Sabbatical 1

7/13/2017

While my sabbatical has not begun the way I expected, it has certainly been a good thing to have some extra time! So far we’ve fixed the oven, the van, the computer, and the sump pump in the past two weeks. In fact the computer could still use some work. Consequently I don’t have any music recordings to share yet.

That is not to say I have not had opportunities to enjoy rest. I certainly have. Reading again through The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, I tried not to analyze the theology implied in it too carefully and just enjoy the heroism and integrity of the characters that make it such a great story. Prince Caspian is off to a more exciting start.

I’ve logged several miles on the Cardinal Greenway and sung loud enough along the way for the neighbors to hear if anyone was listening. John Piper has kept me company along the way (through podcasts, not in person). Just when I think that I over-theologize my reading (and my life), I hear a guy like Piper for whom his theology makes up the living fabric of his daily life and the joy that it brings him. Just imagine if I woke up every morning like Jesus really is risen from the dead and at his right hand are eternal pleasures. What a life that would be.

Last weekend we got to visit with quite a few family members in Kentucky, and we appreciate everyone who made time for us. I miss the Christmases we used to get together for, and I’m glad to keep up those relationships. I love to see my kids play with my cousins’ kids (that would be their second cousins), their great uncles and aunts, and their great grandpa.

And of course there has been some time just kicking around. I get to work with our daughter and see her progress in letter sounds and basics of reading, and build Lego creations with our son. And while I haven’t gotten to record any music, I get to spend time playing it—waste time, it sometimes feels like, considering how shaky it sounds, but that’s okay too. That’s the point of a sabbatical; not everything has to fit efficiently into a productive immediate goal.