Month: August 2017

My plan for my Sabbatical was a really good plan. I thought it was THE plan for my Sabbatical. So, God knew better and tomorrow morning, Friday, August 11, 2017, I embark on His journey.

I look forward to sharing my journey with you as God’s plans, and His works through me, are revealed.

As always i was a little hesitant to take so much time away from work. My mom was always a stickler for instilling a strong work ethic into me. But I was confident in my coworkers that they would be able to rock the claims department while I was on this 30 day adventure.

Being at home drove me a little crazy at first. It took me a few days to realize I didn’t have to cram all the things I wanted or needed to do into the first week. So I took a lot of naps and it was awesome. I also spent a lot of time with my mom. Since we both work two jobs and I have roller derby practice I miss a lot quality time with her. It was really nice.

As the trip to Ireland drew closer I grew more and more nervous. I didn’t know a lot of people that were going and I was essentially going across the world with a lot of strangers. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I really didn’t have anything to worry about. Everyone on the trip was so welcoming I felt I was among a temporary family. Many of them had been on the trip before and didn’t hesitate on filling me in.

Arriving in Ireland was a mix of things I expected and was blown away by. It is just as green as everyone says. They build their architecture into nature. There are also acres of emerald pastures between towns. They have quite a few local dairy and strawberry farms so if you have butter or strawberry jam at the table you can bet it’s local and fresh. Th Irish people also love tourists. They welcome people into their towns with welcoming arms. The food is amazing the really enjoy eating so they take time to make the food and enjoy it. We got explore a few Ireland staples. Hookhead Lighthouse was my favorite. Its right next to the ocean so we were able to take a lot of wonderful shots depicting the countryside and the Irish Sea.

While the touring had been amazing, I was absolutely looking forward to the kids camp we were leading. This was also a little nerve racking. I had been in charge of kids at a camp before but this situation felt a little different. Once again I was worried for nothing. The kids were fantastic. My team was made up of 11-12 year old girls. and not to be biased but our team was the best. The camp was western themed and our team name was Sacajawea. I got a lot of questions about the differences I noticed about Ireland vs America. Most of them were about food; chips and candy ect. Turns out they don’t have Jolly Ranchers over there and I was made to promise to bring some if I return next year. Which I will defiantly think about. The kids really enjoyed the lessons taught throughout the different stations. One of my favorites was the lesson about watching what you say because your words have the power to hurt others. The kids favorite station was silly games. It was hard at first to get them to open up but by the end of the week they were having a ball and making new friends. They also help me realize it’s okay to be a little silly even though I’m technically a ‘grown-up’. I also learned a lot about patience. Wrangling 20 girls to any one place is hard work but they were great kids.

First off I want to apologize about my delayed posts, I ran into a little technical difficulties but we are up and running now!

Okay, so week one of my sabbatical went very smooth. I’m not sure what all these other folks are talking about on finding it difficult to transition from work mode to sabbatical mode, I had no problem whatsoever transitioning into sabbatical mode, maybe too easy! I’m guessing getting out of sabbatical mode might not be as easy…

I started my sabbatical Wednesday August 2nd and spent the first few days relaxing, meditating and reading. My first book is titled Powerful Thoughts by Joyce Meyer. So far it’s a very interesting read, she explains how when we think negatively we receive negative results and how to train our minds to think positively and get positive results.

My brother and father drove up to my place for the weekend and we had a blast. It’s been a while since the three of us were able to be together. For those of you who aren’t aware, I love to cook food for me and others. The weather was beautiful that weekend and we literally smoked/grilled food all weekend. Friday night I prepared stuffed cream cheese jalapeno hamburgers on my charcoal Weber (no gas grills around my house) with a grilled bacon cheddar onion blossom as a side. Saturday morning we cold smoked 5 different types of cheese. I can already anticipate your jokes about Wisconsinites and their cheese…..Then in the afternoon I taught them how to properly smoke ribs low and slow. I know you Texans would rather I had smoked a brisket instead but I’m saving that for another day.

The beginning of the week I devoted time to a local volunteer group in La Crosse called The Hunger Task Force. They are a food bank that accepts food donations from individuals and local grocery stores and distributes the donations to local organizations in need. Organizations such as the Red Cross, churches, rehab groups etc. They also have an enormous garden where they grow and harvest fresh produce for those in need. Everyone that I met there was very nice and had a positive attitude. I got to help sort all the fresh produce that gets donated from local grocery stores and how they keep everything organized. After that we sort and organize all the dry/canned goods which was also interesting but my favorite part was loading up the food truck and distributing the donations to all the needy organizations in town. Everyone we met was so kind and grateful for our efforts, it was obvious that we were making their lives better and truly making a difference in the community.

The next step in my journey is taking me back to my home town of Durand, IL to visit with family and friends then spend the weekend in Bloomington, IL (my second home town) visiting with more family and friends that I haven’t seen in months/years. I’m excited for the weekend and will keep you posted on my Journey.

Stat tuned till next time!

We arrived early in the morning. It was nice to be greeted by a friend from San Angelo.  She and my daughters shared time in the ministry together in San Angelo. It was nice for them to be able to get together again now at her home in the country in Germany. She and her husband have been very hospitable to us. I know her parents very well in San Angelo, but very nice to be with Jasmine and Dennis.  She has missed seeing friends from the States.

