Today’s Devotional

Written By: Michelle Slauenwhite

When I was in my late teenage years, there was a thought that would continually drop into my mind…“What has God called me to do?”  It plagued my mind, in some ways, as I faced educational decisions, employment opportunities and volunteer positions.  In some moments, I felt paralyzed by the weight of that thought.  I did not want to move to the right, or to the left, so to speak, without knowing it was in the direction that God called me to go.  I was imagining the call of God on my life would be something huge ~ a meaningful and genuine way that I could leave a mark on this earth of God’s love and faithfulness!  After all, doesn’t everyone want to know that they made a difference here on earth, for the Kingdom of God?    

What a load THAT was to carry!  

I’ve learned a lot since that time, as I have moved through various seasons in my life.  I’ve journeyed from a high school student, struggling to find my way, to a university graduate, volunteering in a variety of ministry areas at my home church (at that time), travelling to Ukraine to minister in orphanages, and finally to Essex, where my husband and I serve in the Children’s Ministry position.  

Do you want to know what I’ve learned?  I’ve realized that the call of God is much more simplistic than I had originally thought ~ simplistic but yet profound!  His “call” is not this mysterious mystery that we have to strive to solve.  Bill Wilson, founder of New York’s Sidewalk Sunday (known as Metro Ministries) said it beautifully,

“If you see a need you can fill, then you’ve heard the call of God”.  

Don’t you just love that?!  And I can attest that this is true!  

It is such a freeing feeling to know that I can begin my morning by spending time with Jesus, asking Him to be the centre of my day, and knowing that He will guide and direct me as I am open and available to His leading.  

It really is that easy!  I ask God to show me where I can be His hands and His feet each day ~  where I can show His love, where I can show His grace, where I can show His kindness.  And you know what?!  He shows me, and then it’s up to me to follow His lead!  I know there have been many times where I have missed His will for my day.  I’ve allowed myself to get caught up in social media, entertainment or the busyness of life, and I’ve missed moments where I could have been Jesus to someone.

If you’ve missed “God moments” like I have, don’t be discouraged!  Just start today and commit your day to Him.  Begin with just today, and then deal with tomorrow when it comes.  Don’t overthink it!    

And another thing!  Instead of trying to find something “huge” to do for God, just do all of the little things He puts in front of you.  If someone is sick, and you can help by dropping off a meal, do so!  If a friend is discouraged, and you can send a note of encouragement, do it!  If you can be a friend to someone who is lonely, and pour love and time into them, that’s perfect!  If you can serve at your church, whether in an upfront ministry or behind the scenes, go for it!  As Bill Wilson also says, “To the world you may be one person, but to one person, you may be the world!”  We are all like pieces of a puzzle ~ individually, we are each a small piece, but collectively, we form a beautiful picture and can be used mightily for God and His purposes!   This idea is discussed wonderfully in 1 Corinthians 12, where Paul talks about how we are each a part of the Body of Christ (each one ministering in different ways), but working together, we can make a difference for His glory!  

So I encourage you, no matter where you are in life, no matter what your position is (or isn’t ~ you don’t need a “position” to be effective), we can all be a blessing to others and allow God to direct our paths!  You can make a difference!  He wants to use you!  Just be available and make time to hear His still, small voice.  And when you hear it, follow through with whatever He shows you!  It might be a thought He places in your mind, He might put someone’s face before you.  He might give you a creative idea that you just know comes from Him!  Run with it, and do not fear that you will turn the wrong way.  If we come to God with a desire to please Him and to do His will, He will always course correct us if He needs to!  He loves us, and wants what’s best for us!  So don’t become paralyzed trying to find His will – step out in faith to whatever He puts in your path each day.  He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6)!  

 

Michelle loves doing life with her handsome husband, Shaun, and her two beautiful girls, Braeya & Analeigh.  Michelle is a pastor’s wife and loves to see God working through children in their local church!  She also enjoys being a stay-at-home mom and doing ministry together as a family.  You can often find Michelle in high heels, in search of candy, and enjoying life’s everyday moments.

Written By: Krista Dunbar

Dear Sweet Friend,

I’m writing you this letter because I wish someone had written these words to me when I was first given the new title, “Pastor’s Wife”.  You see, there are so many of us women out there who have been given this same title and sometimes, the very same expectations.

