The last 3 weeks, although filled with incredible ministry moments in Florida and my wife kicking off her 5th year at North Middle School, has been among the most challenging that Becca and I have ever experienced.  21 days ago we noticed that our mini-schnauzer Ellie was becoming dis-interested in food.  Ellie being disinterested in food is about the same as me finishing a one week fast and turning down Papasitos Mexican food in Houston.  We knew something wasn’t right.  The news we would get over the next few days would be some of the hardest we had ever received.  Ellie has immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA).  Essentially her red-blood cells are attacking the other red blood cells, thus causing a deficiency.  She became very seriously weak and was immediately put on a rigorous treatment plan.  Through immune and steroid medications they are trying to get Ellie stabilized so that she can begin rebuilding healthy red blood cells that will not work against her.  The process has been agonizing for both Becca and I.  We don’t have children yet…and the love and joy that we feel for Ellie, our first dog, is immense.  To see her in pain, unable to play and do the things she loves to do, is very difficult.  2 days ago we found out that the high dosages of immune meds had caused fluid to build up in her belly and was making it extremely hard for her to breath.  I was with her as she had fluid removed from her chest.  

               This situation has been emotionally draining.  We desperately want Ellie to beat this disease and spend another 12 years with us (she is not yet 4 years old).  She has so many people praying for her all over the country.  People who have met her know her sweet spirit.  The truth is, we can all learn a lot from dogs.  Their unconditional love is incredible.  I’ll never forget the golf club accident with Ellie that knocked her out and forced us to get her stitches for a cut on her head.  When she came to as I was driving like a crazy person to the VET she licked my face and jumped up to look out the window.  This I can promise you.  If you hit me in the head with a golf club I will NOT BE licking your face a couple minutes later.  So although Becca and I desperately want Ellie to stay with us…I’ve learned that it is not up to me.   I’ve tried to be strong…but last week as we continued to receive bad news followed  by bad news I called my father and broke down.  I told him how hard it was to sit back and watch our dog dying right before our eyes.  As my father always does, he stopped me and started praying (my dad LOVES our dogs…he gets an Ellie and Emma calendar each year!).  He essentially committed Ellie into the hands of Lord, no matter what happened.  That was something I had been unwilling to do.  I had felt as though I could fix her by giving her all the meds and doing everything right.  I needed to give it up to my creator…and so with the help of my best friend, my father, my mentor, and my partner in ministry, and let it go.  

Ellie is stable this morning…she is fighting.  No matter what happens I believe and know that God is in control of my marriage and my family, dogs included!  I know that Becca and I are being tested right now.  Experience  alongside of the LIVING and BREATHING Word of GOd tells me to stand strong.  “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him!”  James 1:12

Amen!  I pray that you would have an amazing Wednesday wherever you are and whatever you doing.  Don’t neglect time with the Lord this morning, even if it is just a couple of minutes of stillness and prayer.  He is waiting for you.  Thanks for your prayers for our sweet Ellie.  They are all greatly appreciated.  And make sure today that you take inventory of what you are learning…because if you’re not learning and growing through your experiences with Christ and others….what’s the point?  Talk to you soon.

Quick ask for prayer for the entire group heading down to Great Escape in the morning.  Just got back to church with the VANS.  We depart @ 5:30am Eastern Time tomorrow morning (just 11 hours away).  I need to get home and pack and get to bed!   

Please Pray For…

1. Safe Travels on the road (600 miles each way)

        2. A bond between the leadership team (myself, Monica Casey, Andrea Hudson, Mary Alice Callaway)

3.  UNITY amidst the students (5 guys, 9 girls)

4.  For God to change lives!  We expect that…COME LORD JESUS!

5.  For this trip to serve as a POWERFUL spring board into our first full fall in the NEW 2 STUDENT MINISTRY here @ 2nd! 

Thanks so much!  Talk to you next week about how the Lord moved in our  midst!  Praying for you all today, right now, as I sign off for the week! 

