He Did It For You And Me

Passion Week…It was quite an eventful week for our Lord and Savior as He drew closer to the agony and death on the cross. It was a death that He would experience because of His lavish love for you and for me.

As I reflected on Passion Week, I thought about:

• The Upper Room Discourse, where the Lord promises to send the Holy Spirit to teach, guide, and comfort us. That same night our Savior prayed (John 17) an awesome prayer, not only for the disciples that were with Him, but also for those of us who are His followers today.

• The awful betrayal by Judas and the unjust trials that produced false witnesses and false testimonies.

• The excruciating physical torture of our King, stripped and beaten beyond recognition, a crown of thorns placed on His head, spat on, beaten with a reed, mocked, and treated with contempt.

It all culminated at the cross, where Jesus hung for several hours, naked and bloodied, the first time in all eternity separated from the Father, enduring it all to pay for the sins of the entire world. My words are not adequate to fully describe the passion of our Savior. Out of His glorious love, He did it for you and for me.

The true meaning of Easter is not egg hunts, baskets of candy and toys, bunnies, or wearing new clothes.

The true meaning of Easter is the incomprehensible love of God, sending His Beloved Son to die for the sins of wicked, evil, sinful humanity.

AND...

The Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, raised to life, conquering sin and death for all time, securing a place in heaven for all who believe in Him as Lord and Savior for the forgiveness of sin.

WOW! Meditate on this marvelous truth during Passion Week, and remember He did it for you and for me!!

Halleluiah to the Lamb of God!!!

We Love You LANA ROSE.....

We LOVE you Lana Rose............you have done sooo much for the TN Baptist.....the wives, this blog, secretaries, VBS ....just to mention a small portion.

I am happy for you, but said to see you leave.  I know that this year....in fact the last few years have been tough years for you.  You have lost many, many loved ones through death.

I will miss your leadership.............but most of all, I will miss your friendship and fellowship.  I will miss your encouragement and your vote of confidence.

Late nights the end of January in Music Road Hotel lobby will never be the same.

Thank you for loving US and loving our husbands.......who many times gave you a hard time.  WE ALL LOVE YOU and will miss you.

Enjoy your retirement.............you deserve it.  You have devoted your life to helping others.....................it is LANA TIME now.  Take care of your "fur baby" and don't forget us CrAzIeS in Tennessee.

 

LATE NIGHT....at Music Road Hotel!!!

 

CrAzY TeNnEsSeE WeAtHeR

Welcome to Tennessee!

Folks were wearing sandals and short sleeves the first of the week. 
Monday night folks were dodging tornadoes.
Tuesday was the first day of Spring.
Wednesday morning, some places had snow.
Thursday morning and Friday morning we were under a Freeze Warning.
And Saturday is supposed to be much warmer and thunder storms.

Go figure!

How are we to switch out our winter clothes for summer clothes?  NOT.  Not is Tennessee.....you have to keep those closets crammed full because at any given day, who knows what you will need to wear.

On a brighter note.......aren't we blessed?  We DO have different "weather".....some places have the same ole same ole all year long.

We have it all......except, very little snow..........but, then again, that is probably a blessing too.

God is good to us and we have so much to be thankful for.

I am thankful that God chose for me to live in Tennessee. 
I am thankful for my family.
I am thankful for my church family.
I am thankful for my friends.
I am thankful for all of the people that God puts in my path each and every day.

God is good......and He loves you..........and so do I.  I

I Met Beth Moore aka Vickie Lee

Okay.........we are busy, busy, busy...........especially this year with our crazy last six months.  However, one year ago, I promised Lana Rose that I would do everything in my power to attend the Minister's Wives Retreat this year........it was at Dolly's DreamMore Resort and it was Lana's last year.

Because I teach school and because we are very involved in the state Bi-Vo group......I do not have enough days to take off to attend the Good Cup or any of the other wonderful sessions offered to wives during the year.

And....because I do not get to attend those, many times I feel isolated because I do not get to mingle with any wives that are not BiVo wives.

I got to go to the Retreat in March..............and it was JUST WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED.  (I was stressed and worn out............because of Blow #1 and Blow #2.......Blow #3 had not been revealed at this time.....)  I really enjoyed the weekend and fellowshipping with other ladies that were all on similar paths.....wives of pastors, moms, Mimi's, etc.  It was VERY refreshing.

AND......I got to met BETH MOORE...aka Vickie Lee.  Smile.  See....way back when Lana asked me to blog for the TN PRIME RIB and to represent the BiVo wives..............I said....so there are four Beth Moores and then there is Kathy.  Well.....I finally met in person one of the Beth Moores.

And....Vickie....I want to tell you it was a pleasure to meet you.  I discovered that you are almost as big of a NUT as me.  Smile.   

At the retreat......I met several new friends who I plan to stay in contact with.  One dear friend lives on Tybee Island.....and several live in West Tennessee, etc.


I REALLY needed that weekend.  Wives....I know we are all busy, but I challenge you to FELLOWSHIP MORE with other Pastor Wives.  The Retreat was one week before we received Blow #3.  God KNEW I would need the fuel from the retreat to help me crawl through the following weekend.

WE NEED GOD............but we also NEED EACH OTHER.

The Road Traveled....

Honestly....I do not mean to sound like I am complaining....I just wanted to you sort of see the road we are and have been traveling..........in case some of you are experiencing similar situations.....

