From Beautiful Downtown Buellton

Arriving on Wednesday, we left town way later than I wanted. It's kind of my way I guess. Say I want to leave by noon and not get out till 3:00. Anyway.....

Left me only an hour or so of light to set up camp. Most campers don't think much of us RV'ers, and are probably boo-hooing my "set up camp" comment, but while it is WAY easier than tent camping, there's still a bunch of work to it.

Here we are having just arrived and the kids setting up their tent. What were we thinking bringing FIVE BOYS with us? I don't know!

While we are not actually IN downtown Buellton (home of famed Andersen's Split Pea Soup), we're right by it, enjoying Flying Flags Campground. It's a family favorite, and we haven't been here for a couple years.

We're staying in the last section of the property that has not been improved. Most of the sites have been vastly improved in quality and beauty. I highly recommend Flying Flags for those looking for a great family camping spot.

All in all, we're having a great time relaxing and being with each other. Josh has been a little slow because of his cast, but even he is having a good time. We've had the pleasure of some friends coming through for various amounts of time. It's been great.

This is the first actual vacation we've taken as a family this year. Colleen and the boys were gone for a bit at the beginning of Summer in relation to Colleen's upcoming new job and then 4th of July with her family that I wasn't able to get to. In that regard, this has been very nice.

The first couple days were wide open here, but the weekend packs out. So, being Sunday noon as I write this, people are clearing out. Which is why I am really glad we are staying till tomorrow. We can end our time with some relative quiet and space and not fight today's traffic. The kids start school on Wednesday.

Ahhh, campfires, s'mores, gentle breezes, and a REAL bed!

So, from beautiful downtown Buellton.....over and out!

A Long Summer's Night

It's almost the end of Summer, and I feel kinda tense about it. Not in a bad kinda way, but in a perplexing kinda way.

On one hand, it's been a really long Summer. An intense one with lots of crises to walk through with people. While it's tiring, when it comes down to it, I wouldn't have it any other way. I really do love the grind of day-to-day pastoring.

Personally, we had Josh's surgery and recovery. He's doing great by the way! His next check-up is Monday morning. It will be the 5 week point. They'll x-ray it to see how the bone graft is taking. The first appt 2 weeks ago went really well. Josh is tired of the cast and wishes it could come off, but all in all, he's handling it pretty well.

Church-wise, we've had a number of situations to work through, including two people who died (one expected, another unexpected). I've officiated three funerals in the last 6 weeks.

Then, Pastor Glen Jackson (see posts below) died last Friday night. His memorial service is Saturday at 2:00 pm. That will be THREE funerals THREE Saturdays in a row, all at 2:00.

On the upside, I launched my new blog, Pastor For Life, earlier this Summer, and it's been a hoot to see that grow, and to connect with other Pastors and Leaders around the country.

I've also been involved in the launch of the Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Church-wide Initiative Kit. As of today, we have 14 churches across the US and Canada who are piloting this new, groundbreaking material this Fall and Winter. Including total orders for the Kits, there is the potential of 36 churches beginning this journey toward Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, a lifestyle I very deeply believe in.

After Josh's appt on Monday, we plan to head to Buellton for about a week of camping. Looking forward to the down time and relaxation!

Catch-up Quick List

CANNOT believe it's been two weeks since my last post. CANNOT believe I've been back from Texas for almost two weeks. CANNOT believe the school year is over. Let me catch you up on what the last two weeks (and then some) have held.

• Just before I left for Texas, Colleen landed a new job as a Teacher for the Certified Nurse Assistant class at our local Adult School. She starts in September. She's happy. That makes me happy!
• Also just before I left for Texas, someone in our church called me and said they had a car they were getting rid of and they felt they were supposed to give it to me .... turns out it's a 2001 Ford Crown Vic that used to be a Detective Car with the Beverly Hills PD! It's even black! Sweet ride, and a lot of fun to watch people react when you're driving near them! Really fun car for a Chaplain!
  
• Went fishing with my boys for the first time ever two weeks ago! We all caught a lot of perch and I caught my first bass! It was only about 6" long (or was it 12"? I can't remember now!) but it was a blast of a time.
• The last of 3 homes we lived in during my 4 Jr. High years in Texas was torn down last year. Made me sad.
• Every trip to see my family in Texas is like a pilgrimage to me now. It's where I gave my life to Jesus and was baptized in 1979.
• My 12 year old son read 3 books in 3 days while we were in Texas. Amazing!
  
