabbatical. Until next time!

3^rd day of meals on wheels.  Yesterday I had new route and I was a little worried but then realized today I would get a different route every day.  How did I go from working 7 1/2 hour days and no naps to 2 hours a day and wanting a nap….  This week my book seems to talk about being a Godly person and a Worldy person. Its kinda hard to process what it is saying but I do get the footnote… “My attitude can make the difference between Godly and worldly pleasure”.   I need this message on my wall so I can remind myself on a daily basis. I just pray that God has a plan and it is followed.

Meals on Wheels started today… I really enjoy doing it.  Almost every door you are greeted with a smile. I did make a delivery to my Grandfathers ex-wife.  Odd, I think she almost came out the door starting to give me 3^rd degree until she saw the food in my hand.  I reminded myself what I tell my children, that was between them not you, she may not understand it but one day she will.  I may have had to do some of the leg work but still not my battle.  Home was hectic, one more thing to deal with. I just pray we get through it.  Almost forgot, got a new niece yesterday, Isabella hopefully see her and Tobias soon.

Finally went and saw my aunt and family, love them bunches, my niece (cousin) gave me a few things to do for her on my sabbatical so I guess I’ll be running her baby shower, i usually become the unofficial coordinator at her events or parties anyway.  This past weekend I started on my house again, I really really don’t like caulk.  Its messy and I wish I knew before hand to caulk 1^st then paint.  The worst part is not being happy with it and taking what I did down and redoing it.   This week focused on the differences between pleasure and joy.  Pleasure will almost always be accompanied by sin however joy is a gift we receive from God.  never thought of it that way.

My laptop doesn’t like my internet very well so writing it up in word and next time they talk to each other I will post what I have……. When we got back from our trip I just kinda went kaput.  I did my reading, which was ironically about separating yourself so you can refresh and not become confused between right and wrong.  After a week of that it was ok lady get it in gear.  So I started my blog, got some paperwork finished up, took 2 loads of things to salvation army and a bunch of other errands I had been putting off. We drove to Dallas Friday and got a few good deals.  I always like the drive, its peaceful, reminds of my grandpa and the drives we would go on.  It’ the best time to reflect on the things I am reading, dealing with and just have quiet.  At home, with 4 dogs 3 kids and a cat it’s hard to have quiet time.

As we wrap up our longest leg of our Sabbatical, I feel a sense of closure. We ended up spending more time at the house than I had originally thought we would; in fact my service project ended up helping my father replace some plumbing in the basement (or at least the demolition and cleaning up portion) and beginning the process of cleaning and organizing the whole basement (pictures below). And here I thought my fitness activity would be low key!

Throughout the cleaning and organizing process, I was able to share a lot of my history and my family’s history with Vanessa. I didn’t realize how important it is, as I transition to another stage in life, to still look back on my past, share it with someone, and shut that door one last time. I feel a similar sense of closure as well, as I have had opportunity to spend time with my family and talk to them about our shared past and our family members who have passed away.

All in all, despite the stress of planning outings and driving here and there, time spent with family is invaluable. The next leg of my Sabbatical begins tomorrow: Connecticut here we come!

I had to use a sledgehammer to break all this concrete, then dig and haul the debris upstairs from the basement and behind our backyard to dump. Great workout!

Hello all!

Currently writing this on my iPhone sitting on a bench I found while on a hike. Not trying to make you too jealous but sitting under 100ft tall pine trees with sunny 74 degree weather  surrounded by the beauty of God’s creation here in Black Diamond Washington, just outside of Seattle. I’m doing some volunteer work with an organization I’ve worked a couple of summers for in college that runs outdoor adventure camps. They recently bought this camp and summer is in full swing with campers and all the excitement that they bring. Busted out my chacos and nalgene and trying my best to blend in, but have to say it’s getting harder to distinguish between the campers and the college counselors (hard to believe it’s already been 6 years since college!). They are admittedly short handed so I’ve been jumping in and helping in all kinds of capacities. The camps mission statement is to inspire Christlike change through outdoor adventure, biblical truths, and authentic relationships. I love the summer camp culture that challanges your comfort zone, pulls you out of the digital world and into the moment. Being out here and having some intentional quiet time has really opened my eyes to how much I’ve made an effort to make my life so busy back home that it’s hard to just “be” at times without the feeling of being “lazy.” That’s obviously not God intends you to feel about rest as demonstrated in Isaiah 30:15 that states “in returning to me and and resting in me you shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be your strength.” Only took me a couple weeks to start understanding rest a little more 🙂

Ill be here the rest of this week then renting a car and driving up to whistler to do some mountain biking for a couple days so pray I don’t come home with any broken bones!

Until next time,

Trevor

Tea Time

We took a break from the work on Wednesday to visit the house of Romo, who serves as manager for the Newmans’ farm/school/etc. Romo has built an amazing house using many of the same techniques as the Newmans–it’s a brick house with solar power that Romo wired up himself. Pretty amazing! We enjoyed sitting around and talking with Romo’s family as they served us tea.

Masai manyatta

Drinking tea at Romo’s house

Next Romo took us on a tour of a couple manyattas, traditional Masai mud houses, which some of his family lived in. These houses are built by Masai women–they’re something like 8 feet wide by 15 feet long, but up to 8 or 10 people can sleep in one, and cooking is traditionally done here as well. They’re really cool!

Work Complete!

Our team in front of the completed walls

After three days of hard work, we finished building the walls of the store. It was amazing to see how much we could accomplish in that short amount of time! I can’t wait to see pictures of the store when the Newmans’ workers complete it, roof and all.

Laura and me with Doug, Immanuel, and Dan

Wednesday was our last day to work at the Newman’s house, so we spent some time at the end of the day thanking the workers and saying goodbye. This was a very emotional time; it’s crazy how close you can grow to people in just a few days, but I suppose that’s how it is when you share a connection with someone in Christ at the heart level.

The Best Birthday Present!

Dan’s bracelet

Wednesday was also my birthday–it was kind of fun to have a birthday in another country, except I kept forgetting it was my birthday! Coincidentally, Dan, one of the workers with whom I worked quite a bit last year, gave me a Masai bracelet, a beaded bracelet that most of the guys wear. I was humbled and thankful, but even more so when I found out that it was not just a gift, but a gesture saying “you’re one of us.” Sorry to anyone who’s ever given me a birthday present, but this was the best thing I have ever received on my birthday, hands down.

School Kids at the Park

Elephant X-ing

After a safari day where we saw giraffes, wildebeests, water buffalo, monkeys, gazelle, elephants, lions, hyenas, and more, our last day in Kenya was a day at a beautiful arboretum in Nairobi with the kids from Christian Family Ministries school, which is run by the same church we visited on Sunday. Many of the kids at the school had never been out of the slums, or only a couple of times, so this was an INCREDIBLE day.

The kids performing songs for us!

The kids performed songs, poems, and dances for us, and we played games with them all morning. Their smiles and laughter were contagious as they got to just play and have fun in such a beautiful place. They also got to eat a really nice meal which was provided for them–a big upgrade from their typical meals; this was such a special day!

Tug of war!

The kids from this school are part of one of the Newmans’ initiatives in Kenya, a child sponsorship program which provides 2 meals a day and enables kids from Korogocho to attend the CFM school. Meeting the kids firsthand and hearing some of their stories, I can’t express how big of an impact this program is having on these precious lives. To learn more about this program and how you can pray for these kids, or even sponsor a child, please visit http://www.hopeeternity.com/.

