The last couple weeks

Sooooo….

The past couple weeks have been a whirlwind and super busy, all culminating with a long awaited Labor Day weekend at the beach. I’m sunburned, I smell like fish and squid guts, and I’m more full on pulled pork, collard greens, and bacon wrapped/jalapeno stuffed tator tots than I have been in a long, long time.

We said goodbye to what has been our home for the past year at four in the morning on Monday, August 22nd. We will, no doubt, miss it. Our experience in Canada has been, for lack of a stronger word, invaluable. I say that for several reasons. First, the growth that Rachel and I both experienced was unreal. On a spiritual level I feel that we have both grown tremendously. The Lord has shown me things over the past year that I don’t think would have been revealed had we not been obedient and ventured out on this journey of faith. I have learned to become all the more reliant on Him for everything; provision, direction, guidance. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to “trust in the Lord with all our your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all you ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” I’ve learned through many experiences this past year how true that really is. Aside from our spiritual growth on an individual level, I feel we have grown in maturity. We have had to leave all we know and every bit of comfort that we can cling to in turn cling to the Author and Finisher of our faith. We have moved to a different country, had a baby there, raised our family there for a year, adapted and fit in. I believe that one of the reasons, if not the main reason, the Lord had us do this was the unbelievable growth that would occur through Him. On top of all this our marriage has grown so strong. What a beautifully orchestrated plan by our Maker to have us in a situation where we would have to cling so tightly to Him and to each other. He knew what He was doing. Secondly, the friendships. The Lord led us away from our family and friends in Florida and filled the gap with some of the most amazing people I have ever had the privilege of being able to call friends. We have developed irreplaceable friendships that will last for eternity. And lastly is experience. God has given me some ministry opportunity and experience that have developed who and where I am now and will continue to act as a mold for who the Lord will have me be. I’ve always been a big believer in on the job experience as greater than any classroom you may sit in. You may know what your textbook says about a three point turn but that knowledge is pretty useless if you don’t intend drive. I have been given a ton of opportunity for “on the job training” over the past year and I am so thankful for it. Thankful to God, to Rachel, Andy, Brett, Jon Ruby, and many others. If I had the chance to go back and talk to myself before I made the decision to move our family to Canada I would have said to do it exactly like we did.

So we left Canada at 4am on the morning of the 22nd. As soon as we got on the Queensway I noticed that my tail lights were out. Turns out the trailer blew a fuse. After driving for three hours with the hazards on so as not to lose time, we found an open wal-mart and fixed the fuse. We drove for 17 hours on the first day. I couldn’t sleep until we were south of the Mason Dixon Line. The second day we drove for nine hours from Roanoke VA to Atlanta. We stayed the night with our brother, Chris Robinson. We had an amazing dinner with Chris and our good friend Drew. The next day we left early and trucked it home. Crossing the Florida/Georgia border was such a sweet thing.

As we were finishing out the last leg of the trip my excitement started to mix with knowing that I was going to have a few days of tough, solid moving ahead of me as we get situated at our new place in Palm Harbor. My mom and Rachel’s mom called and wanted us to meet them there so they could show it to us, we hadn’t seen it yet. I was exhausted and the plan was to stay at my parents the first night and to move stuff over the next day. Our mom’s were excited, though, so we went to the house. As we pulled up I saw a bunch of cars out front. Turns out that a bunch of the dudes got together and moved our stuff for us and the girls cleaned the house for us! We are so blessed by our friends and family. I can’t explain how big a relief it was to have that stuff done.

Since we’ve been back we’ve been busy. We are settling into our house and a new routine. I am getting used to my schedule at the church and have found a part time job that will be starting soon to supplement my income a little bit. It’s really been crazy and awesome so far. I’ve only run a couple times as I’m trying to nurse my foot. I think it may be back though, we’ll test it with a good long run in the morning. A few weeks before I got here, Andrew Chung came to join us at the church as he leads worship. Andrew is super talented and I am pumped for the chance to serve with him. He lives right down the street from me and is Korean, meaning that he is a good cook. I’ve already walked to his house. And the answer to what everyone is wondering, yes, I’ve been to Taco Bus. I’ve been to Brady’s. I’ve already eaten conch fritters and alligator nuggets. I’ve had pulled pork, collard greens, biscuits and gravy, Ted Peter’s smoked fish spread, cole slaw, bacon wrapped/jalapeno stuffed tator tots, sweet tea, and a few burritos as big as my head. I’ve already caught a few fish and lost a few more. We’ve been to a Ray’s game. We are back in Florida.

