My Parents Are Not Stupid!

You could look the world over, and I highly doubt you would find two more unselfish people than my parents.  As hard as I may try, I cannot think of a time when they ever put their needs above the needs of someone else.  You know how you go through those stages where you think your parents know nothing?  Yes, I went through those stages, and unfortunately, I am afraid I ignored alot of wisdom they tried to share.  Most of the struggles I have found myself in are due to my stubbornness and lack of appreciation for wisdom.  Although I ignored true wisdom many times, there are still some valuable lessons that I did learn from my parents.  One of those gems is this: 1. I am not better than anyone else.  2. I am just as good as everyone else.  The longer God allows me to work with people, the more I understand the importance of this lesson. 
I believe that our view of God determines how we see ourselves.  I believe our view of ourselves determines our view of others.  Therefore, our view of God determines how we see everything.  You see, we must first recognize and appreciate who God is.  We must understand His greatness, His goodness, His power, and His sacrificial love. 
We need to realize that God is God, and we are NOT.  He is the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End, the Lord of All.  Compared to Him, we are nothing.  But, because of who He is and what He has done, we are joint heirs with Christ.  We are His children (1John 3:1).  If He is in us, and we are in Him, we can do all things through Christ.  We must understand that He loves us so much that He sent His only son to pay the price so that we could have a relationship with Him.  That's how much He loves us, and that makes us pretty stinking special.  And because of our position as children of the King, there are none better than us. 
We must also consider that he loves others, no matter their race, their address, their past, or their present, just as much as He loves us.  Therefore, we are better than none. 
We should walk in confidence because we are who we are because of Christ.  If God be for us, who can be against us.  Greater is He that is in us than He that is in the world.  However, we should also walk in humility because we are who we are because of Christ.  You see, Christ died for us when we were powerless (Romans 5:6).  When we were still sinners, He died for us (Romans 5:8).
Understanding these truths is imperative to living a victorious life in Christ. 
When we fail to grasp these truths, it greatly hinders our service for Christ.  Let me explain. 
      1.  If someone believes that she is better than others, she may feel like it is beneath her to socialize with certain groups of people.  Or perhaps she would never stoop to the level to go somewhere that she might get dirty.  Therefore, she misses out on opportunities to serve the Lord because she sees herself as too good for others or other circumstances. 
      2.  If someone believes that she is not good enough, she may be unwilling to step out and take risks or use her talents to serve.  She may feel that she is not smart enough or pretty enough or strong enough. Instead of believing what God says about her, she chooses to allow satan to take advantage of her insecurities. 
Both of these issues lead to the same result- NOTHING.  That's right, a distorted view of ourselves, either placing ourselves too high or too low, will keep us from being effective children of God.  This may sound crazy, but our insecurities can actually become idols.  My friend, God is more powerful than any of our faults and insecurities.  We don't have to be secure in ourselves, we need to be secure in Christ.  We need to give him our insecurities and watch Him show up and show out.  He can do all things.  He doesn't need our strengths.  His strength is made perfect in our weakness. 
You may be wondering how I am the expert in all of this.  Well, it's because I am one of the most insecure people you will ever meet.  I have always dealt with insecurities, and I used to allow my insecurities to be bigger than the power of Christ in my life.  But, I have chosen freedom.  I have chosen to allow God to free me from the bondage of my poor self-image.  I choose to see myself as a child of the King who can do amazing things through Christ.  Nothing about me is good, but the Jesus in me is AMAZING!  Let me encourage you today to believe that God is who He says He is, you are who God says you are, and He wants to do huge things through you!! You are His!!! It is for FREEDOM that Christ has set us free! 
I am thankful for parents who raised me to believe that I am important and that others are important.  I am thankful that they not only told me about Jesus, but they showed me and continue to show me who Jesus is through their lives.  I pray that God will use me to pass this along to my children so that they may be effective ministers in the mission field called life.

Coke or Pepsi??