Back to “normal”

Wow, what an amazing trip. It’s such a whirlwind of emotions heading back home, but I hope that as I get back to my “normal” life, I live a little bit differently after witnessing the joy, simplicity, hospitality, and friendship of my Kenyan brothers and sisters in Christ.

Emanuel A.M.E. Church Charleston, South Carolina Massacre

Tuesday was a very different day for me. It wasn’t a bad day, however, my heart was heavy. I drove to Charleston, South Carolina for a day trip.

Though I have family in the Carolina’s, and I am no stranger to the area, each visit south challenges me both mentally and emotionally. The remnants of slavery are still very present. So little change and progression for Blacks in South Carolina, the Carolina’s, sigh…The Southern states. All states. This trip was no different for me.

This was, however, my first trip to Charleston, since the Emanuel A.M.E. Church Racial Massacre. Emanuel A.M.E. Church is a pillar in the Black community of Charleston. It is a landmark. Emanuel A.M.E.Church was started in 1816, and it is the first independent Black denomination (African Methodist Episcopal).

This white washed church stands tall on the streets of downtown Charleston. Oh, if the walls could speak. The stories that would be told. But this Tuesday was different. Though the weather was humid and the sun was shining there was a bit of a chill in the air as I stood outside of Emanuel A.M.E. Church. There were a few tourist taking pictures, but the street was relatively quiet. There was certainly reverence for those who did pass the church. There is no mistaking something tragic happened here. On this street. In this church during a Wednesday night Bible study.

Home of Emanuel A.M.E. Church

Nine lives were lost on June 17th, 2015. The Rev. Clementa Pickney (41); Cynthia Hurd (54); Rev. Sharonda Coleman-Singleton (45); Tywanza Sanders (26); Ethel Lance (70); Susie Jackson (87); Depayne Middleton Doctor (49); Rev. Daniel Simmons (74); Myra Thompson (59).

Services are still held here.

Most would think after the blood shed inside the sanctuary that the doors of Emanuel A.M.E. Church would be closed; however, each week services are still held, even Wednesday night Bible study. This is absolutely of no surprise to me. We are such a resilient people. We are such a faithful people. No matter the atrocities, injustice, or challenges we trust that GOD is still GOD! And though this particular visit touched me in a different way, I was happy to see that the doors of the church are still open. Emanuel A.M.E. Church is still serving the community, and all people are paying respect as they pass this historic church in Charleston, South Carolina. What a day. As challenging as the day was I am grateful to have had this moment and space.

I am behind on doing my final blog from last week.  Today I started in the warehouse, Esther wanted me to finish the inventory section I had been working on.  I completed that task and then had the privilege in joining Mr. Sal and Tomorrow for breakfast during our break.  I  then had to say my goodbyes to them until I am able to come back and volunteer again.  I went in to the office worked on my inventory and then talked with each of the ladies  and Mr. Michael Bob to let them know this would be my last day.  Each person had something special to say about how they got started working there or what it meant to them to be a part of Global Samaritan.  I am so glad that God brought me here to this special organization and I feel that he has led me here for a reason.    Today Global has shipped goods to people in need in more than 30 countries on five continents. Global Samaritan has provided millions of US Dollars of humanitarian aid, water purification and disaster relief.

So maybe I shouldn’t use the term ‘old’ since it’s rather speculative…instead I’ll just say the elderly. Elderly people love Red. On my first day of Meals on Wheels I was wearing my all red converse. Those of you in the home office even if you don’t know me have probably seen me wearing them. There is absolutely nothing subtle about them. They are what Andrea likes to call my clown shoes.

Whether you love them or hate them doesn’t really matter much because they are one of my favorite pair of shoes, and they managed to bring a smile to almost every single person I delivered a meal to with Meals on Wheels. That alone makes them worth it. The older the person the bigger the kick they got out of them too. After the first day of smiles and laughs I tried to make it a point to wear them almost every day during my deliveries. One of my favorite jokes as an elderly man opened up his door was:

“I just got off the phone with the circus telling me the clown lost his shoes, and here they show up on my door step!”

Besides the comments on my red shoes everyone seemed obsessed with my red hair. Several even went as far as to want to touch it…which I’ll admit was kind of weird for me… but if touching my hair makes someone’s day, who am I to judge and keep that from them. Again the older the person the more fascinated they seemed to be by my red hair.

Having naturally red hair (even though there are times I dye it a darker red), I have heard all the jokes you can think of when it comes to redheads and probably then some. So it was a unique experience for me to have one person after another fawn over it.

On a more serious note though, I originally had planned on working with both Love and Care Ministries and Meals on Wheels. After my initial call to Meals on Wheels and being told that they had 17 of their regular drivers out as well as all the routes that aren’t assigned to a regular driver to complete, I felt like it was God’s way of telling me that this was where I needed to spend all my time.

It was an amazing experience for me…though I’m not going to lie I did have a few routes in some pretty bad parts of town. Which made me a little nervous since I was doing deliveries by myself, but everyone I delivered to was nice. It’s also more work that you’d initially think. Since I took 2 routes it would usually take me 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours to finish, which doesn’t sound all that long.

Until you add this West Texas heat into the mix… also add in the fact that I’m a pale redhead that burns EXTREMELY easily. I have had a constant sunburn the entire time I’ve been doing Meals on Wheels. I don’t want to hear the “you should have worn sunscreen” comments, because guess what? I did! I know better than to spend more than 5 minutes outside without putting on sunscreen. It just never fails though that not matter what I do I burn. If I at least tanned I wouldn’t mind so much, but I just burn and get more freckles. Sometimes it looks like I might have a tan, but it’s a lie! It’s just an outbreak of freckles and I’m still as pale as ever underneath it all.

For all the wonderful people I got to meet and help, the never ending burn was worth it. I got numerous prayer requests, and then some people just needed someone to talk to. I’m sure I might have been the only human interaction that some of these people had all day, if not week.

I also came to realize with one heart stopping event that some of these people just have way too much time on their hands. It was first day delivering and it was either my 2nd or 3rd house. There was a note to knock, identify myself and enter the house to deliver the meal. So as I go up to the door, it’s already open. I knock on the door, identify myself and walk in. Just a few feet from the door is this lady sitting in a chair listening to the radio. Her eyes are closed as if she’s taking a nap, so when she doesn’t respond to my first announcement I try again. Knocking louder and announcing myself louder in case she’s hard of hearing…. Nothing… No response… Even after several more attempts.

My heart stopped. It would be just my luck that on my first day, one of my first few stops I come across someone who has passed away. I was so flabbergasted, this was not something you’re prepared for. Then laughter. This lady lets loose with deep, belly aching laughter. After my heart starts back up again, she proceeds to tell me that she doesn’t own a TV so she has to entertain herself anyway she can and since she noticed that I wasn’t the person who usually delivers her meals she wanted to have a bit of fun. I swear I wanted to kiss her and curse her at the same time.

So all in all I’ve enjoyed my Meals on Wheels experience and am not ready for it to end.

Week one is now complete, and I have thoroughly enjoyed it. What a blessing to work for a company that gives us this opportunity to rest, rejuvenate and get out of the normal routine.

