Author: Scott Butler

I wrote these notes before going to Abilene for EOY meetings and the party. It was great to see everyone and gain inspiration through the presentations and workshops.

12/7/17
There are only two days left on my sabbatical, and like many others, I can’t believe how fast it went by. I have felt many emotions during my time off, but mostly gratitude. Our executives are so unique in their approach to the employees, and hope that it will always be so. Sabbatical is beyond the comprehension of many people that I told about it. I was hesitant to talk about it much, because I didn’t want to cause any resentment or jealousy in others. My prayer is that by telling others about my sabbatical the idea may reach other companies that will bless their people with something similar.
One of my goals during sabbatical was to spend time alone with each of my family members. I wanted to strengthen our bonds and show them just how special each of them are to me. I wanted to make a purposeful effort to do this. It was good to let whoever I was with do what they want, and just be with them. I really enjoyed that. Last night around the table each child and my wife shared the photos we took and talked about the good times we had.
I’ve never been an avid reader, but my time allowed me to focus more on that. I was able to read a lot of “How To Disciple Men” and found some great information that I can use in working with our church Men’s Ministry and with Blast and Cast Men’s Ministry. I originally bought it because one of the authors is our Executive Director at Blast and Cast. I also recently stumbled onto several parts of C.S. Lewis’s “Mere Christianity” which are on Youtube.com as audio with illustrations. I found the presentation concept very engaging and interesting. If anyone is interested they should search “C.S. Lews doodles”. I enjoyed both and would recommend them to anyone that has an interest.
During sabbatical, I helped our pastors with their visits to hospital patients and some of our Harvey flood victims. Over the years I have learned of the positive effects of these visits, and heard of the disappointments when they don’t happen. Your immediate family is probably first on scene in an emergency, but they need to be followed quickly by your brothers and sisters in Christ. We are called to visit those with troubles, and we are called to care for one another. I believe these two things really bond God’s people together and prevent them falling away. I feel blessed to be a part of strengthening the bonds between people so that they will continue to come to church and hear God’s word. He does the heavy lifting, but we play a role for sure. In one of our studies the speaker said “God doesn’t need your help, but your neighbor does”. That really stuck with me and I aim to be a help where I can.
I also volunteered with “The Gathering Place” which provides activities for those with memory problems such as Alzheimer’s. I have written a little about my first experience in an earlier post. Yesterday was my second time, and much more relaxed since the guests were familiar to me. It was held at a different church this time with some new volunteers joining in. (They rotate amongst several local churches in Brazoria County) When I arrived I was one of only two men there preparing for arrival of the guests. The other fella turned out to be the pastor of the church. He normally does a devotion and blesses the meal, but today he had to leave early for a dentist appointment and decided I was the guy to fill in for him. Whoa! That was not what I was planning! I was reluctant and nervous at first, but I eventually took the job. It was quite an honor, but I’m not sure my babbling about Advent and Christmas symbols was intelligible. I’m just giving thanks to God for the privilege!
Next week I will be reunited with friends and associates in Abilene, and I am really looking forward to see everyone. It is a highlight of the year for me because of the care that is taken to prepare meaningful events and classes.

In addition to making hospital visits, our Sr. Pastor has asked me to visit our flooded families and let him know how they are holding up and how their homes are coming along. I was feeling a little overwhelmed since there are over 30 families, but I called our associate and we prioritized them. I don’t think I will have to visit every single one, as it turns out. Some of them are keeping the church well informed.
I heard stories about how well things are going from some of them, and how terrible some contractors cheated in some cases. Two families have had to fire contractors and start over. They even had to pay to have some work undone! Most front yards are cleared and the grass is dead from all the debris that had been piled there after the flood. Many have sheetrock up and some are even textured and painted. Only one has a working kitchen and the rest are using outdoor cooking combined with microwaves to get things done. One of the families living in an RV in their driveway was very happy as they have sold the house as is and are closing on a new home in 2 weeks. They will soon need to sell the RV that they bought after they were forced from their home by flooding. The husband was another of the people that had to bust out through the roof to escape the flood waters. Many in this neighborhood had similar experiences and were rescued by boat. The waters were 4 feet deep in the homes and probably 8 feet in the streets. I think the market may be flooded with RVs in the near future as people get back in their homes and no longer need the temporary housing. A couple of the families are staying in extended stay hotels and were very thankful for the money they received from church that is helping pay the rent. (postponing the Costa Rica Mission Trip and focusing on fundraising for flood victims was the right thing to do) Several families have problems with mortgage companies holding back insurance money and slowing progress. That sounds super frustrating! My prayers with some of them brought tears. I’m really happy that God allowed me to make these visits because I believe that the faith of these families is being strengthened and they will be more connected to the church body than ever. My heart was filled hearing how grateful they were for the visits and all the help they have received from so many thoughtfull loving people.

I recently did 2 more hospital visits. I Picked up my mother in law to go pay a visit to another hospitalized church member. The two of them are in the senior group at church and good friends. My mother in law is unable to get out atl all due to recent hip surgery, so she was very happy to go see her friend. It brightened both of their days and we had a good visit.
I visited a young mother from our church who had surgery to remove a toe due to diabetes. We talked and prayed and thankfully she is recovering well. She is now back home and even came to church today.

