Monday Morning Ramblings (through the eye's of the Pastor's Wife).

I have not done one of these in a long time. But there were so many things I wanted to share.

1) We had a rough week personally as a family. Won't go into to details but the enemy was busy. Thank goodness I serve a God that is more powerful then that!

2) My mom had a slight delay with her home, but we are now back on track and the demo should take place soon. Good thing to since they are suppose to ship the new house within a few weeks. Not that impressed with Virginia Power right now. But very impressed with the folks at Oakwood Homes. The staff there has been a big help to my mom throughout this process.

3) WABC has had a lot of blessings in the last few months. This past weekend we baptised two people. On Sunday the wife of the man who was baptised joined her husband as a member of the WABC family. He said he had been touched by one of Marc's sermons on the first day that he entered the doors. And that Marc's preaching had taken him from the word to the water!

4) We are also starting to see blessings unfold through our children's Church Ministry. One of the young men who regular attends stepped up on Sunday to say that he had accepted Jesus as his savior and that he was ready to be baptised! Let's just say I shed a few tears on yesterday!

5) Last week I was able to participate in another Pastor's Wives Virtual Roundtable. This time I got to co-host with Brandi. I loved connecting with all of the Pastor's Wives. I know I have said it many times, but if you are a Pastor's wife you need to connect with the women at Leading and Loving It.

6) Speaking of Leading and Loving It. Lori announced the beginning planning stages of our first ever Leading and Loving It Retreat! I can't wait for you all to hear more details. Its going to be awesome! I feel so blessed to be able to participate in this ministry. It has been a dream come true for me. I hope to see many of you there next May!

7) We are about to gear up for our VBS Camp 2010 at WABC. After years of being a VBS Director and Co Director I so appreciate all of the work that goes into planning an event like this. Please pray for our director, teachers and volunteers who will be working that week.

8) After all of the events over the last few months I am really looking forward to vacation in July. I wish Marc was going with us, but I still plan to have fun hanging out with my mom and my daughter Nicki.

9) I wanted to give a shout out to my friend Michelle. She and her husband Rob along with their three daughters are on an amazing journey to India. If you are not following their story you should.

10) If you haven't learned by now I am an servant by nature. I would most likely have been Mary in the Martha and Mary story. Last week Nicki and I once again offered ourselves to volunteer at New Life Providence for their Mother and Son Event. I have a great time serving. Its in my blood. Sometimes I have to catch myself and say no to some things, because I feel guilty about not being more like Martha. Recently I read an article and it changed my perspective. Sometimes its ok to be a Martha and sometimes you may have to be a Mary! So are you a Martha or a Mary?

I'm A Suburban, Born In The City, Raised in the Country Kind of Girl!

How did you spend Memorial Day Weekend? We started on Friday running up and down the highway helping my mom move out of her home to make way for a new one. I can't think of anyone who deserves it more. There are so many reasons that we needed to get my mom out of that place (way to many to list). Sunday morning nicki and I attended service with my son at New Life Providence and then dashed over to WABC for baptism.

That afternoon WABC held a Music Ministry Anniversary and my mom and the community choir she sings with were our special guest. We were in panic mode for a bit when my mom called to tell me the bus had broke down. It didn't help that it was one of the hottest days we have had in a long time. Thankfully my uncle was in town and was able to get his church bus and pick them up and bring them the rest of the way.

Monday we headed back to my mom's to take out the last of her things so that the builders can come in and tear out the double wide for her new manufactured home. We were all so tired at the end of the day (not to mention a bit woodsy, gritty and in need of a shower. LOL) The one thing I learned this weekend is that this suburban, born in the city, raised in the country girl is not cut out for the rural life! I couldn't wait to get home and wash the country off of me (not to mention the dirt, ticks, ants, you name it what you want to bugs and sand)!

The Language of Love and Respect

I recently received the book The Language of Love and Respect. I had heard several people talk about Love and Respect which was also written by Dr. Eggerichs, so I was very interested in receiving the new addition. The Language of Love and Respect was a follow up from the first book.

I wish now that I had read Love and Respect first, because I must admit I had a hard time following Dr.Eggerichs writing. To be fair he did give a brief rundown in the beginning of the book about the first book. I also found it to be rather long, and think the format may be good for those who are doing a follow-up or group study on marriage.

