Tinker Bell and my New Year Resolutions

The New Year is coming. Can you hear it crashing down the halls of time? It's almost here and.... eeek! I don't have any resolutions!  I just can't bring myself to make one more silly, self defeating proclamation that is doomed to colossal failure. 

My darling husband is super organized, disciplined and strong. When he makes a resolution, you can bet he will accomplish it to the best of his ability.  I envy his resolve.  What makes him so capable of follow through and me such a woose?

Well my dear Pastor's wife. if you are more like my husband then you may sit back with your cup of tea or coffee and grin at those of us less fortunate. The rest of you, come with me! We have something to talk about.

Here's what I think is going on with this whole New Year's resolution problem.

Those of us with thriving right brains are filled with ideas and plans and pictures of impossible things coming true. We are dreamers who believed in Santa and the tooth fairy and still love Tinker Bell and hope she's real.  Our hearts love deeply and break completely and yet we do not give up hoping for better days. When plans fall through we see the bright side and try to cheer everyone up to our positive outlook. When dark days come, we crumble and cry and then put the pieces back together and stand up to fight another day.  This is who we are.  

Our darling super organized, disciplined, left brainers look at us in awe and wonder how we do it. Then they look at the messes left on the kitchen table, bathroom floor and clothes closets and shake their heads at our awesome ability to function in chaos!

If you get that then you'll really get this. God made us this way! With all our hair-brained ideas and crazy imperfections. He just adores us! In the midst of it all, He gets us.

Her'es a few of my ladies and I just being silly and enjoying being ourselves.

So how does this answer the resolution issue?

Right now left brainers are sipping their coffee going,, "Here come the excuses!"

Nope, no excuses for botched plans and lack of follow through. I take full responsibility for my actions. But I refuse to allow my failures to bring on a bout of self-beating.

I think we must come to a full stop for just a second and ask ourselves three important questions.

#1. What would God have me pursue this year?

#2. How can I accomplish that?

#3. Who or what do I need to help me?

Deep breath, Drink your tea and think through those three questions before moving on. 

This is what it looks like for me:  Instead of saying, "I'm going to lose 20 pounds!" or "I'm going to stop loosing my temper with my children!"

I plan on saying things like,  "I believe God would have me pursue deeper relationships with my children. I will accomplish this by establishing a new routine that includes one on one time. I will need the help of my husband to set up a realistic and workable schedule that works for all of us."

Or, "I believe God would have me pursue better health this year. I will accomplish this by establishing a plan for regular exercise. I will need the help of my friends who love to exercise. I will ask them to walk beside me for a few months until my new routine is established."

Okay, I can already hear you Righties saying, "But, but, but,,, what if I fail? What if my husband won't help? What if don't have any fanatic exercise friends?"

Then you are going to need to ask God to make it CLEAR to you.

Then you are going to give yourself GRACE! That same grace you so readily give others needs to fall to yourself as well.

I also suggest you get CREATIVE!

So, the third week of the exercise program, two of your kids get sick with the flu. You can't go out for a walk as usual, so what do you do? Maybe you do nothing and when everyone is well, you pick yourself up and stand to fight another day?  You do it all the time with other areas of your life. Why not these things as well? Maybe you pull out that crusty Jane Fonda DVD and put on your flash dance attire and laugh at yourself as you exercise.

Our personalities are prone to over reaching and making impossible goals. So, keep your resolutions manageable.  The dreamer inside of us is quick to give up if things get scary or loose their sparkle. So, create goals that have fun built in but be ready to knuckle down and do the hard work as well.

So what will it be this year? How will you pursue God's will for you?

How about one little step at a time with a whole lot of happy thoughts and a little Pixie dust?

Oh dear, there I go again! Let's just take one little step, plan on a bit of fun and hold onto the hope that Tinker Bell is real!

Are you with me? Good. Let's FLY!

-Under the same wing,

Joleen

Christmas at the Parsonage: Following God's lead

Christmas at the Parsonage! You know what this means, don’t you, dear pastor's wife?

Endless hours cooking, cleaning, and decorating. There will be choir rehearsals, children’s programs and countless holiday parties.

People will expect your joy-filled face and well groomed presence at most if not all the events and activities on the church calendar. 

Then of course you will need to navigate your own children’s attire, parties, school outings, and requests for presents. 

