Greetings church family. Today marks the literal half-way point of the sabbatical that I began following worship on Mother’s Day a little over a month ago.
Currently, I am blessed to be spending a week on Lake Tahoe with Amy. Every day we have enjoyed hiking in the mountains or along the water, reading books, and spending lots of time in conversation. It has been enriching to feel our connection with each other grow ever-stronger.
Thus far over the first half of the sabbatical, I have enjoyed my weekly online class which focuses on spiritual, emotional and personal growth. The weekly class has not only been a blessing, but the assignments we have been given to practice throughout the week have been likewise rewarding.
I have also been working on a project of memorizing some of the most popular Psalms. As you know, memorizing scripture is something I have long enjoyed doing and this has been a spiritually-enriching discipline for me to have undertaken. I look forward to sharing more about this with you when I return.
Upon returning to Decatur, I will have a few days of rest before spending a week at the Gethsemane Abbey in Kentucky.
Every day of this sabbatical – when I have not be in transit – I have devoted much early morning time to my own personal prayer and devotion. In every one of those prayer-times I give thanks for you.
This sabbatical has already been such a blessing for me – and I believe also for my family. I am humbled and honored your generosity which has made it possible. And I do not want a day to go by when I do not share with our Lord how grateful I am for what that has meant in my life.
Thank you! I look forward to these next 42 days and then to seeing you on August 6.
- Pastor Michael