Preparation for travel to Europe. Spent some time visiting sites in Philadelphia prior to Flight. Rocky sites, Independence Hall, Liberty Bell and Burial site of Benjamin Franklin were all part of the tour.  The pennies that have accumulated on the grave site of Benjamin Franklin were noteworthy. A reminder of Ben’s saying ‘A Penny saved is a Penny earned.’

Last week, I spent some time with Esther and Sal (and Lori O.) at Global Samaritan.  I had a bit of understanding before serving of what they do, but didn’t know to what extent.

Global Samaritan is an organization that fills many different roles, not only internationally, but also here locally in the Big Country.  I’m sure you’ve all heard of the deliveries to Syria, Africa, etc., and maybe you’ve also heard of the SaveStraws they ship to countries that have unsafe drinking water.  What I DIDN’T know, is that Global Samaritan helps out local organizations as well.

Global Samaritan is located on N.1st in the old Coca Cola plant, which was originally, ACU.  They have thousands and thousands of square footage dedicated to warehousing space that is used to store donated items and food that will eventually make its way to a destination.  When I arrived, Esther told me that we needed to pull a large number of items that a new, local clinic was in need of.  This clinic will provide a great service to Abilene and the surrounding areas, but didn’t have the means to outfit the office with new furniture or medical equipment.  This is where Global Samaritan steps in.

Staff of this new clinic came to Global Samaritan and tagged each item they could use.  These items would be GIVEN by Global Samaritan to the clinic.  For FREE.  The picture below shows some of the items Sal and I pulled from the warehouse.  These items are now ready for the clinic to come pick up.

This next picture is the desk/chair room. All of these have been donated by local organizations to Global Samaritan.

On my first morning, Hendrick Medical Center called and said they had bedside tables, bed trays, and chairs for donation.  We took the big box truck and loaded it up.

I hope the video file below works.  If you’ve ever worked in a warehouse type situation, you will understand the importance of shrink wrap.  Pallets that are above a certain height, have a tendency to FALL if they aren’t shrink wrapped, and tightly, for that matter.  For years, Global Samaritan had to hand shrink-wrap pallets.  12 foot pallets…..  Imagine having to use four ladders around a single pallet.  Esther was telling me in the past, it would take about an hour per pallet, and that on a good day, they could wrap about  4 pallets (they were worn out after 4).  Automatic Pallet Wrappers… Ever heard of them?  They are LEGIT!  They had a shiny, new, automatic pallet wrapper on display for all to see.  You may not know, but THE Funeral Directors Life, donated half of the funds to Global Samaritan to purchase this machine.  As you could imagine, these things are EXPENSIVE…  Esther and Sal thanked FDLIC so many times while we were there that I almost got tired of hearing it (joke).

We received a SEMI full of pallets from a church in San Angelo, with items that were to go to Jordan!  There were bed sheets, coats, clothes, rice, beans, sanitation kits, etc., and the semi trailer was packed FULL of 24 pallets.  Good news right?  WRONG.  The container going to Jordan could only fit 21 pallets.  Esther, with her years of experience, said we needed to take these 3 pallets and “spread the wealth” amongst the other 21.  This meant we would need to rebuild ALL 21 pallets.  This is something that, before they acquired the new automatic shrink-wrap machine, would have been impossible and would have taken WEEKS.  These pallets were ready to go in 2 days.  See the video below:

Global Samaritan Shrink Wrap Video

What an awesome time I had last week in Costa Rica. God showed up and worked in so many lives. Especially mine. I had been preparing for this trip a whole year but didn’t really start preparing until about a month before we left. I began to realize I was not seeking him in my preparation. Once that started, amazing things started happening in my life. A month before I was to leave I began a book study called the “Armor of God”.  This book changed my life in so many ways. You see, satan did not want me on this trip. He tried everything to get me down. This book taught me how to fight against that and allow God to work.

On this trip there were returning missionaries and  translators along with first time missionaries and translators. I was a first timer!!  We served with 6 pastors and their churches. Our purpose was the evangelize and share the gospel. Seeds were planted, souls saved and small group Bible studies were formed.  Here are some of the statistics:

556 heard the Gospel/plan of salvation

298 professions of Faith

159 locals attending Bible Studies

What an amazing week we had. We were able to see several people lead their very first person to Christ. I was one of those people. Words cannot express the feeling I had when that occurred.  His name was Roger. As I shared the gospel with him I could see a change in his face.  The most exciting thing though was the smile on his face after we said the prayer of salvation. I walked away jumping with joy!!!  It was amazing.  The rest of my week went just like that, jumping for joy.  I have so many stories to share but the one that is closest to my heart is about a young man named Jose. Before I left for my trip I bought a bracelet with “Armor of God” on it. I had just finished my book study and I thought God specifically led me to this bracelet in the store. I would wear it the whole week for protection. On Monday we began our evangelism. Jose was a member of one of the churches we were helping this day. He walked up to me and said, your bracelet is beautiful. I said thank you and told him about my book study and we read the scriptures. As the evening went on I thought about giving it to him.  I was struggling though because it was special to me. I thought God gave it to me for a reason. I prayed about it and God spoke to me. Give it to him. So, the next day I did. Before I could give it to him he told me this.  He said when I walked into the church he was drawn to me and this bracelet. So he asked me about it. When we read the scriptures it was just what he was needing to hear. So, I looked at him. Took off my bracelet and placed it on his arm. He was so excited. We then began to read the scriptures again and I explained what each piece of armor stood for. It was such a special moment. You see, what I thought God meant for my protection was really meant for Jose. As I left him that evening he asked me out of all the scriptures in the Bible, which one would I give him to keep with him. I did not hesitate, 2 Thessalonians 3:3 “But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen and protect you from the evil one”.  This verse has been my lifeline for about two months now. I know now why it has.