                 After a few months of refreshing and transition into my new ministry I am excited to re-join the “regular bloggers” world.  My blogging had become a very exciting part of my life; and although a break from it was nice, I missed it tremendously.  Big news from 2nd this morning is the 5 day countdown to our Middle School trip to Great Escape @ Southwind in Ocklawaha, Florida.  We are traveling with 18 people.  4 leaders (shout out to Monica Casey, Andrea Hudson, and Mary Alice Callaway!  They are going to do an amazing job with our young people next week!) and 14 kids.  5 Middle School guys and 9 Middle School girls.  I would like to ask for your prayers for not only our bonding together and with Christ @ camp, but also for safety as we drive 600 miles each way between Tennessee and FLorida.  It has been a full summer of youth fellowships, Sunday School time in the Word, and integration into staff life with my incredible team here.  We have found some rhythm now and are excited to spring board from Great Escape into the newness of the fall.  A MAJOR RENOVATION of the upstairs youth room will begin in the next couple of weeks and we will kick off a new chapter in the life of the 2nd Pres student ministry on Wednesday night September 7th @ 6:30pm.  God is up to something…can’t wait to see how He will continue to move as we are faithful to Him and our young people here.   2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation.  The old has gone and the new has come!”  From my new office and the renovation it has seen to the new friendships and new chapter of ministry…everything here has a new and clean feel.  The new has come.  God is here.  Amen.  

              It has been difficult to not think about SUFFERING lately.  With the storms that pummeled the Southeast (our house included…new roof , gutters, and windows still to come), the Tornado in Joplin, and the fires in Texas and Arizona, people are suffering.  Many people are asking the question, “why?”  I try to stay out of the, “why” and focus more on where God is at in the midst of it all.  I’ve started a new devotional put together by Jim Branch and read a fantastic word of encouragement this morning.  My reading came after my 3rd consecutive commute into downtown listening to testimonies and statistics on recent events with the storms and wild fires.  

“But if we are willing, the experience of grief and suffering can deepen and widen our ability to participate in life.  We can become more grateful for the gifts we have been given, more open-handed in our handling of the events of life, more sensitive to the whole mysterious process of life, and more trusting in our adventure with God.” -Tracks of a Fellow Struggler by John R. Claypool- 

                I think John hit the nail right on the head.  I talk a lot in my personal and spiritual life about how a greater awareness of all things will increase the quality of our lives.  Especially when it comes to our feelings of grief, sadness, and suffering.  We need a willing spirit to share with others the happenings of our hearts so that we can navigate through the cleanliness and the messiness appropriately.  

On April 27th, 2011 many lives would change forever.  A ridiculous weather system began working its way across the Southeast that produced supercell after supercell and forced hundreds of thousands of people into hiding in their homes.  Our family (Becca, myself, and our 2 dogs) were in the guest bathroom, an inner-room with no windows, surrounded by cushions and pillows.  There were some tense moments when the golf ball plus sized hail began to fall and we had no power and no idea of what was happening or what was coming.  We were afraid.  I grew up in the Midwest, where tornado warnings and spring storms seemed like a weekly thing.  I had never, however, experienced anything like that night.  When it was all said and done our house was still standing and we said a huge prayer of Thanksgiving for God’s hand of protection on our lives.  Others were not so lucky in other parts of the country affected by the same storm, and that was difficult for us to think about.  My awareness of the blessings in my life, of the things that matter most, went through the roof during and after that night.  I remember thinking during a couple of instances as the storm raged on outside that all I wanted was my next breath, my life, and the next day.  

I believe that God has revealed himself to our nation in a powerful way through the events of this spring.  I have faith that our God continues to reign and continues to Love and to teach us.  Ken Gire said, “IN times of upheaval, a voice from heaven says, ‘Be still and know that I am God.’  It doesn’t say, ‘Be still and know why.’  IN a distant day the gradual sacrament of understanding may be offered to us.  Today what is offered us is the body and blood of Christ, who suffered, not that we might not suffer, but that our suffering might be like his.  His greatest suffering was the Cross.  Part of that suffering was an unanswered question.”

