A Day in the Life of...

I am amazed at all of the really WONDERFUL Pastor's wives that I have met while blogging. I wish I could explain what a blessing it has been in my life...to describe how it has ministered to me, and "filled my cup" so to speak...but, I would need to come up with some eloquent words (and for those of you who read this blog, ever, you'll know that's not likely to happen) so I'll just leave it at that. Big Blessing.

If you are a Pastor's wife...you're so gonna get this post, and if you're not...welcome to a day in the life of...


When it rains it pours. It's the phrase I can best use to describe it. I don't know why it is, but it seems that when people need you....they ALL need you. I can be going along for days, even weeks with not so much as a peep from people. Then, it happens. The days where my phone(s) do not stop ringing.

The first time it happened, I wasn't prepared. I felt like they'd all caught me off guard! How dare they not give me warning that a crisis was approaching?!? I wanted a do-over. I didn't have the right things to say. I didn't feel like I'd really helped anyone. God taught me some huge lessons through that day.

1. There is always a calm before the storm. The storm will hit without warning. I can't let the calm lull me into being unprepared when the storm hits. It is in the calm times that I most need to be preparing for the hurricane.
2. I need to constantly be filling myself with Him. If I don't, when others need me, I will have nothing to give. Instead of desiring to help them, I will resent them. I need to be filled with Him...constantly.
3. Sometimes, all I will do is listen. I may have words, I may have wisdom and practical advice, but they will not always want to hear it. I cannot judge success based on outcome. It's not my job. My job is #1 &#2.
4. It is a precious gift to be able to lend an ear, encouragement, prayer, support, whatever it might be. A gift...a high calling.
5. Remind myself of this ALL the time, because I will forget too easily if I don't.

I sometimes wish I could fast-forward 20 years, grab the wisdom I will (hopefully) have then, and then come back to the present. I can't. My church, friends, family, everyone I come into contact with is stuck with the current, inexperienced, Sarah. Today, I am praising God for the direction and discernment of His Spirit, for His written word, prayer, endless books & studies, godly counsel, and life lessons learned...He uses them to equip me...not to make me an expert, but to equip me for the work He has planned. Wow.

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For the Love of the List

I'm a list person. I always have 10 different lists going...usually in several different notebooks (which I can't keep track of.) I am always formulating them in my head. Grocery list, Wal-mart list, bills list, to-do list, boys list, on and on. There are other weird lists in there too...The other pastor's wives list, the vehicles we've owned list (why!?! I don't know), stuff I want to ask Jesus when I get to heaven, and What I'd buy/do if I came into a ton of money. Oh, there's more...but I'll stop.

Today is the "What I'd buy/do if I came into a ginormous sum of $" (in no particular order....because the list is coming off the top of my head...where it lives...the list changes daily, AND let's assume I'd do all the stuff that good people do, FIRST...give to missions, feed the hungry, find the cure to cancer etc.)

• Build on to our little church...big gym, class rooms, office for hubs at the church (you get the idea)...oh, and Ben could be just a full-time pastor :)



• Pay off debt, and help out loved ones.



• Hire a cook and gardner



• Build a public swimming pool in our tiny town



• Get a spray tan (HA! I just thought of that one...)



• Buy Ben a big beast of a truck



• Build a big guest house for all my friends to come stay in when they visit!



• Buy a bark collar for Odie...or send him to obedience school (a good one, that can re-train an 8 year old dog)



• Adopt a baby girl....from anywhere....



• which would cause me to need to add on to the parsonage...a baby girls room and a padded room/sound proof room for my boys to play in.



• A personal trainer....Jillian from Biggest Loser! She could whip my butt into shape :)



• A pair of Christian Louboutin shoes, for me, and Heth (like the ones we admire on Facebook's Shoe Of The Day.)



• Pay for all my kids, nieces/nephews, (grand kids someday) college.



• Then, I would set aside the money needed to live at our current standard of living, and give the rest away. Because, frankly, if I had a ton of money, I'm afraid my reliance on Christ would fade...I know myself that much...the money would have to go.



• But first...I would buy one of these for all the pastor's wives I've met in blogland...my favorite T-shirt...

Because, seriously, EVERY PASTOR'S WIFE, should have a Barbie and the Rockers T-shirt....don't ya think?!? (it's my favorite...I thought it was lost, but now, it's found...reminds me of a song I know...)

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Hmmmm

For some reason, I can't seem to come up with anything other than randomness on Mondays! Why is that?!? It brings back the words to a song that I recall loving in Jr. High..."Things That Make Ya Go Hmmmm." HA! Please tell me I'm not the only dork out there who remembers this song :) ...after this post I will have to venture off to You Tube and find it...it's a tad-bit frightening...all you can find on there!

Sorry for the random bullet list...

• This weekend was fairly uneventful, but fun and relaxing...which I always enjoy!
• Yesterday I planted flowers and did some yard work. I have NO IDEA what I'm doing. We'll see if anything grows/stays alive. I planted some elephant's ears bulbs...by myself...I mean no supervision. Afterwards, my husband asked how deep and in what direction I had planted them...I explained how I dug a hole...yay deep, and then tossed in the bulbs, covered em up and watered. Done. He went into an explanation of how they should have been placed in the hole...while in my head I thought to myself how I would add "hire a Gardner" to my list of "Things I would hire done if I came into a ginormous sum of money"....which now makes me think that I should do a post on THAT! ...maybe tomorrow.
• God keeps taking me to Psalms 119...I LOVE it in the Living translation. Today I'm thinking on V7-8 "After you have corrected me, I will thank you by living as I should! I will obey! Oh don't forsake me and let me slip back into sin again."
• My house is a disaster....kind of like it barfed up its innards all over. Gross. But sadly...true. I'm off to start cleaning now...until lunch, and then, since it's finally nice out...I'm going to sit outside and try to give my pasty-white skin some color...but not in my swimsuit. So NOT in my swimsuit...just for the record :)

Happy Monday, friends!

