The Life Of A Minister’s Wife

Not only am I honored to be a stay at home mom, I am also very honored to be a pastor’s wife!  No, being a pastor’s wife was not my childhood dream but God saw fit and chose me to become the wife of a wonderful man, whom I knew would one day make a wonderful pastor!  Being a pastor’s wife is not always easy.  But God never promises us that life would be easy whether we are pastor’s wives or not.

The video’s that I posted earlier are from Beth Moore’s Pastors Wives Retreat in Nashville Tennessee.   I so wanted to go but maybe next year!  A few weeks before the event she began collecting thoughts from pastor’s wives.  Then they put together these video’s to show live at the event!  I felt most of them to be very heart breaking!  I have heard horror stories in the past about being a pastor’s wife, but so many?  I was saddend to know that most of the feelings that the wives had were because of how they and their husbands are treated by the “church”!  And I admit, it is hard when people don’t follow the Shepard, who you know is a very godly man and only wants what God wants for His church!  It is hard, that everyone else’s concerns, hurts and needs are met and then when something goes wrong with you , your husband or children, you wonder where everyone is!  It is hard, when people don’t trust your husbands judgment.  It is hard to be watched so carefully, watching every move you make, every word you speak!  Wondering if someone is going to take it the wrong way, wondering if it is going to hurt someone’s feeling, or if it is going to make someone mad!  But I have not experienced a lot of these things that these women have.  I have been blessed with a wonderful husband that just happens to be my pastor who, not only loves his church and his people but loves his family.  I have not ever experienced not being taken care of by him.  I have felt that we have always been his first priorty after Jesus.  I count it a blessing for my life to be watched so hopefully everyone will always see Jesus in our family.

But I know that my God deserves so much more than I give.  The sacrifice’ s I make being a pastor’s wife does not even compare to the sacrifice Jesus gave for me.   I praise God daily for the life He has given me.  For using me in a way that I never dreamed of.  For giving me a wonderful husband, father for my children, and pastor for His church.

The Life of a Ministers Wife – part 3 on Vimeo

The life of a minister’s wife is indescribable. Indescribably hard and indescribably rewarding!Comments from real ministers wives from across the nation were submitted to Beth Moore’s Living Proof blog. A collection of these were adapted into three short videos that were shown live at LifeWay’s Living Proof Live event in Nashville in March of 2009, an event that was created specifically for ministers wives. This only reflects a small portion of the comments that were submitted leading up to the event.(the music used is from the score of the Glory Road soundtrack featuring Alicia Keys)

more about "The Life of a Ministers Wife – part 3…", posted with vodpod

The LPM Blog: The Life of a Minister’s Wife

more about "The LPM Blog: The Life of a Minister’…", posted with vodpod

What Joy

I can not even describe the joy my precious girls bring to me.  They are my life.  I would not want to do anything in this world other than to take care of my children.  To love them, to hold them, to caress them, to kiss them, to cook for them,  to play with them, to wait on them, and to teach them, brings me more joy in my life than I deserve!  I praise God daily for giving me my girls, for making me their mommy!  I couldn’t ask for better children.  They are different in many ways, but both are loving, affectionate, sweet, caring, concerned for others, smart, and beautiful.  My life would not be complete without them.

Jesus, I pray that You give me strength to be the best mother ever, to love my children, to teach my children Your word, to teach them that we are here on earth to glorify You and only You.  I pray that You forgive me, forgive me for not always showing them You through my actions.  I pray that I lead them and guide them to love You and only You!  I pray that they have a heart like Yours, a heart that loves Your people!  God I praise You for they joy they bring me.  I praise You for the blessings You give my family.  I praise You for always being there for me and and my family.  For leading us, guiding us, comforting us, loving us, and providing for us, I give You praise!  In Jesus’ Precious and Holy Name!  Amen.

