The Perils of A Pastor’s Wife will speak to your deepest wounds and help you find God’s Presence through it all. Sweet Sister—somewhere, somehow, somebody knows. You are not alone.
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How did I find this book?
In order to do some blogging to assist pastors and wives, I ran a questionnaire a few months ago. Nan Jones was one that answered my questionnaire. I went to her blog to read some of her writings. After reading several of her posts, I decided I should read her book since I was in the same predicament that she was writing about. It was one of the best decisions I have made.
Who will Benefit from this Book?
“Perils ...” is written to help other pastor’s wives who are dealing with the sad situation of being dismissed by a church. This is something that is happening in alarming numbers these days. While this book was written from the viewpoint of a woman and written for women, I think men could benefit as well. It is a wonderful book for those of us journeying the path of rejection and being in transition (without a “flock”).
My Personal Experience
I found that God used the very same scriptures and resources to inspire Nan as He did me in my journey with chronic pain and then our dismissal from our last church. Hannah Hurnard’s Hinds’ Feet in High Places is an amazing allegory; Ann Voskamp’s book, One Thousand Gifts which set me on the right path for my journey. Her words are so gentle and encouraging. She shows us how to respond and get through it all with grace and (eventual) forgiveness.
Ministers in transition need to buy this book.
-Mandy
Have you been hurt by the church?
Have you felt abandoned by God in the lonely fires of ministry? The Perils of A Pastor’s Wife will speak to your deepest wounds and help you find God’s Presence through it all.
Sweet Sister—somewhere, somehow, somebody knows. You are not alone.
JOY IN THE WILDERNESS
This Group is expressly for men and women trying to find Joy in the Wilderness
This is a place for support and encouragement. No judgment, just a shoulder to lean on.
We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
Hebrews 6:19-20
Drifting from safety
When my children were small, my greatest fear was taking them shopping. My son stayed right by my side, but my daughter was the curious type. She wanted to see everything. And it would only take a moment for her to wander away from me. She was a tiny thing and could get easily hidden within a rack of clothes. I would be frantic.
We tend to get this idea in our heads that Christian leaders have everything in perfect order; that they are always holding a good hand. We think that they have had a great Christian life and have never been tempted to sin or been through troubled times. But this is far from the truth. When we look through scripture we find that God oftentimes chooses the weak or the least expected to do mighty things for Him.
I have said many times that we need to have more times of testimony. Times when we share about our troubles and weakness. And then also to share how God has gone through the fire with us. How can others be encouraged or know that God is an amazing God when we aren’t sharing these things?
As I picked up Phillip Yancey’s memoir, Where the Light Fell, I found the story of his life heartbreaking. But I learned some things in my reading that I will share with you today.
I picked up this book because I had enjoyed some of the author’s blog writings. Little did I know that I would connect with her immediately because we are both experiencing a similar time in life. We are both the wife of a pastor who has recently resigned from his position and is still in the “waiting on God” moments in life.
“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.”
Psalm 34:17
All images created for free by Mandy in Canva.com
Throughout the Bible we see that the godly are not exempt from troubles; however, God is always near to us. He is ever watching and He will help us through. Isaiah always shared comfort in that God was walking through those trials with us. He hears our cries and He provides what is needed as we go THROUGH the trial.
I have been waiting years for a women’s mentoring resource like this.
This post was previously written in Mandy’s older blog GGMandy dot com. This is an excellent resource of which I still highly recommend.
ADORNED
Living out the Beauty of the Gospel Together
by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth
{There are affiliate links on the page}
{I received a copy of this book from the publisher for the purpose of this review}
As a pastor’s wife, I have tried different times to encourage our ladies to live out the Titus 2 woman model. I used Bible Studies on the topic but I never seemed able to really get the point across. It wasn’t easy to explain nor or to share why we should live this kind of life. Partly, I had older women whom I respected questioning the principle. I didn’t know how to answer them. But mainly, I didn’t have the right mentoring resource to help me.
Today, we have millennial women begging for direction. But the situation is worse. The older women think the younger women do not want their help. They feel the young women do not want to hear their message. But this is not true.
And I believe “Adorned” is the mentoring resource we need.
The year of COVID-19 has me way behind in 2021. We didn’t celebrate Christmas until mid-January so it’s no wonder that I am just now getting my schedule and plans in order. Is this true for you?
“Show me your way, O Lord.
Teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me.
You are the God of my salvation.
On You, I wait all day.”
Psalm 25:4-5,
Finding God’s Plan
Finding God’s path has been challenging to say the least. I am baffled how someone with Chronic Illness can struggle even more with being “shut-in”. How is it that my days seem full when I don’t really have that much to do?
Well, being Type-A, I am always wanting to get more done than is physically possible. Those BIG planners only make me have lofty ideas. This planner keeps me from pushing myself too much. I just list my to do’s for the week. (only one per day, max) I’m not nearly as frustrated about what I manage to complete.
images provide by Crystal Stine
PLANNERS GALORE
I have found a lot of beautiful planners. But seriously, they are bulky and way too complicated for the chronic gal. I need simple but pretty. I don’t need stickers or all the minute details; just a place to record doctor’s appointments and a checklist for the things I need to do this week.
Even after 10 years of chronic pain,
I still struggle with overdoing it.
THIS PLANNER WORKS FOR ME
Crystal Stine has come up with the perfect planner for me. It’s pretty with its faux leather cover. It’s lightweight, like a paperback. And simplistic. It offers monthly calendars at the beginning, Then 52 weekly calendars with encouraging quotes to cheer you along the way. And the nice thing is it’s NOT already dated. Start using it anytime and even go into a new year.
Perfect for teachers or homeschoolers or anyone who has a different fiscal year. In the back you will find a year layout where you can put things for the new year or maybe things like birthdays!
