Look Behind You

Recently, my family and I were blessed to be able to travel to Pensecola Beach, Florida to help officiate a wedding of young lady who was in my husband's youth group when we were first married. It was great to get away for a couple of days and a blessing to be there before Hurricane Ida took aim at the beautiful beaches.

We took full advantage of the opportunity to eat some amazing seafood, catch up with old friends and play in the sand. And, like every other trip I have ever taken to the beach, God seemed to be able to whisper truths into my heart.

While waiting for the sunset wedding to begin, my daughter, Riley, and I enjoyed exploring the shoreline. Like many six year-olds would, she soon made a game of walking in my footsteps. I encouraged the time consuming activity by skipping, sliding and side-stepping to vary the footprints I was leaving in the sand.

With Riley's conversion being so recent, it really hit home that she is in many, many ways emulating my actions and attitudes. She is set to follow my footprints spiritually, just like she was literally in our little game on the beach.

Both the bride in the wedding and her sweet maid-of-honor have been dear family friends for a long time. My prayer is that my example of a Christian woman has been one that they would want to follow. My relationship with these young ladies spans over a decade. What footprints have I left them?

Let me encourage you to look back. Who is following your footsteps? Where are you leading them?

I don't mean to add pressure on you as a minister's wife. We are all called to this in Titus. If you are feeling a little defensive, maybe that is the Holy Spirit calling you to follow the prints Jesus left for us in the sand. And, like the old poem, remember that He will carry you when you can't do those things He has called you to.

Thank you Lord for not leaving us alone in this responsibility.

On that Note . . .

I am so glad that Jeanne talked about encouragement yesterday in her blog. I want to just take the opportunity today to follow up on her words and see if I can't encourage you.

You may not have signed up for this role. You may not have known what you were getting into when you married that man of yours. You may not have married that man you did, had you but known. Yet, God placed you with him and put the two of you exactly where you are. It wasn't a mistake or an oversight. It was His will.

• Thank you for handling yourself with such grace and dignity when those around you are acting anything but Christian.
• Thank you for sharing your husband with those who don't appreciate him, much less you.
• Thank you for sacrificing some family time and date nights for the good of the Church.
• Thank you for living in your fishbowl in such a way that brings honor to your husband and glory to God.
• Thank you for praying for your husband and supporting his ministry, especially in the face of opposition.
• Thank you for all the "hats" you wear at church, doing all the jobs that mostly go unnoticed and unappreciated until they don't get done.
• Thank you for being an example of Godly wife, mother and Christian.
• Thank you for what you do.
• Thank you for being who you are.
• Thank you for being a minister's wife.

No one else may say thank you. Your husband may not even tell you of his gratitude. But as a church member and minister's wife myself, I appreciate you.

It happens even in Germany

This week after the Convention, Randy and I left for a mission trip to Germany. We have been here since Friday morning participating in what is being called an "Encouragement Conference" for Ministers and their wives.

As I have had the opportunity to listen to some of the wives and to pray with them, I realized that we all face the same challenges, even across the seas. Time is always an issue, church dynamics, families, jobs, finances...they are all alike.

I have come to realize that we all need encouragement to carry on the work. I came to encourage, but I found myself being encouraged by these sweet ladies' testimony. Most of them have a much more difficult time than I do. And yet, they are staying faithful to the call.

There have been some very sweet moments, like listening to the choirs, and even though I did not know the words, I still got the message. And like watching the little children, who are just as adorable here as in our own churches. But my favorite has been talking to the Pastor of the church where the conference is being held, knowing that he was ready to give up the ministry, but now has been encouraged to continue on.

Don't forget that we all need a pat on the back or a little nudge to keep going. Look for someone who needs a Barnabus in their lives and encourage them. The blessing will come back to you 100 fold.

What kind of shoes do you wear?

This past Tuesday, while decorating for the Minister's Wives Luncheon at the Tennessee Baptist Convention, I had such a remarkable time. There is just something wonderful that happens when a group of Minister's wives get together. Of course there was a lot of laughter, but there was also something else taking place.

The decorations on the tables were arrangements with different kinds of shoes, depicting various walks of a woman's life. As I stood in the back of the Fellowship Hall I began watching the ladies that were there helping. Each lady was busy performing the task that she had been given. Each one, well equipped to do her part.

I couldn't help but think that this was God's plan all along for our lives. Each of us are walking a different path, wearing a different pair of shoes, and have our own unique gifts and talents that God wants us to use. We all contribute in a different ways to Kingdom work. Whether God uses us on the mission field, in our churches, on our jobs, or in our homes, God has given us everything we need to get the job done that He has assigned us.