I agreed with many of the ideas that he had in the book, although I know it was probably very hard for women and men who have formed a set pattern in their mind on what they need in a marriage. He does a good job of laying out what the role of a husband and wife should be and I believe if I had read the first book along with my husband that my response may have been different. I do plan to go back and read Love and Respect, so although I felt lost at times I am still interested in pursuing the idea he has outlined in both books. I would recommend the books to others even though my review is mixed, but I would first suggest reading Love and Respect and perhaps using the material in the context of a small group setting, along with your spouse.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as a part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to give a positive review. The opinions expressed here are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, part 255

Women's Day Wrap Up

Its been a great weekend. We wrapped up the Women's Weekend Experience with a special service during our 11:30 AM Worship service. Our guest speaker was my very good friend Rev. Dr. Pamela Chandler Lee. Pam and I have been friends for over 17 yrs. Although she is much younger them me I feel like I have learned so much from her about leadership. Yesterday she told me how proud she was of me, that I have blossomed over the last few years ( when we met I was very shy, and did little or no talking). Marc likes to blame my girlfriends for this change in me, but in all honesty its God who has brought about the change.

I have so much to be thankful for, I have gone to places I never thought I would see. I have lived a life I never thought I deserved and I have met and been able to call some amazing people friend I never thought I would meet. I told Pam that the only reason I have grown is because God gave me no other choice! He demanded a price from me I couldn't ignore, he paid the ultimate price so that I might live, I owe everything I have to him. And because I owe him, but can never pay the debt I owe back I must do his will. That includes talking about some difficult times, leading in some painful places and sharing my story so that other's might see his glory through the life that I live. He took an ordinary girl, and created an extra ordinary life so that I might tell them about an extraordinary man name Jesus!

Sweet Life Cafe

After months of planning the "Sweet Life Cafe" our event went off Saturday with little or no glitches. Over 20 women got together to Savor Time With God. My family and friends stepped up to the plate to help out, and our Women's Ministry team went above and beyond the call of duty to make this event special for the attendants. We laughed, we cried, we did some things that can't be mentioned here because what happened at WABC this year, stays at WABC.

The one thing I can tell you is that God confirmed some things in my heart that I had been struggling with. I find it hard at times to call myself a leader, but the one gift God gave me that I relish is the gift of planning. I have been praying for, and asking others to pray over this event for months. Not that we would have overflowing numbers, but that God would provide the overflow in the hearts of the women who attended. God showed up and showed out. He blessed us with his presence and he filled our hearts with a thirst to know and share more about his love with others. We truly tasted and saw that the Lord is good!

White Board Sessions

This past Thursday and Friday Nicki and I got a chance to serve as volunteers at the Whiteboard Sessions held at the Sandler Center here in Virginia Beach. I also got to meet some twitter/blog friends in person. It was a honor meeting Ben Arment who I have "followed" for a while. I loved meeting Carlos Whittaker (aka Loswhit) also. But the best part of the whole experience was working behind the scenes with a great group of volunteers who were gong ho about serving leaders and those in ministry who came to hear the various speakers. Ben put together a great team of people, some great leaders and an awesome conference. Its an experience I won't soon forget. I met one one Ben's dream year participants. Josh's story along with the great advice from the speakers on hand made me a believer in dreaming big. I left the conference with a renewed commitment to keep moving forward!

Community

Thanks so much to all of you who have been praying for our family, and especially for Marc. He has finally finished the procedures for his laser eye surgery. The doctors have not said much except to say that they hope this will slow down or even stop the progression of damage to his eyes because of the diabetes. Last week the only time I took pictures was when I took out my cell phone to document our first visit to the VA Hospital. I am so thankful that we had this as an option for him to get treatment (we have been without insurance since last spring when Marc lost his job. I can't tell you how many people in ministry I have talked to who are in the same boat). Those years in the military, living overseas, and our separation while he served in Dessert Storm finally paid off!

That life seems so long ago, now that we have been in ministry for so many years. But the ties to the military are still there. Memories of that life came flooding back these last two weeks while at the hospital. Along with the return briefly of Marc's best friend. There are so many wonderful memories of our life in the military. The one thing that sticks in my mind to this day was the community feeling. I thank God everyday for blessing us with that same type of "community" feeling today through all of you who have come into our lives (forgive me for the rambling, its been a long week). Once again thank you!

My Mother's Day Dinner

Mother's Day dinner courtesy of my oldest daughter Quisha (don't ask me where she gets it from). Marc surprised me on Saturday with a new PC with a huge screen for my scraproom (you would have heard about it if you follow me on twitter...lol). TJ actually gave me some shopping money a few weeks back (I brought patio dishes for my summer parties. If you are a family member you are laughing right now), and Nicki is taking me on a cruise in July. My family spoiled me big time this weekend. I have absolutely nothing to complain about!

