One Giant Step Back

This month has been odd.

March thru July was a completely jumbled mess of craziness. I had concerts, a retreat, a 30 hour famine, a campout, an amusement park trip, speaking engagements, camps, BBQ's, three sermons to preach, a few concerts to play, lunch meetings, as well as youth group and Barn meetings all crammed together with fundraisers and lesson plans. Needless to say it was pretty chaotic and some nights I could barely think. I would get home and let the TV fill me up like an IV and take me into a world that was as chaotic, if not more, but was being handled by someone else. There I would sit with my mouth hanging open and my shoulders slouched, unable to move.

This month, however, as been quite a large leap back. From August 1st until now, life has seemed like a dream. I've been smiling a lot at the surreal nature of it all. For 10 days, or so, I as on vacation with my family. I was fishing, reading short stories, kayaking, hiking, swimming and trying to teach my dog how to jump off the dock. There was no schedule or plans, just living. During these 10 days I had a friend come up and we would go on such wonderful adventures: star gazing in kayaks, creek stomping with my curious dog, and watching lightning in the distance while we swam and looked for fish with an underwater flashlight. Life was so rustic and crisp I forgot about all else. In fact while my friend was up he asked me, "How's the Barn going?" and I had to do a double take. I thought to myself, "Barn, what Barn... what is he talking about? ... oh yeah I work at a Barn!" Life was running its course and I was being filled back up.

Since August 10th I've been slowly building back into a routine, but I must say August is turning out to be a nice and refreshing month. God is giving me lots of time to think and process life. Without Thursday night meetings I'm able to work more on curriculum for the guy's mentor group, put together worship power points, create a Barn Brochure, prepare for our booth at the West End Fair, and start some new fall fundraisers. August is a wonderful time to accomplish a lot of the behind the scenes stuff that is hard to find time to do, and it is refreshing cause it gives me a break from the norm and opens up my heart to God. In this time it is just as easy to feel oppressed, but it is so much easier to hear God's voice and direction.

I'm so excited to see where God takes the Barn this upcoming year! And at the same moment I'm super excited to see how God refines me in this time where I can do the things that fill me up and bring me closer to Him!