Please welcome our guest poster today, my friend Jill. She’s been a mentor to me for several years and I asked her to share her thoughts on ministry with you… 
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First, let me say thank you to Laura for giving me the opportunity to write for her blog. I have known Laura several  years. Our husbands were ministers together back in Security, Colorado. I counted her precious mother as my friend. She was a wonderful example to me. Laura was blessed with such a godly example of true womanhood. She is now carrying on her mother’s legacy of service.
 
Just a bit about myself before we begin since none of you know me. I have been married to the same guy for over 31 years. We have been blessed with 6 boys and 1 girl. We are in full time ministry here in Michigan. We have had 30 foster children over the years. Three of our children are grown and gone and have their own families now. We have 4 granddaughters and one grandson. 

The question then about “ministry” is near and dear to my heart. Laura started out this series by saying our husbands and children ARE our ministry.  That is probably the hardest concept for us Type A’s to wrap our brains around. If we fail at these two tasks we have lost. I have seen this concept abused. Some women feel that they can never reach out to others because it will get in the way of their main ministry. Their children in particular become everything to them, a kind of idol worship if you will. Their children and their children’s accomplishments define these moms. How very sad. Our children are given to us a gift and as a loan. Trust me, we only get them for a little while. Some of us have had the gut wrenching experience of having our children taken from us much too early. We have a limited time to instill a servants heart in these precious gifts called children.

My husband and I recently discussed once again my role outside the home. We are in full time ministry. I have been a stay at home mom now for 31 years. There is SO much I want to get done. We have an active ministry in the women’s shelter in town. There are so many ladies who need mentoring and the gospel shared with them. We have ladies in our congregation that need encouragement, they also need study of God’s word. I still have three boys left at home. We have been homeschooling now for years and years and you get the idea  :). I have only 5 years left to instill in these boys everything we hold to be true and dear to us. I get easily distracted. It is easy to hand them their work and then go off and study with some woman who “needs me”. Each time I have to be kicked in pants (figuratively) and focused once again to the task at hand.

We want our boys to have a servants heart,  so how do we balance that with the task of running the house and raising these boys? God  came up with a great solution. He  laid on my heart after one of the discussions with my hubby that I can still be an encouragement to the ladies through the internet. I could write a daily devotional about a particular scripture and its application for us*. What a great idea. I can still make a difference in the lives of the women I serve by reaching out to them through the blogosphere. What a great feeling to know that I am not neglecting my husband and children but still serving those along with my children I feel called to serve. 

Ladies, we want to raise Godly children that have a heart for serving. That is my passion. There are many creative ways to minister. These are just some of the ways that I have found to be a blessing. My hubby reminds me that in just 5 short years I will have all the time I want to minister outside of these walls. I already know that it is SO worth it to invest in your children. All of my older children are such a blessing. Each in their own way reaches out and serves those who need it. I will never regret all the years I have spent serving them. When I get home I just want to hear those sweet words of the Master, “Well done thy good and faithful servant.” 
 
God Bless each of you as you look to ways to “minister”.
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*I receive Jill’s email devotional thought in my inbox each weekday morning and find them to be so encouraging! If you would like to be included in this list, please email her (jill6758 at cablespeed.com)  You won’t be sorry!

Also…if you are involved in a ministry that does not take away from your important role as wife/mother…please email me (laura at heavenlyhomemakers.com). I’d love for you to share your great ministry ideas here!