13

Donna and I celebrated thirteen years of marriage in 2013. We began dating during our last semester of high school and were married on October 14, 2000. The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 sent us back to church. Less than a year later, I told Donna that God was calling me to preach. She said she already knew.

Donna has stood beside me through every high and low of the ministry. She is the best wife I could ever imagine and the best mother our children could possibly have. We are a lucky bunch.

10, 8, 5, 2

“How in world do you survive in a house full of that many girls?” I hear that kind of question a lot. Truthfully, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Emma, Sarah, Brenna, and Tessa fill our home with humor, joy, and the occasional challenge. (They get the challenging stuff from their momma). The numbers in the heading are their ages for 2013. Where does the time go?

8 years 4 months, 9 months

These numbers represent my time as a pastor. For just over eight years, I was privileged to serve as the pastor of Fellowship Baptist Church in Bartlett, TN. I’ve blogged about my time at FBC before: https://johnenoch.com/2013/03/24/dear-fellowship-baptist-church/. The comma that you see in the above heading, philosophically at least, stands for God’s call to Meridian Baptist Church. On December 31, I will have been pastor there for nine months. I am so grateful to God for allowing me to shepherd such a special church for so long, and then for His sending me to another special place. When I surrendered to the call to preach, I never expected to know such great saints of God as I’ve met at these two churches.

7000, 42, 51

I grew up and lived in the same house until Donna and I married. We bought our first home less than a year after our wedding and lived there for over four years. 2013 was a bit different. In almost exactly six months, give or take a few days, we lived in three houses. Fellowship Baptist provided a parsonage during most of our tenure. We moved in on December 7, 2005. We left 7000 US Highway 70 on March 26, 2013. Later that day, with much help from our new church, we moved to 42 Norvel Drive, a rental house owned by Mary Ross. Six months and one day later, on September 27, we closed on the purchase of our new home at 51 Michelle. Donna’s now legendary moving skills rose to fame during this geographical hop scotch.

3

What have I learned in this crazy year? Let me mention three.

First, there is no one, outside of Jesus, more important than our spouse. I could not do what I do if Donna did not do what she does. Our girls have transitioned so well and I’ve had the stability at home to adjust to a new ministry. We’d all be lost without her.

Second, nothing exists like the local church. We left one great congregation and arrived at another. God’s people love and look out for one another no matter if they are in Shelby or Madison County. I just happen to suspect that this truth applies to the entire world.

Third, God know exactly what we need when we need it. I’m sitting at my kitchen table as I type these words. This house quickly became home. Without going into detail, the only explanation for our being here is God’s hand in our lives. He put me in the right place, at the right time, so that we could make a new home here on Michelle Lane.

2014

What does 2014 hold for this group of Enochs? I’m not sure.

I do know this, however. If it’s anything like 2013, it’s going to be an adventure.

Happy New Year!