I could go on and on about my week. I met and served along some wonderful and amazing people. I was blessed to go on this trip with one of my closest friends and experience with her what God did for both of our lives.  Something I will never forget. The most important thing I have learned from all of this was, when you put God first in your life, live your life according to his will, he will bless you in so many ways.  God is good all the time, all the time God is good!!!

Wow!! I can’t believe my 1st week is already over. Words can’t even begin to express what the mission trip to Costa Rica meant to me. I am very thankful God made a way for this to happen. I enjoyed every minute of it. Lives were changed and we lead 298 people to the Lord! My heart is filled with more love and is overflowing with joy!! When you allow God to work in your life miracles happen. I was blessed to work with an amazing team of people. Memories I will cherish forever!! #godisgoodallthetime #andallthetimegodisgood ♥️♥️

Confession #1-I’ve been nervous about taking a sabbatical since I first heard about it.  Fear, straight up, is a more honest way to describe what I’ve been feeling. I couldn’t imagine not going to work and doing what I love for 30 days. Just so you know, in the last few weeks, I have come to terms with stepping away, and I’m ready!

Confession #2- When I first started as a Select Producer in March 2015, it took me awhile to get going. My first 8 months were not the easiest, and I actually turned in my resignation in month 6. I was going to sell life insurance- ha!!

Well, I’m not sure what happened, but I decided to ask if I could stay at my job, and FD graciously said yes! In December, I went to my first annual meeting, and I fell in love with the culture, the vision, and the people at FD. I met the famous Adam Kraut who dominated the top of the leaderboard and vowed to chase him to the top of that board. I didnt make it, but I had fun trying!

Here’s the biggest confession and why I need this sabbatical: I like competition. I like to win. I like to set crazy goals and do all I can to achieve them. I am obsessed with the numbers, and I put ridiculous pressure on myself to succeed. I go into a depression if I don’t sell a certain amount in a month. I’ve spent most of this year depressed because my numbers aren’t good….not like last year’s. Never mind that I serve lots of families. I have been focusing on trips and leaderboards and commission checks. I am tired. Tired of pushing, tired of competing….really with nobody but myself.

So, this sabbatical is for rest and finding balance at work and home. It’s the mental break I need most. It’s the connection with family and friends that I crave. So, Saturday I went to Amarillo to celebrate my best friend’s birthday. That night, my daughter’s family drove in from Ft Worth. Sunday night, we had a family cookout and saw our 2 month old grandson.  Today is Monday, and my grands are still here……and I’m not at work!! I’m not afraid to take a break and to bow out of the race for awhile. I’m not worried about commissions and leaderboards and trips today. This is my time, and I’m so grateful to work for a company that believes in caring for its employees. Thank you FDLIC! It’s gonna be a great 30 days.

The first week of my sabbatical was both relaxing and productive. I was able to enjoy some much needed quality time with my son as well as get some projects started/finished that I have been putting off for some time. The big project I was able to finish this week was putting up a small shed in my back yard for my lawn equipment. I was able to start my service project this Saturday as well, volunteering at Habit for Humanity along with a few coworkers. This week the goal was to set up the roof trusses for the house which is a difficult process as you need to organize them in the right order then get them on top of the house while balancing on the frame. It was interesting seeing a group of people who don’t really know each other at the beginning able to come together to help build a home for a family.

The biggest adjustment for me as my sabbatical has started is that while I get a break, my wife still has to work and keep her normal routine, making it almost feel like everyone is moving around me while I get the chance to take a breather. My wife has joined me in my daily devotional (Proverbs), which has made it much easier to keep up with and has brought us closer together with God.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.” ~Proverbs 3:5

Hi All,

 
I left work on Friday (July 28,) to embark on my sabbatical. This first week I have rested a lot and thoroughly enjoyed my time. It’s hard to believe it has been a week and let me tell you it has flown by but as I write this I don’t think things could have gone any better. I have started my days with Jesus Calling and I am about to start The Confident Woman.

 
I did want to make sure I spent time with my mom this week and we have had some nice talks as well as started the process of getting her some much needed in home care. My mom (Bessie) is 88 years old. She has heart disease and has had for years but, in the last few years Parkinson’s disease has been her biggest obstacle. It is truly heartbreaking but, her spirit is not broken and she is trying to stay as independent as she possibly can (almost to a fault). She seems to coming around to the fact that she needs help with basic daily things.  Please keep her in your prayers she is truly a blessing, a bit feisty at times (wonder where I get it from ha!) and a very special lady.

