pastor’s wives

Book Review of Mrs. Oswald Chambers: The Woman Behind the World’s Best Selling Devotional

~ Rachel Schmoyer ~ 5 Comments

Ordinary skills can be used for the kingdom. It’s not just the big name teachers and preachers who impact the world for the LORD. When ordinary people use the skills God has given them in faithfulness and prayerfulness, people’s lives are impacted.

Gertrude Chambers impacted the world through her ordinary, day-job skill. Before she married the preacher/teacher Oswald Chambers, Gertrude (whom Oswald nicknamed Biddy) was a stenographer who used shorthand to take rapid notes while someone was speaking. She excelled in this skill. The average person speaks 100-125 words per minute. Biddy could write in shorthand at 250 words per minute.

After Oswald and Biddy were married, Biddy used her shorthand skills to take notes when Oswald was preaching and teaching. Later, she used her notes to publish what Oswald Chambers had spoken.  Continue reading →

Katharina Luther’s 500 Year Old To-Do List

~ Rachel Schmoyer ~ 1 Comment

Katharina Von Bora had no clue she would end up as one of the most famous pastor’s wives in history.Katharina-Martin-Luther-by-Michelle-DeRusha-300x461

Michelle DeRusha recently wrote an insightful book called Katharina and Martin Luther: The Radical Marriage of a Runaway Nun and a Renegade Monk. Mrs. DeRusha did a fantastic job piecing together a portrait of Katharina as a person despite there being very little information about her life.

While reading about Katharina’s life it struck me that although her life as a pastor’s wife began in 1525, almost 500 years ago, her life was not much different than pastor’s wives today. Continue reading →

Katharina and Martin Luther: Successful Marriage through Selfless Living

~ Rachel Schmoyer ~ Leave a comment

Years ago I read Kitty, My Rib by E. Jane Mall and was delighted by the story of Martin and his ex-nun wife, Katharina. But I never knew what was fact and what was fiction in that book.

Until now.

Michelle DeRusha in Katharina and Martin Luther: The Radical Marriage of a Runaway Nun and a Renegade Monk has done a phenomenal job telling the story of this world-changing marriage. Continue reading →

Who Understands Stay at Home Moms? Pastors Do.

~ Rachel Schmoyer ~ Leave a comment

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When I was a stay at home mom of preschoolers (I had 4 under 5 at one point) I felt a twinge of jealousy when my pastor-husband would go off to work.  I would grumble inside wishing I could go sit in a quiet office and accomplish things off a to-do list. But the more I listened to what his days really looked like, I realized that a pastor’s day isn’t too different than a stay at home mom’s.

Both:

  • Get interrupted a lot. They go into the day with a to-do list, but if someone needs attention, the to-do list is put aside and people get your full attention. Rightfully so! But it takes practice to make sure people are a priority in your heart above getting things done.
  • Feel the burden of responsibility to make good decisions because it will affect the well-being of those in their care.
  • Experience the joy of witnessing growth!
  • Have work that is never done. There is always something else to do. Not enough hours in the day!
  • Have repetitive duties. Laundry must be done over and over again. Sunday worship comes every week.

Understanding the similarities in our life helped me lose my selfish way of thinking that my life was so much more work than his.  Instead of complaining, I spent my words and time encouraging my husband to build him up. We were on the same team, caring for people and loving them like Christ loves the church. It’s just that the people in my care were much shorter.

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