Ideas, Zumba, Bible, Prayer.


I get these great ideas, as I am sure you do also, but it is when I can not act on them. And when I can act on them, I forget what the idea was or end up doing something else that is not nearly as exciting.

Two weeks ago, I had what I thought was a good idea for a blog. I shared the idea with some of my friends and they seemed to think that it was at least an acceptable idea. Two weeks ago. I didn't blog then because I was out of town without my computer (how crazy of me, right?). Once I got home, there were other things to do. You know how that goes?

I am blogging tonight. That counts. And hey, this is at least on the topic of what I wanted to share before.... things I sometimes fail at. Like failing to act on a good idea. Or, which is often my struggle, staying consistent with a goal.

Before I get into personal nitty gritty stuff, I want to share a story about Zumba.

If you are not aware, Zumba is an exercise activity that it like aerobics meets some form of Latin dance. People buy videos and Wii games to do this exercise at home. I like going to my local YMCA and being part of a class. A few years ago (and in a different state) I was in my Zumba class and somehow I trip over my own two feet. During a warm up song. I was not hurt and did fine the rest of the class, physically. Emotionally I was horrified that I had fallen and that so many people had noticed me fall. They asked when it happened if I was okay, seemed to watching out for me during class and checked on me again after class. They were nice about it and very caring ladies but I didn't want them to see me fall. I wanted them to think that I was super and could do the class with few struggles.

Life in a congregation can be like Zumba class. It's great to be with a group of nice folks doing the steps we know we should be doing. If you are anything like me, you do not want it always be public knowledge when things get hard or when you fall. But, also like my Zumba class, there are nice people who want to be encouraging and helpful.

This next step may not seem like a big deal to you, but it is a huge deal to me. I want to share with you what I am currently lousy at, and I pray that you not judge me harshly for my confession. I am hoping by sharing an imperfect part of me that it will not only help me to get back up and start fresh, but maybe encourage others to start anew as well.

Here is my downfall: I am not consistent on reading my Bible daily.

Some may say that is not a big deal, but to me it is. I go through spurts of reading it. I did it for a few days after my last trip. But I have not read it yet today.

I have a plan for my struggle. I want to read a passage everyday intentionally, not just from someone's facebook post (even though those are nice to see) and then spend time in prayer. Prayer is something that I am more content with doing than Bible reading. Why am I like that? Who knows? Just am.  We all have our comfort zones, right?

So tonight, after I post this and catch up with my wonderful husband, I am going to go read my Bible. Then I will get to spend time in prayer. I hope to let you know in a few days how I am doing about staying on track with this goal... hopefully if I don't post anything on this blog it will mean I a busy doing things that are important like caring for my family or spending time in the Word (Bible).  If there is anything I could pray about for you, let me know. I would be happy to do so.

Friends are great blessings.

An honest to goodness friend can be hard to find. That is a struggle for anybody, right? Who is trustful and honest and who isn't sharing your personal life stories with others? Don't we all need someone we can laugh with, confide in, and can encourage us? 

Yes, Jesus in my friend. I hope He finds me funny at times and laughs with me. I know that my prayers are conversations between just the two of us. (Well, meaning the Trinity and myself.) I know that the Bible is full of wonderful encouragement for all believers.  I also really appreciate the friends that I can see and hear clearly. I appreciate their kind laugh at my attempts to be funny and the encouraging words and prayers. There is great value and wonderful strength in these friendships.

I love the friend that when I am having a difficult time with something pushes me to see the whole situation from another angle. I know I very easily get caught up with my own view and emotions in situations. I often forget to step back and take a moment to see the whole picture and consider different perspectives. Having a good friend to talk to that you can trust is priceless. Finding great friends like that is an act of God. 

I really mean that. Finding a trustworthy friend is an act of God. Think about it. We are all sinners. We all screw up. I know I have messed a few times with being the great friend I really would like to be to my friends. I know I often get too focused on my own life and not always really hear what is going on in my friend's life.  Some days it is just amazing to me that I do actually have real friends, in real life, not just my facebook 'friends'. 

 I think of how I have met my close friends and none of it seems like it was just thrown together and just sort of happened. Take, for example, when I met my husband (my best friend who loves even though I am not perfect!). It was the summer of 2001 at the National Youth Gathering in New Orleans. It was a trip that I was an alternate for and so was my husband for different groups. He lived in Michigan and I lived in Colorado and we met in New Orleans in a convention center at a gathering of about 30,000 people. I was there with some people that he knew and so we met when he was looking to say 'hi' to some of his friends. I really have a hard time seeing all that and saying that we met by chance. I really believe that it was part of a bigger plan.

I never know what is next in this life, but I am thankful that God has encouraged us to be together in His name (Matthew 18:20).  Everyone faces struggles in life. Leaning on and trusting in God and His plans, though it can be difficult to do, is what works best in the end. Leaning on friends who will pray for you, being encouraged and being able to encourage others is an amazing blessing.

The Call (really as a summary or overview)

There are difficult parts to being a Pastor's wife. Some vary depending on the situations, they can be very personal depending on the situations. But one situation is a common struggle for many. The Call and the call process. It can be so draining and exciting at the same time.

As an overview:

It is called a "call" because it is about God calling some to serve in a place and to minister to people in that place.

Call process (as I know it in the LCMS) most shorten way possible to explain.

  

    1. Congregation has a need (most times pastor but can be for many other roles like DCE, music director, teachers in a school, ect). 

    2. Congregation forms a ‘call committee ‘. 

    3. The call committee gets a list of names from those in the congregation that know of possible pastors (we will go with pastors since I know about them the most) and a list from their district office that the districts have shared with each other. 

