A few weeks before my 30th birthday I attended a 30th birthday celebration for another woman. My family and I moved to town just a few months before….
Read MoreI’ve been a pastor’s wife now for over a decade. It is a beautiful privilege and heavy responsibility. It is a role that comes with many joys and sorrows, benefits and sacrifices, unexpected gifts and…
Read MoreChurch conflict is no fun. Understatement of the year, right? Whether it is a small fire that pops up in a small group or a full-blown congregational wildfire, church conflict is…
Read MoreSeveral years ago while on a road trip, I got to connect with a dear friend for lunch. Over salad and sandwiches, she made a statement that caught my attention: “Pastors’ wives have…
Read MoreWhether we realize it or not, each of us is a teacher—a model of how to live out the faith we proclaim. We are guides to the generations who are currently…
Read MoreI first “met” Katie through her article, “Why I (The Pastor’s Wife) Have Trust Issues”. She caught me! I wanted to hear more from this writer who expressed so well the struggles of marriage to a pastor…
Read MoreOur new decade opened with slogans of “seeing clearly” and “having 2020 vision.” Little did we know! It’s been a rough year, hasn’t it? Collectively, we’ve experienced a…
Read MoreIn my neighborhood, at the end of the street, there is a wall that has continually been bashed into by cars taking that corner too fast. After the latest gash in the wall months ago, the homeowners…
Read MoreHave you ever badly injured or even lost a part of your body? Several years ago, I experienced the head saying to the feet, “I have no need of you.” For a couple of years,…
Read MoreI grew up in a rough and tumble neighborhood full of boys. Being one of the only girls my age meant I was amazing at basketball, playing army, and Tarzan (I always got to be Jane). Fighting for my “place”…
Read MoreYesterday, we reflected on the mercy and privilege of being called by God to Himself and to His family. United through Christ’s saving work, we are tangibly connected…
Read MoreI married my rural Arizona high school senior sweetheart. He was a football stud, while I was the nerdy student council officer. Back in the day, he and I chose very different…
Read More2020 will be remembered as the year that was. I wonder if we will start asking each other, where were you when you first heard the word “social distancing” or rushed to…
Read MoreI suppose I should have expected his arrival. But, distracted by other things, I didn’t notice his approach until it was too late to bolt the door and deny him entry. By the time I perceived…
Read MoreThe year after we moved to Georgia, my husband Ray and I began a tradition we called “walking the property.” Let me dispel any notion you may have about us owning…
Read MoreDeath has visited my family often in October. Three of my four grandparents, a beloved aunt, a cherished uncle – all six passed away during the…
Read MoreOn a sunny spring day in 1997, my beloved husband was laid to rest in a small country cemetery in North Carolina. The part of my heart that belonged to Ray went into the grave with him…
Read MoreOver two decades have passed since my husband’s sudden death. I’ve received countless notifications since, informing me of the passing of various friends and…
Read MoreFebruary 1998. Ten months earlier my beloved husband, Ray, died of a heart attack a few weeks after his 39th birthday. Even though I was a rational person who could recount…
Read MoreMany years ago, I opened the back door to welcome our dear friend into our home. She was not much older than me and grief ravaged her face…
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