In Honor of Our Pastors

While I was creating my "Thankful Thursday" list, I realized just how grateful I am for the pastors of our church - ALL OF THEM! Because, husbands & wives have to be a team in ministry for it to succeed. And these couples have succeeded! So, since I know that at least one member of each pastor household is a blog addict, I would like to take the time to honor each of them. I encourage you to do the same...

Pastor Dwight:

I cannot even begin to imagine the emotional & spiritual challenges you have faced on a daily basis since coming here. But, I am so grateful that you continue to face those challenges head-on, unafraid. You lead our church with passion, integrity, & committment. You have & continue to challenge our family to strive towards Christ and His calling for us. Thank you for preaching the truth, no matter what.

Pastor Linn:

Thank you for being transparent. You have shared so much of your life with us. You are who you are, in every circumstance. You don't beat around the bush, and you don't play games. You continue to challenge me to be consistent in my relationships, to give honor where honor is due, & to show respect to people, even when they may not deserve it. You have challenged me to look at myself through my Daddy's eyes, & I will forever be grateful for that revelation. You are amazing!

Pastor Seth:

I am so grateful you & Maria came to Durango with Dwight & Linn. You have challenged me to let go of my compulsive, organized side for a while & just go where the Spirit leads. You lead with passion & love. You are an encourager, constantly seeking to bring out the Spirit's gifts in people. Thank you for seeing the gifts in me. My heart is both overjoyed & broken to see you go to SF. I will miss serving with you, but I know you will accomplish great things there. Thank you for encouraging me to look beyond the walls of our church, & challenging me to serve, even when I may not "feel" like it.

Maria:

I love you, girlfriend! I really feel that God brought me a kindred spirit when you & Seth came here. You are an example of how to bring balance to relationships. You serve wherever you are needed, whenever you are needed. You have shown that, yes, women can be passionate about sports! Before you came, I thought I was the only one! You have taken all of the "God" surprises in your life, & thrived. I will miss you so much when you leave... Thank you for speaking the truth, even when it hurts. Thank you for enouraging me, & helping me to see God in EVERY circumstance!

Benjie:

Wow, what a joy you are to my life! You are a bringer of joy to everyone you meet. People cannot help but smile when they are around you. I have so much respect for the passion you show - you wear your heart for God & Megan on your sleeve! You have shown me that the only things you really need in this life are your relationships. I have watched you walk by faith in so many situations - you encourage my faith every day. You have challenged me to seek God everyday, in every place. Thank you for helping me see Him! And, by the way, the Lakers will never compare to the Suns!

Megan:

Thank you for becoming a prayer warrior. You have challenged me that prayer is so much more than most people realize - that an intimate, personal relationship build on trust & conversation is possible with the Ultimate Creator. Thank you for being willing to serve, wherever in the world God calls. Thank you for challenging me to follow my dreams, & to discover what those dreams are. You, like Benjie, are examples of faith giants to me. Seeing God provide in amazing ways for you, because of your faith, has encouraged me to trust my Daddy for those "faith mountains" in my life. I pray that my girls follow their Heavenly Daddy like you have - in absolute faith & trust!

Mark:

Oh Mark, my friend, my absolute opposite! Thank you for stealing me from Children's Ministry so many years ago. You sparked a passion for young people that I wish I could explain. You challenge me to think outside the box, to let go of myself & my desire for control, & to just have fun with life. Thank you for consistently hearing & following God, even when it didn't make sense at the time. Your "hat" at the church has changed a few times throughout the years, but your passion & commitment to God's people hasn't. Thank you for taking Jerome under your wing so many years ago, & not letting him go. You have helped to shape him into the man he is today, and in the future. You & Jill have challenged me to never give up, & to never lose hope. You have held Jerome & I up when we could not stand on our own. I am eternally grateful to God that He gave us such amazing friends & traveling partners for this journey.

Jill:

My sunshine, my friend, my challenger, my encourager, my JillyBean! I love you so much! You have seen the best in me, even when I couldn't. You have taught me so much about biblical counseling, prayer, accountability, true friendship, motherhood, life as a wife, life in ministry, integrity, etc., etc., etc. Thank you for never giving up on me, even when I tried, in my times of depression, to push you away. Thank you for pushing harder. Thank you for loving me in my ugliest times & seasons. Thank you for "rejoicing when they rejoice, and weeping when they weep". You have been there for us, and me, no matter what. I pray that someday I am able to return to you even half of what you have given me.

Adam:

How far we have come! Thank you that, even when we didn't get along, we were able to love each other through Jerome. Thank you for loving & encouraging him. I, as a wife, can only do & say so much. The love of a brother is so strong! Thank you for being my friend. Thank you for listening to the calling of God on your life, & obeying. Your time as the youth pastor has encouraged & challenged me like no other time in my Christian walk. Your teaching & leading of the Well has pushed me to strive towards Christ with reckless abandon. You continue to challenge me in integrity, transparency, and honesty. You have pushed me to do things that were uncomfortable, but necessary for my growth. Thank you for getting me out of the kitchen, too! I wish I could convey in words what your leadership has meant for my walk - all I can say is that I am closer to God & more confident in His calling on my life now than I have ever been, and I know that a great portion of that has come from you. Thank you!

Kristin:

I had to save you for last, because I knew that if I started with you, I would be crying so hard (at work, no less) that I wouldn't be able to continue. I cannot express my gratitude to God for bringing you into Adam's life. I will never, as I have told you before, be able to forget the first description I heard about you, from Jerome. "I think I just met our sister-in-law". Jerome is not known for his immediate confidence in situations, so the fact that he said that spoke volumes to me. I know that Adam had started the journey back to God when you met, but I know without a shadow of a doubt that it has been your influence in his life that has led him this far. You have challenged us to seek God's plan for us, no matter what anyone else says. While we have had our challenges in our relationship, there is no doubt in my mind you will be there for us, no matter what. You have shown me that it is okay to say no, and to serve where God has called you. Thank you for continuing to serve on the worship team after Pax was born - what an example that children are a continuation of the ministry, not the end! Thank you for being my sister. Thank you for leading the youth with integrity, & encouraging the leaders to challenge students in their integrity. Thank you for not standing behind Adam, but alongside. Thank you for showing me what a strong woman in ministry looks like. Thank you for loving my children - there are few people on this earth that matter more to them than Uncle Adam & Aunt Dub! I love you, now & forever, my sister & friend!

Thank you, all of you, for what you do. You inspire, challenge, encourage, & lead me towards Christ every day. Thank you for sharing your lives with me. I am grateful for all of you!