If you stay healthy you just may survive. Heaven help you if you or anyone in your household catches the flu during the next few weeks. Because unlike most, you will be expected to soldier on and complete all the above tasks and activities.

When I put it that way, it sounds horrendously tiring doesn’t it? 

Somehow the joy of the season just got sucked right off this page. 

Here is the good news, my faithful, hardworking PW.  By the way if you’ve grudgingly thought those initials PW remind you of prisoner of war instead of pastor’s wife. I implore you to reject that idea soundly. You are no prisoner except if you choose to be. Though there is a war to be fought, it is not against the flesh and blood people in your congregation. The war is against the rulers and principalities of the spiritual realm who would have you beaten, weak, grouchy and rendered useless for the work of the Lord. 

So, again, here is the good news. Jesus came for you! Yes, a simple-truth, but it holds the power you so desperately need in the weeks remaining of this Christmas season. 

Jesus CAME FOR YOU!  He came to save you from bitterness. He came to heal your wounded heart, He came to give you strength, power and a sound mind. He came to redeem your very soul. He came for YOU, because he loves you.  He sees you and He knows you. He longs for you to turn into His embrace. Only there will you find the strength to navigate this season. 

I have been either a Pastor’s kid or a Pastor’s wife for my entire life. So you could say, I grew up in the parsonage and never left. Sure the four walls changed, the congregations changed. But one thing never changed. The truth that Jesus came for me. So, if I may lend a few words of advice for this season it is this:

1. Do everything as unto the Lord not men. Colossians 3:23-4

This verse is not telling me to do EVERYTHING! It is only saying that in the things I do choose, I ought to do them for the pleasure of the Lord. 

One of my guidelines is to choose exactly how many activities I can handle. This year, I’ve been very ill and so, the most I’ve chosen is to have two Christmas parties in my home and to invite a needy family to be with us for the holidays. Though, I’m sure there are those who wish I were more involved in choir or children’s ministries,  I know my limitations this year. So, I chose carefully and plan to please the Lord with my efforts. 

2. Fear the Lord not man - or woman.  Deuteronomy 13:4

Each year, I learn my limitations from the previous year.  I ask myself, “Was I so busy pleasing others that it clouded God’s purposes?”  

When we walk in a healthy fear of the Lord we can “soldier” on as it were. For we are not seeking anyone’s pleasure but God’s. So, if you find you’ve committed to more than you ought, you can find your strength in Christ for this year and learn your limitations for next year.  

3. Devote yourself to prayer. Colossians 4:2-4

Cling to the Lord in prayer. He will hear you and help you. Not just for strength but for the real mission which is that God would open up an opportunity to “speak forth the mystery of Christ.”

We often invite a widow or needy family to share time with us over the holidays. Sometimes they are already part of our church family. One year it was the un-churched man who did some excavating for us. He ended up sharing his struggles with my husband. This led to a meal in our home over the holidays and the Gospel story and a transformed life. 

So be ready. Be ready to hear and see the needy souls around you in your neighborhood, the grocery store, at the bank and yes, even in your own Church foyer.  A prayerful life and heart will keep your eyes and heart open to the prompts of the Holy Spirit.

The bottom-line is this: Who do we serve, God or peoples’ approval?  Contrary to popular assumptions, the pastor’s wife does have a choice. It takes courage and strength to say to no and face criticism. Better that, than a bitter, angry heart that grudgingly does more than it ought. Whatever you do this season, I encourage you to follow the Lord’s lead. I pray you will find joy and comfort in the reminder that Jesus CAME for YOU!

-Under the same wing,

Joleen

Confessions from the bathroom stall: Dealing with the pressures of being a PW

Wanna know a secret?  

If you are a PW then this secret will be no mystery to you. 

Okay, ready?  

Pastor’s wives sometimes hide in the bathroom stalls at church to avoid people. 

Shocking! NO! They don’t do that? Yes! yes they do. 

If you are a lay person reading this then close your eyes and pretend you didn’t see that. 

Well, my fellow PW’s we may as well get it out in the open. There have been times when some of us have hidden in the bathroom waiting for Mrs. Huff and Puff to finish washing her hands and leave. We just can’t bear the thought of yet another conversation about how horrible the world is, how awful teens are these days, or how simply outrageous it is that the Deaconess board voted to remove all plastic bowls from the kitchen due to the fear of hidden germs in the porous surfaces.

