How was your sabbatical anyway?

Sabbatical Goals

Before starting my sabbatical, I was asked what my master plan was going to be for the sabbatical. I responded that I had no idea what a sabbatical was, but I wanted to 1.) spend more time with my family(and disconnected from social media) 2.) spend more time praying and 3.) spend more time in the Word.

Cambria checks out the rainy weather.

Resting through the Restlessness

We sat at home during a typically snowy/muddy/miserable Copper Mountain May, and I’ve never felt cabin fever so much in my whole life. The full stop on emails/social media/work travel was terribly unnerving for me. I began journaling during this time as well, and I discovered some ugly things lurking in my heart that I knew I had to let the Lord deal with. In June, I took the family to Australia for five weeks of relaxation and rejuvenation before coming back to the east coast to visit our relatives.

The Stock family hanging out with a Koala. Josh bears striking resemblance.

Returning Refreshed

Since returning from the sabbatical, I feel better spiritually, physically and mentally. I’ve been told my sermons are better. Haha. I’ve felt more excited about some of the big picture stuff we’ve been wrestling through in the office. In hindsight, I’m positive that I’ve been a bit uprooted from the busyness-of-putting-out-proverbial-fires cycle that I had fallen into and replanted next to streams of living water. My intentional time in the Word and prayer has been what my roots have needed. There are some new personal boundaries we’ve set as a family (in regards to my travel time on the road as well as our time spent hosting people in our home), some new motivation to reinstitute a weekly sabbath for our family and a bit more pep in my step since my return. I’m so grateful for the time of learning and growing. Thank you immensely to all those who helped force me to take the full stop in order to reset.

“Listen to this, Job; STOP AND CONSIDER God’s wonders.” Job 37:14