My husband is very funny. When he teaches he is clever and can drive a strong point home with great humor. He really is gifted. So, whenever I get introduced as …”This is our Youth Pastor Jeff Maguire’s wife, Amanda”, it is 99.9% usually followed with this comment, “Oh, Jeff Maguire’s wife! Your husband is so funny! You must laugh ALL the time!”
I 100% of the time smile and nod and say, “Yes, he is so great.” But in my head, 99.9% of the time I am thinking, “Are you nuts? Of course we don’t just laugh ALL the time. You’re ridiculous!”

Oh, ha ha ha, it’s 5am and you have to go to church early…he he he.

Oohooohhhoooo, the buses broke down and you won’t be home for 7 MORE hours…fuuunny!

Whew, he, he, he, a student backed into our minivan in the church parking lot, ha ha, what a laugh!

Oh, goodness, pizza again! …good one!

Come on people!

(We do often get a good laugh out of his paycheck).

I received this email from a YP wife. I know, and YOU know she is not alone. We have all been here (some are still here) and can empathise. This is what this blog is for, to support and encourage our unique community of youth pastor’s wives. Rally around Ariel . :

I just wonder how many youth minister wives feel isolated. I have been a youth minister wife for over a year and still feel isolated. Everyone at our church is so sweet and loving but we have no real support system or friends. Very few people are close to our age, we are in are early 20′s with a six month old) at church so that contributes to the issue but still, I feel so isolated and lonely. Everyone sees me as the youth minister’s wife but NOT ME, and even if they do no one has taken the time to REALLY get to know me.? Anyone else feeling alone?

My cute 7 year old son just played a drum solo in his school’s talent show. He did a phenomenal job, if I do say so myself. However, the few weeks leading up to the big show was not so awesome. We had a run in with a 5th grade bully! Three different times this bully intimidated my 1st grader and told him he had better NOT sign up for the talent show, HE was going to be the ONLY one to play the drums, not Dylan. (Side note: my kid has an unusually remarkable ability to play the drums at a very young age and he had preformed at last years talent show as a kindergartner as well). Dylan was sad, and discouraged and did not want to deal with this kid so he decided he wasn’t going to preform. But after a good talking to from my husband and different students that we see on a regular basis he felt up for it and began to practice again. LONG story short, because of the encouragement from students and even their parents and ministry leaders from our church Dylan felt strong and brave and loved and like a full blown rock star! We had 35 people sitting in the audience with PANIC ATTACK T-shirts on (his band name ). They cheered and clapped and gave him a standing ovation! It was one of the greatest moments of my life!
It was just a joy to see so many people who love my kid stand up for him in a situation like this. Another reason why I love having students in our lives. God’s church is AWESOME!

Anna had such a great question I had to post it. I just know she’s not alone!

Do any of you YM wives out there who are the breadwinner for your family or have the “real job” struggle inwardly with that role?

So it’s not so much the money issue as the whole reversal of the “typical” gender roles.? I want to tread lightly here and not stir up either feminist or traditional ideas. I also want to make known that I love my job.? It’s not a big deal now, it’s more of a scary thought when I think of when we start having kids.? Are there any moms out there that are the breadwinners too?? How do you handle it?? Not so much the logistics or scheduling, but just the personal part of it?? Do you ever struggle with that and just wish you could be a homebody?? Or if you don’t have kids, do you ever get tired of having a “real job” and wish your job could be as fun as your husband’s?

Here’s a comic relief quote that I have jokingly said on occasion:
“My ministry is to make money so my husband can be a minister.”

Just like Troy said to Gabriella, “We’re all in this together!” I would love to hear from you. Any topics you’d like to address, issues you want to talk about, posts you may like to write….

I’m all ears. Send me a message in any of the comment areas and I can get back to you personally. I love hearing from you .

Amanda

I have been thinking a lot about this concept lately; That my cup should always “overflow”. The overflow is the outpouring to others. The full cup is mine and God’s to share.