Okay, I need a cup of tea after that. Hold on a minute.

Okay, here's a cup for you as well. 

Now let's get this straight, I personally have never hidden in a bathroom stall. Mrs. Huff and Puff is wise to that and may come in calling my name and looking under the doors for my shoes. I find it much easier to sit out in the open and surround myself with sickly young children and noisy teenagers. Hiding in the open is most effective. Especially if you can get right smack dab in the middle of the group and then let everyone else talk around you. 

We are not alone in our hiding tendencies. Remember King Saul? He hid amongst the baggage. 1 Samuel 10 22.   David hid as well, he hid in caves from the wrongful wrath of Saul.  2 Samuel 17:9 

What about the women in the bible who hid? Moses mother hid him in the bulrushes, Rahab hid Joshua and the spies from Israel. 

It’s true, annoying, mean spirited, people bring out the hider in all of us. There’s even a verse that says when the wicked arise the righteous hide (Proverbs 28:28). I suppose there are times when hiding is a wise, even prudent thing to do. I wonder, however, if we choose to hide more often than we should. 

Is it possible that our skulking in bathroom stalls or behind human shields is cowardly? 

"Excuse me? Did she say cowardly?"

"Yes, dear, I believe she did say cowardly."

Yes, I said it. Are we cowards?  Well according to the dictionary a coward is, “a person who lacks courage in facing danger, difficulty, opposition, pain, etc.: a timid or easily intimidated person.”  Yup, I’d say that sums up me on Sunday mornings pretty well. I often lack courage. I fear falling into a conversational pit where I say something I’ll regret. Worse, I fear saying nothing at all and harboring a thousand spiteful, mean spirited words in my heart. 

Though I am not a timid person I can find myself intimidated by the monumental task of greeting everyone and navigating the treacherous three minute welcome time in the middle of the service. 

So, I hide. I retreat into my purse or my bible and hope people will leave me alone. I skitter into the ladies bathroom for a moment of regrouping and stay there till all threats have seated themselves in the auditorium. 

I'm sorry do you need more tea? Here's a warm up for you. I know this topic gets to me as well. But listen to what God thinks about all this.

So there I am hiding when God whaps me up side the head and says, “Why are you hiding?” Do you not know that I am with you always? Have you forgotten everything I’ve ever taught you about being strong and courageous? Child, you are not to young for courage. My daughter, you are able to stand because I am your strength. I am your wisdom. I will give you the ability to love Mrs. Huff and Puff and to see through her petty grievances to her aching, lonely heart.   

Yes, I will also give you courage to shake a thousand hands and not get sick. I will give you words to say when you feel empty of them. Lift up your head and get out of this bathroom stall. Come out from behind your human shields and be the noble warrior I have created you to be.” 

Yup, that’s what God said to me. Well, His Word says it as well. I want to challenge us, me included, for the next month of Sundays to claim the verses below. Before you walk through the foyer door, arm yourself with courage. Ask God to fulfill his promises to you. 

I betcha we can make it through a whole month without hiding. Who knows we may be so visible and available that the Mrs. Sweet and Carings of our congregation will finally be able to find us. 

I know the pressures are real. I understand it takes courage to stay visible and available.  But, will you try? Will you claim these verses with me? I pray you will, and that we will think of each other this Sunday as we sit .... Under The Same Wing,

Love, 

Joleen

PW

Verses to claim: 

Psalm 31:20

You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of man; You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues.

Psalm 17:8

Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me in the shadow of Your wings

Psalm 32:7

You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.

Psalm 31:19-24

How great is Your goodness,

Which You have stored up for those who fear You,

Which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You, 

Before the sons of men!

You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of man; you keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues.

Blessed be the Lord,

For he has made marvelous His lovingkindness to me in a besieged city.

As for me, I said in my alarm, 

“I am cut off from your eyes”;

Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications

When I cried to You.

O love the Lord, all you His godly ones!

The Lord preserves the faithful

And fully recompenses the  proud doer.

Be strong and let your heart take courage,

All you who hope in the Lord.

Visit Pastorswife101's profile on Pinterest.

Finding your best friend

Should pastor's wives have a best friend? 

Pastor's wives, really do need besties! We too need to snort with laughter over the silly things of life. We need to be found in our ripped sweats with no make-up on and know that our best friend still thinks we are wonderful.  We need to share our raw, unedited emotions with our dearest friends and know our credibility is not in jeopardy. 