Crystal has a whole book about how the handle this Holy Hustle. AND a Bible Study, too! Wow! we can really get on track ’cause she is providing all the guidance we need.
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
Hebrews 12:1
This scripture reminds me of my younger days, cheering on the team of whatever season it was. From the time I was small, we rushed about on Friday nights to get to the ballgame. It was just part of life. My brother was 5 years my senior. So, of course, we cheered him on often as well as our favorite teams.
More importantly, this scripture follows the great Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11 which lists many of the great men and women of God that have gone on before. They lived great lives as an example for us. And there have been many more since that we could add to the list.
Who are you following?
I’ve been thinking lately of the women in my life who have lived godly lives. They left examples for me to follow.
Elaine, my mother, demonstrated motherhood, a good marriage, and hospitality.
Ruth, Leona, Birdie – my grandmothers who were godly servants. Women I wanted to be just like.
Miss Gale – a Sunday School teacher who prayed the sinner’s prayer with me and encouraged me to be confident in my faith.
The Hesses, missionaries to Haiti
Evelyn – a neighboring farmer’s wife who taught me homemaking skills through 4-H.
Mrs. Crouse – a university professor who taught me the importance of health and godliness.
The woman who really challenged me the most has to be Elisabeth Elliot. I first read her words in my early twenties. I thought she was a little too strict for me. No one needed to live that holy of a life. However, by the end of the book, I was dumbfounded and a great believer in what she had to say.
I regret not taking her words to heart sooner in my life. I am thankful that God protected me from a lot of mistakes I could have made along the way. Looking back, I see how immature I really was.
Becoming Elisabeth Elliot
I recently picked up a new biography of Elisabeth Elliot by Ellen Vaughn. Oh, how I have been soaking up the words. Still, pricked in the heart by the commitment of a young college girl, but knowing it is never too late to become a godly woman. Indeed,
” being crucified with Christ, as the scriptures say, was not morbid but in fact the very gateway to life itself.”
Elisabath Elliot
Those who Guided Elisabeth
Ellen Vaughn has helped me know Elisabeth better by introducing me to the women who impacted Elisabeth’s life. This book is not just a biography of Elisabeth but also a glimpse into the lives of many other amazing men and women. Here are a few just to pique your interest…
her own parents, Thomas and Katherine Howard
Amy Carmichael
Betty Scott Stam, a martyred family friend, and missionary
Katherine Morgan, an “icon of what a missionary should be”
and, of course, her dear husband Jim Elliot
She was fortunate to meet and know some wonderfully godly men and women, but she also soaked up the words of earlier greats such as Deitrich Bonheoffer & Jonathan Edwards.
The Challenge to be a Godly Woman
And so, I now am considering the people that have impacted my life for good. What have a learned from them and what can I still learn from them? Are there women still living that I need to be spending time with and soaking up wisdom and spirituality?
Journaling May Help
Ellen was able to discern a lot about who Elisabeth learned from because Elisabeth had journaled nearly all her life. I was often encouraged to journal but never stuck to it. Thus, I am now trying to catch up and remember all the events in my life. What things had importance to me? Did those things matter and how did it make me the woman of God I am today?
Where are you on this road toward godliness? Are you the woman of God whom you desire to be? the woman God wants you to be? I believe this book Becoming Elisabeth Elliot may help you on your journey.
Let’s Encourage One Another Toward Godliness,
Mandy
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Imagine living in a country where girls are thought so little of that they are not even allowed to attend school… at any level. As we know, the dumbing down of a people group is the most surefire way to control them. Keep them from thinking and they will follow you anywhere.
Malala Stood Up for Education
Malala is from Pakistan where girls are not allowed to attend school, especially the upper grades. However, Malala’s father advocated for girls’ education. So he started schools for girls. Malala was an excellent student and she saw the need to be an advocate for girls’ education.
She was very young when she began doing interviews on news media around the world standing up for education for girls. She wanted to create awareness about what was happening in her country.
Trouble for Malala
The Taliban caused a lot of trouble for her and her father. They tried every way to stop the schools. But Malala was brave enough to continue attending school. One day on the way home, the Taliban stopped her bus and shot her in the head. She was fortunate to survive though she had a long recovery ahead of her.
Actually, this incident just made her story all the more popular and the news spread all around the world. Malala had made a big, big difference for girls. You’ll have to read the book for yourself to get the details. The book comes in adult and children’s editions.
A few things our children can learn from Malala.
You are not too young to make a difference. Stand up for what you feel is right.
There are many similarities with children in other cultures, but there are also some extreme differences. It’s important to be aware by reading books from different cultures like this one.
Learn about the oppression and persecution of women.
Appreciate your education. Some people aren’t even afforded the opportunity to learn to read.
NOTE: To those of the Christian Faith
As I read this book, I was a little bothered that she used the name of “God” when speaking of the Muslim god – Allah! I thought it might be confusing to young Christians as they read, causing them to think that we have the same God.
So I talked with a missionary to Pakistan who would know if this was normal. I was told that “yes, they do use the term God when referring to Allah.” Some will tell you that Allah is the same God of Abraham through his son Ishmael. While this may be true, the Isalm faith has distorted the character of God so much that their god is not the same person as Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (See Resources below)
This summer (2020) Susie Larson is offering a free online study of her latest book, Fully Alive. This was such a helpful book for me, so I decided to repost this review. She is offering the book for only $10 [CODE: FAITHRADIO] and the study is free! Sign up at the end of this post.
NOTE: I received this book at no charge in exchange for writing this review. These words are my own opinion and I have not been compensated to say them.
Dare to Hope again
Have you been losing your hope lately? What is it that is pulling you down into
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