My sabbatical so far…

I'm about ¾ of my way through my sabbatical, so I thought I'd give you a progress report.

What has the Lord done with me over this sabbatical?

• God has confirmed the key passage:

PS 90:1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.

PS 90:12 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom
PS 90:17 May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us-- yes, establish the work of our hands.

• God has walked with me through the death of my father.
  
• God has given me the experience of a lifetime with my family in Europe.
  
• I have been able to go through the Pastors on Point SIMA Process. This is a GREAT process. More on that later.
  
• God has used great passages such as Jeremiah 1:5-10 and many others to reconfirm my call.
  
• Yosemite (still to come)
  

What has been most significant to me?

• Fresh times in God's Word.
  
• Reflecting on an analogy of a lobster shedding its shell. The shell (of any organization … i.e. the church, needs to occasionally be shed in order to grow. So in order to grow we need to ask, "What is just the shell (not the life)? How can we shed it (even if it means becoming vulnerable)?
  
• Reflecting on the organizational life cycle as it relates to my personal gifting.
  
• The values I truly cherish are GOD'S WORD, FAMILY, RELATIONAL TEAMS, KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE, NEW GROWTH, SHAPE, and PEOPLE ON THE FRINGE OF FAITH.
  
• And much, much more that I'm not ready to share yet (because it is still percolating). Check back!