If you are a pastor's wife and have yet to find this level of friendship, I want to encourage you not to give up.  From my own experience, best friends appear when we least expect it. 

If you are a lay person eves-dropping on our little conversation, I want to encourage you to pray for your pastor's wives and ask the Lord how you can demonstrate friendship on a real, authentic level. You may not end up being that best friend yourself, but you can certainly extend love and friendship as you pray for these dear women who so often feel lonely, scared and unqualified for their roles. 

So how do you find a best friend?

#1. Be secure in your relationship with Christ first.  

I know it sounds cliche to say, Jesus is my best friend. But it is essential for every woman, regardless of her church role, to find her strength and hope and comfort in Christ first. You can't expect to find a deep level of friendship in others if you are not first deeply in love with God.  From that source you will be able to discern and receive friendship most effectively.

#2. Observe, Listen and Wait!

Carefully observe the women in your circles of influence.  After three years of women's meetings, Sunday mornings, weekend events and casual coffee's at my current church, I think I have a pretty good idea who is faithful, reliable, and true. 

Listen for patterns of communicating. Is there someone who is able to share her struggles without putting people down or blaming everyone else in her life?  Give grace and understand everyone has bad weeks. We've all slipped up and said something during small group we wish we could take back. But listen for a woman's  pattern or way of talking. Is she more likely to share how God's helping her through life than who's making her life difficult. These patterns of sharing reveal the true heart of a potential best friend.

Wait, don't rush into a deep, time consuming relationship with another woman. A true friendship is worth developing over time.  

Spend lots of time having fun together.

#3. Relax! 

If you are on a best friend finding campaign you will scare everyone away. Don't worry so much about it. Spend time with the Lord and ask him how you can be the kind of friend you yourself are looking for. God often surprises me with friendships when I am not even searching for them. 

In the meantime! Share your desire for deep friendships with the Lord. He sees you and knows your need.  Also, seek out other PW's who can lift you up and encourage you. We have a private FB group for PW's. If you want to be added to the group. You can find us at Pastor's Wife 101 on FB or friend me! Joleen Steel.

So glad we are ... Under the same wing

Power, Love & A Sound Mind

God is always teaching me. Sometimes, I think, "God, could you teach someone else for awhile?" But, he seems  certain my lessons are important.

So, I learn.

Well, sometimes I rebel and refuse to learn. Maybe that's why I need such a patient teacher.

Lately, I'm wading through some physical issues that are bringing physical pain and emotional turmoil.  The pain is keeping me from all the things I love most. Including this blog. But more importantly, my family and my church.  I've not been able to sit in church for three weeks due to pain.

Lest you worry this is going to be a post about my issues, I'll stop right here to say. NOPE, it's about you! Well, me and you.  We both have pain. Your pain may be much worse than mine. It may be less. Regardless pain is pain.

Here's what I know so far about pain:

#1. Just when we think we can't take it anymore, He's there and then we can.

Psalm 23:4 speaks best to this. Even when we are walking through a valley filled with death. The death of a dream, the death of a loved one, the death of a marriage, He is there. His rod and His staff, they comfort us.

I felt this recently as I lay in an MRI tube, my body filled with pain. The instruction was to lie very still. My mind and my body were at war with the very idea of remaining still in this claustrophobic tube. So, I called on the teacher and He came. He comforted me, he helped me endure the pain. He will help you too. Do you think you can't take it anymore? He's with you. You can endure this.

#2. His voice can often be heard clearest when I am at my lowest.

Oh to hear his voice and know his arms are around me. That is comfort. My lowest, most desperate moments seem to happen at night. I can hear the steady breathing of my children and husband as I lay staring at the ceiling hurting.

Then, I hear Him.

He doesn't speak in words but I hear Him just the same and I know I am not alone. I know He sees me and He loves me and I don't have to be strong. I can release my tears and let my heart flow out to him.

#3.Do not waste the joy of today with fear for tomorrow.

Are you waiting for something?
Are you worried it will be bad news?
Are you afraid?

Yeah, me too. But, it is not God's will for us to live in the limbo of fear and worry. So, how on earth do we stop wasting today for fear of tomorrow?  By embracing whatever, God has in front of us today.

Today, I can lie here and worship the Lord.
Today, I can love my family and seek to embrace them with my actions and words
Today, I can do whatever work I am able to do and then lie down again and thank God for it.

