How We Got Here

This week I am sharing about my life as a pastor's wife and I thought it would be a good opportunity to document how J and I got here in the first place. Let me just start by saying I am horrible with dates. I do know that I met J when I was 14. My family had just moved to a small town south of Dallas and my parents chose to go to a small Assembly of God church that I didn't particular care for, but God knew what he was doing. At that time J (who is 6 years old than me) was attending Southwestern Assembly of God University and was a part of a singing group that just so happened to perform at the church we were attending.

Shortly after that the worship leader of our church resigned and the pastor called up the group to see if anyone would be interested in filling this vacant ministry role. J answered the call and started leading worship in 1996.

The short story is that we got married 4 years later, but you can read the longer story in my series The Messy Mom's Love Story. From there we felt led to move on to another church where J was plugged in pretty quickly as a part of the worship team. Not too long after that our dear friend who was leading worship moved out to Florida and J stepped in as the music pastor.

In 2005 J was offered a full time position at the church. It would mean forfiting his place on the corporate ladder. I talked about this heavy decision and what it meant for us in a previous blog post.

Last year made 10 years of being at our church and 5 years of J being on staff.

This is a photo from the luncheon they had to celebrate this milestone. This journey of being a pastors wife hasn't always been an easy one, but I wouldn't change it. J has talent in so many areas and could have done almost anything with his life, but his heart for worship and his destiny to lead people into deeper places cannot be denied. In the past 10 years J, the guitar, and I have gone overseas,

across the border,

and to areas demolished by a tragic natural disaster.

The Lord has blessed us with the priveledge of touching numerous lives by spreading the Love of Jesus with this gift. And although we can't travel as much as we used to now that we have children I know that God is still moving in countless ways and I am honored to be one of his vessels.

Photo captions in order from top to bottom:

J is on the far right of this photo. This was the equivalent of a Pentecostal boy band I think it was actually called Zion's cry, but I never did see them perform.

This is an old photo of J in the old sanctuary.

J and I when the church honored him for all his years of service. I know it's blurry, but it's special

The worship team on our first trip to England. J is in the middle, that's one of my friends on the far right before she was married to who her husband who is on the drums, and on the far right (you can barely see him) is my friend Amy's husband.

J in on a mission trip to an orphanage in Accapulco.

J participating in a worship walk through the streets of New Orleans after all of the destruction from Katrina.

J setting up the instruments for the kids for our family music night last year. And yes Z is pantsless, it seems like someone always is for family night.