Character · Christianity · leadership · Ministry · pastor's wife · pastoring · Perserverence · Uncategorized

Help! Where Do I Hide in this Fishbowl?

        One of my favorite things in life is being married to a pastor. First, my pastor is pretty awesome and I’m partial to doing life with him. It just makes the journey more fun when you are in love with your spouse. Second, I love the joy of watching Christ transform people… Continue reading Help! Where Do I Hide in this Fishbowl?

Character · Christianity · leadership · Middle Age · Mothering · pastor's wife · pastoring · Perserverence · Uncategorized · Women

Failure Isn’t Fatal and the Times You Fall on Your Butt

It seemed like a good idea at the time. Maybe it was all those Dog Whisperer episodes.  Maybe the hours of natural horsemanship moving horses with a carrot stick made me overconfident. Either way–it was a bad idea. A few months ago, my family adopted the sweetest border collie.  She is 62 pounds of pure… Continue reading Failure Isn’t Fatal and the Times You Fall on Your Butt

Boundaries · Character · Christianity · Disappointment · Friendship · Marriage · Perserverence · Relationships · Uncategorized · Women

Avoiding the Bitter Pill When Bad Relationships Stay Bad

“Why don’t they ever change?” I wish I had a dollar every time I’ve heard these words.  Maybe I’d be living on a beautiful island in the Caribbean. I’ve spent a great deal of of my ministry life helping people work through a variety of difficult relationship issues. My adoptive friends and I have also personally battled… Continue reading Avoiding the Bitter Pill When Bad Relationships Stay Bad

Character · Christianity · Discipleship · Middle Age · Ministry · Perserverence · Women

When You Dread Change and New Year’s Eve

I really don’t care for New Year’s Eve. There is no easy way to say that without sounding like a real downer. If New Year’s Eve could be celebrated around 7 p.m. maybe I would find it enjoyable.  I don’t remember the last time I willingly saw midnight.  Unless it involves a sick child, a hospital visit,… Continue reading When You Dread Change and New Year’s Eve

Character · Christianity · Christmas · Mothering · Parenting · parenting · Women

Breaking Through the Silence of Your Christmas Night

Her voice carried through the house.  That soft, small voice, struggling to sing  on pitch and the hands playing a new and choppy song, stopped me in my tracks. In the midst of a busy Christmas moment I discovered this girl preparing a gift for me, a special song to be sung for a mother’s heart.… Continue reading Breaking Through the Silence of Your Christmas Night

Character · Christianity · Mothering · parenting · Thanksgiving · Women

Dancing in the Dark and Learning to Give Thanks in All Circumstances

My house smells amazing as the scent of pumpkin pie floats from the kitchen into my little work place.  Christmas music is playing and all feels right with the world. But if I’m honest some things in my world are not all right.  Your world probably has a few things not all right, either.  I… Continue reading Dancing in the Dark and Learning to Give Thanks in All Circumstances

Character · Christianity · Disappointment · Empty Nest · Family Life · Mothering

Life’s Unexpected Twists and Living with the Shame of it All

  Life has a way of turning on you at times, doesn’t it?  Out of nowhere it hits you with the unexpected and leaves you wishing you could just stop and get off the merry-go-round for a while.  Unfortunately, you can’t.  The world keeps spinning and everyone else keeps moving. Somehow you have to try… Continue reading Life’s Unexpected Twists and Living with the Shame of it All

Character · Christianity · Discipleship · leadership · Ministry · Mothering · pastor's wife · pastoring

Knocking the Chip off the Shoulder: Defeating Defensiveness

I’ve been in ministry for a long time.  I guess I’ve been in life a long time, too.  Perhaps that makes me old, though, I prefer to call it seasoned.   My husband and I have led a variety of people over the years. Most are amazing people to lead. But there is one population that… Continue reading Knocking the Chip off the Shoulder: Defeating Defensiveness

Character · Christianity · Ministry · pastor's wife · pastoring

Perils of a Pastor’s Wife: When You Find Yourself in a Crisis of Faith

A title like this is probably a bit provocative. People always love to know other people’s business, and I especially think they love to know the pastor’s business.  After over twenty years in ministry with my pastor husband, I get it.  People like to know what makes him tick and what makes him different from… Continue reading Perils of a Pastor’s Wife: When You Find Yourself in a Crisis of Faith

Biblical beauty · Character · Christianity · Empty Nest · Family Life · Ministry · Mothering · parenting · Parenting · Women

A Note to My Daughters about Life and Living

Some days I have to take a break from social media. The news, the grapevine, the problems, and the constant opinions of others agitates me.  A full diet of social media is information overload and emotions overwhelmed and can leave one vacillating between guilt, anger, and fear with the simple scroll of the mouse. As a… Continue reading A Note to My Daughters about Life and Living