Don’t Look Back
Adjusting to life after ministry at Harrah Church is interesting to say the least. As I said yesterday I love that Body of people and I already miss them dearly! But I have a peace that is beyond description. I feel the love of the Father at an incredible depth and the joy I am experiencing can only come from the Holy Spirit. Am I concerned about all I am giving up? Of course I am! I would not be human if I wasn’t. But there is something about curiosity with me and the Lord. I need to embark on a journey with Him that requires more faith than what I have had in the last year. I completely understand now that I long to be in a place of discovery with the Holy Spirit. I am there and it is sweet. I just want to focus on Him and my family for a while before taking on that much pressure again. I have set my face on the future and I am choosing to take the advice of Jesus and look forward not back!
Luke 9:63 . . .“No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
Lord what can I do to get Him back. I miss ya Jimmy.
Jimmy and Abby, I am saddened that you will not be with us at Harrah Church, but I can’t help but be excited for you and your family on your new “adventure.” I have been taking Beth Moore’s Believing God study, and I am believing that God will provide for you and for the church. Abby, your sweet demeanor and spirit are such precious gifts. I have no doubt that you will continue to use them for the Lord. Jimmy, your insight and intelligence has blessed my heart week after week. I will never be able to thank you enough for making the most difficult day of my life one that I can look back on and rejoice through. Jason’s funeral was exactly what I wanted it to be. My only regret is that we didn’t videotape it because, occasionally, I forget. I forget that “he is more alive than he has ever been.” I forget that here he was in the land of the dying, but he is now in the land of the living. Thank you for those words. I will keep them in my heart forever.
Prayers for you and your family,
Debbie
Don’t go!!! Don’t go!!! Crap!! You left…:(
At the moment Jimmy, I wish I had half the faith you had. I do have faith, and it is growing every day. Every time I see him do things, watch the miracle of life or see people like you take a hold of his word this much inspires me. Will I ever do what you did? No idea. Even though I have not felt the peace that you are feeling right now, I can imagine it, because of the amount of peace I have gotten since I came to Harrah Church, and was reborn is amazing. I do find myself backtracking sometimes, just because I was stuck in my old ways, but I am changing. Again, please keep in touch, and let me know how you guys are doing. Email me sometime, just to make sure your still there.
michael.ervin@mcloudteleco.com
1 There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: 2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
We have seen a lot together in the last 15 years, some good, some bad but through it all God has blessed.
Just like a parent you raise a child and know when it is time to let them step out on their own, make their own mistakes, and carve out their path in this world. You are always there in the background offering support but know they now must make their own decisions.
I have no doubt that God will take the work you have started and bless it beyond our wildest imagination. The last 15 years have not been about you, me, or anyone else at Harrah Church it has been about the Lord’s work. He has brought us so far and will continue to stretch us.
You have planted, now someone else will come in and water but God will cause the increase. We look forward to seeing what the Lord has planned for Harrah Church
Your pastoral care of our family was fruitful. I felt the will of God placing me in our church the first time I heard you preach. It was Haley Steven’s baptismal. The first couple of times I attended church, someone’s health failed during service and the ambulance was called. I didn’t know what to think of it then but I was intrigued by the church and your sermon. After receiving teaching for awhile, and after that sermon on the courage of Christians; the Lord instructed me to be obedient, accountable and authentic in front of our Body of Believers. A Body that God used you to help build up to that point. That testimony was graphic and real. I have never felt judged at my church on that testimony. You had prepared the church for a testimony like that years before I joined. That is one of the ways you widely impacted my walk. There have been a few times that you truly listened to what I had to say about an issue we disagreed on. Your sense of urgency about the Lost had me looking for them. You never acted frustrated when I came to you as a fairly new believer with questions about scripture. You helped train me from the pulpit in the ways I should lead. You mopped, mowed, painted, shoveled, scrubbed, helped build and loved our place of worship. Chris told me to tell you he will never forget when you covered his dead father up with a blanket while he was grieving. As recent as May you sought me in my pain after Kirsten’s case was on the news. The list goes on and on. I will miss you but I feel comforted in knowing we have an eternal friendship. Thank you Pastor and remind Abby that I am grateful for the sacrifices she has made.
Jimmy,
I just wanted to thank you for being our pastor. You have been a tremendous blessing to me and my family. I have so many great memories of you and Abby and your children. I remember when you got married, and when I went to Bro Jim for financial counseling and you were youth pastor and I was sitting and waiting in the lobby and you said, “maybe I can help you” and proceeded to tell me how you budgeted (like it was the easiest thing in the world!), all the volleyball games and the ski trips. Remember getting stuck on the interstate between Loveland and our lodging for 5 hours?? But my most treasured memories are when you and Abby came to my sister’s house for a private memorial service for my mom, and when you counseled and married Tim and me and dedicated Emma. You have been there through the most important events in my life. It comforts me to know that, as you said, we will always be bonded together through our work for the Lord and the time we had. I’m thankful for the time we got to have you and appreciate all you put in to serving our church. It is just the separation that is so painful, as you said, and I am grateful for modern technology that allows us to keep in touch more easily. I will be praying for you and Abby. I know God is going to bless you, brother. Keep in touch. I love you guys!
Mary