Susan keeps talking about how excited she is to be heading out on this “great adventure.” Only a couple days after her retirement from serving in the public school system as a special education teacher and school counselor, we set out on this four-month Sabbatical journey. It certainly seems like a great adventure is ahead.

40 Years of Adventure

As I look back, I feel like I’ve been on a “great adventure” from the time I surrendered to the Gospel ministry. Not long after that day over 40 years ago, I began looking for ways to serve in that call from God. A couple years later, Susan agreed to join me on this journey and what a great adventure it has been.

We had already committed to walk by faith, before the birth of our first daughter. That idea took on an entirely new meaning when Katie was born. With the addition of KariAnn to our family in May of 1991, we accepted the call to our first full-time pastoral role a few months later. Though the adventure into pastoral ministry had already begun in helping with two church plants and preaching regularly in a small rural church (about a dozen congregants).

Sabbatical Adventure

The Great Adventure we embarked on the evening of June 1^st is no less of a step of faith than any others. We aren’t sure of what lies down the road and the Lord has only allowed us to have a few sparse plans in place. In some ways this journey seems familiar. In other ways it seems very different and a bit unnerving.

As I sit outside the camper in SW Montana on the 6^th night of our journey, it still feels a little bit like our traditional camping vacations. It’s different in that we have intentionally moved slower, prayed more intentionally, and have a strong sense that the Lord has something special for us on this journey. We both our digging into God’s word as we seek His direction.

Grateful Hearts

Susan and I have a deep sense of gratitude that our church family in Watauga has allowed us to follow the Lord’s direction in this great adventure. The Lord has taught me the value of His local churches through experience and through His Word. As we love our Lord, we also love His bride. I believe that in following Him on this journey that He will take care of His church and continue to prepare me for the great adventures that lie ahead.

I don’t expect everything to work out perfectly. We’ve already made a few minor repairs to our camper which is to be expected with a 14 year-old unit. However, the Lord has also already blessed us with incredible scenery and the privilege to watch a lot of great wildlife in the first few days of the adventure.

Saddle Up, Let’s Ride

When Susan speaks of this adventure, I can’t help but reflect on the song from Steven Curtis Chapman from the early days of our ministry – The Great Adventure. The Great Adventure video was filmed in Grand Teton National Park where we spent our last three nights. Tomorrow, we head north to Glacier National Park and Sunday morning we plan to cross into Canada on the way to the Artic Ocean. We don’t know what lies down the road, but we do know that HE IS ALREADY THERE!

“Saddle up our horses
We’ve got a trail to blaze
Through the wild blue yonder of God’s Amazing grace
Let’s follow our leader into the Glorious unknown
This is the life like no other, whoa whoa
This is The Great Adventure.”