All Good Things...

I've got a little over seven hours left of my sabbatical... but who's counting?

The sabbatical has been wonderful. I've got new ideas, new insights, and new passion for ministry. The last week has been taken up with paying bills and doing all the chores that got left behind... plus cleaning up an ugly surprise!

We have a dehumidifier in the basement that runs quite frequently, and empties the water through a hose into a drain in the basement floor. That end of the basement has a carpet that runs up to the drain. Somehow, at some time when we weren't aware of it, the hose was dislodged from the drain and ended up on top of the carpet. We're not sure how long it was like that, but it was long enough to make the piece of carpet quite nasty. Someone has said that everything grows in Iowa -- and we saw some things growing that I've never seen before! Yeech!

Our two eldest children returned home from their summer sojourn in Medora, North Dakota, this afternoon. It's wonderful to have them back, even if it is for just a short time. Dan will be leaving for his freshman year at Northwestern College in Orange City, IA, on Thursday, and I'll be taking Emily to Milwaukee on the 25th so she can fly out for her semester in the Middle East, based in Cairo, Egypt. So we've got to enjoy our eldest children fast.

It has been a wonderful, whirlwind, refreshing, renewing, and even restful 9 weeks. I'm ready to get back to work. But this summer has been good for my soul. I'm grateful to God, to Pella I, and to the Lilly Endowment, for making it a reality.

Two-Thirds Home

Karin and I had an uneventful return to Pella on Saturday. All the connections worked, and we were home in time to review the mail, feed the cats, and do a little laundry.

This morning we attended worship in Des Moines, en route to Clear Lake, IA, where we met Karin's parents, who were bringing Ty and Sam back from St. Paul, and Karin's cousin and her family who live there. The worship was good for our souls. We enjoyed the time to visit together in Clear Lake, and happily brought the boys home -- two-thirds of us home together.

Now we have a week to decompress, to get through all the tasks and chores to get ready for school. Emily and Dan will be returning next Sunday, and during that week the three boys all start school (Dan at Northwestern College in Orange City, IA), and the following Tuesday Emily will be leaving for her semester of study in Egypt.

Whew! It's been a wonderful sabbatical, and after one more week to enjoy rest, I will be ready to hit the ground running as the Fall season starts up.

Rockies Game II

We finished our counseling at Quiet Waters Friday morning. It was excellent.

We enjoyed the chance to walk around downtown Denver, saw the Denver Capitol Building (right) and learned about the history of Colorado at the Colorado History Museum (left).

Our last big event in Denver was the Colorado Rockies game against the Chicago Cubs. As a Milwaukee Brewers fan, I was delighted when the Rockies trounced the Cubs, 6-2.

Saturday we fly back to Iowa, and on Sunday we will head to Clear Lake, IA, to visit Karin's cousin and to meet Karin's parents and pick up Tyler and Sam. It's been a great two weeks in Colorado.

Thursday's Golden

The intensive at Quiet Waters is drawing to a close, as is the sabbatical.

After our session this morning, we headed to Golden, CO, once again. We explored the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum. We both enjoyed the beautiful quilts.

We then headed up the Lookout Mountain Road, along the Lariat Loop, to the Buffalo Bill Cody Grave and Museum. The road had Karin a bit nervous again, but the view from Lookout Mountain was terrific. This trip completed our tour of the Lariat Loop

We then headed back to Denver for a class at REI on bicycle maintenance.

Tomorrow will be our last session with our counselor, and the Colorado Rockies baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in the evening. Saturday we'll be flying back to Iowa for the last week of the sabbatical.

Gonna Fly Now!

Once again this morning we had an excellent session with our counselor. Karin and I are learning a lot about ourselves, our marriage, and my ministry. The time at Quiet Waters has been worthwhile.

The surprise today was that I got to fly. No, it wasn't flying in the black, no-chrome Dodge Charger rental car we've been driving, although I feel like I could fly while I'm driving it.

I got to fly by going skydiving! Okay, I didn't actually jump out of an airplane, but I did go indoor skydiving. I've always wanted to skydive, but Karin doesn't want me to fall, so she compromised and signed me up to fly in the windmachine.

So, with helmet, pads, goggles, and jumpsuit ready, away I go...

Not exactly flying like an eagle, but better than falling like a rock! What a trip!

Boulder

The counseling sessions have been very good, revealing some important things about us. The Quiet Waters experience has been worthwhile.

After our session this morning, we headed to Boulder, CO, where we got a delightful experience of tea. We had lunch at the Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse. This teahouse was a gift from Boulder's sister city, Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Tajik teahouses are decorated with Persian art and are places for friends and family to meet and talk over a cup of tea. The teahouse was beautiful, the tea was excellent, and the food was delicious.
After the Dushanbe Teahouse, we headed to the Celestial Seasonings factory for a tour and free tasting of the tea. It was a very good tour, and the stop in the Mint Room was overwhelmingly wonderful. The Mint Room is the storage place for the peppermint and spearmint, and we were able to stand in the room and enjoy the aroma. Heavenly! (So, what do you think of the matching hair and beard nets I had to wear on the tour?)
We ended our time in Boulder with a trip to Chautauqua Park, where we took a short hike to enjoy the view of the wildflower meadow and the Flatirons rock formation. Unfortunately, it was evening when we were there, so it was hard to get a good shot of the view.
Tomorrow will be a special treat -- check back for the story.

