Tuesday, May 28, 2013
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.
Sunday, May 26, 2013
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.
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.
Friday, May 24, 2013
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!
Blessings to all!
Monday, May 20, 2013
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.
Focus of the day is letting the Lord shepherd me as I settle in at the pastor's conference late this afternoon.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
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
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
Monday, May 13, 2013
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