Going into this new journey, you may be excited, scared, worried you’re not good enough, fearful of your story, or just plain mad about it.

You see, I was all of those things.  I knew my husband was going to be a pastor, but when we married, he was in the field of construction waiting on a church to respond to our interview journey.  At this time, I was just anxious to see my husband doing what we believed he was created to do.  So when the wait was over and our ministry was to begin within the church, I finally stopped and thought about what this meant.

I grew up in the Catholic church, so the idea of being a Pastor’s wife never really crossed my mind.  When I graduated from college and began getting to know the Lord better, I was set up with a soon-to-be preacher.  I became infatuated pretty quickly.  I thought that if I was good enough for him to date, then I was good enough in general.  You see, I still lived my life out of the work-for-your-grace mentality.  We got to know each other well through the magic technology of Skype.  As we began to broach the deeper topics, I knew I had to start airing some of my dirty laundry.  If I was good enough for him, then I’d be good enough for God.  (I want to go back and give myself a kick and a hug for this thought process).  But eventually, it didn’t work out.  And I assumed it was because I wasn’t the quiet, piano playing, DC Talk loving gal he was looking for.  I just wasn’t any of those things and couldn’t be any of those things.

This started my journey of feeling as if I wouldn’t be good enough for church ministry.  I wasn’t the pristine and beautiful unbroken jar of clay that could do it all. I had baggage.  I had doubts.  I didn’t even grow up hearing all of the bible stories.  But you know what?!  None of that mattered.

I met my husband in a young adult group.  He looked like a homeless man (not that there was anything wrong with that) but he wasn’t the typical pastor type with the air of perfection oozing from his polo and khakis.  And I liked that.  He accepted and pursued me for me and saw me as a forgiven and loved woman of God.  No matter what my past looked like.

So going into our ministry, I forgot that God orchestrated the whole thing and tried to put fake expectations on myself.  I started worrying about what I would look like if I didn’t raise my hands in worship or if I did.  I worried about my lack of Biblical knowledge and Christian bands.  I worried that my whole relationship with God had been a hoax up to that point and someone would poke and prod and find me out.  Because of all of this, I began to create a really pretty mask for myself.  I couldn’t be truly authentic because I didn’t have the answers.  Because I wanted to be the best partner to my husband in this new thing with these new people.

Honestly friend, this period of wearing the mask lasted two weeks.  It was so, so unbelievably heavy.  It wasn’t even a version of me I knew.

I realized that it’s okay to doubt.  It’s okay to be imperfect because NO HUMAN can ever be perfect.  That thought process is dipping dangerously into a realm where we try to be our own Savior and pretend we don’t need the work on the cross to be perfect.  And that’s so far from the truth.

If you are new to this whole “pastor’s wife thing”, I want you to hear this:

God has called you to this ministry because you are you.  You have a unique personality, unique set of gifts, and a beautiful message (about him) to share by being yourself.  And if you are trying to be anyone but yourself, you are doing Him a disservice.  If you’re not you, who is?

While it took me a few years to figure out that I don’t have to be everything for everyone, it’s the best thing I could’ve learned.

Ministry can be such a lonely place if you isolate yourself.  So let’s stick together, be ourselves, and live out His command of loving Him and others as best as we can.

 

Krista Dunbar is loved by God, set free from her failures through Jesus Christ, and is living out her purpose through writing, encouraging, and loving others.  She believes the best way to lead is by being open, honest, and authentic.  She’s the wife and helper to her Young Adult Pastor husband, Chris.  They love doing ministry together, serving side by side in conversation, missional living, and doing CrossFit.  Krista loves sharing stories of God’s purpose through others’ over at Woven & Threaded.  She also just launched her own communications consulting business and is learning how to be an entrepreneur.

Written By: Erin Almond

There are things in life that you’re just unable to fully prepare for.  You know, you can read the books, you can talk with others about their experiences, you can read blogs and listen to podcasts…and while ALL of that is helpful, it doesn’t fully prepare you for the magnitude of the task at hand or for where the Lord is calling you.

That’s my experience at the wife of a church-planter.

In short, it’s everything I thought it would be, and nothing that I thought it would be—at the same time.

