August 11, 2012
Our sabbatical is going well.  We do realize though, that trials in life come even if one is on sabbatical. We had a little accident with our rental car in Montana when I hit a one foot hide boulder making a u- turn in a parking lot. We have had some paperwork with that.
Taking a sabbatical is a choice for renewal. It allows leaders to take a step back from ministry in order to reflect and seek God's direction for the next phase of ministry and life. It also allows time to rest from ministry activity. We are still in the resting stage. Susan and I were talking about how much this "time off"
of ministry activity is helping us. We realize now how fatigued we were and still are.

At our last meeting with our sabbatical support team, I shared how I wasn't missing the ministry activities. Several of them commented that this could be because I wasn't in my best fit or ministry role. Susan and I  were able to do a good job recruiting and  bringing together a Nav Staff team in KC over the last 5 years but this is not my "sweet spot" especially the administrative paperwork that goes with that job.

I am a minister not an administrator
A grass roots minister not a manager

One of our sabbatical support team members shared from Matthew 11: 28-30. "My yoke is easy and my burden is light." The word easy means  "fit for good use"  "fits you well"  A key part of our sabbatical will be finding that role that is a  "good fit" in future ministry for us.

I spend an hour in the Word each morning and also an hour reading books. I am in I Kings and Matthew and hungering more and more for this time with the Lord in His Word. I am reading The book,  "Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership"  Susan and I both sense that God's Spirit is at work stirring up our deepest longings to draw us into a deeper relationship with Him. We are growing in our understanding of the deep value and worth that we have in God's eyes just because of who we are in Christ apart of any ministry activity or production. "Moving more from a doing base to a being base"  Finding our security in Him.

We continue our Rest phase through August and then will move into the reflect and assessment stage in September. We will go to the Nav Hdqtrs in Colorado for a "Personal Contribution Assessment" time next month.  All for now.

Dave