Mrs. Mandy Winkle *Associate Pastor's Wife*

Name- Mandy Winkle

Husband’s Position- Associate Pastor, Choir Director, Bus Captain

How long have you been married? 13 years

How many children/grandchildren do you have? How old are they? 5 children – 10, 8, 6, 4, 3

1.Where/How did you meet your husband? After a brief time in N. Carolina, my husband had moved back home to Texas and decided to visit his sister’s new church (my church!).  His story goes like this “I passed by the nursery and caught a glimpse of a beautiful girl I had to get to know.” (Hee hee!) Being 5 ½ years his junior, I tease him about getting his wife from the nursery – robbing the cradle as it were. J

2. When did you get saved? May 1985 – 7 years old.

3. Can you share your testimony? Shortly after my brother and I started riding the bus to church in February 1985, my dad got saved and we became a church-going family.  I was saved during a revival meeting in May of that same year. I can’t tell you what the preacher preached, but I can still remember the literal tug I felt in my heart to go forward. I tugged on my dad’s arm in return and told him I needed to go down to the front. I didn’t know why, but he did.  I was saved that night and baptized that next Sunday with my cousins that also got saved that week.  When I was 14, my dad was called to start a church in a town NW of Houston called Tomball. We were there 2 years before the Lord moved us back home to Fort Worth.  At the age of 16 at the Pot O’ Gold Youth Ranch, I responded to the Lord during an invitation and fully gave Him the reigns of my life. I told Him I would do whatever He wanted me to.  Due to the nature of this old sinful flesh shell I live in, I have had to rededicate that promise to the Lord (a time or two!) through the years.  I am thankful for the continued grace my Heavenly Father has shown me.

4. How long have you been in the ministry? I would say since I was 7!  We began serving on the buses as a family soon after we started going to church, and I have been involved serving the Lord in ministry ever since.

5. How did you know the Lord wanted you in the ministry? Was it hard for you to submit to that or did you know 100% sure right away that this is what God wanted for your life?

As I stated earlier, I surrendered my life to the Lord when I was a teenager.  I believe when you accept Christ as your Saviour, you are inducted into His service.  To be in service IS to be in ministry.   Am I 100% sure that the Lord wants me to serve Him to the best of my ability in whatever capacity He chooses? ABSOLUTELY!

6. How old were you when you your husband first held a position of leadership?  I was teaching Sunday School when I was 15 in our fledgling church in Tomball. When I got married, my husband was a bus captain, I was 20 then.  I was 22 when my husband accepted a Youth Pastorate and we moved to a new church. The position at that church has changed through the years, but the church has not.  Eleven years strong. J

7. And if you were young, did you have a hard time adjusting because of your age? Did you feel “ready” to be in that position? Did you feel you had a harder time being respected or taken seriously because of your age?  No I never did have a hard time adjusting to the ministry.  Serving the Lord with my family as a child was excellent training in serving the Lord as I became an adult.  Much ado is given over ‘feeling ready’ and age.  Moses was 80 years old when he was peddling excuses to God about ‘being ready’ for service! You will probably never feel ready for service, and if you do, you probably will learn quickly how ready you are not!  The Lord uses those who are WILLING. It’s a heart issue.   As for being respected or taken seriously, I leave it to the Lord. He knows my heart. 

8. Once you had children did you find you did less in the ministry and was that hard for you? Oh just those few precious months when I nursed each of them did I really “do” less.  Sometimes I would just give ‘em a little ‘snack’, go teach in my spot, and return to finish.  It was more of a challenge to fit everything in around the nursing. 

9. What are some ways you included and involved your children in the ministry?

a. Baby… Oh well you know those sweet little senior saint ladies who can’t be as active as they would like – they LOVE little babies!  I would always ask one of them to hold my newborns for me during choir practices, etc.  They are serving the Lord by being a blessing to me, and my baby helped them to serve.  (That may be a stretch – but it’s true!) J

b. Toddler… A great place to teach toddlers to serve is in the nursing home ministry.  Mine always loved going and shaking hands and singing songs. The nursing home folks love that too. I always teach my toddlers that picking up trash off of the church ground is serving the Lord too.

c.  School age… By the time our kiddos are school aged, they are helping on our bus (singing, passing out candy, visitation).  We teach them to always help in picking up chairs etc. after a fellowship.  This is a good age to teach boys to hold the door open for ladies.  Not too long ago, three of my school agers were on top of the church roof delivering shingles to their daddy and the other men as they reroofed the church. (That was their daddy’s idea, not mine!)

10. Do you ever worry that your children will resent the ministry and what are some ways you tried to make it fun for them?  We rejoined the bus ministry this past year with the sole intent on having a ministry our whole family could serve together.  Knocking doors, singing, befriending the bus kids, praying for them, all things my children have learned so far. If you knew us personally, you would know that anywhere we go; we bring the fun with us!  My prayer is that each of my children will grow to have their own personal relationship with the Lord.  It’s what is missing among so many of my PK counterparts that are off in the world right now. Mercy me, there are so many.  We serve together, pray together and make sure our attitudes are in check.