I so often allow myself to “get empty”, have to refuel again, dump it all out and fill up again, dump out, fill up, etc…

I think I will struggle with this one on how to stay full all of the time. I really want to learn this in my daily life. Think how amazing this would look with our spouses, our kids, ministry and friends. Ahhhhh, to be full of God’s love, grace, mercy and peace all of the time and to have the overflow of that flow onto the rest of my life. (Even the mental picture of this feels good).

That sounds real nice right about now in this crazy season of life.

If you read the title of this post and thought, “I can’t relate to this one.” -Obviously, you don’t have kids. (you should stay tuned, you might have kids one day or know someone who does that you could encourage.)
If you read it and thought, “No Biggie.” -You may have one (or more) amazingly patient and easy-going kid(s). Or may be Superwoman.
If you read it with a tone of exhaustion and confusion… -You are probably in the thick of kids, any age, and being pulled at both ends, trying to juggle family and ministry, and all the other life that happens in between.

No question about it, or doubt. IT IS HARD TO RAISE A FAMILY IN MINISTRY.

When we do our conferences and talks, this topic more than any other seems to be addressed. We spend a big bulk of our time discussing the ups and downs and ins and outs of family and ministry. Its difficult to nail down, so much depends on your own family dynamics (does your husband want or need you around), the church you are at (is it a 2 fer 1), the age of your kids, the number of kids, the behavior of your kids (when you are around with your kids, are you a 3 ring circus coming to town?).

But I ALWAYS LOVE to generate ideas and ways for you and the kids to be invloved in the ministry that are practical and helpful.

This is a question that someone asked in a post:

“How do I get involved with my husband when I have kids?”

For me personally, With the age of my kids (2, 4, 6) it is still too much for me to be at church all of the time and we are totally a 3 ring circus when we end up in the High school services. My son who is 6 feels frustrated seeing dad “play with other kids” and doesn’t like going to events so much anymore. He has felt like that for the past year. It is way more important for me to take care of the needs of my own kids, so I don’t get a lot of “face time” in high school ministry.

I do what I can, when I can. I know a handful of high school girls, because they babysit for me and/or they can come to my house and hang out. I don’t lead them in a small group however. We just hang out. I also am able to host volunteers at my home once a week for an “open invitation” spaghetti night. We just put it back on the calendar after a 6 month break because it became too much for the kiddos and bedtime and school, etc.

I do REALLY miss the time of ministry Jeff and I had before kids. I love serving right along side of him, knowing his every move in the ministry. I loved planning with him and going to camps with him, having my own group of girls to mentor. I do miss “the good ‘ol days”. So now I have to get creative to get involved.

What are your circumstances and ways you are involved??

Sound weird? Serving in ministry for 14 years, married to a youth pastor for 12 years, and getting baptized now.? So here’s the story…

I was baptized when I was 8. I don’t doubt that the childhood decision I made recognizing the need for Christ in my life was real, but I have done a lot of “living” in between 8 and 35. God has revealed himself to me in very real ways, and as an adult have been changed dramatically by his love. I am learning what freedom in Christ looks like and feels like. I have learned (learning still maybe) what owning my faith is. Its about me and God. Just us two. I want to celebrate this journey and I want my church family to celebrate with me. I have felt tugged to be baptized for at least the last 5 years or so. But have always brushed off the feeling being too embarrassed of what people would say about a pastor’s wife just now getting baptized. And even what would the Senior pastor think of me. I shrugged it off each time thinking, I did get baptized technically… that works, the box was checked off.

And because of a handful of amazing people that God has orchestrated in my life from our? church family, I feel strong enough and encouraged to do something that? God is asking me to do. I will respond to His leading, no matter what is said, or thought. I will own my faith.

So next Friday My husband the Pastor will baptize his wife.

GRAND PRIZE = Kim

Runner-UP = Keri D.

2nd Place = Courtney L.

3rd Place = Mollie

So much fun to read your stories! Thanks for sharing them with us for a little giggle
Yeah, for our fun little contest.
Love you guys!!!!

Congratulations!

Tell us who you thought had the funniest story…

I’ll announce the winners tonight.

Good luck, FUNNY stories were told!
Loved it!