Ministering loooonnnnng term

emmett and I listened to a Piper podcast the other night. don't be fooled, we don't sit around and listen to Piper podcasts every night. but, this was a good one. if you want to google it, it's 'the Key to Ministry Longevity.' (which, this makes me laugh..I recently met up with my mentor through college. I hadn't actually seen her since my wedding day. so, it had been 11 years. she could not believe emmett and I were still church planting. she said she'd never known anyone to be ministering in a church that long and she was a missionary in South Africa...makes me feel relieved, actually! And kind of sad) anyways, Piper spoke on John Newton's biography and it centered around one line from maybe a memoir or something...I can't remember. Newton said he endeavors to walk through the world as ministering to the sick in hospitals, and he does the best he can and gets through.

John Newton said he just gets through?? i love it. I feel that deeply, and it doesn't need much explanation. but as you ladies are doing the hard things, day in and day out...it's okay that it is ALL hard. it's okay if you barely make spaghetti...again. it's okay if you cringe just thinking about counseling or praying with a particular person that's been on your mind. Its okay if you receive criticism for doing one thing but not the other. it's okay if your kids are driving you bananas and you just don't know what to do with them.  

I'm there on all of those, and I'm just getting through.

but you are doing the right things. You are clinging to the hope that you have been given, and by His grace, you will indeed get through. it's true.

Jenny