Is this yours Skip? Looks like a watercolour or gouache difficult to determine from the jpeg but a very accomplished painting. Is St. Kitts in the Caribbean?
Yes, I shot this (photo) and then created the digital painting. Yes, St. Kitts is in the Caribbean. I took this about 2-3 years ago.
Gayle Johnson
Dramatic!
Donna Baber
Thank you for sharing this! The beauty and majesty of the heavens with darkness and light at the same time!
Gary Predoehl
Very nice Skip! However, based on the caption of “While Resting”, i see that it was not current, but a few years old. I, for one, am very concerned for you. I think it was last Tuesday or Wednesday that you used a full TW to described your case of “motion sickness.” You used words to describe yourself like: faint, weary, stuck, numb, alone, depleted, unable to pray, feeble, unhealthy, desensitized, worn down, crushed, hemmed in, sick, and at your end. And I think I missed a few…. That’s quite the list Skip!
You say it is not from travel, not because of the miles. I beg to differ. It may not be exclusively from the miles because you are typically teaching at your destinations, writing TW’s and books every chance you can get, and responding to TW’s. And then there are things like major teachings and recordings at “home”, making sure you have a geek “squad”, planning for the “At God’s Table” ministries, and making sure you have enough financial resources to get by each month. And where does Roseanne, your son and sleep fit into the picture?
Honestly, I don’t think the quality or “insightfulnes” of your TW’s is a good indicator of your spiritual health, but of your physical health. I’m no expert, but it seems to me that you are describing a classic case of severe lack of sleep and physical exhaustion. Even when you were at our home last June, you seemed tired and worn out, like you were just making it from day to day.
Skip, like I started, I want to state again that I am very concerned for you. It seems as though you are playing with fire and that you are extremely close to getting burned. The only question is: “how much?” I implore you to cut back and to get some truly needed and deserved rest. If you reach the point of total burn out, you won’t be doing any of us any good. I suspect I am not alone in the community when I suggest I would rather have only “half Skip” rather than “no Skip.” Before we completely lose you to total exhaustion, I ask you to reconsider the idea of cutting back in areas of your ministry.
I think a good start might be to go to every-other-day TW’s. If you feel there must be a TW for everyday, then go to reruns on the off days. I know that I am again not alone when I say that I would love to read the reruns. Most of us have not been a part of the TW community from the beginning and there are literally thousands of great TW’s out there that the majority of us would love to have an opportunity to read them. Yes. I know we can go to the archives and read them, but most of us do not do that on a regular basis and that of course does not provide you with any rest.
As a community, Skip, we care for you, we love you, we count on you, and we don’t like to see you experience what you described in last Wednesday’s TW. We desire a Skip who is physically, emotionally and spiritually healthy and I don’t think that is going to happen unless you slow slow down and get some genuine rest. Even Yeshua needed to rest. As a follower of Yeshua and as a teacher and friend of ours, you need to do the same!
Thanks for your heartfelt concern. Yes, at times I do feel like I am just making it day to day. As for my children and my wife, fortunately Rosanne is going on the trip tomorrow so we have 3 weeks together – and not all of it is work. The kids seem OK – busy too.
TW’s? These are really the pages of my own journey, so not writing them is like missing a piece of my day. But I hear you. Perhaps I need to re-read some of them too.
Miles – actually, time on planes, away from blog comments, emails and phones, is a great relief. I am just up there by myself. It’s nice.
The biggest time issue is getting back home and finding so many things that need attention. Rosanne and I both know we need to move to a much less maintenance place, but it isn’t possible with the market in Florida right now.
I am completely booked now until the end of the year, so I’ll just have to keep going for the time being. Really, all I need is better obedience and a closer feeling of His presence. I will be fine until the end with just those two things.
Gary Predoehl
Okay Skip…. We just love you and are concerned for you. Please know that we are always praying for you too. Please take care…. And if you need to really get away and rest, you know where our guest room is and you and Rosanne would certainly be welcome to use it!
Gary
Ester
What a magnificent piece of work! You’ve got talents, Skip, for sure.
Todah!! I could have this framed up! 🙂
————-
Hi Gary, that is a generous gesture! Take it up Skip!!
