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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blessings,
Robert

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

One:

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

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

God had other plans, and sent some summer rain.

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

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

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

Two:

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

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

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

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

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

P

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

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

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

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

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

Blessings!
Robert

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Stay tuned.  Who knows what will happen next…

Morning of Day 3

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

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

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

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

He finally crashed under the couch!

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

Until next time…

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

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

 Day TWO—– (2 down, only 28 to go!)

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

              The water here is SUPER CLEAR and pure!

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

The downtown was a neat sight to see:

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

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

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

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

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

I wonder what DAY 3 will bring!!!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

off to tend to the new puppy, whew!

Until next time…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oh, the quietness.

Oh, the stillness.

Oh, the darkness.

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

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

– Nick

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

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

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

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

-Matt

Sabbata–what??

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

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

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

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

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

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

“I heard a song playing, brought by the wind
I got myself lost then I found You again.”

The listlessness of last week is hanging over me like a heavy shroud; I had just come down from the (literal, not medical!) high of the Colorado mountains, and tried to fix and paint some fences at Freedom Reins Ranch – but got rained out.  The ultimate lack of meaningful activity led me to sort of get lost in thoughts; some good, others not.  It’s so human to let negative thoughts, thoughts from the enemy, implant themselves at the forefront of our minds and spirits.  These thoughts can cloud reality and distract us from the myriad blessings, whispers of truth, and ever-present glory of God’s creation around us.

This is where the book I’m reading, Beautiful Outlaw, has really shined a much-needed light into my soul.  Jesus, the Savior of mankind and the physical manifestation of God among us, was human.  Fully God.  But also fully human.

Just like me.  Just like you.

You may be wondering how it took thirty(ish!) years for me to come to this seemingly simple realization – but for a great deal of my life Jesus was fully God.  And that’s it.  An abstract third of a Trinity I didn’t understand.  A benign painting on the wall at church.  A man I thought I knew, but with whom I’d never had a personal relationship – because you’re not supposed to have a relationship with a deity.

John Eldredge has such a modest but direct way of speaking directly to the core of an issue: in this case, “religion’s” taming of the wildly generous, wildly loving, but altogether wild humanity of Jesus.  This man – the Son of Man – incited riots in temples, openly challenged authorities (often with incredibly sharp wit if you read carefully), and loved with absolute reckless abandon.  He hung out with fishermen (this has always been a favorite piece of the story for me) and shared meals with criminals and tax collectors.  He never passed up an opportunity to speak truth.  He entered a world at war and moved with calculated, passionate intensity.  He yearned for the comfort of his friends in moments of loneliness at Gethsemane, when the gravity of what he was about to endure weighed heavily on him.  Just like nothing about us humans is one-dimensional, nothing about Jesus was one-dimensional.

Like us, Jesus experienced the full breadth of human emotions – anger, joy, sadness, passion, love, loneliness.  The difference is, Jesus felt them without all the baggage of sin.  He felt them perfectly.  Righteously.  He stepped up where we fall short.  He didn’t let the cup pass.  He finished the fight.

So the least I can do is finish painting a fence this week.  And try to learn from the man who wants to be more in my life than just a benign painting on the wall at church.

Last night my family and I made it home from an amazing week of 2300 miles through beautiful New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Colorado. We saw 5 National Parks in two states. We drove over the Colorado River more times than I can remember in a total of three different states. We drove down the road that Forrest Gump ended his famous run on. My son and I walked (yes, walked) down a river in Zion National Park (which was probably the best park of all of them-yes, more so than the Grand Canyon-which was amazing as well!). We saw lots of snow. We saw lots of sand. We saw HUGE rocks! We saw Arches! We saw canyons! We walked and walked and walked!! We ate and ate and ate! We stood in four states at one time! We experienced life together as a family! It was wonderful!

It might have been my all time favorite trip (at least top 5). I can’t wait to go on another trip like this one.

My friends and co-workers, I want to encourage you to take a trip like this one day. Go outside! Experience God’s beautiful creation! Take the back roads! Look down 5000 feet to the river below! Climb hills! Walk down trails! Walk in rivers with your kids! Put lots of sunscreen on! Stop at lookout points! Take pictures!

Take it all in!

I’m so thankful for my family and our trip!

• Being that my first day of sabbatical fell on a Thursday, it was weird to be working and suddenly stop in the middle of the week for a month. However, I got some much needed rest on my first day. The mid-day nap was awesome and I spent some great quality time with my family.

My second day seems more “productive” as I had a longer time to spend in God’s Word reading about Paul’s charge for us to train ourselves daily in the Scriptures much like a runner training to compete in a race. And I physically got to the gym for weight lifting and ran 2 miles! Plus my doctor’s visit on May 31st revealed that I had gained 13 pounds since last years visit! Well, this is a great time to get my diet back on track. With 4 kids to keep up with, I have to stay healthy. It’s still hard to believe that I have 28 more days but maybe it will sink in by Monday morning when I am not driving down the road to visit a funeral home. God bless!

