I wanted to include in this post my sweet husband's letter that he read to the team to tell them about what the Lord is doing in our lives and us leaving Landmark. The headmaster at Landmark sent out Kenny's letter to the faculty/staff, and parents, as well, immediately after Kenny's team meeting that day, because it really gives the summary of our decision and what all is to come. Kenny wouldn't mind me saying that he didn't make it through the first sentence of sharing this with his guys before he started crying himself. It's hard stuff...major understatement. Here is the letter Kenny wrote:
Team,
I have reached one of the absolute hardest decisions that I have ever made in my life. As of today, I am stepping down as the head football coach at Landmark Christian School. For 11 years I have put my time, my heart, and really my life into this program. It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to serve this school, you and the young men that have played in our program, and all of the families that have supported it. I want you to know that I am not leaving Landmark for some perceived "bigger or better" football program...the honest truth is that I believe our program is the best football program in the entire state of Georgia and is second to none! The reason I am leaving is that the Lord has been slowly preparing my heart over the last few years for something different. I want you to know that I am not unhappy, disappointed, or frustrated...in fact coming off of a season where our rec league is doing fantastic, our middle school team is 7-1, our junior varsity team is 6-1, and our varsity team just played in the Georgia Dome for our first state championship ever, things couldn't be better at Landmark! That being said, I know that I have heard from the Lord that it is time for me to serve Him in a different way. In May, I will be moving to Franklin, TN to help start and lead a brand new school inside of a church. This school presently is less than two years old, it doesn't have a high school, and it doesn't even have a football team. Over time, it will have all of those, but God has prepared me to go lead in terms of directing the spiritual development of the school, starting the athletic program, and serving as a minister to families. I want each of you to know that this is one of the hardest decisions I have ever made. I love Landmark, I love each of you, my family loves Landmark, and none of that will ever change! Coach Dallas
All I can say, is I love this man with all my heart. So do many, many others and for many reasons, but I think his authenticity and character are the top of the list for most who know him. I always say he's the "real deal", and truthfully, I think this world, and our culture in particular, is severely lacking "real deal" men (and women, for that matter). He's not a perfect man, but never pretends to be. He is who he is by the grace of God, and somehow God has infused him with a passion that is simply contagious. He is passionate about living the kingdom life and sharing it with everyone he is around in a very real and practical way, because every day matters and every person matters.
I have to say that the outpouring of love, kindness, and support that our family has received since the day of this announcement has been overwhelming. I know that just sounds like the "right" thing to say, but I mean it with everything in me. The number of texts, phone messages, and emails just that very day of the announcement showing such sadness, but such unbelievable support and love from our Landmark family (currently and alumni, as well) was well over a hundred. Then in the days ahead the love just continued from person after person in droves, and continues even as we still tell someone new here and there that hasn't heard the news or we haven't had the chance to speak to about it. I can't explain what a blessing this has been. I have told our children, as well as many friends here, that as difficult and sometimes heart wrenching as this process is, I would rather leave a place this way ANY day, hurting so badly because we've loved so many and so much, than to just be counting down the days until we "get" to leave because we just can't stand it anymore. Landmark is part of who we are. It always will be. There will always, forever be a part of the Dallas's that loves Landmark Christian School and those who make up our family here. We wouldn't have it any other way. I wish so badly I could share many of the texts and emails that so many took the time to send to us (and, ofcourse, I wouldn't break anyone's confidence in doing so anyway), but it would fill up many, many pages with so many words that just literally made a grown man cry...over and over. It's such a beautiful tribute to our Lord and the way he's used a simple, highschool football coach to impact so many.
I'll close for now with a couple of thoughts about our own boys (I'm referring to the oldest four right now). Before any of the word was out on this, we knew that the hardest thing at all, even above the difficulty of telling his other boys (the team), was knowing the day was coming that we were going to have to sit our own boys down and tell them all of this. As I've said before, these boys love Landmark and everything about it. It's been a part of them for most or all of their lives. Kenny's heart was just aching at the thought of sitting those boys down, looking them in the eye, and telling them what we were about to be doing...turning their world upside down (a world they REALLY happen to love). He was so afraid...truly afraid...of hurting them ...of wounding their hearts. I wish so badly I could bottle up and save every moment about the night we shared with our guys about this news. They were unbelievable. They were little men...all 4 of them. I witnessed that night, each of those 4 choose to take a step of faith in their own hearts because they trusted their daddy. We didn't sugar coat a thing in order to just get a good reaction that night. Kenny just laid it all out there for them as real and honestly as he could...the bottom line? The Lord was calling us to go. I'll never forget, watching each of their faces in the first moments they processed what their daddy had just told them. One by one they put their hand on their daddy and boldly said, "I'm in"..."I'm in, Dad"..."I'm in..." ..."I'm in, Dad". I guarantee you there's one daddy who will never, ever forget that moment. The moment he had been dreading, because he loves them so much, and they were the very ones building up his heart. It was beautiful...powerful. Ofcourse, there were two and a half hours of talking, crying, praying that night with Kenny, me, and those four. It was one of the sweetest nights all together we've ever had...and we've had quite a few sweet times!
As David, one of our 9 year olds said in a prayer just the other night, "Thank you, Lord, for picking our family to do this great work for you and your kingdom." Made my heart smile. Yes, Lord. Thank you. We've had great, exciting days as we've anticipated our move and all the Lord has in store, including a wonderful trip with all the kids to Franklin soon after our announcement that just couldn't have been more blessed. And then we, truthfully, have days that are really just plain old hard. Do pray for us all in the days and weeks ahead. There is so, so much we just don't know yet, and there are so many things on our plate right now. I don't say that pitifully, at all, but I DO say it prayerfully! If you've taken the time to read this, I'd love to ask that you continue to pray for the Dallas family! It's no surprise that the enemy has been on the prowl and attacking from all directions. There are a lot of busy schedules, tender hearts, and up and down emotions in a housefull of 8...really all the time, but especially with a huge life change only two months ahead of us. God is good. He is faithful. We are looking forward to all he has in store with great joy. The urgency the Lord has placed on our hearts is to fight for the hearts of families, and the place he has shown us to go help in doing that right now is at simple little Grace Christian Academy in Middle Tennessee. Don't you love the way God works? You never know what He is up to. Join Him. Wherever it is, whatever it is, don't miss it. It matters too much.
