Ugh…rough day. This morning it was announced in church that we’re losing BOTH our pastors. Pastor Cindee, I knew about, and while I really like her, it won’t impact me too much personally. The announcement of Pastor Chow leaving though…came as a total surprise and hit me hard.

Mark is one of my favorite people of all time. He has been there for me every single time I’ve needed him, from the death of my dad, to being unemployed to having some other personal issues that basically only he and I know about…he’s just an amazingly caring man. He helped my dad SO much during the uncertainties at the end of his life. He drove down to Columbus to see dad in the hospital after his surgery…he was there with us at dad’s bedside when he died. He’s the whole reason I started going to church again…the reason I feel more like a full person again. He took me from thinking church was a bunch of crap and a waste of time to feeling like I was loved by a community of people and a higher power. And as of July 7, he’ll no longer be at the Woodville United Methodist Church.

This is a guy who, during the preparations for my dad’s funeral, took me from crying to laughing because he quoted “The Life of Brian” saying “Blessed are the cheesemakers.” Now any time the Beattitudes come up in church, he can’t read that line w/o pausing and grinning at me.

I, of course, wish him well, and I’m sure he’ll be able to touch more people in his new position than he ever could in little old Woodville, but the selfish me really wants him to stay. Those of you who know me well, know that I’m a total sap, and I’m completely choked up right now…man this sucks. I’m going to bed.

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