Welchy aka Chris Welch

It’s pretty hard to believe that my sabbatical is over. It went by so incredibly fast, which I kind of assumed would happen. I think one of my favorite parts of being on sabbatical was getting to explain to people what I was doing and how amazing my company is for allowing me to experience this. Everyone is just amazed (and jealous, of course) of the opportunities that FD has given me, and I couldn’t be more grateful.

Now that I’m back in the office, I’m really surprised at how easy it was to get back into the groove of things! I was a little anxious the last few days of my sabbatical just worrying that I would have forgotten all sorts of things while I was gone. Luckily, that wasn’t the case, and I can assure that all of our agents will still get paid their well-earned commissions. 😉

I’ve also realized how much I missed so many people in the office! I have been so blessed to create some really wonderful and close relationships with coworkers. So many people have stopped by my desk to welcome me back and ask questions about my sabbatical, and that has just made me feel very special and loved.

My sabbatical was just an overall fantastic experience, and I look forward to doing it again in 7 years.

The second week of my sabbatical was fast and furious,  I thought no more wedding….I was wrong.  It took Vera and me a few more days to sort, pack and deliver all of the wedding items.  No more weddings for me! The other two daughters will have to elope.

  Yard work is something that brings me a lot of joy. Working outside in my yard gives me a sense of satisfaction, accomplishment, and is very therapeutic. It is hard work, but it is well worth it to see a good looking yard.  I have trimmed my trees, some friend’s trees, and a tree in the community garden. I have also mowed my yard along with three of my neighbor’s yards.  The neighborhood is looking good! There is more work that I want to accomplish in the area, I cannot wait to see what week three has in store.

I read several books while on Sabbatical and one that made me hungry for more was titled: The Servant – A Simple Story About The True Essence Of Leadership by James C. Hunter.    The principles of this book are not new and something we have heard several times.  They don’t demand special talents or abilities: they are simply based on strengthening the bonds of respect, responsibility, and caring for other people.  That is something we strive for here at FDLIC.  Great organizations are made up of great leaders,not necessarily in top leadership positions but because the top leader has put other leaders in place to grow and develop other leaders.  A company full of leaders, each taking personal responsibility for the success of the team and their individual influences on the customer and on each other.  Quoting:  “A place where everyone is engaged and fully committed – not 50/50 but 100/100 and yes even 110/110 when it is needed. ”

Another great take away was “not asking who is the leader here or are you a leader” but “are you effective?”  Wow – think about that for a minute “are you effective?”  not only at work but in relationships, our work for God, in everything we pick up and become a part of?  That has been something I have been asking myself in several areas of my life and if the answer is “not really or maybe”, then I need to evaluate what I am doing and why.  I need to believe I have left something better than the way I found it.

Vince Lombardi said ” I don’t necessarily have to like my players and associates, but as the leader, I must love them.  Love is loyalty, love is teamwork, love respects the dignity of the individual.  This is the strength of any organization.”  Well, I do like most people I come in contact with and enjoy the people I am around but understanding the meaning of this was educational.  When Jesus speaks of love in the New Testament, the word agape is used, a love of behavior and choice, not a love of feeling.”  This was just some of the things that really spoke to me. Commanding we love and then “feeling it” hummm… but then understanding that love is not always that simple.    Love and Leadership:   Look at this chart:

Authority and Leadership                                                        AGAPE Love

• Honest, trustworthy                                                     Patience
• Good role model                                                            Kindness
• Caring                                                                              Humility
• Committed                                                                     Respectfulness
• Good listener                                                                 Selflessness
• Held people accountable                                            Forgiveness
• Treated people with respect                                      Honesty
• Gave people encouragement                                     Commitment
• Postiive, enthusiastic attitude
• Appreciated people

if you look up each of the definitions of the AGAPE Love words, they are what is described on the authority and leadership side.  Look up the verse 1 Corinthians 13-4:8.    Made sense and it was straight from the Word.  Lots of takeaways in this book and I recommend its reading.

Workday at Reva’s

Just an update on my service project – This is Reva, she is 80 years old and an amazing lady. My family has adopted her as our “honorary granny” and she is on board with it. We are working around her house and land and when I say “we” I mean she is right there with us. Sometimes we have to run her inside so she will rest – but then she brings out refreshments so resting is not in her DNA. We are continuing to repair her car port and trimming trees around her house, spraying sticker weeds, etc. God knew we were both needing someone one to fill a spot of loneliness and put us together. Very thankful for a Loving God and feeling blessed!

Well, I am back. It has been a great month of new discoveries and insights. The first day of my sabbatical was tough. Trying to establish new habits and making sure I use my time off wisely was a challenge. However, one thing I failed to prepare for was the difficulty of coming back and maintaining those habits I developed over the last month. I spent so much time creating my sabbatical plan but didn’t spend any time thinking through my post-sabbatical plan.

It is not often that we get to stop and take paid time to refocus on the things that are the most important in our lives. So, when an opportunity like this presents itself, we should take every chance to make sure our time does not go to waste. Whether you have already come back from your sabbatical or are waiting to go, I encourage everyone to prayerfully consider what you want to happen when you return. If you worked to spend quality time with your family, what will you do the rest of the year to maintain sabbatical level quality time? If you spent time volunteering, what other volunteer opportunities can you be a part of? Will you fall into the same pre-sabbatical routine or will you use this month as an opportunity to build habits that will continually refresh and recharge you the rest of the year?

The sabbatical month is fantastic in so many ways. It can also be an excuse if we are not careful. The battle raging in my head goes as follows, “There was extra time in my sabbatical month to involve myself with spiritual things and volunteer opportunities. I won’t be able to continue this when I go back to work.”

This is simply just not the case. It is true that I have less time now but what is stopping me from continuing aspects of what I did during my sabbatical month? Reflecting upon this question, I realized there is really nothing stopping me but my own time-consuming bad habits (social media, Netflix, etc.). Eliminating or extremely reducing a few bad habits has the potential to free up significant amounts of time. I came up with a plan to help me accomplish this.

My post-sabbatical plan is as follows:

1. I will attempt to read the whole bible in 90 days which amounts to around 16 chapters a day. I believe this will be the best way to continue the work I did during my sabbatical of maintaining consistent and healthy spiritual habits.
2. My wife and I will continue to build relationships with people in our lives by stepping out of our comfort zone to meet new people and spend time with friendships we have neglected over the last year.
3. Less screen time. Social media and checking updates became a constant “itch” I had to constantly scratch. It was irritating and I knew it wasn’t helpful but I still had to do it. I have taken some steps at removing these obstacles to spend more quality time with my family.

These are small steps but I believe they will be incredibly helpful in helping me to maintain healthy habits for continual spiritual growth throughout the year. If you do not have a plan for continuing the work you start during your sabbatical, I ask that you would consider taking the time to do so.

It’s really difficult to believe that my sabbatical time has come to an end! When I reflect on the last month and everything I was able to do and experience, I realize how lucky I am to work for such an amazing company that allows me to take in to experience God in a way that I haven’t in a very long time.

This past week I made it more of a point to set aside time for absolutely nothing but silence and prayer (about a full hour). If anyone knows me, this is extremely hard for me to do, as I would much rather be completing a task or even talking to the wall. What I learned from this is that regardless of what I’m saying, God hears my thanks, my struggles, and my hopes. What I also learned is that when God hears these things, he answers in ways that are never expected but always appreciated. My devotional during my sabbatical time was Jesus Calling, and I have to say that it really led me down an unexpected path of digging into my bible and re-reading these words. I plan to keep up this devotional even after this month to have a daily structured time for worship.

One of my goals for this week was to clean out items from my house that I did not “need” and either donate or throw away. Growing up, I somehow developed the habit of holding on to everything I owned in the case that I MIGHT need it sometime in the future (even though I absolutely would never use/wear the item again). What I did was separate the things in my life that I have not used in over two three months and things I’ve used more recently. 90% of the things that I had not used in the last three months was tossed. It felt really good!!

Another goal I had this week was to limit my time on social media. It’s been a while since I’ve really monitored how much of my free time I spend on it, but I was surprised with how good I felt when I wasn’t on any social platform for a day or two at a time. This is something I want to carry out with me as my sabbatical ends and I head back to reality; less time on my phone and more time seeing the world around me.

My chosen reading while on sabbatical was The Go-Giver, which was a pretty interesting pick! It centers around five principles that the main character discovers regarding success. One of the biggest lessons that I was reminded of was the importance in authenticity. “No matter what you’re selling, what you’re offering is really you.”

As much as I don’t want this month to end, I’m ready to get back into work life and begin a new chapter of incorporating all I’ve learned this month into my daily role as a market center manager. I can’t thank the TX03 team, home office family, executives, and Kris for allowing me to experience my first sabbatical.

I don’t always get to do volunteer work or service projects. Or, I should say I don’t always get to participate in them directly. It does seem like I help Rob and Rylee a lot by enabling them to do the things that they do for others. It’s sort of a behind the scenes contribution I often make. I love that I can help them do these things, but I often wish I had a more direct role.

In preparation for our week of service together, Rob had some contact with Global Samaritan and our good friend Danny Sims the Executive Director and said that they were working on some projects for us to do. When it looked like I was going to be helping Rob do some filming, I think I was almost a little disappointed. I didn’t want to just be a tag-along.

On day one, I made it clear that if there was something else that needed to be done, they should not hesitate to ask. I knew Rob could handle filming on his own. But what I did not know was what and who we were going to be filming. Among the people we interviewed last week were volunteers, donors, a former air base commander, the general manager of several local TV Stations, a city councilwoman, and 20 or so representatives from various local non-profit service organizations.

If you had asked me before to list as many of these organizations as I could, the list would’ve been pretty short.  But after hearing all of these people describe their missions, and describe their relationships to each other, to Global Samaritan, and to the Abilene community, I started becoming aware of so many things I had never seen.

Abilene is a tremendously generous place. There are so many unmet needs here, and it seems like any time someone becomes aware or uncovers one of these, brave and generous souls in our community always find a way to step in to offer assistance in whatever way they can.

So our mission project for this week was to raise awareness. We are creating short videos for Global Samaritan Resources that not only lift up the organizations they help, but also educate potential donors, volunteers, and those who could benefit from these services. I feel so overwhelmed by how many people in Abilene and all over are led to serve with tremendous giving hearts.

More stories and videos to come.

