Birthing

I’ve been pregnant four times.  And I was always so anxious for the delivery that I’d end up at the hospital early with false labor pains.  You’d think I would have known the difference by the fourth baby!   But that’s what anticipation does—it creates space for the answer before the answer is there.   

Has God ever birthed a desire or vision in your heart?  The waiting for the fulfillment of that promise can seem to take FOR-EV-ER!  But here’s the promise:  God doesn’t begin a birthing process and abort it.  Never!!  What He puts in motion, He completes.  It WILL be birthed.  We can try to make it happen sooner, but it’s actually going to come in God’s appointed time.  

Peter found that out in John 20.  They had stayed in the upper room until Jesus breathed on them and they received the Holy Spirit. After Jesus left, and because nothing else was happening, Peter said, “I’m going fishing!” It had been his livelihood.   It’s what he knew to do. And the others went with him. He’d been told he’d fish for men, but it wasn’t happening—yet.  Jesus met them at their fishing spot and it became the birthing room of their ministry.  Jesus restored Peter by asking him, “Do you love me?   Feed my sheep.”   Three times.  (Just like Peter had denied Jesus three times.)  Peter was completely restored when he saw his own heart the way Jesus did—and was broken and humbled. He was then ready to fish for men.  

Jack Hayford, in his book, The Mary Miracle, says that we can all be Mary—pregnant with God’s purposes and promises.  And His purposes and promises are always birthed—and birthed in God’s perfect timing.  

And you know what?  Just like I did in physical birth, I still go to that spiritual birthing room early—in hopes today could be the day!

Spirit of Truth

SPIRIT OF TRUTH

“However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.”  John 16:13 (NKJV)

Peter Lord had come to our church and taught a small group of us how to hear God.  I was excited to be a part of the group.  In fact, I’d begged to be a part of the group!  But afterwards, I spent some time searching the Word to see if it was truth.  At the time, I’d recently gone through some emotional healing which involved removing lies from my life I’d believed.  A lot of these I’d picked up in the churches I’d belonged to.   So I was careful about what I let back in.  

I began to dissect verses like, “My sheep hear my voice...” But when I came to John 16:13, I was convinced!   In fact, I first read it in the Amplified Bible which says, “But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth). For He will not speak His own message [on His own authority]; but He will tell whatever He hears [from the Father; He will give the message that has been given to Him], and He will announce and declare to you the things that are to come [that will happen in the future].”   When I read that, I thought, “There’s no way it really means that!   I’m going to read it in the King James—it will be different!”  And as you can see at the top, it actually means what it says.  

Since that time 23 years ago, I’ve practiced hearing the Spirit of God speak to me.  He DOES speak.  He DOES counsel.  He DOES guide. And He DOES tell me things of the future.  If you’ve never heard the Spirit speak to your heart (and I bet you have—even if you didn’t acknowledge it), start listening.  And start believing He wants to communicate the Father’s heart and plans to you.  It will revolutionize your life!

Fasting Social Media

I just spent a week fasting from social media.  I did it because I wanted to hear God and because I knew social media was taking over my life.  This is what I learned... 

I was right.  Social media was taking over my life.  I can’t even tell you how many times I picked up my phone the first day—only to remember I wasn’t supposed to access anything.  I can even tell you I clicked on Facebook and Instagram mindlessly and quickly turned it off.  That’s it—it had become mindless activity.  I was checking to see what was new at any given moment...all day long.  

It also took me four days (FOUR DAYS!!) to get into a flow of my relationship with God—reading His Word, praying, and listening.  I had to relearn how to “be still and know He is God.”

I learned I’d been grieving Him. I was grieved.  He desires relationship with me and I do with Him.  Social media was getting in the way.  In fact, you could even go so far as to say I was having more of a relationship with the world than with God.  Ugh.  

I learned that I have to learn how to manage social media—kind of like I had to learn how to handle money.  I don’t think it’s wrong to be on social media.  But it is wrong to give more of my time to it than to God.  He has to be my priority.  

And lastly, it only took me 30 minutes to read every comment written to me on my private page, one business page, and one ministry page.   Thirty minutes after being off social media for a week!.  I would have spent HOURS reading those same things and scrolling mindlessly through other pages, posts, memes, and comments.  

I’m convinced I have to change.  I can’t give my devotion to social media.  God alone deserves my complete devotion.  

Who is a Pastor—or Pastor’s Wife?

This was a question I didn’t settle until my children were grown and called themselves PKs (preacher’s kids).  It was at that point I realized I must be a pastor’s wife!  The confusion came because we were either called Youth Leader, Youth Minister, or Minister of Missions & Evangelism. You’d think the “minister” part of the title would have clued me in, but even then we were related to as “staff” by the pastor or church.  I know some denominations are much clearer.  They have deacons or priests.  But in my denomination (and maybe yours), we never felt like a pastor.  So who is a pastor?