11. What would be the best thing you would tell a mom who is raising her children in the ministry? Be consistent. That’s with anything!

12. Are you naturally a submissive person or do you sometimes have a hard time easily following your husband? Umm…no…I am not a naturally submissive person! I fight for control of my flesh on a daily basis.  (I hope someone can relate to that!)  But I do find when I am in line with the Lord; it’s easy to be in line with my husband.  Although as a wife, I am required to be submissive whether I find it easy or not! The easiness of it, dear ladies, lies within my attitude. J

13. What do you do to encourage your husband when he is discouraged with the work? The best thing I can do is pray for my husband and TELL him I’m praying for him.  If he knows you are on his side, it can be a great encouragement. 

14. How do deal with any criticism toward your husband from others?  I have been blessed to have never heard criticism of my husband.  If they are criticizing, they know better than to tell me, I guess!

15. How do you deal with personal criticisms?  I quack!  It’s best to be a duck about those kinds of things.  As water rolls off the oil of a duck’s feather, so should a criticism roll off of you.

16. Do you set aside date nights/days with your husband?  Yes!  We have to consciously set aside time for each other each week.  In addition to being the associate pastor at our church, my hubby works a secular job too.  Time together is essential.

17. What is the biggest thing you have learned about being married to a man in the ministry? That he is God’s man. Sometimes the Lord may be dealing with him about things that I know not of! I am sensitive to his moods and I know when something has changed. It is my nature to want to fix things – that always makes things worse.  I have to let him deal with the test or trial that he’s been given. 

18. What are some ways you protect your husband from “those” women in the church?  Double barrel shotgun. Just kidding!  I always tell my husband when I sense some distance should be made. He trusts my instincts – I trust the Holy Spirit! I also pray the Lord keeps our hearts knit together and to put a hedge of protection around us so when temptation comes lurking it doesn’t have a way in.  We should not be ignorant of the devil’s devices.

19. Do you and your husband have devotion or prayer time together daily?  No – with my husband working nights and sleeping during the day, it’s hard to do consistently on a daily basis.  We do however, pray as a family several times a week and have devotion most every night with the kids before they go to bed and he heads off to work.

20. Do you have a hard time sharing your burdens with your husband in fear that it will discourage him? No, not at all. My husband is many times, my source of encouragement. He knows just what to say and I depend on that.

21. What do you do to encourage yourself in the Lord?  I put on good Christian music. Nothing goes to your heart faster than music. Make sure it’s the right kind!

22. What is your favorite Scripture? I have so many! I especially love the book of Proverbs.  One that my mom gave me in a situation when I was a teenager has stuck in my heart through the years: Proverbs 18:24 A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

23. Do you have a favorite song? He Lives, Higher Ground, Love Grew Where the Blood Fell

24. What is your biggest struggle in the ministry? Honestly, it’s balance.  I feel like I have to say yes to everything and everybody.

25. Do you have find that you are not able to have close lady friends in your church?  I have learned many different lessons about that very subject, even one so recently.  We are a close knit church family so there is a sense of sisterhood among our ladies.  I am the SAME friendly to all of our ladies. It’s too easy for someone’s feelings to be hurt or the devil to use a friendship to cause strife and division. I try to stay away from ‘exclusive’ conversations in front of folks.

26. When you are discouraged, do you feel like you can “show” that feeling to ladies in the church? Or, do you feel like you always have to portray the “perfect” happy Pastor’s wife? You shouldn’t show your discouragement to your ladies. You should, however, teach them by example of how to bear ye another’s burdens.  Let your ladies know about a need and help you pray for it, using discretion, obviously.  People can see right through a “perfect” façade. Be real – it’s okay – they know you are human too! They need to see how real humans deal with things with God’s grace.

27. Have you ever made a big mistake or offended someone, and if yes, how did you go about restoring that relationship? Oh my, yes! As soon as I learn of it, I humbly go to them and beg forgiveness.  You learn what people’s sensitivities are – I don’t want to be a stumbling block to anyone.

28. Do you have other lady ministry friends that you go to for counsel and “venting” purposes? Yes, two dear ones. Both are current pastors’ wives whose husbands went to Bible College with my husband.  They are oft times a life line to me. 

29. Other than praying, what is the most encouraging thing ladies in the church can do for you? Give an encouraging word or tell me of an answered prayer. It’s exciting to see the growth in new Christians – that is a big encouragement.

30. What is your favorite way to serve the Lord in your church? Singing – in the choir, as a special, in the congregation. I love it.

31. Do you currently have special Ladies Bible Study, meetings, or fellowships? We meet on the second Tuesday of each month for a Ladies Bible study fellowship.  Our pastor’s wife (my mom) gives a lesson, we eat, sing and pray. A good time of fellowship that I look forward to.