Does anyone  reading this have someone in your home who cannot seem to pour a glass of coke without it "fizzing" out over the top of the glass and getting on everything that happens to be on the countertop?  Well, I certainly don't either.  But, let's just say that hypothetically I did.  Let's say he is, oh, 13 years old, and his name, hypothetically of course, is uuummmm, a random name like Rhett.  He knows that if it is not flat, it is going to fizz or spew, or whatever you like to call it, and unless he stops pouring before he gets to the top of the glass, it is going to overflow and get everything sticky and turn nearby papers brown and get in the little grooves on the edge of the countertop and be almost impossible to get clean.  Again, this is all hypothetical. 
I mentioned in one of my previous entries that I know that I am not the typical preacher's wife material and my kids aren't perfect (but they certainly wouldn't let a coke spill onto everything in the kitchen) , but I am going to do my best to love Jesus and love people. And here's the deal:  I have found that if I will love Jesus with all of my heart and all of my mind and all of my soul, my love for others will just come automatically.   I think that's what Jesus meant when he answered the Pharisee's question about which commandment is most important.  He said, "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.'  This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important:'Love your neighbor as yourself."  If you think about it, if we follow the first commandent, the others will take care of themselves.  If we love the Lord with our everything, we won't kill, steal, commit adultery, or any of the other things we are commanded not to do.  We will love others.  And we will follow these commandments, not because we are supposed to, but it will just come naturally because we are so full of Him.  He is love (1 John 4:8).  When we are full of Him, we are full of love!  And here's the even cooler thing (as if there could be something even cooler than that)- when we are so full of Him that we begin to overflow, everything around us gets saturated!  That's right, it flows onto others, like it or not, because it is just "fizzing" out!!  And just like that paper on the countertop that gets drenched  by coke is ruined, when someone is saturated by Jesus, he or she is radically changed.  That's what He's about - changing things- for the better!   It makes me think of Isaiah, when he said, "Woe to me, for I am ruined.  I am a sinful man,yet I have seen the King, the Lord Almighty!" (Isaiah 65)  When he saw himself, a sinful man, next to a Holy God, he saw himself as ruined.  When we see ourselves for who we really are and God for who He really is, we realize our need for His Saving Grace, and He changes us.  He becomes our righteousness (1Cor 5:21)!!  Isn't that exciting???? We can be so full of love for Christ that it overflows to others and they are ruined- for the better!
The other night on the way to church, Luke, my 4 year old, said to me, "I love God, but I don't love you".  I said, well if you love God then you love me, because God is love and He tells us to love others.  I could see the wheels turning.  He answered, "Well, I love you and I love God, but I don't love the Holy Spirik" (not a typo- he says spirik!).  I laughed until I cried.  The reality of it is, if we can't love others, we need to reevaluate ourselves and our relationship with God.  We love because He first loved us, and loving others is not a suggestion- it's a commandment. 
As you are praying for me in my new role as a pastor's wife, I do not ask you to pray that I will wear the right thing or say the right thing or avoid saying the wrong thing.  Instead, I ask you to pray that I will love the Lord with all of my heart and all of my mind and all of my soul, and that His love would overflow from me and touch those with whom I come in contact.  His love is never flat- it always fizzes- and I pray that He will fill me with a love that I can't get over!  I don't need coke or pepsi, I need more of Jesus!!!
Until next time,
The FlipFlop Pastor's Wife

What's Max Got to do With It??

First of all, I want to thank you for all the encouraging words about this new blog.  I am overwhelmed by the love and support from my friends and family.  I wrote the first entry late last night and after reading it today, I can't believe my high school English teacher pressed the "like" button after seeing all the grammatical errors!!  Thank you anyway, Mrs. ___________. I won't say her name because I don't want to ruin her reputation.  She was one of my favorite teachers, and she did teach me better than this!

Last Wednesday night, I shared what I am writing about today with my church family.  I have thought about it all day today, and I thought I would just share it in my blog.  

As I told them, I have many areas in my life that need improvement, but one of the most obvious ones is my need to feel like I have control of everything.  I like to have a plan, and then I like to have a Plan B just in case Plan A doesn't work out.  I wish I could say that I live most days with complete trust in the Father and I surrender everything to Him.  Unfortunately, I can't say that.  Well, I could say that but I would be lying.  I know that He is God and He is in control, but for some reason I feel like He needs my assistance.  

About six and half years ago, my sister gave birth 12 weeks early to a 1 lb 15 oz baby boy.  I'm sure there is no need for me to tell you how critical things were.  The doctors told us that the first 48 hours were important and would be a huge indicator of his chances for survival.  Needless to say, my family, my brother-in-law's family, our friends, and people we didn't even know came together seeking God like never before.  Plan A was out of our hands, and there was no Plan B.  If this little baby was going to survive, God was going to have to show up and show out.  There was no other way.  

It kinda (in a weird sorta way, I know) makes me think about our new journey.  When I think about God calling us to 16th (our new church), I believe with all my heart that if anything good is going to happen, if any lives are going to be changed, if the church is going to survive, God is going to have to show up and show out.  We really have no idea how to do this, and frankly, if we tried on our own, we would just mess things up.  God's power is Plan A, and there is no Plan B.  

Knowing about my insecurities and my lack of faith, I bet you are thinking "I bet she is scared to death", and looking from the outside it does look like we should be very afraid. But, believe it or not, we are not afraid.  And here's why:  You see, I have a 6 and 1/2 year old nephew named Max who is bringing joy to the lives of many people every day. I can't imagine what life would be like without him.  And I know that the same God that brought life to this tiny little baby who had no hope without the power of a mighty God is going to bring life to 16th Ave Baptist Church.  I know that He has the power to do it, and even when I have little faith, He is faithful.  We do not have to be afraid because He is able to do exceedingly and abundantly more than we can ask or even imagine.  