Embrace today and trust Jesus for what you can not see on the other side of your midnight. When it comes you may find it's just another today filled with possibilities.

#4.  God has given us a spirit of power, love and a strong mind.

2 Timothy 1:7 says that God has not given us a spirit of fear. Fear is not from God. Fear says, our future is uncertain. God says, our future is secure. God has given us the power to reject the lies.

My kids commented the other day that I seem to say the name of Jesus randomly. I told them, it's because I'm practicing turning my thoughts and my will over to Him. When I think a fearful, helpless thought, I breathe the name of Jesus as a way of rejecting the spirit of fear and claiming the power, strength and sound mind God has given me.

So pain is pain. It's there. We live with it. But we do not need to let it rob us of the opportunities God has for us.  Whatever your level of pain. Will you join me in claiming power, love and a sound mind?
Will you listen for God's voice with me?  Right now?

Here in this small moment of silence.

Listen

Under the same wing,
Joleen

What I do in betwen tea parties

When I'm not sitting on my porch drinking tea you can find me hard at work on my computer working on resources for Wordless Walking Sticks.  My newest project is a resource for inspiring campers to hide the word of God in their heart and discover what it means to be a friend of Jesus.  I've spent hundreds of hours drawing, writing, praying and creating. 

I'll be going to Florida with our company to launch this new resource to over 900 camp directors. Will you pray for God's will to be done in regards to this project. Of course we'd love to see it birth a whole new generation of Christ followers, but God's in charge of that. 

Here's the promo video for the resource.

Video song credit: Sidewalk prophets - Nothings gonna stop us from their album "I wanna live like that." https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/live-like-that/id510499101

Thanks friends for all your prayers and encouragement. I'll let you know how the conference goes. 

Love, Joleen

Why we do this: Part 2 - Ten dollars in my pocket

My Mom has been reminding me lately of some of the amazing things God has done for us over the years. This story has been handed down verbally for years. It's time we share it with you. May you be encouraged to have faith regardless of your circumstances and to obey the Lord even when it seems crazy!

Ten dollars in my pocket

By Doreen Babcock

1977 we found ourselves traveling the midwest, with our four children, in a wood paneled station wagon.  My husband, Eldon worked for an evangelistic team that held crusades. His job required us to arrive at the crusade location two weeks beforehand in order to train volunteers.

For reasons, I can't quite recall, it became necessary for the children and I to remain behind at a hotel while Eldon continued on about a half days drive ahead of us.  Eldon had already left when the hotel called to tell me that our room rental was required ahead of time.  The cash I had paid for it but left the children and I with ten dollars to spend on food for the next three days. 

With no way to contact Eldon I tucked the children in bed and knelt down to seek the Lord. To my surprise He impressed on my heart the need to put five dollars in an envelope and mail it to some missionary friends of ours.  This was not the answer I'd hoped to hear. 

The next morning I did as the Lord asked and walked to the nearest post box and put the letter in. A grocery store stood directly across the street. With tears in my eyes I took the hands of my youngest two daughters and encouraged my eldest two children to follow me. I thought we might be able to buy a loaf of bread and some peanut butter with our last five dollars.

Half way through the store, I heard a sweet voice calling me, "Doreen? Doreen Babcock is that you?"

Turning I saw a woman about my age who'd been part of a previous crusade in the area.  She hugged me and asked why I was here. I calmly explained that Eldon had gone ahead and we were staying at the hotel across the street. 

"Nonsense!" She exclaimed, "You are all coming to my house to stay with me!" 

She helped us gather our things from the hotel and loaded us all up in her car. When we arrived at her home, she fixed us a lovely lunch and then turned to me and said, "I hope you don't think me rude, but I wonder if you'd be in need of some clothing. I'm afraid I purchased some clothes a few months back and then went and lost a little weight. I just don't know what to do with them. Do you mind seeing if you'd like any of them." 

I was thrilled as I modeled her expensive suits and dresses for her. They all fit perfectly!

When her husband arrived home and found out everything that had happened he turned to his wife and said, "You mean to tell me you gave Doreen all those clothes and you didn't give her children a thing?"  He pulled out his wallet and shooed us all off to the nearest department store. 

That evening, I knelt beside my bed and praised God for all he'd done for us! 