32. What ways to you encourage your ladies to get involved in the work of the church? BE EXCITED ABOUT IT YOURSELF!  If you get excited about something, your ladies will too. Also, promotion, promotion, promotion.  Be organized and planned out. People don’t want to get involved with something that is sloppily put together. 

33. What is the most important thing you pray to pass down to your daughters? A love for the Lord, the Bible, their church, their husbands, their children.

34. In all of your business, how do you fit your personal time in with the Lord each day? I have learned that if I do not put it in FIRST it doesn’t get fit in any other time.  

Proverbs 8:17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.

35. Out of all that you have learned being in the full time ministry, what is the most important thing you have learned? That you have to use what the Lord gives you. Okay so maybe that person doesn’t have all the skill needed – teach them!  Be a part in helping them be all they can be for the Lord.  Many times, a person is too afraid to raise a hand to volunteer.  You go to them – maybe they’re waiting to be asked.

36. How would you describe the “perfect” Pastor’s wife? That would be someone who loves her ladies.  Someone who doesn’t order you into the trenches, but jumps in first to lead by example. Someone who realizes that she is a part of something bigger than just her husband and her kids. She’s the example to the women of the church on how to be a godly wife and mother and servant of the Lord.  As a matter of fact, I have that very example in my own pastor’s wife, my mother.

Baby Update #4....almost 34 weeks!

We had a great appointment today!! For the first time I left feeling great! First we got weighed....not my favorite part!! And we are holding at 20 pounds for this pregnancy...better than 21, lol. Then we had our non-stress test....AND.....we passed!!! Yahoo! Baby looked fabulous....ok, not fabulous, but way better! Enough to pass! I am once again dehydrated, so her "variability" wasn't at its best. I really need to drink more.
Anyways, then we saw Dr. Kassis. I will be 34 weeks on Thursday and I am measuring 36cm...not that that really means much, but I'm not gonna lie, I would be thrilled if baby decided to come at 37 weeks! (3 more weeks!) My 24 protien test came back great (other than the dehydration), and guess what!? NO signs of preeclampsia!! My blood pressure was great and my Dr was happy. She did say we will "evict" baby at 39 weeks, so I will be holding my baby by June 17th!!
Then we had our biophysical profile ultrasound, and my breech baby has officially flipped into her birthing position! And we are praying she decides to stay there=) She looked great on the ultrasound, and everytime I see her little face I see Ellie....but then again, all of our kiddos look alike=) So, that's about it!
Also, we only have to go twice a week now since she is being a good little girl. So I am one happy mama! Now, I just want to meet her!! Just 3-5 more weeks!!!! It is getting so close!
Thanks again, friends, for your prayers!! They are obviously working!

**Missionary Wife** Mrs. Kendra Barnhardt

Husband’s Position-Missionary

How long have you been married? 3 ½ years

How many children? How old are they?  1 child, Klayton-6 months

1.      What field are you and your husband going to? Norway

2.      Did you feel the same call as your husband to that specific location, or did you just feel the call to follow your husband?  When I was a junior in college, I told the Lord that I was willing to be a missionary wife or a pastor’s wife if He thought I was capable.  I didn’t even know my husband at the time.  When Joseph and I had met I was willing to follow him because I was already surrendered in that area of my life.

3.      How long have you been traveling on deputation? 3 years, technically 2 complete years together. Last year we hardly traveled because I had some complications with my pregnancy, followed by my son being hospitalized and me having surgery.

4.      What is the hardest thing about being on deputation? As a wife and mother I have the desire to “set up” my home and create a home, however that is pretty much impossible to do while on the road.

5.      What do enjoy the most about being on deputation? Seeing sights I would not be able to see otherwise and crossing paths with friends.

6.      How do you keep your children excited about being a “missionary” with constant travel and being in church all of the time? Well, I don’t know necessarily have to work on this one right now as Klayton is only six months; but I will say he has been a little traveler since he was 3 weeks old.  It is hard on him though after we have had many long travel days in a row; but I still think he does better at the traveling thing then I do sometimes! Ha!

7.      Do you feel the burden of having well behaved children at all times? Even though he is an infant I do.  We keep him with us at all times, we don’t put him in the nursery. Klayton is a very happy and content baby; but sometimes I feel people are still judging. He’s been teething and was having a particularly rough day and a lady in a church says to me, “what a fussy baby you have”.  Every time he even whimpered she would say this to me, I just felt more pressure to make sure he was “behaved” even though in my heart I knew I shouldn’t feel that way.

8.      What is the most encouraging thing that a Pastor’s wife could do or say to you regarding your children?  Let me know that they see the good behavior in my child.  Even though Klayton is an infant it thrills my heart when I am told what a good baby he is. Point out the good and if my child is acting up relate to me, don’t act as if YOUR child would never do that! Lol!

