My most proud moment as a daughter...

This March I had the GREAT honor of presenting my Dad with The Timothy Award, an award from the Rocky Mountain District of the Church of the Nazarene that is given for outstanding service to youth (over 19 years as a youth pastor with 15 as the district youth president). Here are the pictures, and I will try to recreate the whole story for you, as closely as I can. I presented this award to him during the annual youth event for the district called Rejoice in Billings, MT. He had no idea that he was getting an award, and definitely had no idea that I would show up at all.

Loris, a good friend of the family and the District Youth President, called my Dad on to stage at the opening meeting for Rejoice. All she said was that we have a very special award to present to Tom, and that someone from his past was here to present it. She then made him sit down and pointed off to the left-hand side of the stage.

Here I am sneaking out of the RIGHT hand side.

And here is the moment he saw me.
The first of many hugs, and a few tears.
This is Joe, a friend of mine and now my Dad's youth pastor. He carried the award for me and shared his favorite memory of Tom. That story went a little something like this (I helped illustrate and tell the story a little, as you can see).
One of Tom's favorite games to play with teenagers is called Anatomy Shuffle. If you have not played the game (you should), it goes something like this:
Everyone grabs a partner, preferably someone you would like to get to know better.

You and your partner line up across from each other with a field, gym, or lawn between you. Then two body parts are called out, for example, elbow-knee. The first-called body part is assigned to the first partner, and the second to the second.
You and your partner then rush toward each other and touch the body parts until the losing team is chosen (i.e. the last to touch, or unable to hold pose).

It must have been the summer of our senior year when we last played this game. There must have been some event going on at our church because teens from all over Montana and Wyoming were gathered there. The game went on, and on, and on until there were just 3 teams left, and they were resilient. There were 2 teams of all boys, and the other team consisted of our mutual friend Joe V (NOT the long-haired blond you see here) who had just returned from a 4-day hunting trip (still un-showered) and a 12-year-old girl who we later learned, this was her first youth event, ever. After Tom tried a few tricky calls, and couldn't get anyone out, the inevitable call came, Lips to Lips... The poor 12-year-old girl just FROZE, didn't move a muscle, and Joe, un-phased by the taboo of the situation came screaming down the lawn to meet his terrified partner and...

picked the poor girl up by the head and just PLANTED one on her! I am pretty sure the poor girl needed counselling before she could return to anymore teen events!

Turns out, her (the poor girl's) cousin was in the crowd. =)
Joe then went on to share how much my Dad's mentoring and pastoring ment to him.

From this point on, I read a few memories and words from some of Dad's former students and a fellow pastor. The first of which was from an old friend named Lonnie. Back when Lonnie was a youth pastor with my Dad on the same district the two of them were always running around causing trouble together. They were, and still are, great friends. Here is what he had to say:

As you know your dad and I are great friends, and there are numerous stories to tell. NYC, camps, all good times, but the one thing that “sticks out most” is the time we were in the cabin at bear tooth and it was time to get cleaned up for dinner.

Your dad just came out of the shower and tried to put on one of his “hundreds” of pull over shirts he had that resembled curtain patterns from motel 6.The problem was, the top button was buttoned and all I could see was your dad wrestling this shirt, with just the top of his head sticking out. So now you know where the name "SPEED STICK" came from, (he knew that one was coming)with his bald head poking through and the top button fastened, he looked like my deodorant top trying to put on a shirt!

There are MANY more stories, but what I know most about Tom is he has always had and will always have a Youth Pastor’s heart! He is dedicated to the Rocky Mountain District and their youth! He is more deserving of this award than anyone I know. His dedication and hard work has made a major impact on many students.

I know our friendship means more to me today than it did the very first day I met him. Let your dad know he is loved and appreciated. His prayers are cherished and his support reaches all the way down to Georgia! I couldn’t have thought of a better father, husband, dad, Pastor and friend to receive this award!

Congratulations and thank you for being an inspiration to many people. God right now is giving you a standing ovation and that’s all we can ask for!!

Love ya Bro,

Lonnie

Another former student, Matthew, who is now all grown up and a pastor himself wrote about Dad:

The greatest thing about Tom in my memory was his encouragement and depth as a Christian. He helped me understand what great ministry is about and one of the influences I use in my own ministry today. He was always a role model and a mentor without even probably knowing it. It's because of people like Tom that are willing to invest in the live of teens that truly define God's great commission in growing the Kingdom of God. Thank you Tom for being willing to be a great mentor and example of following God's Call.

And Matthew's wife, Candace, another former student wrote:

The best memories I have growing up are all at some type of youth event whether it be Rejoice, Camp, or Bible Quizzing. I learned how to serve and follow Christ personally and recieved a call to ministry and met my husband all because God working at those events and I know that those events were as awesome and life impacting as they were because of a man who chose to follow God's call and invest himself into teenagers on the Rocky Mountain District. A great NYI President and Pastor. I have always looked up to you Tom and since I came from a little church that didn't have much of a youth group and definently no Youth Pastor. you have always filled that spot in my life. Even though you probably didn't even know it. There’s no one better deserving of this reward.

The hand off (behind the stand, sorry).

Another hug...

And the acceptance. I have to tell you , I was just so glad to not be up there anymore, I can't say that I remember a lot of it! Something about all the work that all of the youth pastors that were present do, and how appreciated each and every one of them are.