I still struggle, like so many others, to understand the “why” in everything going on.  But the absolute truth of the WHY rests in the ABSOLUTE TRUTH of our Savior.  It is not for us to question.  Rather, we ought to have an abundance of faith that can be shared with anybody and everybody.  My prayers of intercession continue to be lifted up to God on behalf of those who are hurting.  May we all be aware today of the richness that comes in the blessings from the One True God.  Have a great Wednesday!

         To say that I’m humbled within the walls of my new ministry here @ 2nd Pres just outside of downtown Knoxville barely does my true feelings justice.  I’m excited, humbled, rested, and starting to get into the swing of things!  Yesterday was the first day where I felt the fire again after 6 weeks off.  We had morning staff meeting which was followed by a lunch with 3 guys who have incredible hearts for young people.  The afternoon held a meeting with my mentor leader and Senior Pastor Bryan Wilson.  I love this guy and am thrilled to support his passion for ministry in the growth and development of the student ministry.  In staff meeting yesterday he read to us from 2 Timothy.  Paul says starting in Chapter 1 verse 7, “I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.  So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord…”

            This is such a powerful verse for me as I begin this next phase of life and ministry with the young people here at 2nd.  Shortly before my first day I spent 5 days golfing with my brother where my journey began, in the great state of IOWA.  Hanging out there was a powerful reminder of where I came from and how God molded my life into what He wanted as he called me to serve him in full time youth ministry.  I remembered all of the things that I went through as a middle school and high school student.  I remembered the power of people in my life who loved Jesus Christ.  And I remembered feeling the light of Christ burning in my soul to go reach a lost world with the life changing power of the Gospel message.  I thought about those things as Bryan talked about how we need to fan into flame our passion for Christ, his people, and for ministry.  Bryan was out of town with his family on my first day last Wednesday, so I was surprised to receive a letter from him as I sat in my office filled with boxes.  The letter filled my heart with joy.  It has been a long road, more than 24 months of prayer and many days and months of confusion before God calmed our hearts and opened the right door on the other side of Kingston Pike.  We were called to Knoxville a little more than 4 years ago and as we explored what was next for the Aronowitz family it became very clear that he had not called us away from this city.  For you are the God of THIS CITY (Knoxville) and you are the King of these people (at second) and I could not be more humbled to be your servant in this place.

I’m definitely getting into the swing of things here and am crazy excited to hang out with some of our young people over the summer.  Got some cool stuff coming so stay plugged into my blog.  And my God fan into flame everything that is in your heart and your soul for His Son Jesus Christ today.  Praying for you all.  Excited to re-join the blogging world.  Have an incredible Tuesday.  Peace.

                  Hello to the blog world!  So excited to touch base with you real quick this morning!  I’ve had many of you asking me about when I would blog again.  I have been taking a break during my sabbatical to spend more time in the Word, more time reading, and a lot of time on the golf course.  The Lord is filling my heart and rejuvenating my spirit as I prepare to take the reigns of the student ministry @ 2nd downtown!  Exciting week here in the Aronowitz house as we host professional golfer from Iowa Derek Bohlen.  Derek tees off this morning in the East TN Classic @ River Islands in Kodaks.  It has been awesome to spend time with him, hear about his heart and his family, and to talk about what God has been doing in both of our lives.  We spent some amazing time together yesterday at Rarity Pointe Golf Course practicing (me getting a free lesson!!) and sharing about how God encourages us as we both take steps of faith in ministry and in professional golf.  Derek shared with me a Christian music artist who blesses him while he travels on the road.  I had never heard of him and I absolutely love the sound and his conviction for the Lord!  Coffey Anderson!  Want to share it with you this morning.  I am praying for you all and I look forward to re-joining the blogging world full-time on June 1st as I blog to you live from 2nd pres!  Have an incredible Thursday.  