 
This week I also spent several days with my grandsons (Jacob & Jason) I am sure they thought it was Saturday every day for about 3 days ha! We went to the park and Wal-Mart, where they have soooo many hot wheels according to them:).  Needless to say they can never have too many cars.  We also visited the library in which, they were a little too loud but we made it out of there with our books and no judgement! Lol

 
Tuesday I head out to Fayetteville Arkansas where my daughter and granddaughter (Aubree) live. My son and his family arrived there on Saturday. We have some fun things planned and I truly anticipate the grandkids will all have a blast. It means so much to me for us to have this time and to all be together.

 
When I return I will be working with Love and Care Ministries and I am looking forward to that. I also have another book on my list.

 
One week in and this again is truly a blessing and I could not be more thankful. This experience in 2010 was such a huge blessing and an incredible experience and 2017 has already proven to be the same except, I have a few additional people in my life that I can share this awesome sabbatical experience with.

 
Peace and Blessings:)

Hello all,

It’s nice to come back home after a vacation. Not because I didn’t enjoy my time away, but after 7 nights of being 2,000+ miles away, you start to long for your own shower and bed. During my volunteer work at camp, I got to know the awesome staff there and they took me around Seattle. Went to a couple coffee shops, checked the out Pike Place market, and walked around downtown. Key takeaway from this experience is that Seattle is definitely different from west Texas! One aspect that I enjoyed was their attitude about the world we live in. From all the fresh organic produce, the 4 different trash bins to separate your trash into, the amount of people who ride bikes, and the strong affiliation with the mountain/outdoor culture, its hard not to acknowledge their desire to protect and be good stewards of the world around us. Seattle would definitely be considered a more “progressive” culture in many ways, but I think this is something that everyone, especially us Texans, could do a little better.

After finishing up my time at camp, I rented a car and drove up to Whistler in Canada. I usually dread the thought of being in a car for 5 hours, but driving through mountains with the coast on your left made this drive not only tolerable, but beautiful. Got pretty interesting when I realized in Canada that I didn’t purchase an international data plan before leaving, so had to figure out how to get where I was going without a phone. A couple stops and asking people through the windows at stop lights got me to my destination. Whistler is known for hosting the Olympics winter games back in 2010 so people from all around the world come to ski, but it turns into a big mountain bike park during the summer. I ride mountain bikes a lot around Texas and can ride some pretty technical trails, but this was a whole different experience. When you ride down a mountain, you go FAST. Basically just flying downhill using both brakes at all times, hitting jumps and avoiding trees. I probably rode 50+ miles of trails, but only pedalled about 1% of it. It really was awesome. Bear sightings are very common up there and was kind of hoping to see one (when I was riding up the lift of course) but didn’t run into any (that I know of).

Coming back down to my flight out of Seattle, I had to cross back over the border. I got there about 7:30 in the morning and was expecting a line of cars but drove right up to the patrol booth. Told him I rented a car and drove up to bike and he wanted to know where all my bike stuff was. Told him I rented it all and he just was having a really hard time with my story that I had been volunteering in Seattle and drove up for two nights to Canada and all I had was one bag and I was doing this all alone. It is a little out of the ordinary when I think about it now! So I got the pleasure of a nice search and interrogation at the secondary stop before they let me back in the USA. Fun stuff!

So this is my last weekend before coming back to work. Crazy how fast a month flies by but looking back on it Ive really really enjoyed the time off and it really had been energizing both spiritually and physically. Outside of the trips, I built a bed for us. Working in finance, you don’t have the ability to design/build physical things (bond ladders don’t count) so this was a lot of fun for me. I didn’t follow a plan, just looked at some pictures and went from there. We are made in the image of God who is a creator, thus instilled with the desire to create, so we find fulfillment and take pleasure in creating. I think that is why we are also drawn to art, music, and culture in general, because of these attributes given to us by God. It truly was fulfilling to plan out an image, buy a ton of wood, measure, measure, cut, stain, and see that image come to life.

Thanks for reading and I will see everyone next week!

Trevor

This week has been amazing. My wonderful family has come together not even missing a beat ,as forever friends that come together. Truely is great! They are truely happy and supportive of my life.
Although i dont ever remember having this much homework in all my life my cna class is very enjoyable , learning new skills is awesome. I will start my clinicals here in a couple weeks i am so excited and nervous all at the same time .
I will start my meals on wheels tomorrow , I am excited its going to be fun ! Ha just gotta make sure i pay attention so im not driving in circles haha. Helping people regardless of what its with. This is such an amazing and makes me feel so blessed to be able to do so .

My daily devotionals and the book Driven Purpose have truely been enjoyable and relaxing to read it puts me into a Zen state it feels so great I have never been so relaxed. 😁😁😁😁😏

Letting Go

Letting go is always the hardest part.

Our lives are filled with so many people, activities and responsibilities. When it is time to take a break, it is hard to let go of it all. Realistically, we can’t; it is not possible. I can’t stop feeding my four year-old simply because I am on vacation. However, I can let go of some things. I thought letting go of work was going to be a problem. Thankfully, it wasn’t. Well…not too hard. It did take me a couple of days and I did forget to turn my work alarm off on Monday.

