Preacher’s Wife Teaching Life

Creepy iPad and keyboard I walked into my bedroom to work on my computer, thinking about what I might want to write about. I’ve had a rough couple days for no particular reason so I was trying to tie that in to a topic for the blog. After the 300th time of trying to get my wireless keyboard to connect to my computer, I have to admit I got a little heated over the matter. I stormed out of my bedroom, slammed the door for effect and at that very moment, my iPad turned on and randomly started playing “What is Love?” It stopped me in my tracks. It’s a song from the 80/90s, but it is a song I grew up on and remember fondly from skating rink days. I immediately grabbed the iPad and started dancing (ridiculously) in the living room and laughing so hard it hurt. The title of the song and the timing of it turning on without my permission are not lost on me. I love how God works. He reminds us in the most unique ways of his presence and how small our problems are. Did I mention that I don’t...

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...

One of my favorite things to do is take old furniture that's been tossed aside and make it new again.I found this old dresser in a second-hand store that was a little ratty. It had some water damage, missing screws and just needed some TLC in general. But all I saw was it's potential! It was exactly what I'd been searching for and it had great potential to be made into a beautiful piece of furniture. I sent a picture to my husband and he wasn't too keen on it but said he trusted me to make that decision. Sooooooooo after a couple days of thinking, I bought it. We took it home and I couldn't wait to get started on it! I sanded it down, cleaned it up, spray painted the handles, primed all the surfaces and finished it with a fresh coat of paint. What used to be an ugly, tossed-aside piece became beautiful and welcome in our home. I think I love transforming furniture so much because it reminds me of the way God works in our lives when we say yes to him. It seems like...

I've grown up thinking that failure is one of the worst outcomes. So much so that it cripples me in certain ways; for example, I used to not even start certain things because I was afraid I wouldn't be succeed. God has been showing me that failure isn't a reflection on WHO I am, it doesn't mean that God doesn't have my back and it isn't an opportunity to quit while I'm ahead. He's replacing that mindset with the concept that failure is a chance to become better, to learn more about God's character and helps eliminate options in life. I posted a few videos on my Facebook page (Preacher's Wife Teaching Life) so I'll share those with you now: The Greatest Teacher: Failure with a Flair:

SURPRIIIIIIISE!!!! The Shock of the Year… We were invited to a friend’s house for dinner last weekend. We pulled up promptly at 7, walked in the house and received instructions from my friend. She said that her son wanted to show me his new puppy in the backyard. I open up the door to the backyard and immediately see all my close church friends gathered around in expectation, and hear a loud “SURPRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISE!!!!!!” In that moment, my heart was flooded with emotion. Tears gathered in my eyes as memories and thoughts of great times spent together came rushing upon me in an instant. I was so excited and touched to know that they had been planning this for weeks and prepared a special party for me with all my favorite things. One of those favorite things included the art of celebration; I love to celebrate and mark moments in time with good memories and good friends. I love for each person to feel special and distinguished when good things come their way. Cheesecake F...

Last week we went to pick up our dry cleaning and drop off some different clothes (we have it down to a pretty good cycle so we aren’t ever out of clothes). Jarrod went in to pick them up but they were missing. They looked under all the “Jarrod’s”, found nothing and basically told us they weren't there. We asked what we needed to do to get them back and they said the manager would have to deal with it when she came in on Wednesday (two days from then). I was upset, to say the least, because I needed the pants for work the next day and Jarrod needed his dress shirts for meetings. Reluctantly we left the dry cleaners and as our day went on, I alternated between being overly upset and knowing God would fix the problem. By my husband’s gentle leadership, he reminded me to seek God as I battled the pull towards doubting God’s character. I was reminded to stay emotionally honest while still knowing that God is the protector and provider. My heart’s desire is to stay in a world of kn...

My husband told this story last Sunday about our house and how anyone is welcome inside it. We've got a nice big open kitchen/dining/living area that we keep picked up and clean and a beautiful guest suite where people can stay the night. But there's this other part of our house that we usually keep shut off. It's our master suite...which is a mirror image of the guest suite but it's ours. We keep it shut off because of guns but also mostly because when people come over, we shove all the clutter (mail, purses, dirty socks, random shoes, etc) into our bedroom. I also have a repulsion to putting clean laundry away so I have stacks of clothes I dig through until I get fed up enough to put it all away. Hey, don't judge me...we all have that clutter drawer/room in our lives. Our bathroom stays pretty clean except for the laundry basket and maybe some pajamas on the floor. Well recently, I've felt a deep desire to remedy this dirty room. I hate that I'm embarras...