I spent this first week doing the exact opposite of what I would do normally – I didn’t make a single list, I didn’t plan anything, I didn’t get up early and I didn’t worry about anything. Being a planner by nature, I started my 2010 Sabbatical with a legal pad listing all the things I wanted to accomplish during the 30 days. I checked things off on Day One and still had things left on the list on Day 30. Even though I was rested, I had worked on “things” the entire 30 days. So, this time I have decided to Do the Opposite. Yes, I have a few things in mind that I would like to do, and I have the things on the Sabbatical Expectation list to accomplish, but this time there is no legal pad list. I’ve decided to let God lead me to what I really need to do, and to not worry about the rest.

Barney and I have been starting most days in the backyard with Max Lucado and a cup of coffee. In Just Like Jesus, Lucado describes the heart of Jesus and the heart of humanity as being quite the opposite. He says, “The heart of Jesus was spiritual. Our hearts seem so far from his. He is pure; we are greedy. He is peaceful; we are hassled. He is purposeful; we are distracted. He is pleasant; we are cranky. He is spiritual; we are earthbound. The distance between our hearts and his seems so immense. How could we ever hope to have the heart of Jesus?” The answer, Lucado explains, is to change our hearts to be more like his.

I have to refer to the Seinfeld episode where George decides to Do the Opposite, because it just seems to fit. George decides that every decision he has ever made has been wrong.   Jerry convinces him that “if every instinct you have is wrong, then the opposite would have to be right”, so George starts doing the complete opposite of what he would do normally. Doing the Opposite changes George Costanza’s life – for that episode anyway. So far I’ve enjoyed Doing the Opposite. I look forward to seeing how it will change me for the remainder of my 30 days, and beyond.

The third week of my sabbatical has flown by. We headed down to Austin last weekend for my brother-in-law’s wedding. He and I were actually in a band together for quite a while and we have been close friends since even before I met my wife. It was awesome to see him “tie the knot” with his long time girl friend. The ceremony was held at the Wizard Academy which was a strange, but pretty awesome place just outside of the Austin city limits. Although it was quite hot, the view from the chapel was beautiful and the ceremony was perfect.

After the wedding we headed down to San Antonio to visit my family. As always, it was a fantastic time. Everyone had their turn to hold baby Rogan, only to be supervised and critiqued by his sister. If I had a nickel for everytime I heard “Be very careful” come out of her four year old mouth, I would at least be $5 richer. On top of the awesome visit, I actually stumbled into a great opportunity. At dinner one night I brought up the service project aspect of the sabbatical to my dad and he reminded me that my grandmother is actually largely involved with the meals on wheels project in Kirby (a small area of San Antonio). Not only did I get to deliver meals on wheels, but I got to do it with my father in the neighborhood that I grew up in.

Thanks for reading,

-Zack

Looking forward to a month of special activity.

This last week I spent some quality time with my family in red river NM. It was a wonderful time. I was able to spend time with my kids and teach them about trout fishing. We went hiking and saw some amazing scenery. As I start my final week of my sabbatical I pray that what ever else god has for me will bless me and show me and my family what his grace truly means.

These last 28days have shown me a lot of about the person I am and the person I want to become. It’s hard to look at yourself  I mean really look at yourself and see your short comings. But by the Grace of God we have a chance to change things about our selves and become the person the our families deserve and who  the lord wants us to be. I am looking forward to going back to work and starting again with a fresh outlook and seeing what the lord has planned for me. I only wish that the people who have yet to take their sabbatical will have the pleasure of walking a semular walk and find out things about them selves.

So my 2nd week of Sabbatical…where do I begin. I decided to finally go to the DMV and get a new driver’s license…that took half of my life to do. Really it was only 1 hour, but it might as well have felt like a lifetime. I considered backing out when I saw how many people were there, but for those who have never seen my previous one… it was time. It looked nothing like me. Not only did I have about 80 extra pounds, but I also had hair! This is where I managed to run into a chair adding the first bruise to my collection I seem to have unwillingly started.

I am just a naturally clumsy person as it is but after just one week of being at home I firmly believe I am just meant to spend my days at work where there are very few things I interact with that I can hit my head on. I know that sounds odd… but listen to this: I have managed to hit my head on the vent hood of my stove, multiple cabinet doors, as well as several tables, my car door and a dryer door. I think God is trying to knock some sense into me about something. I haven’t figured out what it is yet, but I’ll be sure to let you know when I do.

I have spent most of this week trying to relax and read. Not only my required devotional and book, but also several other books just for fun (I even got a bruise on my shoulder from where I dropped my kindle on my face while reading in bed).

I have always been a big reader but I have felt like I haven’t had the time to just sit down and read for me for awhile now. I forgot how much I TRULY enjoy reading. It felt like I found a lost piece of myself that I hadn’t realize I was missing. I used to always have 3 or 4 different books going at one time; I would listen to one on audible, I’d have one going on my kindle, as well as a physical book. My husband would always call me crazy and say he never understood how I could keep all the story lines straight, but he would always make an effort to ask me about all the different books I was reading.

We were at the Mall eating at one of the Asian food places for dinner before we began our journey to find a new washing machine (See Blog “Productivity Tends to End Badly” for this tale), when Anthony asked me if I had read any good books lately. That question really hit me. I didn’t realize that part of our lives had disappeared, or that it was something more meaningful than a simple question.

He asks me that question at least once a week and this was the first time in a long time that I actually had an answer for him, other than “no I haven’t read anything lately.”  It was only a conversation we would have maybe once or twice a week, but it was time that I would get to share something I’m extremely passionate about with my husband. Even though I know he really doesn’t care what books I’m reading or the story lines, he asks because he cares about me.

So unfortunately for him we sat there for probably a good 40 minutes so I could talk about a book. It. Was. Amazing. I want to make sure that I continue reading for fun not only for myself, but also for my relationship with my husband.

One day I decided I was going to be a productive member of society… I should have stopped there. Nothing ever seems to end well for me when I say I am going to be productive. So after putting on a load of laundry I left the house to go buy the necessary items needed to repaint our house number on the curb. Sounds simple enough.

This is where my journey begins… okay no it’s not that great of a story, even though I wish it was. This first part is more for Peggye since she likes to tell me how great I look for being 75. Those of you reading this make sure to tell her she should come take a look.

I went to Michael’s because I happened to have a coupon. So I’m standing in line waiting to check out. The cashier is helping the lady in front of my download the Michael’s App so that she could use the coupons on there, and I of course had nowhere important to be so it doesn’t bother me at all. Come to find out this lady in front of me looked REALLY great for her age, she got to use the coupons AND the senior discount. When this lady told the cashier that she was 76… (seventy six!) my jaw hit the floor. I could have sworn she was going to reply that she was in her mid 40’s. So she finishes checking out and now it’s my turn. The cashier asks for my birth date since I bought spray paint. Which kind of surprised me, but I guess it makes sense that you have to be at least 18 to buy spray paint. I told her that I was 75, but I just look really good for my age.

So I got to use the senior discount too! …Not really. She just looked at me like I was crazy and asked to see my ID. I guess only one person looking a lot younger than they actually are was enough for her. We did at least get a good laugh out of it. Now onto the main adventure of this post.