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Six Thingys

I've been tagged by Beefy. Which works out great, because it's Sunday...and I'm at a loss for a post idea!

I am supposed to come up with 6 words or phrases that best describe me.


Rules are as follows:

1. Write your own six-word memoir
2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you'd like
3. Link to the person tho tagged you
4. Tag 5 more blogs with a link
5. Remember to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play

So, these probably aren't the "Best" words to describe me...because I'm a little too lazy today to come up with the best...how about "good enough" ?!? :)

These are signs I have on display around my house. Coincidentally, they sorta wrap up who I am (ignore the really terrible shots, I'm no photographer!)

1.

Without His saving grace, who would I be?!?

2.

My hand is covering up my last name (you know, so the Internet axe murderers don't find me) but this sign represents our marriage commitment and the establishment of our little family...huge part of me.

3.

No explanation needed.

4.

Something I'm always reminding myself to do.

5.

I have no idea how to shut the flash off on my camera *sheepish grin* so it's hard to read, but it says "Notice! Cursing & Swearing will be cause for removal" I wish it also said "Potty Talk": which includes anything to do with a natural bodily function, which my boys find hysterical.

6.

This is a big long sign that hangs over the doorway from my dining area to the kitchen, it lists all the fruits of the spirit...which I'm continually asking God to produce in my life.

I won't tag anyone because I can't remember who has done it already, but if you haven't....you're it.

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Cute and Disgusting

Cute & Disgusting...all at the same time.

I have no idea what that junk is around his mouth, but it's obviously not bothering him.

The hat: I bought it last year, to protect his little head from the sun. He would have none of that...took it off every. single. time. But now, this year...he wears it everywhere. It's too small (now) and it drives me nuts...of course he would want to wear it NOW. And if I go ahead and buy one that actually fits, do you think he'll wear it?!?! No. Big fat no. So goes my life in parenting thus far.

So, if you happen to see an almost 3 year old, with a dirty face, wearing a hat that's too small...he'd be mine. Love you Jake, aka stinky face.

Happy Saturday!

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I Can't Remember...

I am experiencing blog dejavu. Does this happen to you?!? I started blogging in February...which makes this my 95th post. Lately, as I start rambling on about something, I have this nagging suspicion that I've covered, whatever topic I'm rambling about, ALREADY! Weird.

I've also learned, (from my whole 95 posts) that giving your posts a non-obvious title, (because you are trying to convince yourself that you can be witty...if you just try hard enough) is really, a very, VERY dumb idea. Know why?!? Because when you go dumpster-diving back through your archives, in hopes of linking to whatever you've already written about, you'll have NO IDEA what you titled the post because you are not witty...but a moron. That is what I've learned about myself.

Which leads me to another thought....If I could go back, in real life, and do ONE thing differently, what would it be? Hmmm....this took about 1/2 a second for me to come up with an answer to blurt out. Yep...1/2 second. If I had to pick JUST ONE...it would be that I would never, and I mean NEVER have used a credit card...for anything. That's it, that's the one thing.

OK, your turn....what's your ONE choice or action that you'd do differently if you could?

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More Than You Want To Know...

How nice & sweet & wonderful are my blog friends?!?! Seriously, you all are so KIND!!! I'm sorta thinking I could have gone back to my elementary days of the mullet hair cut, and ya'll woulda told me how fabulous I looked :) Where were you all in Junior High when I was all insecure about EVERYTHING!?!



I have nothing very exciting to share today...except that I survived getting my teeth cleaned at the dentist yesterday. I have mentioned before, that I am extremely not-fond of the dentist. Don't get me wrong, Mr. Dentist and his super nice hygienist are lovely folks...it's them messing around in my mouth that puts them on my "top most terrible things" list...along with nursing homes...but that is another post.



It took (what seemed like) forever to get these teeth cleaned. The super-sweet hygienist gave me the whole routine about the importance of flossing (which I admitted to her I rarely do, because I hate it) and then made me watch a VIDEO on Periodontal (Gum) Disease. Yep. A MOVIE! I think she figured the nice-guy routine was obviously not effective...it was time to scare me into flossing...it did scare me. BUT, (thankfully) I do not have gum disease yet...but according to the video, I am on the slippery slope to eventually having all of my teeth fall out. The miracle cure? Floss. Please Jesus come back soon so I don't have to use floss...because we both know I'm not gonna do it...and my teeth will all fall out. It looks like I do have to go back in 6 weeks for some "deep crevices"...whatever Mr. Dentist guy...but I'll see you in six...at least it will give me something to blog about *wink, wink*



I did leave with a plethora of junk. 1 toothbrush, 1 end-tufted brush, 1 coupon for Crest mouth rinse, 4 packs of floss and 1 booklet on the evils of Periodontal (Gum) Disease. I think the last time I got a "goodie" bag I was...seven?



So..if you're me...what do you do right after you have spent an hour of your life letting a nice lady dig at your gums and scrape, and scrape, and SCRAPE at your teeth? McDonald's....of course. #3 please. I rewarded myself with a quarter-pounder, french fries and a Coke. I know, I know...there's SO many things wrong with that picture... *SMILES*

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