My first week of sabbatical was not what I had originally planned on. As some of you may know a lot has been going in Parkway.  Let’s just say it has been crazy busy.  However  I did not realize how much I was going and going and going… until I stood still.

The first few days I was worried the whole time that something was going to go wrong at work and I would not  be there to fix it.  So, I have to admit that relaxing was not easy for me to accomplish.  I just had to put my faith in God that everything would work itself out.

The rest of the week, I like to “call catch up on everything that I have been putting aside” week.  There were doctor visits,  bug spraying, getting Rylee a 8th grade graduation dress, dance recital, volleyball…the list goes on.  It has been a great comfort that I have been able to focus and spend real quality time with my family.  This is one area that was a main focus for my sabbatical and that has been great.

This week we have begun our service project with Global Samaritan.  More to come next time…

My time on Sabbatical was amazing. While in my last post, I spoke about the first week of my time off and not being able to “disconnect” as quickly as I thought I could, once the second week got started, I was off and running.   My phone died and while my blogging suffered, I didn’t really miss my phone. That is a shock for many of you but for me, it was refreshing. I can function without it – wow! I finally got a new one (back to the IPhone).  So I am catching up my blog from my journal. Lets just say I will not be going back to old habits on my phone, I liked not being attached to it as much!  I was resting and spending some quality time reading both in Gods word, my book (s) and my bible study (without feeling guilty about the time I has set aside for these readings instead of doing something for work or around the house) and my heart and head was buzzing.  I felt like someone had turned up the lights that I did not realize had been dimmed.  It is hard to explain but I became really excited and wanted to share what I was studying and how it was affecting me.  My pastor and I had some really exciting study summaries as a result of a few particular exciting passages over the next several weeks.

I went to work with three of the ladies from my church who needed different things done and did not have kids living close to help.  All three of these ladies attend my church and all three sit directly behind Eddie and I (you know….”our seats” in “our row” at church).  They give our grand kids mints, gum and “get on to us” if we “get on” to them.  They lost their husbands at different times over the past few years and have formed a bond through these losses).  For two of them, I cleaned out some clothes and items from one where her husband has passed away.  For one, she did not have “the heart or “want to” to get it done yet” and now was the time.  Her children had offered to help after they gone through the items they wanted and take care of the rest of it but Mrs. Burny was not ready to have them gone yet. She told our pastor, now was the time.  I helped her (yes we cried together a few times – you know me) but it was good!  The second lady was more business like (that was new for me) and void of steady emotion but she felt her loss in a very different way.  Her emotion came out all at once then she would tuck it back in and here we would go methodically going through things and allocating their distribution.  When it was over, relief and smiling… and then she made a list of other items we could do later haha.  (and we will)  I relied on a lot of things I learned from Dr. Wolfelt about how people process death differently and sometimes its not an outward “visible” sign of emotion.  With both of the ladies there was an underlying factor that was overtaking them both, with their kids living so far off, it was loneliness.  I hope to help with that!

The third lady I helped and will continue to help, take her shopping for groceries and just be around for her is Reva.  She is so much like my granny was in her independence, sense of humor and spirit.  We bonded almost instantly and decided ours was an encounter that would be turning into a friendship.  We would be there for each other.  Eddie (my husband) is helping me with the task at Reva’s – we are replacing her carport roof.  She thought she would just climb up there with us but we quickly let her know that was not going to happen (at her age of 80)!  She relented and just let us do the climbing. ha.  She uses the tree “pole saw” on small branches and want to be useful.  She said “I’m old but not useless” and “I need to be active”. She is afraid of being idle and losing what abilities she can still do while realizing there are some things she should not do, even if she believes she can for fear of hurting herself.  Eddie and I have decided to “adopt” her!  We let Reva know this and she was so moved we all ended up with happy tears in our eyes!

For all of these task, God spoke to my heart in different ways, with messages relating to my devotionals and feeding my spirit in servitude – my calling.  God is so good and merciful as He administers to our soul, our spirit and gives us a hunger to dive deeper in His work as it is meant for our lives.   I am still serving these ladies and became an “honorary member of our church study group “women at the well” (average age of 70).  I love it and am honored!

I will post again about the remaining time on Sabbatical from my journal about the books I have read and my bible study.  Praying for you all and your Sabbatical.

Anissa

Before I go into the details of my service project (in a future blog), I thought it might be helpful to set the stage a bit by taking a moment to describe something with which I often struggle in the hopes that it might provide some perspective for any poor soul who finds my words to be of interest…

The truly creative mind in any field is no more than this: A human creature born abnormally, inhumanly sensitive. To him… a touch is a blow, a sound is a noise, a misfortune is a tragedy, a joy is an ecstasy, a friend is a lover, a lover is a god, and failure is death. Add to this cruelly delicate organism the overpowering necessity to create, create, create—so that without the creating of music or poetry or books or buildings or something of meaning, his very breath is cut off from him. He must create, must pour out creation. By some strange, unknown, inward urgency he is not really alive unless he is creating.

Pearl S. Buck, Pulitzer and Nobel Prize Winning Novelist

It’s been a few years since first hearing Andy Stanley’s Next Generation Leader on Audible (admittedly, at 3x speed), and though I will never claim to have a high retention rate on things like that, I will offer that I heard some things that have affected many decisions I’ve made since.

