Between camping outings

Bev and I returned this evening from 4 days/nights of camping and Sabbath resting at Camp Swatara. The weather was beautiful (minus the thunderstorms and multiple inches of rain that occurred on Saturday afternoon, evening, and night). We read, walked, did some bicycling, and basically just enjoyed one another's company as my Sabbath rest is quickly coming to an end. The picture is our camper set up on what is now another favorite site, #16.

Tomorrow and Tuesday while Bev is working I'm riding my HD to Franklinvillle, NJ to spend a little time with my sister, Lori, and her partner, Steph.

On Thursday I'll be accompanying Mark Easteadt for his licensing interview with the District Ministry Commission. Later in the day on Thursday Bev and I will both be heading back up to Camp Swatara for the church camping weekend and the opportunity to start to reconnect with the congregation in this context. Bev and I will traveling home and to Harrisburg on Saturday morning for the Celebration of Life service for Doris Frysinger who lost her 2 year battle with cancer on July 4. Doris was a fellow ANE District Office employee with Bev before her retirement. I'll also be leaving Camp Swatara again on Sunday morning to return to preach at Florin COB and reconnect with the congregation in that context in worship at 10:45 a.m. After worship back to camp for lunch and the remainder of the afternoon before we pack up and head back to Mount Joy.

My Sabbath rest has been an opportunity for God to "get back into me." I confess that before I left on Sabbath rest I was drained and going through the motions without a lot of spiritual passion. That passion has been revived and God has been and continues to show me through the work of the Holy Spirit how God still has much to show me about my life being lived for him. I'm eager to share more about all that with you in worship at Florin on Sunday, July 26, 10:45 a.m.

You can take this as a warning or a promise but be alerted to the fact "that I'm not the same Eric I was on April 16!" Thanks be to God! See you real soon!