Prayers for Don and Karen

This weekend Don and Karen will be in the Phoenix area confirming a call to accept a ministry position in a church in that area. Why is that significant you might ask? Well outside of my wife and children Don is the friend who I have had the longest regular contact with on a personal basis. Don and I have met on a fairly consistent basis twice a month for coffee and conversation for the past 20 years. There have been a few breaks along the way during sabbaticals that we have both taken but we have always picked pack up and jumped right back in to our regular gatherings.
We have gone through the ups and downs of ministry together. For me the struggle of changing churches twice and for Don the struggle of making the decision to leave his current church after serving there for 20 years. We have prayed through our children's struggles and joys of growing up and starting out on their own. We have shared the hard times of wives illnesses and the joy of God's presence in the midst of things. I have had the joy of being witness to the healing in Don's life after a divorce and the joy in officiating his and Karen's wedding a few years ago.
Don has challenged me to be not just the minister but the man that God wants me to be and for that I'll always be grateful. He has been a steady influence in my life and one that I will miss greatly.
So today I just say thanks Don! My prayers area with you and Karen this weekend, may the calling be confirmed and may our friendship remain even with the 1882 miles that will be between us.