                 I’ve spent a lot of time on the golf course over the last 3 years.  During the summer of 2008 with the help of a couple of close friends (good golfers) I began re-building what barely resembled a golf game.  For the first time ever in my “golfing life” I became a student of the game.  Slowly…very slowly, but surely, positive results came.  As my game began to improve I wanted to make sure that it wasn’t all about shooting a number…rather, that it could still be about enjoying playing a great game in the beauty of Gods incredible creation.  While visiting with our family friend on the PGA TOUR (Ben Crane) at the Tour Championship in Atlanta in September of 2010 I got the boost that I needed to keep my golfing focus where it needed to be.  Ben handed me a TOUR devotional that he was putting out with the help of some of his close friends and mentors.  I subscribed to Ben’s daily online devotionals at bencranegolf.com (would encourage you to do the same whether you golf or not…great scriptures and great questions from the Word) and go through those each and every day.  Most importantly though i now spend time in the Word before I play…before I even get out of my car to start a warm up on the range.  I consider it a blessing, even as an amateur golfer, to be able to play such a great sport.  I want my time on the course to reflect who Christ is in my life.  I want others to see something different in me as I play.  I once heard someone say, “you can learn everything you need to learn about a person during 4 hours of a round of 18 on the golf course!”  I completely agree…and I want my behavior, my words, and my actions to resemble the life change I continue to experience in a growing and personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  I played a spontaneous round of golf on Tuesday late afternoon with the P.E teacher from North Middle School (CJ Martin).  CJ is on the special areas team with my wife at North.  When the round began it was cold, windy, and cloudy.  It had been raining for most of the day but the forecast showed that things were changing.  We had a great time of fellowship and golf…and when we reached the 17th tee-box, a 209 yard uphill par 3, the sun was shining SO BRIGHT!  Not many clouds were left in the sky and the sun revealed the incredible beauty of an amazing golf course.  The green became so much greener and the natural undulations of an incredible track of land was revealed in all of God’s Glory.  CJ and I stood on the tee box and shared a “WOW” moment of how incredible the day was.  No wind, no clouds, perfect temperature, quiet, and still.  It was without question a day that the Lord had made…and there was no way that I wasn’t going to rejoice in it!  I didn’t play well that day, but that didn’t matter.  

               It is a simple challenge today.  Do you offer Glory to God for the things that you are blessed with the ability to do?  I used to think to myself, “Wow, I get to go play golf today!”  I would be so excited!  And although my excitement is still an 11 out of a possible 10 when I pull into a golf course, my purpose for being out there continues to change.  Everyday I want to use every moment as a simple platform to Glorify the God who created me in his image to be in relationship with his Son Jesus Christ.  If Golf is what I’m doing, I want to use Golf as a platform to glorify God.  If hanging out with students is what I’m doing I want to glorify God.  If I’m on a date with my wife I want to glorify God.  So I stop before I golf to pray and to look to his Word.  I stop before I go hang out with kids to pray.  I want my life to speak one message.  If there is something that I am doing that would hurt that message than I need not participate.  How about you?  

                 Thanks Ben, for helping my love for a great game become a better representation of my love for a great God.  Tournament #3 of the East Tennessee golf week am tour is tomorrow morning at 3 ridges.  Glory to God for that awesome opportunity to spend part of my day in HIS creation.

About to “head to the office” at FFUMC for the last time.  One thousand four hundred and twenty days I’ve  started my morning as the Director of Youth and Young Adults at First Farragut.  Crazy to know that tomorrow I will wake up and no longer be responsible for those ministries.  Definitely bitter sweet this morning.

