It Is With Great Pride That I Say, Happy Pastor's
Appreciation day, To My son Eric, my Pastor,
And My Lovely Daughter In Law, Jackie
He is an extremely charismatic, intelligent
man with a loving wife and two great boy's,
he had been told by his teachers he
would be a rich man one day, a
young man with an engaging smile and a
scripture to share with everyone he
meet, but he had far greater aspirations
than what money could buy.
At the age of fifteen he meet a lovely
young Christian girl in school, he invited
her to attend a church service where his
Dad and i we're youth leaders, she being
from a full Gospel back ground, knew her
soul had found it's resting place, shortly
there after Eric surrendered his life to
Christ and then began his love affair with
the LORD and an insatiable hunger to learn
his word, he went to sleep many nights with
the bible on his chest, and never went any
where without it.
He spear headed an after school bible study,
and became a walking testimony everywhere he
went, he was not at all shy about spreading
the good news of the Gospel, he was also
fast becoming a very good musician and he
had a beautiful tenor voice.
And though he could have chosen any road,
he chose a narrow path, far from what
many would deem a successful man,
he chose to love the unlovable, the
poor, the sick, the rejects of society,
he chose to become a teacher in a poor
crime ridden community.
He's making a difference, one life at
a time, he is the same man that spent
all Saturday night in the ICU with a man
he didn't know, who travels hours to out
of town hospitals to pray for and encourage
the sick, this same man stands behind the
pulpit every Sunday morning preaching
the everlasting Gospel.
The same man that often times, gives his
lunch to one of his student's who have none,
stays after school to help a student who is
having a hard time with a subject, the one
who takes them home, when no one comes for them,
who calls them when their absent, who tells
them he has confidence in their ability
and does everything in his power to keep them from
from dropping out of college and facing a lifetime
of frustration and regrets.
He's the same man that took hot food to feed
the poor on the most dangerous street corner
in town, as his wife and church prayed for
his safety, and for those that heard, that
hearts would receive, that they might have
a life changing experience, as he preached
the good news, and Gods love to those who have
never known anything but rejection, poverty and
drug addiction their entire lives, this man
who's life was threatened because he was taking
a pimps business away,
This man's wife Jackie, who fasts for people's
needs, makes meals for the sick, runs errands
for those in need, home schools their two sons,
makes lap quilts for nursing home residents,
teaches Sunday school and children's nursery,
cleans the church, always calling anyone who
had missed a service, because she is concerned
about each person thats ever walked through
the church doors, she dotes on and mothers all,
shuttles folks back and forth to church,
always has an uplifting word of encouragement
and a shoulder for anyone who needs one, the
woman who cries when her husband leaves for
work completely exhausted, after praying through
the night for someone in desperate straits.
She looks on with pride, as Eric proudly
shows each Pastors appreciation card,
every young person in church has
hand made for him, he shows them to
everyone that walks through their door,
A smile of pride as big
as Texas on his face, my kids made these
cards for me, aren't they beautiful?
"his kids" i think to myself,
a rich man? yes most definitely! my son is a
rich man indeed.