A few ministry updates. I am starting a men’s discipleship group that begins tonight and Rachel has a woman’s group that is also starting tonight. Please be praying for those. I am still beginning to settle into my role here at CCPH. Although mine and Rachel’s location has changed, our hearts haven’t. We are both seeking the Lord and looking to Him for guidance. We just want to serve Him in whatever area and capacity He has planned for us. Over the past year my heart has really grown for men and women in addiction recovery. I, along with some men at church, are praying for God to equip us and give us the resources to pursue some longer term, more full time recovery ministry. Please be praying for that as well.

I think I covered a lot and I don’t want this to get too long. If anyone, Canadian or other, has any questions for Rachel and I please feel free to ask or tell me if I have left anything out.

We miss Canada and our family there. We are happy to be home and are so thankful for our family here. We are excited to see what the Lord has planned in this new season that we are in.

Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Galatians 6:9

God bless!

Grace and peace,
Ryan

Matthew 9:37-38

Monday’s the New Sunday

I think Ryan has mentioned lately that we spend Mondays together as family day. It is the only day off that he has a week. So we have decided that each Monday we are going to go to some really cool place in the Ottawa region, explore and have some great family memories up here in Canada. It’s been awesome so far. We have been to Gatineau Park, Museum of Civilization, Mer Bleue Bog and this week we travelled over to Quebec to go to Parc Omega.

The drive was great. We took a ferry across the Ottawa River a little bit east of where we are at here in Orleans and landed just on the other side in French Quebec. We drove about 45 minutes through rural farms and little pockets of cities until we got to Montebello, where this amazing park was just north of.

Parc Omega – it’s a drive thru wildlife experience and it is massive. You drive your car through the park, and Red Deer, Fallow Deer (my favorites), Wapiti aka Elk, hogs and boars would come up to your car, stick their slobbery, wet and buggy mugs in your window and demand a carrot or two.

It was awesome. The kids fed them. Ruth would yell from the car, as if these animals could hear her, and say “Hey Hog!! I’m going to feed you a carrot.” Johnny shied away from it a little bit but did feed some. And poor Ryan, I heard him say, “I feel like a kid in a candy store and I can’t have anything. I can’t believe I am feeding these things instead of shooting them.” (I think that was mostly directed to the huge boars)

There were amazing animals that we saw beyond those who walk up to your car to be fed – Bison, Arctic Wolves, Black Bears. Obviously, you were not allowed to feed those.

We had this one amazing experience that made the drive and the money we spent to get in totally worth it. We went down by this lake where we could feed some fish in a pond. And then all of a sudden a huge pack of beautiful Fallow Deer gather around some food the park ranger just dropped for them, and surrounded us. It was surreal. No one else was there but us. They ate all around us. Ruth was in heaven. They let her feed them, touch them, hug them a bit. If she could, she would have gotten on one of their backs and ridden off into the mountains.

I was able to get some good pictures out there. I’ve put a few in here but check out our Flickr page for more.

Oh, Hey

Sorry for the absence in writing this blog. We have been busy and time has slipped by. Lo Ciento.

So what have we been busy with?

-Baby, obviously.

-We have had a series of amazing visits over the last few months. In April we had were lucky enough to have Barbara here for a solid 10 days, I believe. She made us some awesome dinners and helped with the kids. It was awesome having her here. I am so thankful to have her as a mother in law. I got lucky, I don’t think I could have gotten anyone better. In May we had Brett and Kara and Zac here. What a treat that was. Late nights just talking. We got the chance to hear Brett teach, in person, not online. I got to proudly sit next to Zac as he shared his testimony and taught from Mark at the Sunday night Jericho Road Bible study. I was amazed at how Kara ingests Sriracha like it’s water. In June my mom was here for 10 days as well. What a blessing. She shared her room with the kids the whole time. It was a great relief for us. She made some more awesome motherly dinners and left our freezer full of lasagna and french onion soup. Each visitor was especially hard to say goodbye to but with each visit came a renewed affirmation of God’s plan for our lives.