9.      Do you always have the option of a Nursery in churches or do you sometimes have to take children who are not ready yet into services? And for those churches where there is no nursery, do you wish they would make a special exception for your family while you are there?  I noted this above; but we don’t put Klayton in nursery.  This is our personal preference.

10.   What is the best thing (other than prayer) that a church can do for your family or give to your family? We have a church in Alaska that cannot support us at this time; but every birthday and holiday and sometimes just because they send us a card and we love it!  Its nice to know that we have not been forgotten, especially when we are always on the go and feel out of the loop!

11.   What are some things that churches do for you that may not be a help to you? It is nice when churches think of us and give gifts.  However, our space is limited and so baskets are not always a good plan for us.  Unfortunately, we have had to condense baskets in the past and toss some. 

12.   Do you prefer to stay in a hotel, mission’s apartment, or the home of a church member? I would much rather stay in a hotel first and my second choice would be a missions apartment.  Staying in peoples homes is fine; but I don’t feel as I can relax.

13.   What is the best thing a Pastor’s Wife can do to make you feel comfortable in her church? Introduce herself and talk to me.  I have been in many churches where I never met the pastor’s wife.

14.   What is the best thing that the ladies of the church can do for you?  Just be themselves and feel comfortable to visit with me about anything-they don’t always have to talk to me about Norway!

15.   What is the biggest pressure you have visiting a new church for the first time? Not knowing what they expect or not knowing what the pastor is like.

16.   Do you ever feel that you have to be “fake” at a new church to be accepted as a missionary? (For instance, do you feel the need to always smile, be social, and be positive about every aspect of your ministry and deputation) Just so you know I am trying to be open, honest, real, transparent in this…lol, so I will go ahead and admit yes.  We are at these churches to share our burden for Norway and be as much of a blessing as we can be.  But, also when we are at a missions conference we know that at times not every missionary will be taken on so we need to do our best to stick out from all the other missionaries so when the churches votes as to who to take on they will remember us.

17.   What kind of church makes you “feel at home”?  The churches that are like my home church. Churches where the pastors wife comes and gives me a hug. Churches where I feel free to laugh and be myself, where everyone is friendly. The churches that have a sincere love for missionaries and don’t love them out of obligation.

18.   Who are your best friends and what do they do that encourages you? My husband is my best friend.  I have several best girl friends, who will simply send me a text on the road to check on me or randomly call me on the phone.  My best girl friends let me wear my hair down and cry if I need to and simply listen.

19.   Any “horror “stories you’d like to share? Haha! We once stayed in a home, where the one working bathroom had two doors, one led to their childrens bedroom but was broken so they could see right into the bathroom. And that same house had a heating system that was condemned by the state for carbon monoxide; but they still ran the heat…I think out of fear of dying from carbon monoxide poisioning neither of us slept!

20.   What has been the biggest blessing so far about being “on the road”?  Mmm, this one is tough.  I have had many blessings…material would be my purse fetish, someone gave me my own Coach bag.  Relationship wise, strengthening our family unit.  Spiritually, seeing God provide for us in ways we could never have imagined.

21.   Do you ever get worried that your children will resent the ministry and the fact that you took them from America, away from their family and friends? No.  I choose not to worry about this, we believe that we are in God’s will and we are trusting Him to work out the details as we do our best to raise Klayton for God’s use and glory.

22.   What are your biggest fears and challenges about raising your children in a different culture? I am hoping that God gives us at least one more child so that Klayton has someone to grow up with.  I don’t want him to grow up “alone”…

23.   How do you plan on managing the lonely times (holidays, etc) without your family and friends in the States?  Mimicing holidays as if we were in the states.  I plan on bringing all my scrapbooks so I can look through them during lonely times…skype as well! But, I guess I won’t really know until I get there.  When I get lonely on deputation, I cry to my husband, pray for God to give me grace and hug my baby A LOT!!

24.   What do you do to encourage yourself in the Lord?  I pray A LOT and remind myself that since we believe we are in the center of God’s will that HE WILL take care of us. 

25.   Do you have a hard time sharing your burdens with your husband for fear of discouraging him? Sometimes.  I feel as if I keep my burdens to myself that I am protecting him…however, most of the time the day draws to an end and we start praying with Klayton then the tears will come and I end up telling him; but I still try to sugarcoat it and act like its not that big of a deal, even though I’m crying!

26.   What do you do to encourage your husband when he is discouraged with the work?  Remind him that I think he is doing a good job and try to love on him a little more than usual.

27.   What is your favorite Scripture? Luke 1:38, “…be it unto me according to thy word…” What a heart of humility.

28.   What is your favorite song?  Little is Much When God is in it…

29.   How do you fit in your personal time with the Lord each day?  On travel days its easy because I just do it in the van.  When we are not traveling I usually do it at night before bed.  I am not a morning person and I’m still working on grasping the schedule of mommy and baby in the mornings.  I feel I get the most “meat” when I do it at night.