A pastor is not determined by age.  And it’s not determined by the position you hold (children, youth, music, etc.).  A pastor is someone who shepherds, teaches, disciples, looks over, cares for, exhorts, leads, evangelizes,  and helps the body of Christ. I Timothy 2 outlines the qualifications of a pastor.  This person may be the lead pastor or a staff pastor.  But if he does these things in any part of the body of Christ, he is a pastor.  Your church may not call you pastor (but staff, minister, leader)...but you are a pastor.  And if your husband does these things...you are a pastor’s wife.  I recognize some churches allow women to pastor, as well.  

We’re not just looking for clout—but there’s so much confusion in the Church over who is a pastor.  In fact, being a pastor doesn’t just come with authority, but it comes with responsibility and accountability.  James 3:1 says that not many should desire the position of teacher because it comes with greater judgement. 

If it took me over 25 years to figure out I was a pastor’s wife, I thought someone else might be confused over their role as well. 

Playing Hooky on Sunday & Grace

Playing Hooky on Sunday & Grace 

by Becky Dietz

I’m probably the only pastor’s wife who’s played hooky on Sunday morning...but yes, I did.   It wasn’t often. It was when I finally got overwhelmed.   I’d use the excuse of an upset stomach, a migraine, one of the kids having the sniffles—the excuse just didn’t matter.  I wanted to stay home occasionally.  The reasons were varied:  there was conflict in the church, I was tired of wrangling teenagers at church (Andy was youth pastor), I was overwhelmed with my own four young children, and probably the biggest reason was that I just never got a break from church.  I chose church—but church was also my husband’s job.  

And you know what?   It was ok.  God understood.  He knew my heart.  He knew I loved Him and the Church.  It’s no different than needing an occasional break from my husband or kids.  And you know what I did those Sundays I stayed home?   I stayed in bed.  I rested.  I enjoyed the quiet.  And I talked to God.  

It would have been more honest if I’d just said, “I need a break!”   But would the church have understood? Some would have...but younger believers might have been offended.  They wouldn’t have understood that I really loved the Church and that I just needed a break. Not to mention that Andy would have had to explain my need to take a break all morning.  

Grace.  As pastor’s wives, we never give ourselves enough grace.  We’re constantly trying to live up to the expectations of others when we really only need to please the audience of One.  And He’s full of grace.  

I’m praying you live immersed in that grace!  If you do, you’ll probably never have to play hooky like I did. 

Tired

TIRED

by Becky Dietz

When you’re ministering to the body, soul (mind, will, emotions), and spirit of others, it’s inevitable that you’re going to get tired.  I’ve even learned that there are different kinds of tiredness in that same manner—body (physical tiredness), soul (mind-overthinking, will-battling choices, emotions—becoming emotionally drained), and spirit (spiritual battle fatigue).  And I’m sure there are derivatives of each of those.  So anytime I’m sighing or saying, “I’m tired,” I try to take stock and see WHERE I’m tired.  

Rest is, of course, the obvious solution to tiredness, but there are also different kinds of rest. Every minister and his wife NEED to rest.  It’s so easy to give and give without replenishing yourself.  PLEASE take time to rest!!  Take stock and see which of these might be helpful for you:

• Take 30 minutes or an hour to be quiet. No noise, no devices, nothing.  Just be still. 

• Take a nap.  

• Read an uplifting, encouraging, or even a simple book.  Read something which doesn’t require lots of thought.  

• Hold a happy baby. 

• Take a trip to your favorite get-away.  

• Get together with good friends for dinner.  

• Go see family.  

• Pray with your prayer warriors.  Or better yet...ask them to pray over you!

• Watch a funny movie.  (Laughter is a great release. )

• Eat healthy food.  

• Go on a date with your spouse.  

• Meet a friend for coffee. 

• Go shopping with your friend who loves bargains!

• Journal your thoughts and your emotions. 

• Listen to God’s voice.  

• Tell your family you’re having YO-YOs for dinner (You’re On Your Own).  It’s amazing how fun this can be for everyone!   Everyone gets to eat what they fix for themselves that night.  

• Ask for hugs. 

• Go for a drive in the country. 

• Have a good cry—preferably in a bubble bath.  

• Chase a sunset.  Take photos of it.  

• Throw a fun party!   Invite people you love.  

• Watch the stars.  

• Clean your house (or even a closet).  Organization brings peace.  Even better—hire a house cleaner (!!). 

• Wade in water.  

• Laugh with your family.  Do silly things together—a water gun fight, charades, or like my friend, Ember—speak in a British accent at dinner.  

• Go for a walk or a bicycle ride. 

• Read Psalms. 

• Go somewhere private and yell as loud as you can.  Ask God all your questions!

• Forgive yourself, if needed.  

• Meet with a friend to discuss a chapter of the Bible.  Get fresh insight.  

• Read a biography of a missionary you’ve never heard of.  

• Eat chocolate. 

Seriously...invest in yourself.  We NEED you to keep going, to keep ministering, to keep giving.  But you can only do that if you’re not empty.  I bless each of you!!!  May you keep being filled!