As stated previously, November 4 is the cut off.
Tomorrow we vote.

I have finagled prizes!!

GRAND PRIZE = FREE admission to the SYMC this year in Chicago, March 4-7

Runner-UP = 25 bucks to Starbucks

2nd Place = 15 bucks to Starbucks

3rd Place = 10 buck to Starbucks

(Not too shabby, if you ask me.)

Good luck ladies!

Check back here to cast your vote, YOU GUYS will be picking the winners. All day on the 5th write in the “comments” of the person that gave you the best giggles. I will have a VOTE NOW post.

“I LONG for a REAL date night”….

I seem to find this comment or question a lot when I talk to youth pastors wives, or wives in general really.
And I find that most of us are convinced that we are suppose to go on a “date night” once a week. I have come to the conclusion that whoever made the rule of a “once a week” date night DIDN’T have small children, school, church, students, and DID have a plethera of money when they set this standard. Once a week comes around really fast at our house and I feel like a big fat loser if I didn’t make a “date night” with my husband. Don’t get me wrong, I value my marriage and desire to put it in high priority status. But I feel the pressure and it feels unrealistic to go out on a date once a week. I, personally cannot afford it nor could I find and pay for a babysitter that often. So, what to do??
Spending time alone with my husband is super important to me (my love language is time, however spent, I just want to be with the people I love). Even if it’s at bed time and we turn off the TV and talk for twenty minutes just to connect each day. And then every once in a while, and it’s more like once a month, do we pay a babysitter to go out alone the two of us. And this has played out pretty well for our marriage. But I would like to get more creative at home, after we put the kids to bed. (Get your minds outta the gutter girls! I don’t need that kind of help.) Like a simple “date night” at home. More movie nights at home, or fancy dessert time, stuff like that.

Any one have other creative stay-at-home-after-the-kids-are-asleep date ideas?

Or thoughts about “Date Nights”?

I LOVE to laugh!And tonight I totally got the inappropriate giggles thinking about a post from one of you guys (Jessica ) from a year ago! The inappropriate time and place was while Jeff was talking to me very seriously (and sternly) about money issues, you can only imagine. And just as I am sure my 6 year old son does, my mind began to wonder about what I might blog about (hehe). And I started to remember a post when everyone posted something about how they encourage their spouses when ministry gets tough (or something close to that). And it actually was a contest for winning you and your husband free “Simply Youth Ministry Conference” admission, and sweet Jessica wrote about having her mother-in-law babysit and going to buy lingerie at the Wal-Mart, and everything spun out of control and it was a total bust of a night! Anyway, I’m sure its not totally right, but it gave me a great giggle I should go way back in the archives and re-read that one! (She won the contest by the way.)

I should do that again! Have a contest so some of you guys can go to the “Simply Youth Ministry Conference” for free. Ah, I love going to the conference with Jeff and meeting some of you guys! I can’t wait, its March 4-11 in Chicago. I really hope some of you will consider going with your husbands. It really is a lot of fun.

Anyone who has gone before please testify!

As for my great idea, “The Contest”… Let’s? do it! I mean I haven’t asked the SYM guys yet, but sometimes its easier to ask for forgiveness, than permission. So here goes…

The topic:

“The funniest time YOU ever had “inappropriate giggles”.

I’ll give you until November 4th to post your stories, tell your friends to enter too, the more stories the more I can laugh! Then we all can vote on some winners!

And I will see you at the conference!

Love you guys!!

I LOVE when this comes up….
I LOVE the honesty that presents itself when discussing this….
I LOVE the tension that some of us will feel…
I LOVE that this IS real…
And I LOVE that there is no right answer for this…

(a question that is frequently posted, let’s talk)…

Wonder if you love your husband, and support your husband, but do not share so much of that love for students?

What would you share with another youth pastor’s wife, or what personal story do you have? What happens?

As I come back from hiatus from this blog, my mind is spinning of things I want to say and so many issues I love talking about with you guys. Where to begin??
First things first. I truly struggled through this summer. Jeff traveled a lot, more than ever. I really just barely held it together for the kids. But I knew it was important for his ministry and our family and knew it was just for a short season, so I “grinned and bared” it. Then school started, and is it just our side of the world, or do your husbands disappear when September rolls around? Back to school stuff, planning small groups… etc, it seems to always be the “kick-off” or “launch” of some program in Youth Ministry. So again, since I knew it was for a short season, I (sort-of) “grinned and bared” it. Now there are some “new” things going on in ministry and I am finding that we (mostly he) are our 4-5 nights a week. I am so tired as well as our kids, I am hanging on my last, short, very thin thread. I know, as in everything this too is only for a short season. But I cannot “grin and bare” anything anymore. Something’s gotta give, and it looks like it might be my sanity! So Jeff and I have sat down and had a little “heart to heart”. (And if you know me or have read any of these blogs, you know that sounds too nice-y nice, and you’re right). We plain had it out. This girl is done. No grinning around here. Things are going to change PERIOD. The Maguire’s are getting off this crazy train.

We (Jeff and I) HAVE to take control of our schedules and family again. No more excuses of “seasons”. Something “important”, and “urgent” is always going to come up. We have to exercise our “NO”. I have to take responsibility of this as well. I let myself get lost in the shuffle. In no way is this only Jeff’s issue. I have a voice as well. And a smart brain that listens to God’s voice and can hear what’s good and bad or unhealthy for myself, my marriage, and my kids. I really got swept away (and right under the carpet).

