Last night I had the honor of helping at a church food pantry.  It felt very rewarding to give back to a community that has been so good to me over the past couple years.  I helped take groceries out to cars and load sacks of food for walk ins.  The two gentlemen in the photo were my wonderful helpers!  I really enjoyed meeting new people as well as seeing some familiar faces from the small town.  One of my favorite bible verses comes from Luke 6:38 Give, and it will be given to you.  Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap.  For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.  Tomorrow, my family of five will be preparing and serving dinner at our church, Union Chapel Ministries, for SERVE week.  Thank you Jesus, for all of the wonderful blessings thus far!

My second week was all about spending time with family.
The first part of my week I spent my time with Shelby and Emery. Tuesday we took Emery to the pool. It was the first time she’s ever been in a big pool. She was unsure at first but warmed up to it quickly. We swam and played hard in the pool and as soon as we put her back into her car seat she was passed out from too much fun. On Wednesday we went to the park to play on the playground. She loves the swings and going down the slide. It was another exhausting day of fun for all.

The end of the week and weekend were spent with Shelby’s family in the Dallas area. It was good to get away and spend time with them since we don’t get to see them as much as we would like. We were able to see some family members that we haven’t seen since our wedding day three years ago. As usual Emery was the life of the party. On Monday night I got to go to my annual father-in-law / son-in-law Rangers baseball game. I’m thankful he chooses me and we have that time together to hang out, catch up, and eat some ballpark hotdogs.

Family time is very important and I’m glad we were able to have this time to spend with Shelby’s family.
Another part of my sabbatical has been some daily reading time. I have chose to read “The Book or Mysteries”. This was not my initial choice but ever since Kris gave it to all of us as a gift, I have found myself enjoying reading it and wanting to continue reading it as a part of my sabbatical. Something that I have taken away from this book daily is The Mission of Day 1, “Today, open your mind, your heart, and your life to that which you don’t yet know, that you might contain that which is greater than yourself.” It’s been something I have thought about everyday of my sabbatical and will continue thinking about it going forward.

I’ve been blessed to share the majority of my sabbatical with family and friends.

On Friday, I got to spend the day watching the second round of the US Open. It was held at Erin Hills in Wisconsin. One of the guys we followed was Brooks Koepka, and he ended up winning the event.

Brooks Koepka, 2017 US Open Champ

On Saturday, I was back serving at the Sunshine Food Pantry. Again, it was a great day of meeting new people, and helping out many who are less fortunate.

Wrigley is getting comfortable at his new home…

This last week has been all about reward & repair for me. I’ve spent almost every morning reading, journaling, reflecting, and embracing the beauty of the outdoors. When it gets too hot to sit outside, my husband Pressley and I have enjoyed spending time together talking, laughing, and enjoying good food and favorite shows.

Last Monday, as I sat on my porch enjoying the morning reading and reflecting, I realized how pretty our patio would look with a few globe lights. I did a little research, talked to my husband, and decided to order a 100 ft. strand of lights to string in our yard. Now, a week later, we have our lights up, and I love it! It will look even better at night :). Plus, it gives us a little spot to sit at night and enjoy a glass of iced tea, and take a little bit of the sabbatical life into everyday life.

We also welcomed two new little babies into our lives this week. We got a couple of baby chicks to add to our backyard flock to ramp up egg production. These two will be blue egg layers, our favorites!

In the mornings, we’ve been reading through our Bible reading plan as usual. Every morning, we listen to three chapters from the New Testament on our YouVersion Bible app. We’ve read through the Bible several times together during our marriage, which has been absolutely transformative. For the last few months, we’ve read through the New Testament 2 times, and we just started our third round. I’ve also been reading the Book of Mysteries that Kris gave us. Wow, there are some good nuggets in that book. It’s given me a lot to chew on and think about during my reflection time.

For my sabbatical reading, I chose to read A Life God Rewards: Why Everything You Do Today Matters Forever by Bruce Wilkinson, author of The Prayer of Jabez.

It was a quick read, but on a very important topic. His whole point was that what we believe determines where we will spend our eternal life; what we do with our lives determines the degree of reward or comparative suffering that we experience in that life. If you imagine your entire eternal existence as a long, never-ending line, our lives on earth are the very first dot on that line. While our lives are short, they determine the direction that line will go for the rest of our existence! Our lives on earth set the trajectory for our lives in heaven, or the rewards that we will enjoy.

Jesus spoke a lot about rewards in heaven because He wants us to enjoy His good pleasure when we meet again. What’s amazing is that our Father is constantly watching and recording the good things we do so that He can reward us in heaven. Even giving a drink of water to someone in His name  (Matthew 10:42) or a prayer spoken from the secret places of the heart (Matthew 6:6) is deserving of a reward in the Lord’s eyes.

I think that many times, the enemy tries to tell us that God is only watching us to see where we mess up. But if you read Hebrews 11, the hall of faith, you see that God doesn’t keep a record of wrongs. (Because God is love, 1 Corinthians 13 is a perfect description of His love toward us!) Hebrews 11 shares the stories of the champions of faith from heaven’s perspective. While we know from the Old Testament that each of these were flawed human beings, the Hebrews account is a record of how God sees them once their sin has been removed as far as the east is from the west. Beautiful, isn’t it? God is not watching us to see how we mess up. He’s watching us to see what we get right, and he is carefully recording the best version of our stories to be retold again and again in Heaven for His own glory.

I’ve been encouraged and strengthened from these moments of reflection this week, and I’m continually laboring to enter His rest. My struggle is that I keep trying to take up my burdens and carry them instead of giving them over to Him. My burdens and worries and cares have no solutions. But He said His yoke is easy and His burden is light. And He always has something much better for me in return if I open my hands and release my burdens to Him. He exchanges a crown of beauty for ashes, oil of joy for mourning, and a garment of praise for despair (Isaiah 61:3). He always has something much better in store for us if we only have the courage to cast our cares upon Him. He loves us so much!

After crossing 3 states 998 miles later we arrived in Cumming, Georgia yesterday at 7:42pm. I have a total of 7 brothers so it is very difficult for us to be together at the same time. As a matter of fact we haven’t all been together since we were kids. For this gathering only 4 of us will be together.  Having your family close by is a true blessing that not many of us have.

Our stopping point was in Vicksburg, Mississippi we visited the National Military Park and of course the Mississippi River.

My 2 other brothers Eddy and Emanuel will arrive on Friday to join us they will be traveling about 9 to 10 hours. Prayers for safe travels is greatly appreciated.

My husband, Terry, is also enjoying some time off work this week, so we ventured out this morning on the Cardinal Greenway, which spans 62 Miles from Marion, Indiana to Richmond, Indiana.  The trail actually runs on the back side of our property, so it is nice having quick access to nature and exercise!  What started out being a relaxing ride on our dual bike, ended with a flat tire and walking about 2 miles back to the house!  Love all of the great memories being made!  One of my favorite things, that occurred over these past few days, was planting my first garden!  Hopefully, we will have yellow and green peppers, cucumbers, and a variety of tomatoes over the next few months.  It’s exciting to see how God is working in my life and allowing me to do things I rarely get the opportunity to do.  Our church is participating in SERVE this week, which is a program to give both children and adults the opportunity to serve our wonderful community!  We will be volunteering later this week as a family to take part.  Service projects, outreaches, worship and bible teachings are some of the things being done to help local families.  This evening I am helping at a food pantry in one of my funeral home communities.  I will share about that opportunity later this week!

My super hero does not wear a mask! This was the theme for RED SCHOOL this week.

I was honored to be able to serve 7 days/6 nights at a leadership church camp called Super Summer. I served on the Executive Staff this week for the June session held at Hardin Simmons as a “Team Leader Coordinator” leading 14 young adults serving as “Team Leaders”. These young adults would serve as “TLs” for the 75 students we had in Red School. At this June session, there were over 600 students (grades 8th to freshman in college) coming to learn more about the Lord and returning as stronger leaders within their youth group, schools and communities. 

The 14 young adults I was able to work with impacted my week as I watched them each grow as adult leaders. As 13 of the 14 had never served as Team Leaders, my role was to guide, train and lead them throughout the week as they poured everything they had into our students in Red School. The weekend of training started out as an emotional one as we each reflected on our personal walks with the Lord, sharing our testimonies and clearly focusing on leading the students as they came onto the campus.

