I want to thank everyone for the well wishes that you offered as my family and I headed for our family vacation. We have had a great time, and have gotten a much needed moment of relaxation. While we have been gone, swimming has taken precedence. I don’t think any of the kids have worn regular clothes except for a couple of hours when we went out to eat. So this morning (Thursday), we knew we had worn them out.
The girls were going shopping, so Dad and I decided we were going to watch a movie or two with them, just to give them a break from swimming.  My dad has a special device that helps him to get movies from his computer to the TV, and on this particular Thursday morning, we spent a good while trying to figure it out.

At first, we thought the problem was with the wireless network, so we spent time working on that for a while. Then we spent time working on the computer, and problems with the computer. Then we thought it was Apple iTunes, and then we thought it was the TV.

We were never able to actually figure out the problem, but giving it a chance to work was worth the effort. It made me think of all the work that stands before us at Central, from making a decision about camp, to addressing the ministry needs of our church, and how we become effective at being the church God has called us to be, to figuring out where we are as a staff. And when I do, I realize that like my dad and me trying to fix his computer, our church family is going to have to try and fix a lot of things. We are going to have to try a lot of new things, and we are going to have to re-work a lot of things. But in the end, it will all be worthwhile because our call to be a distinct church in Daytona Beach is worth the effort it takes to get it right.

Many of you have committed to this endeavor, and many others are about to commit to it. My prayer for all of us is that we have patience, and that we develop and maintain trust. In that when we have given birth to what is new and next for us, we can know that we have fully participated in the process.

Blessings to you all, and may worship today be a meaningful experience of God’s presence. Sonny