What a Weekend!
It always warms the deepest cockles of my heart when I get emails from you asking where I’ve been when I don’t post for a few days in a row. I absolutlely love being missed! All I can tell you is that life has been coming at me faster than I can process it.
A pitiful excuse but it’s all I got.
I want to say thanks firstly to all you girls who have commented on the Church Conflict post. Your insight is SO incredibly helpful to me. I still have some remarks to make and I’ll try to get that complete tomorrow.
In the meantime, for you sisters who are currently in the midst of conflict, please know you are in my heart and prayers. Practically speaking, one of the most important things you can do is to make your home a refuge from all the chaos you are experiencing at church. One thing I do is try not to ask Luke to regurgitate details until he has had time think and pray through his feelings. I say I TRY not to do this but I don’t know a one of us who doesn’t want to know everything that was said the moment the meetings/discussions are over. If I force Luke to begin telling me particulars before he’s ready, I can incite him to be more upset than he would have been otherwise. I’ve also learned to accept there are many things he doesn’t share with me because he is protecting me from anything that may turn my heart towards individuals at church. (Just to be clear to all my church peeps out there, I’m talking in generalities – there is no conflict in our current church home, Praise the Lord! :) With that said, give your husband the liberty of deciding which things are best kept between him and Jesus.
The thing I take the greatest comfort in when I know Luke is facing a trial are the words of Jesus in Revelation 1 when He speaks of holding the seven stars in His right hand. The seven stars there represent the angels, or messengers (pastors/elders), of the seven churches in Asia Minor. Most scholars agree the letters to those seven churches both had a present meaning and a future meaning for congregations in this age. I believe with all my heart that God holds a special affection for those He has called to shepherd His flocks and that He, much moreso than I ever could, will protect my husband in critical times. And because we are married to these men (and the two became one flesh) I also believe this affection carries over to you, dear ministry wife, to comfort and uphold you when it seems Satan has the upper hand. Let God be your justice. There is no amount of manipulation or exposure you can orchestrate that will trump his perfectly executed defense of the innocent.
Totally changing the subject, my second son turned 10 last week! We had a major blowout of a birthday party Friday with 9 boys other than my own 3. I am devastated to tell you we sent one home in need of stitches as a result of a playground accident.
Nothing like sending your boy to the preacher’s house and getting him back looking like a P.O.W.
Thankfully, mom was a doll and understood the whole concept of ‘boys will be boys’. That does nothing, however, to alleviate my feelings of being a totally inadequate mother and chaperone. Geesh. Please tell me I’m not the only one to have ever returned someone’s kid maimed as a result of being in her non-care? I’d feel ever so much better if you’ll tell me I’m not alone.
So that was Friday. Saturday we had two basketball games and a bowling birthday party. And Sundays unfortunately are anything but a day of rest even though I enjoy them most of all. The kids are out of school tomorrow for MLK day. Oldest boy has a friend spending the night and they are happily bouncing off the walls of the new playroom. Have I mentioned that is absolutely the best thing we have ever done in our lives? If you have an extra garage lying around, I’d totally recommend finishing it for your kids a den immediately. You’ll thank yourself everytime you can shut the door and not have to listen to the latest imaginary cage match or American Idol audition.
Speaking of American Idol, is anyone else out there going crazy trying to get Renaldo’s ‘We’re Brothers Forever’ Song out of their minds? I’m about ready to put an icepick in my ears.
That information is totally free. So I won’t be the only one with this guys voice in my head, here’s the link. What a stinkin’ scream!
Well, I am off to bed. The alarm is being turned off. The phone is going off the hook and if God loves me like I think He does, He’ll let us sleep until at least 8 a.m.
Cya soon!
Glad you’re back! Our boy celebrated his 12th birthday last week and I sent one home that hurt his neck because they got a little rough in the pick up basketball game waiting on their parents to pick them up. Yeah – always feels so good.
Woohoo! She’s baaaack!
I’m up late too, since I don’t have to get a girl to basketball practice at 6:45 a.m. Our last holiday until spring break….
Speaking of sleeping late, better be sure that cute little dog of yours is inside the gate! LOL
And what’s the big deal about that little incident at the birthday party? You keep me & most of the blog world in stitches everytime you post!
:-)
Love ya bunches!
Linda
Hey Lisa,
I just want you to know you hold a special place in my heart and in my prayers. I’m NOT a preacher’s wife. Yes, God does know what He’s doing. I so appreciate your perspective and moreover the godly woman you are. Thanks for being so authentic and for sharing your life with us.
Much love,
~Cheryl
*hugs* That has never happened to me, however, my mom brought a friend of mine with us to the ball field when I was probably around 10 and she fell off he slide and broke her arm. So in that sense, you are not alone!
My prayers are with you!
Ater your last line, I wonder if I should be questioning God’s love for me since my daughter still had to be at basketball practice this morning at 7:30?:) Not to mention, I have PMS!!!
Kelli
You are NOT ALONE…I sent my BFF’s son home needing 8 stitches when my boys were three and four! He was over playing and my son (HIS BFF) clunked his playmate on the head with a large stick! The next thing I knew, I was calling my friend and telling her to meet us at the hospital. I think that’s when I learned that “boys will be boys” and you just have to roll with the circumstance.
