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I'm Officially on Sabbatical!



Today began my 2 month sabbatical. A time of reflection, relaxation, study, discernment, rest, renewal...I will explain more as the weeks pass by. It is a time to disconnect from "my world" and reconnect to God and my calling as a minister within the Body of Christ. However, it is unrealistic for me to totally stay away from social media and technology because well…if you’ve met me you know the answer to that. However I will be significantly limiting my use of all things electronic over the next 2 months. I will not be responding to emails, I will not(unless you have been otherwise notified) be answering phone calls or text messages, and I will not be spending much time on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram except to post the occasional picture, blog post, or significant update. I hope that limiting my time with these avenues of communication will allow me to truly be in the moment! 

I have many hopes for this sabbatical and I want to share them with you as I go along this journey rather than throwing them all at you at the end and praying you catch something.

I hope that this time away from First Christian Church in Oskaloosa, Ia and the everyday tasks of ministry, will bring me much rest and rejuvenation to my body, mind and spirit. As well as a renewed spirit for serving the congregation and community in the way God has called me!(remember my sermon from Ephesians 4- those of you who attend worship at FCC)

I pray that I will be reminded, as Paul says to the Church in Ephesus to “lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called…” This is also my prayer for anyone who is reading and following my sabbatical journey.

Every Saturday (probably not the same time each week) I will post a brief update. Please feel free to comment, leave prayers (for me or others), encouragement, as the weeks roll on. Each week the post will look something like this:
Hope for the week:
Question of the Week:
Thought for the week:
Prayer for the week:

Week One(8/1-8/7)

Hope for the Week: I hope I can relax and allow God to guide me through the next 61 days!

Question of the Week: Where will I see God unexpectedly this week?

Thought of the Week: It was a fantastic idea to take 10 days of vacation before truly beginning my sabbatical and I am unbelievably grateful to my congregation for being on board with this entire plan!

I invite you to join me daily in the Prayer for the Week:
Holy God, be with me in the coming week. Help me to see you in the unexpected. Give me the courage to let go of the things I cannot control. Remind me of your grace and love. Lead me, guide me through this week. Amen.

In case you missed it the first few times here is a helpful itinerary of the journey before me.
I ask for your prayers while I am in various stages of being away on sabbatical.

August
1– Sabbatical officially begins
11– September 2– St Mary By theSea   
11-19 Volunteering
20-27 Retreat:  Deepening Our Consciousness That All Is One.  This retreat invites us to expand our awareness of how the beauty of nature heals, to explore the effects of art on consciousness, and to experience the impact of our daily choices for life.
28– Sept 2   Volunteering

September
11-13    Keynote Speaker  West Virginia Disciples Women’s Spiritual Life Retreat
20-24    Closing Retreat at Grey Goose Inn, Moravia Iowa

I will also be spending some much needed time visiting with family and friends on the East coast that I don't get to see very often!

Prayers for God’s blessing upon you,

                                                          Andrea
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