Ordination Day

Today was my husbands ordination.  I was not sure what to expect...but I can tell you it was nothing like what I thought it was going to be.  There were 7 great men of God my on husband council, and we were so honored they could all be there!!! 

 

Our pastor's wife sang "Across the Miles", and I was OK until then....then the waterfall started...

 

Our pastor preached an AWESOME message....of course....

 

Pastor had each man on Brian's ordination to give us words of

encouragement and then they prayed over us.

 

Starting with Bro. Whitmore from Anchor Baptist Church in Pisgah Forest, NC

 

Then a close pastor friend, Bro. Keith Troyer from Grace Baptist Church in Greenville, NC

 

Our family, from L to R, my mom, my mother-in-law, Brian's grandparents

 

They Bro. Mike Qualls out of Morning Star Baptist Church in Cleveland, NC

 

Next was Bro. Robert Taylor, Pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Chucky, TN

 

Now, it was Bro. Phillip Willis turn out of Life Baptist Church in St. Stephens, SC

 

They kids listening intently

 

Finally, it was Bro. David Trivette, a preacher out of our home church

 

After all the preacher's prayed over us, our pastor and the deacons of our church prayed...

 

Precious memories :)

 

Pastor giving Brian his signed Certificate of Ordination!

 

Our family :)

 

Some of my friends which I will miss dearly...

 

Just Thinking

As I sit here, thinking of how to put my heart into words, I remind myself that I am a preacher's wife.  Believe it or not, I always forget, even as I sit, watching my husband behind the pulpit, preaching the Word of God.... I still don't think about it.  It's usually only by this blog, or by someone mentioning it that I think on it.  For lately, my heart has been sad.  I don't know why really.  I laugh, but still in my heart, I am down.  Just as in Proverbs 14:13 Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful; and the end of that mirth is heaviness.  It seems for a long while now, it has been like this.  I smile, but behind the smile is a heaviness that can not be explained.  I know this is not good.  What do I have to be sad about?  Jesus loves me.  My name is written in heaven.  Our pastor just preached a message about that very thought.  Jesus said....but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven. (Luke 10:20) Maybe it's the very heaviness of life itself? The world and it's inducements.  The very wickedness that surrounds us everyday that we live and breath here on this sin cursed earth. hhhmmmmm....

I have been reading the life story of John Bunyan, the man who wrote the Pilgrims Progress.  He had so many trails and temptations in his life, but they are trails and temptations that the devil uses on us today, the same ones.  I guess that's why Paul said that we are not ignorant of his devises, because he uses the same old tactics as he did 400 years ago.  Some of the things I have been though, thinking how wicked I was to think such things, but I read how John Bunyan went though the same exact thing.  It's a blessing to read that book, if you have not yet read it, I would suggest you get a copy of it.  It's called "Grace abounding to the chief of sinners".  It will truly be a help and a blessing.

4 year Anniversary

November 21 was my 4th year being a preachers wife.  It sure doesn't seem like it has been that long.  The longer I'm a preacher's wife, the more I wonder what God is going to do with us, how is He going to use my husband and I.  Will He call him to be a Pastor, or maybe a missionary on the foriegn field?  Could you imagine all that traveling to collect support, and with 3 kids to boot.  I don't feel worthy to be a preachers wife, and not spiritual enough.  I don't feel adequate to fill this kind of roll.  But the longer I'm saved, the more I realize that God only saved my soul, not my spirit or my flesh, or my personality.  I want to live each day as me, living my life as a servant of the Lord God Almighty.  When I was lost, I was always trying to be something or someone I wasn't.  Always scared of being rejected for being me.  And sometimes I still try to be something that's not me, then I have to remind myself that I don't need to impress anyone except God and my husband.  For when it is all over, God is the one I will be giving an account of my life too, so nothing else matters :)

Faith....

I am extremely frustrated at myself this morning. Why? We'll.....I have been prepping for a yard sale for a couple of week now. Today was going to be the day we had the yard sale. We had a prime location! For the elementary school down the road from the home where we were going to have it at, was having a huge indoor yard sale in there gym. So I wanted to take advantage of the MAJOR advertising they were doing! For the local "yard salers" would be driving right by this location to get to the school. Last night, my husband and I took some tables to this location, and stayed a bit, and played some cards (nerts and golf). Our friends that lived in this home told us that there was going to be a 90% chance of rain, and it looked as if we would be rained out. I told them that I had been praying, and had the kids praying too that it would not rain so we could have the yard sale. I had faith the Lord would come through in this minor matter for me. But as we chatted and played cards, the subject would keep coming up about the rain not stopping, and how we would get rained out...but I just kept believing God was going to answer my simple request. It was late when we left their home.....and it was still pouring down the rain. We got home and when to bed, expecting to get up in a couple of hours so we could load everything in the Montero and in the truck and head over to the ys location. But my husband woke me up at 4:15 and said, it's still raining and went back to sleep. I felt defeated, had the Lord not answered my pray, and before I knew it, I had fell back asleep.....now it was 8:00 and it has cleared up and it is not raining. I just knew the Lord would come through for me, but now it is to late to go, by the time I got the kids up ready, and everything packed, etc... we would be there very long. Was God testing my faith this morning? And there was another test I failed. The greatest sin in the bible is unbelief. For the sinner, unbelief will send them to hell, for the saint, it will stunt there spiritual growth. Why is it so hard sometimes to just believe the Lord loves us and wants our best? In the book of Hebrews it says....Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. God calls unbelief EVIL. The children of Israel had to wander in the desert for 40 years all because of unbelief. They didn't believe what God promised He would do, even with all the obstacles before them. For salvation, Jesus said to "REPENT and believe" Repentance coming first and belief coming after. After I turned (repented unto) to God on May 4, 2003, God gave me the faith to believe. I turned to God after having turned away from everything else in my life. And simple child like trust in my Saviour, to save me from a miserable existence. But now, my husband and I are still kicking ourselves for letting others effect our faith. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen Hebrews 11:1. My faith was wavered by another, but that is no excuse for me. But my Lord was so gracious as to show me that He does love me and did answer my prayer. He shows me so much kindness each and everyday that I live. I am so unworthy of His grace and mercy, that He would love an old sinner like me. A sinner saved by His marvelous grace!!! God is so GOOD!!!!