Once Monday arrived and we were all dressed up in our best Super Hero get up, the students arrived and we focused on what it meant to Know and Share the Gospel. The TLs did such an amazing job leading the students in family group time and school sessions. As they poured into their students, I continued to pour into their lives as well. The week was a very busy one due to the schedule being jam packed with school sessions, family groups times, rec and worship with the entire campus. I can confess I didn’t even come close to 6 hours of sleep a night, but thank goodness I still have several weeks of recovery!

After a long hard week at camp, I am thankful for the weekend. I am also thankful for the way the Lord places people in my life to remind me of His goodness, His grace, and His love for us. I am thankful for FDLIC and this opportunity to serve not only the 14 young adults, but the 600 students that were impacted by camp this week.

Below is our end of week picture, missing one TL who left early to return to Honduras.

My kids and I got back home Friday night. We ended up staying another week in El Paso and really enjoyed spending time with family, but oh my goodness, we ate just about everything we wanted (gained a couple of pounds in the process), would stay up late and do it all over again the next day.  So even though I did enjoy my time there, I sure was ready to come back home to my normal.

That week, we went to Bob-O’s Family Fun Center. We got to ride on the go karts, played miniature golf, got on the bumper boats (my favorite), practiced our batting (mine wasn’t that good), and played laser tag which was pretty cool and fun.

I was also able to spend time with my aunt and uncle. My aunt will be getting married in July and she had been needing help to clean up her backyard so I told her that I would help her.  By the way, I love cleaning and organizing and so I quickly jumped at the opportunity when she mentioned it.  My cousin, my aunt, her fiancé, and me started cleaning at 10 in the morning and finished around 3:30.  They tried quitting on me a couple of times but I didn’t let them 😏. After we were done, my aunt thanked me but said that she wouldn’t let me help her again because I wouldn’t let her take breaks 😱 (lol), which I did but only short ones. My biggest regret is not taking before and after pictures to show, lol, hopefully I’ll remember next time.

And so as I was driving back home, I was thinking about everything I had done and am so grateful that I had the opportunity to be with my family without having to worry about time and also thankful for making it home safely.

-Thank you my Jesus for being with me and for always bringing back to you, reminding me to trust you and have faith in you.  For loving me unconditionally and showering me with your many blessings.  In Jesus name we pray. Amen.-

Part of the goal of sabbatical is to re-connect with family and friends and I have done a lot of that since camp.  My brother and sister and their families were in town and we played golf.  Even though I am not a terrible golfer, I am the worst in my family.  I shot 85 at Diamondback and was feeling ok with that round.  My sister, who is 65 years old, shot 76.  She had 5 birdies and was even par with 3 holes to play and she fell apart.  Next I went to Lubbock to visit some old friends that I grew up with.  We played more golf up there.  I shot 89 then 87.  My friend Bill shot 75 then 77 so once again I got spanked.  However, it was a lot of fun and great to get to see everyone.  Golf is such a great way to spend time with family and friends.

My book study is called “7: An Experimental Mutiny against Excess” by Jen Hatmaker.  It is an interesting book and I recommend it to anyone who feels their life is too busy.  But, the author is quite verbal.  This book is over 200 pages and I think it could have easily been under 35.  The author never misses the chance to use a couple of paragraphs where a sentence would work.  Anyway, she takes 7 areas of her life and tries to simplify to 7 items each.  The 7 areas are: clothes, spending, waste, food, possessions, media, and stress.  For each of those areas she limits herself to 7 items.  For example, with food she limits herself to: chicken, eggs, whole-wheat bread, sweet potatoes, spinach, avocados, and apples.  She went an entire month just eating those foods.  She drank only water, which she did not count as one of the 7 food items.

Anyway, it is an interesting read.  I am on media right now.  Although I don’t think I will try anything as extreme as the author, this book has inspired me to try to simplify my life.

I just returned from a trip to Vancouver, Canada with my wife and daughter.  It was a great trip and I will talk about it (including a few photos) in my next post.

-Matt

This week has been one of beginnings and endings. We were able to move everything out of our old apartment and into our new house. We had almost everything, but now the old place is completely empty. Our lease isn’t up until July so we took our time. My wedding dress arrived in the mail. Believe it or not you can get a nice dress from Singapore pretty cheap and sized correctly. The theme of my wedding is Financial Peace and not Crippling Debt. Side-Note: Did you know the average cost of a wedding in the US is $25,000? I spent my wedding money on a down payment for a house instead.

I continued to deliver Meals on Wheels.  I took Odin with me one day and he was my little helper. Everyone on my route seemed joyous at the sight of a child.  Odin made sure to tell everyone to have a good day. I can’t describe why it feels good to do it but I think Dave Ramsey had a point when he said “He’s (God) a giver, and we’re made in His image. The goal of this is to make us more in His image each day. We’re more attuned to our spiritual DNA when we are giving. Don’t give out of a performance-based or legal-based mindset, or because God will give back to you. Your life is simply better when you give, and you should give.” Giving brings us closer to God, so even when it is as simple as delivering meals, it still puts on the right path with God.

It has been a fairly quiet week. I feel relaxed and not up to my ears in stress. Anyone who knows me knows that I am controlling and sometimes letting go of things is hard but letting go has been such a blessing.  It as Rick Warren says “Worry is the warning light that God has been shoved to the sideline. The moment you put Him back at the center, you will have peace again.”

Day by day I am getting closer to living a life of peace. Until next week, that is all folks.

This week I spent my evenings serving at the South Point Church food pantry/clothing closet. The lady in charge is Ms. Val, we go way back to my previous career. She had been recently widowed & had spent the last year dealing with major depression. Ms. Val was assigned to my department & I immediately wanted to help her, but wasn’t sure how. I started praying for her. As time went on she started opening up more & more. She told me about the night she attempted to take her life. After that Ms. Val looked at me & I’m not sure what type of response she was wanting. I was a bit taken back, I said “Wow God has big plans for your future.” I invited her to church each week & she politely declined time after time. After quiet a while she accepted, I think to get me to stop. She showed up & has never left!!! She was baptized shortly after & serves God with her whole heart. I’m am so blessed that I get to call her my friend & sister in Christ. I get to see first hand an example of how to serve. She works the food pantry/clothing closet each month & knows that God will provide for each person that walks through the door. June 2017 SPC served a record 33 families (120 people)!! This is huge!! Gods light was shining bright this past Saturday from a little gym behind a church in Abilene, Texas!!!

As I prepare to rejoin the ranks back in the office tomorrow I reflect on what the past 30 days have meant to me, and some of the words that have helped me cope with, understand, and enjoy the experience.  Some words are mine from a journal I kept; other words are not my own.

…

I hiked into and out of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison with a 70 lb. belly boat on my back and an 8’6″ fly rod in one hand.  It was thoroughly exhausting, but the solitude of the canyon and the emerald green water from which the rocks steeply rose was a sight to behold.  It was here that I had one of the most powerful moments of clarity in my entire sabbatical experience; a true gift from a loving Father.

“Wisdom placed her hand on my feverish forehead and said, ‘Advance and never halt, for advancing is perfection. Advance and do not fear the thorns in the path, for they draw only corrupt blood.'”
– Khalil Gibrar

Midnight, May, Colorado, and 9,000+ feet of altitude make for mighty cold toes.  Despite FOUR pairs of socks.

“Your attitude of mind covers your home.”
– Charles Stanley

I had the opportunity to serve Abilene through two amazing organizations – Palette of Purpose and Freedom Reins Ranch.  It was incredibly rewarding.

“Something within fishermen tries to make fishing into a world perfect and apart – I don’t know what it is or where, because sometimes it is in my arms and sometimes it is in my throat and sometimes nowhere in particular except somewhere deep.  Many of us probably would be better fishermen if we did not spend so much time watching and waiting for the world to become perfect.”
– Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through It

I’ve put limitations on a limitless savior for far too long, and I’m beginning to fully embrace a Jesus who desperately wants a relationship with me.  I want it, too.

“Setting eternity in our hearts was cunning, so that every last one of us would be haunted all our days with unmet longings that would cause us to seek the only Fountain that can quench our thirst.”
– John Eldredge, Beautiful Outlaw

“You learn a great deal about the true nature of a person in the way they love, why they love, and in what they love.”
– John Eldredge, Beautiful Outlaw

I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to spend this time with my family, my children, and some friends that I had fallen out of touch with.  Each person has spoken into my life, often at a time I desperately needed their words and encouragement.  To say I’m grateful to them, and to FD for the opportunity and time to experience a sabbatical, would be an understatement.

“Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.  The river was cut by the world’s great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time.  On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops.  Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs.  I am haunted by waters.”
– Norman Maclean, A River Runs Through It

P

I am drinking my morning coffee, reading and reflecting on this week. My only plan was to be still and  listen and then follow the path of God’s will and direction. Truly He has shown me that plan each day. When we give our time to God, He gives us the time we need.

   It’s good to take time to appreciate and enjoy the little things in life.  My husband and I spent time viewing the “strawberry moon” and 3 days later saw the sun shining through the clouds making it appear like a lightning bolt. Those were both peaceful and WOW moments!

   On my birthday, my husband gave me the greatest gift of all. He arranged for me to spend time with some family members I have really been missing lately. I can honestly say time seemed to stand still and I heard God’s voice in my soul say “just enjoy the moment” and so I did. 🙂  Oh I was so thankful  and my cup runneth over with gratitude and joy.

     I have also been available to help friends and family in a  moment’s notice whether it’s a favor, an extra pair of hands or just a listening ear. I am so thankful and I have a song in my heart as my service gives blessing to others and puts a smile on their faces.

     So as I close my blog this week, I can say a seemingly ordinary week has actually been extraordinary.  God has shown me no matter what, there is a blessing in EVERYTHING.  He reminds us in His Word that He has good plans for us and that He is able to make EVERYTHING work for our good when we love and follow Him.

My heart is full of thankfulness to the Lord
and to Kris and FDLIC for this special time of growth and
renewal. There will be a different “

Hi everyone

This week has been a blessing, I was able to spend a lot of quality time with my mother.  We did a bit of shopping and lots of gardening and cooking.  Her week wasn’t as busy as it would be back home but that was my goal. My mom does so much for others back home that at times she forgets how to just sit down and have someone else take care of her.

So today we begin our 998 mile long journey to Georgia to meet up with my brothers. We will be stopping in Vicksburg, Ms for the night. Prayers for safe travels is greatly appreciated.

For months I’ve needed to organize/clean/throw out stuff in my garage. We can only park one car in it now and I’ve vowed to remedy this. This week I’ve managed to de-clutter some and make some extra room for my car. However, I’ve got a long way to go.

I have also needed to removed several tree branches in the back yard (particularly some that were hanging on our roof and over our fence). I’m happy to report that I finished that task. I did cut my hand pretty badly but nothing too damaging. I guess this is what I get for doing manly stuff 😉

I’ve most enjoyed waking up late and taking my time each morning with a good cup of coffee in hand. I’m learning this month that I rarely, if ever, slow down. This is something I must learn to do. It’s been refreshing to simply relax and enjoy my day, whether I did something or not.

Another highlight from this past week has been what I’ve been learning and convicted of from my time reading “Wild At Heart”. I’m super glad I chose this book and have been blessed and challenged from it. God is using it in ways I never expected. Thankful!

I’m so enjoying this time!

Michael

As many of you may know, I’m painting the exterior of my house during my sabbatical. Monday morning I woke up and just started working on the daunting task. I purposefully chose not to play music or anything because I wanted to hear myself think. Do you know what my inner self was saying ALL day on Monday? “There is NO WAY you can paint this whole house by yourself!”  Maybe I should have prefaced this blog post by mentioning how independent and stubborn I am. It is very difficult for me to ask for help with anything. Fast forward to Thursday, I woke up and almost starting crying because I felt so overwhelmed by the huge amount of work I still had to do. Truly, I had not even put a dent in the task by the time Thursday came and I was already so tired. This stress and anxiety was not how I pictured my sabbatical. So I swallowed my pride and called my father in-law for help. And guess what? He has a SPRAY GUN! My excitement toward getting the job done has instantly returned. I also have a friend coming to help me Tuesday and Thursday next week. If only I had called for help when I started the project rather than a week into it, I could have avoided that feeling of being so overwhelmed. It may seem silly, but at almost 30 years old, I’m just now learning that asking for help isn’t such a bad thing.

This first week has been a week of silence and self reflection for me.

The first 10 days have been full of changes, some minor and some major.  My sabbatical began on Wednesday June 8.  After my daily quiet time and reading from the devotional book which I have chosen for this year (Uncommon Life Daily Challenge) by Tony Dungy & Nathan Whitaker, the realization sunk in that Melissa would be here in the afternoon for good, FINALLY!!!  I spent most of the day straightening the house and preparing for the major changes that were about to happen.  She arrived around 6 and looking like Jethro Bodine coming up the driveway with her car packed the the limit with the remainder of “her stuff”.  The only thing missing was Granny in a rocker on top of the car.  After a few minutes of resting from her long drive and dinner, we unloaded the car and left the real unpacking for later.  After four long years of waiting for this day it was finally here, and now the real fun starts.

We spent the next few days “moving in together”.  This means we cleaned out drawers and closet space to accommodate Melissa’s clothes, shoes, and all the other “stuff” she brought with her.  We found that I had a lot for items for Goodwill which had been pretty much just taking up space.  Now the reality sets in, she’s here to stay forever this time!!!  This was the biggest change for both of us, and one we have been looking forward to for a long, long time.  We spent the next week together 24/7 and it has been an amazing time finally seeing everything God has put in place for us come to be.  To top it all off we get to experience our sabbatical together, what a blessing!  We have accomplished so many things over the past 10 days.  The following is a synopsis of my first 10 days.

We have settled in to a routine of daily quite time alone.  First thing each morning we find our spots to be alone and read. meditate, and pray.  The book I have chosen to go along with my daily devotional is “Wild at Heart”, by John Eldredge.  It is a very interesting take on how God created a man’s heart different from a woman’s.  It’s full of descriptions of men in the scripture and how they are created for adventure, battle, and basically manly things.  I also plan to read a small condensed book from Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Life which is entitled “What on Earth Am I Here For”.

We have been shopping on several occasions.  Lowes has been the number one target so far, but we also watched the bank account decrease as we have patronized a host of other local businesses in an effort to make the former single guy’s house into a home.  Some of these stores such as Bed Bath & Beyond, Trees & Trends, and Hobby Lobby to name a few, were new to me but I have learned they are all part of the home improvement plan.  I’m having to learn all over again that decoration is an important part of the marriage.  Fortunately, I have a great teacher.

Our service project at the Ronald McDonald House ran into some timing and training issues, so we had to begin praying about finding something else.  God provided that quickly for us as we stopped by The Salvation Army office on Friday.  They were excited to see that we were not only looking for something to help with now, but also as an ongoing venture.  They gave us a couple of events to work later in the month but also said they would like to interview us after they get our info in their system to see where we could fit in moving forward.  We will be having that interview next week and are looking forward to seeing what doors open up for us as a couple.

The office:  We had to find a way to rearrange my office so that Melissa could set up everything she needs to work from home.  It is a large room which of course I had cluttered up with things that were not necessarily needed.  We were able to find a new piece of furniture for the scanner/printer during one of our shopping ventures.  Not sure what was wrong with the folding card table I had it on but she said it had to go.  We bought Melissa a new office chair (much nicer than mine by the way) and set up her desk, then tested her computer and phone equipment which is all working well.  We also went thru my filing cabinets which I also found were filled with old useless papers and documents.  By the time we finished with my stuff and some that she brought with her to go thru, we accumulated almost 100 pounds of paper that we hauled away to be shredded.  We now have one small filing cabinet and have all of our personal documents combined in one drawer and my business files in another.  A sense of accomplishment was felt by all!!!

We have been busy but have found plenty of time to rest and relax.  Sleeping in every morning is a pleasure.  One of us seems to sleep in later than the other but I won’t get into that.  We have found several movies and Netflix series to watch in the evenings.  We even spent one evening watching our Nashville Predators in the Stanley Cup Finals.  They lost but it was fun introducing Melissa to another sport and realizing that we have crazy NHL fans in Tennessee too.  We spend time just sitting outside talking and planning the next days activities, or lack of activity, whichever the case may be.  We have spent two afternoons so far with more to come, at the pool in the apartment complex where we just moved my mom.  My sister and I have helped mom sell her house and move her into a very nice one level apartment.  She just couldn’t handle the stairs any longer so we have been dealing with this for the last few months but now she is moved in.  It’s only five minutes from where we live so Melissa will be able to help us keep an eye on her.  We have already been by to visit with her three or four times since Melissa arrived.