What I have struggled with has been letting go of months (maybe more) of physical, emotional and spiritual stress. I’m not there yet, but I am working on it. Maybe I’ll be perfectly relaxed and ready to enjoy my sabbatical about the time I return to FD. (insert picture of me smiling ironically here)

Serving

This past week I spent several hours volunteering at the Christian Service Center. I remember as a little kid taking our “give-away” clothes to a one-portable Christian Service Center. Now, this amazing organization is housed in the same building that once housed the congregation I grew up in. Woodlawn church of Christ donated its building to CSC a few years ago and just a few months ago, the CSC reopened its new facility. Having grown up at Woodlawn, I felt led to volunteer at the CSC during my sabbatical. It was a fascinating experience and I will definitely try to volunteer there again in the future. They are open one Saturday a month, so even with a “day job,” I will have the opportunity to work with them again. (I will tell more about my experiences in my next blog, but it is late, I still have other things to share and I have a plane to catch tomorrow morning…but I digress.)

Serving can take on so many faces and be perceived in so many ways. Not just this past week, but over the last month or so, I have been blessed to serve a friend in a way that working at FD has uniquely prepared me for. A dear friend lost her brother recently to suicide. He was terminally ill, and the family knew that their time with him was limited, but I don’t think anything can prepare you for the shock of suicide. My friend has not had an easy life. I cannot imagine going through the trials she has gracefully overcome through the years. We have known each other since college and, though we have drastically different personalities, we get on great. My husband and I have been ministering to her and serving her these past weeks by simply inviting her into our home, feeding her sometimes and listening. Sometimes we talk about her brother. Sometimes we talk about the future. Sometimes we talk about the past. And this week, I made her watch Moana. Because really, not having seen a Disney movie since The Lion King is just wrong. That and since we have a wrestling past (please don’t ask), I felt like she just had to hear Dwayne Johnson (aka: The Rock) sing. Anyway…the point is that though I am neither a grief counselor nor can I take her pain away, I can be there for her. Every time she needs me. And I am blessed by loving her.

Flying

So, my daughter (who should not even still be up) just asked me, “Mami, will I share your ice cream with you?” She said it with the sweetest look on her face. She is the same child that told my mother one morning at breakfast that her yogurt was “repulsive” because it had fruit pieces in it. Yep. She’s 4. She’s never met a stranger. And we’re flying across the ocean tomorrow. She’s either going to be a hit with our neighbors on the plane or she is going to drive them insane.

Many of you know that my husband is Italian. We moved here two years ago (yes, I know…everyone asks the same question: WHY?) and this is our first opportunity to go “home.” That we are excited is an understatement. I consider it no small miracle that we are even getting to go. All the necessary elements came together, however, and the day as finally arrived. We are packed up, checked in and – after checking about 14 times to make sure we really do have our passports – I can go to bed peacefully, safe in the knowledge that 5:30 am is going to come entirely too soon.

So, I salute you all for now. Next time I write, it will be from a tablet with no separate keyboard – in Italy.

Buonanotte, amici.

test.

-Jamin Phillips

6 days on Sabbatical- The struggle is real

I have been on Sabbatical for six days now.  And I struggled to get the message. My first day off was a Saturday so it was fairly normal.  Somehow I woke up thinking it would feel different.  You know the kind of feeling when you’re a kid and you turn 10? You wake up on the morning of your milestone birthday and expect to ‘feel’ a year older. Well, it was a big buildup and turned out to be just a normal Saturday.  I had this strange urge to check my work emails, look at my sales numbers, or send one last message to my key accounts to make sure they were okay before I left the country.  And then I just ran out of time because we headed out for family vacation! We left for Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and had a great time.  Strangely, my phone is the only one in the family that would not work on my international service. At first I was annoyed.  What if an extreme situation occurred and someone could not get a hold of me? Turns out, life went on and if something went wrong, either I didn’t need to know or there was someone else better suited to resolve it.  Since there was nothing else to do except enjoy Mexico with my family, that is what I did!  We always travel in a big herd, complete with all the in-laws and extended family.  This was a special vacation of our family.  My Father in law was just diagnosed with prostate cancer and has been battling complications from diabetes.  All of his medical challenges are manageable.  Even so, life is precious and making memories is what it is all about.  Also, in a few weeks my first born leaves for college.  I’m still in denial.  But I am thankful for this time with family and taking adventures to make memories.

Did I mention how much I love the beach?  The sand is tan and the the water is blue/green.  I think that everyone has a special place they love to be in.  For some it is the mountains.  For me it has always been the ocean.  I feel very close to God when I am near the ocean.  I’ve always lived near the ocean.  As I sat beachside every morning appreciating God’s creation, I could not help but thank Him for the blessings in my life.  The world is a beautiful place when you choose to focus on the good in it.  After a long walk on the beach, I turned around to view my progress and immediately thought of one of my favorite poems (pic below).  He carries us even when we don’t think we need it.

There is also a pic of my kids.  They have not yet learned to appreciate the outdoors as much as I do.  They were taking selfies in the hotel room.

• This is day 3 of my sabbatical and i don’t believe that i have ever been more rested . I am feeling so wonderfully blessed to be getting to participate in everything going on around me .
  I have been enjoying some quality family time with my wonderful children , also have had a great time with my mom and dad , and cant forget about my brother . This week has just been “AWESOME”.
  I did see our wonderful nurse practiioner jennifer flores about my hip for some answers on my severe pain ive been having There isnt any new information on the issue , but i will be be getting some more testing. I am very optimistic i know i am in gods hands and i will be taken care of . 😁
  I last week have started my cna classes . It has been awesome so much new information to learn . The wonderful people that i am taking the class with are so awesome . The teachers are very genuine and nice and want to do everything they can to make sure we are sucessful .
  While on the aubject of my studies my bible and devotional studies have been so relaxing and elightening . This section is what has opened my mind up and made me realize that words as well as actions are imprtant ,” Watch your words diligwntly. Words have such great power to bless or to wound. When you speak carelessly or negatively , you damage others as well as yourself . ” Such wise words i wouldn’t have said it better myself.
  Here are some happy moments i wanted to share .