I’ll start by saying this—I knew this is the life I was entering when I married my husband.  He was open about hearing the Lord’s call to not only pastor a church, but to start one from the ground up.  Throughout our courtship, we attended a church plant, and during our first year of marriage, we heard the Lord’s call for us to move to the city where we would plant our church; and as quickly as we heard that call, He provided everything we needed to get there and be established.  We are confident that we are where He desires for us to be.

But truthfully, it’s not always easy to rest in that confidence.  

Being the wife of a pastor, especially a church-planting pastor is something that I feel called to, but not always gifted for.  And that’s where the Lord has really worked in me and on my heart.  As I’ve surrendered more and more to His will and this process, I’ve seen Him do what seemed like the impossible.

Our church plant just celebrated one year, and it’s been such an amazing journey.  Dear sister, I pray that you might be encouraged by these lessons I’ve learned in this past year:

1. The best encouragement is to speak God’s promises over him.  
   • The process of pastoring (and particularly planting a church) is one of ups and downs that the enemy can use to manipulate your husband’s insecurities.  When you see him struggling with a decision or frustrated about the various challenges, encourage him with the word of God. 
2. Go to God in prayer FIRST.
   • It seems simple, right?!?  Of course, we go to God in prayer first!  I’ve learned that whether it’s offering my opinion on where something may need to be adjusted with the church or frustration about something around the house, my results are more favourable when I’ve spent time with God in prayer FIRST.  I’ve asked the Holy Spirit to help me know when (and what) to share, and how to share in a way that my husband is able to receive it.
3. Discuss what your role in the church will be…
   • Having a clear understanding of where/how you feel called to serve in the church plant is important.  It helps both you and your husband in setting boundaries, and frees you from feeling that you must do everything.  
4. But know that being a Wife is Most Important
   • With a church plant, there are ALWAYS things that need to get done.  Between the various administrative tasks that come with leading a church to the actual “doing” ministry—the work can seem endless.  And while it’s great if ALL of that gets done, it doesn’t matter if it comes at the expense of your husband and your family.  Our husband and children (if you have them) are our first ministry.  Let us be faithful to the area God first entrusted to our care.
5. It’s hard, but it’s worth it
   • The journey of church planting is one of the biggest exercises of faith that you may ever encounter.  If I didn’t honestly believe that this is the life we were called to, I wouldn’t sign up for it—it’s just that hard.  But, it’s been worth it to see the Lord work.  To hear the testimonies.  To see people go from death to life.

Dear sister, I pray that you find joy in the journey, and that you constantly feel the grace, love, and renewing power of the Lord as you serve with your husband.  I pray that you know that the Lord has equipped you (yes, YOU) for this, and what you have to offer is needed and valuable.  I pray against attacks from the enemy that will attempt to steal your faith, your joy, and your peace.  May you constantly feel covered by the Lord.  Praying for you, and for the impact that you and your church will have for the Kingdom.

~Erin

About Erin:

 

Erin can be described in many ways, but most prominently as a Christian, a wife, step mommy, daughter, sister, cousin, friend, mentor, and your favourite girl next door.  She considers herself to be an education enthusiast, spending her entire professional career working in education with students from middle school through college, helping to make real their dream of attending the college of their choice.

Erin is most passionate about Jesus, seeking His will, and helping others to live their best possible life through Him by infusing her love of education and leadership development in this process.  She is proud to be married to her favourite preacher man and best friend, Ernest.

In her spare time, Erin can be found enjoying cupcakes with buttercream frosting, reading, preparing healthy meals, and trying to convince her husband that she needs more shoes, Moleskine notebooks, and Pepsi.  She is active in her local church, and is determined to live a life worthy of the calling she has received.  Her ultimate desire is to change lives and hearts for Jesus, and she writes to encourage people in the Lord.

 

 

Writen By: Vickie Munton

The days are long past, but the emotion still creeps in…

Self-pity

We have raised four PK’s (Pastor’s kids), and just thinking about those days of trying to get all of us out the door on time for church can still get my blood pressure rising.

“It’s totally not fair,” I thought, “he can get a long hot shower, put on a nice suit, and

JUST.WALK.OUT.THE.DOOR. “

And the chaos ensues.  

