What's a Sabbatical?

My family and I will be heading out for a "Sabbatical" on July 8. The Elders at BridgeWay have graciously given me six weeks to rest, reflect and remember who God is and what He's doing in my life and ministry. Not everyone gets a sabbatical, so I know how lucky I am...and I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.

Typically, Melody and I have served in churches for about 5 or 6 years and then got so burned out on ministry and everything that comes iwth it, that we just left for another ministry thinking things would be better - or at least different somewhere else. I wonder what would've happened if I had taken a sabbatical instead of just leaving? Maybe I wouldn't have had to leave...

I've never had the privilege of taking a sabbatical in all of my 18 years of full-time Christian ministry, but I gotta tell ya - I need one. I can feel in in my soul...Now I certainly don't want to sound like a complainer, but life in the ministry can get pretty crazy at times...my schedule can get pretty wild. I love what I do in ministry...there's just always a lot of it! I know some people joke about Pastors only working on Sundays, but for the past 18 years, I've probably worked on most of the other days too...Not just speaking or performing weddings and funerals, but praying for people going through major life challenges...counseling people who are thinking of throwing in the towel...challenging people who have relaly messed up and encouraging them get back on track. In short, a Pastor's job is to shepherd people...to guide them, protect them from the enemy and help them become more like Jesus. And this can be a 24/7 job. But in order to do a good job with all of that, a Pastor has to spend time with Jesus Himself!

So this is what I'm doing with my sabbatcial starting July 8:

• Melody and I and the boys are going to travel over to Washington, DC where I'll be speaking with my son and Becca Parker at DCLA for over 5000 students form all over the world.
• Then we're going to drive up the east coast together and see my sister and her family as well as a few other great cities (New York, Boston, Philly) along the way.
• We're going to stop over in Maine to see some "kids" who used to be in our youth ministry back in 1991 when we first started out in life. They own a lobster boat and want us to share some "lobster hunting" with them for a few days.
• Next, we'll drive over to northern Vermont where a great family from BridgeWay is allowing us to stay in their "cabin in the woods" for a couple weeks where we can just be quiet, pray and take some long walks in the woods just to think and learn the importance of being still again.
• Then we'll head back toward Indy and stop in Cleveland, Ohio for a Family Reunion. Cleveland is God's Paradise here on earth ya know?
• Finally, once we get back to Indy, the kids will get back to school, and I'll have a chance to read the Bible, rest, take a few long prayer walks and take my annual pilgrimmage to Gethsemani Monastary (www.monks.org) in Trappist, Kentucky just to learn to fall in love with Jesus all over again in the silence and solitude of the monastary.

Melody and I will also have a great opportunity to recharge our batteries and invest in our marriage again too. We're both hoping God will meet us and help us re-charge so that we can return to ministry at BridgeWay and continue pouring ourselves into all the great people God leads across our path!

I want to thank all of you for providing this opportunity to yoru pastors and staff at BridgeWay. It means the world to us. We would appreciate your prayers while we're gone too! Prayers for safety and refreshment...along with prayers for God to meet us along the journey.

I'm preaching this Sunday July 5 at BridgeWay and then we'll be gone until after Labor Day...so I hope you have a terriffic summer if I don't get to see you before we leave! And I hope you'll take some time to pursue Jesus in your own way too this summer. It's the most important thing you could be doing with your time.

God Bless! Have a Great Summer.

Dave Ambrose

Another ACL Injury

Four years ago I had my ACL in my left knee replaced with a hamstring tendon by Dr. Kolias at OrthoIndy in Indianapolis. I started playing hoops again and really enjoying myself...that is until June 15 when someone undercut me at the local YMCA while I was going in for a layup. I had no where to land and my right knee buckled and I blew out my other ACL as well as damaged my miniscus pretty badly.

Off to OrthoIndy I went again, but this time Dr. Kolia was on vacation...so I saw Dr. Patel. After x-rays and an MRi, Dr. Patel confirmed that I had blown out another ACL. At first I was a little angry at the guy who undercut me. I was a little angry at God for the timing of the whole thing (I have to speak at DCLA in two weeks and then head out on a 6 week sabbatical). I had just finished taking care of my wife - who was recovering from her own surgery...and now this! C'mon God...can't I catch a break?

But then it hit me...even stuff like this is part of God's plan for my life. Somewhere in the middle of all this, he has a plan for me and my family and He wants me to learn through it all...He wants me to learn to trust Him even more. So this is an opportunity - it's an opportunity to learn to listen and slow down. It's an opportunity to allow others to take care of me (which is much more difficult than I ever imagined...). It's an opportunity to reflect on my life and see what God wants for me in the middle of it all.

So I went under the knife this past Tuesday, June 23. I had an allograft (cadavor) ACL replacement with major miniscus repair. It was a 2 hour surgery. The hospital was great! They gave me medicine to handle my nausea that I tend to get under anesthesia...and I didn't experience ANY side effects (besides saying a few crazy things). I had a nerve block in my leg too - that was interesting. My knee cap jumped involuntarily along with my toes...pretty weird. The next thing I knew, I was in the recovery room.

I've been working hard since then. I've got my Constant Passive Motion Machine (CPM) up to 110 degrees - as high as it will go - and its only been 4 days. At my follow up appointment, Dr. Patel sais I can't put any weight on my knee for two weeks! That's much different than my first surgery where I was putting weight on it right away. It's been pretty interesting as I've researched this deal on the Internet...some Docs say put weight on it right away, others don't. So for now, I'm using my crutches, trying to strengthen my leg and staying off of it for the most part. I have a full leg brace I wear when I get out for anything, and I have to wrap my entire leg in saran wrap when I get in the shower. It's been a much slower last few days to say the least, but I'm trying to see God in the middle of it all.

Its been great to have so many friends stopping by to check on me as well as a trememndous life partner to take care of me and encourage me along the way. Melody and my boys have been outstanding. I just hate feeling like a liability as I lay here and recover. I just want to walk, drive and get back to "normal" ya know? Whatever "normal" is...

Jesus, thanks for helping me through this. Thanks for what you're doing in my life by slowing me down. Help me trust you as I walk through this recovery process.

Slowing Me Down

Last Monday I was playing basketball and tore my ACL in my right knee. Back in 2004 I tore the ACL in my left knee and had it repaired...looks like I've got another surgery coming sooner than I expected. I'm supposed to leave for a sabbatical at work starting July 8 through Labor Day and I'm questioning God on the timing of this injury. I gott be honet, I was pretty depressed on Tuesday as I thought it all through. I love playing basketball. I'm not that good, but I love to play and get some exercise with a bunch of other guys. Why would God allow something like this to happen now? I had a lot of plans for the sabbatical...hiking, walking, etc. Now what do I do? Or maybe God was trying to tell me something. Maybe He was trying to slow me down some. Or maybe it wasn't God at all. Maybe it was the enemy trying to foil my plans. How do you tell the difference? Or maybe it was just my own stupidity...trying to play hoops with a bunch of twenty-somethings when you're 41 isn't the smartest idea in the world is it?

So where do I go from here? I'm thinking about convincing my doctor to do the surgery this week so I can start down the recovery road, but who knows...

One thing I know: God and me are good. It took a few days for me to chill out and listen to what He wanted to say to me, but I think I got it. He's saying: David, I'm God through the good and the not so good. Trust me. I will never leave you or forget about you. I love you David.

I think that's good enough for me.