BLOCK ONE SUMMARY

Well, I have now completed block one of the Sabbatical Journey - designed to be a time of decompression – finding a different rhythm than my typical pace. To accomplish this I traveled West to hang out – alone for the first 15 days and then to be joined by my partner in life – Gwen. Here are some stats and thoughts on Block One:
I Visited:

• 7 states
• 7 National Parks
• 3 National Monuments
• 2 State Parks and 2 Canyons
• I drove just over 5,000 miles
• I hiked over 80 miles

I Managed to

• Unwind (all days but 2 . . .)
• Rest - (most nights 6-8 hours as compared to 4-6 normal)
• Keep things pretty simple – going with the flow
• Spend 15 days alone (though I caught myself talking to myself from day 11 until Gwen arrived)
• Find myself amazed over and over again by God, His creation, a larger perspective – I found myself thinking – to myself at first and later out loud – Wow, God! This is amazing!
• Share in communion everyday – these were meaningful times alone and later with Gwen

The Time with Gwen

• Was a great reunion
• A great celebration of our marriage love and partnership
• Was filled with incredible “shared experiences” in God’s creation
• Had a good rhythm – we have learned the hard way to balance activity and rest; time together and time alone (a wonderful fireplace in a Glacier Park Lodge assisted this greatly)
  

I Took Time to Read

The Testament by John Grisham – one of his legal novels but with a strong eternity matters message
Just Walk Across the Room by Bill Hybels – our staff is studying this in preparation for the year ahead – it is a great study in listening to the promptings of the Holy Spirit to share with those not yet connected to Christ
The Return of the Prodigal Son by Henri Nouwen – (Thanks Jerry for the book!). A phenomenal study of the three characters of the story of Luke 15. Nouwen writes about our hearts. I came away with a greater desire to be like the Father in the story and to deepen disciplines of trust and gratitude
A Resilient Life by Gordon MacDonald – it’s all about the need to finish strong. The biggest impacts for me related to:

• Caring for the past – On his encouragement, I wrote down Key People, Major Ideas, and Critical Events which impacted me in 5-year increments of my life. This was both encouraging and deeply painful – in a good sort of way. More processing from this ahead
• The need for a “Happy Few” in our lives – he identifies these individuals as the dozen or so who will deeply grieve at our funeral. Lots more there to process as well
• The need for focus and disciplines of life – I especially connected with the need for four growing disciplines in my life – Grace, Gratitude, Generosity, and Humility (doing really well on the last one!). Way too obviously there is room for growth in each of these areas

BEST OF ALL – One Amazing Passage
I spent time each day reading, memorizing, and meditating on Psalm 23:1-3.

The Lord is my Shepherd, I will not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for His Names sake.

It’s too soon and significant to share a lot from this passage yet – my heart is almost too tender with these words from my Shepherd.