Sabbatical...one year later...

Next week, it will be one year since the Skor Family finished up our Sabbatical time away. My good friend is currently finishing up his much needed Sabbatical time as well.

Those two connected thoughts have caused me to ask myself, now one year removed, what the Holy Spirit has taught me through our Sabbatical experience, which is now viewed through the lens of a year "back in the saddle."

So here are 10 "learnings", worth something to me, but probably not much to you:

1. Health and Faithfulness are far more important to me that whether I'm perceived as successful ~ Life and circumstances may never allow us to be "healthy" in this sin-filled world, but I can still make right choices to be as healthy (spiritually, physically, emotionally) and as faithful to my God, as possible. I've watched far too many who are addicted, dysfunctional and driven by wrong things burn out and crash. As far as it depends on me, I do not want that.
2. Listening is far more important that Speaking ~ Whether it's in a conversation with people around me or in my relationship with God, this is just simply True.
3. Investing in Relationships is far more important than, well, most anything else.
4. If I cannot disconnect my esteem from "what I do," my heart is in danger ~ I am in danger when I allow myself to be influenced by those who are caught in this dysfunction as well and may need to remove myself, for a time, from that relationship.
5. If I cannot give up my need to be needed, or involved, my heart is in danger ~ I'm also convinced that this is, if not sin, bordering on it.
6. My worth, purpose and affirmation come from my relationship with my God.
7. I am called to lead, and I am gifted accordingly ~ regardless of what some who have selfish interests may have tried to say to me.
8. I choose to believe in people and speak into their lives rather than criticize them and leave them in my wake.
9. The Church is about to undergo a major reformation and paradigm shift in order to reach our current culture ~ I am called to be part of that change.
10. God has broken my heart more than ever before for people who don't know what it means to have a relationship with Jesus my friend, savior and leader.

The Devourer

We've been home for just about 24 hours and already there have been moments when it is tempting to forget the joy and blessing of the last weeks and focus on the moment.

The Bible calls both Satan and sin by the name of "the one who devours"...the reality is we live in a world that is decaying due to sin even as Satan attempts to devour the good that is beyond the reach of decay. Ok, that was my moment of theology... :-)

Already, we've been faced with a car that is missing horribly, a dryer that is dying rapidly, and several other items such as a broken paper shredder that aren't a big deal unless combined with the annoyances of the bigger things.

I'm rarely one to give satan credit for everything bad that happens (and won't give him credit for these mechanical pains in the butt), but he and his cronies definitely exploit opportunities like this to devour joy, memories of blessing, celebrations of God's amazing faithfulness, and every other good and perfect gift that have come from above. Mark (in chapter 4) shares Jesus' parable of how the enemy swoops in to steal seeds of God's Word spoken to us if we aren't careful to make sure our hearts stay cultivated and tender to His voice.

I fully expect other events, people, and moments to give me "opportunity" to harden my heart and allow my joy and the depth of what He has spoken to me recently to be stolen away. I am determined to stay focussed on my Provider...whether it's dryers, cars, electronics or people, I know that they are ultimately His and He will take care of each in an amazingly faithful manner. (Jere. 29:11, Malachi 10:11-12)

The most difficult challenge, and I hesitate to write this, will be people I think. Well meaning people who will want me to know all the things that have gone wrong while we were gone. Well meaning people who may be subconsciously (or consciously) bothered by us being gone for so long and they were not.

My prayer this week, based on Psalm 103, is that we would be a means of bringing joy, health, and freshness instead of the reverse.

Church

Went to Countryside Community Church in Spearfish, SD this morning where my friend, Bob Totino, is on staff. They're one of two churches in the Dakota District of the Wesleyan church that are truly reaching lost people like crazy.

They're so busy reaching lost people that they hardly have time to figure out what to do next. This is one church that has truly figured out the keys to the culture of their community. Their music fits the community, so does their style and approach. They aren't trying to be an image of one of the big churches out there, although, you can tell they've learned from the best. They have intentionally chosen to do what works in THEIR community.

This church was planted by Chris Conrad, then when he went to Wisconsin to plant a new church, their search for a new pastor led them to Mark, who was already on the inside. He's taken the church to whole new heights. They've built a great building and have impacted their community. As I talked to him this morning, he's working closely with the district to figure out how to reach the smaller communities of the Dakota District. He has some brilliant ideas.

It was also a fun surprise to be there this morning as Chris Conrad came "home" to speak.

I also found out that the Dakota District is having Camp and Conference this week in Rapid City. We're going to stop in and visit with some old friends. I'm hoping there are some college friends, as well as friends from my home town.

Celebration

Got to celebrate Mom's Birthday tonight (aka "grammy"). Her wish was to eat at Leatherby's and have the boys spend the night...let's see, "You mean I get to eat ice cream and be alone with my wife all night for your birthday gift?" I suppose I'll sacrifice...

Too close for comfort?

I've been wondering lately about how our family will do in such close quarters for the next few weeks. You always hear the stories of families who just don't get along when they actually have to spend time together. I guess we'll find out won't we?

Just call me Clark Griswold...



This just makes me laugh...