July 25 - Home!

We arrived home yesterday late afternoon.  How wonderful to see and hug Ryan!  We've had a blessed time of travel, renewal, relaxation and refreshment of the Spirit.  I am seeking God's direction of how to share all my thoughts and encounters, and have begun to formulate some creative writings!  For now, we will spend a couple of days settling in and helping Ryan prep to move to St.  Louis for the next few years - furniture, home supplies, etc.  We thank Kelly, Betsy, Kyle, Brian, Lynne, Kreighton and Cahle for helping Ryan move all the furniture out of the basement, removing the soaked carpet pad and beginning the process of drying out the carpet - what a big task!  Now to write some articles for the Visitor!

July 22 - Heading Home

Been awhile!  Sorry about that. The past 10 days have been filled with travel! Our last day in Montana was fantastic as we visited Gates of the Mountains (Lewis and Clark trail site and a beautiful river cruise in the mountains) and Last Chance Ranch (a horse drawn wagon ride to a ranch dinner and singing cowboy entertainment). Our time with my mother was a wonderful blessing.  We then drove the 2100 miles to Biloxi in 3 days to visit Amy. We had a tremendous time with our precious daughter, who knows more about Back Bay Mission than I do, and she guided us around the city to see her work sites.  It was tough saying goodbye this morning, but we will see her on the 3rd of August in St. Louis when we move Ryan there. Today Lynne and I drove to Townsend, TN to spend sometime at Cade's Cove, in the great smoky mountain national park.  We are due to be home Wednesday evening.

Unfortunately, when the power failed at home on Saturday or Sunday, Ryan was away at a wedding and water soaked our new basement carpet since the sump pumps didn't run. But Ryan got on top of it and with the help of several friends, the process of cleaning up is well underway.

Looking forward to sleeping in our own bed this week. It has been a blessed time away, and I will begin typing up lots of plans and discernments in the next two weeks.

July 12 - Leaving Yellowstone

Our time in the park ended with a 7 mile round trip hike to Mallard Lake - tired legs!  Then we enjoyed a the local Playmill's offering of Beauty and the Beast - it was very well done and very entertaining.  We do need to continue to look behind the physical exterior of each person and look to their heart, as well as we must control our own inner struggles.

Today we will drive up to Bozeman through the scenic valley of the Gallatin River, stopping along the way  to visit a couple of places,  Tomorrow I will finalize my sermon that I will give Sunday morning at Grand Avenue Christian Church.  It's been good to follow my new routine gained through the Moody Pastor's Conference.

Today's Discovery reading prayer pertaining to our great Creator and Sustainer are so real in our minds after exploring the many wonders of Yellowstone.  The time of meditation, even while hiking all over the place, has been a tremendous blessing as I've sought the Lord's direction for the future of my pastoral ministry.  I look forward with great hope and expectation to the coming years, thankful that I'm blessed to serve the Lord in cooperation with the congregation of St. John's.

July 10 Pictures

I will see how these pictures post.  Wifi is weak and unreliable here in the western regions of Yellowstone!  Pic 1 - three bison walking down the middle of the road, past our truck.  Pic 2 - bull elk.  Pic 3 - grizzly walking along the side of Mt. Washburn.  Pic 4 - a rainbow falling a thunderstorm including hail.

July 10 - Yellowstone

The past two days have been filled with exploring more of the park and enjoying observing more wildlife.  We've been within 50 yards of a giant grizzly, watching in wander along foraging on a hillside, and we've watched a herd of bison move along, cross the road, and display various behavior habits.  We've witnessed hail, sudden drops in temperature, thunderstorms, and beautiful blue skies.  As Wayne Spiess recommended, we've sat at Moose Falls, and then enjoyed a hike and meditation time next to Lewis Lake.  God's creation certainly is astounding in its variety, and that's including the park, too!  I was also talking about people - we are each so unique, and my reading of a Ray Pritchard book on prayer addresses our need to love all.  Today we are catching up on details - paying bills online, planning next week, and writing a blog post - then after a mid-morning brunch we will head to Mt. Washburn - one of the highest places in the park.  Hopefully the grizzly has moved on.

