I wanted to share an update of our recent trip to Manaus, Brazil from June 22—July 4^th 2017.

The entire team met bright and early at Riverside Community Church Thursday morning June 22^nd around 4:30am.
By 5:30am, we were headed to Chicago.

Almost daily, we had a team devotion.  Here is the team in the hotel rec room where we held devotions.  It was nice hearing / seeing almost every person share a devotion.

We stayed at the Lider Hotel.  They offer us a discounted rate because they know Gloria Reynolds (who is in charge of Ray of Hope that we work with).  I believe the rooms are around $ 35.00 per night.  Not bad!  Here is the view from my room.
The hotel is located centrally in the city, allowing the team to walk to some of the important places that we needed to go.

One morning, we were able to visit “Seeds”.  “Seeds” was named that because the coaches + ministry teams are trying to plant seeds of hope into the students.   This is a ministry event where the children come to get a Bible lesson and also learn how to play soccer.   These children are from the very poorest of areas in the city.  A few years ago, the city did build some apartment buildings for them to live in.  Prior to that, they lived in shanty’s, shacks, or just totally homeless.   Houses made out of scraps and garbage.  IF you ever feel led to help these kids out, one way to help them is with a donation to provide shoes for them.  They play indoor soccer here and shoes are an expense that most families can’t cover.  The church helps them with their uniforms.                                                                     

We spent a day with Gloria Reynolds ministering in a small village called San Sabation.  Their story is very disturbing to me.  They lived in the city (in the very poor area) in shanty’s, shacks, etc.  The city decided to tear it all down and clear it all out because of the (at that time) upcoming World Cup + Olympics.  The city didn’t want the world to see the living conditions of the very poor.  These families were taken out into the jungle about 1 hour from Manaus and placed into an area that is so remote, they have very little
opportunity for jobs.  They do now trust Gloria, but it has been a long process trying to help / minister to them.

In this community, I didn’t see 1 family that owned a car.  I did see 1 family that owned a motorcycle.  I can’t imagine being in a situation where I couldn’t provide for my family.  The day we showed, there was a lady thanking us because as of earlier that day, she was totally out of food.  We brought food care packages for each family.  This community is one that Gloria has been ministering very much to.  There is so much hurt in them due to the government forcing them to relocate.  Their homes were bulldozed with their belongings in them.  Please keep San Sebation in your prayers.  They are so loved by the Lord.  They do not have a church there.  They are a people with very little hope.  They are coming to know Jesus as Lord, but it’s a slow process.   They DO have electricity….and some of them even have a tv.  But, it’s a way of escape.  Imagine sitting in a shanty with a tv watching the lives of others knowing that you don’t even have running water or a toilet.  Electricity is a good thing though and I’m glad they at least have that.

That night, the entire team met the Youth Group from Central Church and did a little street witnessing.
Here is a picture of a time of worship.  The river front has been turned into a very beautiful place to go and hang out.  This is where the poor people used to live in shanty’s.   It’s now a park with fountains and food carts.

Here is the boat that we ALL lived on for 5 days.  (I think there were about 35 people total)

Exiting Manaus by water, you are eventually greeted by “The Meeting of the Waters”.  This is where the Negro River and the Amazon River run side by side for about 3 miles without mixing together.  It’s quite a sight!   You’ll notice the Amazon River is a lighter color than the Negro.

The hammocks were loaded up and everyone  settled in.  It was a little bit of a maze trying to get around at night.  During the day, we’d unhook a few of them which were on the outer border.

Our first night on the river, we visited a church and had a service.  It was actually pretty neat seeing the families pull up in their boats wearing their Sunday finest.   Dads, moms, and kids of all ages travel by river.  When we were having service, Pastor Aurino called us up to sing a song for them.  (we didn’t know that we were going to sing until that moment!! He totally surprised us!!  Hehehehe……but, it went just fine! On the way up, it was decided that we’d sing “Good, Good Father”)

Here is a sunset picture with us in it.

Breakfast in the jungle!  Eggs, cooked banana on bread with jelly!  Juice….and Tapioca with banana in it.

The next morning, we arrived where the church was at that we were to build.  They had already started on the frame and the roof was on.  Our task was to finish hanging the exterior boards and also paint in / out.  As you can see, there is very little land there.  Day one, this was all mud.  The new church is quite a bit higher than the old one.  The old one was flooded a few years ago and hasn’t been able to be used since.  They will tear down the old one and salvage what they can.

Our team worked for 5 days to get this project as completed as possible.  A few things will still need to be done,  but we’ve given them a MASSIVE head start.  They will still screen in the windows, add the front steps,  and route some electricity in there.
Here is the church upon our completion.

Our time in the Amazon was certainly not short of challenges.  But, at each challenge, we continued to pray and seek the Lord for strength and wisdom.  He never fails!!