Exercise:   We have made time to walk on the Greenway here in Cleveland.  It is a beautiful 4 mile stretch which has been built over the last 10 years for walking/running and bicycling.  It runs beside a creek, through a couple of parks, and parallel  to one of the main streets in town.  There are several different areas where you can park, depending on where you want to start and how far you want to go.   We are walking a different section each time.

So far, just having the time off from work has been the hardest thing to get use to.  Even when I’ve been on vacation, I would still get phone calls and texts from customers as I’m sure everyone else in the field does also.  Being able to let everyone know ahead of time and explain the sabbatical has made such a difference.  I said it has been hard to get use to, not impossible.  I have adjusted and the feeling of freedom is amazing.  Now that the moving in, unpacking, redecorating, and making changes is in the books, I look forward to the next 20 days which will be more calm and peaceful.  We will be taking a couple of road trips to enjoy the beautiful area where we live and make sure Melissa gets to spend some time in the mountains that she loves so much.  But mostly I see myself taking the opportunity to relax and pay attention to what God has in store.  I’ll let you know how the next 10 days goes.

The first part of sabbatical is easy, it’s just like a normal vacation to me. It’s the beginning of the second week that is more difficult as you really have to get settled in and get used to a different pace. This week I focused on resting and relationships. While I did this the first week as well, my second week didn’t have a beach or vacation activities scheduled. So I forced myself to sit more, to think and read and pray more. Also, since I had a lot of free time on my hands I wanted to spend time with my dad and brother. My brother and I are not very close and rarely get to see each other even though he lives in DFW and works for my dad (who I more regularly see, although we don’t have an extremely close relationship). So I made it a point to go see them and connect. It was good to spend time with them. Even though relationships take work and regular connection, this was a great time to further relationship. I’m grateful for this opportunity and that I made the time to prioritize relationship.

Next week: youth camp! I’m a little anticipatory since I’ve never been to serve. But I know the Lord has incredible things in store and I’m excited to join Him in what’s He wants to do!

• We had fresh mango this week so time for a quick Smoothie:

I love time I get to spend with the whole family. Feeling so blessed to get to connect with them. It’s such a joy to even share the small things like breakfast at home, game night, errands etc. We may never have this time together again so I want to cherish everymoment.

I feel like God wants to cherish those moments as well.  Until next time

..

Oh yeah. First bath for Bentley.

This past week has been fantastic!  I’m so glad the family fun time is not over yet.  We spent 3 days in Galvez with the Carpenter side of the family.  I am truly grateful to have such wonderful in-laws, and a fun family.  My children are, of course, the most blessed by it.

We went to the beach, the boys went fishing, and my niece, her friend, and my son took surf lessons with my husband.  But perhaps the most fun occurred with the much anticipated (by my 9-yr old Reece,) family Bocce Ball tournament.   She worked for hours making “Bocce Ball Boss” shirts for herself and daddy.  A video of their funny warm up is below for those of you not on facebook with me. =)

Carpenter Bocce Ball

And my service work finally came to me…a little later than my liking, but I found it when I stopped looking.  It was the weirdest thing.  Somehow when I went to register with Northwest Ministries, my application went to Deonna Molina at the Wellness Center.  I can understand if I was on our email system at the time, but I hit the “email questions” tab directly off the Northwest Ministries website.  I’m not sure how it defaulted to our wellness center, and I’m sure it was user error, but it really messed up my plans.  It became more complicated when I decided to use my default plan–Meals on Wheels.  Unfortunately for me, Meals on Wheels is run by, you guessed it, Northwest Ministries so the required paperwork and orientation wouldn’t make my deadline.  I was trying to decide what to do about this when a friend (mother of a kid my son plays football with) asked me what I decided to do for my service work.

I like my friend Damian very much, but we couldn’t be more different.  She is an African American lady who was raised in the ghetto’s of Baton Rouge and Houston.  She was able to rise above it and she is now a practicing attorney who has been married for 15 years to a teacher.  She has two children.  She continues to have deep ties to the ghettos and wards of Houston and works with some sad family situations that are usually the result of addiction and abuse.  She had this idea to start a 501c to specifically help the disadvantaged children she meets to participate in activities.  Ballet, gymnastics, football, track, basketball ect.  She is creating a “free” store in exchange for 3 hours of community service work.  Even when kids have registration fees waved, and somehow get transportation, they don’t often have the shoes, cleats, equipment, practice clothes, leotards and so forth to fit in and really participate.  Parents may not have the proper casual clothes to go to the games.  She told me she was starting a collection to personally give to those she met in need.  Since I live in a somewhat upperclass neighborhood, I knew I could help, and from that I started my porch pick up project.  I ask neighbors and friends to leave their gently used stuff on their porch, and I will pick it up.  It’s really gaining steam so I am also helping another friend who is sending items to Venezuela.  What’s really neat is that this is something I can do beyond sabbatical.  I can’t wait to hear some stories of kids/people helped, but that will take some time.

I am enjoying my daily devotional, and I look forward to our next family trip to the Frio.  We are bringing a friend for Reece since she feels left out by her brother and cousin who are teenage boys.  Please pray all goes very well and that the little friend we bring for Reece loves the Frio as much as we do.  It will be her first time away from home without family.  Thanks for all your continued thoughts and prayers.

The second week of my Sabbatical has flown by. I have enjoyed my routine of working out, journaling, and doing my book study-devotional. I am reading a book by Louie Giglio, called, Goliath Must Fall.  It’s about winning the battle against your giants. Louis is a great communicator, and has helped remind me to…fix my eyes on the size of my God, not the size of my giants.

I had the opportunity to spend this past weekend with friends in Chicago. While there, I got to attend a Cubs vs. Rockies baseball game, and catch up on all the new Wrigleyville improvements. I am amazed at the transformation. So much has changed since I visited last fall. One of the new developments is the open-air plaza, dubbed The Park at Wrigley. It’s kind of like a “town square” outside of the ballpark. Future tenants (restaurants and stores) will open throughout the year. However, the Trophy Room is open.

The past few days, I’ve had an incredible time hanging out with family. The weather has been hot, and perfect for boating. This little one enjoyed taking over the wheel!

We visited LOST CANYON and enjoyed a quaint horse-drawn carriage tour through a magnificent mile of cliff-walled gorges. This place is right down the street from where I live, and it is the first time I have visited.  What a gem! The trip takes a half hour, and offers unbelievable views of the Wisconsin Dells.

It’s been an eventful few days for the Messersmiths – I had a birthday, we did some traveling and visited panhandle relatives, and now I will be ending my sabbatical in Dallas with the kiddos at my parents’ house.  I can’t think of a better way to conclude this experience than with my family.  After a pool party with my aunts, uncles, and cousins in Lubbock on Saturday, we drove to Amarillo to have lunch with my grandmother – she’d never met Scotty!  It was so cool to see them meet for the first time.  The introduction was long overdue.

On Friday morning, I wrapped up the service portion of my sabbatical by setting up for the CALF festival with Palette of Purpose – I got to draw on the concrete with sidewalk chalk! (complete with flashbacks to my youth and that wonderful feeling of dirty hands from making art)  After we set up, Stephanie Prosser (PoP’s founder) and I went to talk to a group of young people at the Texas Workforce Commission about art, community involvement, and volunteering.

Stephanie shared her story about following her passion to found PoP, and the organization’s goals to keep creative minds in Abilene engaged and to enrich our community through the arts.  She has a great story, and it’s very clear she’s passionate about what she does!  When it was my turn, I felt called to speak to this group (all between 17-22 years old) about how creative outlets and tapping into our right-brains can help us in our careers – even careers outside the arts!

I used to tell people I had a degree I never used (Bachelor of Fine Arts, Studio Art – Concentration in painting).  Art has never been my primary source of income.  I used to wonder if I’d wasted money / time / blood-sweat-tears on a degree that would never really serve me in any way other than to support a “hobby.”

This is wrong.  And this is what I shared with the group at TWC, along with some tips about unlocking their creative sides, getting involved in something (outside work) that they’re passionate about, and approaching professional issues with creativity to set themselves apart and grow their careers.  It was rewarding to listen to the group’s questions and see their eyes open (I hope) to the idea of embracing their inner “maker” – no matter the career path they take.

I also offered to review and edit their resumes – when you look at resumes all day / every day, you get pretty good at writing them!