30.   What is the most important thing you have learned so far about being in the ministry?  My expectations are too high! We can’t please everyone and not everyone is going to like us, so I need to place my expectation in the Lord, only, and do my best in resting that I am in His will. 

27 Blessings...

Today is my 27th birthday, so I decided to come up with 27 things I am thankful for....

1. My salvation- without Jesus Christ and His great sacrifice for me, I cannot imagine where I would be today...

2. My amazing husband- there is just so much I could say about him!! I love him so much and am sooo thankful I am blessed with a wonderful, Godly leader!

3. My 3 beautiful children- words cannot express...Selah, my little artsy imaginitive princess. Sam, my little snuggly mama's boy, and Elliana, my crazy girl with such a zest for life at only 15 months! 

4. Being raised in a Christian Home

5. My older brother Rob- he's awesome and I am always amazed by his knowledge and passion of life and learning...he's pretty much a genius and the best big brother you could ask for!

6. My little brother Jared- hilarious...I swear I can read his mind and we are always thinking the same thing. I love him.

7. My favorite little sister Ruthie- my best friend and the one I can always call....so many great times and memories. Everyone needs a great sister like mine=)

8. My parents- I am so grateful to have been raised by Christian parents who taught me to have love and compassion for people. They were never selfish and always showed much love to us and to others

9. My Inlaws- I have been beyong blessed to have the most amazing inlaws...they are all wonderful! My parents in law, brothers and sisters in law.....and my sweet little nephew Paxton and beautiful niece Brooke. I just love them all=)

10. My home church, Buckley Road Baptist Church- there is no other church on earth like Buckley Road. I have so many memories there. I could just go on and on...the best sending/supporting church ever!

11. My health- the Lord has blessed me with 27 years of good health and I praise Him for that!

12. My pregnancy- this one has been a little bumpy, but I am so thankful for the grace the Lord gives when we need Him and for the fact that little Barbie Joy is doing better!

13. My home- I just love it=)

14. Our church- Tri-City Baptist...we have been here for 4 1/2 years and have met so many wonderful people/friends....the Lord has been so good.

15. My wonderful friends- I have so many! I miss my friend Debbie in Kansas, a wonderful, godly encouragement to me and a blessing to our whole family! I love all of my "internet" friends, lol....some I have never even met, but they still encourage me and pray for me and I feel like I have known them for years. There are just so many wonderful supportive encouraging people in my life.

16. God's provision- we have never ever gone without anything we have needed, and He gives us more than we could ever imagine. I am so blessed.

17. Our cute little red mini-van- yes. a mini-van, and I feel totally cool driving it =)

18. Homeschooling- I NEVER wanted to be "one of those", but I am so thankful that last summer the Lord worked on my heart in this area. It was a fantastic year!

19. The Internet- ok...many people hate it, and I agree it can be used for the bad, but I have found many great friends on here=)) Also, it is just a wealth of information! Google can freak you out, though;)

20. My Pastor- yes, he is my husband, but he is also my pastor. Amazing in every way. Our church is lucky to have a strong, compassionate Pastor like Him...He is an amazing preacher and I could just go on and on about him...he's cute, too =)

21. My Doctor- she is great! I love that she is so concerned with my health and the health of the baby, She takes time with me and is the best I've had!

22. My talents- Ok, sounds totally vain, but I praise the Lord for helping me develop them so I can better serve Him. When we first moved to Binghamton to plant the church I could only play 2 songs on the piano, lol!! It was sad! But with lots of practice and with the Lord's help, I can play anything now...mostly I play by ear, which turns out to be cheaper cause instead of having to buy my music, I can just chord it out myself! ;) I love to sing, and I will even say I am thankful for the little kiddos I get to watch in nursery. Not my favorite job, but what an honor to help train these young little minds in the things of the Lord.

23. My Bible- Everything I need is in it. All of the wisdon and all of the answers I can find in the truths of God's word. I am so thankful for Scripture!

24. My trials- Even though I am not always a fan of going through hard times, I know that they are making me stronger and wiser in the Lord. I can use them for His glory and I have been able to help others by sharing my trials with them.

25. Wisdom- I don't have a lot, but I am thankful that God gives it to me liberally if I ask!! I am still young and do not have all of the answers, but I love how God can use me despite of all of my imperfections...He helps me say what I wouldn't normally say, and helps me keep my mouth shut when I need to, which is more often than not =)

26. My blog- I am glad I finally started one and especially the "Ministry Monday" thing....all of these women have been such a HUGE encouragement to me!

27. My little Barbie Joy- I haven't met her, but I am so excited=)) She has already taught me to trust the Lord more and to be able to say "Thy will be done" ...I just can't wait to hold her!!!

Mrs. Jennifer DiGiacomo- Wife of the Week

Husband’s Position- Pastor, Lifeline Baptist Church, Haverhill MA

How long have you been married? 7 1/5 years!

How many children/grandchildren do you have? How old are they? 3 girls: 6, 4, and 23 mos. And one more on the way due Oct. 8^th. (We hopefully find out the baby’s gender on Thursday!)