The pastor who is over this church is Pastor Adema.  His story is quite heartbreaking.  Their family lost a baby about 1 ½ years ago.  Due to the very high waters, they were unable to use the bathroom at their home (which was not actually “in” the home….just outside and the small bathroom building ended up under water.  Since they needed a bathroom, Pastor removed a couple of boards from the floor in one of the bedrooms.  They always kept the door shut to that room.  A horrible tragedy took place one day when their son was watching the baby—-but thought his mom was watching the baby.  Pastor Adema had only been out of the room for a few minutes and upon returning realized that the baby was gone.  Someone had left the door unlatched and the baby crawled into the bedroom falling into the raging water below.   Their son was found a few miles away, but not living.  Losing their son was horrible, but the stresses that followed made it almost too much for them to bear.  Because of the baby dying, a judge in the city called for an investigation.  Pastor Adema was brought by authorities to the city and faced jail time.  For about a year, he didn’t know if whether or not he’d have to go to jail.  After going through so much, Pastor Adema almost left the ministry.  He was so heart broken.  So hurt.  So broken.  He felt so horrible for their son’s death and the thought of jail time made it all even so much worse.  Pastor Aurino and Grace ministered to him and knew that this was THE church that RCC was going to build.  He now is so full of hope and excitement again.  Robyn and I brought gifts for them.  Here is a picture of us together with them.  All charges have been dropped and they are moving forward in ministry.

The team headed back to the city (8 hours by boat), and settled back into the hotel.  Sunday evening, we attended Central Church where our team sang a song for them and I preached a message.
   

Pastor Aurino and his wife Grace have been friends of ours for 19 years!  He is the Senior Pastor at Central Church in Manaus.

The next morning, we visited a very small village called Rouxinol. There are only a few (4 families)  families that live here.  They were very kind and welcoming.  They shared with us stories, song, and dance of how their ancestors gave thanks.

From what I could tell, this small community is now followers/believers in Jesus Christ.  Robyn brought a small “Polaroid” type camera and gave all of them pictures of their families.  They LOVED getting a picture of themselves.  The kids really thought that was neat!

I was asked to teach a lesson and had a few minutes to prepare.   So, I grabbed a stick out of the jungle and taught in the dirt.
The Holy Spirit reminded me of a teaching about “Jesus being the bridge to God”.

We left the village and their chief stood by the river bank waving goodbye.  I really think he enjoyed our time together.  We brought them food, fun, and a time of true fellowship.  I think they get lonely in the jungle.  People come and go, but other than the few families there, they live in a very small world.

The Amazon is a very beautiful and dangerous place.  The waters have strong currents that will carry you away and are filled with fish that will devour you.  But, the presence of the Lord is so evident.  The Holy Spirit is there to comfort, guide, and encourage.   In Manaus, there are over 800 Assemblies of God churches.  There are also many in the interior.  The interior pastors fight the loneliness.  They are miles and miles from the city.   Supplies are sparse and money is even more sparse.

That night, we said our goodbyes and headed to the airport.

We eventually loaded up on the jet after a 2 hour delay.  We departed around 2:30am.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to invest into the lives of families in the interior of the Amazon.  There are SO many stories to share.  It would take a novel to capture all of them.  This is just a short overview of the trip.  I hope you enjoy this update!!!

Tomorrow we fly to Brazil!
0445 departure from the church…….drive to Chicago……fly to Miami………fly to Manaus……..11pm arrival…at hotel around 1am”ish”
It will be a long day, but it will be so worth it!

The last week or so has been full!   I’ve been a bit quiet on here so I thought I’d give you an update.
I had to build a small (VERY SMALL) deck + steps for the back yard.  It’s not quite done…but, almost there.  I’ll add a railing and then it will be safe!
 It’s nice to be able to “do this stuff” without having to hire it out.

OH—–and then, when you think you’re almost caught up with life—–LIFE happens!!!   The very next morning, I had to go to Lowe’s and buy (and install) THIS!!!!!
  Plumbers have my respect!

Too much drama for me!  hahahha

Over the weekend, I stopped by Bass Pro and picked up a hat.  I rarely wear hats.  But, I’ve learned that it/when I’m outside all day long in full sun near the equator, it is highly advised to cover the ol’ noggin.

Yesterday, not one…but TWO different people that I saw ended up giving me money to take with us to Brazil.  They want me to share it with those who are less fortunate.  I’ll find out what the best way is to help them.  Maybe buy something that people would need and then take it with us on the boat?  We’ll see!!!

My barber yesterday gave me a small gift crafted from wood.  He sent a few bucks with me to bless someone else with.  Here’s my hair-do!  Before / After =o)   hhehehehehehe

Today, I did a little bit of shopping for the trip.  Some candy to bring to share with others.  I also bought a super cool Survival Knife that I hope to give away while there.

While in Brazil, I “might” be able to share a post.  We’ll be “in” the interior for about 5 nights and then back to the city.  The nights in the jungle should be without Wi-Fi.  But, I’m sure the city will not be a problem.

IF you think of me………I appreciate your prayers.  I’ll be preaching a few times in the interior and in the city.
In Manaus, I’ll be preaching July 2nd at “Central Church” for their evening service.  What an honor!  I SO look forward to it!!!

Blessings,
Robert

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Notice a green spot there?

There go the trains!

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

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

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

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

           All laid back and enjoying life!

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

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

Blessings,
Robert

Today ended up being a great blessing!!!!

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

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

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

Blessings,
Robert

Matthew 25:31-46

The Sheep and the Goats

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blessings,
Robert

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

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

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

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

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

Blessings!
Robert

Morning of Day 3

 Day TWO—– (2 down, only 28 to go!)

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

              The water here is SUPER CLEAR and pure!

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

The downtown was a neat sight to see:

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

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

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

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

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

I wonder what DAY 3 will bring!!!

Sabbata–what??

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

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

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

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

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

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