daddy4ms

Sometimes a pastor's family is neglected because of the demands of ministry.  I try very hard to keep my evening meetings to a minimum so I spend time with my wife and kids.  During sabbatical, I made a goal of taking each of my kids somewhere for 24 hours.  It was their choice as long as we could drive there.  Mackenzie and Megan chose instead to go to Guatemala for a week on a mission trip with me in exchange for this 24 hour trip.  Other relationships that were strengthened were with extended family.  Since we are at Hesston MB most Sundays, we miss out on different activities with our families that happen on Sundays so during Sabbatical we spent some Sundays with Bethany's parents and my parents. We also took a longer than usual vacation to Florida as part of our Sabbatical.  This was great to spend time together, have fun, and make memories.  I would have liked to have a weekend or short trip away with Bethany, but that did not work out d...

Tomorrow we begin the 20 + hour drive back to Kansas. We have enjoyed our time in Florida. Here are a few pictures from our final days:

Yesterday, we began our vacation.  We are driving from Hesston to Orlando, Florida.  We will be stopping in Paris (Tennessee) on the way to visit Bethany's family.  On Monday, we continue to the drive to Florida.  I am excited about this vacation and have been for months.  You can check back to see pictures from Disney World, trip to the ocean, and pictures from the International Retail Show.  Regular posts will resume after July 4th.

As you read this, I am in flight to Ft. Lauderdale, FL for the Liberate conference.  Last year, I went alone and this year I am bringing 6 people with me.  I will be sharing notes from the speakers on this site throughout the week.  Return Thursday-Sunday for new posts.  We are also including a little rest and relaxation today and then on Monday.

I just returned from Liberate 2014 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.  Below is a picture I took. It was a great conference and you can read my notes from many of the speakers on earlier posts.  Today, I wanted to share some thoughts I had while sitting on the beach one morning about the similarities between grace and the ocean.   Grace is like an ocean because: It is deep .  When we think we have understood its depths, there is more. It is far reaching .  No matter what you have done in your past, God's grace can reach you. It is free . Isn't it amazing that you can go the beach for free?  No admission fee. It draws you in .  Just like the undercurrent in the ocean, God draws us. It is rest . Listening to the waves is relaxing and peaceful. It is unpredictable . You cannot predict the pattern of waves. You cannot predict how grace will affect a person. It is bitter .  We avoid drinking it.  To those who want to live b...