Closing a Chapter.

Today, I woke up, got dressed, and went to Calvary Temple Church for the last time. Words can't express all of the emotions that are running through me right now.

I was three years old when Pastor Sentell asked my dad to be the associate pastor. That means that I have been going to Calvary Temple for almost fifteen years. I have never known another church. I've never had to "visit around". I've never had to search for a church family. Since before I was old enough to even really understand, I would wake up every Sunday morning and go to Calvary Temple. On September 29, 2002, I sat in that beautiful sanctuary and asked Jesus Christ to come into my heart. It was in that same sanctuary that I was baptized weeks later. I participated in countless vacation Bible school's and took part in just as many children's plays. I made friends, I lost friends, and I made friends again all in that old brick building. I ran up and down those cold hallways with kids that I couldn't of imagined my life without. I didn't have a care in the world.

It was when I was in that in-between stage that I was welcomed into the "teen class". Why? Because that perfect little church didn't have the numbers to create separate classes for every age. I had my first lock-in in what's now the Lamar Sentell Fellowship Hall. I went to Kings Dominion, Busch Gardens, bowling, skating, Ocean Breeze, movies, and so much more, all with those I call family. I made snow cones, funnel cakes, and cookies every second Tuesday of the month. We had After Glow's every third Sunday night after church. While I was going to Cheesecake Factory with the older kids, I was going to valentine's day and harvest parties with the younger ones.

As we got older and a little bit more mature, we started loosing those I had grown up knowing. Some moved away, some just left, but my family never did. After all, my dad was the associate pastor. It was during that time that God was sending new people our way. Calvary Temple has never been a huge church, but it's had it's good days and bad days when it came to attendance. For example, Easter? GREAT day. Sunday after Easter? Not so much. Honestly, that's one of the things I loved about that church. Everyone knew everyone. You didn't have to wander around like a lost puppy because you didn't know anyone, when you walked through those double doors, you were family.

A couple of years ago, Pastor Sentell passed away. The church voted, and my dad took the role of senior pastor. We loved it there. Like I said before, it has always been my home church. If I ever went to a friend's church, I would always compare it to my own. And nothing ever topped my church and my church family.

Unfortunately, we hit a bump in the road. That bump grew and grew and grew and ended up being a huge mountain. Things were thrown at my dad from every direction, but he never took his eyes off of the Lord. While others were wanting money and power, daddy wanted what the Lord wanted. He has sought guidance from Jesus Christ and has been led every step of the way. Yesterday morning, the Lord told my dad that it was time to move on. After being at this church for almost fifteen years, it's time to close this chapter of our lives. It seems so crazy, but who are we to question the Lord?

This morning, daddy preached his last sermon in that pulpit, Stacey and I sang our last song on that stage, and my family sat through our last service in that building. Fifteen years of getting up every week and going to 5639 Brickell Road; over.

As hard as it is to understand now, I know that God has something so much better for us up ahead. We don't know what it is, but that's where faith comes in. I'm going to miss being at Calvary Temple, but when God says to do something, you do it.

To my church family, thank you so much for the overwhelming support you've given my daddy. You've impacted our lives more than you will ever know and we love you so so much. Only God knows what the future holds, but knowing that is enough.

The Lord is faithful.