This week we went on a family vacation.  This was really important for us as part of our sabbatical was getting closer as a family, so what better way than to drive 15 hours each way in a car together lol. Anyway, were heading to Gulf Shores Alabama.  As some of you may know Rob can never relax, so vacations are not fun for him.  On the way so Rob could enjoy some time too, he is not usually a fan of sitting on the beach.  We stopped on the way to get him a travel guitar. I think his travel life has changed for him forever. Not to mention Rylee showed real interest in learning how to play a guitar! Best hour we have ever spent! In the past we never had great times on vacation.  I think feeling like we had to pack everything in created a weird dynamic of not relaxing and always trying to make everyone else happy which made us miserable.  Anyway this trip was different.  We all decided together what we wanted to do and did a little of everything and had our best trip ever.  With Rylee getting older it is harder and harder to all be together. I will always treasure this much needed quality time that I got to spend with my family. It was a true blessing for us!!

Wow!  What a week!  Let’s start by giving you names of my kids because a lot has happened with each of them.  Emma (11), Logan (almost 9), Cooper (9), Taylor (2).  Taylor and I visited the Arbor Springs, a retirement/assisted living home, and she went from table to table shaking hands, sharing smiles, and dancing.  Her favorite line was holding up two fingers and saying “I’m two!”.  She put more smiles on faces in 2 hours than any adult volunteer working there all day.

Logan played Spring flag football.  During the season, they lost two games and had to play both teams during the playoff run.  They beat the Panthers 26-25 by scoring a TD with only 6 seconds left.  In the semi-final, they beat the Patriots 28-26 in the final seconds of the game (this is a team that had beaten them by 20+ points in the regular season).  Finally, they played an undefeated Redskins game in the final (Logan called it the “Super Bowl”) and won a thriller, scoring then catching an interception in the final 16 seconds of the game, final score was 12-7.  As a parent, this game meant more to me than any Super Bowl that I had ever seen!

Logan is the blonde boy in the middle with dark gray shorts, fifth kid from the left.  My oldest daughter, Emma earned straight A’s for the year, sang a solo part at her 5th grade graduation, and was honored for her role as Vice-President of her school.  Cooper finished Kindergarten and earned excellent grades.  As part of my sabbatical plans, I am spending a full day with each of my kids.  It’s hard to get one on one time with Dad when there are six in the family.  Today, is my day with Cooper.  I’m so excited as it is sure to full of sports, eating, visiting Arbor Springs, a Bible lesson, pool, and having fun!

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

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

I awoke much earlier today than I did yesterday as it was barely light out.  I stayed in bed for quite some time thanking the Lord for all he has given me.

Today was the first day where I was able to sit still and enjoy the silence without monkeys jumping around.  I went on several walks and spent several hours in the Meditation Meadow reading, often drifting away with my thoughts as I listed to God’s natural orchestra while the sun graciously beamed down on me.

When your day is not bustling with meetings, to-do lists, children, family tasks, etc., time tends to creep by which gives you great opportunities for deep soul searching, which we all need from time to time.  I know I do!

For those of you who know me well, know I lean on the spectrum of OCD, or as good friend of mine would say, OCC (Obsessive Compulsive Complex).  I have a complex rather than a disorder.  Let’s go with OCC for obvious reasons!

OCC can be your best friend and work to your benefit in certain areas of your life.  For example, in my position as a Product Manager for Passare, it works to our advantage as we are quickly growing our platform and need the obsessive careful eye to ensure consistency in all things, big and small.

On the other hand, OCC can also be your worst enemy and work against you in certain areas of your life.  For example, when the kiddos want to play a game, go for a bike ride, or go for a swim, my first reaction is – What order is the house in?  Are shoes put away?  Are coats hung up?  Are toys all over?  Are the dishes done?  My OCC kicks in and tells me those tasks need to be completed before I can play a game, go for a bike ride, or go for a swim.

Within the first few pages of Hybels’ book, Simplify, he sets up a scenario where God says, “Let’s sit down together.  We’ve got some things to work out, you and Me.  You’ve lost a connection with me somewhere.  You’ve lost your bearings on true north, and now you’re just spinning.  But I have a better plan.”

Vulnerability time here – At times, I lose sight of true north and think, we’ll go on a bike ride tomorrow, or we’ll go swimming tomorrow.  The Lord has convicted me today telling me that if I’m too busy for my own kids, then I’m too busy.  They ought to be a big part of my life, and I want to be a big part of theirs.  I have some work to do in this area.

Tomorrow morning, I depart this soulful place and head back to reality.  I hope and pray that my time here at Well of Compassion will have a profound effect on me as I continue uncluttering my soul and attempting to keep my bearings on true north and fill my soul to overflowing.

Hybels ends his book Simplify with these powerful words which I will end this blog post with.

“We get one shot at this life.  Choose a purposeful, God-first life, and you will reap rewards for today and for eternity.  Choose a life where the God-shaped void in your soul is filled to overflowing, and you will leave a legacy for those who follow you.  Live your one and only life with all the clarity and focus you can give it.  This is simplified living.  This is the life that satisfies.”

This first week I decided to complete my service project. The first Saturday of my sabbatical, Alvino Sanchez and I along with several other volunteers helped prepare tennis courts for the Grand Slam tennis tournament here in Abilene. I was glad to be able to give back to youth sports; I was a part of them growing up and they made a huge impact on me. There are many kids blessed by these tournaments but a lot goes into them. I am appreciative that we have so many volunteers that give their time in order for this to happen. Thanks Nadene for asking us to be a part of it! I also served with Alvino to help some of our FD family with lawn and landscaping work. I enjoyed being able to serve some of our FD family and was humbled by the experience but I’m so glad to have my cushy desk job the rest of the time. Despite what Alvino tells ya’ll, I actually did most of the work. (HAHA!) All jokes aside, Alvino really is a hard worker and I really enjoyed serving some of our FD family with him.

Since the yard work finished up in the afternoon, I could go pick up my daughter Emery from daycare every day last week. – I usually don’t get to do this. This is such a little thing but it meant a lot. When I would walk into her classroom her eyes would light up and she would walk, as best as she can at this point, over to me squealing with joy (loudly) and gave me a huge hug. I loved making these sweet memories with her and it became something I really looked forward to in my day.

One of the best parts of sabbatical thus far has been getting to just spend more time with Emery and play. I’ve had more time to play with princesses, have tea parties, and build block castles with her. (She doesn’t play right though because she always comes to knock my castle over and laugh at me). In the prophetic words of Ferris Buehler, “life moves pretty fast, if you don’t stop to look around once in a while, you could miss it.” With this being said, I’m enjoying every precious moment with her that I can.

These next three weeks, I’m going to be focusing even more time on my wife, Emery, and our families. I’ve been blessed during this first week and I look forward to what is to come during the rest of my sabbatical. Stayed tuned………

After day 5 of my sabbatical, I am still overwhelmed by the fact that I do not have to make the time to do things that I love, but I now have the time!  Regularly, I have to add simple things to my calendar, just to get them accomplished!  Such as, reading my daily devotional, 15 minutes of strength training, spending quality time with my family, etc.  I have been able to do these things daily and not had to make the time!  I was able to plant flowers, watch my oldest son, Trey, start his high school basketball career, spend quality time with my middle son, Ty, who absolutely loves the outdoors, and watch my youngest son, Alec, play his last season baseball game (loves to make a silly smile for photos! :).  Normally it doesn’t come easy fitting these things in.  What a joy it has been so far!  I feel extremely blessed and am looking forward to starting my first community service project on Friday.

As my final week of Sabbatical has come to end, I am truly overwhelmed with gratitude for this time of rest and rejuvenation. The words “thank you” really don’t quite do it justice. I am truly blessed to work for such a great company. That being said, my final week’s service project was with Love & Care Ministries here in Abilene. As most of you know, this ministry is absolutely incredible! I saw literally hundreds of people being helped and served by this ministry. From the minute the doors opened until the minute they closed, Love & Care would serve the homeless and poor. The attitude was very upbeat and Christian music was played everywhere I went. There was just this joy that I couldn’t describe about the people and the work they were doing. The job that I was given was serving in the Clothing Ministry. We would grab plastic trash bags full of clothes and sort them into Men’s & Women’s categories along with categories for sizes. I was amazed at all the clothing that Love & Care had received from the community. At the same time we were sorting the clothes,  there were literally people waiting in a room to receive those clothes. Needless to say, it was something I will never forget, and also serving in that ministry is something that I will definitely do again. Thank you Funeral Directors Life!

Here is the pile of clothes that we would sort through.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Day 12 of my sabbatical I figured the time would go by slow but I was wrong.