Passionate Followers

This week I was reminded that God seeks passionate followers who love Him passionately. He does not care about our religious activity, He only cares about our activities that are rooted in Him. I know as a christian I fell at this probably on a daily basis. But I hope to strive more towards serving Him and not our many religious activities. In Matthew 23 God speaks about the scribes and Pharisees religious activities. He does not speak very highly of those types of people. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, yet you have neglected the more important matters of the law–justice, mercy, and faith. These things should have been done without neglecting the others. Blind guides! You strain out a gnat, yet gulp down a camel! “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence! Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so the outside of it may also become clean. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every impurity. In the same way, on the outside you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous.” I pray that I will live my life where God never tells me that my inside is full of dead men’s bones and every impurity. Oh, that I may live a life that is pleasing to Him! Christ is not impressed with how holy our behavior appears. God is only concerned with our love for Him. Being a pastor’s wife there are many religious activities that can overwhelm me that can be put in the place of my true love for Jesus Christ. We can teach our children all about religious activities and fall to teach them a love for Jesus. I pray that they do not get caught up in the activities but that they get caught up in God’s love. That He may receive the Glory that is due Him!

Reminder

This week as I watched a message I was reminded about the gift God has given me.  He has given me a wonderful husband and two beautiful children.  I was reminded to never take them for granted.  And to always remember that they belong to Jesus Christ.  And that one day He will take them home.  And that, it is important to remind myself and my family that we are not here on this earth to serve ourselves.  But we were placed on earth to serve and to glorify Him in all we do.  We are never promised tomorrow.  James says in chapter 4 verse 14, “whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”  We should live as though it could be our last day on this earth.  If we knew today would be our last day on earth, would we live today differently?  Would we love Christ with all of our heart?  Would we share His love with other people?  Or would we live our last day as we do any other day, for ourselves?  I just pray that everyday I would live according to God’s will.  That I might truly be able to  say, that I have loved Him first and foremost and that I have loved my family that He has giving me.  I pray that I always remind my beautiful girls of who they are in Christ.  That they may know Him and trust Him above anyone or anything else.  And that there is never a reason to worry about tomorrow.  But they live a life that is always pleasing to God.

Thank you God for my family.  Thank you for giving me such a wonderful, loving husband.  I pray that you be with him today.  That you may be pleased with Him.  That he does not strive to please man but that He only strives to please You.  You are the only one that he is going to have to answer to.  I pray that he would be the husband, the father, the pastor, the friend, the helper, the man that you have called him to be.  I also thank You for my beautiful girls.  I ask You to give them a heart like Yours.  That they love You and love people.  Give them a heart to share Your love with everyone they come in contact with.  I ask You to take their lives and make it what You would have it to be.  I pray for strength for myself.  Strength  to endure whatever You have laid before me.  That I would love You more than ever and that I would learn to trust You more.  I pray for safety for our family.  That you would guard us from all harm.  Thank You for always being there for us.  Thank You for Jesus.  Thank you for His birth, His death, and His resurrection!  Amen!

Giving Thanks

I have many things to be thankful for.  God has blessed me far more than I deserve.  If God chooses to bless no more I would still have so much to be thankful for.  If for nothing else I am thankful for His Son Jesus Christ.  Who died on the cross for you and for me.  Who died for wicked and sinful people.  So that I may spend eternity in Heaven with the Almighty Creator! Romans 3 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith….” Thank God for His redemption!  He shows mercy upon me daily and I am very grateful! I am thankful for my salvation in Him!

I praise God and am very thankful for the husband He has given me!  He has given me a wonderful, godly man who is an outstanding husband and father!  A man who fears and loves the Lord more than anything.  A man who does nothing without thinking of God first.  A man who loves to study God’s word.  A man who lives in God’s will.  A man who teaches our girls about God in every situation he can.  A man that I know loves me without a doubt.  A man that I grow to love more and more everyday.  A man that I can’t not see myself without!  Thank you God for a man that provides for his family in every way.