• My wife and kids had their first Boots Burgers this time! If you're ever ANYWHERE NEAR Rockwall, Texas, EVER, you've got to get yourself one (or more!!). Just trust me. Watch out though, they're closed on Sundays & Mondays. The rest of the days, they're only open a couple of hours.
• I almost missed my flight home from Texas. TWO different GPS systems failed me a total of FOUR times with one battery failure, one freeway onramp that had been closed for YEARS and TWO onramps that were closed for construction. And here I thought technology was my friend! Silly me!
• My 13 year old son is facing significant surgery this Summer for a nonossifying fibroma in his lower left tibia. We're headed for a 2nd opinion appointment with the probable surgeon this Friday. We're very glad it is caught and not causing him pain right now. We are told emphatically by the first doctor that it is NOT cancer.
  
• Last Sunday, June 8, our church celebrated a friend's healing from Lung Cancer. Last Thursday, another lady in church went in for a SECOND operation in TWO weeks for breast cancer. This Wednesday, a man in our church will have a cancerous tumor removed from his lung. WHAT is UP??
  
• For the first time in .... well, EVER in my ministry .... our church will gather for July & August in one service on Sundays at 9:30 am starting July 6 as we prepare to become a CHURCH WITHOUT WALLS for 6 months. Weird thought.
• I preached a message this morning on "What My Dad Taught Me".
• I spent the Father's Day afternoon with my family at the BodyWorlds exhibit in Los Angeles. It was fascinating and I highly recommend it! Topped it off with Panda Express.
  

That's all for now.

Final Day of Foursquare Convention

Great day! This morning, one of our District Supervisors, Peter Bonanno, spoke about the Sabbath commandment. This Winter, he was on a Sabbatical, which is a growing principle for our Pastors. A much needed one.

It was so good to hear his message being presented to our Convention body. Us Pastors tend to think we can just keep going and going and going. We also tend to think we're indispensable and that everything rests on our shoulders. Sabbath and Sabbaticals remind us that GOD is the only indispensable being, and the only One able to handle that responsibility!

Shared lunch with a Pastor just now recognizing he is in burnout. He is going home tomorrow to share with his church on Sunday that he will be taking a necessary Sabbatical to recover and heal. It is such a privilege to get to share the story of my own recovery with other Pastors in the same place I was. It gives hope that they can live again with passion and purpose!

While tonight's session was again, in my opinion, way too long, the speaker was very good and encouraging. He is Kirbyjon Caldwell, Pastor of Windsor Village United Methodist Church here in Houston. He is nationally well-know for being President Bush's Pastor, and was recently in the news for officiating at Jenna Bush's wedding.

After the session, I was able to connect with some friends from Bible College, Denny & Brenda Truett. They were both raised on the mission field and married while in Bible College. From there, they spent almost 20 years in Argentina and Ecuador as Foursquare Missionaries. For the last six years, they've been pastoring in Ada, Oklahoma, where Brenda's parents pastored just previously. It was great to catch up with them. Had a great time getting to know their two youngest kids, who had me missing my boys quite a bit.

THEN, after that was the traditional last night party with Tim & Kelly Mossholder and Bob & Lisa Penberthy. Since I didn't get to Israel for Convention last year, we skipped a year. Made up for it tonight though, as you can tell by the lateness of this post!

Gotta hit the sack, as I get up early to help Chuck Shoemake get to the airport and also pick up my rental car. I'll head back to the hotel to pack up and check out, then make my way to Dallas. Until next time ....

Welcome Charlee Ann Kuzma!

My new niece, Charlee Ann Kuzma, was born this afternoon at 4:47 pm (CST) at 7 lbs, 6 oz. She is the first daughter of my brother, Steve, and his wife, Danielle.

Those who follow my blog know that I am in Houston, TX, 4 hours south of where my family is right now, celebrating Charlee's birth.

Soon after I got the news, our evening sessions began. I was celebrating Jesus with 3,000 others, and they sang a couple of my personal favorite worship songs. I think they did that in Charlee's honor.

I gotta say that worshipping God with 3,000 other people with a couple of your favorite worship songs right after the birth of a new family member deeply moved my heart! I just couldn't hardly hold back the tears.

