Hitting the Pause Button

Hi friends:

Getting ready to leave on sabbatical. A million details to finish before I leave. And a million other details will be left unfinished because there is no such thing as closure in ministry. I’m hitting the pause button so I can reboot and return with renewed energy, vision, and strength. 

I’m

• Eager

• Scared

• Depleted

• Exhausted

• Overwhelmed

• Ready to hear from God

• Longing to linger at Jesus’ feet

• Excited to see what the Lord has for all of us

This is not a vacation, although I will be in some beautiful places and with some beloved friends and family. I will walk in a rhythm of solitude, community, and ministry. God will set the agenda.

There will be

• Glorious rest

• Divine appointments

• Dark nights of the soul

• Hours of reading and study

• Blissful enjoyment of creation

• Deep connection with Scripture

• Pages upon pages of journaling

• Peace that passes understanding

• Struggles that knock my hip out of joint

• Hilarious encounters with various people and animals

• Precious gifts from God for me alone that I will treasure in my heart

• Stories and teaching and experiences and photos that I will bring back and share with all of you

Deep calls to deep at the sound of Your waterfalls;

All Your breakers and Your waves have rolled over me.

Psalm 42:7

I need to pull away to align my soul with the frequency of that still small voice. Sometimes God is in the strong wind. Sometimes God is in the earthquake. Sometimes God is in the fire. Sometimes God is in the sound of a gentle blowing.

So He said, " Go forth and stand on the mountain before the LORD." And behold, the LORD was passing by! And a great and strong wind was rending the mountains and breaking in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of a gentle blowing. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, a voice came to him and said, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" (1 Kings 19:11-14)

I am praying that this prayer pilgrimage will be a blessing for all of us. Thank you for your patience, flexibility, support, encouragement, prayers, friendship, companionship, participation, and believing in what Psalm One Ministries is all about.

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world. For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; that is, that I may be encouraged together with you while among you, each of us by the other's faith, both yours and mine. (Romans 1:8-12)

May we all be strengthened by this adventure!

Grace and peace,

Linda

May This Journey Bring a Blessing

Greetings from a full desk:

Tackling stacks of ministry details and preparing to leave on an extended sabbatical. So much to do before I hit the pause button.

With everything going on in the world, this doesn’t look like a good time to go anywhere. But this window of opportunity  is all I have, so I am stepping forward. If I am ever going to do this, the time is now. Why on earth would I go on a sabbatical now?

I want to finish strong.

I can take this sabbatical and return rested, renewed, strengthened from time spent at Jesus’ feet. I can go away to rest, write, read, study, pray, seek, reboot, refuel, and replenish. I can pull away as Jesus did, then minister far more effectively out of God’s agenda, God’s Spirit, God’s power.

Or I can quit.

But He won’t let me.

And I don’t want to quit.

I don’t believe God is done with me, or with the work of Psalm One Ministries.

The last few years have taken quite a toll with illness, caring for and losing both parents, and the stressful, toxic, and combative upheaval in the world and the Church. I don’t know how many years I have left, but I’m fairly sure there are more years behind me than ahead of me. I want to use the them well to invest in eternity.

• I don't want to serve out of the meager dregs of an empty well. I want to pour out from rivers of living water.

• I don't want to teach from my limits and flesh. I want to be an arrow pointing to the Almighty God.

• I don’t want to lead from a place of exhaustion. I want to help people hold onto the Lord of Life.

“In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” (John 1:4-5)

This song continually echoes through my head. https://youtu.be/qbEB0QFsqN8 

Jesus Draw Me Ever Nearer (May This Journey)

by Joanna Carlson, Margaret Becker, and Moya Brennan

Jesus draw me ever nearer,

As I labor through the storm.

You have called me to this passage,

And I'll follow, though I'm worn.

May this journey bring a blessing,

May I rise on wings of faith;

And at the end of my heart's testing,

With Your likeness let me wake.

Jesus guide me through the tempest;

Keep my spirit staid and sure.

When the midnight meets the morning,

Let me love You even more.

May this journey bring a blessing,

May I rise on wings of faith;

And at the end of my heart's testing,

With Your likeness let me wake.

Let the treasures of the trial

Form within me as I go

And at the end of this long passage,

Let me leave them at Your throne.

May this journey bring a blessing,

May I rise on wings of faith;

And at the end of my heart's testing,

With Your likeness let me wake.

“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service.” (1 Timothy 1:12)

May I finish strong. May I be found faithful. May this journey be a blessing, may I rise on wings of faith, and may I take you all with me.

Much love,

Linda

Sabbatical:

I need a team of faithful people who will travel with me (vicariously—Do not start packing!) and pray for my time with Jesus, safety, all the logistics. In return, you might be blessed and possibly entertained by occasional emails from the road, which might include wacky stories of weird adventures, divine appointments, whispers from God, and a photo or two. If you are willing to pray, reply with “Sabbatical Prayer Team”.

I will be using my savings and donations from people who want to invest in this sabbatical. To give toward this journey: https://www.psalmone.org/donate  Be sure to choose sabbatical from the drop-down screen or otherwise indicate. Checks should be made out to Psalm One Ministries and mailed to the address below.  We are a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization so all contributions are tax deductible.

Psalm One:

We need financial support to continue the work of Psalm One. God continues to open doors and use us to teach the Word and strengthen believers. Please keep investing in our ongoing ministry: https://www.psalmone.org/donate 

New Dates!