We are here for two more days, enjoying "Beauty and the Beast" at the local theater tomorrow, and then Friday we will explore southern Montana before we return to my mother's.  I continue to work on my sermon for this Sunday, at the church my mother is a member of, and then we will wrap up our time with mom and head to Biloxi.

July 8 - Yellowstone

Sunday began with worship at First Baptist Church and ended with almost hitting a bison on the dark and rainy road out of the park.  In between we experienced:

- 2 adult bison and 1 calf walking down the road, toward us and the other cars, just ambling along
- a 2 1/2 mile hike to Cascade Lake, passing a few bison in the open meadows, sitting in the shade of a towering pine, enjoying some quiet reflective time as we read, wrote and enjoyed.
- a quick return from the lake as the wind shifted, the clouds turned dark and the rain started to fall; it was a fast paced return, passed even closer bison, but we made it safe and dry.
- a picnic in a pine forest in which the wind picked up again to the point of a large trunk falling on the exit road about 100 feet from our table!  Talk about scary!
- a drive through the park, seeing some bull elk with huge antlers, watched a bison swim across the river and cross the road in front of us
- checking out some of the bubbling paint pots in a thermal area - smelly!
- coming across a large group of people looking off to the west - two grizzlies moving about, digging in the dirt, climbing low hills, and running from a  bison that came too close
- stopping at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone for pictures from artists point
- 2 more bison walking right alongside the road
- large herds of elk grazing in the meadows
- darkness and rain falling, with fog setting in, for the third evening in a row, suddenly coming across a bison walking in the other lane, going our direction, with our stopping and flashing brake lights to warn travelers coming up behind

In worship, the pastor offered one prayer in which he spoke of the majesty of creation speaking to the majesty of our God - how true and fitting!

As we stepped into the woods towards Crystal Lake, a sign posted on a tree trunk warned of grizzlies in the area.  We had out bear spray, our bear bell and desire to continue.  As we walked along, constantly studying the woods, undergrowth and meadows for any signs of wildlife, we were a bit fearful of what we might see, but enjoying the freedom we felt in nature.  As I walked, I thought of how our hike was symbolic of our faith.  Each day we live in a world of sin, going about our own business, heeding the warnings of scripture that sin is all around us, but with scripture, prayer and faith we look around, looking out for ourselves and those around us, and we travel safely to and fro through the grace of Christ.

May God's power guide and protect!

July 6 - Yellowstone

A grizzly!  That's right, a grizzly in the wilds of Yellowstone!  Lynne spotted a rock on a distant hill and in closer inspection, we watched a grizzly move along a ridge for an hour or so.  It was almost at the limit of our binoculars, but it was clearly a grizzly in its natural habitat.  Of course, while we watched it, we had to keep an eye on the bison that were coming down a ridge, swimming across the river and then walking across the road.  Pretty neat first day, yesterday.

Today, we ate early and headed to the Canyon area, where we walked for five hours or so and enjoyed the many different views of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone River.  What a series of water falls and turbulent water.  We also saw an osprey sitting on her nest with her chicks high atop of rock pillar in the canyon.

We enjoyed some interactions with people as we shared binoculars and passed each other on the various trails.  Yellowstone is packed with tourists, so we left early this morning and walked some trails most people don't use.  Coming back out of the park, a long line of cars means they spotted the elk once again (we know that from yesterday) and it was a traffic jam.

I've started the first and second chapters of my book and will spend the evening working on it and some other things.  Tomorrow, we will worship at a local church here in West Yellowstone, eat some where, then head off to park with our hiking gear and picnic supper, hoping to stay in the park until nightfall.  We are blessed to have notes from Wayne Spiess from his and Susie's time in the park over the years.

July 5 - Heading to Yellowstone

July 4th ended with a symhonic concert and fireworks at the local fairgrounds, about a 5 minute drive from my mother's house.  The second outdoor concert and fireworks I've enjoyed this year - first when with Amy in Biloxi, and now here in Bozeman with Lynne and my mother.  Bozeman is a city with 45,000 inhabitants, and the fairgrounds and surrounding city blocks were filled with celebrants!  An amazing feeling to experience a huge crowd stand and sing along to "God Bless America" under the darkening expanse of Big Sky country.  We also witnessed first hand both the freedom and the rudeness of people - free to express themselves by talking and laughing loudly throughout the concert, much to the chagrin of those around them.  Even continuing their loud chatter when the symphony played two songs of tribute to our military.  Those around us showed great restraint in avoiding what could have been a nasty confrontation, though some heated looks conveyed at times the displeasure of such rudeness.  Another lesson on wondering how my actions and my words affect those around me; I hope in a much more positive light than last night's experience.  Though even their rudeness couldn't overshadow the splendor of the night - for God has blessed us with beauty, freedom and grace!

