Lessons learned from losing an AWESOME PASTOR

I told my husband, I haven’t felt this sad since the last funeral I went to.  WOW that seems a little odd, since no one died. But since saying good bye, ‘see you later’ to an amazing pastor and her family, I’m grieving and these feelings aren’t comfortable. But I’m praying and finding comfort in trying to deal with my sadness.

Lesson 1:  I’m so grateful for the friendship and memories I have to cherish from the last 4 ½ years.  I know that my faith has grown since Pastor Kelly arrived and am feeling that more growth is in store in having to ‘keep going’.  Each member of my family is better because of our friendship.

Lesson 2: Obviously God has a plan. Because having our pastor leave was not my plan or our congregation’s plan. But I know that God’s plans are always best. So we need to pray and ask for God’s directions and leadings.   I know that I can’t continue in my sadness too long, as who knows what God has in store for our church or Pastor Kelly’s family – who knows, maybe they’ll be back in another chapter of their life!

Lesson 3:  The joy that comes from knowing that in this case we don’t have to die - we will see Pastor Kelly, Greg, the boys and a new one before heaven, because God has made us brothers and sisters in Christ. Their friendship has shown my family what fellowship is about.

So I am praying that I will be one of God’s faithful people-through the grief , and that each of us will continue to serve as we are called to do.  Let us strive for faithfulness, love, endurance, and gentleness, giving and receiving comfort as we serve within the Church. May God especially strengthen each of us, even in our sadness to be Your Church in all times and seasons of life – a place where all are truly welcomed and embraced in your love.

Thank you Pastor Kelly and Greg  you have been such a blessing to me and my family.

Raising girls to hold on to old fashion morals...respect from boys.

Today I received a snapchat from my daughter’s personal ipad – so I opened it and it was from a high school senior boy who thought the snapchat was going to my other daughter (she has her snapchat on my phone because we have not supplied her with a smartphone) who is a junior.  It was inappropriate and fortunately it didn’t contain pics of any inappropriate body parts.  However, it got me thinking! 

How sad is it that a high school boy would feel compelled to send such an ugly statement?  That he doesn’t have enough respect of the opposite sex – that they find sending snap chats with vulgar language funny.   So heads up boys—take Kate Pinke’s advice: Dear young men…http://thepinkepost.com/2013/09/dear-young-men-of-social-media/.

What concerns me is that my daughters have to be exposed to that behavior and then say ‘mom, everybody talks that way—it’s no big deal!”

The other day I read a post from a mother of high school boys that gently tell his Face book friends of the opposite sex to not post inappropriate selfies (/http://givenbreath.com/2013/09/03/fyi-if-youre-a-teenage-girl/).  I thought it was a very good reminder for girls to think before they posted photos.

 

I have learned that peer pressure is daunting in high school and it is hard for girls to be conservative and hold on to high morals—so what kind of encouragement can I give to my daughters and my young son to stand tall and turn away from such vulgar behavior when it is running rampant in our high schools—thanks to technology?

It cuts both ways!