Preacher’s Wife Teaching Life

Anxiety is something we all feel at least once in our lives. Some of us feel it every day; some of us feel it seasonally. Whatever category you fall under, I'm sure you know what I mean when I refer to the feeling of anxiety. We played "Lucky" at our wedding because the words spoke to both of us. I've talked a lot about ways the prevent anxiety and how prayer is a guaranteed way to get away from anxious feelings. In this post, I'm talking about another method to escape anxiety: worshiping Jesus through songs. Songs and prayer work in the same way: they both bring our focus to something other than our problems. Songs and praise bring our eyes up to the God and serve as a reminder of who is in charge. The one advantage that songs have over prayer is the emotional connection we have to certain lyrics or tunes. Think about your favorite song...do you have it? Why is it your favorite song? What does it remind you of? What time in your life did you hear that ...

We voted! I love the anticipation of finding out who will preside over our country! I would imagine being president is one of the hardest jobs on the planet, yet we manage to find one every 4-8 years that is willing to take on the sacrifices of a country leader. I may not always agree with our president, but no matter who it is, I hold a great deal of respect for someone willing to step into that position of authority. It is, after all, essentially the greatest authority we have on Earth as Americans. I can find rest in who America chooses because while he/she is the greatest authority in our country, God still remains the greatest authority over the entire universe. Worrying about things that are out of our control would be like preparing for a test we are never going to have...it's pointless. Faithfully praying, without worry, on the other hand, is certainly recommended in times when big decision are being made that affect many people for years. God has been teaching me t...

With each new day comes new obstacles. When we get weighed down by these obstacles and our own expectations, our hope dims and our frustration brightens. I'm here today to testify that dimming hope is not possible in a day walked closely with God. This doesn't mean you toss your anger and frustration in his direction and throw your requests out into open air; walking a day with God means spending time in his presence and opening up the conversation with him to rid you of frustration and hopelessness.  My frustration this morning! Made me late to work but prayer brought me favor with timing. We are learning that every day is a gift from God. Each day doesn't have to be open season for opposition; each day can bring new hope, new opportunities, second chances and excitement for what is to come. We don't have the promise of tomorrow, but we do have the promise of a life lived well with God on our side and the guarantee of an eternity spent with him.  A joyful...

Every day I hear people wondering out loud if they are effective or having an impact in the world. We can't help but want to leave our mark on the world and impact people in a powerful way. What you're experiencing right now, what you've experienced in the past, and what you will experience tomorrow shapes you in such a way that you have a unique impact on people. We go through hard times and we go through good times that shape us into the person we are with the personality we have. Some people go through harder things than others and some people grow up in an environment of love and safety. Whatever you're surrounded with, it is shaping you. God uses every single life experience for his victory, your testimony, and for the people that you can reach through your personal experiences. The key to getting to a place where you can share your experiences with light, love and hope comes from intimacy with God and sustained victory over darkness. Only through God can we sh...

You know that feeling when things aren’t working out the way you planned? Maybe you expected a better outcome for yourself and you’re worried about how everything will turn out? You lose sleep over issues that are out of your control and you have anxiety about the future. As the reader, you might notice all the “you’s” in the above sentences. There wasn’t much of “God” mentioned but there was a lot mentioned about your own well-being and yourself. This is an example of operating in the flesh. If you haven’t grown up in church, you might associate “flesh” with skin and you’re wondering why I’m talking about skin. “Flesh” in church-ese for operating in this world without the guidance and fruit of the Holy Spirit. Flesh focuses a lot on “self” – self-gratification, selfishness, self-satisfaction, self-advancement, self-consciousness, self-protection, etc. Walking in the flesh usually ends in anxiety, worry, depression, addictions, destruction, anger and fear. Matthew 7:13,14 Ent...

In Psalm 129 , the Israelites express their frustration for being persecuted since youth and they ask God to cut the cords that tie them to the wicked.  For them, it's about slavery and the way they've been treated in the past; for us it's more about being slaves to the things that torment us - like depression, addictions, anxiety, etc. God is trying to teach us, in this day, that: Our suffering is not a lifestyle, it is merely a gateway to our freedom in Christ. Suffering is not a phase we live in for the rest of our lives while we wither away in sorrow and frustration - it should be used as an opportunity for God to cut the chains that bind us so we can experience true freedom in him. For example, years ago when financial burdens plagued us I used to get very worried, stressed and hopeless about our situation. I would try to come up with ways we could earn more money to afford the things that came up unexpectedly. I lived this way - chained down to this fear of lack o...

Almost every day I look back at my “on this day” page in Facebook. It’s fun to see what we were going through or how my life has developed since I got a Facebook account when it FIRST started in college. While some memories are fun to reminisce on (like when I bought my first car), most of the things I posted as my younger self are a bit painful to read. My old self was full of anxiety and negativity; I don’t know how anyone stood to be around me. Around 2011-2012, I started asking God to transform my attitude and I can clearly see the change begin in my Facebook posts. I love to look at my posts from 2007-2011 and compare them to the posts I’ve made from 2011-the present. Pastor Doug White came to speak this Sunday at our church and said he had one word for us: Metamorphosis. He spoke on the transformation that comes from the power of God working in our hearts. When we ask and open our hearts, he changes us from what we are to what we are meant to become.  *TRANSFORMATION C...

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...