My readings yesterday and today were about delegation, family, and liesure - appropriate topics for me to study.  Fit right in with today's Discovery reading.  My prayers continue to be about following God's lead in what I and we do, which comes as a result of the careful study of the Word and much time in prayer.

Though we went to sleep with fireworks bursting in the neighborhoods around us (it's legal to shoot off fireworks for July 3, 4 & 5 in Bozeman) and though we awoke to God's firewords of thunder and rain, our moods cannot be dampened as we head to our week in Yellowstone today.  Whether it's getting a break from sleeping on air mattresses the past week or the expectations of God's wonder in creation, we excitedly look forward to the coming week of gazing, reading, meditating, hiking and enjoying.

More blessed thanks to our congregation for the priviledge of this sabbatical time.

July 3 - Montana

We awoke early this morning and drove 23 miles to the Upper Hyalite Creek trailhead, south of Bozeman.  Early?  5:30am - not too early.  We strapped on our bear bell (thanks to Maggie E), our bear spray (thanks to a member of the church my mom is a member of), water bottles and carried our breakfast and binocluars.  Right out of the truck we saw a mountain goat on a nearby rocky slope!  We hiked up the moutain canyon and back, viewing the peaks, large patches of snow, three beautiful waterfalls and over 25 mountain goats in various groupings, and returned to our vehicle five hours later.  What a gorgeous morning - from a body shivering cold upon arrival to a warm and comfortable temp at conclusion.  Watching the sun arise over the mountain peaks was glorious, and God's creation shined in all its splendor.

Our laptop hard drive crashed soon after we left Ohio, and once it was repaired this week, we struggled finding our product key in order for microsoft office to be reinstalled, but providence smiled upon us today, and after two weeks of using the ipad (tough to type lengthy paragraphs on), we are up and running once again.

Skyped with Amy this afternoon and she is doing great.  No group this week, but one will come Sunday.  We plan on visiting her July 19-22 and then head for home.  She's found a Gulf Coast Gator Ranch we can visit!  And she's lining up some favorite restaurants for us, too.

With our morning hike, we flip-flopped our daily schedule, so we will be reading, praying and meditating after dinner this evening, or rather after we enjoy a peach cobbler mother made for us!

And I will be working on my sermon for July 14th, when I preach at Grand Avenue Christian Church (mom's church), using some of the new knowledge I've gained in researching, drafting and preparing for preaching.

Have a blessed July 4th.

July 2 - Montana

We begin another day in Montana with my mother.  Reading topic today was on delegation - for the blessing of ministry and the praise of God.  Great food for thought our sabbatical time ends and we all move on in our congregational ministry.

Lynne and I continue to help my mother around her home - sorting and cleaning, organizing and arranging.  We are in the process of sorting a few thousand photos - what a joy to look at, but what a task to go through!

We enjoyed a brunch yesterday with my uncle and aunt as we caught up with one another.

Weather - as many might want to know - Saturday's thunderstorm brought 1 1/4 inches of rain.  Nights have been cool in the 50's or so, and the days are getting warmer - high 80's with the forecast of 93 today.  Bright, bright sunny days.  We've been drinking lots of water!

So another day of prayer, study, renewal and helping mother!

Lynne and mom will attend a women's bible study today, too.

Day Forty Three

July 1st - the first day of a new month, and of a new regimen.  Awoke at 6am and after my personal routine, I read for an hour - reading both from Discovery and from my sabbatical readings.  Pastoral leadership was the topic of my reading this morning, what a calling and what a task.  I am blessed to be engaged in shared leadership at St. John's - shared with Pastor Adam and with our lay leaders. 

I witnessed an aspect of leading by example and humility yesterday.  My mother took Lynne and I to a local restaurant for brunch after our time of worship.  The place was owned and operated by a woman, who had established the place decades earlier.  In listening to our waitress and my mother, I learned that the owner was sitting at a table near by.  I learned what a generous person she was in her community.  Then I notice at one point how she got up from her meal to go close the swinging door to the kitchen - she could of had the waitress do it, she could have called out, for all to hear, but instead she quietly got up and closed the door, both to minimize noise of and sight into the kitchen.  Maybe only I saw her do that, but as I read about leadership this morning, the Lord enabled me to recall her leadership by example and in humility.

I will be preparing notes on leadership for my personal growth and for future sermons.

After my reading, I spent time in prayer, praying for my own spiritual health, for the spiritual growth of my family, and for the spiritual health of the congregation of St. John's.  Relying upon God's direction and patience, let us each devote ourselves to the Lord that we would be His sheep as we growth in faith and devote ourselves to serving people in His ministry.

Psalm 121 - our help comes from the Lord

Erich

Day Forty Two

One of the interesting aspects of being in Montana is that there is a two hour time difference between here and Archbold, so as the congregation worships on Sunday morning, we are still waiting to go to worship this morning.  I began with prayer for our congregation's worship, for the worship leaders and for the worshipers.  We will go with my mother to her church once again, as it is a rare blessing to worship the Lord alongside my mother.

The past week has been filled with activity, and with times of relaxation and renewal.  We spent Monday thru Wednesday traveling to, enjoying and returning from Glacier National Park.  Driving by a snow field 10' high in the mountain pass was wondrous!  We saw some fantastic scenery, saw a mountain sheep, hiked to some beautiful water falls, and were fogged in at the summit!  The formation of the earth truly is amazing, with glacial affect and the variety of God's vast display of rock, water, vegetation and animal life.  The trip up and back was about 7 hours one way as we took the less traveled routes and enjoyed scenic drives.

The past four days have been spent at my mother's house - a cottage apartment that is part of a large senior citizens complex.  When my older sister and I helped move my mother last year to this new place, several things were left undone, not knowing my mother would wait for the next visit from one of her children!  So we have rearranged furniture, hung pictures and curtains, and fixed a few odds and ends.  My mother's failing eyesight has stabilized, but she has trouble reading printed instructions or reading her thermostat, so we have been helping her learn and remember various items to help her on a day to day basis.  It's a blessing to help her around her home

Tomorrow, July 1st, I will begin to follow more of a regimen in my daily schedule as I start to put in place some of the guidance I've been reading about in my pastoral books.  For the past couple of years I have been less than systematic in my morning and evening schedules, which I attribute to a wearing out of my soul at times.  This blessed time of sabbatical has given much restoration and I look forward to getting back to earlier routine, with additional focuses pointed out in my reading and from my time at Moody.  Waking earlier, at the same time, reading and praying for a set time, with more emphasis on personal prayer, and a new regimen on worship and sermon preparation will be some of the aspects I will be addressing.  Into that mix will be more of a physical exercise program, too!  Lynne has been very helpful in prompting daily walks!

Lynne and my mother get along tremendously, which makes living together for more than a few days much easier!

I find my river of life being renewed in so many ways as God directs the course of my days as a river is directed by its banks.  The Lord is channeling my energy and devotion while I splash over and around activities and lessons, just as a river splashes over and around rocks in the river bed.  How blessed life is to be so directed by the Lord,

And yet so many don't have such direction.  As we went to a farmer's market yesterday, I saw a man wearing a disturbing t-shirt.  Pictured on the front was a group of men sitting around a poker table.  One of the men was portrayed as Jesus - with a halo around his head.  Two words on the shirt - "ante, Christ."  The depiction of the meaning of Jesus putting in his ante for the hand of poker was disturbing - what a sad, sad jibe at our Lord.  One of the lessons I'm reading about has to do with evangelization - sharing the truth of scripture with those who don't know Christ.  I look forward to God's continual leading in our mutual ministry.

I will try and be more regular in posting to my blog!  Just got my laptop back as the hard drive crashed!

Blessings on this Sabbath day.