Excitement and Anxiety all set in at once. I find myself, with excitement, looking forward to 30 days to focus on everything but work. The other side of me has anxiety of having 30 days away from work.

I started the day off with 2 of my bible studies at Tom Green County Jail. Their joy in learning even the basics of the Bible, the number of books, bible writers, time period written, and the theme of the Bible that Jesus taught has helped them to appreciate the value of daily Bible reading and meditation. So exciting to see someone wanting to learn more.

Next steps for the day were preparing to visit friends in Germany and Romania. Just so I can see everything is not perfect, I had to get a tire repaired and, oh no, replaced. Prep for a 3 week journey continued.

This was just your basic travel day to New York with multiple delays and re-routing due to bad weather on the east coast. There were opportunities to read and meditate while traveling. The app on my phone and Kindle make it so easy to read and do research while traveling.

Hello from my living room in Abilene, Texas! I was hoping to write my last post from Connecticut, but our four days there were filled with wedding festivities. The bride and groom were gracious hosts, patiently chauffeuring guests who came from far off places like the Cayman islands and California! It was a sweet reunion for my husband and his college buddies, and of course they all enjoyed meeting Mrs. Scooter 🙂 Our travels back to Texas were perfect compared to our last flying experience, and we arrived back in Abilene with some time to recuperate before heading back to work.

Such a beautiful wedding for Victor and Danielle Moya!

In a previous post, I mentioned that I was going to write about how the artist in me has rested. I really thought I would be sketching more, trying some things new things, but I really didn’t do as much. I was a little surprised at myself, but what I didn’t realize is that part of me needed to rest just as much as my body did. Instead of setting goals, I pulled out my sketched book whenever I felt the urge to do so. I did draw outside, sketch something different, try a new medium, but I didn’t overdo it.

A house in the forest of Virginia

You can’t see it, but there’s a lake at the bottom of the hill. I just had to try and capture it!

I found more renewal in finding inspiration again. The biggest driving force for an artist is inspiration. I can’t just pull ideas out of thin air. They almost always come from somewhere, something, or someone. I’m often inspired by other artists as well. The great Pablo Picasso once said, “Good artists copy; great artists steal.” While we don’t mean to plagiarize, we artists often rely on each other in some capacity to keep the flame burning.

The two main things that absolutely enamored me during our travels were the architecture in the north east and the work of great artists like Degas, Monet, and Picasso at the Albright-Knox museum. There is so much history in places like Buffalo and Connecticut, and the way houses were built reflects some of that. I took as many picture as I could and I plan on doing a series of ink sketches to frame in our home. And of course, how can you not be amazed standing in front of an original masterpiece that’s larger than life?! Jackson Pollock is one of my favorite abstract expressionists, and it was incredible to see one of his pieces with my own eyes. I walked away from this museum remembering why I love art so much.

Convergence, one of Pollock’s most famous paintings, is almost 8 feet tall and nearly 13 feet wide!

Old house in Niagara Falls, NY

And so ends my Sabbatical. I’m well rested, stress free, and ready to be back at work! I’m extremely thankful that FD gave me this unique opportunity. Everyone I talked to about why I had so much time off was completely amazed that an employer would do such a thing. A big thank you to Kris, the executives, and my fellow graphic designers and department for covering my butt while I was gone!

Today marks the last day of my 30 day sabbatical, and it is certainly a bittersweet day. The time I had to see family was special, for me and for them, and being able to unplug for a while and relax was much needed. I am reminded now, however, of all my to-do lists and important things to take care of and I’ll be honest and say it’s almost an overwhelming feeling. But I know that it will all be sorted out, that the pressure will ease, and that God is in control of all things.

I return to work glad for a routine again, happy to be of service and thankful that the Lord provided the rest I needed to be able to keep moving forward.

The second week of my sabbatical was amazing and eventful.  I took two trips, planned a birthday party for Robynn, Delivered TJ to Patriots Academy in Austin, began building a second story balcony to my man cave, celebrated my 24th wedding anniversary, Planned the family vacation the last week of the sabbatical, and began my archeology study of the first five books of the Bible.

Robynn’s 45th birthday:  This July my beautiful wife turned 45 and everyone that knows us realizes that we love birthday parties.  This year we had a wonderful day with family to celebrate.  The kids helped me pick out a sewing mannequin for Robynn.

