The Sabbatical is Over!

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It's over!

Four months of rest, reading, relaxing, praying, writing, journaling, sabbathing, fellowshipping—and everything else the Father led me into during this Sabbatical—have come to an end.

I've just stepped out of one incredible adventure and into another. Same church family. Same friends. But now with a renewed faith and fresh excitement to serve my church and city!

Last week, our family was blessed to spend seven days at a cottage on the Ottawa River, generously offered by a former elder who, nearly 19 years ago, helped send Danielle and me into pastoral ministry. It was a special time to reconnect as a family (which gets harder with adult children!) and to spend some quiet, focused time with God before reentering ministry life.

During one of those quiet moments, I made a list of the ways I sensed God working, teaching, and healing during my Sabbatical.

In the months ahead, I plan to blog in more detail about how I was challenged and the spiritual growth I experienced. For now, I want to share the list I put together that quiet morning with the Father.

June 25, 2025

What has the Father shown me these past 4 months? That's a great question! (Insert 10 minutes of silence to let the Holy Spirit tell me what the Father did).

  • Experience more of his presence in Sabbath and silence/stillness

  • Practicing the spiritual rhymes of Jesus

  • Joy and sensing God's presence through creativity

  • Deeper understanding and love for people who don't know Jesus.

  • Healing in struggling with an identity of significance.

  • Implementing and following a Rule of Life

  • Deeper prayer life through Daily Office (20-30 minutes of silence a day) as well as ending the day with a Prayer of Examen.

  • Managing and healing in the area of false expectations (what I put on myself or put on falsely from others)

  • Starting to write a children's picture book about Father's love and the lies of our enemy.

  • Strengthened faith in the blessings of God.

  • Freedom from nightmares.

  • Enjoy reading again. Seminary and ordination somehow got me to HATE reading for years!

  • Fostering deeper friendships and relationships.

  • Deepened understanding of living spiritual authority out of love and humility.

  • Overall strengthened faith and confidence in hearing God's voice.

  • Refreshed spirit.

  • God's provision when pursuing him first about EVERYTHING!

  • Healing to be more emotionally and spiritually honest with those around me.

Four months ago my hope was just to experience some rest and renewal. I had NO CLUE what the Father had in store for me! I am incredibly humbled and grateful to have had this opportunity.

(End journal entry)

I just want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to my church family and the leadership teams of Greenbelt Church. I love you so much, and I'm so grateful you trusted the process of this Sabbatical. I'm excited for the years ahead!



 

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