Homeward bound.

Today I'm writing from Detroit International Airport, heading home after an exhilerating start to my sabbatical. My last few days have been spent with good friends and colleagues at the annual meeting of the Council of Health and Human Service Ministries of the United Church of Christ. As always, I return home with new insights into my governance and management practices, good memories of times with kindred spirits, and ... more in my suitcase than when I started.

The meeting ended with an awards dinner where we recognized innovation, best practices, and excellence in governance and management among CHHSM organizations. Our sponsoring Church of Beatitudes UCC, (http://www.beatitudeschurch.org/) received the Congregational Stewardship Award for their ongoing support in governance, volunteerism, and financial assistance to our Campus. Scott Wynn, our Sr. Vice President of New Program Development received the St. Stephen Award, which is given annually to an individual that has moved his/her organization forward while exemplifying the best in Christian leadership. Perhaps most satisfying of all was watching our own Cammy Clevenger, Controller, receive her Diakonal Minister credentials after completing her Faith Based Leadership training. And it was just plain fun to present a program on Mission Sustainability with Cammy and Tara Bethel, our HR and Risk Management VP. Hopefully the story of redeveloping our Campus, which we see as a transition from scarcity to abundance, can be of help to other agencies needing to recreate themselves.

Odd leaving his annual meeting this time as a couple of close colleagues have retired and will not be returning. So will I see Jerry Wagenecht again? David Yoachum? David and I had a brief moment to talk and I know we will be in touch, but Jerry vanished before I realized he was going. Bittersweet partings this time, and a new awareness of the wisdom we've heard about people coming into and out of our lives. Yes...bittersweet.

So homeward I go, happy to have the time now to think through what I've learned, organize my notes, and prepare for my next trip. It's also time to work on balance and integrate some of the restful intentions I noted in my earlier notes. Wish me luck!

God bless,

Peggy