My son’s birthday party the other night was more proof of this. He had ONE girl come and it was so interesting how the boys were all vying for her affection…using their best Tarzan impressions. Amazing.
I’m going down to read the conflict post as I missed it due to my frenzied week last week.
Hugs,
Susan
“I am your Brodder, your best friend for everrrr!” Me too!!
Hey girl…I just sat down to the computer to send out an “hello? are you out there?” email and look what shows up in my reader! You are still out there!
welcome back girl…
lightning speed life…I know what you mean…
HA! Boys bounce off the walls, girls SCREECH and GIGGLE…
LOL….
I hope that it was well past 8am…but I’m guessing the thumping in the basement began long before that!! those boys gotta MAXIMIZE a DAY OFF!!!
and sending one home looking like a POW…now that was classic!!
have a great day!
lori
Lisa,
It’s good to hear from you and get caught up on your life again!
Love ya,
Sue
Thank you for the reminder that God protects His own. We’ve had a tough weekend… one in which our leadership had to carry out church discipline. It wasn’t fun and needless to say, our leadership has been the target of many attacks throughout the process. As I sat there looking at our elders and deacons sitting on the platform – my husband among them – I was struck by how broken their hearts are over the unrepentant sin we are dealing with. I’m thankful that the Lord is protecting those men. It makes enduring the persecution bearable. Thank you for that today.
If it makes you feel better, my Mom (a pastor’s wife and a pastor’s daughter; she’s got legacy) made a batch of chili for the evening the high school youth group came to our house and gave everyone food poisoning.
That was lovely.
You are not alone.
What, you were gone? Gee, I hadn’t noticed….hee-hee-hee! Of course, I totally noticed you were missing!
Anyway, no conflict at our church, but back in the day when my dad was one of the elders of the church we attended, there were some interesting conflicts…I’ll go back and re-read your post and see if any of them will help you in your cause.
In the meantime…back to the whole “Ask me anything” meme going around…I want to know what is a typical day like for you? If I were to show up one day unannounced exactly what would I observe in a typical day.
Oh my goodness! I woke up this morning with that song in my head. I can’t stop the boys from singing it either! My sweet hubby kept rewinding it WEndesday night. Gotta love that DVR! LOL
Sounds like you have had a busy but good weekend. *sidenote* my oldest is 10 today … a decade … where does the time go?
You have been busy!! I’ve been thinking about your conflict post and pondering whether or not to comment! We’ve only been in full time ministry for a year now but we’ve seen some conflict already! Anyways, thanks for the encouraging words!!
And… my hubby has been singing that song ALL week long!!!!
I’ll trade ya! We have had “Furry Happy Monsters” in our heads ever since Amanda posted it! We hum it and then scream Aaaaah! Even today, we made up a song Silly, freezing people running fast…for all the crazy Colorado joggers outside in the 11 degree snowing weather!
I missed you!
I’m so glad you are back, but I have to be honest with you….I felt some guilt that I didn’t write you and say, “Lisa where are you and I miss you?!” I’m gonna move on though! :)
And, the whole stitches thing is hilarious! Been there and done that! I’m not the ministers house but I am the Children’s Director and we’ve had our share of “accidents” while over at Ms. Fran’s! :(
I’m so glad you are back to blogville and I hope you slept until 8 today! It made me so ready for Summer!
Love ya~
Fran
Happy Birthday to your son :)
Well I did have the song out of my head but not now – :)
Great! – hehe
Did you get my e-mail about the extra room in SA?
Love ya,
Kim
I’m probably the only person in the country who doesn’t watch Idol. So thanks (I think) for putting the video on there so I could be “enlightened.” I’d hate to have gone through my entire life without seeing that.
Just think, your son could have written a song like THAT instead of his poem for his brother. After all, they are brothers forever. . . . .
Welcome back!! And it’s great to know that even a Preacher’s Wife is a normal mum – accidents can happen to all of us…or rather to all kids who are with us :)
They don’t air American Idol here anymore since we have more than enough of our own “Renaldo’s” in the Australian version to listen to and cringe ;)
I watched American Idol and laughed hysterically. So far some pretty good singers have gone through. I loved Paula’s reaction to having Simon on his hat!
It sounds like you are doing very well… My parents had a playroom as well. My house was big so we turned a bedroom into a playroom.
God Bless!
Oh My….That song could be “You are my Seesterrrs” for all of us here! LOLOL My husband and I laughed so hard, and danced around like Paula. It was fun!
As for the conflict stuff…I too want to thank you for being such a support and for setting up your blog to lend it self as that support for all us bloggers.
Thanks again!
Angela
Oh my stars, that song made me laugh so hard. One of my African sons did not get it at all. Then I got so tickled trying to explain why this dude would do this on national TV that I snorted. That he got.
It’s great when you can cut up and laugh with teenagers. Thanks for searching out and posting the clip.
Lisa, I no longer get your e-letter I guess I am off your feeder? so I just had to come buy and see what was happening to “My dear sister you are my dear sister”
LOL!!! marina