Two of these in particular, weighed on me quite heavily as I chose a service project for my Sabbatical…

The first is that ‘being busy is not the same as being productive’. We all know this to be true, but it is always a good thought to keep in the back pocket.

For me, choosing a service project was going to be tricky. I knew that there was a good chance that God might have me find humility in tasking me with something I might only view as minimally productive; sorting food or clothes, or painting/stacking/lifting/cleaning – whatever He saw fit.  And, however painfully mundane it might be, I am probably due for a reality check and due to be put in my place…

Or… He may want me to see relief from my daily routine, and instead of being creative, He may just want me to observe and offer assistance wherever my heart led…

Or.. maybe I could stop trying to ‘guess’ and try my best to make myself ‘available’ to do His will as I could… (rinse and repeat)

But, the second – more influential thing that stuck with me has to do with his (Andy’s) thoughts on only doing what only you can do. Which he covered in the book I mentioned above. He also has a podcast and several other works on this topic – and even though it probably wasn’t the big takeaway for most people, and it was offered in the context of a leadership capacity which didn’t directly apply to the task at hand, it still really resonated with me.

My entire life is about creative service – or making things. Anyone who knows me knows that a great deal of my personal life is spent playing music, doing projects, shows, films and videos, etc., with little or no compensation – in service to others. In fact, many times, these things actually are at some cost me even beyond doing the work… So, finding something to do was not going to be a challenge at all…

My creative skill set; the tasks for which I am uniquely suited make the things I can do of particular interest to non-profit organizations who want to stand out from other organizations as they are competing for resources in an increasingly challenging fund-raising environment. So, whether I am performing on stage, running sound or lights for an event, filming a PSA or fund-raising video, serving on a board of directors  or a committee, or writing a check, my unique familiarity with fund-raising in the local non-profit world presents with many rewards, and many challenges…

However, a very big challenge for me is that the things I do in service look just like the things I do for a living. And they both sometimes consume me…

And, I seem to thrive on this.

So, to move forward with some confidence, I needed to know if it was ‘okay’ to choose what I felt compelled to do. I wanted to help the organization with whom, in my current state in life, I can most directly identify with (Global Samaritan Resources). Further to that, could I help them in only the way only I could? I needed to know if giving so much, so deeply was indeed God’s will – and not my own…

Ultimately, I chose not to choose…

Call it cowardice or call it a leap of faith, but as the week I set aside for this portion of my Sabbatical approached, I discovered that my service project had already been laid out for me (and for Lisa as well) by a very dear friend of mine from within the organization whom I admire as a man and as a Christian, and trust to be of a true servant’s heart; never asking for more than he would give of himself. We were both about to meet some remarkable people who were doing important things both in this community – and internationally…

Happy belated Memorial Day! I hope everyone had a great long weekend and are ready to get back to work this week.

My Sabbatical has been such a blessing so far. Have I told you how much I love FD?! I get so many reactions when I tell people that I’m on Sabbatical. A lot of people just can’t believe a company would do that for its employees and it’s so awesome when they say that because I get to share the story of why we do Sabbaticals.

This past week was full of rest and relaxation. It has been so great being able to spend so much quality time with my family. I usually get to spend some quality time but I’ve never been able to spend this much time with them at one time. I really feel like I’ve been able to bond very closely with my son and strengthen my relationship with my wife. Not only have the three of us been able to spend a lot of quality time together, but our extended family has been around a lot too and it has been great to spend time with them. Our parents have been so helpful in this first month of our son’s life. I can’t believe he is already one month old! Time is going by way too fast.

Yesterday during the day, Duke was being a little fussy and we just couldn’t figure out what was wrong with him. As it turns out, he’s just a one month old baby! Sometimes babies just get a little uncomfortable and fussy and that’s okay! Plus, my dad said Duke isn’t fussy at all. We apparently don’t know what a fussy baby is really like. My dad should know because I was a colicky baby and cried basically nonstop for 6 months. The fussiness for Duke wore off and last night he had his best night of sleep ever. He only woke up one time from 9:30-7:00AM to feed. It was great to get a lot of sleep last night. I had forgotten what it was like to almost get a full nights sleep.

I did do something unexpected last week. I fed about 50-75 people for breakfast and gave them sack lunches at a place called BOBS. BOBS (Breakfast on Beech Street) serves breakfast to the poor and homeless five days a week and a sack lunch and they’ve been doing this for over 16 years. I felt so bad for all of the people that came in to receive breakfast and a sack lunch but I was so glad to know there was a service like this to keep these people alive while being homeless or very poor. It was a great experience and I might continue to do this on a monthly basis from here on out.

I’m starting to get a little antsy about getting back to work but I’m excited to see what God has in store for me over the last two weeks of my Sabbatical.

Talk soon and God bless!

