A Bergen Kind of Sabbatical

Good day!

It's crazy to see how many people read our story about God's faithfulness with Eddie's birth. We are thankful he is growing well (50th precentile in everything). Edmund is an increidbly chill kiddo so far, myself, Brad, Grandparents and even Luke are enjoying our snuggles with him in this sweet season.

We wanted to let people know what our summer is looking like and to ask for prayer.

This weekend we made the trip to Rough Acres Bible Camp for a week of rest. It has been a long long season of ministry over the last couple of years. Our board chair gave the advice that it would be wise for us to take a soft Sabbatical this summer as a family. Brad has been off since the second week of June but it feels now we can dive into the hard things now that the muddy waters have been settled over the last few weeks.

It is a bit tricky being on Sabbatical with two kiddos, one very new to the world and the other bright eye'd (and little crazy for chocolate).

We would love prayer over our summer as we spend time resting and in prayer together as a couple.

This week we are at a Bible Camp that has meant so much to us throughout our Christian walk.

On July 10th we will be making the trip down south to Vancouver Island for Brad's brothers wedding!

Pray for Eddie: That he would sleep and eat well outside of his normal schedule.

Pray for Luke: That he too would sleep, have fun and that he wouldln't get sick from too much sun! (We have learned he has his similar difficulties to myself with sun and travel)

Pray for Brad: That he would be refreashed, his passion for ministry would be refreashed, that God would remind him of his faithfulness and his promises moving forward. That he would have fun with good childhood friends and a place he loves.

Prayer for myself: That I would sleep, find some much needed rest in the Lord, that he would fill my heart with joy through this new post partum season and that he would continue to heal my body, that I would have time to be creative and make art again.

Pray for Brad and I in our marriage as we spend time praying together.

Brad and I have been watching Clarkson's Farm in the evenings. It has been an enjoyable time watching Jeremy Clarkson fumble his way through cultivating farmland in the beautiful English countryside. Aside from the wonderful cinematography and creativity of a man with a pint of beer, it has been a reminder of all the images of farming in Scripture and how everything is found in it's season.

When I learned my grandmother died, I was at a retreat where the main verse was Psalm 65:

⁹ You visit the earth and water it,You greatly enrich it;The river of God is full of water;You provide their grain,For so You have prepared it.¹⁰ You water its ridges abundantly,You settle its furrows;You make it soft with showers,You bless its growth.

¹¹ You crown the year with Your goodness,And Your paths drip with abundance.¹² They drop on the pastures of the wilderness,And the little hills rejoice on every side.¹³ The pastures are clothed with flocks;The valleys also are covered with grain;They shout for joy, they also sing.

"You crown the year with your goodness" stood out to me before I was hit with the news. Wathcing Clarkson's Farm and sitting in a place surrounded by mountains and God's creation, I am reminded again of this painting that the Psalmist writes.

Apologizes for the spoilers, (feel free to skip if the show is on your watchlist) but I cried terribly when the little pigglets Jeremy and Lisa were breeding, died one after another. Olive has had an awful time since the start of our Sabbatical and I didn't feel as alone in the anxiety I have had over my dog watching a farmers heart poured out for his animals. (Two bad injuries to her paws, a wasp sting and a UTI have made a very hard month for Olive).

The next episode brought Spring and I was reminded that God still brings life out of death but the climb upwards can feel melocholy with a shadow overhead.

When God is challenging Job he asks him this question"Who provides food for the raven when its young cry to God as they wander about for lack of food?" Job 38:41

When John Newton (The man who wrote Amazing Grace) was on his ship in that terrible storm that lead to his converstion this was the verse that was brought to his mind. That even though he was a slave owner and under the warth of God in a terrible storm, "O Lord", he prayed "If you have mercy on the ravens then have mercy on me too!" As the wind and thunder roared over the chatoic waters.

We know the answer as Job and John Newton knew the answer when God asked him but it is a humbling thing. God crowns the year with his goodness because of his love, for he has mercy on the ravens and he will have mercy on us too.