Another Day at the '08 Convention

The third day of Convention has come and gone, in somewhat of a whirlwind it seems. For some reason, my eyes and body woke at 7:00 (5:00 am my time). It's unusual for me to wake up early and be cognizant of much.

After waiting a few minutes, it was clear sleep would not settle back in, so I got up and did a couple of things. It wasn't more than about five minutes when the reason my body awoke became apparent. My stomach did a couple of acrobatics, and before I knew it, nausea was in full force.

Making my way back to the bed to lay down and be still, the neighboring chills and sweats broke out while I hoped and prayed with all I had (which isn't much that early for me) that I wouldn't lose it. I HATE throwing up!

I just stayed as still and covered as I could. Next thing I knew, it was a couple hours later and I was fine, even feeling pretty rested. Thank you, Jesus! Have I mentioned that I HATE to throw up?

I made it to the Business Session, which was quite interesting. In a move to "save time" at Business Sessions, they are peppering the regular sessions with some of the business logistics. For instance, they took the vote on a number of Bylaw changes during tonight's meeting. So, the earlier Business Session mostly served the purpose of allowing for questions and discussion regarding those changes.

I won't bore you with details. Anyone interested can click here to go to the Foursquare Business website. It has our agendas and even the Bylaw changes in detail on it, though I have no idea how long they will leave it up.

After the Business Session, I connected with Mike Barker for lunch. We had a great time, and Mike always gets me laughing hard! He and Stacy are coming out to California for vacation in July, and we talked about having Mike come out and speak at NewHeart while he's there. We'll see.

The downside to the spreading out of business logistics into regular sessions is that they have added time to those sessions. Tonight's meeting was again 3 1/2 hours long! Just way too long in my opinion. Lots of departure throughout the latter part of each evening's session.

After tonight's meeting, I spent the rest of the evening catching up on some work, getting a little rest and tracking with Colleen and the boys. They flew out of Burbank this afternoon and landed in Dallas a couple of hours ago.

They have since stopped at the hospital to see my sister-in-law, Danielle. She and my brother, Steve, are expecting Charlee Ann Kuzma to be born at any time. Labor was induced this afternoon. If she doesn't deliver by tomorrow afternoon, they'll do a C-section.

These are exciting moments for our family, and I am so grateful to be able to be here on the first days of Charlee's life. I am so very proud of my brother, who has come a long, long way in his life over the last year or so.

Well, it's late, and tomorrow is the last day of Convention. I'll certainly post as soon as I can to announce Charlee's birth, should she be born before I post tomorrow night.

Latest Convention News

It's the 2nd day of Convention and running into old friends has been a real treat for me.

Saw Charlie & Darla Finocchiarro. Charlie was in my wedding and I was in his. We did Bible College together and now they are missionaries in the Dominican Republic.

Ran into Denny & Brenda Truett. The 3 of us went through Bible College together. They spent almost 20 years as missionaries in Argentina and Ecuador. Now they are pastoring in Ada, Oklahoma and just saw their oldest child, Michelle, get married last Saturday!

Saw Mike Barker, a former Youth Pastor at NewHeart, on the elevator. He and Stacy are still in Austin, pastoring City Life Community Church.

Another old Bible College buddy, Gil Dirmann, is now pastoring in South Carolina. We used to hang out quite a bit back in the dorm days.

The most significant session of the day to me was the workshop session I attended on Sabbaticals. It was presented very well by a couple in Ohio who took a sabbatical 3 years ago. More and more Foursquare Churches are beginning to recognize the need for this crucial part of a Pastor's rhythm, and it's a good thing. We have by and large always known Sabbaticals to be REactive instead of PROactive. I am so glad to see this tide beginning to turn!

Also had lunch today with some new friends. We actually met through my work with Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, and that's what we met about today. Both of the couples are pastoring churches in Washington State that are interested in integrating the EHS principle into their churches.

After that, I was introduced to a pastor who is just now recognizing and admitting that he is in burnout. I was asked to help walk him through the initial stages of entering a sabbatical period for his own health and the health of his marriage. This part of my work is always confidential, but the Lord knows who he and his family are. Pray for them if you would.

The only real downer to the day was tonight's session. Foursquare leaders are trying something new this year, bringing some of the Convention business into the main sessions. It's an attempt to save time and increase participation regarding the business matters of the Convention body. Our business sessions have been known to be way too long in the afternoons.