Remember how I said that I had put a load of laundry on before I left the house? Probably not so that’s why I’m bringing it up. Just a quick FYI to help provide some visuals for y’all, we enter our house through our backyard and it opens up into our laundry room then leads into our dining room/kitchen. So I’m walking up to our door and I see a wet area that starts from our door and reaches about 4 feet away from it. This is the first clue telling me something is wrong. My next clue… would be the 2 inches of water I step in when I enter our laundry room. Not only was my laundry room completely flooded but water had leaked out the back door a good ways as well as about 5 feet into our dining room. I don’t even think our washing machine could hold how much water was everywhere.

So I spend the next part of my day trying to clean up all this water while my German Shepherd is trying to swim in it. He is really fluffy so looking back on it I probably could have had him just lay down in the water and have his soak up a good amount of it! But then I would have had to give him a bath because I don’t know why, but that water smelled pretty horrible.

The best part about this whole story…. I had put on a load of towels. It’s only me and my husband so we probably have about 8 towels total, and 6 of them were in the washing machine. If I hadn’t decided to be productive that day I would have been home to prevent what I will now refer to as the Great Flood of 2017. I will say it right now, I hate shopping. There are just way too many options out there for EVERYTHING! On the bright side we now get to upgrade to a new washing machine that will be delivered to us this Thursday, and they will even haul off our old one for us! It was time. We have had that machine for 7 years now and it was probably almost 10 years old when we got it. I’m just thankful that it lasted as long as it has. I am now just hoping our dryer lives a year or 2 longer.

I never did get around to fixing my street numbers…

The original plan was to head down to Fabens, TX on Sunday afternoon, but we were too tired to make it all the way. We ended up staying the night at Joyce’s parents in Cuba, NM and left for Fabens at 5am the next morning.  We left that early, because we needed to get the rental car full of school supplies returned in El Paso by 11:30am on Monday.  We made it there in time and then had lunch with Joan and Elfi. They are the missionaries that oversee Crossing Borders Ministries. We ended up delivering a total of 220 school supply kits from my parent’s church. Later that evening, Joyce and I had a nice steak dinner at Cattleman’s Ranch in Fabens. It was one of the best steaks I’ve ever had.

Tuesday, we stayed and helped with their weekly beans and rice family pack assembly line. Each week they put together enough family packs to feed over 400 families, mostly on the Mexican side of the border. We tried not to slow them down too much. Then, they had a Spanish speaking worship service. It was neat even though I could not understand much. Later that afternoon, we started back to Abilene. We stopped at Joyce’s aunt and uncle’s house in Midland for a couple hours and got home about midnight. All of us, cats included, were all glad to be home.

We have spent some time resting over the last few days and caught up on some house and yard chores. We took the cats to the vet for their annual shots and Lil Bit’s first round. We also got ready for our trip to Branson. We finalized what we would be doing and purchased tickets to some shows and attractions. It should be a fun and relaxing time. We will head out tomorrow morning and spend about a week there.

Clue 3: The answer relates to how tall the man is.

Life in the Bush

We saw lots of Masai herding goats and cattle on our drive to the Newmans’

Monday began three days out at the Newmans’ house. They’re former Abilenians who moved to Kenya three years ago after they felt God calling them to help provide hope and purpose to kids in Nairobi and in their local community south of the city. They live way out in the bush (a 45 minute car ride on a rough dirt road from our already-remote motel 70 miles of Nairobi).  As we drove out there each day we passed Masai people (the local tribe) leading their numerous goats and cattle to the local watering hole.

Our team at the entrance to the Newmans’ place

On their land, the Newmans are starting a training school that aims to teach life skills to young men and women who aren’t able to attend university or other post-secondary education for whatever reason. The school, which will be hosted at the Newman’s house, will teach skills such as finance management, business skills, farming techniques, and theology.

The Work Begins

About halfway through with the structure of the store

Our task this year was to help the Newmans build a small store next to their house where they can sell items to nearby Masai people, such as farming or building supplies. The foundation had already been laid, so our task was to build the walls out of earth bricks–a cool and economical concoction of moist dirt and cement pressed into a brick. The Newmans’ workers had made 10,000 of these bricks prior to our arrival, but they had not cured them properly, so only about 1 in every 20 bricks was usable! A few of us were assigned the job of locating and carrying usable bricks from the massive pile they had assembled. Besides bricks, we found scorpions, a black widow spider, a centipede, and even a red spitting cobra (twice!) in this lovely pile. Fun!

The best part about these days of work was hanging out with the Newmans’ Masai workers. Most of them were there last year, and we had grown really close with several of them, so seeing them again and catching up on life while we worked was really special. Three days didn’t seem like a long enough time to be out there, but we made the most out of every minute we spent there!

The infamous brick pile

Well it sounds like our fun is over for now. Too bad it came to an end, but congrats to Little Matt, the worthy winner of the prize!

Today I woke up had breakfast and off I went to (GS) little did I know I was in for a big surprise.   I got started on logging in the inventory information I was working on yesterday, and when it was about to be 9:00 Julie came to get me because she knew I wanted to attend their Wednesday morning prayer service.  As we walked into the room where they gather she said now where else can you work and get together and pray for each other and for request that come in.   I  was so proud to let her know  that we have the privilege to do that everyday of the workweek.  She was curious if everyone gathered together.  I explained that we have a prayer circle each morning @ 8:20 and everyone is welcome if they wish to do so.   I let her know how it gets my morning going in a positive direction and how I miss it if for some reason I couldn’t make it.   Our little prayer circle at Global was for an hour and consisted of Julie, Myra and myself .  Julie started with Declarations for God’s favor and then she read a prayer of Intercession to rescind any  dark spirits to get out and Welcomed the Holy Spirit.  It was much like our FDLIC circle, we prayed for specific prayer request that had been submitted, we each had our own request, they prayed for Gods Favor for Global Samaritan & One very important request they had is that they are in need of a plane to get Former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates here in September for a dinner that he will be speaking at.  The plane they usually use had to cancel on them suddenly.  They also prayed for FDLIC for sending much needed volunteers.

Next I had the pleasure of taking a longer tour today of the facility with  Mr. Sal who works in the warehouse.  He showed me the furniture room where different pieces are stored, the book room where they have all varieties of books that have been donated, a supply room full of classroom materials and computers.  They also have a wood working room where a group comes together and builds  ramps for people who are in need of one.  This place just gets more interesting by the day!!! I will see what awaits for me tomorrow.

️We are put on earth to be a Miracle and Blessing to others. Far too often, I believed those Blessings and Miracles had to be big, cost a lot, or take too much of my time; so I’d bypass my opportunity to Bless others. Muchas ego!

Today, I look for opportunities to Bless others. I heard a pastor a couple of Sundays ago as I Sabbatical, that being a Blessing takes FAITH. Hmm. It often seemed I didn’t have what we need to Bless others. The Pastor, continued to share, many of us Christians are like the Dead Sea. Receiving Blessings however, we have nothing going out. We’re the walking dead!

Selah.

Often, my ‘gestures’ seem small and inconsequential, and yet to others they are the Blessing and Miracle they are seeking.

Even today, as I stumbled into a Starbucks with a painters cap on, white wrinkled t-shirt, gray shorts, and black flip-flops..The Barista making my Mocha & Cream Iced Coffee says, ‘You looks so nice. Cool and refreshed in this heat!’ What?! With her great big smile, and we smiled at each other. I’ll tell you, I wasn’t even going to walk into that Starbucks, because I looked like I’d just rolled out of bed (ego). Sorta, I had; however, I decided to stroll in anyway. Heck, who knows me down here, haha! I was Blessed by her compliment, and I received her well meaning words.

