Pastor's Wives

Some of the most positive experiences of my life have rested on words of encouragement or help. Each time I benefit from the positive words of others, I’m more motivated than ever before to use my words in an uplifting way.

Riding an elephant in a Texas zoo was a fun adventure for me as a child. I remember feeling on top of the world observing everything from my high perch. Male, African elephants can reach a height of thirteen feet and can weigh up to 15,000 pounds. Being a mega-strong, terrestrial animal has its advantages—the predators tend to look elsewhere for dinner.

Coconuts can drop from a swaying palm tree and then bounce and roll into the crashing surf causing them to float a thousand miles or more. Many of them find a safe haven on another land mass where they productively spread their seeds to grow new palm trees and continue the cycle of fruit-bearing.

Easter Sunday is just two days away. I love this time of year when we have the opportunity to focus on and celebrate the resurrection of our Lord!

My daughter, Danielle, made this appetizer for Thanksgiving a few years ago, and it has become a holiday family favorite ever since! It’s a perfect snack to enjoy while waiting on the big Thanksgiving meal.

Praying for my husband allows me to have a positive impact in his life. Something usually happens when we pray for others, especially for our husbands. When we pray for our husbands, the hardness in our heart softens, our anger recedes, our hurts are healed, and forgiveness takes place.

Why did King Solomon want apes? Could it be he enjoyed their laughter? Apes such as chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans are among the very few animals who actually laugh.

The Shunammite’s promised son had died, but his mother still believed God. Through Elisha this lady had been promised a son from the Lord, and she decided to believe God again when her child breathed his last breath.

Ahhhhhh summer! What a wonderful time of year to rejuvenate your body, mind, and spirit. If you have a vacation this summer, make the most of it. Use your vacation time wisely. Try not to spend the greater part of it traveling, doing household chores, or even sleeping more than . . .

An older woman was celebrating her golden wedding anniversary. Someone asked what her secret was to a long and happy marriage. She said, “On my wedding day, I decided to make a list of ten of my husband’s faults, which I would overlook for the sake . . .

When I pray, sometimes I feel sad when God does not answer the way I think He should, but God always has the best in mind for His child when He denies a prayer request.

I enjoy cooking, finding recipes, and sharing new meals with my family and guests who visit our home. Because of my love for cooking, I get especially excited when I have the opportunity to visit a restaurant that I have read about or seen advertised. And, if I happen to have the chance to eat at one of these restaurants, I always look to see what the critics have said about the food, décor, and overall dining experience.

Several months after we moved to Lancaster, some dear friends of our family made arrangements for us to move out of our tiny apartment into a real house. Our apartment did not have air conditioning (which makes for rough summers in the desert), and the previous occupants had animals that left the carpets soiled beyond repair. Needless to say, I was excited and thankful to have a home. It wasn’t long before I began decorating it room by room.

Our spiritual birth into God’s family is a miraculous love-filled moment, as well! When Nicodemus came to Jesus by night seeking answers for his spiritual questions, Jesus told him, “Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). We know that Nicodemus was initially confused by this statement. But, Jesus explained to him that salvation is a re-birth—a spiritual birth.

Each year at Christmas, I look forward to pulling the boxes of seasonal decorations out of storage. Our family has always had so much fun decorating the house and hanging ornaments on the tree.

When I was a freshman in high school, I had P.E. class first hour (which was 7:30 A.M.)! My class had over one thousand students, so a large percentage of us joined students from the other grades for first hour P.E. each morning.

God can take the everyday, ordinary and turn it into a miracle. Would you consider yourself everyday, ordinary?

“Mooooom, I need you!” That can either be a glorious call or words that make you want to hide. As a mom of seven, I have often heard those words. Being a mom isn’t an easy task, but it is a blessed one.

One event I look forward to each year is our annual summer family vacation. I have always loved this special, memory-making time with my husband and children. And while in recent days the length and locations have adapted to our growing family (yay for grandkids!), we all still enjoy this yearly time together.

One of my first official attempts at gracious hospitality came early in our family’s ministry, and it was not what I imagined it would be. My husband had just started a couples’ class, and he was so excited the Sunday our first visiting couple attended church. Imagine my shock when, right in the middle of class, he invited them over to our home for lunch!