03/03/2022
I was talking to my dog Hatch this morning. The end of winter is approaching and the weather is starting to get warmer and Hatch is pretty happy about that. We go for a walk every day around 6 AM and for the last few months it’s been pretty cold here in southeast Louisiana but today you can feel the weather changing and it’s finally getting warm.
Hatch spent the last five days in a boarding kennel at his Vet’s office. He says he likes it there because all of the girls that work in the kennel pay special attention to him. He doesn’t seem to mind spending a few days away from us because he always trots in like he’s going on vacation.
This time he was in the kennel because Ms Rachel & I were leading our annual staff retreat so I dropped him off on Saturday and picked him up on Wednesday morning. After church last Sunday all of our pastors and staff and their families loaded up to head to the retreat center in northern Tangipahoa parish and the 40 of us would spend the next three days and three nights there. Lion King Retreat is a gorgeous campground on more than a hundred acres of rolling hills, miles away from civilization. We enjoyed our time away from the hustle of work and shifted into a low gear to be together. We prepared three meals a day together in the pavilion as we divided into teams to serve one another. Housing was “summer camp style” with bunk beds and dorms so sleeping was out of our comfort zone but the rest of the days were filled with family fun. We fished in the lakes, rode bikes for miles on the trails, played board games, watched a movie on the big screen, rode zip lines, played outdoor sports and at night we sat around the campfire toasting marshmallows and making s’mores. We made a lot of memories and had some real quality time together. It was a good retreat. We are back home and at work now and we’re focusing on our busy months ahead. In 40 days we will celebrate Easter at Journey in grand fashion! It kicks off on April 15, Good Friday night at 5 o’clock for the fish fry followed by a 7 PM worship and communion experience. Then on April 17, Easter Sunday we have TWO worship services 8:30 AM and 10 AM with a day packed full of activities to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and to retell the greatest story ever told. We are so excited about the days ahead.
When I picked up Hatch Wednesday morning after the retreat he trotted out and jumped right in my truck. He looked happy and I asked him if he wanted to hear about where I’ve been. He cut his eyes at me and said, “Well, not particularly but I can tell you some stories about where I’ve been.”
I said to him, “Hatch you have been in the kennel for five days.
He exhaled and said, “That’s what you think…”
Really dog?
You are so dramatic.
