Roames’s Sabbatical

“Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”

Proverbs 11:25

  • This morning, we arrived in Barcelona after crossing the Atlantic aboard the Brilliance of the Seas.

    There is something surreal about seeing the skyline of a city appear after days surrounded only by water. The Mediterranean sun, the movement of the harbor, and the energy of the city felt completely different from the slower rhythm we had settled into at sea.

    We started the day walking through La Rambla — one of the most famous streets in Spain. Street performers, flower stands, cafés, music, tourists from every corner of the world… it was sensory overload in the best possible way. Every few feet there was something new to notice.

    From there, we grabbed the hop-on hop-off bus and spent the day touring the city. Barcelona feels ancient and modern at the exact same time. One moment you are staring at centuries-old architecture, and the next you are looking at buildings that seem like they belong in the future. The city carries history without feeling trapped by it.

    As beautiful as the experience has been, I also realized something practical today.

    Creating these travel videos is a much bigger process than I anticipated. Each one is taking roughly five to six hours to film, organize, edit, render, and upload. On top of that, the ship WiFi is really only strong enough for basic communication like email, messaging, and light browsing. Uploading large 4K video files from the ship simply is not realistic right now.

    So going forward during the remainder of this sabbatical journey, I will primarily post the written reflections and stories from each destination while we travel. Then, once we return home and I have access to reliable high-speed internet again, I will finish editing the full videos and begin uploading them.

    In some ways, that actually fits the spirit of this sabbatical better.

    Normally, I move quickly. Produce quickly. Solve quickly. Post quickly. But this season is teaching me that not every meaningful moment has to be immediately packaged and published. Some experiences are meant to be lived first… and processed later.

    Barcelona reminded me today that there is a difference between seeing a place and truly experiencing it.

    And maybe that is true spiritually too.

    Sometimes we rush to document what God is doing before we have slowed down long enough to actually receive it.

  • Happy Mother’s Day from Valencia, Spain. They had a huge celebration at the Plaza of the Virgin in honor of Christ’s mother, Mary. Check out the video.

  • Check out this video about our visit to Malaga, Spain.

  • About 900 miles off the coast of Europe are the beautiful islands of the Azores.

  • This Argentine Tango show gave me some pretty deep spiritual insights.

  • Hello from the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

    Check out this new video I made about meeting a new friend, Jon.

  • Hello from Coco Cay, Bahamas!

    Check out this new video about some insights I had while in port.

  • Decompression

    There’s a strange feeling that comes when your calendar goes quiet.

    No meetings to run to.
    No decisions waiting.
    No fires to put out.

    Just… space.

    And if I’m honest, it feels unfamiliar.

    For most of my life, my days have been structured around purpose, responsibility, and movement. There’s always been somewhere to be and something to do. Even rest had a schedule.

    But now?

    Now there’s nowhere I have to be.
    Nothing I have to do.

    And that’s different.

    At first, it’s not relaxing—it’s unsettling.

    Because when the noise stops, you start to hear things you’ve been too busy to notice.

    Your thoughts.
    Your fatigue.
    Your soul.

    Decompression isn’t just about stopping activity—it’s about unwinding everything that’s been wound tight for too long.

    And that takes time.

    I’m realizing that I don’t know how to instantly “power down.”
    There’s no switch for that.

    It’s more like a slow release valve.

    A deep breath that lasts days… maybe weeks.

    But somewhere in this unfamiliar space, something good is happening.

    I’m learning that my value isn’t tied to my productivity.
    That my identity isn’t anchored to my output.
    That being still isn’t wasted time—it’s necessary time.

    This season is teaching me to be present without pressure.

    To sit without striving.
    To rest without guilt.

    To just… be.

    And maybe that’s the point of decompression.

    Not just to recover from what was—
    But to reset for what’s ahead.

  • Hello, from somewhere in the Bermuda Triangle (Lat: 27.82450 Lon: -70.87006).

  • We have made it to the ship! Click on the video to see an update. Don’t forget to subscribe!