Let us continue by Faith to Bless others and be a Miracle! No matter how small or simple our ‘gesture’ may appear. Someone needs our FAITH! Blessings, Beautiful people!

Had a great picture to post. Deleted it! Oh, my next time!

~ Serene Bridgett #SabbaticalLife #ShesAFuneralPlanner #MyNameIsSerene #IamSerene #WalkingOutMiraclesAndBlessings #ByFaith

The 1st day was crazy with 1 day to get ready for our trip to Florida. Oil change washing clothes packing and so much more. I did start reading Knowing God’s Purpose For Your Life. Each page is dated so I skipped to July, “God wills us to enjoy and care for His created world” how fitting for our trip. The book was also perfect for writing my daily notes so i wouldn’t forget what each day brought. July 2nd we packed up and started our drive to Pensacola FL. Long but fun drive until we got to the bridges, I don’t like heights!! the passage today talked about common cause with others for what is right, didn’t think too much about it when I read it and then the call came, my ex realized that our daughter is making some huge mistakes. I’ve tried to let him know but she always gives him an excuse. So I think her staying home may wound up as a blessing so I can finally get some back up. The next morning we drove over MORE WATER and spent a little time at Pensacola Beach, just beautiful, not crowded and enjoying the swim in the ocean! Then a short 5 hour drive to Williston. For the 1st part of the drive I thought of my little sister, it had been a year today she went home. The 2nd half I was stressing, Isabel drove the rest of the way. Made it to my brothers house he and his wife have 2 kids and her parents live there too, great fun people!! Oh my the pets!! I thought Mary Beth had a lot of pets, by the time we left Andrew said he thinks there are 22 total!!! Horses, dogs, cats, turtles and a bird. Day 2 at my brothers we went to the springs nearby, it was cold but very nice I jumped of the deck that was again too high!!! thought i was gonna have a heart attack!! The next morning I went into Gainesville and got the car some new shoes, not planned but I was prepared for it. We then went to a state park to see some wildlife, ya know gators wild horses things you don’t see in Texas outside of the zoo, I saw a bunny in the middle of the marsh a squirrel and a black snake…. lol. went up to the viewing deck, what is it with this trip and heights when someone just had to point out how bad it shakes…see yall downstairs! Spent the next day at Universal in Orlando, so much fun!! Very thankful my kids are appreciative of what they have. Friday was Hannahs birthday so dinner and birthday cake!! Saturday to another beach for Kyaking and swimming so much fun!!! Sunday we started making our way home we went to Marshall TX with a lot of stops on the way. Monday we finally made it home, I asked the kids so, drive or fly, they both agreed a drive is so much more fun! It also gave us time to be on the same side, Only once did I hear an argument between the kids the entire trip no negotiating or arguments the entire week!! It was a stress free weekend I did worry about Sierra but sometimes kids just need to make there mistakes so hopefully they can learn from them. I just prayed that she will see her mistakes before they are permanent ones. That cover July 1st to July 10th. What a blessed time!!!

The contrast between my wife and I’s time in Virginia and our time so far in Buffalo is really standing out to me right now.

Our week at the resort was filled with plenty of down-time, periods of activity followed by plenty of rest, and planning our days to do as little or as much as we wanted to. Our time in Buffalo began with the dreaded delays and cancellations that plague air-travel; we didn’t arrive in Buffalo until a full day after we were supposed to.

Once we were on the ground we started seeing family immediately, and have since only had one “rest day” when we were not spending time with family or planning activities to do. Now, I want to be clear that I enjoy seeing family and spending time with them. But I am seeing that taking a Sabbatical carries a different meaning for everyone, and what we each need to be rested is also different. For me, some activity followed by a period of rest is perfect. So even seeing family I haven’t seen in years and spending time with them can end up being stressful and feeling like a chore if I don’t have some space between those visits (don’t tell them I said that though, that’s just me being real)!

I’m doing what I can to stay rested and fully enjoy the time I have with family. There must be a balance between the good things (family) and the necessary things (resting with God). Finding that balance has been a struggle, but without the struggle there is no victory!

It’s 75 degrees here, a far cry from the mid summer mornings in Texas. This is my third time to visit Buffalo (New York), but it’s Caleb and I’s first time back as a married couple to see his family. It took a little longer than necessary to get here (all our flights on Saturday were delayed because of bad weather), but we took advantage of the time sitting in the airport and did a lot of reading. I honestly believe that my mood stayed positive because my thoughts were focused on being thankful. More on that in a bit!

Before I say more about Buffalo, let me summarize our time in Virginia and share some insights. If you ever have the opportunity to visit Virginia or the east coast for that matter, you need to do it! I have always been a tropical beach bum, but the mountains also have an incredible way of calming the soul and reminding me of how small I am. I knew that our time in Virginia with Caleb’s mom and stepdad would be fun and relaxing, but it became the reset button that I was hoping for during this Sabbatical.

Riding the ski lift!

Scenic overlook with Mom and David

Massanutten Resort in McGaheysville, VA

We had incredibly beautiful weather, lots of rest, lots of quiet time, and lots of play time. I also decided to focus my prayers and thoughts on being thankful. Reading 1,000 Gifts has made me realize that I spend too much time asking God for things and not enough time praising and thanking Him for the things He has blessed me with. I know God encourages us to come before Him with all our needs, but sometimes I miss out on the joy that’s found in the here and now when I forget to give thanks. My petitions and concerns often have to do with the future, and I forget to recognize the good that’s right in front of me. I miss the moment. So for an entire week, I did nothing but pray prayers of thanksgiving, and I found myself feeling incredibly humbled. God has given me so much to be thankful for!

So here I am, enjoying a beautiful summer morning at my in-laws house and preparing for the rest of the week. We have some service projects lined up, dinners with relatives, and some sight-seeing to do. I’m particularly excited about the art museum, which I will write more about when I blog about how the artist in me has indulged in this Sabbatical.

I shall end with some sweet pictures of our time with cousins and nieces 🙂 Until next time!

Dad and June’s garden

Finally got to meet cousins Jessie and Chelsea and Caleb’s niece, Mackenzie!

Baby cousin, Nora <3

Our niece, Isabella at the zoo!

Didn’t take long for Bella to pass out. Uncle Scooter’s got the magical touch!

Love these cuties!!!

Well today my reading is from my morning & evening  devotional Grace for the Moment by Max Lucado. God walks Among the suffering, He took our suffering on him and carried our diseases. Matthew 8:17

Picture a battleground strewn with wounded bodies and you see Bethesda. Imagine a nursing home overcrowded and understaffed, remember the orphans in Bangladesh or the abandoned in New Delhi and you will see what people saw when they passed Bethesda.  What did they hear? An endless wave of groans, suffering and need.  What did they do? Most walked past. But not Jesus.   Do you ever feel ill at ease around people in great need?  How do you respond to them? How would God respond to them?   These are questions we all need to stop and think about.

Today I stopped and just observed at all the action that was being carried on at Global Samaritan.  There is so much that is being accomplished with such a small staff and with the help of much needed volunteers.  Through their hard work and selflessness they are doing good by helping our neighbor, across all boundaries.   I think God would approve.