-Monday is my day off so we have decided that each Monday until we leave we are going to do a family outing of some sort. Two weeks ago we had a picnic and spent the afternoon at the Mer Bleue Bog. It had a beautiful boardwalk through swamps and woods. Johnny was quick to say that there would be gators EVERYWHERE if this was in Florida. Instead there were beaver trails and funny plants. This past Monday we spent the afternoon at the Museum of Civilization. Impressive for sure. We still don’t know what we’re doing this coming Monday so if you have a suggestion, bring it on.

-We have begun packing early for several reasons. 1)Again we have to make the decision of what we are and aren’t taking. 2)We don’t want to put it off and freak out about it as the day is quickly approaching. 3)Our landlord is beginning to show the place so instead of putting things in the corner we decided this would be a good chance to just box them up.

-I have been running lately. You may be familiar with the #HASSELHOFF phase I went through. Well, that turned out to be a one hit wonder just like the program’s namesake. Now my program is the 1 Kings 18:46 program. I’ve always hated running and never been very good at it. I prayed a while back that God would give me the desire and discipline to run and He has. Over the past couple months I’ve been running 20+ miles a week. I usually do a 5k early in the week, then a couple 4-5 milers during the week, and then a long run on Saturday. The longest run I’ve done so far is 13 miles. I’ve become obsessed with distance and for some stupid reason I really want to try to run 50 miles in one day. Anyway…

-I took Johnny to see a longtime hero of mine play in Ottawa. Chuck Ragan of Hot Water Music. I’ve known Chuck on an informal level for a while now and had the opportunity to interview him once for REAX magazine. An interview that turned into talking about fishing instead of the tour I was supposed to be asking him about and got cut majorly short in the final print. I got a hold of Chuck before his Ottawa show, a show that was supposed to be 19+, and asked if he could do anything to get Johnny in. Not only did he get Johnny in but made it one of the most memorable nights that Johnny, and I, will have for a long time. Chuck gave Johnny a harmonica, a shirt, and a record signed by him and the band. He also had Johnny help him with his soundcheck. It was an unreal experience. You can see some photos if you click here.

-The kids are in VBS this week and loving it.

-Lastly, and most significant, to me anyway. Rachel. Rachel is amazing me everyday in many ways. Her wisdom, her patience, her love. Daily she goes above and beyond, both as a mother and a wife. Proverbs 18:22 says “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord.” I can attest to that. It’s true. You want a biblical picture of who Rachel is? Read Proverbs 31:10-31. I knew that I loved her when I married her but I had no idea the deal that I was getting. I have been incredibly blessed by her. Proverbs 27:17 talks about how iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. I usually think of men in my life when I read this, guys like Zac, James, Brett, Andy, my dad and so on. However, I realize that daily Rachel and I are sharpening each other and it’s amazing. God knew what He was doing with marriage. It’s a sort of self sustaining fire and as long as both are earnestly seeking Him, He will provide more than enough fuel for that thing to keep going. Praise Him!

Anyways, as you can see, we’ve been busy. I promise I will get better at being more consistent with the blog. Until then, be excellent to each other.

Grace and Peace,
Ryan
Matthew 9:37-38

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

Diaper changes, really. Hence the lack of blog posts over the past few weeks. Things are going good in the Saul house. We had an awesome visit from Rachel’s mom. She was such a huge help while she was here and we are super grateful.

Johny and Ruth are adjusting really well to having a new baby in the house. They do all they can to help out. Johnny likes to read to Levi, especially Star Wars books. And Ruth likes to sing to him and rub his head and call him a “lucky boy” for some reason. They are doing great. Jasmine, our cat, is adjusting by staying out of the way and keeping to herself.

