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Hello Girls!
I had fully intended on having a couple of posts between last week’s discussion and this week’s for those of you who aren’t in the least bit interested in the subject. Truth is I have been on a little computer fast in preparation for a conference I taught in Texas this weekend. It was such a great time and I’ll tell you a bit more about that tomorrow, but today is Tuesday which means time for Week Two!
Your enthusiasm for this group has blown me away. Mindy from Colorado, you are precious! Freshly-called ministry wives, I wish I could hug each and every one of you! Our little group is made up of girls from all over the US as well as Brazil, Canada, and Australia. (This is not a scientific observation so forgive me if I missed you!) I am just so happy! Can you tell?! Do the exclamations give it away?!!!
I have absolutely loved reading through all your answers and learning that I’m not the only one who never dreamed she would end up a minister’s wife. When I graduated from high school, I was determined to move to either New York or Chicago and live in one of those adorable brownstones. I never wanted to get married and certainly didn’t want kids. They got on my nerves. Men and kids. So to think the Lord plucked me as a brand from the fire (Zechariah 3), clothed me in righteousness, and then set me back down in a teeny town with a pastor husband and a house full of kids is hysterical to me. Don’t dare ever tell me that God doesn’t have a sense of humor! (And wow, WHO KNEW so many of you were called of God to marry ministers as young women and then aligned your dating/marriage decisions to that call? I’m SO praying that one over my little girl. ) I also cracked up at Patty’s tree-through-the-roof that caused her family to surrender to ministry. Isn’t it just like God to pound us until we listen?
I also appreciated your honesty when sharing which area of Sarah’s example resonated with you the most. Trust is my big one too, y’all, but I can’t tell you one single time when God led us to a place where we found Him either absent or unfaithful. The one who fills all space and time is there waiting for us to step into the place He has already prepared for us to occupy.
You girls have no idea how I wish we could be sitting in a room together hashing this out face-to-face. Unfortunately, that can’t happen today so let’s get on with the next questions from Chapter Two: I Can Still Wear Cute Shoes! This chapter head became the title for the book after much discussion between myself and the publisher. I think for all of us, this imagery summed up the message of the book – I am safe being the me God created.
Question One: I shared in Chapter Two how I had a complete identity crisis when Luke was called to ministry and that it played out in my closet. How did clothing play a part in your role as a minister’s wife? Were you tempted to change your style? Why or why not?
Question Two: Pages 51-57 speak about several character qualities that all Christian women should exhibit but perhaps more so the woman in servant leadership. Which of these areas are more difficult for you to master? (Winsome, Sober, Faithful, or the temptation to sometimes be Diabolical)
Question Three: Name one one specific area in which you feel intense pressure to be or do something contrary to your personal giftedness. Please try to be concise with this question because I know it’s a biggy!
Can’t wait to meet back with you next week! Remember to begin your answers with name, age, area of ministry, and state for identification.
At long last I welcome ministry wives and lay people alike to the discussion group for You Can Still Wear Cute Shoes..And Other Great Advice from an Unlikely Preacher’s Wife! (That’s quite a mouth full, huh? Brevity has never been my gift.) To my fellow PW’s, I hope you will find this book to be a girlfriend’s guide to everything I wish someone had told me about a life in ministry before I had to learn it the hard way.
To the dear lay people who have opted to join us in this discussion: You have no idea how thrilled I am that you are here! In my years in the church one thing of which I’m convinced is that we can not operate independently of one another and expect our relationships to thrive. I hope this outlet will be a forum of sorts where we can gain some mutual understanding on our perceptions of life inside the stain-glassed windows.
One last note before we get started. If you didn’t sign the roll call that by no means keeps you from this Discussion! Join along anytime you can. Our discussion for Week One will take place in the comments of this post. You will have until next Tuesday to log your responses here before next week’s assignment. Capiche? Also, for ease of identifying one another, be sure to begin each comment with your name, area of ministry/layperson, age, and state. I hope that will be an aid in our recognizing each other more fully each week. Also, if you don’t yet have your copy, there is a link in my sidebar with online/store front locations where it is available.