-Drew

Well today is the last day of my sabbatical. I will return to work tomorrow ready to take on the world. I would be lying if I said the anxiety this day hasn’t been haunting me. For about a week and a half I have been beginning to feel stressed with anticipation if what awaits me at the office. I just keep reminding myself to worry about nothing and to pray about everything. God had been so good to me – better than I deserve. This sabbatical came on the most perfect timing for me. I have tremendously enjoyed reading “Marriage on the Rock.” I have loved the time off allowed to me surrounding my wedding. I have been renewed with all the rest and relaxation I’ve experienced. Mostly, I have enjoyed the extra quality time with my family that I love so dearly. Sabbatical, you have been good to me and I will miss you!

Well these last two weeks of my sabbatical have definitely been interesting. I have never had this much time to think and reflect on people and things in my life. The first sabbatical I took part in I was a newlywed and spent my entire sabbatical with my wife and others around me. This time around, I spent my last two weeks by myself for most of the day and it definitely gave me the time I needed to reflect and refresh.

The week before last I was able to finish my book “Marriage on the Rock”. I also started my devotional. Originally, I had planned to do a couples devotional with Kelsey but that changed as do most plans on a sabbatical. Instead, I decided to let God lead me where I needed to go. So, everyday twice a day, I opened the Bible up randomly and read a chapter. My hope with this was for God to show me what I needed each day.  The results were definitely interesting.

On top of my book and devotional I got to play some golf and got into an exercise routine. Last week I started my morning with Meals on Wheels which I have really enjoyed and will continue to enjoy throughout the year.

This weekend, we took a trip to Dallas to visit my grandmother who I haven’t seen in a few years. She got to catch up with Kynlee and hear all about her stories from Disney World. They both really enjoyed the timer together!

Only one more day left on this crazy adventure and I am definitely ready to get back.

I can’t believe y’all haven’t found this yet. It’s right under your nose!

I spent the last few days of my sabbatical enjoying beautiful Colorado. Joe and I had an absolute blast doing all the touristy things in Denver. We went to a Colorado Rockies baseball game, the Denver Art Museum, hiked at Red Rocks Park, ate lots of delicious food, and caught up with my college roommate! It was the perfect way to end my sabbatical. I am so grateful to have been given this opportunity, and I will cherish it for a lifetime!

2,143 miles.  That’s how far I drove last week on my adventure to seek solitude and trout in western Colorado.

“‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.'”

Matthew 4:19

It was a week of disconnecting, fishing, and thinking.  A week of praying, wrestling with wind, and wrestling with emotions.  A week of laughter, tears, and amazement at the sheer vastness of creation.  I caught a few fish, got slightly sunburned, managed to keep all my toes despite really cold nights (by a Texan’s standards) in a tent, and learned a great deal about myself / my situation / my purpose / my God.

It’s amazing how He can reveal significant truths to us in the simplest of ways – a mountain vista, a friendly stranger, the rush of a river, a brilliant night sky that makes you feel small but never overlooked.  Just being in a place that showcases God’s artistry was more refreshing than I could ever hope to put into words.  My spirit was truly filled.

Now that I’m back home and clean (though I still catch the aroma of an old campfire wafting about… maybe I need another shower…) it’s time to refocus on mission work, study, rest, and my kids.  At the end of this week, I’ll go pick them up and have them the entire month of June!  I couldn’t be more excited to spend as much time with them as possible – especially because I do not currently get to do that as often as I want.

This week I’ll be volunteering with Palette of Purpose, an art non-profit – I’m going to help them write some business plans, proposals, and a mission statement, as well as prepare for the CALF (Children’s Art and Literacy Festival) that will be next month.  This week I’ll also work with Freedom Reins Ranch in Clyde.  Freedom Reins Ranch is a children’s horse ministry that uses principles of horse riding and care to teach kids about Christ, faith, and discipleship.  Mike, who operates Freedom Reins with his wife, is a dear friend and spiritual mentor of mine.  I couldn’t be happier to help Mike out at the ranch – and it sounds like he’s got fences to fix, stables to clean, buildings to fix-up, and plenty of other things to keep me busy and tired.  Which is exactly what I want!

So on my last week of sabbatical I was able to volunteer at an Oklahoma Career Tech with my BFF Tammy Balliet. She teaches Medical Technology. Her class works closely with Integris Nuro Clinic and Vrossings Community Clinic. They intern there as well as volunteer to help with the Alzheimer’s Association to make bags for them and their loved ones. We spent the week assembling the bags with information, books, and pamphlets to deliver to the clinics where I got to meet and talk with patients and health care staff. It’s really nice knowing that if you can touch just one person or family with the volunteering that you do it makes it all worth while. I was even able to get my CPR certification. So much has changed since high school. Lol. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to be off for the month and spend it with friends and family. See everyone tomorrow.

My mother died of cancer September 28, 1963, when I was almost 3 years old.  I really didn’t learn of her death until sometime in October.  I remember asking my dad when mom would be coming home from the hospital.  He sat me down on the couch and in a very somber voice told me that I would never see her again.  He explained that she had died and when people die they go to another place where I would not be able to see her.  He told me, however, that he would never leave me.  And until 2005 when he was 81 years old, he kept that promise.

