Thoughts of Josh Dryer

 

 

  You’ve probably heard the phrase “new normal” many times over the past few weeks. A lot of things have changed recently, and this prompted our culture to use that phrase to describe the permanency (or semi-permanency) of those changes. The way our public-school system educates children has changed. On August 19 th the kids will start school, but they will do so online. Sporting events have been cancelled. Even the Lobster Mini-Season was restricted in Monroe County through the closure of boat ramps. One of the biggest changes during the pandemic has been the addition of a face covering to our attire. I remember when our kids were younger, Darlene and I had a hard time keeping shoes on their feet. They are Florida girls and they love being barefoot. We had to turn around and go home more than once because they didn’t have their shoes. Now, every time we leave the house we have to ask, “Do you have your facemask?” While we were out of town last week, I had to walk several blocks back

Hello Church,   I am writing this update to you all from the Lifeway Ridgecrest Conference Center in North Carolina. They have a special program for pastors and their families to get away and enjoy the mountains. It is such a blessing for us to have the opportunity to take some time to rest and recharge this week. The girls are having a blast and are excited to do some hiking, rock climbing, and exploring tomorrow.   I will keep my update short this week so that I can remain focused on our family time together. This evening while the girls were playing in a nearby creek, I leaned back against the bench, took a deep breath of mountain air, and felt a wonderful peace from the Lord. This inspired me to write this letter to you.   In times such as these, we need to remember that Jesus desires and provides a way for us to experience peace through our fellowship with Him and the indwelling Holy Spirit. The great news is that you don’t need to come up to North Carolina to experi