Every time Pastor Doug White comes speak to our church, it's like a fire hose of great information (he's our apostolic leader which means he leads our leaders). I wrote it all down but it's kind of a lot so I'm going to forward his three main thoughts on to you. The points leave a pretty big impact so I don't need much extra fluff :) 1) Just because everything is in chaos does not mean God left the scene. ( Psalm 37:5 and Psalm 55:22 ). Whenever you feel the most alone in this world, know that God is drawing nearer to you. Reach out and grab his presence (metaphorically of course...you probably won't make it out alive if you actually touched God. The power would be too much for you...like a light saber on steroids). 2) God's solution to our problems may surprise us. God has no problem getting to you even though you may have trouble getting to him. For example, we were homeless for a time and were contemplating living in a tent on the land we are payin...

We got this kitten a year or so ago. My mom found her on the side of the road in the rain on her way to our house and brought her to me. She's a beautiful calico kitten that looks malnourished, dirty, and sopping wet. Of course I adopted her! We fattened her up, kept her safe at night, and gave her lots of love. Later we got more kittens from my mom and dad's farm - they were all from the same litter and you could tell they were a family unit. Fast forward to current time...I was sitting on the porch, watching the cats interact with each other and I realize Rory, the calico, has assumed the role of queen bee of my little kitty family. She rules the roost and it's clear she does. All she has to do is LOOK at the others when they are misbehaving and they shrink away in fear. I love Rory's success story. She went from being a literal street rat and rose up to be the Queen of them all. With love, care and acceptance, she's totally immersed herself with the others and...

This week we covered Joshua 24 . Basically, Joshua reflects on all that's happened and tells the people to remember God. ( Joshua:14, 15 ) This post is a quick and dry summary of allllll my previous posts (which are linked into the points listed below): 1) God established a leader in Joshua; Moses was a powerful leader and his he passed his mantle to Joshua, like a spiritual inheritance. ---> His first responsibility was to come under authority. ------> Each leader has a leader to come under. Even the highest power on Earth has to submit to someone, namely God. Coming under authority by submitting to their guidance is of utmost importance to your well being. 2) A partnership with the Lord is established. ---> God does his part first and then humans need to do their part. For example, God sent a hail storm in Joshua 10 and the people still had to fight the battle with those remaining. ---> God has an opinion about his dominion and we could do well t...

Were you ever a subject of a rumor? Did something ever get spread around about you like wildfire and you didn’t have the tools to put it out? The thing about rumors, gossip, and slander is that if the originator would have just asked you about it, you probably could have put a stop to it. It was probably something so minor that could have been cleared up in the matter of one conversation. Instead, people went around trying to solve your problems, trying to say what THEY would have done and what YOU should have done…when all they had to do was ask. They build up a case against you and sometimes even formulate a plan to fix you or your problem. Most of the time with gossip, it’s an issue you and one other person can work out between the two of you before God…if you’re willing. That’s where Joshua 22 comes in. We had a special Sunday this week with baby dedications and a personal testimony so Joshua 22 will be spread out over two weeks. This week, God wants to deal with gossip and hono...

When you're waiting in line for something REALLY awesome, do you: a) push your way to the front to make sure you get what's yours? b) wait patiently in line while watching the crazies elbow each other for something we're all going to get anyway? c) wait until someone buys it for you so you don't have to deal with the effort? Joshua 14-19 tells a story of these three types of receivers as he lines out the allotment of the land. Again in these chapters, there are a lot of names and places that can make your head spin but Pastor Dad (David) was able, through God's revelation, to line up these chapters in a much more relevant way. We are to the point where Joshua is getting old and is losing a little steam. He still believes in the promise and wants to move on but is not as able to. Caleb came in with fresh energy and reminded Joshua to allot the land to its respective owners. So by Caleb's prodding, they explore the land, allot it to appropriate tribes, and...