My help was needed today to input the data that has been documented in regards to their medical supply inventory.  Kathy who is also a volunteer  went over the categories that we are logging everything under and how to do additional research on a specific item if needed.  Yesterday I worked on documenting this  information  so today it made it easier to understand what I was logging.  It was a bit slow, tedious and time consuming because you have to be detailed, specific,  and accurate as possible on description.  The purpose for this is because the Auditors would like this to be done.   Also, it  is all part of a long term goal that Esther has that when an Organization has a need they will eventually be able to go to Global  site and search the inventory to see if  their need can be filled.   We have a lot of logging to do but by doing a little everyday brings them closer to their goal.  It is rewarding to know that I am playing a little part in helping them achieve this goal eventually.

Tomorrow I will see where they may need me the most!!!

Today was my first day of my mini sabbatical at Global Samaritan Resources.   The name “Global” suggest they serve people all around the world.   Which they do,  but Global begins at North 1st in Abilene, TX.    They  supply dozens of Abilene non-profit partners and work behind the scenes by opening their warehouse to them when there is a need.  My go to person there was Esther who is in charge of the Warehouse & Logistics.  The campus  and warehouse takes up an entire city block near downtown Abilene.  Esther gave me a mini tour because I had already attended a luncheon their previously and was somewhat familiar with the premises.  My assignment today was initially going to be  to catch them up on some data entry,  but  the lady who was going to train me fell ill.   So we went to plan B and I caught Esther up on some of her filing and also helped Myra with sorting and trashing some mail and correspondence she had been collecting for years under her desk.   That was quite a challenge because it all looked like junk mail to me and I had to be very careful not to just assume that it was.  After all the sorting I did she kept about a handful of documents and I trashed about 2 boxes full and took them quickly to the shred container before she changed her mind.  She was very grateful for my help and said she hadn’t been able to put her feet under that particular desk in quite some time.  My air conditioned time was up since I had done all they needed inside  the office for the moment, so out to the hot warehouse I went.  There I was introduced to Sal and Tomorrow, yes that is really her name Tomorrow.  She is a very nice young lady and she showed me the ropes on how to do medical inventory.  After we went over everything she set up a work area for me and a very nice big water cooler fan.  I did inventory on different types of medical supplies, I had to log them on a sheet, put a sticker on them showing date and my initials so they know that particular area has been done.  If the supplies are expired I had to put them in a separate area and then they decide whether it has to be disposed of or  if they can somehow still be used.  I had a very eventful day and am looking forward to see what tomorrow may bring and how I can be of service to them.  Blessings.

Kenya is an amazing place. I had the privilege of visiting on a mission trip last year, and it was an absolutely incredible experience that opened my eyes to many things God is doing around the world. My sabbatical allowed me the opportunity of going back this year, for which I am very grateful.

Church… Kenya Style

Our team on the way to Kenya

After a trip that lasted a day and a half, we finally made it to Nairobi. Our first day there, we attended a church service in Korogocho, one of the largest slums in Nairobi (for a size reference, take the population of Abilene, double it, and put all of those people into an area smaller than Lake Kirby).

The church service there was one of the most humbling experiences of my life. The congregation worshiped with a vigor and utter gratitude to God that blew my mind; they smiled, danced, and sang at the top of their lungs the entire time. Here was a gathering of people who live off of just a couple of dollars a day, yet they were far more exuberant and thankful than pretty much any American I’ve ever met. They’re joyful people!

We were greeted by happy children as we arrived in Korogocho!

At one point during worship the power went out, rendering the microphones and keyboard inoperable… yet the songs continued without missing a single beat, and what followed was one of the most powerful moments of worship you could imagine. By “coincidence,” we began singing a song that simply said “I just want to say thank you, my Lord.” As we sang this over and over again, the presence of God in the room was palpable. Being on the worship team at my church back home, I’m accustomed to the great lengths we often go to in order to create a certain “experience” at church. Yet I can assure you that no instruments or production of any kind was needed in this moment– just a group of people, in the dark, loudly lifting up their voices to God. It was a life-changing experience for all of our team that I will never, ever forget.

On a Mission

As if that weren’t humbling enough for one day, we next learned that this congregation would be embarking on a mission trip of their own later that week! They needed to raise the equivalent of $150 to send a team from their church out of the slums to the western part of Kenya to preach the gospel. The remainder of the church service was a time of fundraising where we got to see members of their congregation give sacrificially (but joyfully) out of what little they had in order to be a part of this mission. It was so humbling and encouraging.

On to the Bush

One of the cottages at our motel

We left Nairobi after church and drove about 70 miles south to a motel that’s kind of in the middle of nowhere. This would be our home base for the rest of the week as we would drive each day out to our friends’ house in the bush where we would be working.

Still haven’t found out how to contact my secret assistant? He left a clue for you in one of the 4 photos in this post… 

Today marks the second Monday of my sabbatical and I thought it would be a good time to spend some time and reflect on the time that has passed. It’s crazy how fast a week goes by, whether at work or not. I will say it has been action packed which most likely has contributed to the pace of the time flying by. I spent the beginning of last week working on some stuff around the house and preparing for our 7/12-7/16 trip to Florida. On Monday, the official first day of my sabbatical, I woke up about the same time I normally do (what happened to being able to sleep to 9 or 10am?!) and tried to focus on beginning this time of rest on actually resting.

It’s a hard thing to “reprogram” your brain from a “to-do” list to “just-being” and decided to run to Mardel’s to get my devotional/book to read. Picked up Jesus Calling, but they didn’t have the other book I planned to read so I decided I’d just order the electronic copy on Kindle and headed to Lowe’s to grab some stain for the fence, not knowing this trip would turn into a “God thing.” I say that because I think some events are just coincidence but not all can be chalked up as such. While checking out, the man behind me randomly asks if I am a Christian which from my experience, is not the most normal way to start a conversation with someone in line. I tell him I was and he explained to me that he had just finished a book and he felt the Holy Spirit tell him that I needed to read it. I like to think myself as a logical analytical person and I can count on one finger how many times someone in a Lowe’s checkout line has asked me about my faith and then proceeded to give me a book, but on top of that right after I literally just left a book store looking for a book to read during my time of rest. I told him I about my sabbatical and why this was pretty crazy and we both walked away blessed because of the experience. Pretty surreal right?

Then spent 5 days in heaven’s waiting room aka Florida with my wife’s family (14 of us in total). Did all the touristy stuff including eating a ton of food, laying on the beach, going on an awesome offshore fishing trip, riding jet skis, and having an overall great time. This was the first trip I have been on with her family and got a chance to really connect with them in a way that only vacations can do. I will say it’s nice to get back from vacation and not have to immediately go back to work though 🙂

Planning on building a bed this week and spending some more intentional time in the Word and resting.

Until next time,

Trevor

To kick off my Sabbatical, my husband, Anthony, and I took a trip to Seattle with his best friend, who ironically enough is also named Anthony, and his new wife, Monica. It was crazy you were practically eye level with mountains from the plane.

We made it back safely and were not eaten by any bears! (Note: We did not actually see any or were near any bears but it sure felt like we should have been). Let me tell you it was absolutely BEAUTIFUL there, I didn’t know trees could be that tall! Okay I did know, but I had never been around any before. Oh and let me tell you the weather was perfect. We got lucky and it did not rain once while we were there, and humidity? It doesn’t exist up there! People had told me about that before going, but I didn’t actually understand it until we were there. Though because of that I did manage to get a sunburn in only 68 degree weather… On the bright side my husband likes to point out it was the longest I had ever been in the sun before burning!