   4. Call committee goes through piles of information about the pastors. Often trying to narrow the list down. 

   5. Call committee can contact and interview pastors on their list. They can narrow the list down again through this process.

   6. Call committee presents what they have learned about the pastors and give the names and information over to the congregation. (The committee sometimes suggests who they think will fit the congregation best. 

   7. Congregation votes, and then extends a call.

   8. Pastor learns he is extended the call then wrestles with the decision through prayer.  

   9. Pastor can either accept or decline the call. If declined the congregation can go back to the list they already have or start the whole process over.

It's hard because both places, where we are and where is calling my husband, have a need. Both have great people (I strongly believe there nice people everywhere, sometimes we just have to look harder to find them).  Both have different draws to live in the communities.

In the end it is not my call, so it is not my decision. Don't worry, my husband clearly knows my thoughts. And as our daughter gets older she does get to share her thoughts on it as well. My husband is intentional to ask her what she thinks about it. In the end thought the decision is between him and God.  My husband knows whatever his decision he has my support (yes, even if it is different than what my opinion/thought was). 

I hope that helped explained a difficult process . Having some understanding of the process might help with having some understanding of my life.

Easter Week.

Easter was nice for my family.  We, of course, went to worship service in the morning. Then we did have some college students for the afternoon. I have to confess, I did not serve Easter dinner on fine china, we do not have any (it seems in practical with moving often). And we did use Pirate birthday napkins for Easter dinner. I have a feeling that someone somewhere will read that and cringe. Oh well! It's what we had.

Easter is about new life with Christ, His love for us and His victory over sin and death. I was looking for some nice Easter cards to send to family and I had a tough time finding what I wanted. I kept finding Easter cards that made it seem like Easter was really about celebrating the start of spring. Even the 'religious' ones seemed to be just about spring. I just want to caution the card makers though, Song of Solomon is really about a passionate love between a man and his bride. Yes, out of context, it can sound spring like in places but there is no way I am sending card with a verse on it that I know is about lovers to anyone but my own husband. Something card makers, and many others, do not seem to understand: context is king. It is not a good idea to just pick out one verse for something without looking at the verses around it to see what is really about. Now spring is a great season to be reminded of new life. I am just saying if you are going to call a Easter card 'religious' it should have a verse that points to the religious significance, focus on Christ and not just a season.

Mini rant over. For now at least.

On the topic of new life, I want to share something new that fiend is doing. My friend, Elizabeth Ahlman, her husband Chris and their two sons are moving to Germany tomorrow. I am honestly very mixed about this, only because I will greatly miss having Elizabeth a mile away. She has been a wonderfully supportive and encouraging friend and I have been greatly blessed through her.  I am very glad to live in a day in age when it easy to still keep in contact with friends through facebook, emails and skype, so we will still be friends of course.  I am thrilled for her family's new chapter to go to Germany and to serve people in Germany and a few other countries near there. Reverend Doctor Chris Ahlman has the gift to play the organ and people in that part of the world seem to be appreciative of classical sacred music. What an great way to get to do ministry!  They all leave for Germany tomorrow. I know that as they travel with their two son  (ages about 5 years and a 2 months old) that prayers are always appreciated.  If you what to know more or support them, you are of course welcome to: http://www.lcms.org/ahlman

<My daughter enjoying a play date this their oldest son. Good times.

Me. Not Perfect but thankful.

Hi.
I enjoy sharing my thoughts and opinions, who doesn't. So, Blogging might be a fun way to do it. Like keeping a public journal... I will just try to be more careful what I say!

I am married to a man who is called to be a Lutheran Pastor. (I will share more of what that really means later.) I am sorry to disappoint many but I cannot play the piano, sing solos (at least not in public), lead choirs or read music. Here's another shocker, I do not hear my husband's sermon's before any else. I do not help him develop them or tweak, or proof them. He is the one who went to Seminary and does all the work to get them together.  I think he does a nice job with them. But I might be a bit biased.

Here's another shocker for many, my husband does not 'control' me. He does not 'make me' do certain activities in a congregation. Sure, he does ask me if I might help with something. I can tell him 'no', and he it okay with it. He has been supportive when I want to try various jobs, in or outside the congregation, including taking college courses. So I am married to a rather nice guy.

I am not perfect. I can only think of one person in all of history that is. (Hint: Jesus.)

I do not know how much of this image that a pastor's wife needs to be 'perfect', meaning always friendly and happy with knowing the right way or best way to do everything is self imposed or imposed by others. Why is there an expectation for me to play the piano/keyboard and sing solos?

There many situations that I am expected to handle with perfect gracefulness, and I sometimes feel fail in those times. This blog might be a good place to talk about those as they come along....  There are some thank you notes that I have not written for an event I attended in January. (That didn't take me long to think of something, did it?)

I am also a mom. Not a perfect one, but I do the best that I can what God has given me. As a mom it would be almost impossible not to bring up how fun and adorable my child is. So for those that might read this blog, they might have to endure cute little stories about how great (not perfect, she is not Jesus) my child is.

As a not so perfect person, I am thankful for husband, and would feel thankful for him no matter what his calling/job title might be. I am thankful for my child. And I am thankful for my not so musical talents.  (I do enjoy music.)  Most of all, I am thankful the love a God who is perfect, that loves me even though I am not. And the grace that is given through Christ. I am thankful that Jesus lived a perfect life that I cannot.  This time of year I am reminded of all that he suffered for my short comings. And most of all that Jesus conquered it all on Easter (that celebration is coming next week!), not just for me but for all the not so perfect people of this world.