Today is Pastor's 28th birthday. Yes, I said 28. No, I don't mean my youth pastor. I know he is far too busy to be surfing blogs reading birthday tributes, so this post really isn't for him, it's for all of you. I want you to know why he's so special to our family, and if my family is special to you, I want Pastor Furtick to be special to you as well. I want you to pray for guidance and protection for him and his young family. I want you to pray a prayer of thanksgiving for bringing him into our lives.

This post could have the potential to be very long, so to combat that, I'm going to attempt to keep it short, even at the risk of under-explaining. Personally, as an Elevation attendee and Christ follower, I can honestly say that every time I sit under Pastor's teaching and preaching, I am challenged and inspired. Every time, every week, and in between when I revisit sermons on my iPod, I find myself wanting more. That's one reason I am certain of his true annointing, because I am a hyper personality that truly struggles to focus. That fact that his 50 minute sermons leave me wanting more only prove that I hear from God when I hear from Pastor.

Now, as David's wife (which is how many people at Elevation know me), I get a little more emotional when I think of Pastor Furtick. Moving here was scary but there were very specific promises God made me as a wife and mother, one concerning my children that I would have to accept on faith and one I would see with my own eyes. The latter was a promise for my husband. Now this is where I could let my words get away from me. I could probably write volumes on the subject of my husband and the spiritual gifts I have watched surface under Pastor's leadership. ......Ahhhh, I have typed and erased 10 sentences. I just don't know how to adequately express my heart on the matter, so rather than attempt to describe the many ways I see God working in my husband's life, I'll just say I'm thankful to my pastor for being God's catalyst. I know that David genuinely loves Pastor, and that in itself is a blessing. It is David's honor to humbly serve him for all the right reasons, and I so enjoy watching David use his gifts for God. His service to Pastor has lead to areas of blessing that every wife hopes to see for her husband, and I couldn't ask for a better leader to lead my husband who in turn leads our family.

So today, February 19th, I am reminded how very thankful I am that God ordained the life of Pastor Steven Furtick to collide with mine.