Soul Sister

If you have been on my blog for any length of time, you more then likely have heard of my friend Kelli. Kelli and I met on-line many years ago. Since then we have had the privilege of meeting and getting together in person several times (never underestimate the power of on-line friendships). We call ourselves Soul Sisters. Probably because from the moment we connected, we really connected. I have watched Mike and Kelli over the years deal with some pretty amazing, sometimes frustrating, sad times. Through it all they keep moving forward. Never giving up, never giving in, living life no matter what! This weekend Kelli was featured in an article. I have to agree with the writer. Kelli is an amazing mom, and I so proud to call her friend, prayer partner, and soul sister. If you would like to read about her amazing life you can read the article here. Talk about a Plan B!

Happy Mother's Day

I rarely get to spend Mother's Day with my mom. That's the way it goes sometimes when you are in ministry. Thankfully she doesn't live to far away so I get to visit on a regular basis. We celebrated my cousin getting her Master's degree today and my mom and I got a chance to spend some time together. It was a special treat getting to spend the day with my family. Tomorrow I plan to spend the day with my kids. Starting the morning off with my son at NLP, and then off to WABC to hear Marc's message "A Mother's Love, God's Love".

I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Mother's Day, especially pastor's wives. A special shout out goes to my friend's Jessica, and Tiffany who will be sharing a Mother's Day message at their church. Maybe one day I will get up enough nerve to follow in your footsteps.

Give a Hand, and Your Heart!

Not sure how you could miss it, but there was a terrible flood in the Nashville area. My friends over at Leading and Loving It are partnering with Cross Point Church to help with the relief effort. Pastor Pete, who wrote Plan B just happens to be the pastor of Cross Point. This week they have had to do exactly that....Implement Plan B! If you can help please check out the information Lori has posted here.

My Life in Pictures!

Seems as if my weekends have been crazy for the entire month. Might as well make "My Life In Pictures" a regular post (at least for the next couple of weeks). This past Sunday I got to sit with Marc during service. Ummm, give me the behind the scenes stuff any day! I would much rather be behind the camera anyway. It was Family and Friends Day and I shared the podium with Marc and acted as Worship Leader along side of him (Worship Leader in the Baptist Church is another name for MC).





The Weekend was just as busy as it has been the last few weeks. My Aunt and Uncle celebrated 50 years of marriage. After doing a beach wedding that morning we rushed over to join our family in the celebration.





Marc had the privilege of marrying was of his former co-workers and his fiancee Saturday morning. He has known Tony almost 16 years. It was a beautiful ceremony. And the weather was perfect even if it was nearly 90 degrees by the end of the day (and before you ask, yes Marc is wearing his robe...that's just the way he rolls)!





Friday night Nicki and I volunteered over at my son's church for their annual Father and Daughter dinner. We had the best time. I loved watching the Father's interact with their dads. They will have a mother and son event in a few months and if there is nothing on my schedule we have offered to help out once again. They did a great job with all of the decorations. I will be "stealing" a few of those ideas!

All and all it was a great weekend. Not much going on this week. I plan to spend Mother's Day hanging out with my kids. So just in case I don't get a chance later, Happy Mother's Day in advance to all of my Pastor Wives friends.

Plan B

I recently received the book Plan B, written by Pastor Pete Wilson. He asked the question what do you do when Plan A doesn't work. What is your plan B? My life has taken many turns, many I never thought would happen. Some good, some not soo good. I don't know that I ever thought of a Plan B (funny considering I am a planner)! Pete's book made me stop and think about who I really rely on when things go bad. I tend to go to my family and friends when time's are bad. Pete makes me think about relying on God more and believing that he will carry me through anything. The old folks use to say, God has never promised us that the road would be easy or that it would be a bed of roses. Plan B makes you ponder what to do when you hit the thorns of life!

I recommend Plan B for anyone seeking a deeper meaning in life, those wondering how they got on the path they are on, and those who ask the question why when things don't go according to plan! That includes those of us who call ourselves a Christian. Sometimes we forget that God is in control. That even when life is going along fine and dandy, sometimes we are put to the test and the outcome is not dependent on us. The only thing we can do is choose how we will react to the circumstance.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as a part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to give a positive review. The opinions expressed here are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, part 255