During this week, I am on Sabbatical – taking a rest from ministry as a home stay-cation. 
When I looked at my calendar for April – May and the soon-to-be-released third book of the Reverend G series – I knew I needed to do some proactive regeneration.
A Sabbatical is essential for renewing creativity. Usually scheduled every seventh year, its intent is to build restoration, to fulfill a goal or to complete research for a project.
The goal of my Sabbatical is an emotional reboot, to refresh my senses and inhale more of the divine than I exhale in service.
Fortunately, I work in a ministry that allows me the flexibility to use vacation pay for Sabbatical rest. In fact, at GateWay of Hope, we remind women to take care of themselves, to rest, to have some fun, to just “be.”
So I am trying to be a good example and walk the talk.
It is fairly impossible to be completely absent from work as I wake up at night to pray for those I serve and coach. In those early dawn hours, I will listen intently for clues about my characters and how to best format my current novel.
My one supreme goal is to listen hard – to focus on my Heavenly Husband, scribble His words in my journal and take long walks with Him.
I may cut back some of the death of winter and release spring’s life to my gardens. The spiritual analogy comes easy as I consider any dead spirituality the Master Gardener needs to prune.
I will not wear my watch. I will not place any expectations on myself other than finishing the library book I checked out.
Instead, I wish to wear my celebration of the Sabbath as a break from the common cares.
Some time during my Sabbatical, I will pull out my colors and play with a Mandela. Maybe the weather will be warm enough to do this on my deck.
Jeff Goins writes that “We often listen to the adult in our heads instead of the child in our hearts.”
During this week of restoration, I want to connect with my inner child and crawl into my Father’s lap.
Then hopefully, at the end of the week, as the Creator modeled at the end of his busy week, I can declare my Sabbatical good.
©2015 RJ Thesman – author of the Reverend G books – http://amzn.to/1rXlCyh
Relaxation Image by YuzuruKuN
Enjoy your week. When does the new Reverend G come out?
Proactive Regeneration. Wow.
Each of these words and the two together are speaking to me lots through this posting. Thanks, Rebecca. Savor the moments of your Sabbath. Seems evident you are!
Thanks, Jerry. Sort of enjoying it but also doing a lot of thinking – a requirement for regeneration.
Thanks, Jane. Sometime in late spring.
Dear Rebecca, Top o’ the morning to you! You and Mr. Baillie are on the same page this morning. I hope your day is full of sunshine and flowers. According to my daughter, Julia, they have a great deal on cut daffodils at Trader Joes– she had a bunch on her table for our Saturday lunch. Lunchtime menu for today– green eggs and ham! Love you, Janet
Thanks, Janet. Daffodils sound like a wonderful idea to spring cheer!
“My one supreme goal is to listen hard – to focus on my Heavenly Husband, scribble His words in my journal and take long walks with Him.”
I love this. ♥
Jen Mellick
Orphan and Global REACH
Olathe Bible Church
913.764.8280 x204
Visit our REACH Blog at obcreach.wordpress.com!
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.
James 4:8
Thanks, Jen. So far … this is accomplished each day.
Happy rest, my friend.
Thanks, Sally. More necessary than I realized.
Enjoy From: RJThesman.net To: [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, March 17, 2015 5:14 AM Subject: [New post] Hope Rises During Sabbatical #yiv5209834501 a:hover {color:red;}#yiv5209834501 a {text-decoration:none;color:#0088cc;}#yiv5209834501 a.yiv5209834501primaryactionlink:link, #yiv5209834501 a.yiv5209834501primaryactionlink:visited {background-color:#2585B2;color:#fff;}#yiv5209834501 a.yiv5209834501primaryactionlink:hover, #yiv5209834501 a.yiv5209834501primaryactionlink:active {background-color:#11729E;color:#fff;}#yiv5209834501 WordPress.com | RJ Thesman posted: “During this week, I am on Sabbatical – taking a rest from ministry as a home stay-cation. When I looked at my calendar for April – May and the soon-to-be-released third book of the Reverend G series – I knew I needed to do some proactive regeneration.” | |
Thanks, Tom. Appreciate your prayers even as I rest.