Erich

Day Thirty Six

We are staying in Whitefish, Montana tonight and tomorrow night as we explore Glacier National Park.  My family visited Glacier in 1976 and I remember the beauty of what we will see once again tomorrow.  We will travel along Going to the Sun Highway, a 50 mile journey, one way, and hike to a glacier or two.  My mother is doing well, and what a blessing it is to enjoy her motherly hospitality once again! We worshipped with her on Sunday, at her church, Grand Avenue Christian Church, part of the Disciples of Christ.  I will preach there on July 14. The book I am reading has been a great background as I listen to others preach and I am discerning a new system/schedule of study for when I return home.  The discovery readings continue to keep me in touch with the church's study of Acts.

My focus continues to be on deepening my pastoral gifts and exploring how I can enhance my pastoral care, and I am learning much from my visits to other churches.  My absence from St. John's continues to be felt as I miss familiar faces and friendly conversations!  I pray that The Lord has continued to bless the ministry of our church.

Erich

Day Thirty Three

Today we drive to Bozeman, Montana, to see my mother.  The past week has been one of traveling and sightseeing. Hiking the past two days has provided wonderful view of God's creation.  I've picked up several sermon illustrations and have been processing my meditations with God.  It's been peaceful to be free from stress and worry as we enjoy seeking God's directions for our ministry.  Another 9+ hours on the road today. So far we have blessed with safety, friendliness while traveling thru various cities, and blessed clear weather.  Amy arrived home last night for a couple of weddings and Ryan comes home this weekend from counseling at a science camp at ONU.  We trust they will enjoy some sibling time together before Amy heads back to Biloxi.

Day Twenty Eight

A good day of travel yesterday, through scenic areas of Indiana, Illinois and Iowa.  Worshipped at New Testament Christian Church this morning. Pastor is retiring in October after 39 years with church. He was full of energy and offered a great message on parenting, using a video clip from the Courageous movie.  And a very welcoming church - we were greeted by so many people before, during and after the service. The pastor prayed for Lynne and I as we talked with him before the service. Sermon was based on story of Jacob and Esau, with an outline from Gary Smalley, about how parents can love their children, which I have saved for a future sermon!

First Father's Day in which I didn't see either of my children, but heard from both of them!

Lynne and I visited historic sites in Fort Madison, saw a fawn trotting through a neighborhood, and watched a barge go thru a lock on the river.

Read a few chapters in my book about the calling and office of being a pastor - very clarifying work about the servant leadership role of a pastor.

Tomorrow morning we drive to Kearney, Nebraska, another long drive but we will stay there two nights and explore some frontier sites.  Should be in Montana Friday evening.

We continue to pray for the St. John's congregation daily.

Day Twenty Seven

We leave this morning on our journey to Montana. We came home from the summer mission trip Friday afternoon, unpacked, washed clothes, re-prepped the truck, repacked and got a good nights sleep.  We are headed to Keokuk, Iowa today, along the Mississippi River.  Ryan goes to a friends wedding today and then spends a week at Ohio Northern Univ as a science camp counselor and Amy comes home Thursday for about ten days for a couple of weddings.

The past week of working with Habitat was another blessing.  It's always good to work with tools!  And to work alongside a group of Christian servants that have a desire to share Christ's love with others.

We will be driving long stretches so we can spend two or three nights in one place and enjoy the local areas. Lynne has enjoyed mapping out a route for us to follow.  We are headed west on route 24 for a change of pace from driving via Chicago.

Today I begin reading my next book - On Being A Pastor, Understanding Our Calling and Work, co-authored by Alistair Begg, a speaker at the Moody pastors conference.

I continue to praise God for this time of renewal and the blessings of each day.

Day Twenty-One

Today we drove from Jordan, MN to Sawyer, MI, about a 500, 9 hour trip - long day!  Our family reunion concluded with worshipping at my sister's church.  They have one service at 9am, and it was another blessed experience.  Sermon was on Elijah and what kind of God do we believe in and serve.  Picked up some further thoughts regarding serving communion, use of the screen during worship, and flow of service. 

Our family reunion was a good time of family togetherness - it was good to spend time with my mother, three of my siblings and several of my nieces and nephews.  Everyone headed back home today and we are making plans for our November family gathering (in November so my mom can travel from Montana before snow makes travel difficult at her local airport!).

