Nice. My God spots are the shower, the can, and in every church auditorium I’ve ever been in. I write a lot of stuff when I should be listening to someone else share their good stuff from the pulpit.

Saw your truck there in the parking lot this week and tried not to think about it not being there anymore. Didn’t see you in the prayer garden when I got coffee though, but maybe that had something to do with the snow! Praying for you and the family Kim

This week I spent like 3 hours with you over dinner. It was great conversation. I think I expressed to you what you have meant to me. You know how I feel but I doubt many others do. I was hoping for an open mic time @ church, but I doubt there will be time for that. So I hope many will read this and understand how I feel about you and what you mean to me. (I’ll share about Tiffany on another post.) This could become quite lengthy.I was not really interested in God or Jesus when I walked through New Hope’s doors the first time. I intended on walking in, walking out, happy wife, happy life. God had other plans. God put a man in the position of pastor that taught the Word in a way that made sense. You helped to make me realize it applied to me today. It was true and it was real. I could actually understand what you were saying. Most of the time I was sure you were talking to me alone. I wondered if Kim had been telling you the inside stuff in my life. You were real. You admitted you didn’t have it all together. You helped me understand it was a journey, a relationship. You invested time in me. You gave me tons of encouragement and affirmation about things and qualities that I didn’t think I had. You had a huge part in grooming me into the christian man I am today. I remember softball, then getting ice cream and sitting there talking till we got eaten alive by mosquitoes. I remember the many classes.(membership, discipleship, baptism, etc.) I remember getting baptized in the river. That was AWESOME! There’s something about that river dude. I remember hanging @ your house talking for hours. I remember numerous trips to Promise Keepers. Especially Detroit when Bert about killed us with his driving and neither of you knew how to get there. Many laughs on that trip. I remember trips to watch Weber fight. I remember the banquet to kick off the building campaign. That is where I shared my testimony publicly for the first time. Man did you stretch me. You helped me to grow so much and in so many ways. I remember you coming to my house and leaving me a note on my porch with the gravel from my driveway. I remember going to Willowcreek and hearing some of the greatest leaders in the world speak. I remember you having the confidence and trust in me to ask me to be an elder apprentice. Stretching and growing me more! I remember you giving me the list of must reads. (I think I read them all except that Systematic Theology one.) Again pouring into me. I remember elder meetings when they were routine. I remember when they were long and difficult. I learned so much, like I don’t want to be an elder. You invested, inspired, taught, challenged and led me. I am forever grateful for all of those things.We have seen both the best and worst of each other. Well, we have seen both the good and the bad at least. We may not have always agreed on everything but I feel there was always respect given both ways. I appreciate that. Seasons come and seasons go but I am forever praising God for putting you behind the pulpit in that little brick church on the corner. God used you in a mighty way at New Hope. He will continue to use you in a mighty way wherever He so chooses. New Hope will move on as well. What a testament to your leadership. You prepared the leadership and the congregation for this moment. When pastors leave, the church usually suffers.(division, attendance, giving, staff issues, etc. etc.) There doesn’t seem to be any of that. I believe that is due to the focus being on God. The reason the focus is on God is because of your leadership and the leadership that remains at New Hope.I could write a book dude. This is just the tip of the iceberg. I can’t possibly put into words fully what you have meant to me. Just know that you made a huge impact in my life and I will always remember you for what you have done. I will miss you and remember I love you bro. Thanks for everything.Kenny

Yes, I will be leaving with the family for Alabama in late March for 3-4 months of consultation!Can’t wait!Then off to the wild west.