Preacher’s Wife Teaching Life

Growing up it seemed like we (Christians) were taught to "just keep believing" to "just have faith" or to "keep trying." We were taught to basically stuff it. God has been revealing to me over the past couple months that it is ok to feel emotions towards him. It's ok to get mad, get sad, get disappointed about that things that upset you. It is when we start saying things to God like, "YOU did this" or "YOU didn't do that" or "if YOU would just do what I wanted" that we've crossed the fine line from having emotions to accusing God of wronging us. God has never wronged us; he provides, loves, and suffers for us. Be open about how you feel towards God but don't place false blame and accusations against him. Thank him for the blessings he has given you and trust that everything will turn out just the way he wants it.

A lot of times I struggle with the things God has promised Jarrod and I not happening. I get upset because he hasn't given me what I deserve. He hasn't given me what he said he'd give me. I was praying about this Sunday and God brought this to my mind: Faith is not expecting something you think God owes you. God owes you nothing. Faith is waiting on what he has promised he will provide for you. Knowing that you will be provided for and you will not need anything more than what he's given you.  Be careful to not get believing in God's promises confused with wondering why the heck he hasn't given you something you  think you deserve. Remind yourself daily what he's already provided in your life and thank him for it. Our God is an awesome God and knows exactly what you need when you need it.

My pastor/husband asked the church to ask Jesus for an encouraging word and to send it to him for the next sermon. As I was prompting the congregation via email to remember to take time from their busy weeks and do this, I realized that I needed to take my own advice. God gave me this word: Gun shots fired in the distance and my dog was terrified. Shaking uncontrollably and hiding under my feet. I picked him up, set him on the bed, covered him in my pajamas, told him he was safe, and prayed out loud for him. The dog didn’t know I was praying. He could hear me but he doesn’t know my words or what I’m saying but immediately after I said, “amen” he stopped trembling and laid his head down to sleep. Continue to pray for those who don’t know you are praying. Never give up hope in God hearing your prayers for this person. Jesus never gives up looking for the one lost sheep…we can be more like him and never stop praying for one lost soul. Don't grow weary of pursuing God about this pers...

The day after Thanksgiving, Jarrod and I met up with his sister, mom, and step dad to have lunch. After lunch we took his sister and mom to see our land. His sister lives in Oregon and hadn't seen it in person yet. We stopped by Starbucks of course and made the 20 minute drive out there. Jarrod stopped to put the truck in 4 wheel drive so we could drive onto our untamed land and show his sister where we hope to build our home. As we rolled out of our land, Jarrod stopped to take the truck out of 4 wheel drive and we started the trek back home. We turn the corner of our one lane dirt road and see a vehicle of some kind hidden by 2 round bales of hay coming QUICKLY down the hill of the dirt road. The hay bales are so high that the driver clearly cannot see us. By the grace of God, Jarrod slams the truck into reverse and Lynde (his sister) is yelling, "honk the horn!!!!!" Jarrod drives in reverse going 30 mph on this curvy dirt road honking his horn and he still does not...

Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. (Hebrews 11:1 NLT) For we live by believing and not by seeing. (2 Corinthians 5:7 NLT) For some people, faith comes easily. Faith is a precious gift that some people are blessed with. Other people learn to have faith. I wish I could say I was the first person, but I'm not. By the way I live you might think that'd be the case but instead, my case is one of obedience. I have to pray for faith constantly and be reminded of the promises God has given us. In a world where we are able to see and get immediate results and see the products of our labor after hard work, it can sometimes be hard to believe in something we cannot see. Not that I feel believing in God is hard but sometimes believing his promises will happen is hard. For example, I get easily discouraged about our ministry not looking the way I thought it would (ridiculous, I know) and I start believin...