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Showing posts from May, 2006

THE LONELY LIFE OF A PASTOR'S WIFE

Cindy Evers has been a preacher's wife for 30 years. As such, she has taught Bible classes and volunteered in the community, and yet if it were up to her, no one would ever know she's the wife of the Rev. Fred Evers. Not because she doesn't love her husband, but because she hates the pressure of being the pastor's wife. "When it's good, it's awesome," Evers said. "And when it's bad, it's awful." Being the spouse of a minister is like being the spouse of anyone in the public eye. It's a pretty lonely existence, experts say, and not immune to the everyday challenges the rest of society faces --- such as keeping a home and raising a family --- to the more extreme problems like alcoholism and infidelity. "There is a great deal of pain within the household of our clergy,'' said Kim Coffing, an assistant general secretary with the United Methodist Church. Because they are expected to uphold certain moral standards, the burd

I’m Running Out Of Cheeks by Aaron Welch, LMHC

One of the most difficult scriptures to apply in our lives is Jesus’ teaching on “turning the other cheek” when somebody attacks us or insults us. For many of us (including yours truly) our first reaction to an attack is to defend ourselves. In fact, when it comes to dealing with a perceived attack upon us, many of us subscribe to the theory that “the best defense is a good offense”! Yes, Jesus was clearly showing his listeners that the Lord wants us to refrain from indulging our urges for personal vengeance. In fact, he leads up to this teaching by citing the fact that the religious leaders of the day were encouraging the “eye for an eye” principle on dealing with conflict. But, he then tells the people that this is not the way he wants his disciples to handle their relationships. Talk about a hard teaching to swallow! So, how do we apply this principle to our everyday lives? When our spouse lays into us right where it hurts, how can we refrain from firing back? When our boss lets us

PASSING ALONG GRACE, Dwight Bain, LMHC

Outquote: No kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. Have you ever had one of those days where you were reminded of your past? Not the regrets and guilt from past mistakes, rather the blessings of remembering how God used others to share His grace and love with you. That’s the kind of memory that brings comfort from knowing that God was always reaching out to you, even when you didn’t know it was Him. Let me tell you a story about David Hurd, a man who illustrates this type of grace messenger to show you how this spiritual process works. But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. ~ Jeremiah 17:7 The 1970’s were a calm time in Central Florida and life was good. Orlando was a small town of closely connected families and businesses, so churches tended to reflect that same sense of connection. Brother Dave Hurd was my youth pastor when I was an impressionable teenager under his leadership. To put it bluntly I was just another “nerd