However, I don't think it's really saving any time overall. Last night's meeting was 4 hours long, and tonight's was over 3-1/2 hours long. By the time tonight's session was dismissed, over half the crowd had already left! It will be interesting to see if this gets addressed at all in the next couple of days.

That's it for now! Good night all!

Foursquare Convention Update

Last night, I hung out with Bob Penberthy & Tim Mossholder, along with Tim's 2 boys, Brennon & Braden. Bob had rented a car and they were headed for a grocery store, which was good for me too.

It was a blast of a trip, as Tim had his iPhone on Google Maps and I had my AT&T Tilt on Live Search. In our search for a Wal-Mart, both maps had it wrong, so we were quite a crew. It was a night of wrong turns and dead ends that had us all making memories.

After a good night's sleep, today was mostly restful, kind of gearing up for the gatherings. As an introvert, while I enjoy seeing everyone, it tends to be kind of draining.

You can try to be yourself as much as possible, and I think I do pretty good at it. It's still quite something when you attend these events and your colleagues ask, "How's the church going?" That almost always means, "How many are you running?" or "Is it growing numerically?"

If it is, you struggle with the urge to clarify what that means. If it's not, you struggle with the urge to clarify what THAT means.

I want to be able to say, "That shouldn't be", but the fact remains that it is what it is. Pastors are people too, and the desire to be deemed "successful" is just as strong in us as it is for anyone who is not a Pastor.

What it means for these gatherings is that each person/pastor has to identify what's really important in terms of relationships and what qualifies them, and then go with it. There are some people who are going to ask, "How are YOU?" I try to be one of them, knowing that I'll be asked the previous questions and will have to roll with it.

I sure hope I don't sound cynical by that. I don't feel cynical or sarcastic. I just know that I am trying to become, and I think am becoming, more and more honest with who I am, who God has made to be, and how He has made me to operate in the realms of relationship He's graced me with. This family called Foursquare is one of those realms, and I do love and appreciate it. I try to also not expect more of this relationship (or set of relationships) than it can, or is even supposed to, give.

Hope that all makes sense. Feels a little like too much rambling. Feel free to tell me if it is!

Funny Feeling

I appreciate being able to get to a location I’ll be at a few days with a little bit of time before events begin. Gives me a chance to get a lay of the land around the area.

For Convention, we’re in downtown Houston. Texas, that is. Um, that means there’s still at least some respect left for the Sabbath. While I preach Sabbath, and try to live by it, I’m not used to everyone else around me doing it.

Read:

• kids with families playing in the park across the street from the hotel;
• stores are closed…got my exercise today strolling downtown to the view of my new Windows Live Search feature on my phone, which kept telling me where the next closest store was, but not where the next OPEN store was;
• people are kind and friendly;

It was truly refreshing!

In the mean time, as I was walking through an empty downtown Houston, sweating beyond my comfort level for the clothes I was in, I began to get a funny feeling. It made me think through what the feeling was….

It wasn’t the unique Texas breeze. I spent my Jr. High years near Dallas. I’m tellin’ ya…Texas has a certain breeze unlike any other place I’ve been. I could feel it and smell it, but it wasn’t the Texas breeze.

It wasn’t anxiety. Believe me, I know anxiety when I feel it. If you know my story, you know that’s true, but it wasn’t anxiety I was feeling.

I wondered if it was what Pastor Jack Hayford (Foursquare’s President) has said about this Convention. Seeing people I haven’t seen in a while, catching up with stories and hearing what's on the heart of our leaders always brings its own sense of anticipation. Maybe it was anticipation?

It was a sense of urgency that I just couldn't really nail. I started asking the Lord to help me determine what the sense I had in my heart was about. I didn’t hear or feel anything definite in return, but I do believe there is something special the Lord has for me this week. I think that’s the funny feeling I had today.

As the week progresses, I’ll keep you posted. In the mean time, what do you do with those feelings when they come along?

I Feel A Setup Coming On

If you're a traveler, maybe you've experienced the same thing I have. Some trips you have a mental countdown for as departure moves closer. Other trips seem to kind of sneak up on you. This one has the feel of sneaking up on me.

It's not that you don't know it's coming. Sometimes, there's just so much going on before you leave that the weeks seem to slip by and before you know it, it's time too pack. This one feels like that.

Ride to the Flyaway was great, as I got to spend some time with my sister, April. Ride to the airport was comfy, as the bus wasn't too crowded. You can kind of stretch out that way, and today's crowd was quiet. A nice start to the day.

