Sheep Life in Brooklyn

There will likely be many lessons to learn and ways in which I am refined through this new season of life but one that i have learned early on already is...

Sheep life in Brooklyn is no joke

Having been in pastoral ministry for almost 10 years, it has been some time since I have lived life simply as a congregant, a sheep grazing in the fields of the world balancing life as a husband, father, worker, friend and church member.  These roles combined with the rigors and demands of life in this city make for some intense living.  Texts, emails, phone calls, Facebook statuses and messages, blogs [I'm adding to the problem], tweets, and Instagram updates that we try to stay on top of to stay in touch with friends near and far pile up along with all the responsibilities in parenting, kid's schooling and marriage leaves me often exhausted, sometimes overwhelmed and increasingly grateful for God's love for and patience with me.

This short window of time has already then, helped me

• Increasingly understand and sympathize with the time and relational constraints believers face in this city and I hope this will also equip me to better serve, encourage and care for God's people in the future as a pastor as I am better equipped and certainly more aware of what it means to "encourage the fainthearted" [1 Thessalonians 5:14]
• Rejoice in the care of the Good Shepherd who leads me with kindness, care, patience and power

It is good to be a sheep of the Good Shepherd