Rachel is the definition of Supermom. I have been amazed with how she has been able to manage three kids. She can home school Johnny while feeding Levi while keeping Ruth busy and she makes it all look effortless. I am impressed and extremely thankful for her.

I have officially started back to work this week. It was a nice time home with the family but there are things that gots to get done. Feel me? It’s like coming back from a long break from school. The break is nice but you are ready to get back into the swing of things and get back into your routine.

This is sort of a two part post so the second part will be published on Thursday. Until that day comes, keep yer ear to the grindstone…

Also, for pictures of this new little guy, check out mine and Rachel’s facebooks.

Grace and peace,
Ryan

Matthew 9:37-38

Now a Family of 5

It’s been really awesome, having a new baby in the house. Levi is a sweetie, a great snuggler and a good sleeper. I’ve forgotten what it’s like to have a newborn. But we are all doing really good. Johnny and Ruth love him to death. Johnny actually helps change diapers (we’ll see how long that lasts) and Ruth is the second mom, making sure the music is on in his swing and to fix his pacifier when it falls out of his mouth. I’m getting ok sleep – still adjusting to the multiple nightly interruptions.

My mom is up here. She’s been here for a week and is here for another week. It’s awesome. It’s just the best. I’m so blessed that she’s been able to be here to help out and keep Johnny and Ruth happily occupied while I’m busy with Levi. But most importantly, it’s just the fact that I have my mom with me that makes it all feel right.

Now …. what’s the deal with dual citizenship? Don’t worry – he’ll still be celebrating the 4th of July.

Levi…

Psalm 98:1a

“Oh, sing to the LORD a new song! For He has done marvelous things;”

We are so thankful to be sitting at home with our new baby boy. It’s crazy to think that we are now a family of five. The Lord has blessed us tremendously and we owe everything to Him. Please join us in praying for Levi. Pray that he can grow up and be someone who can be greatly used by God and that us as parents will be wise in raising him along with his big brother and big sister.

I deliver babies now. I’m a baby delivererer. Well, I really just let the professionals do all the work. That’s my secret. Anyways, as you probably now know, the Saul family has welcomed it’s latest member, Levi Gunnar Saul. Someone commented on twitter last night that it’s a good thing we’re from the South or else we wouldn’t be able to pull off that name. That’s probably true. For his first dinner at home he had pulled pork, corn bread, collard greens, and a half gallon mason jar of sweet tea.

The whole labor/rush to the hospital process was new to us since Johnny and Ruth were both induced. All I knew is that is the only time you are allowed to run all red lights and drive as fast as you want. I also couldn’t stop thinking about the scene from Men In Black when Will Smith had to deliver the alien baby on the side of the road. I thought for sure that was going to be me. Luckily we made it to the hospital. This hospital was FAR from our experiences in the States. In the States there are playgrounds and massive waiting rooms with teddy bears and balloons everywhere. Here, the “Family Birthing Centre” was in the farthest corner of the hospital and on the second floor. Not an easy walk for a woman in labor. Also, there was a fire alarm when we showed up so the elevators were not working. Up the stairs. As we were being shown to our room I felt like a little kid at the dentist office and I wasn’t even the one giving birth. There were women screaming the whole time we were there. It was crazy. Rachel may like to share more details with you if you ask her but this is how I trained my mind to remember the delivery process. Rachel started having painful contractions………. she is nursing Levi and everything is good. He was born at 12:59 and weighed in at 8lbs 13oz. Dude is big. The thing I did prefer to an American birth is that he was born just before 1am and we were back home by 4:30am. They don’t even play around. You are there to have a baby and when the baby has been had you are gone. I think I can safely speak for the both of us that it was nice to be able to go home. Who wants to hang Alright, you probably only clicked the link to this post to see the pictures anyways and probably aren’t even reading this so here are a few pictures. Enjoy!

Grace and peace,
Ryan
Matthew 9:37-38<a

Saul Update

If you clicked this thinking it was a baby announcement, I’m sorry. No baby yet.

The update is that, after a huge amount of prayer and counsel, Rachel and I have made the decision to move back to Florida at the end of August. Our year will be up here and we believe that the Lord is calling us back and we are going to be obedient. We will be returning to Calvary Chapel Palm Harbor and I will be going into a full time ministry position there. We are working on the arrangements right now. I am super excited for the opportunities that will come of that and the ministry that the Lord is already stirring. Please be praying for that.