Everyone faces trauma at one time or another.  If you haven’t faced any yet, you will.  It is a part of life and is part of what shapes our character. The trauma I experienced so early in my life became a part of who I am and has influenced many of the decisions I have made, whether I’ve been aware of it at the time or not. This experience led me to choose Camp Courage as my service project during my sabbatical.  Camp Courage is a camp for children who have experienced loss in their lives by death, divorce, incarceration, or deployment.  I felt I might have something to offer since I have been through it myself.

I also got the idea from viewing the “Frunge” photos in the hallway at the home office.  I noticed that wall hanging when I first began working at FDL and I see it almost every day.  I thought it looked like a lot of fun and wondered how I could get involved.  I wanted to have as much fun as the people in the photo (Alvino, Pat Baxter, etc.) After some thought, I realized I really only wanted to do it for the entertainment value.  That is, I wanted to do it more for selfish reasons than altruistic.  I decided that if I were really interested in helping the children, I could just as easily do that closer to home.  So, one more reason to volunteer for Camp Courage.

In spite of the traumatic beginning to my life, I feel like one of the luckiest people on the planet.  I have a fantastic wife and a wonderful daughter, live in a free country, and I work for a great company.  I am one of the most blessed people in the world.  Over the next 5 days, I hope to convey that to those who are hurting.

The camp starts tomorrow and runs for 5 days and 4 nights.  I am a tad bit terrified. I have already had a day of training.  They tell me there is no cell phone reception out there.  I won’t be blogging until I get back.  At the moment I am wishing that I had volunteered at Habitat for Humanity or Meals on Wheels or something like that.  I will let you know how it went.

Perhaps the kids are not the only ones who need to find courage at this camp.

-Matt

Tomorrow my family and I will embark on a vacation like one we’ve never taken.

We’re heading out to simply see some of the most beautiful and fascinating things in our country. We’re first going to see ShipRock, then stand on the four corners area and drive through Monument Valley of southern Utah. Then on to Antelope Canyon near Page, Arizona and off to see the amazing Grand Canyon.

The remainder of our trip will be enjoying the beauty of God’s Creation at all five national parks of Utah (Zion, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef and Arches).

I can’t wait to see these marvelous sights and enjoy it with my family! I’m ready to soak it all in!

Michael

That verse will be my prayer during the Sabbatical month. It’s simple yet super important and potentially life changing.

Jesus had just begun His earthly ministry. For some time John the Baptist had been preparing the way for Jesus to enter the scene. Now that He had, John said these words…

“He must become greater; I must become less.”

This is it my friends: Jesus must increase in my life. I must decrease.

I pray this will happen during this time of rest, reflection, service and growth.

I pray this will happen for the rest of my life!

Michael

Traveling is finally done and we are glad to not be driving anywhere for a while. Upon reflecting on everything that we did I realized that we met some really incredible people with a wide range of backgrounds.

There was Kathy who was traveling solo on a trip across the U.S. and staying at all the national parks she could. Then we met Mary and Peter, Canadian school teachers who were using their time off to travel the U.S. while living out of their van. There was Peggy, a friend of my Uncles, who adored Ezra. She said he reminded her of her own grandson. Jonathan was an artist that we met while walking the board walk. I asked if I could take his picture. There were probably a dozen others whose names I don’t remember that we met while traveling.

Every person or couple was seeking something, whether it was freedom, adventure, or fame. My wife and I would never have known, however, had we not asked. I had not realized it before, but Kelly and I have developed a routine (Ezra is probably to blame) that we rarely deviate from. This is great for seasons of life but is troubling when considering some of the amazing people in this world still in need of the gospel. The only way to find them is to step into areas that I am otherwise unfamiliar and uncomfortable. Of the people I mentioned above, only one came to us asking questions. The rest we started conversations with.

In Piper’s book, Desiring God, Piper defines loving others as, “the overflow of joy in God that gladly meets the needs of others.” He even goes as far to say that we should be seeking our joy in seeking the joy of others. It should be our delight to make others happy and encouraged. This is one of great things about working for a company like FD. Through fundraisers and volunteer work, FD works to bring out the joy of Christ to the people of Abilene. However, it is one thing to be a part of an organization that does good work, but what are you doing in your own life to bring about the joy of others? This is something I realized when talking with strangers from all over the world: I did not step out of my comfort zone enough in my daily life. Luke 6:35 says, “Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expect nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.”

How are we doing this in our own lives and in the lives of the people we meet?

To say that these last two weeks have been an adventure, would be a complete understatement. I’m currently about three and a half weeks into my sabbatical and have been blessed to experience so much during this time.

Since I last blogged, I’ve been in Portugal and back in Spain. Both of these places have shown so much beauty and have given me the opportunity to meet such great people from around the world and from all walks of life. One of the most memorable parts of this last portion of the trip was seeing this view at the most western point of Europe. The journey was brutal and we were NOT informed that this “walk” to the beach was actually a hike. Needless to say, my beach sandals were not ideal! In the end, I would not have traded this scene for anything. It was absolutely breathtaking and really puts into perspective how small we really are, but most importantly how GREAT God is. His creations bring me so much joy.

The week before I went on sabbatical, one of my best friends gave birth to a healthy boy. I was eager to meet him and reconnect with such a great friend that I haven’t seen in a long time. This week, I was fortunate enough to meet the little man and hold a baby for the first time in a very long time! Not only was it amazing to see this blessing come into such a great family, but also to see the happiness it brings my friend, Allie, and her husband, Sawyer. I can’t wait to see this dude grow up and become something big.