Last week we went back to Brownsville I was surprised how well our grandson did on the long 8 hour drive, we were  able to visit South Padre Island and go to Schlitterbahn  it was a great time.

I was able to visit my grandfather who will be turning 95 in September and I also saw my great aunt who was visiting from Nuevo Laredo she is turning 80 this year.

On Saturday we had our nephew’s graduation and I have to be honest it was the longest graduation ceremony I have EVER been to. Close to 500 kids graduated which is absolutely wonderful but LONG!

We headed back to Abilene on Sunday arrived close to 10pm and my mom came with us. She will be here for a week and then we will be traveling to Georgia to meet up with 2 of my brothers that we haven’t  seen in over a year.

Today my mom and I worked on the vegetable garden and on the rose bushes. I love gardening and its nice to have someone volunteer to help you versus forcing my husband or son be out there with me.

I have been enjoying my quite time, it’s usually early in the morning about 6am I still haven’t mastered the whole sleeping in thing not sure that I can. My daily devotional is 30 Days with Jesus todays passage was on making every day a Sunday and about 4 years ago  that would of made no sense to me but now I can say I find myself praying about everything and frequently throughout my day. I’ve also been reading God Loves Broken People ( and those who pretend they’re not) my reading for the day ended in a good spot it reads “When you are broken in the hands of the Master, you would never, ever go back to living the illusion that you are, in your strength, whole.” Its a really good read talks about how God uses our brokenness to bring us closer to him. I still have a long way to go but now I know I don’t have to face it on my own.

Till next time.

Today we were fortunate enough to play in a golf tournament to benefit Love and Care Ministries. On a Monday! Crazy right?

It was a great event for a fantastic cause. We raised some good $ to help bless the less fortunate in the big country. Here is a pic from one of the tee boxes:

Next we were puppy sitting because our girls went to the lake. Here’s a shot of the little mongrel :

It’s a hard knock life! Until next time…

Week four has been long, hard, and exhausting. I’m glad that it is finally over and that my life will be back to a regular routine. I am a creature of habit.

Taylor Stokes and I decided that we would help out some of our FDL family members by doing yard work and trimming trees for our service project. We survived each other and most importantly, we managed to get a few yards back in order and looking good. Poor Taylor, he’s never worked so hard in all his life. It was funny to see him so chipper on the first morning. He was laughing, giggling, and very upbeat for the first morning. The rest of the week was a different story. He did a great job and was great to work with for an entire week.

All in all, I have really enjoyed the time off from work. This sabbatical has been totally different from the first one. I made time to rest, relax, and enjoy family and friends. Thank you FDL for making this sabbatical possible for me and the rest of my coworkers. I am truly blessed to work for such a great company.

My 3rd week was a little more relaxed than the first couple of weeks. I got to enjoy the time off with my wife and 3 boys. It seems like their favorite thing to do is wrestle on the floor and play “good guys – bad guys”. I can see how much they are loving this time with daddy being home. One of the things that I have realized through my quiet times these couple of weeks is God the Fathers heart for his children. I was reading Psalm 107 and all throughout the chapter it talks about those He has redeemed and His heart for them. It says “Some wandered in the wastelands – they were hungry and thirsty – then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble and he delivered them from their distress. Another verse says “Some sat in darkness and their deepest gloom – then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble and He saved them from their distress”. Again, another verse says “Some became fools through their rebellious ways – then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble and he saved them from their distress.” I love these verses of scripture because they paint a picture of the Fathers heart for his children. Most every morning I wake up before my sons and my 2 year old still sleeps in a crib (because he would constantly come out of the room if he slept in a bed) and every morning when he wakes up his first words are “Daddy – Daddy – Daddy” and there is something that pulls in my heart every time I hear him say those words to go get him and rescue him out of that crib. I truly believe this is the way Father God feels about his children every time they call out to their Heavenly Daddy. One of my service projects for the Sabbatical was helping out with the “Boots on the Ground Ministry”. This ministry provides help to people in preventing possible hazardous situations in the homes of the elderly, disabled, and poor. Boots on the Ground has built numerous wheel chair ramps for the handicapped, repaired roofs for the elderly, and also provided needed essentials for the poor. During my service project, Boots on the Ground generously received 218 mattresses from ACU. We moved and stored the mattresses at the Boots on the Ground Warehouse on North 1st Street. I was surprised to see how many items Boots on the Ground had in their warehouse. From Refrigerators, Washers and Dryers, Furniture, Clothing, and Kitchen dishes to Lawn Mowers, Mattresses and home décor, they had it all. So if you are looking to donate to a wonderful ministry here in Abilene, you couldn’t go wrong with “Boots on the Ground”.

There are not many better ways to start a sabbatical than a vacation. I took my family to Hawaii and we had a blast. It was filled with much needed laughter and reconnecting. We enjoyed many activities but also took time to slow down and just enjoy one another. It was special how the Lord allowed me one on one time with my wife and each of my boys individually. One of my favorite memories from the week is at dinner one night the four of us laughed and truly enjoyed each other’s company. We are coming off a difficult time as a family and we really needed this vacation (and this entire sabbatical). I am taking this opportunity to intentionally connect and make purposeful time with one another to reestablish ourselves as a family and grow our relationships. The timing couldn’t be better and I praise the Lord for this first week as well as what is to come.

I can’t believe I’m on my 11th day of my Sabbatical! I try not to think about it because I start thinking about all the things I want to get done.  Funny rite, since it’s not about what I want to get done but what God has planned for me.

The first couple of days were of rest and taking it all in.  I didn’t worry about what time it was and what I needed to get done.  I’ve also made time to pray every morning, taking a nap, and reading my books (Rediscover Jesus and The Four Signs of a Dynamic Catholic both by Matthew Kelly).  As I was reading my book, God reminded me to “slow down and enjoy the journey” and that’s what I’ve been trying to do.

On Wednesday, I went to the Wellness Center to sign up with Deonna for the Live Fit Challenge and also went to Love and Care Ministries to drop off my volunteer form.  The next couple of days I cleaned my house, rested, watched movies, and got ready for our trip to El Paso.

We arrived to El Paso last Sunday night and my brother in law had some food ready for us to eat.  Monday, we visited my cousins and made lasagna for dinner and spent the rest of the evening talking and reminiscing.  Tuesday, we celebrated my son’s 12th birthday and went to Rockin’ Jump and had a blast! It’s different size of indoor trampolines and the best part of all was when my kiddos told me they were happy that I got to jump with them.  Wednesday was a day of rest.  Thursday, we went bowling and again had so much fun!

On Friday, my sister came over and visited with us.  When I told my kiddos that I had a sister from my dad’s side of the family, they were really surprised.  I didn’t realize I hadn’t mentioned that to them and my son quickly asked where she was from. I told him that she was from here (El Paso) and he asked why they had never met her.  I told him that I hadn’t had a close relationship with her because we were both very young when we met but that I wanted to change that and wanted for us to get to know her.  I also have a brother but he lives in California and hopefully one day we will get to meet him as well.  For rite now I am very thankful that my sister and I met again and spent time together.

Saturday, we went to the cemetery and cleaned my baby’s grave and put fresh flowers.  It’s been 18 years since her passing but it always feels like yesterday when my Jesus needed an angel in heaven.  Today, Sunday, we went to mass and had a relaxing day with my mother in law, brother in law and his family.  I am really enjoying spending time with family and not having to worry about time.  I’m learning how to live in the moment, leaving yesterday in the past and not worry so much about tomorrow.

Till next time…

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This week has been such a blessing. First, I got to spend time with my mom in San Antonio for her birthday. My stepdad and my mom both mentioned how much it meant to her for my brother and me to be able to come down there for her birthday. On Sunday, the minster at my mom’s church, MacArthur Park Church of Christ, preached on the Armor of God and talked about when he lived in Abilene when he proposed to his wife.  I figured it couldn’t be a coincidence that the sermon was about the scripture on our sabbatical coin and my hometown was even mentioned. Here is the link to the sermon if you would like to listen to it: http://mpcc.buzzsprout.com/5224/521586-ambassador-in-chains. My mother also gave me an old photograph of my grandmother with her mother and sister that I was able to add our family records that I keep.

“Pupa” is an Italian term of endearment. It can mean “doll” or “cutie.”

Monday, I was blessed by two wonderful guys who are also on their sabbaticals. Alvino and Taylor transformed my yard into such a beauty. They trimmed trees and bushes, edged and mowed my lawn. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate everything they did for us.