It was fun being a part of decorating that place. I knew that there might be a minister's wife coming through the door that was discouraged, or down trodden. Perhaps there would be a wife who did not feel loved at her church, or was facing some huge obstacle in her life. It was a great feeling knowing that maybe by being with other women just like her, that understood where she was, who genuinely cared about her and that wanted God to speak to her heart that day, she would be encouraged and uplifted.

God has so blessed us in this special calling as Minister's Wives. It is not always easy, but it is always an adventure...

IT'S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN....

No, I am not talking about Christmas (however, we are almost there too) but the Tennessee Baptist Convention. Along with the Convention, Lana Rose has arranged for us "wives" to have a couple of great activities for just us.

The first is the Good Cup which is being held today at West Jackson Baptist Church from 1:00 - 3:30. This is a time for us to have a chance to visit and get to know one another a little more. The second is the annual Minister's Wives Luncheon which will be held tomorrow at Calvary Baptist Church at 12:00-1:30. For more information, check out Lana's blog at this site dated October 30th.

There will be wonderful speakers, singers and door prizes!!! Please don't miss these two events. Come join us and let's have a chance to talk. See you there.

Tonight's Blessing

I started leading a Bible study with a group of women about two months ago...below is a description of the study:

"Do you attend Bible studies and often find that when the study is over you no longer study the Bible? Do you have a desire to connect with God and other women through the study of His Word? Come and learn a simple, yet effective way to study any book of the Bible on your own. Each week we will study through the book of Proverbs individually and come together on Wednesday evenings to share the truths and insights we discovered."

To be quite honest, I was not sure what to expect. Who would come? Would anyone come? After all we were not doing a Beth Moore study. We would simply be studying the Bible. Would they want to get to know my God through the study of His Word? Would they share or would we all just look at each other? Could I be transparent with them? Would they be transparent with me and each other? Would they stick with it?

You see, over the past several years I had been a part of an amazing group of women that I prayed with, cried with, studied with, connected with, grew with, etc. and I wanted to have that kind of experience in our new church. To go beyond the surface chit-chat and religious garble and really sit at the feet of Jesus together.

And I was desperate tonight. Desperate to have deep sharing and corporate praying and personal accountability with a group of women. I was thirsting for it. Longing for it. Needing it. I was on empty and needed to be filled with His power and presence and purpose.

And God provided. He is faithful. He fulfills our deepest longings for more of Him. What a precious time we had together tonight. I came home refreshed and renewed and free.

Our large circle has gotten smaller as some have 'given up'. The enemy would want me to be discouraged and defeated...and believe me, I have been many times. But not tonight! Tonight I can know God is at work. Tonight I rejoice! Ministry can be tiring and discouraging and frustrating....but I refuse to miss out on His outpouring love just because I fear defeat.

Just a side note, I so appreciate each one of you. Even though I don't know you or see you, I pray for you. I wish we could all sit down together and have some "face time" and do what I was just talking about. I would really love that. One day....we will worship all together....for eternity. I look forward to it.

Blessings my friend....

Feeding Yourself

I remember vividly when we first began to teach our children how to feed themselves. It is a wonder that they ever received any nourishment during those initial months because, at first, most of what they attempted to put into their mouths ended up all over their faces, their hair, the highchair and the floor! It was a marvel that I did not give up and feed them myself because of the mess they made!

There were times when they wanted us to feed them..."Feed me mommy", I would often hear them say! Why? Because it was a lot easier for me to feed them than for them to feed themselves!! How sad and silly would it be if I never encouraged, expected, exhorted them to feed themselves?? Can you imagine how ridiculous it would look for them now, as young adults, for their mother or father to feed them simply because we did not take the time, energy, work to have them do it themselves?

Many Christians are used to being "spoon fed" spiritual food in the same manner as our parents fed us physical food....and it is difficult learning how to feed ourselves. Honestly, I struggle with it all the time!! Often, I would MUCH rather someone else teach me, speak to me, preach to me, than to go to the Word myself!

If you are "feeding" yourself, please do not feel frustrated if you feel like your "food" is making a mess, or that you don't feel like any of it is providing any spiritual nourishment or that you would rather give up and have someone else feed you!! It is a process....and it takes time....and it will be well worth it!!

If you are not feeding yourself at the banquet table of the Lord....find someone who will teach you how. If you are not teaching your children how to "feed" themselves spiritually, begin now!! I was broken-hearted when my unbelieving mother asked my, then ten-year-old, son why he believed what he did about Christianity....and he could not answer. I had failed him.