119-Day Vacation

Today is May 1st.  Today is the first day of the rest of my life.  Today begins my 119-Day Vacation.  Yesterday I took my last final exam for my undergraduate career.  Tomorrow, shortly after 2:30 p.m. I will walk across the stage along with several hundred graduating Knights, thus concluding my many years striving for my undergraduate degree.  It's very surreal, and I don't really know if the gravitas of my graduation from UCF has fully hit me.  I am sure it will.  I am extremely elated to be coming up on this milestone, but there is something else I am looking forward to even more.

As I said earlier, I am beginning my 119-Day Vacation, my almost-four month sabbatical.  I taking a vacation from my busy life.  This is what I am looking forward to the most, a vacation that begins on May 1, 2013 and ends on August 19, 2013 when I begin the Criminal Justice graduate program at the University of Central Florida.  It is going to be an awesome vacation.  I have no big expectations except to just grow and enjoy the time.  And those are the only expectations I really need.  God will do the rest.

I am looking forward to this time because I don't have anything to do except for what God wants me to do.  I will be spending this time resting in and focusing on God's word, spending time with family, catching up on books that I have yet to read and relaxing.  In preparation for this time, I have been reading two books:  The Life You've Always Wanted by John Ortberg and Invitation to Solitude and Silence:  Experiencing God's Transforming Presence by Ruth Haley Barton.  Both authors give tips on how to communicate with our Heavenly Father through just being still.  Following their guidance I have nothing but hope that this time will be transform me in many ways.

Some of you who know me may be asking how I am coping with this.  Rest in the fact that I am very excited for this experience.  I am actually looking forward to this time where I have no big commitment and nothing really to work on.  I am truly at peace with where God has me, and that is the best place I can be in.  I don't think of this is a prison sentence where I will begrudgingly counting down the days until I am "free" from the solitude.  I believe that this is one of the most freeing times of my life.  It will be a adventure, and I am sure I will be stretched but I will come out the stronger because of it.  I see myself walking down a path, our Heavenly Father is right there beside me, holding my hand and talking with me.  I am solely focused on him, even though there are many distractions just on the edges of the path.

With that in mind, I do have a favor to ask of you.  Please pray for me.  Pray that I won't be easily distracted by the bright lights, by idleness, and by the world.  My biggest fear is that I will get off course and get stuck.  Also, please feel free to check in on me.  Give me a call, send me a text or email, asking me how I am doing.  I would love to share my experience with you.

I am not sure exactly how this vacation period will transform me, but I know that it will be an amazing journey no matter what.