Last weekend my bride and I took a trip to Corpus to spend some time together. On the way down we ate at Blessing Hotel for lunch and had the best fried chicken on the planet. After we ate, we were invited to take our plates on back to the sink. Pretty home-style, and delicious! In Corpus we had room overlooking the bay and marina. I had planned for us to eat seafood out on the “T Heads” and go to a comedy club. When we arrived in Corpus found out that one of the comedy club owners had opened a new place with a partner who is a chef. Dinner and show! We had a great time, and laughed a lot. We also saw some of the devastation that remains from Hurricane Harvey in the Rockport area. Debris from the storm has been piled in the median of the highway. The amount of trash was beyond belief and I’m pretty sure it has gone down from the original amount.

Thanksgiving week started out great with a couple of days fishing with my eldest son, down in East Matagorda. It was a great trip even though our trip got cut short a day because my wife needed help back home. Our two younger kids came down with the flu and even our Thanksgiving gathering was cancelled. Coming home early didn’t even matter. We had one super day of fishing. Probably several days’ worth of catching. I now can tell the story of the time I caught a 30.5” speckled trout. It was extra special because my son was there with me to net the fish and do the high fives.
I’m really enjoying spending time with each one of my closest family, and being able to talk without distractions. So often it is hard for me to focus on one person when the whole gang is together.

11/12/17
Did my sabbatical start today? Maybe it started yesterday. Regardless, it has dominated my thoughts for days and days. To be blessed with this opportunity is overwhelming at times. I don’t want to waste it! Thirty days seemed like a long time, but now that I’m getting started it seems short. It’s another case where your vantage point changes your perception.
Thirty of us from church were supposed to be going on a mission trip to Costa Rica right now, but hurricane Harvey changed all that. We had to focus our efforts on helping the families flooded out and postpone that trip until next year.

11/13/17
Today I did a hospital visit. This gentleman has been a mentor and encourager to me since we came to our church 13 years ago. He has been in the hospital for weeks with infections and fluid retention. He has had an LVAD for over 2 years and needs a heart transplant but he was taken off the transplant list last week. He has too many other health problems for the doctors to risk the transplant. He didn’t want to talk much which worries me. He is usually interested to know about the kids and my latest fishing trip. I’m not sure if it was medication or his mood. We just watched TV for a while, until the physical therapists came and took him for a very short walk. The nurses came after that to drain fluid from one lung which made him feel better. Before I left, we held hands and I prayed for him.

11/15/17
Today was my first time to volunteer with The Gathering. From talking with an organizer on the phone I expected to be interacting with people suffering with Alzheimer’s and similar conditions. This time they met in Alvin, TX only about 20 minutes from my home. I showed up early to a very warm welcome from the lady in charge of the Alvin branch. She gave me the run down, and had me sign some paperwork. This meeting was the “Birthday Party” theme, celebrating everyone’s birthday no matter when it was.

Some clients were dropped off and others had caregivers that stayed. Their abilities varied according to the seriousness of their condition. Some were almost unaware of what was going on around them. Others were high functioning and others fell somewhere in between. Every client was happy or at least pleasant. The volunteers were all sweet people and had their own ways of interacting with the clients. I observed the men volunteers for a few minutes before finding my place. I ended up visiting and assisting 3 gentleman with 3 different levels of capability. They were all a joy. The organizers had a good agenda and we stayed busy with crafts, exercises, games, singing, a devotion, lunch, birthday cake, ice cream and a prize game. We even had a visit from two real clowns! We were doing pretty good all this time, but then came the BINGO. They play a little differently in that they don’t clear the board when there is a bingo. They kept going, and my tiny brain was about to get challenged! I was trying to help my 3 new friends with their cards and not miss anything. The longer we played the tougher it got. I wasn’t the best assistant, but I’m happy to say that nobody got mad at me for messing up or missing something. We had a good time.

We closed the meeting, holding hands and reciting the Lord’s Prayer. As we broke up I thought about how fragile we all are, and how we all need the help of others at some point. I’m really glad I volunteered and plan to go back again for my sabbatical is over. It’s heartwarming to brighten the day of these people and to give their caregivers a break. All the clients had balloon hats that the clowns made, some presents, and they were happy or at least content.

It’s about two weeks until I start my sabbatical, and my mind is flooded with thoughts on how to make the most of it. Coming off of this Harvey flooding disaster, I guess the timing couldn’t be any better for a break. I’m thinking a lot about avoiding wasted time. A nap is not wasted time, right?

For the last few weeks I have been planning time with each member of my immediate family. A weekend away with my bride, a fishing trip with my number one son, a Casting Crowns concert with my daughter, a day trip with my mom and taking my youngest son to play in the woods. Also, there are several good friends that are going to get calls for lunch so we can catch up.

I’ve arranged to help our pastors visit home-bound and hospitalized church members, and volunteer at the Brazoria County Gathering Place, which has activity-based socials for people with Alzheimer’s and related disorders. I pray that God will help me bring some joy and comfort to people.
I also bought a new book to read entitled “How To Disciple Men”. Our “Blast and Cast Men’s Ministries” executive director contributed a chapter, so I had to check it out.

Sorry to end abruptly, but prospecting hour has arrived!