INTO the WOODS

Last summer I took a blogging sabbatical and it was anything but a sabbath. I rested from writing. But resting from writing is like resting from thinking or breathing or sleeping. I felt void at the end of the month, like the shed skin of a cold blooded animal.

And I learned a few things:

Rest is not abstaining from what makes us feel most alive . . . I rest best when I write.

Rest is not necessarily not working . . . I rest best when my mind and hands are active.

Rest must be intentional and purposeful . . . I rest best when I set parameters for myself.

Through the graciousness of my employers, the benevolence of some beautiful friends, and the goodness of God, I will be taking the month of May off from work, play, blogging, and the internet. I will be in the woods (my favorite place to be) and staying in cabins (my favorite places to stay). I will be writing the entirety of the time, though not blogging.

In my absence, I've asked a few of my favorite bloggers to keep you company.

Having people guest post on your blog while you're gone is a little like having people living in your home, teaching your kids, and tending your gardens for a month, so I wanted to have writers I trust, who are compelling, and who handle their words with care.

I asked these specific writers to write in my stead because they are people who tell the truth. These are honest writers whose theologies challenge me, whose wisdom blesses me, and whose transparency teaches me.

Please make it your aim to make them feel welcome while they're here (Give them lots of comments and social media love!), and click through to their personal sites so you can learn a bit more about their stories. I promise you won't be disappointed. We are not necessarily the same sort of writers, with the same experiences, or the same theologies, but we love the same Jesus.

Thom Turner || blog || twitter
Season Caldwell || blog || twitter
Guy Delcambre ||  blog || twitter
Sarah Baker || blog || twitter
Bethany Suckrow || blog || twitter
Leigh Kramer || blog || twitter
Paul Burkhart || blog || twitter Allison Glasscock || blog || twitter Paul Matthies || blog || twitter

For the month of May, I'll be absent from Facebook, Twitter (except for scheduled ahead of time tweets/posts), email, and not answering my phone. But I will try to upload a photo a day, as signal allows, so if you're on Instagram, you can find me @loreferguson and try to guess where I'm hiding out (but not really).

No, seriously—no trying to guess where I am. Please.