“Tell her to get out of the bathroom!”

“I don’t have any clean socks!”

“Where, oh where is my hairbrush?!” (not the Veggie Tale version!)

And, of course, “I can’t find my Bible!”

YEP.  Flat out pity-party.  It was not pretty, and I’m not proud of it.  My sweet husband was often oblivious, and I kept it that way.  The guilt I was feeling for thinking this way would only be increased if I burdened my pastor with the ho-hum hullaballoo adventures of his not-so-perfect family.

And so it was.  A party we celebrated almost every Sunday—and it.was.not.fun.  And of course, no one seemed to understand why I was late and frazzled and not good at putting on a fake smile.  But I did anyway.

Until I saw her.

The woman with the newly-acquired title of WIDOW.

And my heart started beating out of my chest.

I knew this was no coincidence.  

I went to church to completely out of obedience, and though my spirit wasn’t prepared for it,

I met Jesus.

He was there, in the widow’s eyes.

And I knew.  I knew that I could never look at my situation the same again.  He taught me a valuable lesson and He didn’t have to say a word.  He was just there.  And the gentleness with which He spoke, spoke volumes.  

Perspective.  Keeping my eyes on Him was the only way to see with clarity.

So I am grateful.  Truly grateful that He loves me anyway.  That He showed me how very much I have to be thankful for, and that even when I’m alone—really alone like this sweet widow—He will still be there.  He will speak to my heart and give me courage and hope and promise.  He will renew my spirit and fill me with His.  

This girl doesn’t want to make this mistake again, so I do absolutely everything I can to physically and spiritually prepare for Sundays—and it starts long before the clock strikes midnight.  I started calling Saturdays my “pre-Sunday” day.  The day to plan and prepare for Sundays.  Before going to bed, we have decided what breakfast will be and decide what we will wear—and prayers for the coming day prepare our hearts.

This preparation—this planning—getting ready to be with Jesus is something that should be on our calendar every day.  

“You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”  Jeremiah 29:13

~Vickie Munton

About Vickie:

 

Vickie Munton has served beside her husband in ministry for more than 30 years and has four adult children.  The joy of her life is her seven beautiful grandbabies.

Her heart’s desire is to share her faith in the Lord Jesus and life experiences in a way that help to build up and encourage others:

“I want their hearts to be encouraged and joined together in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding, and have the knowledge of God’s mystery—Christ.”   
Ephesians 2:2

Written By: Patti Pierce

When I was a senior in college, I met my future husband.  We began our “courtship” in January.  He made it clear from the start he felt called by God to be a minister.  I had no doubts about that calling.  When he asked me to marry him approximately six months after we began our relationship around the end of June/beginning of July, I had no qualms about saying yes.  When we first became engaged, we did not set a wedding date.  Everything was new and exciting and we were still getting to know each other.

In October, we attended a nearby church on the first Sunday of the month.  I will never forget the elder (that’s what ministers are called in the Primitive Baptist church) asked my husband to speak.  Dennis, my husband-to-be, declined that day to speak.  But we knew the calling was coming sooner rather than later.  So we went to visit Dennis’ grandfather to discuss the calling.  While we were talking, Grandaddy told us we had to either set our wedding date or walk away from one another.  We both knew he was right, even if it was not what we wanted to hear.  We went back and set our wedding date.  The time before the wedding flew by and before I knew it I was a married lady.  

The first year of our marriage, we did everything together.  We went and visited family and friends often.  When Dennis was called on to do something in his ministerial capacity, I typically went with him.  It was an amazing time in our lives.  We prayed together often.  As time went on, the size of our family grew.  The demands as a mother prevented me from going with Dennis like I had in the past.  Eventually, I found my time centring around raising our children, cooking meals and doing laundry.  

When we made the decision to go full-time in the Army Reserves, time for ministerial endeavours reduced dramatically.  I needed to focus on my calling and responsibilities of being a mother to the children God blessed us with over the course of about 6 years.  Starting in 1996 through 2002, every other year we were blessed with a new addition to our family.  Once we were a family of six, we wanted to make sure our children grew up to know the Lord.  So we undertook starting a Sunday School at our church.  It started off small with very few children (and most of the children who attended were our own).  But over the years, it has grown.  Even though we have not been there for over seven years, it is good to know other children are learning about the Lord.  