I couldn't find a picture like the one I drew in my notes, so I've graced you with my limited art skills below (LOL): You'd be surprised but Joshua 11 is actually a love story. It's CRAZY to see it that way with all the fighting, killing, and war but if you know God and the Holy Spirit and ask him to help you see it, its there. Read Joshua 11 HERE The arrogance of the kings mentioned in 11 brought annihilation on their people. By cursing God's people (Israel), they brought curses on themselves. God fought for Israel in the south and when the others found out this was happening they charged toward the Israelis (like a moth to a flame) and drove themselves into destruction. Joshua 6: Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them. By this time tomorrow I will hand all of them over to Israel as dead men. Then you must cripple their horses and burn their chariots.” And then Joshua 16-20: So Joshua conquered the entire region—the hill country, the entire Neg...

This post comes from Joshua 10 . Cliff Notes version: The Israelites have walked into the land that was promised to them. The people are aware that a living God comes with Israel and the Gibeonites have struck a deal with the Israelites for protection. The 5 Amorite Kings unite in hopes of defeating Israel by attacking Gibeon. The Gibeonites come ask for help and (Joshua 10:8) The Lord said to Joshua, “Do not be afraid of them; I have given them into your hand. Not one of them will be able to withstand you.” God begins to fight for Israel by throwing the Amorites into a panic (they ran away) and a hail storm took out anyone not struck down by sword. Joshua realized they were running out of time and commanded the sun to stand still and from God through Joshua, it happens! (Which from my husband's research means the Earth slowed considerably which means they should have FLOWN off the planet from the sheer gravity of it. Much like slamming on the brakes in a car. There are documents i...

My goodness so much has happened in the last 5-6 months. In the past 6 months, we've been gracefully asked to move from our homes for renovations two times. We've seen the grace of God through people with giving hearts and have had a time of restoration that we really needed. We moved to a very nice house right outside our home town with no chance of affordable internet and we chose to save money and not have cable. Doing this made us feel disconnected from our world in many ways but also provided a time for my husband and I to grow in our relationship together and with God. Through prayer, we discovered wounds we never knew we had and through healing, we've grown and matured in our walk with Him. Our time in that house is up so we moved our stuff into storage and are staying with my husband's mom and step dad for the next couple weeks until our future home is ready. If you are a friend of ours, you've seen we've been building a "cabin" on our land. ...

When Jarrod and I FIRST started dating he said he liked it when I asked for his help with some things (like reaching the top shelf) because it meant I couldn't do some things without him. Which worked out nicely for me because I'm the baby of the family and I love to be helped :)  This is similar to how God feels for us. What would we need him for if our lives were perfect...without challenges. We are pushed outside our "boxes" so often on a daily basis and need Him to help us through it. If we weren't uncomfortable every now and then, we probably wouldn't give much credit to His glory.  I haven't shared the information I'm about to give you with many people (except close friends) because I'm a little embarrassed about it...given our current financial situation. On Wednesday, we signed papers to own 40 acres out in the country...WHAT?! You say. Yeah...me too. We don't have regular income and the somewhat regular income we have comes from Jar...

I have to start this post with some background story. Please bear with me as I eventually make my way to the meat of the story. Jarrod and I first met in high school on a double date - but not with each other. He was with a girl he had been dating for a couple years and I was with his best friend (our first and last date). Jarrod graduated, went to the Air Force and continued to date his girlfriend for 3 more years. I finished high school and went to college in our home town. In March of 2007 (Jarrod and his girlfriend had been broken up for a while at this point) Jarrod "friended" me on MySpace, I accepted, and we messaged each other for about 2 months. We were like silly little school children, waiting impatiently for each others' next message. After messaging each other on MySpace for 2 months, we exchanged phone numbers and I text messaged him a couple days later with a simple message...testing the waters. We continued to text message for 2 weeks when he st...

This post is actually inspired by and part of it has been stolen from my sister Jennifer. I am the last of 4 children in my family. I am 10 years younger than the oldest and almost 5 years younger than the 3rd child, Jennifer. My siblings and I always joke about how I was the "accident", the "hiccup", the "mistake" of the family but they only get away with not hurting my feelings because I know this is not true. Well, being an "accident" is technically true but I know I am not viewed as an "accident"; I'm viewed as a precious gift. A pleasant surprise. At my dad's birthday party this year, my family was reminiscing on good times at a summer camp. My parents were trying to remember how many kids they had at the time and came to the conclusion they only had 3. Somehow we got around to joking about me being the afterthought that wasn't alive or thought about yet. For a tiny split second the joking stings but then I remember...