“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12)
The Lord has given me time to rest, to reflect and to be renewed.
Someone asked me why I was posting about each day.
They were concerned that this was not a restful way to spend my time. Continue reading ‘Why am I recording my days?’ »
Archive of posts filed under the sabbatical 2024 category.
Stories and reflections on my 2024 Sabbatical.
Sabbatical Day 7
Tuesday, May 7, 2024
I am celebrating my 58th birthday. Thank you for all you birthday greetings and prayers.
- Went for my morning 6k walk. It was a great morning for a walk.
- I took advantage of Starbuck’s birthday bonus, and bought the biggest, most expensive drink I could get. Nathan aso gave me the money to buy a sandwich, something I never do.
- Drove to Waterloo to drop off the bike rack at my brother’s, and then to exchange CAD to EUR. Only three more days!
- Worked on the trailer for the afternoon, getting the fridge installed.
- Celebrated Val’s last day of work and my birthday with champagne on the deck. Then Walked to Thirteen in downtown Galt for a birthday dinner.
It was another good day.
Sabbatical Day 6
Monday, May 6, 2024
Today was a quiet day. I spent my time doing more routine and relaxing tasks, things that needed to be done. Jesus is as much a part of the routine as the more ‘spiritual’ activities. If Jesus is with us always to the very end (Matthew 28:20), we can experience whatever we do in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God through him (Colossians 3:17).
- Worked on finalizing details for our walk on the Pieterpad, confirming or changing accommodations, looking into exchanging CAD for EUR, bus and train passes, E-sim cards.
- Made bean burgers for dinner (red beans, lentils, breadcrumbs and eggs, and a whole lot of seasoning… they turned out very tasty!).
- Went to a park on the Grand River with a lawn chair and a book. It was a theology book, so not light reading. But for me this is enjoyable.
- Went for a 6k walk. On our walk we saw some snakes, they were having a quiet day too.
- Cut the grass… again. Not sure I am in favor of fertilizing the lawn.
Another good day. Continue reading ‘Sabbatical Day 6’ »
Sabbatical Day 5
Sunday, May 5, 2024
Today I had the opportunity to go to church with my son, daughter-in-law and grandsons. This is not something I’ve been able to do before. There was a freedom in just being there, not being responsible for anything, no expectations of me, and no pressure to bring a message. To just be, to just be with… Jesus, my family, Jesus’s family. Connect Church in Ajax meets in a movie theatre, and has been a real blessing to my son’s family. I was thankful to have this experience with them.
- Dropped off Nathan in downtown Toronto to take part in Kids Help Phone fundraiser walk.
- Attended Connect Church in Ajax
- Spent the day in Ajax celebrating my birthday, Alyssa’s birthday, our anniversary and Tim & Alyssa’s anniversary, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day (since we will be gone).
- Enjoyed play time with Edwin and Caleb, and snuggle time with baby Micah.
It was a full and fulfilling day. Hard to think I won’t see them in person for 3 months. Continue reading ‘Sabbatical Day 5’ »
Sabbatical Day 4
Saturday, May 4, 2024
I’ve always taken Saturdays off from work. But because the next day is sermon day, I am usually pondering the message in the mind. Not today! I did much of the same kind of stuff I normally do on a Saturday, but my mind was freer, more relaxed. That was nice.
- Went for a 6k walk with our backpacks.
- After finishing my morning jobs (dusting, vacuuming, a family tradition!), I worked on the trailer again. It is nice to use my imagination and hands to design and create ‘fixes’ for the trailer. This has been a 10 year project.
- Another 6k walk, it was a beautiful day! I do feel all this walking in my legs and feet. What we’re we thinking???
- Enjoyed homemade pizza dinner and a movie night with Nathan. He picked ‘Knives Out’, a humorous whodunnit.
Sabbatical Day 3
Friday, May 3, 2024
A trip down memory lane. My brother Greg and I went to Hamilton to walk through the places we lived, played and went to school. As we shared memories, more memories surfaced, and our perspective added to the others’. It struck us both how our memories are positive, and what a gift that is.
- Standing in front of our homes on Deschene, Upper Wellington and Meadowlark.
- Walking to Calvin Christian School on the same route we walked as kids (hard to believe we walked that far at so young an age).
- Going to Hillpark Secondary School, and being able to walk down the halls.
- The exact place where I fell off my bike, did a face plant and my front tooth died, needing a root canal. Reliving the moment.
- Eating lunch at Limeridge mall, sitting where the arcade was so many years back. A lot of quarters and time spent in that arcade.
- Visiting with my parents, then having dinner with Greg and Christy.
Sabbatical Day 2
Thursday, May 2, 2024
- Worked on my trailer again. I’m installing a new mini fridge.
- Went for a long walk with my backpack. I walked into Galt, then through Preston, then along Blair and back home. It was a 5 hour walk with a 1 hour break at Tim Hortons.
- Cut the grass, then made dinner – Tofu pulled pork. Having our vegetarian son home allows me to experiment in the kitchen. It was good, except I added balsamic vinegar by mistake, and that is a every strong taste.
Sabbatical Day 1
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
A brief record of my daily activities. If you are reading this, I am not writing this for you but for myself. Writing is therapeutic for me, and a good way to remember how I experienced this sabbatical gift. But you are welcome to join me for the journey.
- Morning walk. We have some nice trails around our neighbourhood.
- Spent the morning working on my trailer.
- Walked into downtown Galt, spent time journaling at Flight Cafe.
- Walked with Valerie (all this walking is good preparation for the Pieterpad).
- Had dinner with brother Rick and Teresa in St. George.
Thankful for this guy!
We are looking forward to spending time in Europe visiting the Netherlands and seeing our daughter and son-in-law. But being away from home and leaving it empty for so long does make us nervous. For this reason we are thankful for this guy, our second born son. Nathan’s been living with us for two months now, and is a hoot and a half (except when he and Val gang up on me). Nathan is able to do his work hybrid, so he can watch our house while we are gone.
As you can see he is the spitting image of me. Here he is preaching at the kids in the neighbourhood to ‘stay off the lawn!’
With this loveable lug in our home, and his ferocious tiger named Hobbes, our house is in good hands.
Leaving my nets!
“They left their nets and followed him.” (Mark 1:18) How could they just leave their nets, what they had been doing for years. I wonder if they had second thoughts, or if their minds went back to the boats and nets and fish? It is interesting to note that after the crucifixion and resurrection, the disciples went back to fishing (John 21:1-14). I can relate to this with my sabbatical. Continue reading ‘Leaving my nets!’ »