O, the wonder and majesty of His handy work!
Is this yours Skip? Looks like a watercolour or gouache difficult to determine from the jpeg but a very accomplished painting. Is St. Kitts in the Caribbean?
Yes, I shot this (photo) and then created the digital painting. Yes, St. Kitts is in the Caribbean. I took this about 2-3 years ago.
Dramatic!
Thank you for sharing this! The beauty and majesty of the heavens with darkness and light at the same time!
Very nice Skip! However, based on the caption of “While Resting”, i see that it was not current, but a few years old. I, for one, am very concerned for you. I think it was last Tuesday or Wednesday that you used a full TW to described your case of “motion sickness.” You used words to describe yourself like: faint, weary, stuck, numb, alone, depleted, unable to pray, feeble, unhealthy, desensitized, worn down, crushed, hemmed in, sick, and at your end. And I think I missed a few…. That’s quite the list Skip!
You say it is not from travel, not because of the miles. I beg to differ. It may not be exclusively from the miles because you are typically teaching at your destinations, writing TW’s and books every chance you can get, and responding to TW’s. And then there are things like major teachings and recordings at “home”, making sure you have a geek “squad”, planning for the “At God’s Table” ministries, and making sure you have enough financial resources to get by each month. And where does Roseanne, your son and sleep fit into the picture?
Honestly, I don’t think the quality or “insightfulnes” of your TW’s is a good indicator of your spiritual health, but of your physical health. I’m no expert, but it seems to me that you are describing a classic case of severe lack of sleep and physical exhaustion. Even when you were at our home last June, you seemed tired and worn out, like you were just making it from day to day.
Skip, like I started, I want to state again that I am very concerned for you. It seems as though you are playing with fire and that you are extremely close to getting burned. The only question is: “how much?” I implore you to cut back and to get some truly needed and deserved rest. If you reach the point of total burn out, you won’t be doing any of us any good. I suspect I am not alone in the community when I suggest I would rather have only “half Skip” rather than “no Skip.” Before we completely lose you to total exhaustion, I ask you to reconsider the idea of cutting back in areas of your ministry.
I think a good start might be to go to every-other-day TW’s. If you feel there must be a TW for everyday, then go to reruns on the off days. I know that I am again not alone when I say that I would love to read the reruns. Most of us have not been a part of the TW community from the beginning and there are literally thousands of great TW’s out there that the majority of us would love to have an opportunity to read them. Yes. I know we can go to the archives and read them, but most of us do not do that on a regular basis and that of course does not provide you with any rest.
As a community, Skip, we care for you, we love you, we count on you, and we don’t like to see you experience what you described in last Wednesday’s TW. We desire a Skip who is physically, emotionally and spiritually healthy and I don’t think that is going to happen unless you slow slow down and get some genuine rest. Even Yeshua needed to rest. As a follower of Yeshua and as a teacher and friend of ours, you need to do the same!
Amen to that. Please take care of yourself Skip.
Dear Gary,
Thanks for your heartfelt concern. Yes, at times I do feel like I am just making it day to day. As for my children and my wife, fortunately Rosanne is going on the trip tomorrow so we have 3 weeks together – and not all of it is work. The kids seem OK – busy too.
TW’s? These are really the pages of my own journey, so not writing them is like missing a piece of my day. But I hear you. Perhaps I need to re-read some of them too.
Miles – actually, time on planes, away from blog comments, emails and phones, is a great relief. I am just up there by myself. It’s nice.
The biggest time issue is getting back home and finding so many things that need attention. Rosanne and I both know we need to move to a much less maintenance place, but it isn’t possible with the market in Florida right now.
I am completely booked now until the end of the year, so I’ll just have to keep going for the time being. Really, all I need is better obedience and a closer feeling of His presence. I will be fine until the end with just those two things.
Okay Skip…. We just love you and are concerned for you. Please know that we are always praying for you too. Please take care…. And if you need to really get away and rest, you know where our guest room is and you and Rosanne would certainly be welcome to use it!
Gary
What a magnificent piece of work! You’ve got talents, Skip, for sure.
Todah!! I could have this framed up! 🙂
————-
Hi Gary, that is a generous gesture! Take it up Skip!!