Pastor Appreciation: Randy Elrod

For pastor appreciation month, I gotta give a shout out to "Pastor Randy" -- that's how I met him. Back in Largo, Florida, Randy was creative arts / praise and worship / music / whatever his title was for the season pastor. He refused to be put in a box. Randy was professional, hard-working and genuine.

R was just coming into the season of spreading his wings beyond accepted norms. He pursued life with passion and took some of us along for the ride. He started living life on the "bleeding edge" and took some cuts in that time.

When he got the opportunity of a music pastor's life -- People's Church in Nashville, Tenn. -- we were sad to see him go. Randy had outgrown his fish bowl. After moving to N'ville R really blew off his fetters. He pursued his passions and lived a scary and dynamic life for what the LORD laid on his heart.

But, in all of that, I remember the friend who went with us to watch an R movie when it wasn't allowed; who held my parents' hands as they waited for their paralyzed son to fly back to the States; who took me cruisin' in his Z; who shared Sunday lunch with his family with me; who cooked us homemade pasta when I visited N'ville on the way to DC.

Randy, you've touched so many peoples' lives, including mine.