Over the course of the last six months I have been privileged to participate in a minister’s cohort regarding ministerial health. Here are a few thoughts I have gleaned from the cohort.
RESILIENCE AND REGULATION ARE A PART OF ENDURANCE AS A PASTOR. IN TIMES OF DIFFICULTY: KEEP YOUR HEAD, ENDURE HARDSHIP, WORK AT TELLING OTHERS THE GOOD NEWS, FULLY CARRY OUT THE MINISTRY GOD HAS GIVEN YOU.
This year I was privileged to be able to revisit my youth ministry routes at Cornerstone. The youth group needed a worship leader and so I came out of retirement and got to hang with this great group of kids all year.
We started in the fall with a bonfire and we ushered in the summer season with a bon fire. as well. While the teen group meets all through the summer, this last Tuesday was the final meeting for the boys group and girls group until school starts again in the fall.
Commander James Bauver giving a lesson on fire safety to the boys group.
Lighting the fire.
And so it begins!
Pastor Amanda addresses the troops.
The troops.
More troops.
More troops.
And More.
It was a great ending and summer launch all at the same time.
Yesterday was any day off which means it was my gardening day. I am finding I need at least one whole day a week to be in the garden and then several parts of several other days to keep it going and that is outside of the daily chores of animal care and cleaning.
Yesterday I gave a lesson to my granddaughters on planting tomatoes and peppers. I think we are finally clear of the frost so it’s time to get the rest of the vegetable garden in!
I started with a morning walk around the garden, while my son-in-law tried to break up some really big rocks that critters have made their home underneath. We began planting. Here are some things blooming right now even as we get the seeds and seedlings planted.
The Siberian iris are lovely this year.
The Korean lilac is soooo fragrant.
Paintbrush in the lawn.
Greater calendine growing by the rock wall.
Here are some annuals I picked up. They will go into our newest garden bed along with some hardy lavenders and some coleus.
By the end of the day the girls and I had put in several tomatoes, some pumpkins and a winter squash. We noted the summer squash had sprouted. I finished out the afternoon with some mowing and some work on the newest chicken coop.
At the recent Annual Network Conference for the SPoiuthern New England Ministry Network of the Assemblies of God I heard these comments on unity from Sara Malcolm.