Can I brag about my dad?

My dad is a very humble, selfless guy. I've never met a person who is less materialistic than him, nor have I met someone who is any more genuine than him. He has always put his faith and our family first. My sister and I are much better people for it. I've see him turn down promotions so that he wouldn't have to spend less time with his family. I grew up not missing a single worship service, except for illnesses. I have many memories of walking into my parents' bedroom, finding my dad lying on his bed, reading his Bible. It really does matter what your kids see you do.

He's been working in human resources for about 30 years now, and for the last year, he received the great honor of being elected President of TPMA (Tennessee Personnel Management Association), which is a large group of his peers. And now, they've elected him to be president for a second year (which has never been done before...it is always a new person each year). They recently presented him with a plaque, and gave him a standing ovation for the job he has done over the last year.

I'm sharing two pictures with you. The first is my dad with the mayor of Knoxville, Bill Haslam, whom he had just introduced at a convention there a few weeks ago. The second is my dad receiving his plaque.

Good parents and grandparents are worth more than anything money can buy. I've been richly blessed with family and good role models, who have impacted me profoundly.

I'm very happy for him that his hard work and integrity has been recognized by his peers. He deserves any appreciation that he receives.

Ministry Beginnings: Leonard Church of Christ

I typically credit Rose Bud with being my first ministry experience, but in fact, there were a couple before this. I did an internship at the Central Church of Christ in Sarasota, Florida, where I helped Terry Reeves work with the youth, but the first place I ever preached was at the Leonard Church of Christ near Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee.

It was a small crowd, but they were very supportive and friendly, despite my mediocre preaching. The building was located beside beautiful rolling hills, and I don't know if I've ever seen a prettier location to have worship. Before getting hired at Rose Bud as a full-time preacher, I had spoken a grand total of 5 times, I believe; 4 at Leonard, and once on a Sunday night at the Gladstone Church of Christ in Nashville. Leonard got me to come out a few times during the summer to give some relief to their normal preacher, who was a full-time school teacher.

I was hunting for pictures from youth group events to get printed up, and I came across these. It brings back some great memories. This little congregation was founded very near the beginning of the Restoration Movement.

The first time I preached, I insisted on going by myself. The second time, both sets of my grandparents, as well as my parents came along. This was the summer of 2003, and I was getting ready to graduate in December. I had been working with my friend Ed doing lawn care, which explains my abnormally dark tan.





One of my favorite things about this church is that they still have working outhouses! Fortunately, they had added one inside, too, but I really got a kick out of this, and was sure to pose with it while I was there. After church, we'd go to some fantastic meat & 3 restaurant that had incredible home made pies.

I need to get back in touch with these folks. It would be good to go out and see them again. I think it would be especially neat to get some of my young men from church to go out and help with the worship one day. We'll see...

But for now, I'm enjoying a bit of nostalgia.

We're moving to Tennessee

After several months of consideration, thought, and prayer, Carolina and I have decided to move to Tennessee. I will be starting a new job, working as an associate minister for the Old Hickory Church of Christ. I will be in charge of youth, education, and I'll be preaching once per month.

Their current preacher, Don Loftis, has been there for 15 years, and their last youth minister left them in May of '06, so I hope I can bring him some help and relief. The congregation is about 350 members with 6 elders, and it's located very near where I grew up. I played little league baseball about 4 miles from where the building is.

For several years now, I thought that the hardest thing I had ever done was asking Carolina's father (in Spanish) for permission to marry his daughter. Even though I spent several days thinking and praying about how I would announce this to the Rose Bud congregation, where I've been preaching for a little over three years, I just couldn't keep my composure. Leaving them is turning out to be about the hardest thing I've ever done.

I came to Arkansas in 1999 to go to Harding University. They hired me to preach for them in January 2004 at the age of 23. It was always hard to convince outsider people that I was old enough to be the preacher, but the people at Rose Bud have always believed in me, and have supported me the whole way through. I am convinced that I'll never be as close to another congregation as I feel to the people at Rose Bud. Carolina and I have no family here. I don't understand rural culture. I don't know how to ride a horse or tell what a good cow looks like. But they have gone out of their way to become like our family, and we love them so much.

Moving to Nashville is moving close to home for me, but I worry a lot about Carolina, who is really having to start from scratch. She has so many friends in Searcy, and is so well liked around the Harding community. But we're picking up and beginning a new leg in our life's journey. It is going to be so painful to stop seeing these people from week to week. At the same time, I think there are some great opportunities at Old Hickory that will challenge me in some new and different ways. Through all of these experiences, I'm convined that I'll become a more well-rounded person.

This has been a very hard decision to make, but we believe we have made the right one. The people at Rose Bud have been very supportive and loving. I knew that they would, but their kind hearts continue to overwhelm me. There are a few of the older members who I might never see again after we've moved. Talking with one of them after church whose health is declining, I just lost it and couldn't speak. I had to go to my office and weep for a few minutes. So I ask all of you--O Readers--to pray for several things:

1. Pray for Carolina and I. We're going to make some huge changes and adjustments. We'll be much closer to my family, but Carolina is not used to being surrounded by in-laws. We're having to sell our beautiful house here in Searcy, and find a new one in Nashville. This is already stressing us out. There is much to be done.
   
2. Pray for the Rose Bud Church of Christ. We've worked so hard to help strengthen this congregation, and I really want someone good to follow me so that the good work can continue when we're gone.
   
3. Pray for the Old Hickory Church of Christ. I've taken this position, because I see some ways in which I really believe they need my help. I hope that God will use me to help this good congregation.

This is one of those junctures in my life where I know things will never be the same again as they are right now. I hope my years at Old Hickory will be rewarding, as they have been at Rose Bud.