1.      Where/How did you meet your husband? We met at Plymouth State College, in NH in 2001. He was friends with my college roommates. At first we didn’t get along at all, but one day he said something that made me cry. When he apologized I saw a much softer side. We became friends and a few months later started dating.

2.      When did you get saved? I was saved on July, 15, 2003.

3.      Can you share your testimony? I grew up Roman Catholic. I attended Catholic school for 7 years and was very involved in my church. When I turned 14 I refused to be Confirmed by the RCC because I didn’t agree with some of their teachings. I searched for many years for the Truth, knowing there had to be more than what I had known. In college I started dating my husband and I didn’t know it at the time, but he was saved and extremely backslidden. I attended his mom’s church with their family on a visit and was confused at what I heard, but from then on I really started to think about the Lord. I was under conviction for a year and a half before one day I met with Pastor Calvin Fuller. He showed me what the Bible said about salvation and that day I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my Personal Savior!

4.      How long have you been in the ministry? Full time, 5 years.

5.      How did you know the Lord wanted you in the ministry? Was it hard for you to submit to that or did you know 100% sure right away that this is what God wanted for your life? The Lord called my husband to preach about 9 months after we were married. When he told me what God was doing in his heart and about his call to full time Christian service I was very excited! I was a very young Christian, but I kept thinking about Ruth 1:16-17 and I knew what I needed to do.

6.      How old were you when you your husband first held a position of leadership? 26

7.      And if you were young, did you have a hard time adjusting because of your age? Did you feel “ready” to be in that position? Did you feel you had a harder time being respected or taken seriously because of your age? It wasn’t difficult to be “young” on deputation, but when my husband took over the pastorate here at Lifeline there have been times when it has been difficult. When we first got here I was the youngest married woman in the church. I feel that most of the church people were very helpful and thoughtful of me, but there have been some bumps along the way.

8.      Once you had children did you find you did less in the ministry and was that hard for you? My oldest 2 were born while my husband was still in Bible College. It was a difficult transition for me because up until that point we did everything together. It was sometimes hard for me to remember my limitations, or should I say, my girl’s limitations. But God has been good to remind me that my children are my first ministry and right now my priority is being with them whenever I can be.

9.      What are some ways you included and involved your children in the ministry?

a.      Baby… when they’re able, picking up after themselves, learning to play quietly, greeting visitors.

b.      Toddler… Picking up the nursery or Sunday School areas. Always making sure to be in her place and obedient, and sometimes going on Nursing Home visits or to see some shut ins.

c.       School age… going on visitation with us. Helping with administrative things whenever possible, greeting visitors, cleaning the church. (and anything else we that might need to be done.)

10.  Do you ever worry that your children will resent the ministry and what are some ways you tried to make it fun for them? Sometimes I do. I know that the way I react to someone needing extra time from my husband, or him having to deal with an emergency, can be a HUGE statement to my girls. If they see mommy get mad when Daddy goes to help someone or to do some church related business then they will resent the ministry because it’s taking their time from their daddy. My husband tries to take Monday’s as his family day. This has helped us a lot, and given us a day to really enjoy each other’s company. Especially when there are some weeks when the girls don’t even get to eat dinner with their father. A lot of times he will take one of the girls on a visit with him or to the church to “help” with something. They love it!

11.  What would be the best thing you would tell a mom who is raising her children in the ministry? Minister to your children first. Don’t become so consumed with the ministry that you neglect your own little mission field.

12.  Are you naturally a submissive person or do you sometimes have a hard time easily following your husband? NO! I am NOT naturally a submissive person! LOL! Here’s a secret about me… before I was saved I was big into the Women’s Rights Campaign and even marched on Washington D.C. in 2000. I was a Political Science major in college with plans to attend a law school. When the Lord saved me He had to reach WAY down! Today I am not the same person that I was in college, Praise God! I am learning every day how to be more like the wife that the Lord desires me to be. It’s easy to submit when you agree with your husband. For me the true test is when he tells me I need to do something that I don’t want to do. It’s actually been good for me to have my girls and have them listen to how I respond to my husband. When I am submitting to him properly I find that my girls obey and submit to both of us much better. I have come great distances in the area of submission since we’ve been married.

13.  What do you do to encourage your husband when he is discouraged with the work? I pray for him and let him know that I am praying for him. I also praise him out loud, and brag on him to others so that he can hear it.

14.  How do deal with any criticism toward your husband from others? Better than I thought I would. What helps me deal with criticism is to know that the Lord faced it, so if He faced it surely my husband, (and my whole family really), will face it as well.

15.  How do you deal with personal criticisms? I ask God if that’s really an issue. If it is, then I try to fix it with His help. If it isn’t then I TRY to let it go. Phil. 4:8 has helped me a lot!

16.  Do you set aside date nights/days with your husband? Mondays are our family days. We really do need to have more time just the two of us though!