Had an amazing Sunday night at UMYF with the students and a handful of their parents.  They provided me all  of the closure I needed to move on.  They GOT IT!  Over the last four years they GOT IT!  The parents have been awesome in plugging into the life of my family, my vision for student ministry, and in bringing their young people to events.  They knew they could count on a solid commitment to the Word of God and the leadership team meeting their kids exactly where each kid was at.  The photo album….AWESOME!  The photo frame with the “last photo” on the way…AWESOME.  The cart full of raffle prizes for my next student ministry…LIFE CHANGING.  The packet stuffed full of letters for me to read over the next 6 weeks…AMAZING…and hard to think about.  The emotions will be pouring out as I curl up with a cup of coffee on the couch tomorrow to begin the process of working through each letter.

I believe that I have “fought the good fight” (winning souls to Jesus) and kept the faith during my journey at FFUMC.  I also know that today I will cross the finish line of this portion of life’s marathon.  My responsibilities related to the student ministry at FFUMC will shift dramatically as I become a prayer warrior.  I can only pray as someone else takes over…as opportunities to bring the Word on Sunday nights are gone, as opportunities to preach the Gospel on Sunday morning are no longer, as teaching in Young Adults is passed on to the next, as fall retreats, winter getaways, and summer missions is now in the hands of other disciples of Christ.  You can believe I will be praying though.  I will also be reading during my break.  My dad has already sent me one book he wants me to go through…”too busy not to pray,” by Hybels…and I will be praying for FFUMC.   12 hours left…just a few final pieces left in the office.  A few final things to type up…and one last time in the Passion of the Christ at Youth Bible Study tonight.  I woke up this morning thinking immediately about the last day…and for the first time in a long time…I’m okay with it.  We have prayed for so long…we have been faithful where we are planted…God opened a door…and today we are walking through it.  See you inside.

                 The last year or so has held with it a healthy level uncertainty in my journey with Christ.   Becca and I began to sense that God was up to something…something that was outside of ourselves.  There was difficulty in the midst of that realization as ministry with young people was so strong!  So much of what God has been up to has been hard to see and hard to understand.  There have been tearful, angry, and confusing nights.  At the bottom of the pile of our confusion rested our faith.  We had placed so much personal worry, fear, and discouragement on top of Christ that it had become difficult to lean on the EVERLASTING GOD.  As we began to peel down the layers of uncertainty God began to reveal himself to us…and then he provided an open door and asked us to walk through it with him.  It seems like the easy thing to do…to walk by sight.  We can see where we are going and we think that the path that we choose to travel will be safe.  We trust in ourselves to pick a physical path that will not harm us.  Yet somehow in the midst of picking our own path we can experience pain, heartache, and termoil.  Saying to God, “I know best the path that I should travel,” does not work.  For a short period of time I covered up my faith with worry and said that I could handle the stress.  When I chose to walk by faith and be open to the path that God had laid out for my wife and I the blurred vision began to subside.  And although I stand before you today very broken through the pain of saying goodbye to so many youth and young adults that I love, I also proclaim to you that walking by faith in the one true God is the path to take.  My journey has seen significant amounts of change.  A church member hugged me on Sunday and said, “We love you Mark, and the only constant in life sometimes feels like change.  Its okay.”  Being from one area from birth to age 18 I never believed I would live in 4 states all across the country from 18-29.  But I know that I have been to those places because God has called me there.  And I know that the constants in my life have been my FAITH and my FAMILY.  And as long as I continue to walk by faith alongside my family God will continue to reveal himself to me…and I can handle that.

                Was getting ready to come into the office today (only 6 days left) and I heard this song on the radio.  Let it speak to you today.  Was such a song of peace and comfort amidst the transition that awaits my family.  Know today that I am praying for you all, as I do every single morning when I arrive at FFUMC.  And know today that the difficult decisions that I have made have come not by my personal desires, but through my faith in Jesus Christ.

