Summer schedule

This summer is going to be incredible! The madness began in earnest last weekend when we had an overnight youth choir retreat. Our youth at Travis Park are really incredible! Chasing a rabbit trail, it turns out that our pastors (we have a married co-pastor team) and that leaves me as the only appointed pastor to Traivs Park until at least September. (We will have a contracted interim but a great deal of the committee work will fall to me and not the interim.) The reality of new leadership responsibilities for me has been stressful and invigorating all at once! So the point of this rabbit trail is that about half-way through our opening rehearsal for the retreat I had a great sense of peace fall over me as I was reminded: "this is why I do what I do!"

What a blessing!

So I am currently in Dallas, enjoying the only free weekend I will have until July 31st! Yesterday was my 29th birthday and Sarah, Ellie, and I drove up from Dallas, stopped at the new House of Blues in Dallas (which was cool!) and partied with my parents, the in-laws, and the sister and brother-in-laws: it was great!

This morning I went to the new PGA Superstore in Dallas which was incredible! I got to try Phil Mickelson's new putter, the XG #9 and it will be mine one day, oh yes, it will be mine.

On Wednesday of this up-coming week I have the honor of delivering the opening prayer and devotional to the Texas House of Representatives at the Capitol in Austin. I am very, very honored and excited about this!

Following that event will be three weddings in a row (on three weekends in a row), two annual conferences (one of which I will be ordained at, the great North Texas Conference, the other I will be leading the music at the ordination service in the Southwest Texas Conference), a choir tour to New Orleans, Atlanta, Savannah, and the Georgia Coast (and back) a dixieland gig with the National Convocation of The Fellowship of Music and Worship Arts in St. Louis, a teaching gig (youth choir clinician) at TCU for the Association of Disciples of Christ Musicians www.adm.org the Cactus Pear Music Festival at Travis Park, various concerts and services, and finally, three days of vacation before VBS and Choir Camp!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Of which I have very minimal responsibilities: go Jackie Shepherd, our amazing children's music ministries director!)

There's lots more past that but it's wearing me out already! :)

As my colleague and friend the Rev. Taylor Boone is prone to saying: I am overwhelmed with opportunity. What a blessing!