On the way to the airport, I text Chuck Shoemake (my Pastor, mentor and friend), who I know is in Atlanta, Georgia, most probably flying to Houston for the same Foursquare Convention I am heading out to.

I say, "Chuck, you flying out today? If so, what time? I'm flying in at about 2:30." He texts back, "Me too, same time, 2:27 to be exact, on Delta." "I check my ticket (on Delta!), which has my arrival time at 2:27!!! NO WAY!

So I say, "Chuck, want to share a taxi to the hotel?" He calls me and says the couple that was going to try to fly with him into Houston to help him get to the hotel ends up flying 2 hours earlier than him. If I can meet him, they don't have to wait for him at the airport for 2 hours.

Wow! What a setup! Only God! I wonder what else He has set up for me this week!

Texas, Hold 'Em....'Cause Here I Come!

I'm headed to Texas on Sunday! Our Annual Foursquare Convention is being held in Houston, Texas this year, starting on Monday. I'll fly in Sunday.

Convention is always a great time of reconnecting with friends I don't get to see very often and hearing the heartbeat of our Foursquare leadership throughout the week. As well as usually being a very uplifting time, there is also the Foursquare family business that is transacted during business sessions by the corporate body.

Ending on Thursday night, I'll rent a car on Friday morning and drive the 4+ hours to Royse City. That's where my parents, sister, Patty, and brother, Steve, live with their families, 20 miles east of Dallas.

Matter of fact, the family is growing while we're there! My brother's wife, Danielle, is expecting! We just heard today that since she is overdue, the doctor intends to induce labor Wednesday afternoon. If she hasn't delivered by Thursday afternoon, they'll perform a C-section. By the time I arrive there Friday, evening, Charlee Ann Kuzma will have graced this world.

Another avenue of excitement is that Colleen and the boys will meet me in Dallas. They'll arrive Wednesday evening, and I'll show up Friday evening. We'll crowd my parents little abode until the following Wednesday. Colleen and the boys will depart Dallas and I'll drive back to Houston to catch my flight home that night. (Long story about why....not worth going in to here.)

Now, here's the deal for all you text messaging fiends out there. If you go to twitter.com, sign up for a free account, configure your account to have twitter messages sent to your phone, and then go to twitter.com/Paul_Kuzma and click "follow", you'll get the latest and greatest from Convention highlights to Kuzma News (KuzNews for short!).

Wondering what Twitter is? Watch this video, then go sign up!



I've been "twittering" for a couple months now and it's great fun for the most part following some friends and family members in their daily lives, from the touching to the terrible to the trivial! (Come on, give me a break on the alliterations....I AM a Pastor!)

So, what are you waiting for? Get youself signed up and follow me to Texas!

Breath of Fresh Air and Rest!

Arrived in Pismo Beach last night (Sunday) at about 8:00 pm. After checking in, I went straight to the meeting room, where our District Pastors were gathered for fellowship. The room felt electric as everyone was just chatting away, catching up with old friends and making new ones. It was an exciting scene to step into!

After a late dinner at Denny's with Bernie, we hit the hay and slept in a bit. The breakfast bar is a full one, complete with custom made omelets. It was wonderful!

Then, we had our morning session with worship, devotional and a time of praying for one another at the tables. This was the meeting I had been asked to share the devotional at.

Quite something to lead a devotional with Pastors! You get that intimidating sense of "what haven't they heard, or what don't they already know?" Because surely, these Pastors being mostly more veteran than me certainly have a lot more knowledge than I do.

Preparing for this, I found myself having to quiet those voices and trust the Lord to give me the right words at the right times. It turned into a pretty special time for us all, at least given the feedback I received.

I shared a little of my burnout story and how I learned we all have a different pace of life God has for us to live. Your pace isn't mine and min probably isn't yours. And that makes it unfair for any of us as Pastors to compare what God is doing in someone else's church with what He is (or ISN'T) doing in mine!

The point was that we all have to find our own pace.

After that, Bernie and I hit a movie, then were back in time for a little reading and a nap before dinner. My Bible College friend, Jerry Dirmann, brought a powerful word about putting our trust in what God has said, even when it seems crazy to us and everyone else. It was good to see Jerry and be with him.

