December 21st, 2022 – 9:23am – Mom’s House, Sherman, Texas, USA:

I am here… in Dallas, Texas… the city of my birth. I awoke this morning in my Mom’s house and had coffee and cereal with my mom, my youngest sister, and her two daughters. It is good to be with family and I’m looking forward to seeing the rest of my brothers and sisters and their children. It will be a good Christmas.

I have my next assignment… it will come in time but for now I want to enjoy the moments I have with my family. I need to process all that happened in Israel. I need to allow myself to grieve the goodbyes and prepare my heart for whatever God has for me next. A season of my life has come to an end and so this is the transition period. A rest period.

This morning my mom casually recommend reading a book called, “Preparing For Suffering: The Best Work In the Worst Times” By John Flavel. I downloaded it on my Kindle. I am still recovering from my time in Israel… so maybe I’ll wait to begin to read this for a few days. Let my heart and mind rest.

If you are seeking to follow Jesus there will be times of intensity and then times of rest. This has been the consistent pattern of following God for the past four and half years. Intense preparation, followed by intense ministry, followed by intense rest and recovery. There is a divine flow to it… and it has become something that I really love about how God cares for those who love Him and serve Him.

So for a time I’ll enjoy this rest… because I know the preparation period will begin soon for whatever God has for me next.