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We had a great vacation to Florida from June 20-July 3. It included two days driving each way. Here are my top 10 pictures from the trip:

Mitchell, Molly & I went to Animal Kingdom on Day 4. We then switched to our condo for rest of week from Disney.  Today we went to Cocoa Beach. The kids were ready to get back to the ocean. Below are pictures from last two days:

We had a great time together at Hollywood Studios & Magic Kingdom for Day 2 & 3. Here are some pictures:

After a quick visit to see Bethany's family in Paris, TN, we arrived in Orlando after 24 hours of driving. Below are some pictures to capture our memories.

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.

I am excited and thankful for my sabbatical which begins tomorrow, May 1st and goes through July 31, 2015. I appreciate the opportunity provided to me by my church, Hesston MB.  To me, this is a great blessing and sign of a healthy church as they allow their staff to take time to grow as individuals and leaders.  Below are my tentative plans as shared with the congregation. Sabbatical 2015   Dates: May-July 2015 As I prepare to go on Sabbatical in the summer of 2015, I have been praying about what this time of refreshment, renewal, and relaxation should include.   Here are a few possibilities: ·         Time of prayer & reflection   ·         Attendance at various churches to observe what their Sunday morning looks like   ·         Visits to specific churches who are ministering effectively to children, couples and fami...

You can read my notes from all of the speakers in previous blog posts.  Today, I am sharing some of my favorites from different speakers: Don't assume God is not at work in certain people or certain places. Be looking or listening for how God is already working. (Deb Hirsch) When Jesus says one thing and we experience something else, it should lead us to ask why. (Lance Ford) Discipleship is moving from unbelief to belief in all of life. All sin comes from unbelief. 4 Truths about God: God is Great so you don't have to be in control. God is Glorious so you don't have to fear others. God is Good so you don't have to look elsewhere for your satisfaction. God is Gracious so you don't have to prove yourself to self, others or God. (Caesar Kalinowski) The church needs to have a big front door-new believers. The church needs to have a big back door-church planting. (Nicky Gumbel) Repentance means to believe the truth and live in light of that truth....

Here is another great song that we sang at Exponential in Orlando.  Listen to the promises throughout the song.  God is worthy of our praise!

I will be sharing over the next few weeks some new songs that I learned at Exponential.  The song today was the "theme song" for the week. 

Mission is about going out.  Incarnation is going down deep into a culture. 1. Presence It's really about identification. We need to understand the people. The world has come to us.  We don't have to go overseas to be exposed to different cultures. We see this in Jesus. 2. Proximity We need to get up close and personal. Need to be able to touch them. Where you stand determines what you see. Very rarely did Jesus put Himself in religious zones. If I don't see needs, I won't be able to meet them. 3. Pre-venience God is at work in every single person preparing them to look at Jesus. Don't assume God is not at work in certain people or certain places. Be looking or listening for how God is already working. 4. Powerlessness Think about the God of the Universe as a baby. Philippians 2 There is no place for arrogance in life of a Christian. We serve a humble God. 5. Passion Having an understanding of what happened on the cross. We all suffer, struggle, or have pain.  Are y...

As you read this, I am headed to Orlando, Florida for the Exponential Conference.  Check back throughout this week for posts from the conference.  I look forward to hearing from several great speakers such as Matt Chandler, Rick Warren, Jonathan Dodson, Robby Gallaty, Andy Stanley, Tim Keller and many more. 

Today is my last day in the office this week.  Tomorrow, I am going to be packing and leaving for the International Christian Retail Show in Orlando, FL.  Bethany and I are looking forward to the trip together.  We attended the show last year in Atlanta, GA.  It is actually work for Bethany, but a vacation for me.  I get to go along and meet authors and artists and get lots of free books.  Not to mention, I will be hitting the beach at least one of the days.  I wonder which authors and artists we will meet this year.  Check back starting Monday to find out and for pictures from the show.