It has been quite a while since I have posted anything on my blog so I figured it is time to begin posting once again. This summer had some new adventures for me and my family and it seems like there are always some new things to look at and experiment with during times like these.

There were some great highlights for the summer. The high point for me was the family vacation to Yellowstone. I am not much of a camper as a matter of fact I have not camped for about 35 years. The last time I went camping when I was in my late teen years I got such a bad asthma attack I was afraid to try it again for fear of it happening again. But with my asthma under control and a chance to go to Yellowstone with family I decided to give it a try and it worked out well.

It was a great time to not only see a great National Park but also spend time in a unique setting with family. As you can see from the picture we took a whitewater rafting trip and among other things we did some hiking and did some relaxing in the setting of our campsite. What pleased me the most is both our daughters said to us after returning we need to make this a family tradition.

Another highlight of the summer was a mission trip to Texas to work on hurricane damaged homes. There were six of us from the church that went and we working with another crew from Iowa. It was a great time of working together and making a difference in the life of one family.

I love mission work because it get me out in the community and directly meets the needs of those we serve. I am looking forward to returning to to the gulf coast for another opportunity to work in November.

A third highlight of the summer for me was taking a class exploring interim ministry. I really loved the chance I had to do an interim a few years ago and could see me engaging in this work on a regular basis. I took the class to see if this type of work would be for me somewhere down the road. I enjoyed the class and now plan to take the follow up course in October.

Ministry and life continue to challege me in new ways. There is a great deal of life left to be explored and as I turn 55 this month I can honestly say this is the best time of my life so far and if that is any indication there are still better times to come.