I am so going to miss Pastor Chasteen! I met him around the time I turned 14. That's been a LOOONG time ago. He has spoken truth into my life on a consistent basis. He performed
Randy and my wedding. He was one of the first people to meet each of our children. He walked with us during some dark days and he has walked with us through some joyful times. I'm going to miss sweet Scarlet. I'm going to miss his kids...and his grandkids.....I just LOVE me some Chasteens....they are GOOD people.....oh how I am blessed by knowing them. I will be forever grateful for the season of life that I got to share with them.
HOWEVER....
I am so excited about Marc. I guess we met Marc for the first time when he came to a Q & A at the church about 4 years ago. I was VERY pregnant with THE BABY and I remember thinking he seemed nice.
BUT
Oh...I had no idea then that I would come to LOVE this family. I L.O.V.E the whole clan. They are my kind of people...
1. Marc LOVES God. So much. You can't know Marc (or have known Joan, or know Ben, Tera, or Rae and not know that they love God.)
2. He LOVES his family. They ooze love for one another. I love when families love each other!
3. He LOVES people. He is so kind and accepting of people.
4. He is FUNNY!
5. He is REAL. I get really easily irritated by fake people (it's an area I need to work on) Marc (and his whole crew) are REAL....I love real!
6. He is NICE. Real is cool....But Real and Nice....is REALLY NICE!
7. He has allowed us to know them. He patiently lets my kids attack him and hug him and my kids love him.... which I love!
8. He has invested in THE BOY. He has prayed for THE BOY and participated in meaningful events in his life and for that I am VERY grateful.
9. Marc is really good at getting people comfortable with change. Change is hard. People (like me) don't generally like change....yet Marc has a way of making it appealing.
10. I think Marc would literally do pretty much ANYTHING to bring people to the Lord. I think he is really open to being creative to win people to Christ.
So....though I don't like change and I am REALLY going to miss Pastor....I do like Marc and am so excited about how God is going to use him to lead Ridgecrest.
On a final note....
The service at Ridgecrest on Sunday was absolutely beautiful. I am not a crier....and I wept. It was an AMAZING display of the way church should work. I watched my old pastor wash my new pastors feet. He washed them not only with water but with tears. It was the most beautiful picture of humility, love, and service I have ever witnessed....a BEAUTIFUL, HOLY MOMENT. I am awed by the love and honored to go to a church where this is the norm.
I love THE CHURCH.
So glad you have these people in your life, Kim! And on a less important note, that picture is super good of you!!:)
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