kids in church

Ok, so my kids gave me a chance to prove my title tonight. You know, "saved, not perfect." Wow. Was I not the perfect mom tonite. Roger was totally out of control at church both this morning and tonight at revival. I had to take him out of church and spank him both times. I was mortified. I HATE doing that. But, he was screaming during prayer this morning!!! What's up with that???? All 3 were trying my patience tonight. So. The preacher's kids are not perfect. His wife's not perfect. Actually, he's not perfect either. But that's ok. If I've learned nothing else, I know God loves me even when I'm not perfect. I did actually manage to concentrate enough on the sermon to get the idea. We're doing revival this week. Our "theme" I guess is "refresh, renew, revive." Pretty cool. Tonite was refresh. Rob talked about how if you never "get off the bench" and get worn out...you don't need refreshing. Made me go, "huh." I don't feel that way with church, I do feel that way with school...my school. YOu know, the expensive one. I need to get off the bench big time. Who knew grad school would be so hard?! LOL! Who knew that reading a book a week would be so hard?? I can read a fiction book a day and not sweat it...but, give me something I didn't choose....?? Forget it!!! It's HARD! It's hard to find time...it's hard to find desire.
So, Thank you GOd for loving me and my imperfect husband and kids. Thank you God, for pouring out your spirit on us that we can feel your presence. Thank you God for putting us in a church that does not even EXPECT us to be perfect. Thank you GOd for the wonderful loving friends you have sent our way. Thank you for the daily encouragement. Thank you for perseverance through Your strength, YOUR power, YOur love, Your glory. Let your love shine through my life and spill all over the place. Let your love seep into the fibers of my life and those around me, that no one can look and wonder if I love you and follow you. Let them ask why. Let them know it's you, not me.
In Jesus' sweet and Holy Name!!!!
AMEN!

Rough week

Ok, so it's been a rough week. I'm physically worn out. Did you ever stop and think about being spiritually worn out?? I am right now having so much trouble finding time for my personal devotional. I am taking a class that is draining me when it's supposed to be filling me!! My back hurts, my left arm feels like I've pinched a nerve, we've had every imaginable problem trying to get a desk set up for me so I can get out of Rob's office space. You name it. Of course, God gave me a gift--the absolutely most knock-your-socks-off sunset ever on the way home from T-ball. He still loves me! :) Some days it's harder to remember that, isn't it.

So, being a pastor's wife and feeling spiritually drained is bad. I am gonna have to drop something. Not sure what, or how, but I'm gonna. I supposed to be praying for one hour every day. That's hard. I fall asleep. I can totally understand the apostles now. Not in a cool way either, but in their misery at their inability. Can you not stay awake and watch for an hour???? ugh. Pray for me please. I know I must say that every post, but I WILL pray for you! :)
We've got to uphold each other, lift each other up to Him in prayer. The only one who can do a thing about any of this stuff we call life.
Ya'll take care.
J

Chicken Pictures

I'm So Tired!!!

We live in the windiest spot on earth. No, really. Yesterday it was so windy, if I closed my eyes and thought about it...I could've sworn I was in my aunt's old beach cottage at Kitty Hawk N.C. It sounded like the waves coming constantly! Incredible. Anyway, that has nothing to do with me being tired...I am just amazed at the nearly constant breeze! I guess living in the flat lands for 40 years will make you think air is stagnant everywhere!! LOL! Anyway, I AM tired! I just want to sleep like 16 hrs., then I'd be fine! I feel like I am constantly in motion until I fall down in bed at night. The problem is, I have lots of school reading to do, so when I fall down...I'm supposed to be reading and mostly I crash. Oh well. I'm working on it, right? My class this time requires me to read a book a week and write a 2 pg. report on it, pray for an hour a day (all at one time :D) for 30 days straight, pray the Lord's Prayer daily for 30 days, Fast for day on two separate occasions (and as I explained to someone, fasting is more than just not eating), and I don't know WHAT else, but I just wanna cry! :D Why the smile?? Because! All this stuff I have to do is not really torturesome, I'm just having schedualing issues! Well, the not eating part will not be cool, but I'll make it.
Rob is in constant motion as well, T-ball, hospital visits, funeral, writing sermons, kid's word, HIS school...planning new programs....getting ready to start a Wed. nite Bible study...whew! Oh choir practice....man. I'm tired. It's a good tired...I tell ya. Be careful whatcha pray for! God'll give it to you and bless your socks off! :D

I sure do miss my friends. Moving is so hard. I miss friends, I dread finding a new doctor for the kids, new bank account, starter checks that no one will take....I get lost if I go somewhere other than Walmart.... Oh well, right?!! :D
I'm making it, just pray for us!
J

So, Rob got "pasteurized" (Pastor-ized) last night. He's officially ordained and as of today licensed!! How cool is that/?? It is waaaaaay cool. We've been praying and waiting and waiting and praying and now HERE WE ARE!! Yay GOd!!! God is so good. I tell you what, never in my wildest dreams did I ever understand or think that God loves me so much. Yeah, we sing "Jesus loves me" from infanthood, yeah we say "I know GOd loves Me" God loves you! BUt hey, let me just tell you what, that part in the Bible where it says he gives better gifts than any earthly father--it's right. The part that says He loves us, it's right. That part that says He wants for us only the best and knows absolutely the desires of our hearts---it's right. God gave us everything we could ever of dreamed of and then some. Right down to what the back yard is like. Where the church is. Where the house is. What kind of house. How much space we needed. Every single detail and some we didn't even know. How could you ever doubt your Father's love when he knows you so well???? I just stand in awesome amazement of the ultimate Dad's love for me. And that's not being overly-familiar---Jesus called Him "Abba" that's like Hebrew "daddy" you know. I love that. I think about that all the time. I have and have had a wonderful relationship with my earthly Daddy and still call him that "Daddy". I am finally understanding that my heavenly Father wants to be "Daddy" to me too. He wants us all to feel that comfortable and close to him. To love him that way. I stand in awe, I kneel in amazement. Last night at Rob's ordination, I stood in front of like 50 some people and cried for 20 minutes or so while 12 different ordained decons and pastors prayed over my husband and I. I hate crying in public. But, there was just no stopping the tears.
Keep us in your prayers, we sure need them now more than ever.
J

We're moving!!!

pray for us as we pack our house. We have too much stuff. We're cleaning out, but hey, 5 people require right much stuff!!! :)
We're getting the truck today, leaving sometime tomorrow. We covet your prayers as we begin this new phase in our lives with anticipation and excitement. Love you all!

YIPEE! YAHOO! PRAISE THE LORD!!!

Can you tell??? We got the church. We are thrilled. There was no doubt left in our minds by the time we forced ourselves to leave, that God wants us in that church. Don't know why. Just know it. CanNOT wait to go! We are just bouncing around thrilled...and scared!! Wow. What huge responsibility! Now that we've got the church...we need your prayers that we remain in God's will and serve in the way he'd have us!! Gotta go...waaaay to much to do! :)
Will keep you posted!