It was a great joy to arrive at Tower Hill Church Camp this evening and be greeted by the group from St. John's - a little taste of what it will be like to reconnect once the sabbatical time is over.  Lynne, Ryan and I look forward to working with the group to build another Habitat house.

The news of Beth Wanemacher's death certainly brought sadness to our day.  Our prayers are with her family and friends, and I will return to Archbold for the services.  My last conversation with Beth was one of faith and hope as she shared her steadfast faith in her Lord.  Beth's testimony of faith has been a great lesson in my own spiritual journey.  May God's peace be with Joel, Amy & Chris, Mindy & Travis, Carrie, and Beth's siblings.

In our travels we have been relying on a new piece of equipment - a garmin gps system.  What an amazing tool to direct and guide us through huge cities like Chicago and Madison, around rural areas and finding area attractions.  As Christians we have such a tool to guide our spiritual journey, and how blessed we are to have the Word of God to read, study and obey. 

Day Eighteen

We've spent the full day in Jordan, Minnesota, with my mother, sister Reba, and sister Sarah and her three teenage boys.  Sarah's oldest, Cody, graduated from high school last weekend and his graduation party is tomorrow, Friday evening.  We spent much of the afternoon cutting up fruits and vegetables for two different types of salads, and tomorrow we will help with final prep work!  The prep work has provided plenty of time for conversation as we catch up with one another.  Our oldest brother and his family will join us tomorrow, too.  Sarah is my sister that is on oxygen 24/7 and continues to cope with a lung disease which drastically affects her overall help.  It's a blessing to be able to spend some extended time with her and her boys.

We will enjoy some sights in the area on Saturday, will worship with the family at Sarah's church, and then Lynne, Ryan and I will head to Sawyer, Michigan for the week's mission trip with Habitat.  It will be about an 8 hour drive on Sunday, but we will have been well rested for it.

God continues to supply great moments of rest and reflection as I've been reading a couple of books purchased at the pastor's conference at Moody Bible Institute.  More on those books later.

Day Fourteen

Sunday, June 2nd, and we are in Chicago.  Following four days of work and preparation at home, Ryan, Lynne and I settled in Elmhurst, IL, last night for a two day stay.  Tomorrow we will move on to Madison, Wisc., for two days, and then to Minn. for our family reunion. 

On this day of Sabbath rest, I am grateful for an opportunity to worship at a Christian Reformed Church, which we found through a Garmin search.  Following worship and lunch, we will explore a bit of Chicago by walking in a park and taking a boating excursion.  Times of rest and wonder to offset some days of intense work!

The past four days have been ones of thanksgiving:

• For time to catch up on projects at home
• For so many different tools to take care of a wide variety of projects
• For the people of my past who taught me how to use those tools
• For Lynne and Ryan working beside me
• For the resources to buy the necessary materials
• For the congregation of St. John's for allowing me the time away
• For Discovery readings that continue to speak the word of God to me
• For times of prayer in which I praise God and seek His wisdom
• For blessed neighbors who will keep a close eye on the home while we are away, and who will mow the yard, water the plants, and even take trash to the curb!  We are blessed to have Tim & Jamie right next door!  They even brought over a plate of chocolate chip cookies for us!
• Amy is settling in well at BBM (Back Bay Mission), though Craig has told her some stories about me (like jumping to the ground from a house floor 12' in the air)!

I have started an outline for a book, telling stories of ministry from my pastoral encounters with people, both humorous and faith enriching.  I pray God directs my thoughts as I compile a book of Christian faith and ministry.

My cup indeed runneth over!

Erich

Day Nine

I am practicing my patience!  Flying home today from Biloxi, and due to a maintenance delay, my flight to Dallas was late enough that I missed my flight to Detroit.  So I have five extra hours to read! Had a great conversation with Craig of Back Bay Mission and Amy should have a rewarding internship.  What a blessing it was to spend four full days with my precious daughter - she is quite the maturing young lady.  Lynne and Ryan are due to pick me up at 12:15am and looking forward to our time together.

Day Seven

My first Sunday away from St. John's began with prayer for Pastor Adam as he led and preached this morning, as well as for the congregation as they worshipped The Lord. I hope my little video clip made sense!