• September - Found out Roger's secular job of 20+ years was ending because they were out-sourcing to a company in India.
• End of October - Blow #1.  (When we got socked in the face....dealing with something we have never dealt with personally or with other folks...something I will eventually share....because we all know I am an open book....but right now I am not at liberty to do so.)
• November 11th - Roger's last day of secular work, so our combined income was decreased by 2/3.
• January 2018 - discovered that my shoulder pain was not due to tennis elbow...it is a secondary issue....got a cortisone shot in my shoulder and began Physical Therapy for a month.
• End of January....Blow #2.  (Which compounded with Blow #1.......)
• First of February - I'm being sent to a spine and neck specialist because the shot and physical therapy did not help me.
• First of March.....Blow #3.  (Which now....with Blow #1 and Blow #2.....we were at our near breaking point.)
• In late summer, Roger got a cortisone shot in his shoulder.....it's gotten worse so he went back to his doctor and they did an x-ray.  It is torn, he has spurs and something is pushing on the nerve...............a MRI was ordered.....because of insurance delays... he was finally scheduled for March 16th.....and he was to go back to surgeon in three weeks to see what could be done.
• March 16th Roger had his MRI.  An hour and half later....got a call from the surgeon and he wants to see him Monday morning.
• March 16th.....afternoon - Roger has been doing tons of labor work, trying to get everything done in case he has to have surgery.  He took the riding lawnmower to the shop to get new tires.  To help the guy out, he lifted the front of the mower...wound up twisting and his back that has been hurting off and on for a couple of weeks.........wound up in severe pain.....running down his leg.
• March 17th - went to the doctor.......Roger has pinched his sciatic nerve.....got a steroid shot...sent home to rest, use ice pack and alternate Tylenol and Advil.
• MONDAY.....Roger's doctor gave him the results of the MRI.  His rotator cuff is hanging by a string.  He's torn his labrum and tendons and he has bone spurs.  Surgery is scheduled for April 3......they will have to cut him open.  The doctor feels he can fix him.................but it will be a LONG, EXTENDED process.

BUT....in spite of all of these DETOURS in our life.........GOD IS GOOD..........and He Blesses Us Each and everyday.  We have SOOOOO much to be thankful for.  Our blessings by far outweigh the troubles.

I am sure part of the detours are where Satan is trying to discourage us because.....right now.........OUR CHURCH is BOOMING.  Sunday we had a baptism.....during the day, two more got saved.  That makes 10 saved since December.  AND....we are a country church..........we run in the 80's in Sunday School...............so we are not a huge church.  God is GOOD!

P.S.  If you have read any of my previous blogs....you will know....I am a DETAILED person.  I drive my husband crazy...........he always tells me to birth that baby.....he don't need the entire nine months.  Well....sorry ladies....you just got the nine months version!

PRAYERS HELP

Our church family has been praying for us.  Our friends have been praying for us.  We are praying.

PRAYERS HELP.

We all know that.............but sometimes we have to be reminded.

Blow #1 and Blow #2 are real............and so is Blow #3...............But God is using Blow #3.........and prayers are being answered.  KEEP PRAYING.

I guess one of the hardest things about Blow #1, Blow #2 and Blow #3..............Roger and I have NEVER been on this end................we have NEVER desperately NEEDED the love, support and prayers of our Christian people. 

We have ALWAYS been the ONES to GIVE the encouragement and prayer and love and support.

God is good and we have sooooo many things to be thankful for and because of everyone's prayers......I am reminded every day of my many blessings.

When someone asks you to pray for them.  PRAY.....I mean REALLY PRAY.  You NEVER know what another person might be facing that they can not share.

Please continue to pray for us...........PRAYERS ARE WORKING!!!

Broken

I've blogged twice about "the struggles" my husband and I are facing.....the unspoken struggles.

In November.....we were dealt with blow #1.....something we, personally has NEVER dealt with and had never dealt with even with other folks.

In December.....we were dealt with blow #2.....something that was bad enough within itself, but compounded with blow #1.......we were struggling.

Since that time.....then first of March....we were dealt with blow #3.....something that compounded with blow #1 and blow #2........almost BROKE us.

When we first found out about blow #3......we literally did not speak for way over an hour........and when we did, Roger said....."Kathy, I can't do this.  I can't keep going.  God promises he will not put more on you than you can handle, but I must not be as strong as he thought.  I don't even know if I can go to church tomorrow and preach.......I don't even know if I can continue to preach.  I can't do it."

We were broken.....and did not know what to do.  (It does not help that, as of right now, we are still not at liberty to "share what it is".

We went to bed and neither of us slept a wink.

Roger went to his office and was even considering calling our DOM and asking him to supply for him because.............we could not function. 

Well.....every Sunday morning, Roger will text, randomly different pastors that God has laid on his heart and send them a message of encouragement.  On this particular morning......that did not happen.  However.....he received a text from a pastor in Alabama.....one that he randomly texts but one that has never sent him a text first.  The simple text said...."Preach on brother, preach on."

That dear pastor probably has NO IDEA what he did....but I am certain God used him to get the message to Roger that he needed to NOT give up.

We got ready.............I taught my preschool Sunday School class............and Roger preached his heart out.  (None of this was done without emotions involved and tears shed, etc.  At the beginning of the service...Roger shared with the congregation that we were broken and needed their prayers.  We had just received blow #3...........and we are not at liberty to share details at the time, but when we can, we will.

Our church family was WONDERFUL.  They immediately got us both to go up front and they surrounded us.....prayed with us..........cried with us.........and loved us..................without even knowing the reason....except their pastor and wife were hurting.

And, man.....have we felt the PRAYERS, LOVE and SUPPORT all week.  That is what got us threw some very dark days and will continue to guide us.

I am sharing all of this................maybe...........in case there is another pastor and wife out there that is "BROKEN" and feels all alone.  We are HUMAN.............and we hurt just like everyone else.

I love you and I am praying for each and every on of you.