Now that I’m home, I have focused on meditating, praying, and organizing things in my house. I will be moving this summer to another location in Austin so this comes at a perfect time to get a head start on that.

Prayer is such a big part of my life and I am so appreciative of all the extra time this past month I had to just be still and in His presence and spend more time in prayer with Him!

Our house is readjusting to having our college graduate back at home while he winds down from the stress & rigors of college life and starts his job search in earnest.  I love having him home, but the adjustment to his schedule vs. mine is a challenge (when 10:30 is my bedtime); I have enjoyed having him back home, even if a little less sleep is involved!  I know God has a plan for him and He will open the door when the right position comes along.   One firm he applied with bases their company’s mission statement on serving the Lord and I told him that if that is their priority it would no doubt be a great place to work.  I know that FD has been such a blessing to me!  As I pray for him and what the next chapter in his life has in store, I pray he will be as fortunate as I have been in working for people that serve the Lord.

Thankfulness.  That is the best way I can describe having this time to spend with family to build and solidify relationships.  Most of us take for granted all the blessings the Lord bestows upon us each and every day.  The time I was able to spend with Him both in prayer and in His word was uplifting & renewing for my body, mind & spirit.  I have always thought of myself as a positive person, but it is still easy to get caught up in life’s everyday issues.   The reading I did while on Sabbatical is so relevant to our everyday lives, it seemed as if these books were written just for me…. it’s amazing how God give us everything we need and .. fills our lives with good things (Psalm 103.5).

We are all so blessed to have such a loving savior and to work for a company that encourages us in our walk with Him.

The first day of my sabbatical was spent in the labor and delivery floor of Abilene Regional Medical Center wher we patiently and eventually inpatiently waited for the arrival of our son. After 11 hours of active labor, Tres was born via surrogate at 6:50 pm. Throughout those hours I was calm and collected, able to keep my emotions under control but tgen the moment came where the doctor said “There he is, he’s coming.” At that very moment, all the years of let down, disappointment , yearning and feelings of failure melted away. All the tears that fell were all those feelings disolving. That day, our family became complete.

It was the very first day back from Christmas vacation, and Rylee came home and asked me if I could speak at her school. She said that there were multiple dates available and that many parents were coming in. I said “Sure” – but, with no time/date commitment, I kinda forgot.

She reminded me a few times – but was not pushy at all. It seems like there have been so many of these ‘hottest fires’; so many of what Covey would call “first quadrant” items both at work and at home which demanded immediate attention these past few months, that there hasn’t been much room for planning events and non-critical items….

It quickly became the last week of school… the last days of Middle School. After tonight, I will have a high school aged child… A child who texted me from school once again (this time with some urgency), “Dad, its the last week of school, can you please email my teacher about coming in to speak?”

I had forgotten!!

It’s week two of my Sabbatical, and being only mildly acclimated to having some time in my life that didn’t already have someone else’s name on it, I responded, “Absolutely, honey….. When?” “Tomorrow,” she replied with a smiley emoji.

Now, I have spoken publicly many many times with less prep time than this – but not to an audience of this significance; an audience that can have infinite influence over my home life for years to come…

That evening, she briefed me on what I was to discuss. “Tell them about all of the celebrities you’ve worked with! All of the foreign countries you’ve filmed in! All the stuff that’s been on TV! The helicopter crash! Oooh, and tell them about your band!!” So – I was charged with talking about my work/life – AND entertaining.

I spoke at 9am – and then again at 1:30pm to loads of kids. I created a dynamic presentation in Keynote (its’ like PowerPoint) with videos, and PPP’s, and Ben Duffy’s… We all laughed, we shared, I asked questions, they asked some silly questions, I described the series of events that contributed to my career and where I am today…

And when I got to the part that changed everything in my life, I cried. In front of a bunch of 8th graders, I was doing my best to control emotions that I didn’t see coming. I did not openly weep (until later in the parking lot). But, as I described the first day of having started a new business as ALSO being September 11, of 2001, I could barely keep it together. The fabric of our world changed on the very day I was to make a profound change in the direction of my life – and in the lives of my soon to be family. I talked about the fact that I had just been laid off from my third ‘dream job’ and I unwittingly had planned this new beginning on a day when so so much for so so many…. had ended. I talked about the fact that soon after, we found out that Rylee was on her way and we bought our first home.

And then I (finally) discussed my career – the one thing I was actually asked to do.

The thought I hope I left with them is the same one I hope to leave with whomever reads this blog… As my child and her friends are moving into high school, they are already beginning to shape their futures. They are making choices that will ultimately affect their adult lives. With love, encouragement and lots of prayer, this generation of youngsters can realize fulfilling lives and careers that can (and I believe) should be the cumulative sum of as many of their life experiences as their little hearts desire. I wished for them – at very least, the degree of success that I enjoy today… and so! much! more!! And you may ask how success might be defined…

My answer… “When your 14 year old daughter is proud of you and says that you impressed her and all of her friends on career day!!!”