Ancestry Trip with TJ:  Family is the world to me and I am extremely proud and grateful for my Holladay name and heritage.  My hobby is genealogy and I became interested in this through research my son began three years ago.  On almost every line my family was living here long before the United States was formed.  The Holladay’s came to James Town around 1635 and their grandchildren were Patriots in the revolutionary war.  Before that my direct line contained the Lord Mayor of London, Treasurer for the East India Trading Company, Founding members of Holy Trinity Church, and ultimately a fairly rough group in the crusades.  In 2015, we took a family trip to the Cotswold in England to find etchings, drawings and graves of our English ancestries.  This year I took a 2.5 day trip to Alabama with my son to hunt for the grave of James D Holladay (my 2nd GG) which has not been cataloged on find any grave and our Rev War hero Daniel Williams Holladay.  We visited 5 cemeteries (3 Holladay cemeteries) and some of these required very specific GPS coordinates and miles of walking through very thick woods.  While I was aware of some of the graves, I was doubtful on finding the one of James mentioned above.  TJ and I were successful and had a great family bonding trip.  We also stopped on the drive there to celebrate a three generation birthday with my great Aunt, her daughter and her granddaughter.   On the way home I was able to introduce TJ to my favorite restaurant in Dallas, Javiers.

Drove TJ to Patriots Academy in Austin:  Theron Jr., was accepted into the National Patriots Academy held this year in Austin at the Capital.  It is run by conservative state senators and reps.  This year 115 delegates including TJ are able to introduce bills, debate and basically run a mock senate in the chambers.  The top bills they introduce are voted on by them and can make to  actually be considered by the government.  We were very excited about this opportunity and Robynn and I drove TJ to the event and even were able to enjoy a pre-anniversary dinner at the best restaurant in Austin, Eddie V’s.

24th Anniversary Trip:  After taking TJ to Austin, Robynn and I drove to Shreveport/Bossier City for a 24th anniversary get-away.  I am so blessed to have spent the last 27 years married to or dating the girl of my dreams.  This year, we went to the boardwalk in Bossier City and stayed at the Margaretville hotel.  We had a beautiful suite with a balcony overlooking the river.  We had a wonderful time together and enjoyed many great meals, shopping and even were able to visit some wonderful family in the area.

Building Project:  For my sabbatical 7 years ago I built a shop and “man cave”  To relax I enjoy physical work and had always wanted to build something on a large scale with no assistance from anyone.  This Sabbatical, I plan to add a 250 square foot balcony to my man cave.  While I have not had much time to work on it, I did order all of my parts and have started my building project.  I will add pictures in my update for week 3.

Biblical Studies:  Outside of Ancestry, my hobby is biblical studies.  I guess my learning style is somewhat different than most people.  I do not enjoy listening to commentators discuss “what the president has said” or “what just happened in a football game.”  I prefer to just watch the game or listen to the speech.  When it comes to biblical learning I am the same way and prefer the source itself, the bible.  I also prefer more comprehensive bible studies and do not enjoy books that others write to explain the Bible.  I have a new set of books on biblical archeology and my plan is to read again the first five books of the bible while reading and referencing the applicable information in my archeology books.  I am very excited about this!

Met Chantell in Santee. She was the absolute best manager ever!

I cannot believe my Sabbatical is coming to a close. What a whirlwind and wonderful journey it has been. Interestingly, I wasn’t certain, if I should take my Sabbatical in July. I wrestled with whether to change the date to later in the year. I’d only started as a Select Producer in April, and I felt I was just gaining some traction. I am so grateful, however, I stayed the course. This Sabbatical was so necessary and timely.

I didn’t realize how much heaviness I carried out of 2016 into this new year. From my daughter Biancha’s illness and surgery; my daughter’s high risk pregnancy and subsequent early delivery of precious Ezra, and other family matters. I carried quite a bit into 2017. I was drained and running on fumes.

What a Blessings to slow down. Clear the chatter in my mind, catch my breath, and laugh at myself. It took seven days to get into the flow of sabbatical life. I was working too hard trying to figure out what to do and how to do it, which brings me to. I learned a lot about myself over these few weeks. Some of these things I knew. Other areas became more glaring as the days and weeks progressed.

Below are a 21 things I learned while on Sabbatical. They are in no necessary order. When I wrote some of them, I laughed. Others, I studied with hopes of creating some change. There were still others, which seemed ‘negative’ and yet sometimes being selfish is necessary.

The water is my friend. Unless it’s over my head!

What I Learned About Me On Sabbatical:

• I am absolutely a metropolitan girl who appreciates the water. I love being near and close to the city. I love amenities when I travel.
• I will never go camping, and I am OK with that.
• If there are beware of alligators and snake signs I am on the wrong trip and probably wrong people. But I survived, haha.

As beautiful as the sunrise was…There were alligators below. Serene didn’t go there!

• I am an ambivert. With strong learning toward introvert. I really appreciate my alone and down time.
• I am an absolute control freak! I’d rather drive, tell you how to drive, or fly the plane myself.
• I seldom change my mind. If I tell you, ‘I am not jumping out the plane or zip lining, there’s no need to ask me more than once.’ If we were meant to fly GOD would have given us wings. We are human beings not angels. But I am really OK, if you want too try it.
• I don’t like sharing my food. Unless I offer it to you. Not certain I’ll get over this one. Order your own, and pray for me!
• I feel comfortable and at home in most churches. I’ve yet to feel like a stranger when entering a new church. I’ve really enjoyed the churches I’ve visited on Sabbatical.
• Social injustice makes me compassionate and angry.
• I do not understand for the life of me why we need Confederate symbols adorning our cities. It is hurtful to Black Americans.
• I do not understand why this country has never apologize for slavery?
• As a rule, I don’t really engage ‘strangers’. It’s a city thing. I can now live without. I am going to make it a practice to speak to, engage, and acknowledge others.
• I don’t make friends quickly.
• I don’t trust easily.

