Karen on our staff has been asking Cheryl to do a guest post for the Grace Community Church website for months and she finally agreed. She chose the title “Who me – a pastor’s wife?”. Let me say that I believe one of the most important jobs in the church is that of the pastor’s wife. I’m thankful I have such a good one. For more of my thoughts on Cheryl, click HERE or if you want to know how to honor a pastor’s wife, click HERE.
This is what Cheryl wrote:
Who me – a pastor’s wife??
Who me – a pastor’s wife???
After numerous requests to do a Guest Blog for Grace, I realized I had resisted as long as I could. It may be because there are so many great bloggers living at my house that I feel so intimidated at just the thought of trying.
The thought that kept going through my mind was what do I have to say that anybody would WANT to read? I feel God told me to just take this opportunity to share a little about myself….Ron’s wife … a mom to Jeremy (21) and Nate (18) … a daughter … a sister …. a friend …. a co-worker (again) … most importantly a follower of Jesus Christ and oh yeah – a pastor’s wife.
I am Cheryl Edmondson and the proud wife of Ron, who is one of the amazing co-pastors of Grace Community Church and together we have two awesome sons. I was born in Clarksville to J F and Earlene Burney and except for four years in Tuscaloosa, AL (Roll Tide!!) while my dad received his doctorate and my mother her undergraduate degree – I have lived in Clarksville all my life. I have two older brothers (Mike & Steve) and one younger sister (Laurie). I recently lost my dad due to several health issues. I was a “daddy’s girl” and miss him very much!!
I am blessed with more friends than I can count. I have been reminded lately during the time of my dad’s death and then again today as I attended the funeral of a longtime friend – how precious friendships are. There is a childhood poem that I was reminded of today – “make new friends, but keep the old ones…one is silver, but the other gold.” During both these times, I saw friends that I had not seen for years. Friends that I was very close to at one time …. But you know what? Our hearts were still connected when we saw each other again …. My biggest regret was that I had let so much time pass without spending time with these friends. That I had allowed myself to get too busy …. But we all do that – don’t we? Yes, what a sweet reminder of how precious our friends truly are.
My degree is in accounting and I have been employed in several positions over the years from the electric company to co-owning a small manufacturing company with Ron to working on a church staff to public accounting. After a short break from the working world, I have recently accepted a part-time position at Hope Pregnancy Center as Administrative Director. My passion is to do ministry and for as long as God allows me to work part-time – I pray that He will allow me to do ministry at HPC, but also be more flexible to do ministry for GCC.
Oh yes, the one I keep forgetting – I am a pastor’s wife!! It is the one I have to keep reminding myself of probably because it is the one I feel the least worthy to be. I’m just a regular person …. I have good days and bad days …. I make lots of mistakes …. I don’t read my Bible as much as I want to …. BUT I love Sundays!! My passion is to see others growing in their relationship with Christ!! I love it when God allows me to use things from my past to minister to others!!! (2 Cor 1:3-7) But I don’t have to be a pastor’s wife to do any of these. I loved these same things before Ron was called to vocational ministry. Maybe that’s why I have such a hard time remembering that I am one ….
And yes – I am a follower of Jesus. I am so thankful for the amazing grace that God has poured out on my life. I became a Christian well into adulthood and regret all the wasted years. That’s why I am so thankful that God allows me to be a part of Grace Community Church and see the lives that He is changing in and through the various ministries… I pray that as long as I live God will use me to point others to the saving grace of my Lord and Savior – Jesus Christ!!!
That’s who I am …. a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend … follower of Christ … and … oh yeah … a pastor’s wife.
Only by HIS grace,
Cheryl
Hello Ron:
I am a new follower and I have been enjoying your posts. I have a young sister at Church who will be marrying a pastor in a few months. I thought Cheryl's Guest Blog would have been a good resource to share with her.
However, when I click the link at the end of the instruction – "For the rest of her story….click to the Grace blog HERE….," the page that comes up says, "Page not found." If her Blog has been removed, would it be possible for you to share it with me, otherwise please? My email has been provided, although it's not publicly displayed. Thank you.
My wife posted it here :http://www.cheryledmondson.blogspot.com/2011/07/my-very-first-blog-post-reposted.html We changed our church website this year, so it must have disappeared. I'll correct it on my blog tooThanks
There is NO "just" about Cheryl — she rocks.
Amen!