Psalm 136: 21 

Give thanks to the God of heaven,

For his lovingkindness is everlasting.

The End

God's great love and provision for our needs is frequently demonstrated in the lives of those who serve Him with their whole hearts. If you are in ministry, I pray you will claim the verses above and rely completely on Him. He will provide!
Love, Joleen & Doreen

Why We Do This: Part I - The Town Tramp

If you are in a season of ministry filled with blessings and joy, I encourage you to journal about it. Looking back on the good things God has done is a wonderful way to find strength in those seasons that are not so easy. 

My mom, Pastors Wife for over 40 years, has some stories to tell. They are all true and so good that I’ve turned them into three parts. Her stories illustrate why we do this thing called ministry. Here’s my mom’s first story:

The Town Tramp 

By Doreen Babcock

Everyone knew the town tramp. The deep pockets of his oversized coat held empty liquor bottles. He collected them for the recycling money. Truly, he rarely drank. But he did love his pipe.

Each Sunday, he knocked the tobacco out of his pipe and laid it carefully on the ledge by the back door of the church. Most of the time he left his liquor bottles there as well. Except for the Sunday when one fell out of his pocket and rolled to the front of the church while my husband, Eldon, preached. Eldon picked up the bottle and set it out of sight and just kept right on preaching. At the end of the service he gave it back to it’s owner with no scolding. The tramp came back every Sunday after that. 

Our church had grown and was bursting at the seams with new believers.  Rich and poor alike worshiped side by side. At the time, It seemed like a little piece of heaven in full view.

I will never forget the Sunday God revealed to us exactly what it meant to BE the Church. My husband stood and delivered a call to respond to the Gospel. The altar railings fairly shook with joy as people came forward.  One couple dressed in expensive, clothing knelt together and prayed and wept. The sound of the Tramp coming up the aisle caused them to stop. Realizing the altar was almost full, they moved aside and motioned for the tramp to kneel between them. 

My heart burst with joy as I watched this beautiful display of God’s kingdom. The tramp now has a new name written down in glory!

The End

And this, my dear PW’s is why we do this thing called ministry! Transformed Souls!

What’s your story? What keeps you going? Why on earth do you do this? Journal about it. Share it with a friend. If you’d like you could email us at pastorswife101blog@gmail.com We’d love to hear from you.

Refreshments needed: Pastor's wife 101

I love the comfort of a warm cup of tea on a cool autumn morning. When my mind and body are in need of refreshment tea brings a certain security to my day. Of course it helps that this little ritual often leads to opening the Word of God.  It's even more wonderful to find that opening the word leads to words about refreshment.

Jeremiah 31:25 "For I satisfy the weary ones and refresh everyone who languishes.”

This week, I truly felt the need for more than refreshment. My heart and mind grew tired and needed renewal. So, I sat on my porch and spoke to the Lord. I think God has a sense of humor. Because he reminded me of an event that illustrated the truth about renewal in such a funny way that I never forgot it. 

On the advice of a friend, I committed to ten visits with a chiropractor with "alternative" methods. I went and found each visit wackier than the last. 

My most memorable visit involved a colander, a mallet and a very small man sitting in a chair in the corner. 

As I waited my turn on a massage table, I overheard the chiro-man say to the very small man, "I am going to hit this metal bowl with a mallet and the vibrations are going to reset your mind." 

My jaw dropped in amazement as he gave a sharp rap to the colander. 

TWANG! 

As the reverb echoed through the room, I burst into uncontrollable laughter. 

Let's just say my guffaws and sarcastic remarks were not welcome. 

God used this wacky experience to vividly illustrate renewing my mind. I admit to a weird temptation to put my kitchen colander on my head and hit it with a hammer, but the bible has a more effective approach. So grab your  bible and your refreshments and let's discover how to refresh, reset and renew our minds!

Romans 12:2

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

Do you see the two commands in this scripture? Underline them and put a slash mark between them. 

Like this:

Do not be conformed to this world / But be Transformed by the renewing of your mind. What does it look like to be conformed to this world? Ephesians Four may shed some light on this.

Ephesisans 4:21-23

"If indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed int he spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth."

So what are we to lay aside?

Why are we to do that? What is wrong with it?

Let's look at this practically. When I am tired and weary the old me says:

"People suck, I'm fed up with this."

"Nobody appreciates me."

"God must not be looking my way today."