Been a long time since I’ve gone this long in between blogs…have definitely missed it.  God has been doing some crazy things in the Tennessee Aronowitz’s lives.  Have a lot to talk about soon with all of you.  Now that information is appropriately public I wanted to let you all in on the changes coming for Becca and I.  This letter will be read in church on Sunday…

Dear First Farragut United Methodist Church,

My wife and I have served at FFUMC for almost four years, all four being spent as the Director of Youth & Young Adult Ministries.  I am eternally grateful for the opportunity that I have had to serve you, the students, and the 20’s and 30’s of this great church.   I have learned so much in regards to life, faith, ministry, and community, and I will always cherish the wonderful times that we had as a body of believers and a church family.

That being said, my wife and I are at a critical point in life where we must make important decisions that will affect the future of our family and my life in full-time ministry.  We have put in much prayer, thought, deliberation, and conversation over the last few weeks and months about what it is that God may have for us down the road.  We have come to the conclusion that we are being called elsewhere.  So, it is with a heavy heart, that as of Wednesday, April 13th, I will resign my position as Youth & Young Adult Director at First Farragut United Methodist Church.

I want to encourage you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, to keep on discovering what it means to walk with Christ twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, three-hundred and sixty-five days a year.  The only regret that we have in following God’s calling is that we must part with you, whom we love so dearly.  You are amazing people with hearts to serve and follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Again, we are so grateful for the opportunity we have had to restore life and excitement to the student ministries, to plant the young adult ministry, and to become a part of the warm family that is First Farragut UMC.  I believe that there is now tremendous health within the areas of ministry that I have had the privilege of leading and that they will continue on with great success that is founded on the Truth of God’s Word.

My prayers and a part of my heart will always be with First Farragut United Methodist Church.  May peace be with you all as you continue ON THE WAY towards a closer relationship with Jesus Christ and with each other.

In Christ Always,  Mark L. Aronowitz

There are so many reasons why coming to this decision has broken my heart.  Thought I would share with you 100 of those reasons (in no particular order and with many precious names left out).  Talk to you all again soon.  Praying for you, like I do every single morning, today.

