The Up side

It's Saturday morning. My husband is at a retreat with teens. I am getting ready to go to Cotsco. Bring on the huge strawberries baby! This week I spent some time reading through all my past posts. Wow can this pastors wife whine!  So, I decided it would be good for my soul  readers to hear some of the things I love about being in ministry. Yes, there are a few believe it or not. Behold....the things that make this pastors wife smile....

*My husband gets to spend most Fridays with his boys..we call it "Daddy Day"  Get it?! Mommy Monday and Daddy Friday? ... Pretty awesome!

*I have been fortunate enough to travel a ton because of ministry; including Taiwan (twice) and Mexico.  I have been forever changed because of those experiences.

* I have been able to share life with some amazing teenagers who are now adults.  These young people have taught me more than I could ever hope to teach them. They have taught me how to love and be loved, they have taught me how to laugh and be laughed at, they have taught me how to see Jesus and be Jesus to others. I am eternally grateful for the relationships this ministry has afforded me.

*The support of our family! I can honestly say this is what I am most thankful for in my life right now.  We are blessed to have both of our parents living within 20 miles of us, along with lots of sisters and brothers near-by too.  We are ministered to by them every day.  Our families have truly made it possible for our ministry to be effective.  Our parents and our siblings have ministered to us more than they will ever know by being so available and supportive of us!

            *On a related note, I am forever grateful for my sister Jill! She is a one of a kind, seriously! Her and I have worked together at two different jobs for a total of 8 years and counting... She makes me laugh harder than anyone in this world. She is the first person I text when something happens. She is real with me. She tells me in love when I am wrong. She gives me honest advice. She has an amazing heart for people. She loves my boys like they were her own.  I am so blessed to call her not only sister but best friend!

*There are so many connections in our church.  Need a mechanic? We know one.  Need a lawyer? we know one. Need a real estate agent? we know several.  Need a doctor? I have that best one in town!! I am so thankful for these connections!

*The flexibility in my husbands job.  He is able to leave work if one of our boys gets sick in the middle of the day.  He can take a day off here or there if the week ahead or behind us is particularly hectic.  He most often is able to put his family first.  What a blessing!

*There is something really special about seeing your husband doing what he loves and getting paid for it. Not many people can say their vocation is their passion as well.  My husband truly does love what he does.  Just like every job there are hard days for both of us. Sometimes it feels like more hard days than easy days. Seeing my husband doing what he was created to do is overwhelmingly rewarding.

*The experiences our children have been exposed to. Our 4 year old LOVES to serve people! He is constantly asking how he can help. He still talks about the summer we built a park for our neighborhood (he had just turned 3!).  He still asks if we can spend the afternoon picking up trash in the neighborhood.  He is curious about the idea of homelessness and often asks how we can help people who don't have a house.  His heart for service as a 4 year old is not a coincidence. I believe his love for service is because we have had the opportunity to expose him to numerous service projects through our ministry. Raising children with a servants heart is our hearts cry.  Being in ministry has provided that opportunity!

*Freedom to be me.  For some reason there is a weird and often misunderstood stigma about "pastors wives". People think they should wear skirts, they should play the piano, they should be at every event, they should lead Bible studies etc.  I am SO thankful to be ministering in a church that allows this pastors wife to be who she really is! I never wear skirts, I am not musical at all, I don't go to every event, and I have never lead a Bible study (except for for teens) in my life.  I do however, love people, love serving and am trying to be the wife and mom God created me to be.  So there! :)

So there you have it..the Up side of ministry! I should probably to this more often huh?  If not for your sake, for mine. I need to be reminded more often than most people that ministry isn't all bad. In fact it isn't even mostly bad.  Right??! What is it that you are thankful for in your ministry or life? We are truly blessed people.

Oh, hey...look at that..my husband just texted and said he went home and cleaned the house in the middle of the day...oh the flexibility!

The Preachers Wife

When I was in high school one of the greatest movies of all time was born. I know what you are thinking; it has to be the Titanic, Forrest Gump, Jurassic Park, Runaway Bride or Robin Hood Prince of Thieves…right? While those are all fabulous movies, in my humble opinion none of them hold a candle to my favorite movie of all time. Wait for it….… The Preachers Wife!! I have loved that movie since way before I became a…Preacher’s wife. Isn’t that ironic? (btw, also a great song that came out when I was in high school…gotta love Alinas Morissette) Recently, my sister and I looked high and low for The Preachers Wife. We had some friends who had never seen it (insert GASP here). As it turns out, the movie isn’t that popular. We called several places and ended up buying it for $5.99. What a shame. My favorite movie of all time has been reduced to a mere $5.99.

Unless you live in a cave (that apparently has internet since you are reading this) you have heard by now that Whitney Houston passed away. Whitney is the star of the movie the Preachers Wife. Her music is as phenomenal in the movie and she plays the role of the Preacher’s wife with class and grace. She truly had the voice of an angel and will be missed by so many.

I have heard more than one person express their distaste for my favorite movie. People have said things like, “it dances around infidelity” or “it isn’t realistic” or it’s “just a movie.” Before I became a preacher’s wife I think I would probably agree with those statements, all the while still loving it. Now that I am a veteran rookie preacher’s wife I think the movie is a little more realistic than we are all willing to admit.

In case you haven’t had the privilege of seeing the movie, our dear Whitney Houston finds herself frustrated with the amount of time and emotional energy her husband is giving to the people of his congregation. At the end of the day, he has nothing left to give to his family. He is left feeling exhausted; meanwhile his family is left feeling defeated. Unfortunately, it is a lot easier to find ourselves in that place than I care to admit. How does that happen? For my family it is a series of little choices that slowly creep in. Sure, it’s just one students basketball game, not a big deal. It’s just one evening class, not a big deal. It’s just one intramural team, not a big deal. It’s just one retreat, not a big deal. It’s just one more “yes”, not a big deal. But suddenly, those hundreds millions of small deals turn into a calendar that looks like a toddler scribbled on it. Life is a series of choices I suppose. Sometimes the millions of little choices add up to a busy crazy season. Our family happens to be in one of those seasons. The good news is, it’s just a season. I hope. I guess maybe I should take my own advice and re-read my post on seasons.

Tonight I have  retrieved my favorite movie from the DVD cabinet and plan to watch it real soon. It’s good to be reminded sometimes I am not the only Preachers Wife out there…even if it is “just” a movie.