"I'm just going to watch this trashy show and try to escape."

The old me is like this butterfly we found wedged in the cracks of our fender. Hurt, scared, and desperate. 

The problem arrises when I refuse to turn those feelings over the God. I don't let him rescue me. 

Instead, I dwell on my poor predicament until I begin to fester with pride, anger, jealousy and rebellion.

Shocking huh? Maybe your old self is not as bad as mine. Maybe it is worse. Regardless the bible tells us it is corrupt. We can't trust anything that is corrupt. We have to walk away from it.

So let's go back to that wacky Chiro-man. He believed with all his heart that the vibrations of that colander were resetting the mind of his patient. What if the bible were our colander? What if we let the vibration of it's truth reverberate in and through us in such a way that our old self fell away and our new self rose up?

Oh the glory of that thought!

So let's look at Ephesians one more time. It tells us what to do!

"Be renewed in the spirit of your mind." 

Put on the new self.

Which is in the likeness of God

and has been created in 

righteousness

holiness and

truth."

The new me says: 

"People are loved by God, I can love in His strength."

"God sees me and loves me, I can do all things through Him."

"I will worship the Lord with gladness for he has done great things for me."

The new me claims that verse we started with in Jeremiah. "For I satisfy the weary ones and refresh everyone who languishes."

Truth

Holiness

Righeousness

These are the refreshments that will truly renew my mind. 

So pass the refreshments please!

Visit Pastorswife101's profile on Pinterest.

Pastor's Appreciation Month is here are you ready?

Maybe you saw the title of this post and thought, "Oh yeah! Bring on the gifts and appreciation!"  Maybe you thought, "Ha! nobody even does that anymore!"  Well read on! I think you'll be encouraged.

Someone asked me the other day, “What’s the best gift you’ve ever received for Pastor’s appreciation month?” 

Crickets...no I don’t mean we received them, but that’s the sound of my answer.  I really couldn’t think of anything.  Not that we’ve never received gifts. I just don’t think they coincided with October. 

We loved the July gift someone gave of us of their time share. Our kids still bring up the good memories of that week. 

Oh and the January gift of a ski lodge weekend. My hubby still moans over the humiliation of that snow board incident. 

We’ve received butter braids and gift cards and local passes to parks. We’ve received a quilt with dear messages written on each square, and a Gold framed picture of an old fashioned sewing machine..love that one!  Sunday morning's I often receive hugs and plenty of love. Darling friends have left baskets of goodies on our doorstep when we were sick. 

Yeah, I could say we feel gifted and appreciated.

So, why is that when October comes around we feel a bit miffed when nothing more than a card arrives in the mail?  I believe it’s because we’ve lost sight of our purpose.  And why do we turn up our noses at the card when that could be the very person God has helped us to impact the most this year. That card could represent a huge sacrifice of humility or time or finances..no matter how small. 

I’m lecturing myself here as well as you dear one. I have been known to be prett -tty grouchy about the apparent lack of appreciation October brings.  I hang my head in shame over my attitude.

Mark this: We did not enter ministry to be appreciated by man but approved by God. We are servants who’s purpose is to glorify the master. We are shepherds who’s job it is to protect and love the sheep. We are soldiers dedicated to digging into the trenches or to marching into battle, knowing we might get dirty and wounded and it all might end in complete chaos. But, will God be glorified in our obedience? You betcha!

Does a soldier expect a butter braid bread at the end of a hard days work? 

Does a shepherd expect his sheep to send him off on a week long vacation? 
Absurd. 

Of course, we are grateful when people appreciate us. To expect it and even to demand it in our spirits? That is the day we are clearly off track. 

So, this pastor’s appreciation month, I challenge you to dig in to the Word of God. I implore you to care more deeply for the people in your congregation. Do not expect a thing in return other than the approval of God. I commit myself to this task as well. 

Oh my! I think this calls for a spot of tea. Come, let’s sit down and ask the Lord to give us renewed focus and purpose.

 Let’s seek God’s approval for our attitudes and actions today.  He knowns our names. He sees our hearts. Let’s rest our heads on his shoulder, close our eyes and feel the autumn breeze touch our face. May the Lord’s very presence fill you with peace today. I am so glad, sister to be here with you on this lovely October day. I feel so ready for this month now. How about you?  Yes? Good. 

I am so glad we are...

Under the same wing.

Joleen