I've been blogging here for a little over six months. I feel like I'm working out my purpose and what I want to "say". I really have a lot of fun doing it!
What is my subject matter? My life. My life as a christian, wife, mother, homemaker and preacher's wife and all of the things that I do. Within this realm, I pursue many interests, and it is my hope that some of these things will uplift and inspire you, and perhaps you will learn something useful from time to time.
Most of what I write is for myself... especially my posts of a spiritual nature. The rest are just things I happen to be having fun doing myself, so I share, hoping that someone will find what I'm doing interesting, inspiring, or useful.
Do I expect all of my readers to live the way I do and do what I do? Absolutely not!
I think many women suffer from twinges guilt at various times. You may see my "life" on my blog and feel like I am just sooooo put together. HA! I'm deeply flawed, and depend upon God for my daily sustenance as much as the next lady. Ditch the guilt. If you are living according to God's word, you are doing the most important things. Choose the good part. Fully embrace the life you have been given, and the people in it. People are more important than things.
This post was inspired by today's post on Passionate Homemaking - Why Mother's Need to Pick Their Priorities. Confession: I don't floss either. *Dodging the blows from my mother!* I also wanted to say this because tomorrow's post is all about converting to cloth and is one of the ways that I am a little (or a lot) more "out there". So filter, my readers. Glean and filter. And be confident in your choices.
May your day be blessed!
Showing posts with label Introduction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Introduction. Show all posts
Monday, May 9, 2011
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
How I Came To Be a Church Mouse
Hmmm.... how far back should the story go? Growing up, my Dad preached part time, so I always considered myself to be a "PK". We did not grow up as a "Preacher Family" though, and I have learned how very different that part is. I did not marry a preacher. I married a man who was going to school to be some other profession. He enjoyed preaching part time, and always wanted to be deeply involved with whatever church we were a part of, but nearly every male member of his family is or was a preacher, so the idea was a bit intimidating to him because he knew just what the life was like and what level of commitment it would be. I believe the words, "I will never be a full-time preacher" were uttered on more than one occasion.
Fast-forward a bit... local economy is crummy and there are no jobs for his profession. Other options were considered and doors were politely, but firmly shut on all other opportunities we explored. Then... we found out that we were expecting Big Littles. Life is full of surprises, isn't it?
Putting a baby in the care of someone else was never an option for us. Never say never? Well, NEVER! Not for us. We were faced with a choice: One, my husband would go to school full time, work full time to support us, and we would barely scrape by and would never see him. Two, he could preach! He'd been considering it... he had been doing it (part time) and was coming to enjoy it more and more, and if we were being perfectly honest with ourselves, it was God's will. All those doors slammed shut for a reason. All of those wide open doors into the world of preaching were for a reason. We only see through the mirror darkly and cannot fully comprehend God's providence and plan, but this was one of those moments where it became all too clear that God was doing everything possible to point us down this path.
So we embraced it!
There are different kinds of preacher families, different styles of preachers, and different needs for different churches. Some work as though in an office job with "office hours". Some are out all day, every day pounding the streets. Some work in foreign fields.
We are this: My husband has been hired to work with a local church with certain understandings and expectations. As his wife and help-meet, it is my job to help him in whatever way I can and whatever way he has need. We are a preacher family. We all work together and this work is so closely entwined with our every day life, that it is nearly impossible to separate the tangled web. We work together, learn together, play together, and minister to the needs of others together. It is a unique lifestyle that we have chosen.
While this is not the path I envisioned for my life, I am grateful to be able to serve in this way, and I love our life.
May God grant you blessings as you live your life for Him... in whatever circumstances... in whatever your task.
Colossians 3:23 - And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men (KJV)
Fast-forward a bit... local economy is crummy and there are no jobs for his profession. Other options were considered and doors were politely, but firmly shut on all other opportunities we explored. Then... we found out that we were expecting Big Littles. Life is full of surprises, isn't it?
Putting a baby in the care of someone else was never an option for us. Never say never? Well, NEVER! Not for us. We were faced with a choice: One, my husband would go to school full time, work full time to support us, and we would barely scrape by and would never see him. Two, he could preach! He'd been considering it... he had been doing it (part time) and was coming to enjoy it more and more, and if we were being perfectly honest with ourselves, it was God's will. All those doors slammed shut for a reason. All of those wide open doors into the world of preaching were for a reason. We only see through the mirror darkly and cannot fully comprehend God's providence and plan, but this was one of those moments where it became all too clear that God was doing everything possible to point us down this path.
So we embraced it!
There are different kinds of preacher families, different styles of preachers, and different needs for different churches. Some work as though in an office job with "office hours". Some are out all day, every day pounding the streets. Some work in foreign fields.
We are this: My husband has been hired to work with a local church with certain understandings and expectations. As his wife and help-meet, it is my job to help him in whatever way I can and whatever way he has need. We are a preacher family. We all work together and this work is so closely entwined with our every day life, that it is nearly impossible to separate the tangled web. We work together, learn together, play together, and minister to the needs of others together. It is a unique lifestyle that we have chosen.
While this is not the path I envisioned for my life, I am grateful to be able to serve in this way, and I love our life.
May God grant you blessings as you live your life for Him... in whatever circumstances... in whatever your task.
