Preacher’s Wife Teaching Life

I wrote in an earlier post about our dog, Troop . He went to live with Jesus and we were devastated by the loss. He was my little buddy and we did everything together. Because of that, I’m still getting over missing him. Every day gets easier, but I can’t help but notice his absence when just a month ago he was so present. We have an 8 by 8 chain link fence in the shade with a dog house that we used for him when we went to work (otherwise, he was running around or in the house). Our good friend has Troop’s brother and would like for him to breed a female so we can have another puppy. She innocently asked if she could borrow our cage so that she could have a place for the dogs to do their thing. Jarrod and I were discussing this and I quickly responded with a harsh “NO.” If she had been standing there, she would have walked away with a nub. I had lots of excuses to justify my “no,” but my reaction was a sign of where my heart was.  My sweet husband noticed something was obvious...

The events of each passing year is a reminder of how important a sturdy support system is. To me, a support system consists of people who are like minded and rally alongside you in every turn of life. They are the people who bring us closer to God, remind us of how good He is and push us towards our dreams in a healthy way. It’s only natural for us to desire a support system and to feel alone when we don’t have one. Think about it: we were born with or placed in the care of parents to feed, change, love, guide and care for us. We grow up seeking to expand our support system as our lives change. My husband and I quickly found in the ministry that we could not survive without one in place. Our support system is multi-dimensional, dependable and loving. This is what our support system consists of: God: Our biggest supporter and strongest foundation. Our faith in God, relationship with him and knowledge that he is ALWAYS good has carried us through everything. God loves, encourag...

It's quite common for our view of family to expand when we are thrown into situations where our blood families are not available. For example, military people form tight bonds with fellow soldiers because of the stories shared, time spent, and hard days lived together. Jarrod and I are quickly finding that these bonds are not confined to military branches, schools or other places. These bonds are formed within the body of Christ. Through the body of Christ we are able to share stories and experiences, find common ground through the love of God, and spend time together learning more about Jesus. Hear more about how we've transformed our lives through our expanding view of family: