HELLO BLOG-LAND!!!
Oh my goodness, I have SO much to blog about and so little time! :)
I am still working on my breaking generational sins series and also my rock-music series. Hopefully I will be able to wrap those up soon! So stay posted! ;)
In the meantime though, I wanted to share that I have been so encouraged in my walk as a youth pastor's wife. I feel that I have been through so many transitions since I became a youth pastor's wife. It was never something I had even considered or thought about. Since I was a small child my focus has always been on children. I loved kids of all ages and was so very burdened for them. I went to Bible College planning on being a missionary who worked in orphanages in other countries. I still have a heart for orphans and missions, but as my relationship with Chase developed while we were in college, God showed me that I was called to Chase. I was called to be his help-meet in whatever ministry he entered. The first of which has been youth ministry...
I jumped into this really naively. I expected teens to be grateful, courteous and lovable! HA! Plus, I didn't like teenaged girls when I was one!!! To top it off, I was pregnant all the time and still holding onto a life of legalism instead of God's grace.
It was pretty miserable. I enjoyed aspects of youth ministry and I loved the teens and wanted to help them...but it did not go well.
As time went on and I went through counseling and received grace and truth into my life, things got much better. I started to fall in love with youth ministry. I enjoyed having teens in our home and in my life. I loved the opportunities to talk one on one with the girls and let them know that I understood what they were going through. I hated it when they left for college. I miss them.
I say all this, because I realized a few weeks ago that this process has progressed even further. One afternoon I got a frantic phone call from one of my girls. I couldn't make much out at first except "Help...Don't know... Nervous...FREAKING OUT!!!!" I tried to calm her down a bit so I could figure out the issue. It turned out that this young lady had been asked out on her first date! She and this young man had been getting to know each other and he was spending lots of time with her family. The young man had approached the girl's dad and asked for permission to take her out.
"And he said YES?!?!?!" I was shocked.
"I KNOW, RIGHT?!?" She was pretty shocked too.
The dilemma was that she wanted to dress up a little bit, but not too much and she wanted to be cute AND modest. Would I please help???
And that was a turning point. She came down and we went through my closet, we freaked out, we reminisced, she tried on 10 different outfits and we finally came up with something perfect. I still haven't gotten it back yet! lol!
We talked about purity, standards and the future. It was awesome.
It was the kind of relationship I have always wanted to have with the girls but didn't know how to get there.
As I was sending her back down to her house, she asked if I would come down when they were leaving for their date and take a picture. Of course I said yes!!!
I LOVE my ministry! :) It still has rough days and times when I wonder if I am making a difference at all. But God just keeps equipping me and teaching me and making me a more usable vessel. So yeah...I am excited.
The way He works is truly remarkable...
I am still working on my breaking generational sins series and also my rock-music series. Hopefully I will be able to wrap those up soon! So stay posted! ;)
In the meantime though, I wanted to share that I have been so encouraged in my walk as a youth pastor's wife. I feel that I have been through so many transitions since I became a youth pastor's wife. It was never something I had even considered or thought about. Since I was a small child my focus has always been on children. I loved kids of all ages and was so very burdened for them. I went to Bible College planning on being a missionary who worked in orphanages in other countries. I still have a heart for orphans and missions, but as my relationship with Chase developed while we were in college, God showed me that I was called to Chase. I was called to be his help-meet in whatever ministry he entered. The first of which has been youth ministry...
I jumped into this really naively. I expected teens to be grateful, courteous and lovable! HA! Plus, I didn't like teenaged girls when I was one!!! To top it off, I was pregnant all the time and still holding onto a life of legalism instead of God's grace.
It was pretty miserable. I enjoyed aspects of youth ministry and I loved the teens and wanted to help them...but it did not go well.
As time went on and I went through counseling and received grace and truth into my life, things got much better. I started to fall in love with youth ministry. I enjoyed having teens in our home and in my life. I loved the opportunities to talk one on one with the girls and let them know that I understood what they were going through. I hated it when they left for college. I miss them.
I say all this, because I realized a few weeks ago that this process has progressed even further. One afternoon I got a frantic phone call from one of my girls. I couldn't make much out at first except "Help...Don't know... Nervous...FREAKING OUT!!!!" I tried to calm her down a bit so I could figure out the issue. It turned out that this young lady had been asked out on her first date! She and this young man had been getting to know each other and he was spending lots of time with her family. The young man had approached the girl's dad and asked for permission to take her out.
"And he said YES?!?!?!" I was shocked.
"I KNOW, RIGHT?!?" She was pretty shocked too.
The dilemma was that she wanted to dress up a little bit, but not too much and she wanted to be cute AND modest. Would I please help???
And that was a turning point. She came down and we went through my closet, we freaked out, we reminisced, she tried on 10 different outfits and we finally came up with something perfect. I still haven't gotten it back yet! lol!
We talked about purity, standards and the future. It was awesome.
It was the kind of relationship I have always wanted to have with the girls but didn't know how to get there.
As I was sending her back down to her house, she asked if I would come down when they were leaving for their date and take a picture. Of course I said yes!!!
This fabulous young lady is currently in Ethiopia...helping out in orphanages and a women's home. ( Don'tcha LOVE it???)
Please be praying for her, for this short-term trip, and that she brings me home a baby. ;)
Then last week, I was approached by one of the young men in our youth group. He is interning at the church a day or so a week. He is finishing up high-school then plans to attend a Bible College where he can pursue youth ministry. :) He has been courting one of my teen ladies for about a year and a half. They are making plans to get married this summer before they leave for Bible College together. SO cute! I am head over heels for this young lady. She is just phenomenal. So talented and intelligent! She knows her Bible frontwards and back and has a real relationship with Him.She writes some of the most amazing hymns. Just beautiful. Anyhow, the fabulous young man asked if I could help in the "popping the question" process! My job was to get her to the proposal spot, then act as chaperon/photographer! How cool is that???
I LOVE my ministry! :) It still has rough days and times when I wonder if I am making a difference at all. But God just keeps equipping me and teaching me and making me a more usable vessel. So yeah...I am excited.
The way He works is truly remarkable...