I say this a lot… “After 14 years in full time ministry, you’d think I would have this down!”

I know it sounds crazy, but I hope this is an encouragement to you. Knowing that none of us has it all together. We are all in the same boat. I am riding through this journey right along side of you. 1 year, or 14 years, or 30 years, its all wisdom, joys, and pains to be shared.
I DO love this journey. God has shown me a lot about my character through all of this. And I have rediscovered that I miss, and LOVE encouraging you through your wonderful, amazing, difficult, stretching, awesome journey of ministry as well!

There are a lot of changes happening in our student ministries right now. In the midst of the crazy summer so many other components are moving in different directions. Many of the changes are great, and needed. And it will be exciting to see how God will unfold all that we have been praying for.
But there are a few changes that I (as the wife) do not like so much and don’t understand. It is these changes that I don’t know what to say, and not say, and just what to do. My pride wants to shout at my husband, “Hey, did ya think it all through? Are ya real, REAL sure about that one?!” And my favorite, “Listen to me, listen to me, just listen to me!” BUT…..I know I shouldn’t.

I don’t know if I’m alone on this one, or what?? Anyone else fear change as much as me? I totally trust my husband and his call to this ministry. I do believe he is brilliant and gifted and a wonderful leader. Buuutttttt, what do you do when you don’t agree with it all??
Nothing?
Pray?
Vent, and visit this site?

I did take a big step (for me) this weekend. Our Pastor asked us to choose one area in which we would come to God daily for the summer and ask his guidance. I was certain that I was going to ask for wisdom concerning all these changes happening for us in ministry. That I would pray right along side Jeff for all that is to come in this season… But I’m not. I will leave that for Jeff and God.

I am praying for rest.
“Come to me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Mt. 11:28)
I am tired.
I am lonely from this summer (already).
I need rest.
And (I’m convinced) not just a nap. I need a rest for my soul. A rest that I can only imagine can come from God. I will be praying daily for rest this summer. I cannot wait to discover what that kind of rest feels like! And leave the other stuff for someone else…

I think I added some pictures onto the last post! The Oscar meyer wienermobile came to our house last week! It was hilarious! We even got to take a ride. So I think that’s what got posted??
I think I figured out at least how to post pictures that I take with my phone. I am WAY smarter than I give myself credit for. Wish I could see what I did

Now, I just added this wordpress ap to my phone so I can try to post from it. We will see how this works. I am a horrible texter and hate, passionately typing from this tiny little keyboards. Sobthis will definitely keep my babbling to a minimum. And if there are typos let’s just pretend it’s our little game that you have to guess what I am meaning to say cuz if I have to keep pressing the delete button…I’m screwed. And when I post from my phone I don’t know how to add any cute little pictures. Anyone smart enough to explain that to me??
But what I have been really curious about and want to hear from you is what does this summer look like for you and your family? What is your husbands schedule? Usually this is “our” (youth ministry) biggest busiest season. Our husband are gone and coo coo and the rest I’d the church is just that – resting!
It’s hard to find some support and sympathy
I would love to hear all abou it!

Do you believe that God can resurrect a computer from the dead?
I’m writing really fast without really any purpose because, I can!
About a month ago (obviously) my computer totally crashed and its been sitting out on the kitchen table and I would try to “fiddle” with it , if you will. I mean what the heck do I know about computers! But in the mean time my husband has tried to fix ANYTHING else besides this computer. I think he is scared to face the truth that I need a new one.
Anyway, I came down from taking a shower just now and my kid was playing a game on this computer! My 6 year old fixed it?? (Or the Lord??)
I miss you guys
So much has been happening, just as I am sure your house-holds are crazy busy with summertime here, no school for the kiddos, husbands leaving and gone more. Sooooo much to talk about it.

What are you guys thinking about as summer is here?

Jeff recently has been traveling quite a bit. From conferences to camps. And this last trip just really threw me for a loop. It was a last minute trip that took him away for a week. I know its hard to be a single parent and away from our husbands for any period of time. But this trip I was really mad about. To put it bluntly, I was pissed. I couldn’t get excited for him to go, I couldn’t send him off well, and I couldn’t talk to him the entire time he was gone. He texted me and I responded a few times, but I even asked for him not to call because it was too hard to talk to him on the phone. I was obviously really emotional about him being gone.? I had to really think about why it bothered me so much. And I figured it out!….

He didn’t INCLUDE me. Not that I wasn’t invited to go with him (I wasn’t, but I couldn’t have gone anyway. That didn’t hurt my feelings.), but most of the time I get a “say” in when trip and even camps happen. At least a discussion or notice about it. Jeff respectfully comes to me and we match up our calendars and I can have a “say” in some of his scheduling of events. Not all, and sometimes if I say “no” he needs to say “yes”, and we discuss each event that may take him away from me and the kids. But this trip was just decided without me and being last minute didn’t help either. I was actually told by another staff member that plane tickets had been purchased for this trip and the days and time they were leaving, not even my own husband bothered to tell me. (Husbands reading this… NOT GOOD).

So because I wasn’t able to process this trip it could only seem like a burden to me. I could find no joy in what this trip might mean for Jeff and his team. Such a bummer!

Ughhh, it was exhausting. exhausting to do it all alone, and exhausting to be that mad all week. It still amazes me after all these years of doing youth ministry together how we forget the simplest details that we have known forever!!