Well, that's it for now. Looking forward to a good night's rest before heading home around noon. I'll stop at Bernie's church in Lompoc to see their recently expanded Sanctuary. Didn't make it in time to do that yesterday, so I'm looking forward to catching up on that. G'nite!

New York, New York....Day 6

Woke up this morning to the great news that we could have a late check-out from our hotel. Saved us from having to pack and check out before going to church at New Life's 11:15 service. The place was packed and the atmosphere was electric.

We got to spend the afternoon with Andrew & Laurel Favilla. Laurel works with Pete Scazzero as his Speaking Coordinator and is also moving in to the role of Ministry Representative with Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. We've become good friends over the last four years. Our time together Sunday afternoon was too short!

We had lunch together at a wonderful steakhouse and saw a little more of New York on our way there. After lunch, we got to see the Favilla's home for the first time. I had mentioned to Laurel the incredible Black Forest Cake Chuck and I enjoyed at Georgia Cafe. She remembered, and when we got to their home for some time before the airport, she had Black Forest Cake for us!

I also got to spend a little bit of time getting to know the Favilla's middle son, Frank, and his fiance, Aabye (pronounced Abby). He is a P.E. Teacher and she is a writer for Nickelodeon, and she works at Times Square. We had a great time talking New York and California and making great fun of tourists like me and Chuck!

After our goodbye at New York's JFK Airport, Chuck & I saw a couple of celebrities inside. One was Marilyn Manson, who is a rock star. After seeing him, while we were waiting in the security line, Chuck told me a story of another time in an airport. Apparently, he was in a security line, heard a rustling of people and cameras, and just in front of him was ushered Cameron Diaz. After chatting with her about a life of running from paparazzi, they went their separate ways.

MOMENTS LATER, as Chuck and I were in line to board our flight, I noticed a couple of ladies talking with the gate attendant. I heard them talking about something having to do with when they could board the plane. When the ladies turned around to leave, I couldn't believe it ... It was CAMERON DIAZ!

Chuck actually has eye problems and can't see very well, so he didn't see her. I broke the news with, "you'll never believe who just walked by us!" It was quite fun.

Finally, though, I must admit that the funnest part of the trip back was getting to fly business class. The legroom, the footrest, the food, the personal media station filled with movies and music ... I could go on and on. Made for a GREAT flight!

New York, New York....Day 5

Today was the final day of the Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Conference. It started too early for me. Not the conference, but the day. Woke up at 7:00 am (which is 4:00 am PDT) to get ready for a breakfast meeting at 8:30 with Chuck and Doug Slaybaugh.

The conference sessions were excellent. However, the most exciting part of the day for me was lunch, not in the "recess was my favorite part of my day" way. I had the privilege of being involved in an Orientation and Q&A session on a new resource being made available for churches by EHS.

They have put together a "Church-wide Initiative Kit" that will include resources for a church to lead their congregation through an 8-week long series on the EHS principles. The kit includes materials that small groups can use to follow along with what is being taught on the weekends. It's somewhat a similar concept as "40 Days of Purpose", though the EHS material is entirely different from the 40 DOP material.

Doug Slaybaugh and I led the information orientation and Q&A for Pastors and leaders at lunch time. Of the 170+ registrants, there were about 70 who came to hear about the kit and ask questions. It was awesome to get to interface with leaders about this groundbreaking EHS resource.

After the Conference was over today, I got to have dinner with Mark & Pam Taft. They are Marriage Ministry Leaders at New Life Fellowship. Colleen & I met them almost three years ago when we came to New Life for some further EHS Relationship Skills Training. The Taft's hosted us at their home, so we got to know them. It was great to re-connect with them. They also served as the Coordinators of the EHS Conference.

After dinner, they dropped me off at the hotel, where I crashed for about an hour. Now, I'm over at Pop Diner writing this and checking email. In the morning, we'll check out of the hotel, attend the worship celebration at New Life's 11:15 service and then spend the afternoon with Andrew & Laurel Favilla. They'll drop us off at the airport for our flight home, which leaves at 7:00 pm EDT. Looking forward to being with Colleen and the boys, though they'll be asleep when I get home.

New York, New York....Day 4

Great day! Started with breakfast at Pop Diner with Chuck and the EHS Consultant, Doug Slaybaugh. He's the guy who has been talking with me about both current and future involvement as EHS develops organizationally. Good guy. He and Chuck have actually known each other for many years.

