This week I’ve been meditating on Mark 66:31 –

And He said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while, for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

I’ve been finishing my preparations for speaking at a Pastor’s wives retreat in late September and this is the theme verse for our time together.  When I chose that verse, I had no idea that the Lord would be giving us a 31-day sabbatical; a time to come apart into a desert place to rest.  How good is our God?  I’ve been studying this passage – why Jesus took his disciples away and why we, too, need to find a place to rest.  It’s been a blessing to study and also to practice!

Week Two of our Sabbatical has been a blessing as we’re now in “rest” mode.  It took the first week for my husband to be able to release everything and let his heart, mind and body rest.  So, as we entered this new week, we were geared down to make the most of this time.

Let me share some snapshots of what this second week has looked like.  Ready to step inside the sabbatical?  Here we go…

First let me give you a view of some of the beautiful creation we have seen.

All of these pictures are from day trips within an hour and a half of our home.

Here are some of the places where we’ve spent some time –

We spent one day in Boone, NC.  All the pictures below on the left side are in Boone.  We enjoyed Daniel Boone Inn, where we had a fabulous feast!  We loved walking through Cornerstone Book Store – the biggest Christian bookstore (and the best) I’ve ever been to!  We also went to Mast General Store in Boone where I saw this stamp machine.  I love that store; it’s full of memories!

The top right picture is our back porch.  We’ve spent LOTS of time out there.  It’s been a quiet, lovely place to study.  We also eat our meals out there, and one night we enjoyed sitting out there with the soft lights on, watching a movie on my tablet while munching on popcorn.  I call it our “Swing-in Movie!”

Last weekend we attended a wedding near where our daughter and son-in-law live, so we had the fun of staying with them.  We got to walk downtown Greenville and see the gorgeous sites including the Reedy River Bridge.  We went to church with them at their church Sunday morning and heard a great message from Psalm 91 – one of my favoriite psalms.

After church we had a scrumptuous meal at Whitney’s table.  Her husband had to head to work after the service, so wasn’t able to enjoy the meal with us.  However, to be able to be with them on a Sunday and attend their church was a special blessing.

Now for some pictures of what we’ve been doing:

Studying, reading, swinging, drinking iced coffee and resting.  =)

From left to right – I’ve been…Coloring cute Bible pictures (I know I’m on sabbatical when I take time to color!), making a seat belt “cover” to keep the seatbelt off my neck, making homemade tortillas and cooking them on the grill, walking in the morning (look at the color of that leaf!  I’m ignoring any sign of fall!!!), enjoying being with my husband on these delightful days, and canning peaches!

That’s not everything, of course, but that gives you a really good peek inside our sabbatical this week!

Now, tell me, when you have time to rest, what do you enjoy doing?

Stay refreshed,

Have you ever driven past a beautiful place, like the Biltmore mansion, but not been inside?  You don’t really know what it looks like because of that.  I’m bringing you along with us on Sabbatical so you can see for yourself what it looks like.

We’ve not hurried anything in the mornings.  Getting up without an alarm is a treat.  Time in the Word and prayer is lingered over like a gourmet meal.  It’s the richest time of the day.

Each day  we’ve ventured out a little, but stayed pretty close to home.  Here was one beautiful adventure:

I “just happened” to pick up a book by Elizabeth George – Quiet Confidence for a Woman’s Heart on the clearance table a week ago.  The chapter I read at the lake just happened to be on Psalm 23:2 – He leads me beside the still waters.  Where was I reading it?  At this beautiful lake.  How good is my God?

This book has been a sweet refreshment as she takes us into the life of the Shepherd and His sheep through the means of Psalm 23.

Time to read.  Slow down.  Pray.  Journal.  Rest.  Talk.  All inside the Sabbatical.

With love,

Hi Friends!  I am writing a little post to say we’re having a great first week while doing this thing they call resting.  It’s a foreign word to most ministry families.  Days are typically long and full, weekends longer and even fuller, but the joy runs higher than them all.  However, there comes a time when everyone (and I mean everyone – even the folks in the pews) need to stop and rest.

We feel so very loved by our church that they would notice our fatigue and desire to do something to refresh us, something that is so unknown to our circles, like sabbaticals are.  Have you wondered what we’re doing?  What a sabbatical looks like close up?  Let me give you a peek.

My sister sent a text yesterday that said,

Praying that this sabbatical will be a refreshing and restful time for you!

I answered,

It’s been a huge blessing already!

Then her reply –

That’s saying something for only 2 days!

I thought much about that last statement.  Was I jumping the gun?  No.  When you are under pressure and the pressure is released, you notice it immediately.  Let me illustrate –

On Monday, the first day of Sabbatical, I went to a previously scheduled dentist appointment (horrible timing, right?!).  It was just for a cleaning, so it wasn’t too bad.  However, when the hygienist got to the bottom front teeth where I typically have a tough time keeping free from plaque build-up, she began her  chiseling  cleaning. Pressure! I definitely noticed when she completed her task and stopped the pressure on my teeth!  So, too, with our responsibilities lifted for these 31 days, the pressure is released, and it is a huge blessing!

Here are a some pictures of how we’ve spent our days:

Uninterrupted Quiet time has been a blessing – reading Scripture and praying has been a rich.  My kitty, Liza just happens to love to pray with me.  When she hears me (I pray out loud), she comes and stays near.

There are specific words that the Lord has given each day this week.  Not prophetic kinds of words, but labels.  The first was:

Rest.

The second was

Still waters.

I’m marking these words in a journal, careful to seek God’s face and hear His heart for these days inside the Sabbatical.

This post will be continued tomorrow.  I’ll have pictures of a couple places we’ve been.  I hope you’ll check back in!

With love and a rested heart,