I also began delivering for Meals on Wheels. It really is one of those things that is so simple to do that leaves a huge impact on people. I delivered a meal to one lady and I realized from the delivery sheet that her birthday was the next day so I wished her an early happy birthday and her face lit up with the biggest smile. She even told me about some of her birthday plans.

I’ve been reading The 360 Leader by John Maxwell, which is about leading from the middle, and The Just Like Jesus Devotional by Max Lucado. Both ask you a lot of big questions that are often times hard to answer and its usually not intellectually difficult but emotionally difficult. Here are two hard ones from each: “What is worth spending your life on?” (Maxwell) and “How would you have responded if Jesus, knowing everything about you, knelt before you to wash your feet?” (Lucado).

Maxwell’s question might be easy to answer in some categories. Most people want to spend more time with their families and on their relationship with God but after that it gets kind of blurry.  You could even ask a bigger question and ask yourself “Am I spending my time in the way that God wants me to?” I know for me that question could be oftentimes be answered with a big fat “No”. I’m pretty sure that God had not intended for me to make so many trips to Taco Bell in my life and that instead of ordering a 5-Layer Burrito I should be doing something more valuable with my time. But what should I be doing? Perhaps today writing a blog is something I should be doing. It may make a positive impact. God always has a way for opening doors to others. I used to write quite a lot when I was younger.  I used to write poetry and even wrote articles for some newspapers and a magazine. I have even kept up a couple of blogs in the past. As I am writing this, I am realizing that maybe something I should be spending my life on is writing.

Don’t worry I’m not going to forget Lucado’s question. I personally think that if Jesus tried to wash my feet that I would not want him to, especially with him knowing everything about me. I wouldn’t want anyone to wash my feet, let alone someone who knows how imperfect I really am. I would feel so incredibly unworthy and embarrassed. Perhaps some of the disciples felt this way. One of thing Max points out is that Jesus washes the feet of Thomas, Peter, and Judas. One doubts the resurrection of Jesus, one denies him, and one betrays him a way that leads to his death. None of these guys knew this was in their future but I think they knew what was in their hearts. They knew that doubt, fear, and evil lived in there and here comes the Savior to wash their feet. Peter even says that he would never want Jesus to wash his feet. I can only imagine the tension in the room. Jesus also says he does this to be our example. How many of us could humble ourselves enough to wash someone else’s feet, especially people we know everything about, good and bad?

Besides getting to read some pretty impactful books, I also got to take Garrett and Odin to the CALF (Children Arts and Literacy Festival) this year. It was our 3^rd year going and it was spectacular.  What I love most about the CALF is how it brings literature alive to kids. This year’s illustrator was Garth Williams, who illustrated Stuart Little, Charlotte’s Web, The Three Little Pigs, and much more. We also got to spend Saturday with Jessie Martin and Addie on Saturday at the CALF. I loved the ventriloquist Nancy Worcester. She taught the kids and the adults how you can build a better world by building a better you. I only wish all children’s entertainment had such positive message.

The power of this week makes me look forward to next week even more and I hope that blog número dos can only have as many positive things in it as the first.

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

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

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

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

Notice a green spot there?

There go the trains!

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

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

I awoke to the serene noise of a gentle rain shower making its way through the land.  It was light out, but I didn’t bother to check the time.  I could hear off in the distance the rain showers becoming heavier as they approached my hermitage.

I awoke again a couple hours later.  I laid in bed in anticipation of a full day without any schedule, no phone calls to make, no emails to return, no text messages to answer, no kids to tend to.  Just a day for me.  Again, I didn’t bother to check the clock as I had nothing prompting me for my time.

I spent about 30 minutes reading my Bible while listening to the birds sing a multitude of what sounded like perfectly choreographed concerts.  I made my way up to the lodge for a quick shower.

Upon my peaceful, 10-minute, walk back to my hermitage, I decided that I would grab my Bible, a book, and my journal and I would take a walk through the trails eventually ending up at a small open field named the Meditation Garden where a picnic table awaits you in the open sunlight.

I sat at the picnic table and just stared around in awe of God’s miraculous beauty in nature.  The monkeys were clearly asleep as I felt for the first time in a decade, that I had nothing, nada, zip, zilch, NOTHING on my mind in those moments.  It was quite strange to be honest.  I could not hear the static of life, but I could hear something that I never hear.

• Bumblebees were buzzing.
• Caterpillars were crawling.
• Chipmunks were scrounging.
• Deer were dancing.
• Dragonfly’s were whizzing.
• Flies were flying.
• Squirrels were squeaking.
• Trees were whisking.
• Turkeys were gobbling.
• Woodpeckers were pecking.

As I sat there in what I thought was silence, I was blown away at the amazing orchestra that surrounded me.  Then it dawned on me – you cannot hear this God-produced orchestra unless you are in silence.  Silence is challenging, but oh so beautiful.  As Paintner wrote, “Cultivating silence is about making space for another voice to speak. Silence is presence rather than absence.”  Today, I am thankful I made space for God to speak through His creation.

I returned to my hermitage and shortly thereafter the monkeys were jumping around again.  Should I turn the data back on on my phone so I can check my emails, my voicemails, my social media messages?  Should I check in with my wife?  Should I spy on them via our in-home camera?  Should I, Should I, Should I…

I laid down and prayed that God would tie those blasted monkeys up and give them a good dose of Tylenol PM for the next 27 days.  After successfully subduing the monkeys, I was fast asleep for another good nap.

I spent the remainder of my evening reading, journaling, sipping tea, and sitting in silence listening to God’s perfectly orchestrated masterpiece that we call nature.

I urge you to regularly practice silence as it helps us grow aware of the chatter of our minds and the judgments we carry about ourselves and others.

– Nick

It’s been very busy since I left Texas for Tennessee.  On Wednesday after work, I said my goodbye’s and headed out made it to Bossier City, LA to stay the night and up by 7am for breakfast and hit the road for a very long 9 hour drive to Cleveland, TN…my new home.  We unloaded my car, which by the way, I looked like the Beverly Hillbillies coming to town.  Jeff had dinner ready and we relaxed the rest of the night.  The next morning we began putting things away, which is still not all done yet. We went to visit his mom and helped her with a few things that needed done.   Friday, I began reading the power of humility by R.T Kendal and reading from our Book of Mysteries from Kris. We have been to town Friday and Saturday just trying to get things we need, groceries, etc.  Each morning we wake Jeff and I get in separate rooms do our reading and praying then come together to get our day started.  Today we are working on straightening up the office finding a place for me to work.

Things sometimes do not work out just like you plan…we had planned to help with the Ronald McDonald House in Chattanooga but that fell thru so we began talking, praying and listening to what we wanted to do…We went to the  Salvation Army and signed up to work with them…not only for the our Sabbatical but from now on. Our hearts tell us working with the homeless children/families are where we need to be.  We have the Duck Race coming up and every Friday night at our greenway they put on a free night for the kids with music and activities in which we will help do where ever we are needing for this.  We have planned to help a family or child in need of food or clothing, this has really been heavy on our hearts.  Looking forward to seeing what God has in store of us with the Salvation Army from here on out.

On with my day…

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

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

           All laid back and enjoying life!

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

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

Blessings,
Robert

I arrived a few minutes before 11:00 a.m.  I was greeted by Blair Anderson, a retired pastor of the ELCA after 40+ years of faithful service to the ministry in the northern suburbs of the Minneapolis metropolitan area.  He and his wife, Betty, have made it their mission to provide a place (62 acres) in Central Minnesota for spiritual retreat in silence and solitude.

We enjoyed a cup of coffee and a pleasant introduction of each other.  Toward the end of our conversation, Blair asked, “What are your hopes for your time here at Well of Compassion.”  The question was somewhat a loaded question that I hadn’t anticipated.  My answer was simple however: “A time of silence.  A time of peace.  A time of rest.  And a time to reconnect with God.”

He escorted me to my hermitage, gave me the nickel tour, prayed for me and my stay, and away he went.  He said he would return in about 30 minutes with water and a basket of breads, fruits, and cheeses.  Before unpacking, I made my way out to the screened-in porch where I sat in silence in awe of this opportunity to become a ‘hermit’ for a few days.  Something I have longed for over the course of many years.

