Why halt ye...



...between 2 opinions?

 

Let's start by looking at the source this phrase-question:

Thank God for them too...

I was just thinking some more about this Ministry Appreciation Month and realized that I had missed (or almost missed) thanking God for a very special set of people.

Thank God for me...

...and for you too

Did you know that the 2nd Sunday in October is Pastor Appreciation Day - though the whole month has been tagged Pastor/Clergy Appreciation Month?

I've written about it more than once* so this time I decided to "Thank God for me...and for you too" on the 3rd Monday of this month with 5 Mondays because we are right in the middle of it all...I know I am.

So I looked around to see if anyone else felt the same way and I found this nice poem by Helen Bush**

When we thank God for our pastor
We must give Him thanks for two,
For when your husband came to us
God also sent us you.

A pastor's wife must be many things,
You have many hats to wear;
And we say thanks for all you do
And lift you up in prayer.

You adjust your life to meet the needs
Of your husband's congregation,
And it seems that you can always cope
With most any situation.

Your presence blesses all of us
Who know you from day to day
As our pastor's wife, you are serving God
In a fine and worthy way.

 

It's wonderful when we are appreciated by others...so let me appreciate all the Mrs Pastors with the picture below. 

Whether or not you willingly "answered" the Call, thank you for sticking to your Marriage Vow "to Have and to Hold" for life i.e. stick with your husband in all areas of life including Ministry. You are a blessing to many people in many more ways than you know...Thank you!!!

References:
* http://mrs-pastor-and-pastor-mrs.blogspot.ca/2014/10/appreciating-your-pastor_27.html
http://mrs-pastor-and-pastor-mrs.blogspot.ca/2015/10/service-honour.html

** http://www.my-pastor.com/pastors-wife-poems.html

What are you thankful for?

I spent some time thinking about the piece to publish on Thanksgiving Day so I asked myself: "What am I thankful for?"

Well here's my list of 10 things on this 10th day of the 10th month:

1. I'm alive - hale and hearty.
2. My husband and children are alive and hale and hearty.
3. God caused me to be married to my best friend...who had the courage to answer the Call.
4. My husband who loves the Lord and is sold out to Him.
5. My husband who loves the Lord and ensures that our family is well taken care of e.g. encourages me to rest so I don't breakdown or burn-out.
6. As my husband's wife, I have the pleasure and privilege of meeting and developing relationships with a variety of people - beyond people that I'd meet at work.
7. The responsibility and privilege of having God's approval vs. people's applause.*
8. I have come to love more people even better. All the people I come in contact with are not the easiest to like - and God has used that to build my "Love Muscles."
9. The opportunity of serving and being a blessing to others - even though I'm not the wisest according to human standards.**
10. I have more than 10 reasons to be thankful...oh so very many more.

As I wrap this up, the timeless song "Count your blessings, name them one by one" comes to mind. Without a doubt, there are "thorns," troubles, tests and tears that come with being Mrs Pastor - there are also VERY many triumphs, "trophies" and testimonies... 

What are you thankful for?

References:

* http://mrs-pastor-and-pastor-mrs.blogspot.com/2016/05/hold-applause.html

**1 Cor 1: 26-29 - ²⁶ Just look at your own calling, believers; not many [of you were considered] wise according to human standards, not many powerful or influential, not many of high and noble birth. ²⁷ But God has selected [for His purpose] the foolish things of the world to shame the wise [revealing their ignorance], and God has selected [for His purpose] the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong [revealing their frailty]. ²⁸ God has selected [for His purpose] the insignificant (base) things of the world, and the things that are despised and treated with contempt, [even] the things that are nothing, so that He might reduce to nothing the things that are, ²⁹ so that no one may [be able to] boast in the presence of God. (AMP)

Avoid the "Triple A" disease

When I first wrote down this topic, it reminded me of the AAA battery - and we know batteries are used to power things. Well this "Triple A" epidemic does the very opposite.


Let's look at a few verses to start - God breaks down His Word to us in amazing ways:


Luke 5: 5-7 - ^5-7 Simon said, “Master, we’ve been fishing hard all night and haven’t caught even a minnow. But if you say so, I’ll let out the nets.” It was no sooner said than done - a huge haul of fish, straining the nets past capacity. They waved to their partners in the other boat to come help them. They filled both boats, nearly swamping them with the catch. (MSG)