I now know the secret to easily becoming physically fit… just move to Seattle. The hills, oh my word the hills… everywhere we went there were hills comparable to what we like to call mountains here in Abilene. I swear my calves got a work out of their life, plus the lack of humidity? Hardly any sweating. Though the cost of living there is really expensive, so I’m not sure if it’d actually be worth it.

We visited Pike’s Place Market, and I have officially determined that I am not a crowd person. I know it was a tourist spot so of course there were a ton of people, but it just made me think of huge cities where people deal with that everyday. No thank you. I like my personal bubble, it may not be a very big bubble but it’s there. I kept worrying that someone was going to try and pickpocket us, I was going to step on a little kid or that I was going to trip over absolutely nothing and cause a huge scene that it was hard for me to enjoy it at times.

Later that day we went to the Space Needle, of course. Let me note now that I am afraid of heights…to put it lightly. We get into a crowded elevator and I’m pushed off to the side. We start going up and to my great delight (note: I say this EXTREMELY sarcastically) right next to me there was a window. Which I’m sure had a really lovely view, and I would have been okay with had I been able to mentally prepare myself for. I know that sounds silly, how did I not know that there was a window there? Well I didn’t and thinking back on it I should have guessed that any really tall tourist trap would of course have windows in their elevator, but I wasn’t thinking clearly. Thankfully my husband realized pretty quickly how freaked out I was and managed to push through the crowd to switch places with me. I still didn’t like that I could see our rapid ascent, but I was no longer staring over the edge watching the ground disappear beneath us.

We had dinner at the restaurant there, which after I made my way shakily to our table and was able to adjust to being up so high, the view was absolutely beautiful. The restaurant itself rotates so you could see all of Seattle. Next we had to venture up to the observation deck at the very top of the Space Needle. I would have been perfectly fine just leaving after dinner… but no the group wanted to go up, so we went up. The views from the deck were probably more beautiful that what we saw from the restaurant but I was too busy hugging the side of the wall and making sure people went around me if they wanted to go by to really enjoy it much. It’s one thing to be inside staring out but I could not handle being out in open air very well.

We also saw a Seattle Mariners game (Baseball for those who may not know). They lost, but it was still a really fun experience and there was a huge firework show after the game that definitely made up for the loss. We of course opted not to drive and used Uber/Lyft most of time. Have any of y’all ever tried to use one of them after a big event? If they were to pick us up near the stadium it would have cost us $128! Yes you read that right a hundred and twenty eight dollars. For a 30 minute car ride. We ended up walking roughly 2 miles to get out of the high priced zone and ended up only having to pay $28, but it was kind of creepy. I believe walking around after dark in an unfamiliar area would put anyone on edge.

Our next big adventure was zip lining. We had to travel about an hour away to a 230 acre farm to do this, but it was well worth it! When we were first pulling up everyone thought I was planning on getting us killed because it was pretty much in the middle of nowhere with very few signs letting us know if we were going in the right direction…. I can admit it did seem a little shady at first (Don’t let my husband know I said that). We got lucky and it ended up just being the 4 of us in our own group. We started our adventure off getting to ride a historic Unimog forest vehicle. Don’t know what that is? No worries I had never heard of it before either. I did make sure to attach a picture of it though. Apparently the owner of the farm saw it being driven around town one day and basically stalked them home to ask if he could buy it.

As noted earlier I am petrified of heights but I am also rather odd… who knew right? The hardest part about zip lining for me was the 3 little steps I had to take to be hooked onto the line, not the actual jumping over the edge. I’m not exactly sure why this was easy for me when I was hugging the wall at the Space Needle. Where everyone else had no issues at the Space Needle, but were all nervous about zip lining. I’ve just accepted that I’m weird and it makes no sense. Our guides were great they really helped make the experience that much better. We got to try all sorts of berries and plants (yes I said plants). After we all made it safely through the forest we made our way to a little beach about 10 minutes away, where we found the water to actually be pretty warm considering it was only 72 degrees.

There was so much more that we did, but this pretty much concludes the highlights of our Seattle adventure. Overall it was amazing, and we definitely plan on visiting again.

I am dropping off my kids at camp this week it will be strange not having them here. I hope the best for them as they go on new adventures and make new friends while learning about God and the moral fiber of today though team work and patience.

This past week was mostly spent helping with Vacation Bible School at First Baptist Church Cuba, NM. We stayed with Joyce’s parents, and some of her brother’s family was also there to help with VBS. Joyce helped with the 1st and 2nd grade, and I helped with the 3rd grade, led the singing for the closing ceremony each day, and set up the slides for the opening and closing ceremonies. I also helped the church by setting up a way to live stream services from the main sanctuary to the back building. This will help to provide an overflow room during funerals, weddings, or special services.

In the afternoons, we rested and spent time with Joyce’s family. We would eat supper together and Thursday night we made s’mores over a camp fire. It is very beautiful in the mountains where Joyce’s parents live. The pictures below do not really do it justice.

Saturday, we came back to Bloomfield and spent some time with Joyce’s extended family that were in town. Most of them came from Wyoming, and we had lunch at Joyce’s grandparents’ house. After that, we went into Farmington to help my parents and their church assemble the school supply kits. We will be heading down to Fabens, TX tomorrow to deliver the kits and spend a couple days with the missionaries we know down there. They are with Crossing Borders Ministries, and they help pastors and needy families in Mexico. Here is a link to their website for more information about their ministry. www.crossingbordersministries.com

It has been a busy week, but a good week of ministering to kids and spending time with Joyce’s family.

Clue 1: It has nothing to do with needing to get exercise.
Clue 2: It has nothing to do with the building getting flooded.

The Seventh Day! I Got It!

It is day seven of my Sabbatical, and it has taken my body, mind, and spirit seven complete days to understand it is on Sabbatical. Seven full days to sleep until I feel rested. Seven full days not to think about work, the house, and the weeds in the lawn. Seven full days to go into refresh, rest, and reconnect mode. Hmm…I get it GOD! Seven is His number of completion. I must admit, I was a bit fearful this paradigm shift wouldn’t kick in until day 29 of my Sabbatical. I was getting a bit concerned about asking for another Sabbatical leave, haha!

It wasn’t for lack of trying, mind you that I couldn’t rest or detach. I believe, I may have been trying a bit too hard, OR perhaps, I am simply a creature of habit and doing? Either way, I got! Today I got. Maybe last night is when the magic really happened? Speaking of last night…It was filled with beauty of its own. I drove into the city with new friends. Now, if you know anything about me–new friends is not necessarily my comfort zone. My old and dear friends suit me perfectly; however, my Sabbatical has awakened me to the beauty of all things new and not so perfect. I enjoyed the Botanical Gardens with my new friends. What a lovely exhibit. The frog in the picture below reminded me to just chill, and I did.

Frog Life Chilling!

This morning, I slept in with no care for a clock, the sun peeking into the windows, or the outside sounds and there are many in this country setting. I simply rested and took it easy. Go, Serene!

Cool and Artistic Exhibit!

Got Old Chandeliers? Add Plants!

To be honest, I felt like a lazy bum this morning; but I quickly got over it, and drove with no destination in mind to Mountain Biscuits.  I swear, I wasn’t trying to find this place. First of all, whoever, and I mean whoever created this place should be banished to total darkness for LIFE. I ordered a FRIED, yes, FRIED biscuit, because that’s what the locals eat, and everyone said, ‘Seriously you have to eat one in your lifetime.’ I did. It had to be 2,000 calories of which, 1,999 were FAT from butter and powdered sugar! But, it was so good. Now, I didn’t eat the entire biscuit, because that just wouldn’t have been right. But, country folk sure can eat!