Amy and I went to New Life Family Church, as we googled churches Saturday evening.  It was a contemporary church and a blessed experience.  The pastor's message dealt with getting through tough times, and his words and delivery were very inspiring.  At one point he had us stand to pray over the scripture reading, he read scripture , then he had us high five three people before we sat back down.  A bit unusual, but made everyone smile.  I made some notes of interest about the service for future reference.  I already am very intrigued by where God will be leading me in the coming months.  Some great lessons of scripture and preaching in just this first week.

After a light lunch we went to the Biloxi visitors center and learned a bit about the area.  Took more notes for/about our October trip - may need to quit real early one day to take in some cultural aspects of the area!!!  Amy will be checking further into some learning activities for us.

We then drove 30 some miles over to the city of Pascagoula and enjoyed an evening at the Beach Park.  The feature entertainment was a choral and symphony concert, followed by fireworks over the gulf.  The choir sang four spiritual and several patriotic numbers, and then the symphony played their concert.  The prospective captain of the USS America was the mc of the night.  The ship is being built in the local shipyard and will be finished in one year.  We also met the guest conductor who was 91 and was a WWII hero. He was a paratrooper and jumped 100 times behind enemy lines, as well as earning four Purple Hearts.  The orchestra played the military service song and the crowd recognized the veterans and current men and women as they stood when their own military branch song was played.  Made me think of the Memorial Day celebrations in Archbold.  An inspiring evening.

Now to bed as Amy and I will awake early to attend services at the national cemetery here in Biloxi.

Day Five

While the typical descriptions apply to my time at the Moody Bible Institutes pastors conference - such as very inspirational, very rewarding and very motivational - it was truly a great beginning to my sabbatical.  I received convicted directions on topics of preaching, self-awareness, encouragement, worship, church assessment and evangelism, to name a few.  God's Spirit was active, as two of the five main speakers preached from the same text, without either one knowing that was going to happen, so we heard two different lessons from the story of David and Goliath, which was already on my mind since Toby Walker shared about his favorite bible story on Presentation Sunday.  As I listened to one speaker, I wrote down a friend's name who came to mind as the speaker talked, and later that afternoon I had a text from that very same friend.  We hadn't communicated for several months, but the Spirit laid our names on each other's heart on the same day - that led to some prayers of praise and thanksgiving for both of us.  I had some good down time at the end of each day, and came home refreshed and rested.  Today, Amy and I head off to Biloxi, giving us almost five full days to be together - I look forward to sharing with her, listening to her, and enjoying this precious time together.  1 Peter 1:16 - "Be holy, because I am holy."  A key verse from the conference as we were challenged to seek the holiness of Christ.

Blessings to all!

Day 1

The morning began early as I awoke at 5am ready to roll.  Praying for my family as I leave at 8am to take my mother to Detroit for her flight home and then I'm off to Chicago thru Friday morning.  Thankful for the couple who booked my hotel room for the week using their own rewards points, and thankful for Wayne Spiess who will be providing us with info on visiting Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks from his and Susie's summer they volunteered in the parks.  Recorded by truck mileage and logged my weight - will be looking to eat better, exercise regularly, and drop at least 20 pounds in the next ten weeks.  Praising God for the beginning of this time, and thankful to the congregation for their encouragement and support.

Focus of the day is letting the Lord shepherd me as I settle in at the pastor's conference late this afternoon.

Final Days of Preparation

Everything is happening at once!  Amy coming home, my mother coming in for Ryan's graduation, a family wedding, wrapping up things to do at home, planning and packing for my sabbatical, and wrapping things up at the church - I know all will work out with God's timing and strength, but what a whirlwind of activity!

How blessed Lynne and I are to be given this time of sabbatical by the congregation.  We truly praise God for our mutual ministry and friendship.  We are so thankful!

In these days, I continue to memorize two key passages of scripture:  Psalm 23 and Psalm 46:10:

Psalm 23:1-6  The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.  2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,  3 he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.  4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.  5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.  6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Psalm 46:10   "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

As the Lord shepherds and sustains, I long for the moment of being still, that I might exalt the Lord in my time of contemplation and spiritual renewal.

Until my next blog...may God's peace be evident in your life.

Pastor Erich

Beginnings

Pastor Erich will be beginning his sabbatical on May 20th.