Live from Lexington

Well, here I am sitting in my comfy bed at the Hilton in Lexington in the midst of enjoying the Shepherding the Shepherd conference. Let me just say, if you are a pastor’s wife and you are not here right now, you need to tell your husband to sign you up for next year. We’ve been here since noon and have already met up with many friends, eaten lots of good food and enjoyed great times of praise and worship and teaching. During the evening session a little while ago, I was thinking back to the other times we’ve been here. We’ve come to this conference in many different stages and situations in our lives and ministry.

 

The first year we came here we’d only been serving at our first church for less than a year. Scott was still in seminary and we’d moved to what I termed the middle of nowhere (Owen County) and were just getting our feet wet in the ministry. I was excited about where we were, but I felt very underprepared and equipped to be a pastor’s wife. I didn’t know what I was supposed to do or how to do it. We came to Shepherding and I saw that pastor’s wives came in all ages, personalities, abilities and so on. I realized that I was not alone and that there were others who understood what I was going through. I was also thrilled that there was such an awesome conference for pastors and their wives. We loved the music, messages and everything. And we enjoyed just relaxing and being together. The conference was just what we needed.

 

A few years later we came here during a very difficult time in our lives and ministry. Things were not going well at all at the church we had served at for just about a year. Scott was miserable and contemplating leaving the ministry. I was frustrated, angry, hurt and scared. I wondered why we were even in the ministry and sometimes wished we weren’t. It was not a good time, but we came to Shepherding, and I met others who understood what we were going through. I heard messages of encouragement and I managed to sing songs of praise in the midst of a terrible storm. Coming to Shepherding didn’t solve all our problems, but it helped us get back on our feet a bit, relax a little and remember that even in the darkest hour, God is with us. The conference was just what we needed.

 

The last couple of years (and this year), we’ve come to Shepherding during a good time in our lives and ministry. The church we helped start almost five years ago is doing great. We have been very blessed. And we’ve lived in the same house for over two years (for a while it seemed like we moved every other day). We come here and enjoy reconnecting with friends, listening to great speakers, learning some things we’ll hopefully take home with us and praising God for who He is and all He has done. Oh yeah, and we eat. A lot. This conference is just what we need.

 

Well, time to go now. Tomorrow morning I’ll head down to enjoy a great breakfast and then the sessions. Friday night is date night and Scott and I are probably going to head out for dinner and a movie. Then Saturday, we’ll have another tasty breakfast, enjoy more sessions and then head home. We’ll have relaxed, enjoyed spending time together and been refreshed. The conference will have been just what we needed, just like it always is.

 2 Comments posted by: Pam Cassady on January 14th, 2010