Sometimes begin a pastor’s wife involves sitting on the sidelines watching and supporting our spouses.  Other times it involves jumping in and getting involved in what needs to be done.  All in all, through the years, I have been blessed in countless ways by my husband’s calling and willingness to serve.  One of the ways I chose to serve while we were at our last duty station was volunteering as a leader for our teens.  As one of the activities, our teens led the worship service.  None of the teens wanted to give the message necessarily, so I delivered my first and only message from the pulpit.  It was quite an experience being on the other side of the audience.  But I was definitely blessed by saying I would follow what the Lord directed me to do.  All in all, being a pastor’s wife has brought numerous blessings to my life.  I pray for the Lord to bless you today.

About Patti:

My name is Patti Pierce and my husband and I have been married for over 23 years.  My husband has been an ordained Primitive Baptist preacher almost that entire time.  We are a Military Homeschooling Family who lives in North Central Pennsylvania. We put our faith in the one true Sovereign God.  We have been on our homeschooling journey for over 10 years now.  We have four children – three sons ages 19, 17 and 15 along with a daughter who is 13.  I blog about our life as a family, as homeschoolers, and our faith which guides our daily lives.

My blogs are:

https://truthandgracehomeschoolacademy.wordpress.com/

and

https://truthandgracewritingandlifecoaching.wordpress.com/

where I blog about the very beginning of journey to blog about my journey about being a writer and about working on my masters degree in Human Services with a concentration in Life Coaching.  I never dreamed this is where I would wind up, but this is where I find myself being led to go.

Written By: Amanda Walter

Have you ever felt completely useless?  Perhaps you feel that your life has no meaning?  I know I have, and I think it’s safe to say some of you have been there too.

It was recently that my life completely changed – for the better.  I graduated with a second Bachelor’s Degree, got married to my best friend, moved to the United States and began ministering with him.  All was well and I was happy, but after a few months, I started to get restless.

Being out of the country meant that I was not able to legally have any income (i.e. work), and that my family and friends were far away.  This isn’t the first time I’ve lived outside of the country or even the continent, but when you’re not guaranteed to have summers at home, things are a little different.

If you know me, you know that I love cooking and cleaning, but even that started to seem dull. It seemed as if I wasn’t doing anything productive.  I started feeling lonely (friends are not always easy to come by as a pastor’s wife) and sorry for myself. I prayed and prayed for some purpose, but I felt useless.

One morning, as I debated getting out of bed, the Lord brought some verses to my mind:

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31

“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,” Colossians 3:23

“…walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” Colossians 1:10

It then hit me.  I wasn’t doing this!  Though I was here next to my husband doing full-time ministry (something I never questioned I would do!), I was complaining that “all I did” was cook, clean and follow my husband around to Bible studies and visits.  I needed to do things to God’s glory.  I needed to rejoice always and in everything give thanks (see Philippians 4).  In reality, my ministry at home was ministering to others!  Being able to have the house clean, and have food on the table, allowed my husband to be free of those responsibilities, and in turn he could serve others better.

If I was working full time, I would hardly be home (I’m a teacher), and my poor non-cooking husband would have to either eat out (not terribly healthy) or eat spaghetti 5 days a week!  Plus, we would not have much time for each other (we need that – we’re newlyweds after all!).

Since that day and those revelations, my attitude changed drastically.

I started my blog, Maple Alps, became more involved playing the organ and piano in church, teaching, and of course, cooking and cleaning – my favourite ministry! Through all of these things, I rejoice, because I know that God is good and that this is the season He has for me right now.

What about you?

Are you in a rut and are you not sure if you’re living a life according to God’s will?  Are you constantly complaining about what could be instead of thanking the Lord for the season you’re in?  Even through trials we are to give thanks and count it all joy! (James 1)

I feel so blessed to know that God can even use me and give me the desire of my heart because I’ve chosen to delight in Him (Psalm 37:4)!  I pray the same for all of you.

About Amanda:

 

Amanda and her husband live and minister in Michigan.  When she’s not cooking, cleaning, ministering or crocheting, she blogs at Maple Alps (www.maplealps.com), where she writes about living intentionally, simply and content.