Reason #1 Jacob Tankersley & his entire family

Reason #2 Jacob Aylward & his entire family

Reason #3 Nick white & his entire family

Reason #4 Lucas Shahan & his entire family

Reason #5 Eli Lewis & his entire family

Reason #6 Douglas Rogerson & his entire family

Reason #7 Brandon Goss & his entire family

Reason #8 Austin Goss & his entire family

Reason #9 Josh Lounsbury & his entire family

Reason #10 Andrew Lounsbury & his entire family

Reason #11 Ryan Rathfoot & his entire family

Reason #12 Phillip Knight & his entire family

Reason #13  Nicolas Henderson & his entire family

Reason #14 Christopher Henderson & his entire family

Reason #15 Tucker McGinnis & his entire family

Reason #16 Greg Shahan (leader & SS teacher)& his entire family

Reason #17 Scott Hilbelink (leader & SS teacher) & his entire family

Reason #18 Randy Kirchner (leader) & his entire family

Reason # 18 Chris Henderson (dad) & his entire family

Reason #19 Gene Treacy & his entire family

Reason #20 Lee Collins & his entire family

Reason #21 Natalie Tankersley & her entire family

Reason #22 Sarah White & her entire family

Reason #23 Maddie Evans & her entire family

Reason #24 Victoria Hans & her entire family

Reason #25 Kaitlyn Bocik & her entire family

Reason #26 Allison Reese & her entire family

Reason #27 Kelli Reese & her entire family

Reason #28 Katie Templeton & her entire family

Reason #29 Halle McGuire & her entire family

Reason #30 Aubry McGuire & her entire family

Reason #31 Carly McGuire & her entire family

Reason #32 Hannah Hinkle & her entire family

Reason #33 Miranda Burt & her entire family

Reason #34 Jordan Aylward & her entire family

Reason #35 Grace Shahan & her entire family

Reason #36 Lindy Vaughn & her entire family

Reason #37 Hayley McGinnis & her entire family

Reason #38 Erin Lewis & her entire family

Reason #39 Maggie Manning & her entire family

Reason #40 Maria Van Audenhove & her entire family

Reason #41  Kristen Wong & her entire family

Reason #42 Aubrey Armstrong & her entire family

Reason #43 Megan Scheuneman & her entire family

Reason #44 Nikki Klein & her entire family

Reason #45 Amanda Cleveland & her entire family

Reason #46 Liza Burroughs & her entire family

Reason #47 Amy Albaugh & her entire family

Reason #48 Ashley Wilcox & her entire family

Reason #49 Britney Ellspermann & her entire family

Reason #50 Chase Rathfoot & her entire family

Reason #51 Sarah Lucas & her entire family

Reason #52 Leslie Goss (leader) & her entire family

Reason #53 Liz Shahan (leader) & her entire family

Reason #54 Marian Lewis (leader) & her entire family

Reason #55 David Lewis (Mark’s mental therapist, golf psychologist, golf coach, and mentor) & family

Reason #56 Jayme Lyttle (Close friend and worship leader) and entire family

Reason #57 Caroline Dyer & her entire family

Reason #58 Kerri White (leader) & her entire family

Reason #59 Amy Tankersley (leader) & her entire family

Reason #60 Barry Goss (leader) & his entire family

Reason #61 Mark Veness (Young Adult leader) & his entire family

Reason #62 Molly Veness (Young Adult Event Coordinator) & her entire family

Reason #63 Keith & Janie Harville (Golf Coach and part of the “keep Mark sane” posse)

Reason #64 Kate Treacy & her entire family

Reason #65 Ondie Reese (leader) & her entire family

Reason #66 Sharon McGuire (leader & dog sitter) & her entire family

Reason #67Troy Cales (SPRC contact & watched my basketball career end on carpet)& his entire family

Reason #68 Brandi Matson (SPRC contact) & her entire family

Reason #69 Lance & Emily Douglas & their entire family

Reason #70 Tim Hill (hugs me every single time he sees me) & his entire Steeler loving family!

Reason #71 Chris & Vanessa Andrews (Young Adults)

Reason #72 Jason & Lynn Yarbrough (Young Adults) & their entire family

Reason #73 Scott & Holley Stejskal (Young Adults) & their entire family

Reason #74 Stefani & Alex Hudson (MyAdministrative Professional and her Kentucky loving family).

Reason #75 Lidia Saez & her entire family

Reason #76 Holly & Marty Layman & their sweet family

Reason #77 CC Hermes & her entire family

Reason #78 Jordan Kirchner & her entire family

Reason # 79 Ali Pectol & her entire family

Reason # 80 Bill “the Cub” Aylward (aka, Geoff Ogilvy; aka, a Houston Astro @ heart) & family

Reason #81 Maggie Mobley & her entire family

Reason #82 Melanie Mobley (leader) & her entire family

Reason #83 Allie Mobley & her entire family

Reason # 84 Dale & Noel Love (the first non family wedding I performed & young adults members)

Reason #85 Tracy Knight (leader) & her entire family

Reason #86 Ryan Montalbano & his entire family

Reason #87 Eddie Halcott (former youth grouper and current NAVY man) & his entire family

Reason #88 Harvey Halcott (great encourager) and his entire family

Reason #89 Dennis Falls & Kathryn Norton

Reason #90 Joe Wasileski & his entire family

Reason #91 Tonya Alsobrooks (fellow staffer) & her entire family

Reason #92 Michael Alsobrooks (husband of Tonya & member of the golfing Wolfpac) & family

Reason #93 Brooke & Clay Anderson (Young Adults) & their entire family

Reason #94 Sarah & Herschel Bailey (sweet ministry supporters!)

Reason #95 Jannette Krupski (my half-time vacation accountability friend & her husband

Reason #96 Liz Enyenehi & her entire family

Reason #97 Utang Enyenehi & her entire family

Reason #98 Kelly Fly & her entire family (and imaginary friends)

Reason #99 Susan Seratt & her entire family

Reason #100- All the other incredible people that didn’t pop in my head over the last 10 minutes.