Preacher’s Wife Teaching Life

If you’ve followed my page on Facebook , then you’ve seen the “how-to” videos my husband and I prepared. Staying true to the blog format, I’d like to write out what we spoke about in those videos. In between making those videos, on our way out of the driveway, we ran over one of our kittens. I was forced to walk out my own teachings yet again as we faced a tragedy beyond our control.  My husband and I know enough to understand that we don’t have to wallow in our pit of despair; we know hope is available to us and that we want it. My husband lined out a 4 step plan to find hope and we walked it out together as we mourned the loss of our kitten. Step 1: Acknowledge Him as God- This simply involves addressing him and acknowledging that he is real and his presence is known in your world. {Proverbs 3:6 - In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will makes your paths straight.} Step 2: Worship Him -  Let your worship, praises and thanksgiving flow out of your mout...

We have this yorkshire terrier named Sergeant that we've had for 8 years. He's part of the family and my best little buddy. He got very, very sick this weekend and by the grace of God we were able to get him to the animal hospital at a point when he could have died instead. He got sick over the weekend in the early morning hours of Sunday so we were unable to watch him like we would have liked because of church and couldn't take him in anyway because of the weekend. While we waited for Monday to roll around and prayed for him to pull through, we couldn't help but hear discouragement and worry knocking on the door....maybe a little guilt thrown in there too because hey, why not? It seems like discouragement is always lurking around the corner during hard times and it seems like the easiest most natural thing to do is to give in and open that door to let it in. Psalm 125 is a good reminder of what to do when discouragement knocks: A song of ascents.   Those who ...

It always surprises me how often God answers our cry for help. It's almost embarrassing how small he makes our troubles seem with his solutions; He's the God of creative answers and extravagant gifts.   Tornado threat that dissipated into heavy rain, thunder and lightning.  My husband and I experience his mercy every single day. We've experienced his tiny mercies every day  and even big mercies that we never imagined. They range from lifting the threat of tornadoes in our area to providing a home for us free of debt. The common thread among his mercies is the desperation we express for more of Him in our time of need but also in our time of thanksgiving. His mercy is not exclusive to tragic desperation but inclusive of being desperately grateful for all he has done. He showers us with love and provision when we are in fear and when we are thriving. I love how he gives without conditions or strings. He just gives and loves because he wants to.   Cry Out...

One of my favorite things to do to relax, besides sitting on the porch, is chilling out in our recliner with my PJ pants and a hot cup of coffee after a long day of teaching and tutoring and churching. It’s so nice to curl up with a warm cup in my hands and be able to just pause for a few minutes and enjoy the moment. The only issue is when my problems become bigger than a cup of coffee and a big, comfy recliner. At some point, a cup of coffee, an extra mile or two, a long drive, or another beef jerky just doesn’t cut it anymore. The peace I used to feel from my routines or hobbies is absent and I’m left searching for more. Psalm 122 speaks of praying for peace from God. The English dictionary defines “peace” as the absence of disturbance or the end to war; however, I’m afraid this definition is not the true meaning of peace but rather the result of the true definition. Jesus’ presence creates a calming affect that we associate with peace. Jesus is peace. By going into his presen...

A couple months ago, our agriculture exemption was in jeopardy because we didn’t have cows in the time frame that the state regulations require. At the time, cows were at an all time high buying cost so it was impossible for us to scrounge up money and get the 4 required cows for our acreage. We went nuts searching for some way to keep our exemption other than cows. We looked into planting stuff, a wildlife reserve and even a butterfly exhibit (no kidding…LOL). We exhausted every solution trying to find a way around not having cows. During this problem, my husband’s dad called and expressed he had too many cows for his land and needed a place to put them. He wondered if he could let us “borrow” them for an indefinite time. God has such an amazing way of working things out at the perfect time. We have cows, our land is ag exempt and we love the partnership that has developed with my father-in-law. Part of human nature is to get into messy situations, whether it be on purpose or by ...

In a world of social media, quick news reports and the web at our fingertips, a lot of bad news and negative information gets funneled into our minds. There’s not really a way around it and it would be stupid to shut yourself off from being aware of current events. Staying positive and encouraged becomes a rarity in a place crowded with negative thoughts. Being negative becomes a way of life, a habit, a mind-set; God wants us to be the light, the good, the hopeful, the encouraging in the midst of all the dark. He also wants us to be strategic about what we expose ourselves to as we shine our light from within. But we must also be conscious of being self-focused or self-centered in our strategies. To become rightfully aligned, we need to become people of peace, with a peace that comes from the Holy Spirit living inside us and being Christ-centered. Psalms 120:6-7 says: I’m tired of living among people who hate peace. I search for peace; but when I speak of peace, they want war! ...