“Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41 or Mark 14:38

This verse kind of sums up where I am now, my spirit is willing. God has blessed me with the opportunity to pastor the greatest body of believers in the present day church. I strongly desire to preach the Word and walk with each of you through your trials of life praying with you that we will not fall into temptation, but my flesh is weak. Due to a birth defect, degeneration and arthritis my hips are shot. So I will need to pull back and have one of them replaced this week. I have decided to step aside for a period of 30 days for several reasons: (1) to give my body the needed time to rest. (2) I do not need to lead and direct others while I am on pain meds. (3) I will take some time to study, pray through and write some on prayer. (4) This will give Dustin an opportunity to preach and lead. (5) Make sure I am not holding the church back from what God desires it to be.

In my absence Dustin will preach and assume the role of pastor for one month. I will rest, recuperate, recover, read, write and pray. I thank you for your kindness. I do ask of you that each of you pray for me from a far and spend your time being the church. I will be fine and as Arnold Schwarzenegger has famously said, “I’ll be back.” I am looking forward to seeing how God grows each of you and how He heals and develops me during this period. Again I say thanks for this time to heal, pray and write.