A DECADE OF LIFE

When you think of the word "decade" what comes to your mind?  Children and even teenagers don't think in terms of decades.  They think in terms of "minutes".  In fact, 30 minutes seems like a "decade" to our 6 year old son Mitchell.  Ashlyn, our 15 year old daughter, probably thinks that a couple of days feel like a "decade".


Webster defines "Decade" as a period of 10 years.  We know that, but do we realize just how fast "a period of 10 years" go by?  Probably not until it has already gone by.  That's how it has been for me and Krystal these past 10 years of being the pastors at First Assembly of God in Siloam Springs, AR.


I remember the day we both stood in the kitchen of our home in Norman, OK and made the decision to take this new assignment from God.  At the time, we really didn't know if it was from God or not. You know what I mean ~ you know it is but there are still some apprehensions of starting over.  When you move your family to a new community, new school, new friends, etc, it can be a little overwhelming to say the least.

On the third Sunday of July, 2001, was our first Sunday at First Assembly of God.  The people in the church were very friendly and were very welcoming to our family.  The church itself had just been through a very difficult time and there was turmoil "in the camp".  The first few years weren't very easy but I don't want to look at the past except to say God was very good to us and the church came through a very difficult time.  One of the biggest lessons I learned in those first few years is that when you just love people, their hurts will mend and they will love you back.  I didn't have a lot of answers, but I did know that if we could love ourselves and others, we would be on the road to recovery.  We began to focus on others and what we could do together to make a difference.  


On July 24, 2011, we celebrated our 10 year Anniversary as pastors of this great church that has great people working together to advance the Kingdom of God.  The church honored us that Sunday evening with a surprise banquet in our CLC gym.  Everyone knew what was taking place but us.  They did an excellent job of keeping it a secret.  Everyone laughed and said it was a miracle that a church of over 400 people could keep a secret.  It was a night of "Toast & Roast" as our families and other people in the church shared stories.  There were times we laughed and then times we teared up from the stories that we heard.  

As the night came to an end, they ended it by giving us a trip to New York City.  Mitchell has this obsession with the Statue of Liberty and we had mentioned that we would have to make a trip to NYC so he could see it.  Ashlyn also would love to go and we as the parents would "have" to go as well.  The church board put together a plan to send our family to NYC for four days.  We were blown away!!!!  The trip has been booked and in a few weeks, we'll be on our way to The Big Apple.  


The surprise banquet, the trip to New York, and the kind words were enough to make us feel loved and appreciated but something else happened that night.  As each of us were saying our "thank yous" in front of everyone, the words of my daughter made me happier than anything else.  Ashlyn began to share her thanks of the outpouring of love that she had felt that night but also the outpouring of love she had felt over the past 10 years.  I could tell, by the shaking of her voice and the holding back of tears, that this church family had made a positive impact on her life.  She thanked them for pouring into her life and having a positive influence in her life.  To hear her share these things made this dad proud of the church.  One of my goals is to make sure I never hear our children make the following statement: "I wished my parents weren't in ministry" or "I wished my dad wasn't a preacher."  There are too many children & teenagers that feel this way because of the bad experiences they have been through.  I am so thankful that our kids have had a positive experience with the church.  I am also proud of our church for allowing our kids to be "kids".  For that, I will be forever grateful.

"A Period of 10 Years" goes by quickly.  We love our church family and I'm not saying that because they gave us an awesome trip.  We loved our church for who they allow us to be.  I don't know if I have ever felt so appreciated and loved as I did on Sunday, July 24, 2011.  It is an honor to pastor the great people of First Assembly of God in Siloam Springs.  There has been so much accomplished these past 10 years and I look forward to see what God has for us in the future!