Preacher’s Wife Teaching Life

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...

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...

If you walked into my house last week, you would have found me having a fight with a coffee machine. Like any other normal person, I like to have coffee in the morning. And like any other coffee lover, if I don't get my coffee, insanity ensues.  My thoughts when there was no coffee. On this particular morning, my coffee machine decided to make all the appropriate noises but do none of the appropriate functions to make coffee. Water was spewing everywhere; Kcups were wasted; coffee cups were splattered why murky coffee like substance.  I. Freaked. Out. I ripped the cord out of the wall, threw the machine in the sink upside down and cursed the heck out of it. I might venture the say this was a little over the top for an innocent coffee machine with no heart beat. I might even venture to say it could have been user error. I don't know, but whatever it was, my reaction was a little dramatic for a plastic item. Jarrod encouraged me to take a break as I instructed him to ...

God showed me a little bit about our identity through my understanding of mathematics. It may seem scary at first, but I'll explain it so stick with me :) I'll start with a simple example to explain what God is saying in the above graphic. 1*3 = 3, right? Yes. 1 is the identity for multiplication because it is the only number that won't change the characteristics of other numbers. 1*4 = 4 1*5 = 5 and so on. Jesus is a Christian's true identity so: Jesus * you = YOU He is the only factor that can produce the true you. The you without the hitch hikers that jump on your mind and heart from the troubles of this world, your upbringing and your worry for the future. . My husband and I have been focusing our mornings on spending more time with God. He prefers an unhindered quiet time of soaking, praying and reading while I enjoy time on the sofa with coffee, puppies, reading and praying. I love to see how the word applies to my life and also how it provides e...