Why Preacher Dan?

It was June 24, 2001, and I was getting ready to serve my first Sunday as pastor of North Covington UMC in Covington, GA. I was scared to death and extremely nervous. I had warned the District Superintendent not to send me to this church because I had in-laws there and was replacing a pastor who just so happened to be my wife's cousin. Sounds like the making of a great soap opera, doesn't it? Anyway, somebody asked me by what name did I want the kids and youth to call me by. I told them anything but "Preacher Dan." I felt like I was being called to be a pastor of a church, but wasn't too sure about the preaching part of the call. Besides, "Preacher Dan" just didn't sound right; almost uppity to me.
Well, guess what happened? At the end of the church, the children of the church came up to me and presented me some pictures they drew. Every last one of them was addressed to Preacher Dan! What was I going to do? Well, I did thank the kids for the pictures and promised that I would hang them up in my office. Later, on the way home, that small little voice in the back of my head brought something to my attention. Maybe, just maybe, God was trying to get my attention by telling me that it was God who was the one calling me into ministry and that part of that call was to "preach." And to help me remember this, the kids were going to call me Preacher Dan.
Some seven years later, I am still Preacher Dan to the kids and youth (and a whole bunch of adults too) of my church, but now at a slightly larger church in the southern suburbs of Atlanta. I love what I am doing being a pastor and a full time seminary student (Candler School of Theology at Emory University, Atlanta, GA). I am blessed by the journey that God has brought me through over these years and I stand here to profess to one and all that if it wasn't for the grace and mercy of God and my beautiful bride of 12 years, Brenda, I have no idea of where I would be today!
I have no idea of how many of these blogs I am going to be writing because once school starts, my time will be limited so don't be surprise if there is a dry spell between September and mid-May!
Blessings and grace to one and all...

Preacher Dan