Preparing for my personal retreat
Tomorrow I will fly to Denver Colorado for ten days, the portion of my sabbatical that I have been looking forward to the most. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed our family trip to Mexico, but being home for the last week has become routine. Between chores around the house, pitching in with chores for neighbors and cooking meals for everyone, I am ready to get away by myself. I am ashamed to admit that my reading has fallen to the wayside for the last week and a half or so. I am ready to get back to the book that I am in the midst of - Falling Upward by Richard Rohr - and get on to more. I am taking this one and two others with me and I am fully intending to finish them all.
Some have asked what I will be doing while in Colorado. Here is a synopsis:
  Friday to Sunday I will be visiting with Brett and Julie Smith, friends of ours from our years in Oak Harbor who now live in Thornton, Colorado, a suburb of Denver. It will be great to see them and have a good time catching up with them and other family members who also live out there, Julie's aunt and uncle Jerry and Kathy Robertson. On Sunday we will worship at their congregation, St John's Lutheran of Thornton.
  Sunday to Wednesday I will be at the Franciscan Retreat Center in Colorado Springs. I have only seen pictures on their website, but it looks like a beautiful place for a personal retreat. I will be reading and enjoying nature on the grounds of the retreat center as well as exploring the area and the beautiful sites like Pike's Peak, Garden of the Gods and others. I will also have to find a place to watch the MLB All Star Game festivities since that will be going on during this time.
   Wednesday to Sunday my friend Pat Woodward will be coming out to join me as we explore the sites of Ft. Collins, Boulder and Denver together. One of the things that Pat and I both share as an interest is craft beers, and we will be going to a number of breweries to experience their hospitality and process for brewing beers.

Getting away from family and home routines is one of those things that I am looking forward to next week. Don't get me wrong, I love my family, but I need this personal time to be away from any responsibilities. What a great way to begin the second half of this time for renewal, revival and rebuilding!
Pastor Ralph Wolfe