Yokemates

When raising our 'Pastor’s Kids,' my husband and I had a few non-negotiables. Well, at least on most days. - We ate dinner together each evening. - We didn’t tolerate lying or defiance. - We all attended Worship and Sunday School on Sundays. - We never punished our kids by withholding fun activities at church. - We treated others as we would like to be treated. - We prayed together before bed. - We asked for forgiveness and said we were sorry – even if we didn’t totally mean it! By God’s grace all of our girls did choose to accept Christ as their Savior and are living for Him. Was their individual choice to our credit as parents? No, I don’t believe so. Their choice for Jesus was between them and their Savior. We did, however, understand that it was critical for us to live out our faith and values before our daughters each and every day. Our example, good or bad, would impact their choices in life and that is a humbling responsibility before God. Two r...

Staring at the pile of clothes that were strewn about the guest room, I found myself asking the question, “Did I really make such a mess yesterday morning?” That’s crazy! I had even tried to prepare the night before by laying out two possible outfits for Easter Sunday. Unfortunately, my plan didn't come together the next morning. One outfit looked too sloppy and the other just didn’t look quite right. So, a whirlwind of frantic outfit swapping ensued. Gratefully, I eventually found something presentable that felt – and looked - right for the day. Wardrobe crisis averted! As I now hung up the discarded clothing, I pondered how easy it is to get caught up in one’s appearance – especially on Sundays or for special events. Typically, I’m not real fussy about what I look like. I do have favorite clothes, and I’m always glad when I have a good hair day. But my Sunday morning routine is pretty simple. Teeth clean, check. Slip not showing, check. Hair brushed, check. Earrings on, che...

It is exciting to teach others about Jesus’ resurrection – and the resurrection of the saints! I love sharing the story found in Matthew 27:51-53 which outlines the dramatic events that took place at the point of Jesus’ death. “At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.” When that passage is read to teens – even young kids – many instantly think of zombies wandering around Jerusalem. Oh my! I’ve had to rein in those discussions to try to get the lesson back on track. From that point, the discussion often goes to questions like these: What are we going to do in heaven? I don’t like to sing. It sounds boring, ‘cause I heard that there will be no toys or electronics there. Perhaps you’ve heard these questions ...

Every year around Easter time, an intriguing question comes up in conversations. Invariably someone asks, “Why do we call Good Friday ‘good’ since that is the day that Jesus died?” On the surface that question seems very logical. Somehow it seems wrong to call the day that Jesus died good. And yet that is exactly what it is, and this question is a great opportunity to share more about the work of Christ. When I ponder the answer to the question, “Why do we call Good Friday good?” there are several reasons that come to my mind. It is good because… 1.  It is the day that Jesus completed His mission on earth and He declared that fact . John 19:30 – “Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” 2.  It is the day when the debt we owed for all of our sins was paid in full - with Jesus’ blood. Ephesians 1:7 – “ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.” 3...

Early on we began preparing our children for change, to hold on loosely to the familiar and to trust God for their future. This reality was just a part of our normal conversation. When the opportunity presented itself naturally we would remind our girls that “It only takes one phone call…” and we may move to a different church, a different state or a different country. We didn’t bring up the topic as a threat or something to fear, but rather as an opportunity to teach the attributes of a submissive heart, to embrace God’s will and to trust His direction for each of our lives. My home church operated under a ‘call’ system for placing their senior pastors. There was communication between the applicant and the church followed by a ‘sample sermon’ for the whole congregation to give their input on. That was my normal. It wasn't until early in my adult years that I was introduced to the itinerant system of ministry. Under this system there is a governing authority – whether an indi...