We have been in Ottawa for seven months now and have a whole new family and home here. The reason for telling you this news now is that I wanted to make sure that it was heard from me. We still have five months here and a lot of learning, work, and ministry yet to do. I am so thankful that the Lord brought us here and I can’t wait to see what he still has planned for us. I am so incredibly thankful for the family that we have here now and even after we go Ottawa will always be our second home.

You may be wondering why we have made this decision so early. We are here on a one year Religious Workers Visa. In order to extend our visa we needed to make a decision six months in advance. Believe me, this is a decision that was toiled over in prayer and the Lord has given us a clear answer.

So what does this change? Nothing. Like I said, we still have a lot of work and a lot of ministry left. The reason for the announcement now is that I wanted to be sure that this looming question wouldn’t be a distraction or a hindrance to the ministry that the Lord has us in.

The body of Christ is amazing. The family of God is awesome. We are so thankful to have a place in the body and to have the opportunity to be used by Him. We are thankful that we have been obedient and will continue to be obedient to Him. The Lord has blessed us beyond anything we could have ever imagined. Our marriage, our family, and our friends are a few examples where the Lord has really blessed us but they pale in comparison to the His amazing grace and the salvation that is made available to us through faith in Jesus Christ. They also don’t compare to the joy that comes with bearing fruit that is pleasing to the Lord. And what’s really amazing is that it’s not even your works that bear the fruit but the works of the Lord through the natural fruit that is a result of your faith. Even more awesome is that to bear fruit, you just need to abide in Him and in His word(John 15:1-8). Lay your burdens down at His feet, abide in Him, rest in Him, glory in Him and His word and fruit will happen. As we have made the decision to continue to abide in Him and to be obedient, I want to encourage you consider what the Lord has planned for you. The fields are white with harvest but the laborers are few. We are praying hard for more laborers. If the Lord is calling you out to the fields, go. Don’t count the costs, don’t worry about establishing a “plan b” or a safety, don’t look back, just have faith that God will equip you and go. If you are obedient the Lord will make opportunity for you that you never thought possible. I love this family.

Grace and peace,
Ryan

Matthew 9:37-38

Contentment

I’m really encouraged this morning by what Paul has to say to the church in Philippians 4:12-13.

Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Contentment is not something that we are normally taught in our Western culture. In fact, it is more often than not the opposite. We are taught that we can always have more and that we can always do better than our current circumstances. Parents want kids to do better than them and often times place unreasonable pressure on what their view of success is. When worldly success is priority we quickly lose sight on the only thing in this life that carries any long term weight and that is the gospel. What’s more is that not only are we shown what we can have but we are told we deserve it. We are told and believe that we deserve better, or that we didn’t deserve for that bad thing to have happened to us.

I thank God everyday for what He has given to me and my family and at the same time I thank Him for the stuff of this world that He has purged from us. I realize that everything I have has been given by Him and belongs to Him. If the Lord decides that I need something, He will give it to me. If He decides that I don’t need something, or that He will be glorified if He takes something away, He will take it and I am totally cool with that. I am in a position that the world will tell me is not a good spot to be in. I am completely, unequivocally dependent on Christ. I am dependent on Him for my finances, for my family, for my health, etc. I have laid it all down at His feet and it is all His to do with what He wants. I will tell you this, as you read this and wonder how this is freedom, that I have never been more free. I am free to be used by God in whatever capacity he chooses.

Just to be clear, however, this freedom is in no way a carelessness. Because I have been redeemed and have given my life over to Christ, I will approach every aspect of life with a passion towards giving God glory in all that I do. Achievement for the sake of self is worth nothing at the end of the day, but achievement for the sake of the glory of God and the advancement of the gospel can have lasting effects that will continue far beyond any worldly “legacy”.

Be encouraged today and consider your circumstances. Are you content where God has you?

Grace and peace,
Ryan

Matthew 9:37-38

Florida, Pt 2

So here is the second half of our trip to Florida, for all those interested.

