A day to remember in my family history

Well, tonight as I sit here typing to you folks I'm about to do something I've never ever done in my entire life. I'm going to church tonight, to my home church, where my daddy isn't the pastor any more. Yep, Sunday was his last day there as senior pastor. Ugh. I hate typing it. I hate saying it. But he's gotta go do his thang. He's been pastoring since 1975 but as of Sunday, a pastor he ain't.

Dad's feeling the calling of God to evangelize full time. That's always been his passion. And he's great at it. There were many many nights me and my two bros did our homework in the back seat of the car on the way to revival and dinner was the golden arches drive thru or Krystals. Both were a treat. Dad used to get so mad at me for asking for my cheeseburger plaaain. Dad, I was just ahead of the game - too bad I didn't coin the phrase "have it your way" because if I had, I might be sitting pretty right now. But I digress.

Way back in 1987, this here is how my daddy looked on his birthday. It was right after we started going to New Hope. Guess ya could say one of his first pastoral pics at this church.

This is now...  

The last time I reckon he'll stand on that stage as pastor. He preached his head off Sunday, too. :-)

The family trio sung one Sunday... when Jonathan was little bitty he always loved singing (and still does). Trevor? Not so much. Me? Yep, I love it, too. But they'd only call me up for one song - Oh I Want To See Him. I'd either go barefoot or find my shoes real quick and run up on stage. See, Lyndy didn't like to wear her shoes in church. I wear em now, simmer down!

Daddy's an awesome preacher. I've lived with him and he's for real - what he preaches is how he lives, ya hear me?! No, he ain't perfect. Are any of us? God doesn't expect perfection though, does He? We just gotta try our best to live for Him every day and lean on Him. And I'm leaning on Him now cuz I ain't real happy about trottin' off to church tonight and my little momma and daddy not being there. Nope. But it's gonna be ok. It is. They have God's work to do and that's that.

My lovely family adores when Lyndy demands asks for a family pic.

And here we are, all of us, even my 89 year old little grandmother. 

Sunday was sad in a way, but everyone's excited for Mom and Dad as they start this new adventure, too. I think they call it bittersweet. It's gonna be weird to not see em at church and to see another man up in my daddy's pulpit, but life is change, right? Gotta go with the flow. Be strong, have faith. All that. Pray for me when you think of me. This is hard. Pray for my daddy too and my mom - they're stepping out in faith and into new territory. Oh I know God's gonna bless em big for it!