2023 Pastors’ Wives Soul Care Retreats

We have just returned from the most incredible “Sisterhood of the Fishbowl” Soul Care Retreat ever! Absolutely tremendous. God met us and lifted us in so many ways. What an amazing time of prayer, the Word, friendship, sharing, encouragement, rest, and so much laughter my face still hurts.

https://www.psalmone.org/pastors-wives

• February 3-5 Cincinnati, Ohio

• February 24-26 Green Lake, Wisconsin

• November 3-5 Location TBA

2023 Refocus and Refuel Retreats—Cincinnati, OH

For men and women: https://www.psalmone.org/refocus-and-refuel

• March 3-5

• May 5-7

• September 15-17

• November 17-19

Note: Dates may change and events will be added as my schedule shapes up, and other logistics shift. If we’ve learned one thing in the last two years, it’s being flexible. “Instead, you ought to say, ’If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.’" (James 4:15)

See you somewhere along the journey.

Linda Kline

Psalm One Ministries

6344 Inverness Way

Mason, OH 45040-2053

513-226-0025

gtlinda7@gmail.com

www.psalmone.org

For Donations:

P.O. Box 653

Mason, OH 45040-9998

Rest, Refresh, Refuel, Refocus, Reboot, and Return.

Psalm One is doing a bit of remodeling in 2022. We’ve all had to adjust, re-calibrate, and retool a bit through the non-stop roller coasters of the last few years, haven’t we? Flex and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to flex and obey.

March marks 23 years of Psalm One Ministries. God has opened doors to serve far more than we could have ever imagined around Ohio, across the world, and through a pandemic. He is continuing to use us in strategic ministry, so I need a retreat myself before I lead the next batch of retreats!

In April, I am heading on an extended sabbatical, then continuing the ministry of Psalm One. Same Psalm One you’ve always known, just a new “back office”. Psalm One remains unchanged.

Sabbatical?

Why do you need a sabbatical?

• After 40 years of uninterrupted full-time ministry, I need an extended break before shifting to the next chapter of ministry. I need a furlough, but I have no desire to quit. I want to draw away with the Lord before returning to hands-on ministry with renewed insight, vigor, and strength. Jesus is my model in this. If He needed to pull away with the Father, how much more do I? I don’t think God is finished with me, so I want to pour out of a full cup again.

• When most people think of a sabbatical, it is often for the purpose of writing a book, continued education, or a special project. A pastoral sabbatical is about rest, refueling, and renewal. I need an extended prayer pilgrimage with time in the Word, in creation, and at Jesus’ feet. I need time to read and study. I need to have my heart, soul, mind, spirit, and body restored by God.

• This is what I teach. This is what I must do. Half of my ministry is coaching how to integrate sabbath into our lives so we keep our hearts alive toward God and don’t burn out in ministry. How can I teach others if I am a burned-out shell?

• The last few stressful, toxic, and combative years of upheaval have taken a big toll on my soul, and covid has taken a big toll on my health. I’ve weathered two bouts of covid and am still trying to heal from long haul covid.

• I cared for two aging and ailing parents 100 miles away for 9 years, then lost both my parents within two years. I’m so thankful to have been able to be there, but it depleted me.

• I want to combine my ministry, writing, travel experiences, photography, and whatever else God gives me in ways that bless, inspire, teach, and encourage people.

Where are you going?

I already have a couple of options, but I plan to be in several locations along the way. Does anyone know of anyplace affordable I could rent? Private, quiet, remote. Somewhere I can be alone to wander with my Bible, journal, and camera. Prayer, study, writing, photography. Ocean, shoreline, island, ocean, mountains, woods, lake, or ocean. Cottage, condo, cabin, crib, cow shed. Preferably most of my neighbors would have fur, fins, feathers, flippers, or even fangs. Willing to consider anywhere in the world (I get around), but well aware that border and travel restrictions could change at any point. Email or call me as soon as possible if you have any ideas.

How will you pay for this?

I will be using my savings and donations from people who want to support this prayer pilgrimage. Have you been encouraged, strengthened or blessed through my ministry? I would be honored if you would consider investing in this sabbatical. https://www.psalmone.org/donate

Be sure to choose sabbatical from the drop-down screen or otherwise indicate. Checks should be made out to Psalm One Ministries and mailed to the address below. Note the new P.O. Box. Please do not send mail to old PO Box and Oregonia address.  We are a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization so all contributions are tax deductible. Do not put my name on the check.

How can I pray?

I need a team of faithful people who will travel with me (vicariously—do not start packing) and pray for my time with Jesus, my safety, all the logistics. In return, you will be blessed and possibly entertained by occasional emails from the road, which might include wacky stories of weird adventures, divine appointments, whispers from God, and a photo or two. If you are willing to pray, reply with Sabbatical Prayer Team.

After the sabbatical, Psalm One will continue as always with:

• Bible teaching

• Christ-centered, Biblically based spiritual formation

• Soul care retreats

• Refocus and refuel retreats

• Care, consulting, counseling, equipping, and encouraging ministry families

Psalm One Ministries depends upon faithful people to invest in our ongoing ministry. We are still receiving donations to continue our work—and especially so I can hit the ground running once I return from my time away.

In the meantime, I am still here and available through March.

• Our online Matthew Study for men and women continues: https://www.psalmone.org/tuesday-night-bible-study

• We are gearing up for the Wisconsin Pastors’ Wives Soul Care Retreat at the end of February. https://www.psalmone.org/pastors-wives

• The Sisterhood of the Fishbowl continues to be a lifeline of fun friendship for pastors’ wives on Thursdays: https://www.psalmone.org/pastors-wives

Pray for a seamless transition. Change is never easy. But we know God will to continue to use Psalm One. He will finish the work he has begun in us as we flex and obey.

“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all, in view of your participation in the gospel from the first day until now. For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:3-6)

Thanks for listening and praying,

Grace and peace,

Linda