After breakfast, today's Conference sessions started at noon. Pete & Geri have added some fresh material to the Conference. Actually, every year has some fresh material to it. There are probably 250+ Pastors and church leaders here from all over the nation. There are even a few folks here from the UK, Germany, Ukraine and the Republic of Georgia.

Pete talked some today about how the body of Christ is so vast, and that even though there is a divide between the Eastern Church and the Western Church, we all come from the same "family of origin" that started way back in Acts 2. What a concept!

They dealt tonight with what I think is one of the most powerful and largest concepts of Emotionally Healthy Spirituality...a concept called "differentiation". It has to do with one being able to stand on your own two feet, confident in who you are, and able to declare that to the people closest to us, regardless of what they think, and then still remain in relationship with them. It is a LARGE and powerful issue that we ALL deal with. It's just that some of us deal with it by NOT dealing with it, thereby continuing to live in patterns of unhealthy relational patterns.

Had the opportunity to talk at length with some leaders from an Evangelical Free Church in Michigan, a Presbyterian Church in Delaware and a Christian & Missionary Alliance Church in Manhattan. All of these leaders are trying to figure out how to put feet to the principles of EHS in their own lives, as well as the life of their churches.

What a privilege to be able to share my journey and OUR journey as a church family. Tomorrow, I get to participate in a Q&A session during the lunch hour to share more and answers questions. For those who are a part of NewHeart, I get to talk about YOU! Cool, huh? It's all good, don't worry!

Catch this.....the Pastor from Manhattan lives in an 1,100 square foot apartment (there are no owned homes on Manhattan) and the rent is $3,150 a month! Commonly, rent on Manhattan for similar apartments can cost $4,000-5,000 a month, with the more expensive neighborhoods costing upwards of $10,000-12,000 per month!!! For RENT!!

The final day of this year's Conference is tomorrow. Already have a dinner appointment with some New York friends, then heading down to Time Square (my favorite Manhattan site) for one final look on this trip and souvenirs for the boys. Blog at ya tomorrow!

New York, New York....Day 2 & 3

Last 2 days have been quite a whirlwind. Wednesday, we started the day at the Statue of Liberty. I’ve been once before, but this time, we got to go inside the pedestal. It houses a Statue of Liberty Museum.

You can also get a glimpse from just below the Statue of the inside structure. Since 9/11, nobody is allowed to go up to the crown, but you can see the staircase that was built for it. Another great feature is the pedestal observation deck, which gives an incredible view of Manhattan and Ellis Island.

The history of the Statue is quite impressive. But even more so is the security to get one the ferry and to go inside the pedestal. THAT process is more thorough than the security process at the airport! I’m not kidding!

After spending most of the afternoon at the Statue, we meandered toward Ground Zero. Last year, there was a barrier that had quite a bit of information on it as well as allowing for viewing into the area. Now, that barrier is gone, replaced with construction fencing. From street level, you can’t see into the site anymore. Probably the only view you can get is from above if you’re inside one of the surrounding buildings.

Leaving there, we hit the subway back into Queens. I fell asleep and was jarred awake by my own voice, talking out loud in a dream I don’t even remember. Chuck thought that was pretty funny. He went on and on about how a lady was sitting next to me and looking at me strangely over the “couple of times” I talked in my sleep. He tried to convince me he was telling her not to mind me, that he just sticks me in a corner because I do that all the time! It got us both rolling!

I don’t think I mentioned that when we had dessert at Georgia Diner (remember the Black Forest cake?), that Chuck told me that HIS favorite cake is Black Forest. I was floored!! I had no idea we both had the same favorite cake, and an exquisite one at that! What? Don’t look at me like that…..it IS exquisite!

He had a few bites of mine and said, “next time, I’m getting my own piece.” Well, that we did. Arriving back from Ground Zero, we went back to Georgia Diner for dinner and a piece of Black Forest cake.

I told the waiter that if his hand slipped when he was cutting the cake and ended up cutting a larger piece than normal, I’d be OK with it, really! I didn’t want him to be worried about that. Sure enough, he brought back 2 larger than normal pieces of cake! We tipped him well!

Today, the conference started at noon, so we both got to sleep in a bit. The sessions today were on Emotionally Healthy Skills, which were a refresher of some material Colleen and I were trained in here 3 years ago. I am excited to bring more of this home to integrate into our church family life and growth.

