Chocolate Pretzels

It was about this time two years ago that Dan got a call from his friend Scott about putting some Christmas lights on the house of one of the pastors at Saddleback Church. They were having their first Christmas in California away from their home of Texas. Pastor Kerry was busy at church with all that Saddleback does during the holiday season. Our friend Scott had met Kerry and had heard his wife Stephanie mention she had just started a blog. Scott reads her blog and her latest entry is titled "One Lonely Deer." They had one lonely deer for their decorations that Christmas as Kerry had very little free time during the holiday season to put up their lights.

Scott gets an idea of blessing them and asks Dan to help. Dan joined him and they put lights up on Stephanie and Kerry's house. On Stephanie's blog they then become known as the "light fairies" for they had no idea who had put lights on their house. Scott calls us to tell us about the blog entry and I of course can't help but want to read what she has been saying. Here I am reading Stephanie's blog wanting to see what she has said about this random act of kindness. It is amazing to me now, two years later, that I was reading her blog, someone I haven't even met, who would later become such a true friend.

I read her blog for a while seeing if she would ever say more about the light fairies. I had just met her husband Kerry right before this at one of our weekend dirt bike riding trips. What is amazing to me is how you can either get to know someone or get to know someone better through blogging. I hadn't even met Stephanie yet but in that little time of reading her words I began to get to know her and see who she was as a person.

Sometime in the next year we met. We then started a family bible study together and an amazing friendship started between our families.

At this time last year there again stood the lonely deer but the deer was not lonely anymore.

Here we are two years later and I am very sad to say that there is no lonely deer at all this year, for Stephanie and Kerry are following God's plan for their lives. They have left Saddleback and are pursuing their ministry, Street to the Seat, full time. They have packed up all their belongings, sold their house, and are trusting God in His awesome plan for their lives. Kerry has set a goal of providing their services FREE to churches running less than 300 in attendance. He wants to help grow small churches! They have a strong desire to assist pastors, churches, denominations and associations by, “making the most of every opportunity to help people choose Christ and belong to the church family “. He says that, "the church in America is plateaued and we must create conversations with our communities. We can no longer simply open our doors and hope people will come to us. We need creative strategies for reaching our communities and that is what Street to the Seat provides."

We are so excited for their adventure ahead! They have left most of their belongings in a storage unit and are driving to Texas tomorrow to spend Christmas with their family. Stephanie will then stay in Texas with the kids for a month while Kerry returns here (where most of his contacts are) and stays with us while he spends his time building up their ministry. (I still keep wondering how I got the short end of this deal-I get two husbands instead of my friend...kidding...we are so happy that there is something we can do to help!)

Tonight they dropped some items off at our house that we are going to keep for them until they get "settled" at some point again. To tell you the truth it really hasn't hit me that they are leaving. This year has gone by so quickly! Stephanie has been such an amazing friend and has blessed me so much! She encourages me so much as a mom, wife, and friend. Her and her family are such a huge part of our lives and we can't imagine our lives without them!

I have been sick all week and have felt pretty helpless on what I could do to help them as they prepare to leave so today I decided to make them a little snack for the road...chocolate pretzels (now you get the title). I know it is such a small thing, but it felt so good to do something for them and know that a little piece of us is with them as they travel...even if it is in the form of chocolate pretzels.

We are praying for you Mackeys! We already miss you guys but know God has such amazing things in store for you!