Friday was the first day of the Women’s Conference at Calvary Chapel Palm Harbor. Rachel was busy and spent the morning preparing at my parents house. I went to the church on Friday morning and Kasi and I got to dissect a frog(photo below) with the homeschool co-op. I’m gonna say that Jenn, I mean Mrs. Fee, is one of, if not my favorite teacher ever. I also shined in class. As soon as I washed the frog guts off of my hands I went up to Tarpon Springs to meet Arry Housh for lunch. We had a great lunch and a good time of catching up. After lunch I had to go to our house in Oldsmar and fill up a storage pod with the rest of our stuff. After that I went and picked up James and we went to Sonny’s to meet the Roberson dudes for an awesome dinner(photo below). I miss those guys and their sister. After dinner James and I spent some time in fellowship with xbox controllers in our hands. Brooke came home and we all talked for a bit.

Saturday was the second day of the Women’s Conference. My sister, Kasi, opened with a controversial talk…. just kidding, I’ve heard it was great. The guys had a park day with all of the kids. We had an awesome time at the park. We played, ate pizza, walked on the nature trail, threw sticks at alligators, caught spiders, etc. All the things dads do with their kids. It was such a fun time and when we were there it felt like we never left.

Sunday we went to church and said goodbye to most of our friends and family. After church we went to Cory’s future brother-in-laws for an engagement party for him and his woman. It was a blast but I wish my new cousin-in-laws, the other Ludlams(photo below), were there. After the engagement party the girls went to the Housh’s for a baby shower for Rachel and the boys went back to my parents to watch the Matrix.

Monday I had lunch with James at Tijuana Flats and everyone else had lunch at my grandmothers. I met them over there and we hung out for a while before going back to my parents. We stayed there a bit before a big family dinner at my other grandmothers. It was nice getting together and seeing everyone that we hadn’t seen in a while.

Tuesday was the day that Kasi left. Rachel and the kids spent the morning with Barbara at the beach. The were at Howard Park and didn’t realize until they left that a bunch of our friends were there too. Bummer. I spent the morning fishing with Jim B. We caught a few trout and mackerel. Nothing crazy but it was beautiful out. I can’t really think of anywhere else in this world that compares to being in the woods or on the water. Isn’t that awesome? Nothing that man creates can come close to the simple, but at the same time extremely complex beauty that the Lord made when He spoke the world into existence. After fishing we went by the church to say goodbye to Brett and Jim N. We talked a bit then had a sweet, short time of prayer together. We hugged and said goodbye. I thank God everyday for having those two guys in my life. Aside from my dad, I can’t really think of anybody else who has had a big of influence as them. Tuesday evening we returned the van to Calvary Chapel St Pete and headed back to my parents to pack.

Wednesday morning we were up dark and early so that we could make our 6am flight. Who booked these flights? Anyways, we made it. My mom took us to the airport and we said goodbye. the only thing holding everyone together as we said goodbye is that the kids were there and it would probably be less than encouraging for them to see a bunch of adults crying as we say goodbye. Our travels back were a lot more smooth that the way down. By dinner we were back in our home in Ottawa.

We had such a great trip. The Lord really blessed our time. I am beyond proud of Rachel. I heard some awesome feedback on the conference. I am so honored to be able to call her my wife. I feel as though our trip was definitely fruitful. God is good.

Please continue to pray for us as we serve up here in Ottawa. God bless.

Grace and peace,
Ryan

Matthew 9:37-38

Florida, pt 1.

As hard as it was, we let go of Florida again and are now back in Canada. We had an incredible time with friends and family that we miss a lot. This trip wasn’t just a vacation, though. Rachel and I both had a bit on our plates while we were in town. Here is a rundown of the first half of our trip, from my perspective. I’ll do the second half on Tuesday. Maybe Rachel can add to this…

I won’t get into the travel woes that we experienced in New York but let’s just say we spent the night at JFK airport and got into Tampa nine hours later than scheduled. Rachel went on to Lakeland and I went to Clearwater to meet my brother, Cory, and to pick up the CCSP missions van that they were so gracious to let us use. Cory and I went to Orange Blossom Groves to get a giant cup of OJ and look at the alligator heads. Then we went to Acropol in Clearwater for lunch. After lunch I headed to Lakeland to meet Rachel and the kids.