We have only been here a couple of weeks now, and I have already seen His power working.  I am seeing lives changed and healed.  I am watching and listening to my husband share the Word with such love and boldness that I sometimes I look at him and wonder where this guy came from!  I have no doubt that God's precious Holy Spirit is working in him and in me and in our church.  I can't wait to see what He does among our people and then in the people He allows us to reach.  He has big plans, I just know it!  I am so excited about what He is going to do and I can't believe He is going to honor us by letting us be a part of it!

What is this blog all about??

I have decided to create this blog as sort of a journal of my adventures as a pastor's wife.  Those of you that know me well are probably laughing as you think of me being a "pastor's wife" .  For those of you who don't know me and you are hoping to gain some serious wisdom from this blog, you might want to stop reading now.  It will most likely be a waste of your time.  I am not trying to be your Bible or daily devotional.  This is just a place for me to write down my experiences and thoughts.  I totally understand if you are not interested.  As I mentioned earlier, it is kinda like a journal for me and I am willing to share it with anyone who cares to read it.  I am really new to this "pastor's wife" thing, and I have a feeling it might be quite comical at times.  At other times, it will be sad and frustrating.  But most often, I hope, it will be life changing as God is still working on me.  I can't wait to see hearts and lives change as God shows up and shows out in our church and community.  I am honored to humbled that He would choose to use my family to help build His kingdom.  

You may be wondering "how did this happen?"  Well, since you asked, let me explain.  My husband Joey has been a youth minister for 18 years.  (yes, he married a MUCH younger woman).  God has been moving in Him in a new way the last few years.  We both knew that it was time to leave our current place of service, but we weren't sure where and what we were supposed to do.  As we were seeking God during this time, He showed so many cool things and allowed us to meet some really amazing people.  Maybe I will share some of those particular things here later.  Besides being the wife of a full-time minister, I am also the mom of two ridiculously awesome boys and I teach health science in our local public high school.  I love, love, love all of these ministries.  Selfishly, I did not want to leave my job and I didn't want my oldest son to have to leave his school and friends.  As I look back on the whole experience, I am afraid I was a stumbling block to my husband as he was seeking God's will for our family because of my selfishness and lack of faith.  As time went on, I realized that I had to be open to what God wanted for us, and that may not be comfortable for me.  I came to a place where I was ready to go wherever He wanted us to go.  We asked God to only open the door where He wanted us to go because we were afraid that we might go somewhere in haste on our own.  We also asked Him to give us an opportunity to serve Him in a way that we couldn't do what needed to be done.  We are so tired of everything we did being within our "scope of practice"(from the medical world- sorry!  I am also a nurse!) We wanted to see things happen that only He can do.  After searching for opportunities all over the country and seeing doors closed one right after another with no logical reason, we were getting frustrated.  But, after a year and a half, I believe that once I let go, God revealed His plan for us.  And amazingly enough, it was right here in the city where we live.  My son would not have to leave his school and his friends, and I would be able to continue teaching.  It is almost like He was waiting for me to be willing to go before He blessed us by allowing us to serve right here.  It makes me think of Abraham and Isaac.  When Abraham was willing to take Isaac to sacrifice him to the Lord out of obedience, God provided the ram.  Crazy as it sounds, I believe this opportunity is our ram.  What makes me so sad is that I wonder what kind of blessings we have missed because of my delayed obedience, which is the same as disobedience.  God has forgiven me for this, but I can't help but wonder.  Another crazy thing- remember I said we prayed for something we couldn't do on our own?  What were we thinking????  He calls us to a church where Joey will be pastor!!  Hellur???  This was never on our radar!  But isn't that what we asked for?  Not only does this mean that the guy who wears flip-flops while preaching  and whose idea of dressing up means wearing "long pants" is gonna be the lead pastor of a church, but I will be the pastor's wife!?!?!?  God certainly has a sense of humor!  I do not know how to be a pastor's wife!  I am not the one who has it all together or whose kids always behave (I am the one who carries the big purse so the spanking spoon fits in it).  I do know that I will love Jesus and the people, and I hope that's enough.  I am going to share some more of my thoughts about what He has called us to do in the next blog, but I do ask for your prayers as we begin this crazy journey that He is allowing us to be a part of.  I can't believe He is going to let us serve Him in this capacity.  I am so thankful that He is allowing us to work for and with Him despite my faithlessness and disobedience.  He is such an amazing Father who loves us unconditionally.  I am thankful that His ways are higher than mine, and He works all things out for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.  He truly does give us the desires of our hearts when we delight in Him.  However, when we delight in HIM, most of the time the desires of our hearts change.  Isn't that just like our God?  When He shows up, everything changes!!  Well, here we go- I can't wait to see what He has in store!!!

Until the next entry, 

Flipflop Pastor's wife