A Family Affair

We continue to have very good sessions with the counselor. Afterward we headed to Golden, CO, where Karin got to visit a quilt shop and we took a tour of the Coors brewery. But the real highlight was driving to Loveland, CO, where we visited our nephew, Karl. Karl lives in Fort Collins, but works in urban development for Loveland. We learned a lot about his work and had a great dinner (it was also Karl's birthday over the weekend).

Sunday Insights

A few insights on a Sunday afternoon:

1. Denver people have interesting driving habits. During the week, they can drive at a very leisurely pace. It isn't uncommon for people to drive 10-15 miles an hour below the speed limit on the Interstate. If you can go the speed limit, you're doing very well. It's not because of heavy traffic - it's just that people take their time. However, on Saturday the traffic moved at about the speed limit. Perhaps people who are looking forward to getting to the mountains for the day? But, this morning the traffic was moving along at 5 or more mph over the speed limit. I wonder... could it be the Christians hurrying to worship who are the speeders? Hmmm....

2. The pastor this morning used to sit in the balcony while I preached at Immanuel CRC in Orange City. That tells me two things: first, the Spirit can work, even in the balcony. Second, I'm getting old...

3. I've been thinking about the themes and things I've been learning on the sabbatical. Here are a few things that stand out:

A. I anticipated some time of solitude and silence at Iona, but found that the experience was much more about community and about healing and reconciliation. These themes are important to me, and are significant for the ministry of Pella I. To be a healthy community, where we love and respect one another, where we can disagree and still be loved brothers and sisters in Christ, where we can welcome diversity as part of God's beautiful family -- these are things that we are learning together. And there is a lot of brokenness, sorrow, grief, and pain in the lives of a lot of people in Pella, and God calls us to a ministry of reconciliation, to heal the wounds of life in a broken world. The things I've learned at Iona, at Luther Seminary, and here in Denver all help me to have a renewed passion for the ministry of the Church.

B. I came to Quiet Waters anticipating examining how God has been at work in me through the past 46 years, with an eye to what may lie ahead in the next 20 or so. However, I've had some new insight into myself, and into how I experience the joys and sorrows of life and ministry. God seems to be taking a different path than I had anticipated on this sabbatical.

C. "I lift up my eyes to the mountains.... My help comes from the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth." We have seen the wonder and glory of the mountains and hills and countrysides of Scotland, Germany, and Colorado. We have been brought to places of breathtaking beauty, where we were compelled to cry out with the creation, "Glory!" The mountains and hills, the oceans and rivers, the cities and countrysides, and people of all languages and cultures proclaim the creative wisdom of God. Glory be to God!

D. I have been made more keenly aware of how blessed I am with the family I have. God has given me a wonderful gift in Karin -- a beautiful complement so that we strengthen and encourage each other. I was blessed with terrific parents who provided me a stable home and encouraged me to excel. I am blessed with fantastic children who delight my heart and make me smile. And I have been blessed with the true family, the family of God, the Church. Thank you, God, for the gift of family.

Rocky Mountain High

Today is Saturday, so there was no counseling appointment. And, since I've got all my "homework" from the counselor done, Karin and I headed to Rocky Mountain National Park. We entered from Estes Park, and drove through the park along the Trail Ridge Road to Grand Lake. We then decided to try a new route and followed the Fraser River valley south through Winter Park, and on to Interstate 70, where we headed back east to Denver. It was a long day, with a lot of driving (some of it quite intense as we drove the mountain roads), but we saw the glory of God revealed in his creation.

We marveled at the geology and the biology of the Rocky Mountains. We drove through a variety of eco-systems as we ascended and descended, and we saw the majestic Rockies, glacial deposits, a variety of rock formations. We were sad to see that many of the lodgepole and other pine trees were dead or dying because of the Mountain Pine Beetle infestation. Forests that would normally be evergreen were brown. Still, the views were gorgeous. Taking photos with a digital point-and-shoot camera can't possibly do justice to the wonders we saw, but we'll share a few photos anyway.
As we traveled through Rocky Mountain National Park along the Trail Ridge Road, we followed switch-backs and drove with no guardrails and very deep drop-offs. Karin was quite anxious about the drive, and even though I was driving, I was a bit nervous on a number of occasions. Still, we saw beautiful mountains and lakes and streams and wildlife. The road crosses the Continental Divide, and goes up over 12,000 feet! (There I am, "savoring the moment," this time on the Alpine Ridge Trail at 12,005 feet.)
We saw some wildlife, and got to see two species up-close. While at about 12,000 feet overlooking the Gore Range, we came upon a yellow-bellied marmot, enjoying a view of the mountains. Although we got a close-up view of him from behind, he wasn't interested in us, as he kept looking away at the beautiful view in front of him. Who could blame him?

In addition to the yellow bellied marmot, we got an up-close look at a herd of elk near the Alpine Ridge Trail.

The weather today was beautiful. Bright sunshine, a few stray clouds, pleasant temperatures (although it got quite chilly and windy at 12,000 feet). It was the nicest day we've had, and we enjoyed it!

Special photo for the YACS: This is Poudre Lake, the source of the Cache la Poudre River, where we whitewater rafted. If I were to turn around from where I'm standing as I take the picture, I'm within about 20 yards of the Continental Divide.