Sabbatical Update - Installment 1!

Dear Friends,
This week has been a helpful decompression time. I have been saddened by the loss of a long-time parishioner and also grateful that I was able to connect with his family before heading overseas. I have also been treasuring the memories of our conversations and gathering prayers for others and for them to carry with me as I journey next week.
I have been focused on cleaning, packing and final trip planning all week. We took Zip, our dog, for a vet appointment and thankfully she is just fine. On Thursday, Alene and I got to go on a whale watching trip with Island Packers. This was especially fun, as her birthday whale watching trip was cancelled. We saw a Minky Whale, a sunfish (a bit hidden under the water), and several humpback whales, including one that was identified by a repeat whale watcher as one that had been seen by themselves before as a young whale! We also learned about several birds and saw many common dolphins frolicking with some sea lions, as well as a pod of bottle-nosed dolphins off of Anacapa. These pictures don't do the trip justice as the best examples are videos of the whales and dolphins (smaller whales themselves) and memories as I was also trying to just be present. 

This week has been very spiritually grounding, as I started reading _Intimacy with God_ by Thomas Keating in preparation for my Centering Prayer Retreat in July. I have been increasing my almost daily sits in preparation for a more disciplined meditation regimen at the retreat.
I was able to speak with my friend in Okinawa yesterday, and we have our plan for meeting up in Tokyo. An unexpected grace happened when I realized that I had mistakenly booked our Airbnb a night early, forgetting that our flight arrives on Tuesday Japan time. Thankfully the host was able to refund me the additional night's fee.

I was blessed to teach an Intercultural Ministry class with a friend and colleague last Saturday before beginning my sabbatical, and this week I read through the feedback so that we can meet when I return from Japan and fine tune our class for future offerings. It was helpful to both read what was illuminating and also hear how we can adapt the class in future or follow up.

This morning I was able to join a Tai Chi Chih class at Ololkoy Beach Park which was very grounding. To be able to place my feet in the grass and peek at the ocean through the dunes and hear the squirrels chattering in the palms while trying to get in tune with the fellow practitioners and let the poses flow was wonderful. One of the gifts of sabbatical is doing things I usually don't have time to do, including this Saturday TCC class, but it is one of the things I may enjoy incorporating into my schedule in the future as is possible.

An unexpected additional theme of my sabbatical time seems to include enjoying following the World Cup games. I am thrilled that All Saints has been getting together to watch some of the games, and I have been trying to follow the games also and catch parts of them where I can. I love the sharing of cultures that is present. I know that sometimes we see the underside of culture too, but mostly I see folks enjoying each other and celebrating their different backgrounds.

Below you will see one of the many whale's tale moments from Thursday. What a blessing to live near the ocean and be able to delight in the beauty of creation!

Thank you for checking out my blog and please pray for me for smooth travels on Monday. I will be traveling with my goddaughter, so I am praying all goes well. I am so grateful for Alene and Monica, who will be holding down the fort. I am also lifting up those affected by the earthquake in Venezuela and for the first responders there, for all those who are facing medical challenges, those who are unhoused, and all those who will be traveling for the Fourth of July.

Blessings,

Melissa