A discussion on pastor's wives

Nate has a vicar this year. I know that stuns some of you because he hasn't been out of seminary long himself, but the seminary approved his request and we are so thankful that they did. Chris and Cheryl have been wonderful and we will surely miss them when they are gone!

Nate had some really great mentors who have helped shape him into the pastor he is today. Namely, his father, Pastor Al, and Pastor Mike. But with a vicar, Nate has found himself in the position of being a mentor himself. And so have I.

It is actually pretty funny to me that I could be a mentor to our vicar's wife, because I've only been a pastor's wife for about 3 years now. What do I have to offer? What credibility do I have to back me up? Our vicar's wife is actually older than me, and that makes me feel even more uncomfortable!

So all of this has made me think about the role of pastor's wives. I have no idea who reads this blog, but I know that some of you are pastor's wives. Whether you fit into that category or not, your feedback on this post would be just as helpful. It would be fun to hear from all kinds of people on this subject.

What do you think about the following topics?

Should pastor's wives have friends in the church or is it not a smart idea to get too close to anyone?

Is it important for pastor's wives to be visible at church services and other activities?

Should pastor's wives always look nice or have a clean house just in case someone from the church comes over?

How should pastor's wives handle people who talk negatively about their husbands?

Because we are married to pastors, we sometimes have privileged information that other people will do anything to get out of us. What is the best way to handle this?

Should pastor's wives feel the stress to have well-behaved children?

How do pastor's wives handle the fact that their husbands have extremely busy schedules?

Discuss! (Hopefully)

Insanity

Insanity is doing or thinking the same thing over and over and over again, expecting to get a different result.

Instructions from Jenna

"Mommy . . . when I grow up and become a rock star, you are going to have to buy me a bigger guitar and a real microphone that works. Oh, and please find a guitar that has both pink and purple on it. Then I can be a rock star."

Some Things Never Change

When Jenna was a baby, her little arm would always find my neck or face when she was sleeping next to me. It was so sweet--kind of like she just needed to know I was beside her. When Abby was born, I was suprised to find that she does the same thing. That simple touch from a sleeping baby is so sweet.

Our kids don't sleep in our bed. We have never allowed it simply because I could never sleep with a moving child. Abby is almost two and has been a good sleeper for a long time, so we don't have those moments of her sleeping in my arms anymore.

Last night, she woke up coughing. Abby is a drama queen when it comes to coughing. If she has the slightest bit of ickiness in her throat, she'll cough like she's deathly ill. I usually let her cough in her room because holding her or giving her medicine hasn't worked. But we have a houseguest and Abby's room is right next to hers. So, when the crazy coughing began last night, I took Abby downstairs on the couch.

She laid next to me all night with her little hand pressed to my cheek or neck. Every once in a while, I'd catch one of her eyes open, peeking to see if I was still there. And even though I slept very little, I enjoyed every minute of having that little hand plastered to me reminding me of those precious baby moments that are most likely over for us.

Dixie Chicks

Yesterday while I was driving in the car to meet a friend for lunch, I heard a Dixie Chicks song. And for the first time in many years, I heard another Dixie Chicks song on the way home, which makes two Dixie Chicks songs in one day!

You may be asking why this is a big deal to me.

Ever since Natalie Maines made a comment about being embarrassed that George Bush was from Texas, many county music radio stations have all but erased them from their playlists. I remember living in both Missouri and Texas--both areas where county is quite popular--and hearing DJs say that they will never play the Dixie Chicks again because of the "unpatriotic" comment that they made. Keep in mind, this was during the beginning of the war on terror and it wasn't cool (like it is now) to publically be negative about President Bush. So, country music fans all across the country (who tend to be, or used to be supporters of our current president) called for people to stop listening to the Dixie Chicks. Even years later, when they released a new album (which was outstanding) they couldn't get people to come to their concerts. People were still holding that comment against them.

I have always had a problem with those people who were so critical of Natalie Maines. First of all--the Dixie Chicks were HUGELY successful. They have real talent. Who doesn't love "Cowboy Take Me Away" or "Sin Wagon" or "Goodbye Earl?" They are a perfect mix of country, rock, and bluegrass. They appealed to so many people. But with one comment, their fans denounced them and turned their backs on them.

Granted, I realize that celebrities can't just say nasty things without consequences, but to completely write them off and ignore the great music that they produce is a shame.

I used to hear a Dixie Chicks song every time I got in the car. Now, I get excited when I hear one! Let alone two in one day. Maybe that happened because I live on the left coast. The people here probably love the Dixie Chicks for insulting President Bush.

But I still love the Dixie Chicks and value them for what they are--musicians. Not for their opinions.

Conversations in the car are the best

After I pick Jenna up from preschool in the afternoon, she is usually tired and chatty. Those two things make for some interesting conversations in the car. Today it went like this:

Jenna: Mommy, when do you think God is going to give me a baby to take care of?
Me: Not for a very,very, very long time.
Jenna: Well, we better start collecting toys now for my baby. I really hope that God gives me a girl baby.
Me: Oh really? What would you name her?
Jenna: Brietta (after the horse on Barbie the Magic Pegasus)
Me: What if you had a boy?
Jenna: I don't think God will give me a boy baby. But I better pray right now to tell God that I want a girl baby. (She bows her head and quietly mutters a prayer to God--which is hilarious)
Jenna: When I go to preschool and I have my girl baby, you can hold her, okay Mommy?
Me: Okay.
Jenna: I'm going to be the teacher. No, I think I'm going to be a rock 'n roll star and play my guitar, but maybe I shouldn't because I might get a blister. So, I think I'll be a teacher.
Me: You would be great at either Jenna.
Jenna: Yeah, Daddy can teach me guitar and you can show me how to be a teacher.

Funny how they want to be exactly like their parents! Girl babies, guitar players, and teachers. Interesting.

4:50 AM is way too early to be up

Seriously. I've been up since 4:50AM, not because I set my alarm to wake up at this time or because I had a sudden case of insomnia. No. I woke up to a 4 year old redhead about two inches from my face asking me if we could go downstairs and play Pretty Pretty Princess. I tried to tell her that we are only allowed to wake up when the sun is out, but all I saw were two big blue eyes staring at me for another half hour while I pretended to be asleep, hoping she would follow suit.

Needless to say, it's 6:50AM and I've been up for about two hours now.

Seriously.