17.  What is the biggest thing you have learned about being married to a man in the ministry? Honestly, to be thankful for the blessings that the Lord has given me. Because not everyone has a Godly husband at home.

18.  What are some ways you protect your husband from “those” women in the church? I show him affection in public and always try to make sure that his needs are met.

19.  Do you and your husband have devotion or prayer time together daily? It is our goal to have daily prayer together. Some days are crazier than others, but we try.

20.  Do you have a hard time sharing your burdens with your husband in fear that it will discourage him? There are times when I don’t share something with him and it never seems to work out well. Mostly because I am terrible at keeping something “in” without it showing up all over my face. So I have learned that it saves a lot of extra discussion if I just come out with it.

21.  What do you do to encourage yourself in the Lord? Music and Bible reading.

22.  What is your favorite Scripture? Psalm 139 is my favorite.

23.  Do you have a favorite song? When Answers Aren’t Enough There is Jesus.

24.  What is your biggest struggle in the ministry? Time with my family all together.

25.  Do you have find that you are not able to have close lady friends in your church? I do not have close friends in my church. I wish I could, because I really believe my church ladies are the most wonderful ladies in the world! But I do have wonderful sisters in Christ at our church! 

26.  When you are discouraged, do you feel like you can “show” that feeling to ladies in the church? Or, do you feel like you always have to portray the “perfect” happy Pastor’s wife? I am a pretty honest, real person. If I am unhappy my husband tells me that it’s no secret! But I also make it a point to not ever be in depths of despair. Balance is important and I don’t believe that people should see leadership as frazzled or out of sorts. However, if I need prayer I will ask the ladies who I know will pray for me to please do so.

27.  Have you ever made a big mistake or offended someone, and if yes, how did you go about restoring that relationship? Yes I sure have! I have this fleshly side that makes comments that I don’t need to say and I made one at church one night. Two ladies heard it. The one I knew I may have offended I called right when I got home. The other lady I didn’t know I offended, but when I discovered I had, I immediately sought to make it right with her also.

28.  Do you have other lady ministry friends that you go to for counsel and “venting” purposes? I have a few pastor’s wives who I have had to the privilege to get to know over the years and I am able to chat with them whenever I need to talk.

29.  Other than praying, what is the most encouraging thing ladies in the church can do for you? Be kind to my children, but don’t “favor” them.

30.  What is your favorite way to serve the Lord in your church? I have 2 ministries that I love! I teach the teen girls Sunday school class and I run our ladies ministry meetings. Both are really exciting for me!

31.  Do you currently have special Ladies Bible Study, meetings, or fellowships? We have 3 main ladies meetings a year, plus showers from time to time. I would love to start a weekly Bible study but so far we just don’t have enough ladies home during the day to do one.

32.  What ways to you encourage your ladies to get involved in the work of the church? I ask them personally. I think people like to be asked. It makes them feel important and since each one of us is, I try to show each one of our ladies that I think she’s of special value too.

33.  What is the most important thing you pray to pass down to your daughters? A love for the Lord and true desire to serve Him with their whole lives.

34.  In all of your business, how do you fit your personal time in with the Lord each day? I have to get up early and not allow myself to turn on the tv or check my email. Just sit down with Bible and spend time with the Lord.

35.  Out of all that you have learned being in the full time ministry, what is the most important thing you have learned? To always be flexible! You never know what a day may bring.

36.   How would you describe the “perfect” Pastor’s wife? A fairy tale! I think people have a lot of ideas of what a pastor’s wife should be, but I strive to be the pastor’s wife that my husband and my Lord want me to be. I could do everything that everyone else believed I should, but all of those things may not be what my husband wants from his wife. So I learn how to be a pastor’s wife by asking my pastor what he wants and praying for guidance from the Lord.

Baby Update #3...."My 'Almost' Birth Story"

