As mentioned before, this blog is designed in part to keep you apprised of the ways you can pray for me and lift up my time in sabbatical. I am very grateful for those of you who stay so committed to this discipline on behalf of our ministry and my family.
As before, we’ll start with a foundation of praise:
Bless God that he continues to teach me new things and grow me during this sabbatical season. I’m especially thankful for all those relationships I have every day that bring out the best in me and hold me accountable when I would not on my own.
Bless God that my bout with Covid was short-lived and a minimal struggle. I know this is not the case for so many and I’m remembering that my inconvenience pales in comparison to those who have serious concerns.
Bless God that we’ve been brought through the last busy season and now find ourselves in the middle of a consistent time of being home. It’s been a long, long time (pandemic lockdown excluded) since I’ve been home for this kind of extended period of time. I am excited and grateful!
What’s on my heart right now?
Pray that I would steward this time at home well. I say this thinking about my sabbatical and my theme of “listening.” I say this in terms of my ministry and needing to get some things done that I have been putting off for some time. I say this knowing that being home is not the same as being present, especially for my family.
Pray that I would find good personal space. I have recently been struggling to find time to myself. Lots of company, lots of family tasks, lots of meetings and work and ministry. I need to find my own downtime right now. (Seems like a contradiction to the above, I know!)
Pray that I would be listening as a leader. I think our organization is really leaning in and growing in our ability to build better culture and become a high-quality organization. I want this to continue and bear fruit — so we need to stay connected to the Vine. Apart from him, we can do nothing!
What’s on my calendar?
BEMA Israel (Low Contact). Pray for our trip! It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to lead a group to Israel. Our next trip leaves in late March.
Michigan Christian Convention. I will be one of the keynote speakers at this year’s Michigan Christian Convention. Pray for my preparation!