Had dinner with a Foursquare Pastor and his wife from Waynesboro, Virginia. It was great to get to know them and hear their story of how they have been exposed to the EHS material. This particular Pastor has been at the church he leads for seven years and just experienced a sabbatical last Summer.

Sabbaticals in our denomination have always been REACTIVE in nature. That means they’ve always been a reaction to a crisis or oncoming crisis. Unfortunately, that’s given sabbaticals a negative connotation.

Many denominations actually have sabbatical policies in place. Every seven years or so, a Pastor is actually expected to go on Sabbatical for a three month period for an extended time of rest, refreshing, and revitalization. Those are sabbaticals that are PROACTIVE in nature. In other words, they are meant to be part of an overall strategy to help prevent burnout from occurring for Pastors.

Our denomination has been more and more open to this kind of sabbatical. While we don’t have a denominational policy in place, Foursquare is encouraging Pastors and Church Councils to implement their own policies allowing for these kind of proactive sabbaticals.

This Pastor from Virgina is on the forefront of this movement. He offered to send me theirs for our Church Council to evaluate and consider. It’s interesting to get to converse with him because I have been considering bringing this concept to our Council and congregation for consideration.

This year (right now as a matter of fact) marks 7 years since my burnout experience. Looking back, I marvel at what God has done in my life, and the changes He has brought to the life of our church family through my recovery. I am very excited about the future God has before us, and know that He is wanting to use us more and more for the purpose of growing healthy families as well as impacting others for the cause of healthier Pastors and healthier churches.

Well, off to bed for now. When I travel for less than a week, I always try to stay on the same time schedule to reduce jet lag when I come home. However, I feel myself easing, maybe better said….oozing, into Eastern Daylight Time. Good night!

Safe in Queens

After a very short night of sleep, woke up about 3:45 am and left for Chuck & Ruby's to catch a ride to LAX. Upon arriving, Chuck delivered the news that Ruby wasn't going to make the trip.

Chuck lives and works bi-coastal. His home is in Northridge, CA and his main office is nearby. However, for the last year and a half, he has been developing The Center for Spiritual Renewal (CSR) that our denomination has created on the old LIFE Bible College East campus in Christiansburg, VA. It’s a Retreat Center for Pastors and their families that Foursquare has really invested in to make it very nice. So, Chuck spends about half his time there, counseling Pastors as needed when they come through.

Ruby is quite involved in developing some of the CSR facilities, so she often travels back there with him, which she will do a couple days after we return from New York. She decided there was just too much to get done to make the trip here to New York with us. She is very disappointed, as are Chuck and I, as this would have been her first trip to NYC.

I’ve learned to cooperate with my body when I travel. It does funny things when I fly. For some reason, when we get in the air, my body just gets lethargic and sleepy. So, I carry my earplugs and eye cover, try to get a window seat and just go to sleep. Once again, it worked. I slept just about the entire flight. Not a deep sleep, but at least the time didn’t drag by.

Our flight left a few minutes after 8:00 am PST and arrived a few minutes early, around 4:10 pm EST. My friend, Laurel Favilla, was so kind to pick us up and bring us to our hotel. We’re at the same place we stay whenever we come here, which is just a short walk down Queens Boulevard from New Life Fellowship.

Kind of a funny place. This is my fourth year here. Every year, they have been “remodeling”. Well, this year, they’re finally finished. No old carpet, no more unfinished holes in hallway walls, and the rooms actually look decent!

After settling in and unpacking, we took a brisk walk down the street for some great Chinese food for dinner. It’s becoming a bit nostalgic for me to come here, walking by New Life’s building, which is the historic landmark Queens Elks Lodge building. Built in the 1920’s, it is a registered historic landmark. That means the church is limited in anything they do to change the look of the exterior. Most interesting part of that is that they can’t remove the HUGE elk statue that sits at the entrance of the building.

After dinner, we walked a little further to the nearest mall. It houses the local Target store, where we pick up our water and snacks for the week. Along the way, it’s kind of a rush to soak in the sights and sounds of New York City. Seems like there’s almost always a siren or two going and a car horn or four blaring.

Good start to the trip, other than missing Colleen and the boys. Tomorrow we’ll head to Manhattan. If the cloud cover is gone, we’ll do the Empire State Building. Other places on our list are Statue of Liberty, World Trade Center Site, Seinfeld’s “Monk’s Café”, Times Square. If you’ve got any suggestions, let me know in the comments!