Streets of Charleston. Even the NE Patriots fan was cool. Sigh lol!

• I am grumpy when I don’t get enough sleep.
• I can be very selfish.
• I am capable of living with and making peace with things and people I do not necessarily like.
• Life without Martini’s is like a subprime loan.
• I actually like MLB. Who knew?
• I need more vacations and get-a-ways in my life. Even small weekend trips will be necessary.
• Life without Martini’s is like a subprime loan. Oh…I said that already!

Low country hospitality and beautiful people!

My first MLB game. Cubs and the Braves!

All in all…I am grateful for GOD’s grace and mercy over my life and this journey. My GOD who knows all about these things on my list and then some. I have had some wonderful conversations. Learned a lot about myself. Met some beautiful people who accepted me for me while on Sabbatical. I feel a little lighter, hopeful, and creative. Thank you for the opportunity to disconnect Kris and FDLIC.

We made it to Branson about 7:30pm on Saturday, the 22nd. The next day, we slept in and shopped for groceries and went to the outlet mall. We found a few good deals on shoes and clothes.

The first show we went to was the Dixie Stampede on the 24th. We got there early to see the opening show. They had a bluegrass band play while the audience enjoyed some snacks and drinks. Everyone then went to the arena for the main show. They had the process of getting a large group of people fed and out the door down to a science. The show was also very good. Most of the show had people riding horses and doing various tricks and dances. They also had audience participation.

On the 25th, we went to the Sight and Sound theatre. We went on the behind the scenes tour. We saw the animals that they use in the show and got to go on stage and see all the sets. That night we went to their performance of Moses. It was very well done. They had some neat special effects for the burning bush and parting the red sea.

On the 26th, we went to the celebrity car museum. They had a lot of neat cars from movies and TV shows. For an extra $10, you could have your picture taken inside the car. I got to sit inside the DeLorean from Back to the Future. It was very cool. That night, we went to the murder mystery dinner theatre. Several of the parts were played by audience members. I got to play the guy who gets poisoned and dies. I tried to do a dramatic death by falling to the floor. It was a lot of fun. After that, we went and played miniature golf.

On the 27th, we went on the Scenic Railroad. It was kind of a relaxing ride and had some neat views of the river and mountains. It was a little bit of a rough ride though. After lunch, we did the Ride the Ducks tour. It was neat to hear the history of Branson as we rode through town. They also took us to a military vehicle area with a tribute to the veterans. Then, we went into the water and got to see the Showboat Branson Belle, and the kids got to drive. In the evening, we had dinner and a show on the Showboat Branson Belle. The host was a comedian and magician. They also had a dance group and singing group.

On the 28th, we left to head to Joyce’s grandma’s house near Gilmer, TX. We spent the night and the next morning with her. We also went by where Joyce’s grandpa is buried. We then headed back to Abilene that afternoon on the 29th. We’ve spent the last couple days of the sabbatical resting and getting groceries.

Overall, my sabbatical has been a great experience. We got to see family and friends we don’t get to see very often. Joyce and I got to spend some needed quality time together. We got some rest and had some good devotional time with the Lord.

Clue 4: The answer relates to something he is carrying with him.

Day one…
My original plan was to sleep in. Unfortunately my body had a different idea because at 6 am my eyes looked like this 😳 and then my face promptly looked like this 😩. The good news about this is that I felt fully rested. Two days before my sabbatical started we bought a new bed. I’ve not had a new bed in over 20 years and my husband and I have both been waking up in pain for awhile so it was time. The new bed is amazing and I’m so thankful I got it before my sabbatical. It will definitely help in the “rest” category.

I spent the day shopping with my mom and middle daughter, Hailey. We had lunch and survived the ridiculous humidity and heat of the day. I finished off my day with a workout at the DIG wellness center. For those that don’t know, my Husband and I have lost a combined weight of 90lbs since March 1st of this year. We still have a ways to go but we have been utilizing the gym at work about 5 times a week and it has really been a blessing in our progress. Being able to go up there 24/7 is really incredible and I’m super thankful for that privilege.

Overall,  day one felt like a Saturday. I’m ok with that! 😄

During Week 2, I had the opportunity to take a trip to Dallas with my parents. My mother had a doctor’s appointment scheduled and they were planning to spend a few days at my sister’s house in Kaufman. They invited me to go with them, and I decided that I shouldn’t pass up the opportunity. My parents live in Abilene, but I typically only get to see my sisters 5 or 6 times a year, even though it’s only 3 ½ hours away. It was so nice to spend a few days with both sisters, nephews and brother-in-law.

The appointment was not far from SMU, so we decided to go to the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum while we were in the area. It’s definitely worth spending a few hours there reliving the memories of September 11^th, Hurricane Katrina and the war in Iraq. The exhibits contain documents, videos, artifacts and pictures from the major events of his presidency. There is a full-size replica of the Oval Office, two mangled beams from Ground Zero and President Bush’s autographed baseball collection. And who could resist recreating the famous pose of Bill Clinton peeking between the bronze statutes of both Bush Presidents – we couldn’t!

It was another great Sabbatical week.