Stay humble and stay hungry

The dishes are done. The kitchen clean. The washing machine humming along and dry clothes waiting to be folded. Sitora is playing with mud in the backyard and Peter is taking a nap.

(By the way, Peter turned two this week. He definitely got the memo. Exactly on his birthday he decided everything was going to be "no!" I kid you not. He's still my sweet little bubba but, my goodness, he really has decided to start two off with a bang! "No two! No Bubba! No bufday (birthday)! No big! No happy!")

We have returned from two retreats in seven days. I am telling you the truth.

I took our church ladies on a women's retreat to Minneapolis for three days. Jen Hatmaker was the main speaker and Britt Nicole gave a concert in the evening. I wish I could write out everything that God spoke to my heart through these ladies, but, that is for another day and time.

Then the day after we returned, I packed up again for our family to head to a pastors' conference for four days. This conference was a wonderful opportunity to network with the other Assemblies of God pastors in our district, encourage each other, and be challenged by speakers and sermons. Coffee dates, women's luncheons, heart-to-hearts. It was awesome. We also had quality family time swimming and playing. Much, much needed for us. (Oh, did I mention I forgot our swimming suits? Way to go me! Well, we needed new suits anyways...)

And now I am very, very tired. Beyond tired. I have barely shown my face in public since we arrived home three days ago. I'm pretty sure a truck ran over me last night. (Or maybe it was running six miles?)

Despite my aching body, my mind is swirling. What is currently burning inside my heart is the last sermon of this pastors' conference and how it hit me like a ton of bricks.

I don't have much time to write it all out today, mostly because Sitora is waiting for me to "play balloon ping-pong and come look at her mud masterpiece". Be jealous.

Here it is in a nutshell:

In ministry we are going to get burned. We will be hurt. We will be wounded. We will be stabbed in the back. We will face trials. We will face heartache. We will want to give up. We will feel unappreciated and overworked. We will feel alone. We will feel betrayed.

Through it all, we must ask Jesus to help us maintain a sweet spirit. We must move on, keep moving forward, and keep learning. Never stop learning. Stay humble. Stay hungry for God.

There you have it.

My top three list for this season of life.

Keep a sweet spirit.
Stay humble.
Stay hungry for God.

Amen.

Here's to all the beautiful women walking this road of ministry together.

(pic with Jen Hatmaker in Minneapolis)