Pastor's Wives

One of the most special times between a mother and child is when they spend time reading a book together. I always loved it when one of my kids would crawl up in my lap and ask me to read a story. Now, I especially love it when one of my grandkids asks me to read a story!

There are certain things I love to do. I love to organize, to decorate, and to bake desserts. I love to entertain and spend quality time with my family. I love to dream big and see those dreams come to reality. I also love leading the ladies ministry of our church.

Do you ever talk to yourself? I plead guilty. I really don’t like to admit it because when I was young I remember my mom talking to herself, and I said that I would never do that. And, here I am, all grown up, and I find myself talking to myself. Sometimes I say good things to myself and sometimes I have some negative talk going on.

February is the month for expressing love. I am glad there is one day set aside on our calendar to let others know how much they mean to us; yet does expressing our love have to be a “one day” event? The quality of our relationships is certainly not defined by the events of a single day! Valentine’s Day should . . .

Do you enjoy hosting a ladies retreat or would you rather attend one?

When we are in the midst of a trial, it is comforting to remember that God is doing far more in our lives than we can see. Let’s look at a few ways God works through trials.

Do the letters DIY mean something to you? Do It Yourself projects have become so popular. Why pay someone to do something that you can do yourself? In 1997, when my husband became pastor of our church, I decided to wallpaper his office.

Fresh strawberry pie would be a perfect dessert to bring to our church dinner so I checked my recipe and started gathering my ingredients. The sweet aroma from the deep-red strawberries filled my kitchen as I pulled out a pie shell, strawberry gelatin, sugar, and an old box of cornstarch.

As women, we have the opportunity to make choices on a daily basis. Sometimes, the choices we make seem small and insignificant. Other times, they involve life-changing consequences.

The life I enjoy today started when I was young. I was reared in a Christian home and chose to marry a preacher when I was seventeen years of age. On many occasions I have had the privilege to teach teen girls. I always tell them, “You make the biggest decisions of your life when you are too young to make them.”

This is the time of year when we realize how fast time flies! We have so many good intentions that are never accomplished because we don’t “make” them happen. Making memories has to be intentional and purposeful. Life is about moments. Don’t wait for them, create them!

We’ve all had ideas of what the ideal romance is. When you were younger, it may have been images of a knight in shining armor, bravely rescuing the princess.

“I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy, down in my heart (Where?) Down in my heart (Where?) Down in my heart. I’ve got the joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart (Where?) Down in my heart to stay.” I have the joy of the Lord in my heart, but do I enjoy what I have?

I love Christmas! Growing up, I loved to wake up on Christmas morning to the smell of the gas heater and peek in the living room to see if “Santa” had come during the night. Sure enough, he had come and delivered bunches of presents wrapped in red Santa paper.

I love having a plan! A plan is a detailed proposal for doing or achieving something. If we want to grow people in the church, it is a good idea to have a plan.

What did it feel like as you prepared to walk down the aisle on your wedding day? Were there butterflies in your stomach? Excitement like you didn’t know was possible? Once, I heard about a bride who was so nervous that she doubted she could make it to the front of the church.

What am I going to do about this situation? Where do I turn? Is there anyone who can help me? What is going to happen to me? Situations arise daily. We often don’t know what to do or where to turn.

One day, over two million people gathered for a special meeting with their leader. The leader was old, and everyone present knew this may be his final public speech. The people listened closely as this respected statesman recounted their national history in a mere eleven sentences.

“It’s been a people day,” I said to my daughter many afternoons in her teen years. Although I might have said it because of being exhausted from giving to people all day, it was not a negative statement at all.

Ladies ministry is a very important part of the local church. It can make or break the spirit of the ladies in the church, depending on the leadership of the ministry.