It didn’t last long, minutes in fact, for the monkeys in my head to start jumping around reminding me all the things I should be doing.  I should be blogging.  I should be reading.  I should be journaling.  I should be resting.  I should go for a walk.  I should, I should, I should…

Blaire returned with bountiful basket of breads, fruits, and cheeses and wished me well.  I was thankful for his return as it distracted me from the monkeys.  He graciously invited me for dinner at the lodge with he and the other hermit.  I hesitated for a second as I wanted to say no, but couldn’t resist good Christian fellowship.

After pacing for what felt like an hour as I attempted to put the monkeys to sleep, I laid on the bed and began to pray a prayer of thanksgiving for this sabbatical opportunity and this ministry.  I awoke several hours later, just in time to head in for dinner.  I’m thankful I said yes, as we had a pleasant dinner, just the three of us, and some spiritual direction from Blair.  He shared a writing from Christine Valters Paintner about Silence.

As I walked back to my hermitage, The verse “Be still and know that I am God,” encapsulated my thoughts.  Do we really know what it means to be still?  I mean, do we REALLY know stillness?  I know I don’t.  Paintner says, “A person can live alone and still experience much noise within and a person can live in the midst of a crowd and have a true sense of silence in their heart.”

Painter goes on to write, “Silence is challenging.  We create all kinds of distraction and noise in our lives so we can avoid it.”  Do you create distractions to avoid silence?

 I spent the next several hours reading “Simplify – ten practices to unclutter your soul” by Bill Hybels with the flickering light of the lantern as darkness fell while listening to the rustling noises of leaves crunching as critters roamed around outside.

Do you know how dark it gets in the middle of a forest with no electricity!?

– Nick

This past week I had the great opportunity to partner with Eastridge Baptist Church. They are a congregation that ministers to the most diverse and one of the poorest areas of Amarillo. The church offers ESL classes, helps refugees fill out any needed paperwork, they offer services in other languages and much more. They have a kids program after school and in the afternoons in the summer. It’s an open gym time where kids can play in a safe environment. They also serve a hot meal each and every day.

The program is run by the senior pastor, Mike Garmin. I was thankful to help him this past week. My help was simple yet was something I believe blessed him. I put together a tool bin, vacuumed their artificial turf, helped prep the meal time, swept floors and hung out with the kids.

On Thursday and Friday I was able to open up the gym and oversee the days program. Pastor Mike was sick and asked me to cover it for him. This turned out to be a blessing because if I was unable to help those days he would have had to cancel. I was happy to help out.

The church is doing some great things for their neighborhood and I look forward to working with them in the future. Pastor Mike definitely needs help taking care of the program and I will be a voice for him and what they’re doing in hopes more people will get involved.

I’m so grateful for the opportunity to help them and serve a different community.

Michael

Today ended up being a great blessing!!!!

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

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

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

Blessings,
Robert

Matthew 25:31-46

The Sheep and the Goats

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It’s Friday, and I just finished up my week volunteering at Love & Care Ministries. This was just an amazing week for me. Every day, I came home dog tired, but incredibly happy and fulfilled. Here’s the whole team:

On Wednesday night, I went out with Janet to do a street feed. We gave out about 60 meals to people who were out walking on the streets and living in various camps, motels, and homes. The street feeds were some of my favorite experiences from my time at Love & Care!

Janet warned me to put on bug spray for our evening out, and she wasn’t kidding. The mosquitoes were the size of rodents out there! I must have some sort of domesticated variety at my place because these bugs looked like monsters! I asked Janet if they gave out bug spray to the people living in the camps, and she said that they’d give it if they had it. Bug spray and repellants are one of those things that get overlooked as donation items, I guess. I wondered if we might do a bug repellant drive up at work. Collect some bottles/candles/etc., especially for those who live in camps?

On Thursday, we served pasta with meat balls and fried squash that came in from a local farm. The squash was delicious! Then we made a fruit salad for Friday and called it a day. I’m not sure if my feet have ever hurt as much as they did Thursday night. What a workout! By the way, my “exercise” for this week has been walking, standing, and hopping up and down from the back of a truck for 7 hours a day. I think that counts, lol!

Today, I helped out at the food pantry and got to give out sack lunches and weekend kits to our homeless friends. I’ve started learning some names throughout the week and even recognized some faces from our street feeds and from working the kitchen.

As I reflect on the past week, I learned a lot more than I ever have on a mission trip. During the sabbatical, our time of service is intended to be a time to refocus, and working at Love & Care has certainly helped me to refocus. Here are a few of my thoughts:

I need to do more of this. Life is made up of all the little choices we make. Every week, I plan out what I want to accomplish, and I usually get most of it done. I need to make more room in my life for helping others. Not out of some sense of duty, but for the sheer joy of it. Because it makes my heart feel good to put a smile on someone’s face.

It’s not that hard to get involved. It was a lot easier to help out than I thought it would be. And, there are a lot of great ways to help from volunteering for a lunch service, to donating items or giving money.

I don’t really need the stuff I think I need. I don’t think of myself as materialistic by any stretch of the imagination, but I have a new appreciation for “wants” and “needs.” Any time I want buy something because I “need” it, I want to take pause and remember my week at Love & Care. Because I don’t really need it, and I can probably be completely happy without it.

Wealth is not about money, it’s about having a bountiful spirit. I don’t know how many people I served this week who said “I’m blessed” when they were asked how they were doing. They were rich in love and joy, even in the midst of difficult circumstances. I want to be more like them.

Don’t forget to smile! Early in the week, I was concentrating on my work and trying to be helpful, and someone came into the kitchen and said, “Hey, you have to smile if you want to work here!” I can’t believe I forgot to smile! I didn’t get to have long conversations with most of the people I served, but I did get to smile at them a lot for the rest of the week, and I hope it brightened someone’s day :).

Do what you feel in your heart. As with any organization, there are rules at Love & Care to protect the generosity of others and make the most of what is given. But sometimes the rules get in the way of helping people who really need it. One of the topics of conversation in the kitchen this week was about when to give beyond what the “rules” said. Janet’s edict from Mark Hewett? “Do what you feel in your heart.” I think those are good words to live by.

Blessings,

Heather

And so it begins………… test post!

Just testing that I know how to post here!

Shout out to the Customer Care team because the image is on my computer!

I started this sabbatical doing something I have never done before, PLAN!!  I am a planner and a serious planner, so I have vowed to plan as little as possible over the next month.  I did have to plan a hotel for the past weekend, we visited LegoLand and Sea World Aquarium, along with Build-A-Bear.  It rained the entire weekend, but didn’t stop us.  Monday was suppose to start my service project at Meals on Wheels and to my surprise they did not need in to fill-in help, so I hung my head and drove back home.  When have they not needed help?  So I thought I would just have a relaxing Monday, that quickly changed when Ms. Val (dear friend) called and asked that I go sit with a lady alone at the ER until she could get a room.  Ms. Val was in Atlanta and couldn’t be there for her friend, so I went at 4:30pm and sat with Ann until her room was ready at 9:30pm.  During these very long hours Ann & I talked, she wanted to know about me.  As the hours went on she asked where my husband was, I told her out of town working in far west Texas.  She asked how I was able to let him do that and at first I couldn’t figure out what she was talking about. I was confused and thought her medication was causing her not to think clearly, but she wanted to know how I trusted him being away from 4 days.  I was speechless, mainly because I had no answer.  I had never even thought about that, as I told her she was in awe that I trusted him 100% and wanted to know how to get that.  I explained that it is not something you get, this had been in our relationship from the first date 20 years ago, I had never doubted his loyalty and that went both ways. She started crying and said that she has never had that feeling in any of her relationships.  So while I was sitting in a hospital I was blessed by Ann for reminding me that I have a great marriage and a wonderful husband that works very hard for his family.  When I got to the parking lot I made sure to send him a message about how much I appreciate him.  My husband said that God didn’t want to use me at Meals on Wheels because he had to make sure I was ready to sit with Ann.  The rest of the week was spent running errands, appointments and serving as a Meals on Wheels fill-in driver.  As a fill-in driver you never know which rout you’ll be assigned until you get there.  This took me to some areas of the town that I have never been to and it also served to open my eyes to the elderly in our area that need help.  While I could only deliver their meals I made sure they were also greeted with a smile and kind words to make them smile.  I did have a run-in with a chihuahua, but we both survived!  The kids have really enjoyed this week as I have not been setting my alarm clock, so I sleep as much as I need and then start our day.  Most afternoons have been spent on the patio relaxing.  Please pray for Ann she will be having major back surgery on June 16th, she also feels that God has left her.