Kid-less in Dallas

Howdy Y'all,

We are kid-less in Dallas Texas!  The two of us are laying in bed awake after sleeping in until 10:30.  That isn't news worthy for most people, but for us it is a measure of success for our trip.  This is the only day we get a chance to sleep in and we were able to take full advantage of it.  The last time we slept in this late together was before Easton and Layla were born.  Something this enjoyable that happens once every 5-6 years IS news worthy.

Easton and Layla are safe at home with Ouma.  That makes vacationing 10 times more peaceful and relaxing. I took this picture before we left to show how quickly Kendra and I turned into Mr. and Mrs. Cellophane as soon as Ouma arrived.  I'm not complaining at all though.  We are perfectly fine with the two of them enjoying her fully and ignoring us.

They are still grasping the concept of time when it comes to days, weeks, months.  Ouma had to assure them nightly that she was going to be at our house for a long, long time and she would surely be there in the morning when they wake up.

Meanwhile, Kendra and I are in Dallas attending a three-part week of conferences.  We are taking on two leadership roles at church and our time here is valuable to help us function effectively in those roles.  The first two days are an event where almost 800 people get to experience God and receive physical, emotional, mental and spiritual healing.  It's the deep-end of the pool for people who are willing to listen to the voice of God and choose to become who they were meant to be.  It's hard to describe, but easy to experience.

We are extra excited to have our Pastor and his wife join us for these six-days of awesomeness.  Part of the success of the ministry we are leading depends on their buy-in and agreement to support and embrace it.  They've been "all in" from the beginning, but knowing they had their own growth and benefit from the experience made the whole trip worth our time.

The next two days will be spent touring church campuses and getting a behind-the-scenes look at how a mega-church succeeds.  We'll have unfiltered access to all ministries, all pastors, and all aspects of how the church functions.  this is a once-in-a-lifetime weekend for me.  I can't wait to have these open interactions and soak in the wisdom from some of the greatest men and women in ministry.  I don't want to rub elbows with hot-shots for the sake of improving my own stature.  We will learn and listen to see how it works here so that our church can be more effective.  That's an honorable focus and path to travel.

Talk to you soon!