Excitement in the air....

at our house because we are counting down the days till we go on vacation. We are being blessed our best friends, Mike and Marty! They have a beautiful time-share place in Pigeon Forge, TN. They have saved/earned enough points up (which I have no idea how that works) and asked us to come with them on vacation for free! FREE! Yes, isn't that such a blessing in these hard and trying economic times!!! I mean how could we not go! First of all, we will spend 3 nights 4 days in a very nice and luxurious townhouse type of setting with some of our best friends in the whole world! Mike and Marty were both in our wedding 11 years ago. We have been there for each other through the happiest and toughest times in our lives. Marty is an inspiration to me. She has two special needs kiddos both struggle with Sensory Processing Disorder and her son has has been diagnosed with Autism. She is one tough cookie. She faces everything with a positive attitude. Now she will tell you she can not do so without God's grace and strength. They have been such a blessing to us and can never be replaced! This is a picture of Marty with our twins when they were 15 months old.

What also is exciting is that our kids love their kids. They get along so much. Jay their son calls our Kris, Kristofer Robin. Always has and probably always will. They are the best of buddies. Sara just loves Lucy Kate too.

Secondly, it's a gift from God through our friends. Not only are we being blessed we know they are too. When God releases things into our lives we need to release those things back into others lives.

We are so excited to be going away for a few days. We have decided to follow them back to their home in KY to be able to go to church on Sunday with them. It will be a nice change to be part of service and not be in charge of service. You see as pastors we don't just get to chose when we will or will not be at church. We can't just wake up on Sunday morning and say, "Hmmmm, today feels like a sleep in day, I'm not going!" No we can't do that we have been placed in leadership as the pastors of our church. If we were to not show up our congregation would wonder what happened. Honestly since the parsonage sits next to the church they probably would come knocking to find us. We spend time as pastors, not only teaching weekly and ministering into the lives of our congregation but we also go visit our church family at their homes and when they are in the hospital. Being pastors is NOT a 9-5 job even if you have to work outside the ministry. There is really no such thing as a part-time pastor! Being pastors is a 24 - 7 -365 day ministry. Being blessed in this fashion is fantastic. To be able to get away, lay near the pool for a few days and just rest physically, mentally and spiritually is such a FANTASTIC gift!

THANK YOU Micheal and Marty. You know how much you all mean to us and how much we appreciate what you are doing for us!