I am back home after a long, demanding but beneficial weekend training in Columbus. Sunday morning started out with worship at Lord of Life in Worthington. What a wonderful experience that was! This church has a coffee bar in the lobby with leather couches and café tables where they will make you mochas, cappuccinos and espressos to order. The aroma of hot, fresh cookies hits you as you enter the door. This congregation has the welcoming thing down pat. They were so friendly and open. Pastor Jim is terrific and a very good preacher. I also love it that they offer 3 varieties of worship; traditional, blended and contemporary. There is something for everyone at Lord of Life. If I lived in Columbus, I know where I would go to church.

Yesterday was a day centered around planning how we will carry out or training within our denominations and geographic areas. In Ohio we have a motivated, talented team. Several people across the state were trained previously. With those trained this past weekend, we have nice coverage across the state. Our plans are to meet in September as a whole to discuss goals, techniques, accountability and support. After that we return to our specific areas where we will carry out the plan tailored to our specific regional needs.

Spending 4 days in a classroom setting on the perfect sunny Ohio summer weekend was hard. The days went from early morning to well into the evening hours. The exercises called on us to go beyond our current boundaries and stretch ourselves. It is hard at times for an introvert like be, but I realize it is through these things that you grow. That being said, I am ready for a peaceful weekend after this work week.