Friday morning Drive! No Destination.

Mountain Biscuits! 2000 Calories of Goodness!

Sinful! That is all.

Well, now that I have figured out this Sabbatical Life. I am going poolside to continue reading “Heaven” by Randy Alcorn. It’s actually the best book I have read about Heaven minus the Bible. If you’ve never read it, I strongly suggest you do. It will certainly change your perspective about earthly living. It’s certainly not a quick read, however, it is a wondrous read! Fabulous Friday, y’all!

Oh, almost forgot. I am going to a baseball game to night. Did I mention, I didn’t particularly care for baseball? Well, that is until the Cubs won, and I watched the World Series last year. Breaking out of comfort zone. Sabbatical Life. Day Seven!

This is day six of my Sabbatical, and yesterday was rather challenging for me.  I spent the day serving Veterans of America on the 800 hotline and walk-in service office in Georgia. The phones rang all day long and the lines were long all day. Most of the calls I took came from Veterans looking for housing and or affordable housing. There were other calls from family members of Veterans looking for mental illness or PTSD support. My line never stopped ringing, and I have never felt a desire to do more and yet, I was unable to do what my heart desired.

My heart is so heavy and grieved, even today. How can we allow those who serve our country to be homeless? How is it that, we haven’t built enough affordable housing for our Veterans?  How does this happen in America?

I spoke to both the young and old, women and men. Loved ones–parents, wives, husbands, and children looking for answers and solutions. Their need was immediate and dire for most, and often there were simply no available resources or there are so many Veterans ahead of them and so much red tape to move through. Appointments can be months out. I cannot imagine the pain and frustration these Veterans and their families must feel.

Those who work and volunteer serving Veterans of America are wonderful and caring people. Many Veterans themselves. Some wives of Veterans. Some like me, with a desire to be of service wherever we may be needed. And contrary to the day I had yesterday, this team helps a large number of Veterans and their families each day. I only wish we could do it faster without all of the red tape.

I have had the privilege as a Select Producer to pre-plan two funerals for Veterans. When I return I am going to speak with my funeral home owner about a Veteran’s Package. I understand Veterans receive several benefits making burial affordable; however, I certainly believe there is more we can do as a funeral home and in the community we serve.

There shouldn’t be any homeless Veteran’s in our country. This is criminal to my mind. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve yesterday. It was a humbling experience. It was an honor. It was indeed a privilege. And it will be a continued honor and privilege to pray for the families I spoke with yesterday.

With one week of the Sabbatical being gone now, I am reminded of how difficult it is to slow down enough so that the days seem to be longer. Up to now they have flown by, although being at a resort with my wife has helped. It is just so easy to fill my day with “fun” things that it passes as quickly as when I’m working (no, work is not always fun, but it’s always a great place)!

My challenge for the rest of my Sabbatical is to keep slowing down, and not fill my day with things to do simply for the sake of doing things.

My other challenge is to keep my blog entries short, and not essays; so far so good!

Hello from Massanutten in beautiful Virginia! We have family that live only a few hours from here, which made it the perfect rendezvous point for a short family vacation and anniversary getaway (two blissful years on 7-11!) Aside from the chance to see family, we came here for the trees! Ha! But seriously, I can’t get enough of the mountains and the tall things that constantly have me staring up at the sky and thanking God for the chance to get out of the desert of west Texas 🙂

I’ve spent this past week reflecting on things that I’m thankful for, courtesy of the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. Here are some of those things that also capture what this first Sabbatical week has gifted me:

5. Celebrated my stepfather-in-law’s 50th birthday. We could’ve partied harder, but he started a new job on Monday, which was an answered prayer.

4. This week, we get to enjoy two things we do not have: a dishwasher and cable! Perfect timing for Wimbledon 🙂

3. I get to swim, play tennis, mini golf, tube down a hill, and hike with my adventurous husband!

2. God has kept us and my family safe. My parents and sister were rearended on their way to DFW on Saturday. Everyone is fine, little damage to the car, but my sister just got this car after her first was totalled in another accident several weeks ago. She then got a ticket after running a stop sign at the airport. It was a rough day, but everyone is ok.

1. I have a tiny but peaceful back deck to relax on, reflect, draw, and read. Gerard the groundhog likes to visit me everyday 🙂

Until next time!

Though this is my last day of sabbatical I have concluded that I do not have to stop helping and doing various acts of Christian service because my sabbatical is complete.  I have witnessed where even the smallest act of kindness can cause a ripple effect to stimulate others to help.  I am forever grateful for this experience.  To spend time by pausing for prayer, reflecting, and reprioritizing  my life has taught me what is truly important in my life  which is God, Family, and health.  I will take this experience in my life and continue acts of service helping others less fortunate and make an impact on society.  Thank you for the opportunity FDLIC for making this possible.  I am forever Grateful!

My dad has been a detective with the San Antonio Police Department for 23 years. Though my dad has NEVER put work before his children, a career in law enforcement can be quite taxing on any kind of personal relationship. These past 4 years our relationship has been stronger than ever and I am beyond grateful for it. He made it a point to be here when Rogan was born just as he did with Harper.

A few days after we got to come home from the hospital, my dad and I decided to take Harper fishing for a few hours. Despite the scorching heat, we did catch quite a few catfish and even a couple of bass. Watching my dad and my daughter fishing together is almost surreal. She is growing up so fast and I am glad he is a part of her life.

One of my many sabbatical goals is to spend as much time as I can helping my 4 year old daughter adjust to life with a baby brother. With that being said, she has needed very little assistance from me or Kaela. Rogan is 11 days old and Harper has already shown a tremendous amount of compassion for “her baby”. She has learned how to make a bottle, locate and deliver a pacifier, pack a diaper bag, and has assisted in the changing of 2 diapers. Kaela and I agreed that she has done so well and we decided to suprise her with a trip to the movies.

The 2 biggest take aways of the first week for me have been:

1. Although it might not be what I WANT to hear, my dad will always tell me what I need to hear. I am beyond grateful for his sound advice.

2. Just like her mother, my daughter has a heart of gold.

-Zack

I am starting my Third week of my sabbatical. The time I have had to spend with my family has been wonderful. I have been able to do things with my kids that’s I wouldn’t have been able to other wise. I have been to Habit for humanity and to see these people working on homes and the dedication it takes to achieve their goals is amazing. My personal time to sit and reflect has been more difficult than I thought. I find myself in and unfamiliar area that I don’t have a lot of practice in. But as I have started my bible study and my ” wild at heart” book it starting to get much easier. I pray that the remaining time I have have with my family will been a blessing to myself and to them we start our vacation this week so it will be nice to get away 😁

This last week of my sabbatical was reserved for our family vacation to Durango, CO. We hiked, did summer activities at Purgatory Resort, shopped and spent time with each other. It was awesome and totally worth the 12 hour drive to get there.

My 7 year old daughter, Kirsley, did the zip line with me. My 7 year old son, Wyatt, kicked my tail at rock wall climbing. And my 3 year old daughter, Talan, was on my back for most of our hikes (literally). Hopefully these are memories that they will have for the rest of their lives.