I am very grateful for the two beautiful girls that God has given me!  They are wonderful in every way!  They remind me daily of how wonderful God is! They are a precious gift from God!  Life defiantly would not be the same without them!

Praise God for giving me life and breath!  Praise God for giving me food to feed my family.  Praise God for always coming through financially for us.  Praise God for giving me a house to live in and a car to drive.  Praise God for giving me a wonderful sister.  Praise God for giving me parents that love me.  Praise God for giving me friends.   Thank you God for meeting mine and my family needs!  Thank you God for providing for us the way you do!

Blessing

As I was taking care of my girls today I could not help but think about what a blessing they are from God! Psalm 127:3 says, “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward.”  Children are God’s gifts.  I do believe that Mackenzie and Kaitlann are gifts from God.  They were wonderfully made by God’s hands and have been given to me as a gift from my God.  I hope and pray that I treat them as a blessing from God.  That they may know that they are precious not only to me but that they are precious to the one who formed them.  He formed them in His image to glorify Him.  “God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”  Psalm 139:13-14 says, “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.  I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works..”  I praise God for them daily.  They remind me of how awesome and mighty our God truly is.  How He created every single detail, from Kaitlann’s beautiful dimples and Mackenzie’s beautiful eyes to both of their very different but wonderful personalities! They are fearfully and wonderfully made!  I cannot even fathom how someone could deny our creator.  God’s attention to detail is so amazing!  I praise God for my beautiful girls!  I thank God for the blessing He created for me to enjoy for awhile here on earth!

Sacrifices

The sacrifices of a stay-at-home mom are great.  And many are not willing to make the sacrifices needed.  But for me, I will sacrifice it all for my children and my God.  That they might grow up and love Jesus, not caring what the world thinks.  I know God will bless my children for mine and Jason’s sacrifices that we have not only made for them but that we have made for Him too!  The sacrifices that we make are only things that are here today and gone tomorrow.  But the One we make the sacrifices for was here yesterday, today, and he will be here tomorrow.  Jesus will be here for eternity and he requires and deserves our sacrifices.  No, we might not have the nicest and the most expensive things that a two income family have.  But we have more than what we need and what we deserve!  And I pray that if my girls learn nothing else from me, that they learn that Jesus is worth it all!  He tell us in Deuteronomy 6; “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.  And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.  You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.  You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”  I know that I fail at this everyday of the week.  But I strive that my girls see this in our family.  That they will love God with all of their heart.  That they see the sacrifices we make for them and for God are not sacrifices at all.

Calling

I know that there are differing opinions and thoughts on women, career, headship, motherhood, and education.  But I do clearly know that God has not only called me to be a pastor’s wife but he has called me to be a stay-at-home mom.  And I would not have it any other way.  I cannot even imagine having to drop my beautiful girls off at daycare or public school.  I feel that it is my job to rear and educate godly children.  That they learn to love Jesus Christ more than anything this world can offer.  With all of the “stuff” out there I see no need of putting my children right in the middle of it!  No, I am not going to completely shelter (they do go to SS!) my girls but I am going to protect them the best way I know how!  God has given me a huge responsibility and I plan to do the best I can with the ability God has given me.  I believe the greatest responsibility is that of motherhood.  I am very blessed and honored that God has chosen me to take care of his beautiful girls! And I pray that I do not let him down.

Yes, sometimes it gets stressful and I think it would be much easier to go to work everyday and actually have adult conversations! I mean sometimes it would be nice to talk with someone about something other than juice, snacks, princesses, and other 2-4 year old topics.   I know people think different thoughts about what we, stay-at-home moms do all day.  No, stay-at-home moms do not sit around all day watching TV and eating Bon Bons!  I mean who really eats Bon Bons?  Actually what are Bon Bons?

I hope and I pray that my girls will be godly young women that truly love God with all of their heart.  I pray that I would be the mother that God has chosen for me to be.