We spent the first night at Rachel’s dad’s house in Lakeland. We had a great visit and had an opportunity to really share what we have going on in Ottawa and how the Lord is moving up here.

We woke up Sunday morning and went to church at our home church, Calvary Chapel Palm Harbor. We are so blessed by our family there. It was a great reminder of how fortunate we are and how much the Lord has blessed us with the people in our lives. After church, Rachel and I went with James and Brooke to the park for a youth group picnic. I miss those guys and girls a ton and I’m really thankful that I got to spend a good amount of time with some of them. Sunday afternoon, myself, Johnny, and Jim got to get out and fish a little bit and Johnny caught himself a decent trout that is now in the freezer.

I’m totally drawing a blank on Monday. Weird. I do remember that Rachel and I and Jim and Barbara went out for sushi for dinner though. Amazing, sushi is.

Tuesday morning I was given the opportunity to share at the Calvary Chapel St Pete’s men’s breakfast. What a sweet time. Jim Bourland and Zac Copple were kind enough to come with me to the breakfast even though it was at 6:30am on a Tuesday morning. I miss Zac a lot. We used to see each other everyday so being away from him has been one of the harder transitions I’ve had to make. We also got the chance to get breakfast a few times while I was in town. I am very thankful for him and his family. After the breakfast I met with Art Dykstra, the missions pastor at St Pete. This was the first time I’d met Art. I like Art. You may have read in an earlier post that I went to Taco Bus for lunch with my good friends Rob Schwager and Jimmy Likeness. If you didn’t read it, go back and look at the pictures. For real. I got a chance to spend a lot of time with James on this trip, too. That was a great blessing. Tuesday afternoon I got to pick my sister, Kasi, up at the airport and then we waited there for the crew to get back from the mission trip to Kenya. My mom and dad were part of that crew so when they arrived our week became SaulGood. The whole family went to Acropol for dinner. I was so nice to have everyone back together again, even if it was for a brief time.

Wednesday was a good day. I went up to church a bit early to study because I was given the opportunity to teach on Wednesday night. Brett and I went out to Brady’s BBQ in Safety Harbor for lunch and got some amazingness. Again, please refer to previous post. Wednesday night was an awesome night. It was an huge honor to have the chance to share with everyone in Palm Harbor. I shared a bit about Ottawa and what we have going on up here and then I taught through Romans 12. I have personally been so convicted by this chapter and it was amazing getting to share it to a big group of people who I love and I really wanted to hear it, too. God is good. When the service was done, I had everyone break up into small groups and pray with each other. I regret not taking a picture because it was really cool to see.

Thursday morning began with breakfast with Zac. Then I went up to the church and helped for a little bit in getting the sanctuary ready for the women’s conference. I went to lunch with Brett, Jim, James, Daniel, Chris, and Justin. I miss our Thursday lunches and it was nice getting to join everyone this week. Rachel was spending a good amount of her time up to this point getting prepared for the conference. Thursday night Rachel and I, accompanied by our good Canadian friend, Chelsea Gardiner, got to hang out with the Palomino’s small group from CCSP. What an awesome group. We got to share a bit, eat together, and pray together. I’m thankful for the new relationships we have there. Thursday night I was going to go fishing with my good friend Steve Musha but the wind was a bit out of control so we decided to grab some coffee, go to the Safety Harbor pier and talk. I had such an encouraging time with Steve. He is one of my best friends and I am so thankful for him and his amazing wife, Darby. There are some people that you know the Lord has placed in your life solely for the purpose of sincere friendship. Steve is one of those people.

I am so thankful for our family in Flroida. I am also so thankful for our family in Ottawa. This is the beauty of God’s family; it is so abundant and without bounds. There is nothing that you can share in common with someone that will bring people together bore than the common bond of a love for and a relationship with Jesus Christ. If you’re not, you want to get in on this family. Trust me.

Grace and peace,
Ryan

Matthew 9:37-38