Colossians 3:23 - And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men (KJV)
Monday, October 11, 2010
Church Mouse Learns Frugality
You have surely heard the description, "Poor as church mice". Growing up, my parents talked about how poor we were at times. When I grew up, I learned that we had never really been poor at all, and that my parents had an upper middle class salary, but were struggling with debt and our family was being suffocated by "stuffitis". I hope to never describe our family as poor. We are tremendously blessed and enjoy a comfortable living. One of the most comforting things about being a preacher family is that I feel confident in the fact that as long as we are dedicated to serving the Lord, all of our needs will be supplied. We will never be wealthy, but we will never go hungry. People working in the secular world do not necessarily have this kind of security.
Proverbs 30:8 - Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion... (NASB)
Still, we live on a single, modest income, and are currently dedicated to paying off the last of our student loans with "gazelle-like intensity" (thanks to Dave Ramsey). By paying off many times the monthly amount of our loan each month, we live on a small percentage of our income and are always looking for ways to shave off bits here and there from our expenses. I am always looking for creative ways to live a frugal, yet bountiful life, and in these difficult economic times, I'm sure many of my readers wishing for the same.
I get very tired of reading silly newspaper articles with "The Top 10 Ways to Save $___ This Year" or some such thing. I never learn anything new in those types of articles because they usually recommend brewing your coffee at home instead of stopping by S-bucks every day, or brown bagging your lunch 3 days a week and only eating out 2, or other things that are rather ridiculous to me. Learning how to spend less is something I'm continually working towards and is as much about good habits as anything. I have learned much by imitating habits and advice given by my grandmothers and great-grandmothers who lived through the Great Depression. Living frugally is a lifestyle, and in my mind a good one. The Biblical concept of stewardship is one that deserves our meditation.
Ephesians 4:28 - Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. (ESV)
It is not about being "cheap", rather it is about being temperate in all things and not being wasteful of our blessings so we are ready and able to help others as we see a need.
So we are learning to -
Use it up,
Wear it out,
Make do,
Then do without.
If you would like to do the same, you have come to the right place!
Blessings!
Proverbs 30:8 - Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; Feed me with the food that is my portion... (NASB)
Still, we live on a single, modest income, and are currently dedicated to paying off the last of our student loans with "gazelle-like intensity" (thanks to Dave Ramsey). By paying off many times the monthly amount of our loan each month, we live on a small percentage of our income and are always looking for ways to shave off bits here and there from our expenses. I am always looking for creative ways to live a frugal, yet bountiful life, and in these difficult economic times, I'm sure many of my readers wishing for the same.
I get very tired of reading silly newspaper articles with "The Top 10 Ways to Save $___ This Year" or some such thing. I never learn anything new in those types of articles because they usually recommend brewing your coffee at home instead of stopping by S-bucks every day, or brown bagging your lunch 3 days a week and only eating out 2, or other things that are rather ridiculous to me. Learning how to spend less is something I'm continually working towards and is as much about good habits as anything. I have learned much by imitating habits and advice given by my grandmothers and great-grandmothers who lived through the Great Depression. Living frugally is a lifestyle, and in my mind a good one. The Biblical concept of stewardship is one that deserves our meditation.
Ephesians 4:28 - Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. (ESV)
It is not about being "cheap", rather it is about being temperate in all things and not being wasteful of our blessings so we are ready and able to help others as we see a need.
So we are learning to -
Use it up,
Wear it out,
Make do,
Then do without.
If you would like to do the same, you have come to the right place!
Blessings!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
All Things Church-Housey
Welcome!
I, church mouse, am a writer. I'm sure my fellow bloggers will understand that this is the way I organize my thoughts and often my life. I love to learn and sharing what I learn helps me to learn it even better. While we live a humble and simple life in our little house that some would call a parsonage, it seems that there are others who might take an interest in our goings-on, so I am sharing here.
I love to discuss homemaking, mothering, and ministering to the needs of others as these are the things that consume my life. I am disinclined to engage in debates. I just don't enjoy it and do not have the extra emotional energy to share, so thank you for being respectful of that.
On a final note, I wish to remain anonymous. Being a preacher's wife, I am in the precarious position of having the potential to strongly impact my husband's employment by our current church or by future ones. My thoughts and choices in many areas are not mainstream and some would disagree with much of what I would say. While I consider our personal choices matters of opinion, there are some who would take offense and sadly, this can affect our livelihood. It's silly, isn't it? Alas, it is the life of a church mouse. The blessings far outnumber the curses, so we happily deal with the situation, trying to live "wise as serpents, innocent as doves" (Matthew 10:16).
Blessings to My Readers!
I, church mouse, am a writer. I'm sure my fellow bloggers will understand that this is the way I organize my thoughts and often my life. I love to learn and sharing what I learn helps me to learn it even better. While we live a humble and simple life in our little house that some would call a parsonage, it seems that there are others who might take an interest in our goings-on, so I am sharing here.
I love to discuss homemaking, mothering, and ministering to the needs of others as these are the things that consume my life. I am disinclined to engage in debates. I just don't enjoy it and do not have the extra emotional energy to share, so thank you for being respectful of that.
On a final note, I wish to remain anonymous. Being a preacher's wife, I am in the precarious position of having the potential to strongly impact my husband's employment by our current church or by future ones. My thoughts and choices in many areas are not mainstream and some would disagree with much of what I would say. While I consider our personal choices matters of opinion, there are some who would take offense and sadly, this can affect our livelihood. It's silly, isn't it? Alas, it is the life of a church mouse. The blessings far outnumber the curses, so we happily deal with the situation, trying to live "wise as serpents, innocent as doves" (Matthew 10:16).
Blessings to My Readers!
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