Two and a half Anniversaries

This past couple weeks have been full of reminders of time passing in my life, and for a change, I'm really okay with it. At least today I am. :)

The most important was the past Friday, August 1, the 16th wedding anniversary for Beth and I, so let me start there. I love her more today than I did that day, and I know she feels the same. We've been through so much together, and it's hard to imagine anyone being able to put up with so much 'stuff' for so long. When I talk about marriage, I always say people want to sign up for better, richer and health, but in reality we get worse, poorer and sickness just as often. There have been so many amazing moments, and so many ridiculous challenges, but through it all, God has kept us together, and kept us at each other's side. I am blessed to call Beth my friend, my partner, and my wife. After a great dinner (thanks to some good friends, another blessing in my life), we laid in bed and shared some of the highlights of the past 16 years. Aside from the birth of our children, we chased so many memories that made us laugh and gave us pause to thank God for allowing us to survive and see fruit. Proverbs 18:22 says, "He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord." Found it, Got it, Thanks Be To God!!

Another anniversary I stumbled across in my life was the 4th year of being past my cancer treatment. For those who don't know, in 2004, I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and was treated at the Cancer Center here at the Portneuf Medical Center. I stopped in there on Friday to see a friend who was receiving her last chemo treatment and was reminded that July of '04 was my last chemo. What a blessing to have good people and good facilities available, and to know that so many people were praying for me. I never know if I talk about it too much or not enough, but the entire cancer experience was a major part of my journey, and one that I continue to be amazed by as God uses it over and over again to help other people.

Later that same day, I was called to the home of a dear couple in our church family that got some bad news: her cancer was no longer responding to treatment. I don't have any magic words for moments like that, but I came, I sat, we talked and prayed and we put our hope in God for the best He has to offer.

The 'half' anniversary was the reminder of how long I have been the pastor here in Pocatello. If you stay in a place long enough as pastor, you have these experiences: I was invited to pray at the reception of a newly married couple, David and Lacey Engle. David was in grade school when Beth and I were called to Poky, and I've watched Dave grow up. Now in his twenties, he's married and starting the next chapter of his life, and I get to marvel at how many precious moments like this I have received in my ministry. Someone asked me how long I have been pastor here at FBC Pocatello, and when I told them it was 12 1/2 years, they asked me if that was normal. I held my laughter (barely), and said that no, it was not the norm for a pastor to stay that long, but when you're having this much fun, who wants to go anywhere else?!

I know that God isn't done with me yet. He's not done making me a better husband, father, friend and pastor, and He's not done making me a better Christ-follower. I love how He reminds me that He has been faithful in bringing me this far, just so He can remind me that He's going to keep working on me.