This pregnancy has been an adventure so far, and when I do have this baby, I am going to have nothing left to write about :)
Yesterday morning I went in to my regularly scheduled non-stress test. I made sure to eat and drink right before so that it would come out good. Also, in my favor was the fact that I was officially 32 weeks, which is supposed to mean better results....anyways, I went in and was welcomed by all of the staff that have come to know, and I am sure love, me, lol=)) I was hooked up and in about 15 minutes my Dr came in very concerned and told me to go straight to labor & delivery...I wasn't worried since I had done this a couple of weeks ago, so I called my husband and told him I was going to go over and I would let him know if I needed him, but would probably be home soon.
When I got there they brought me to the triage and hooked me up. I drank some water and turned on the Food network. After about an hour the nurse came in and told me that the hospital's perinatologist was watching my NST and he did not like what he saw. I was sent downstairs for another biophysical profile ultrasound, but this time it took 30 minutes...she measured everything, and told me baby was 4 lbs. and everything looked perfect! That was so reassuring.
After I went back upstairs I was hooked up for another hour of monitoring and nothing really changed, but I wasn't really worried since this is what it has been doing for the last 3 weeks. The nurse came in and told me the perinatologist still wasn't liking the results and the that he ordered a drug test for me, also for me to have oxygen and IV fluids. I hate getting IV's so I wasn't very excited about that. After getting the IV, 3 nurses came in and started acting kind of funny. They were asking a bunch of questions, so I assumed I was being admitted for overnight monitoring. I got a little nervous when they were asking about the last thing I ate, etc, since those are the questions they usually ask when I am about to deliver.
They didn't really tell me anything, but then again I was too scared to ask. They were being extra nice though....anyways, then my Dr walked in and I smiled and she didn't smile back. This is when I got really nervous. She told me that her and the perinatologist had been monitoring me for the last 4 hours and it looked really bad. She said they both agreed that the best option for baby was an immediate C-section. I told her I wanted to get ahold of my husband so that I could have him call my mom to drive down to watch the kids, and she said that was fine and that they would continue to monitor while I did that. She told me to go ahead and make my phone calls and she left.
I called Matt and as soon as he answered, I lost it. I told him that I was pretty sure they were doing a C-section in the next hour or two and he prayed with me, which of course made me cry more. After I hung up with him, my Dr came back to see if I was ok. I had so many questions, especially about the chances of baby Joy being ok at 32 weeks. She said she would have the neonatal ICU nurse come in and talk to me. She left and I was there alone with my thoughts and my big, scary oxygen mask. I was very worried, and for those that know me, I don't get worried easily. I prayed and I sought peace from the Lord. I wanted so badly for it to just be over, but not the way it was about to be. A girl came in and took my blood, and then my nurse came back with all of the paperwork for me to sign my life away. I signed for the C-section, and for the anesthesia, and for all of the other "risk" forms I had to sign. It was awful. After she left, I just waited, it seemed like forever! Then Mat  finally came in! He hugged me and didn't say anything, which I needed. He's so great! He even packed me a hospital bag and had some little tiny baby clothes....did I mention that he is so great??
About 10 minutes after he got there my Dr walked in smiling and said the baby all of the sudden looked great! As she put it "the best that she has ever looked!" I was shocked! She said she was no longer planning on doing the C Section, and you have no idea the relief that I felt! It was such a huge, HUGE answered prayer!! I knew I had so many people praying, and that was such a comfort. She said I was once again severely dehydrated and that I needed to be getting more rest at home...
She left to deliver another baby and while she was gone stinker baby Joy decided to act up again! She decided to admit me overnight said I could *possibly* still have the c section in the morning...I moved to a real room and was finally allowed to eat! (they wouldn't feed me earlier because of the c section)
I hung out with Matt for a while and it was such a nice peaceful feeling=) When he left I went to sleep. I had a pretty good night and spent a little while googling 32 week baby survival stories....and just like I had thought, they have a great chance. The Lord filled me with peace and then I knew that if she decided  in the morning that a c section was necessary, I was ready.
In the morning the nurses said she did well overnight. They slowed the IV and had me eat breakfast. Then I went down for another BPP U/S which baby passed with flying colors...again!! (my little genius) When I went upstairs L& D was crazy. I guess they had a few scary emergency situations, and my heart went out to those mommies! My Dr came in and said baby looked "ok" but not as good as she looked the night before, BUT good enough that we could go home!! I was SO happy.
My orders were lots of rest and fluids and I go back tomorrow to be monitored again. I am so thankful for all of the prayers that went up for myself and Barbara Joy =) And, I am so thankful that the Lord had her "behaving" on the monitors at just the right time...He is so good to me!

Baby Update #2

I am just about 32 weeks! Today at 8:45 i went in for my 3rd non-stress test. After about 20 minutes the Dr came in and said it didn't look good...again=( So she had me have another bio-physical profile u/s and that looked great, which was wonderful! Baby got an 8 out of 8, and she said if it was anything less she was going to send me over to Labor and Delivery again for monitoring. So, we talked and she said that I am in fact pre-eclamptic, but it is still mild. (although the number did go up slightly from last time, which isn't too great.
Anyways, what she is hoping is that as the baby gets older the non-stress tests will be more reactive. As of now, baby has a nice steady heartrate, but when she moves (and she moves a lot!!) it does not accelerate like it should, which is why all of these non-stress tests. So for now, I will go in for the non-stress tests 2ce a week, the 24 hour urine test (gross!) once a week (hopefully less), and have the bio-physical profile u/s done 1-2 times a week until either the tests get better or until she decides to take the baby for her health....also, she informed me that she will induce at 39 weeks since I am mildly pre-eclampic (unless, of course, I go into labor earlier than that or the pre-eclampsia gets worse)....anyways, that's the main jist of it all....Thanks for your prayers! Love you all!

**Oh and I want to say also that I am so thankful for my Dr. She is great and very cautious which I love! I'd rather go in every day for a check-up than once every 2 weeks and something be missed=) So, praise the Lord for her!