Our Resources
“Help! I’m Stuck!”
As quarantine settled in around me, so did my own spiritual desert. I didn't feel God’s presence or enjoy spending time with Him. His Word wasn’t leaping off the page to speak to my heart. Worship felt routine and my prayers just bounced off of the ceiling. I felt...
When Church Doesn’t Make the Covid Cut
We are starting to notice which families are coming back to church and which ones aren’t. It’s a hard thing to think about as a pastor and as a pastor’s wife. We ask ourselves, “Are they Ok?” or “Are they just worried about the virus?” or “Maybe they just don’t like...
Playdough or Concrete: It’s a Heart Condition
When my children were little, it was a common occurrence to find their playdough containers partially open, the colorful dough hardened and crumbling. I would remind them endlessly to close the lids, but their busy little minds would soon forget. Finances were tight...
What’s My Why?
"I think when you forget why you’re doing what you’re doing in ministry, it’s really easy to let bitterness or resentment take over. I’m not going to deny those thoughts and feelings. That pain does happen, but those are the moments I have to remind myself why we’re...
Balancing the Expectations
You know that feeling. Your life is filled with commitments with very little margin left, when you hear about another need, or find out a couple in your church is on the brink of a divorce, or someone asks you to help out in another ministry arena. You wrestle with...
Realistic Expectations
“I just get so jealous when my friends talk about their husbands being home by 6 and having dinner together. It’s a rare thing when my husband doesn't have an evening meeting and by the time he gets home, the kids are in bed. It feels like he is always at the church.”...
Am I rowing harder or raising my sails?
Am I rowing harder or raising my sails? When I ask other women how this season has been for them, I get a lot of different answers. Everyone has experienced this pandemic differently, but there’s one response I hear pretty often. “Well…it’s been nice to slow down and...
Putting My Christmas Disappointments in Perspective
Our family is one that typically does not like tradition. We would rather talk about plans for the future than reminisce about the past. We like trying new things over repeating the old… except when it comes to Christmas! But this Christmas is so weird. Every time we...
15 Creative Ideas for Facilitating Community in your Congregations
How do I facilitate fellowship during this pandemic? Facilitating community and also helping to limit public interaction have an obvious, built-in tension. This is primarily why leading in this season is so difficult. Plus, you need to navigate the restrictions in...
Railroad Tracks
When I was a kid, we had an old electric train that had been passed down through a few generations. In the winter, when we were stuck inside, we’d pull it out and put it together. The metal tracks came in sections that connected together with an electric current...
Growing In Resilience: Authenticity vs. Transparency
I was having lunch with another pastor’s wife the other day and she put words to a struggle that all pastors’ wives have at some point. Or, if you are like me, come around to over and over again, as I walk along this path. She said, “I really value vulnerability and...
Growing in Resilience: Finding and Strengthening Your Team
When someone goes through trauma, we gather around them. We cry. We laugh. We bring food. We pray with them. So why is it so hard for us to understand that we need these things occasionally too, especially after walking alongside so many that are hurting? “I’m just...
Growing in Resilience: The Importance of Off-Loading
There are days when I am thrilled at having the front row seat to what God is doing in our Body. There are other days when that front row seat seems to turn into an overloaded doorstep. Here’sa snapshot of my doorstep this last month. “I know we haven’t seen each...
Growing in Resilience – Getting a Handle on Control
As I grow in leadership, I’ve been forced to come to grips with what I want to control. The more I understand about what I was designed by God to control and what I wasn’t, the better I am able to bounce back when my world doesn’t go as I would like. This concept is...
Five Practices of an Emotionally Mature Leader
Guest Writer: Tish Hedger When you think of emotional maturity what do you think of? Do you think of someone who doesn’t blink an eye at human critique, disappointments, relational hurt, strenuous schedules, or an unexpected bill? Some zen goddess whose inner thoughts...