Let’s get to it!
Today we are going to cover Chapter One – His Calling Is My Calling, Too. In it I shared a great deal of Luke’s and my backstory in how God rescued our marriage and then planted our feet in ministry. Girlfriends, I could have written a whole book on that alone so know that I exercised great restraint to fit it in a couple pages. I love to hear the stories of surrender from you.
QUESTION ONE:
Ministry Wives: Give a brief background on how the Lord called you to ministry. Did you always know you would be a minister’s wife? Were you happy about it? Not?
Lay People: Have you personally witnessed the working of the Lord on a couple’s life and their subsequent call to service? What were some of the things you recognized in the couple that caused you to believe they would be called out?
The next portion of this scripture uses the relationship of Abraham and Sarah as the backdrop of how our own callings should be characterized.
QUESTION TWO:
Ministry Wives: Which of characterizations most resonated with you? (Called to trust, participate, or hope?)
Lay Wives: How did these areas apply to your own marriage relationships?
I’m going to leave it at these questions today since the answer to #1 could be lengthier. Feel free to call out anything else in this first chapter that really stuck with you.
Again, thank you for playing along. I absolutely can not wait to take this road trip with you!
It’s been so long since I’ve updated the blog that I almost feel I should re-introduce myself so here it goes.
I’m Lisa.
Nice to meet you.
So much life has happened I don’ t know where to begin so I’ll go back to perhaps one of the most fun days EVER which was a book signing I did at LifeWay a couple weekends ago. I was so conflicted about whether or not to do this because it felt so lame. As it turned out, I’m happy I did because I was able to meet so many ministry wives while partying with every friend and relative I’ve ever had in my whole life. Overwhelmed doesn’t cover it. The books sold out. I was invited back again (March 20th! Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel!). At the risk of sounding sappy, I’ve never felt more loved or supported. If I never get to do this again I am sufficiently full. Thank you SO much to those of you who took the time to stop by. It was one of those days that I’ll be telling my own grand kids about if the Lord tarries that long.
Please notice the jacket I’m wearing as if you haven’t already. I ordered it online thinking it looked really cute on the model. It’s a little more RAHRRRRR than something I would normally wear but whatever. It’s done now and I can’t take it back. Luke told me it was just a shame so many cheetahs had to die to make it. He’s a smart alec preacher man.
Here are a few pictures that my bff Deedra , snapped:
The Girl wanted to sit with me so she could autograph books for anyone who wanted her signature, too. Y’all were so gracious to allow her to make her mark. I can’t even talk about how much this picture means to me.
The guys in my life. The four on the left are Luke and sons. The ones on the right are my other sons aka The Ones to whom I unshamedly give life advice whether they are certain they want it or not. They are also my LOST buddies. You may notice a Dharma shirt?
The most awesome cake ever made by another bff, Karri. Y’all, she just started making cakes like 2 days before she came up with this creation. She’s one of those girls who just makes you throw in the towel over your own lack of skill and pay her to do your cute stuff. Except she never lets you pay her. Well, most of the time. If y’all need a party cake, she’ll probably want a few bucks but not nearly as many as she will deserve.
The Steadfast Class from our church. I thought I would burst into tears when I saw this group come in the door. I had no idea they were planning to make the trip up so to know they thought that much of our family – as if I didn’t already know it – was too much.
Speaking of those who made a long trip, it’s Nikki! And Stephanie! And Adrienne! I was so happy my invisible internet friends materialized for the sake of my family who wonder if all these people I talk about really exist. I love you girls SO much for coming!
This picture is a treasure. Mr. S. is a darlin’ man in our church who is not afraid to tell you he loves you or afraid to cry when he does it. And yes, I cry back.
There are a million more pictures but this is all I’ve got for now.
Okay, consider this post a tease because I’ve got to jump off here right now or I’m threatened to be sucked in for hours. Y’all know how that works. For those of you playing along, remember the online discussion for the book begins tomorrow!
p.s. Kaye Penney, this was for you so you’d have some reading this morning! :)
