Proverbs 15:1

A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. KJV

I want to endeavor to give a SOFT answer this morning. I have spent some time praying. In fact this morning I sit here at my computer with tears. I pray the feeling in my spirit will be properly interpreted.

Comments left to this blog are emailed to me. Of course emails are delivered to my cell phone. Very early in fact at 4:32 AM I received notification of an email.

Wow, This is beyond pathetic. You are wasting money on cameras and trips while MANY people in your church are without... and then you get on here to brag about it? How disappointed God must be.

Fortunately I have a means for tracking visitors to the blog. This particular person according to my tracking method spent over an hour on the blog. I trust there was something the visitor enjoyed.

Anonymous, I appolgize that you feel this to be beyond pathetic. Remarks were left to the Miracle and Blessings post. Hopefully you read that the remaining portion of the funds helped to pay for our Faith Promise Offering. In case you aren't familiar Faith Promise is a monthly pledge given to support World Missions. Kent and I give $500 per month to this WORTHY cause. Additionally, Kent and I help people in our local church, our community, and minister's and wives in general. All of our support isn't financial some is simply being there to pray or encourage people in need. In fact our Denver trip was for that primary person. Kathy and Lafe McKinney are people we have only known for a brief few months. Lafe passed away with the dreaded disease of cancer. We went to support his grieving wife. Of course Kent was the officiant of Lafe's funeral.

Additionally, since you mentioned the people in our church let me quickly defend these people. Many times through the year they give our family gifts. CUPC knows we don't expect them. In fact Kent will not allow these gifts to even come to us from the church funds. I KNOW many churches purchase gifts for the pastor/family from the church funds and this is in no way negative towards those congregations or ministers. Kent asked that they use the church money better than giving us gifts. Hence, the members of the church collect money to purchase gifts for our family. They send us to restaurants that we do not go to and on trips to hotels that we would NEVER purchase on our own. Example: Marriot Times Square NYC and the Ritz Carlton concierge level New Orleans. Our people KNOW we would NEVER spend this money on ourselves. In fact we shop for discounts via the internet when we travel. On our recent Colorado trip we spent $35 for food one day and $40 the other. We do endeavor to be good stewards of the money God has entrusted us so we can bless the poor, feed the homeless, and support World Missions.

Obviously, Anonymous, you have a computer and spend money, too. Computers cost money, cameras cost money, as do most things we possess. I do endeavor to be careful in spending. In fact, the very post you responded to stated that. I actually prayed for a camera. Mandy, who inspired me, is a young pastor's wife. While Mandy is a DEFINITE encouragement to me I trust my blog in many ways can be a great encouragement to her. Of course this is just one person who frequents my blog that I want to encourage. Another is a new friend from Oklahoma. I have met her via blogging. In fact last week she called me for the first time on the phone. I look forward to the day I meet her. Another, is a new friend from Georgia. Her husband was recently elected to pastor a church. I don't know her but sent her flowers to congratulate her. I don't say these things to 'pin a flower' but rather attempt to say I have far more people who say I encourage them than people whom I frustrate. Today I choose to give a soft answer. Anonymous, I hope you will understand if not you may prefer to not visit my blog.

Blogging is two-fold for me. I am able to journal the happenings of my life and hopefully be of encouragement to my fellow minister's wife friends. At a recent District Conference I had the privilege of speaking for a brief few moments at the Minister's Wives Breakfast. I endeavored to encourage the ladies that while we are in a time of harvest it hasn't always been this way. I hope I encouraged the many ladies there with my brief remarks. I never want to brag nor do anything to hinder. Rather I realize God is not respector of persons. What He will do in Conroe for others.

I dare say the MAJORITY of members of CUPC are thankful that I was able to purchase a camera. Additionally, they are happy Kent and I were able to spend 50 something hours in Colorado for pleasure. We do work in our church office 5 days a week. Every Saturday with the exception of one Saturday per month we have prayer sessions at our church. Of course every Sunday we are at the church. You can see we are DEDICATED to working at CUPC. An ocassional off day just makes us even stronger to do what God has called us to do. Recreation incorporates the word recreate. Time away helps to recreate in us the much need energy and vision to come home renewed for more labor. It was at a getaway in January to a conference that we created within us the CARE concept that is blessing CUPC.

Today and every day I want to be a blessing to those I serve. Hopefully even this post will be a blessing to someone. Off to a great day of CARE and HARVEST....