Well, it’s that time again!  December has come to an end and it’s time to think about resolutions for next year.  First and foremost, I want 2009 to be marked by a deeper, richer relationship with Jesus Christ.  I would also be thrilled if I could shed the baby bump that has no baby.

For those in servant leadership, the beginning of a New Year is important both personally and within the life of the church.  In the same way we resolve to make positive changes spiritually and physically, we are often… Read More

October was a special month for our family.  If you are in ministry, chances are it was a big deal for you, too.  Why? It was Pastor Appreciation Month!

Luke and I consider ourselves supremely blessed to serve a congregation who takes this event to heart. Among the expressions of affection we received were home-cooked meals and goodies brought to our house, gift cards for dinner out and home improvement, notes of encouragement (often with a monetary gift inside), a gift certificate for a haircut from my favorite hairdresser, and various… Read More

Some time ago, I received an email with a question that I found very intriguing. Unfortunately, a technical difficulty corrupted my email folder and I was unable to access it again.  Imagine my delight when I was browsing through some other files and located the note tucked away where it didn’t belong.  Of course, I shouldn’t say it didn’t belong there because God obviously preserved it for such a time as this!

An anonymous sister asked,

“Few people realize the dilemma of a pastor’s wife. Her husband is the ONLY preacher/pastor that sheever has! This is great, if he… Read More

This month we are going to talk about a topic that is near and dear to my heart: fashion.

I know you must be wondering what clothing has to do with ministry. Apparently it is quite important because you girls ask me about appropriate dress for a minister’s wife more often than anything else.

Here is just a sampling of your e-mails:

“As a minister’s wife, should we dress even more modestly than we would if we were just a church member? How do we make those kinds of decisions?”

-and-

“I… Read More

I received many interesting emails in response to last month’s topic, “BFF’s in the Church Pews.”  This month I’d like to elaborate just a bit.  (Scroll down to the July post if you’ve not yet read this article.)

I think the majority of you understood the three categories of friends I proposed. One reader shared that her Bible study teacher referred to these as Paul, Timothy, and Barnabas relationships.  Another pointed out the fact that Jesus had twelve disciples but three of those comprised His inner circle.  Both of these comparisons capture… Read More

This month I received an email with a question that on the surface may seem easy to answer, but in reality can be a hotbed of controversy.  The answers could easily fill an entire book but obviously we don’t have that kind of space.  For that reason, we will address some foundational principles on this topic and perhaps delve into it more in future articles.  Here is what Patty asked:

“Besides your husband, has God given you a best friend to share your ups and downs with?”

In short… Read More

In the opening article for this column, I promised we would explore the life of a minister’s wife.  However, I want to make it clear this CWO feature is also for laypeople as we seek to understand one another’s unique perspective within the body of Christ. Forced resignations and cell phone contracts that outlast the minister’s tenure just shouldn’t be! It’s high time we start communicating, understanding, loving, and encouraging one another from both sides of the lectern. I pray this column is just one small way to do that. So, with that said, let’s get to it!

A… Read More

As I type this very first offering for the new CWO Column, ‘The Preacher’s Wife’, I can’t help but laugh at God’s sense of humor. You see, I never in all my life planned on being a preacher’s wife so my presuming to write articles on the subject absolutely cracks me up.

You should know my big plans in high school included going to college and then moving to New York City.  I was going to have an adorable apartment and be a hip, urban sophisticate. There were two things I was… Read More