Be quick to listen, slow to speak............but I just really wanna play kickball!

Have you ever been to church and listened to a sermon, and then immediately after Church you are almost tested on what you heard? I have: many times, including today!

Today at church, my husband preached on James 1:19-27. You are probably familiar with this passage, "be doers, not hearers", "take care of widows and orphans", and "be quick to hear, slow to speak", and "slow to become angry". During the sermon, I nodded my head in agreement to all those things. Of course, I deal with them, but at the time I was thinking "man, I'm glad I've gotten some of this figured out. I don't want to be quick to anger".........little did I know the great deceiver wanted to use my own thoughts to trick me just shortly thereafter.

In the car on the way home, my husband told me of a complaint he had heard about me (as a pastor's wife, they never stop, but you don't get used to them). Someone told him that "your wife is showing favoritism to some people in the church. The other week she had some people come play kickball in your backyard, and she didn't invite my children." At that moment, there was not "slow to anger".............I was hot!

In early January, my husband bought me a kickball. He plays flag football, and I'd been wanting to get a group together to play kickball (I'm still a kid sometimes). So one Friday afternoon about 2 o'clock, I saw how pretty it was out and I sent out text messages to everyone I knew, and posted on my facebook status "Becca wants to play kickball, come at four to my house, if you're in!" About 20 kids and parents showed up and we had a blast.

So today when this came up, I thought "I can't even play kickball with someone questioning my motives". There I was, eating lunch, trying not to get anger and saying over and over again "quick to hear, quick to hear, quick to hear", and praying God would show me something I could learn from this.

We reached home and there was a message on the phone from a churchmember. What did it say? It said, "Hey guys, we just wanted to let you know, it's nice out and we want to play soccer in the field behind your house, hope it's alright; maybe we can even get a kickball game going!"

I have never laughed so hard. Sure, I still don't know if I need to approach the parent that is upset with me, but I felt God was saying, "You know what, I got this. You be open to me, and my leading, and I will guard your heart from the deceiver." He knew, I was too quick to anger and just needed a good laugh.

You may be a pastor's wife, you may know one, but either way.............if she wants to play kickball every now and then let her. Be careful not to make her feel like she's losing her ministry opportunities.....she might just wanna run around like a little girl for a few minutes. And maybe, just maybe, she may need you to love her for who she is too.

The sun is out!!!!!

For the past couple of weeks it has been cloudy here almost everyday. Yesterday we even had snow. The days have been short, dark, and cold. And I was really starting to feel it.

But TODAY the sun is out! It is so bright I've just been standing outside enjoying the heat on my face.

I've been thinking, sometimes when I'm not doing my quiet times, or keep up with my prayers it feels very similar to being cloudy. I am not as excited about ministering to others, and I can feel it in my marriage.

The good news is like today, the sun is always there, and when I decide to get rid of the my cloudy spirit, it is always ready to shine! God never leaves me, and for that I am ever grateful.

Nearing 30...........fearlessly!

The other day I was droning on and on about some fears I had about how my husband was approaching something at Church. "What if they don't like it", "You don't want anyone to feel uncomfortable", "I just don't know about that".........all things I said. My husband looked at me and said, "If you were as fearless as you are fearful, there's nothing you wouldn't be able to do."

It hit me like a rock to the forehead! I've always thought I was pretty brave. I mean, I drive on the highway, I buy things that aren't on sale, I tear the tag off the pillows; but I don't think that's what he meant.

So I started thinking: I am six months away from being 30. How fearless can I be as I approach this milestone (well, kind of)? So, here it is: a list of some "fearless" things I want to do in the next six months.

*I want to make a cd to give my dad. He wanted me to grow up to be like Amy Grant;
not quite me, but maybe this Father's day, I could give him a cd of me.

*I want to run/walk some 5k races. I don't want to let the "I can't run" be an excuse!

*I want to get down to a size 14. Not for health reasons, but because I want to do it for me.
I want to look good in a dress!

*I want to stop worrying about not having a baby. I hear so much "well, when you're a parent
you'll know"........well, God hasn't provided yet, but I think I can still live everyday for him
not feeling like somehow I'm broken. Starting today..........I'm gonna work on being patient,
and stop apologizing for not having kids yet.

*I want to fearlessly serve God. I want to be such an open vessel that I can't help but see his
leading in situations in my life.

*I want to witness to people fearlessly!

So there, it is in writing. And maybe someone will read it, maybe not, but there it is.

I don't want to be fearful anymore...........join me?

Today's my first post!

I am so excited to be starting this new adventure online. Everyday is a new adventure when you are a pastor's wife. I have been married to my husband for 5 years and we serve a church together in upstate South Carolina. We love it here, and can't wait to see how God unfolds our ministry at this Church.

Being a young pastor's wife can sometimes be difficult. Sometimes I feel intimidated by more seasoned ministry wives and get nervous about reaching out to them. I'm going to stop trying to do that. I think we all experience nervousness around certain people, but if we would reach out, I think we'd have a lot more in common then we could ever have imagined.

I look forward to sharing my life, my love, and my ministry with you.