Forever the private lives of a Pastor's family have eluded many church members who consider their Pastor family to be some sort of saint without the same needs that we have. See the Pastor's family through the eyes of the Pastor's wife. Learn what it is all about. These are real people with real lives, needs, and dreams. This book pulls back the curtain and invites the laity--all church and non-church people--into the life of the Pastor's family. Here you will learn of the romance, the Calling, the preparation, the disappointments, the mountaintops, the churches served, and the heartbreak that life does not withhold from the couple who surrender their lives to ministry. The author is a 35-year veteran of living the life of the Pastor's wife. She tells the story with experiences that evoke tears at times, chuckles at other times, and great joy at unexpected times. See how difficult it is to have best friends, a home of your own, children, and dreams coming true. See how the children react and interact. Meet the children and see how they do and do not find approval within the church family. Lest one forget, there are also politics to consider, power struggles, and the temptations. Be privy to how the couple found one another, how they courted, the wedding, and the surprising honeymoon! Then visit them as they complete college and the seminary with the trials and tribulations associated. Learn the difficulties of being married through college and seminary. Take a look at "Poverty Row." Take a visit to each of the eight churches they served during their ministry. Form a mental picture of the church buildings themselves--diverse yet similar. Meet the church members in each church and see how successful or not successful the ministry was. Take a glimpse at some of the church members themselves. Find out what sort of things disappointed this couple who experienced God's call to these places. Then, see what constituted mountain top experiences as well. Become aware of the strong spiritual life of these people despite the demands of a secular world. Meet the women who left lasting impressions on the life of the Pastor's wife. Then, experience the shock that this family incurred regarding bringing children into their union. See how they handled it. Meet the children who shared the experiences of this Pastor's family. Examine the valleys through which they walked in order to do God's work as He led them. Then, with all of these experiences behind you, go into the most major experience that ends the ministry of these two people. See how it was handled. Then, with the full story in your heart, take a look at the NOW--the children and what resulted for each of them. Meet the heroes that lasted. And, finally. Read the personal message to each reader. Then, look at your church family with perhaps a better understanding of the fact that they are after all only human. See how to pray for that wife who collects no salary but labors beside your Pastor. Understand a little better the children of your Pastor. Perhaps you will be left, as the author hopes, with the power of God to take lives and bless them in ways that most of us do not take time to consider. Finally, experience the abiding joy that comes from being where God wants you to be. The author set out to reveal some of what goes on and wound up inspiring those who shared her journey.
About the Author: About the Author Patricia Sutton Burgess is a native Georgian. For 20 years, she taught high school English-composition, literature, and grammar. For eight years she taught college English subjects including British Literature, American Literature, Southern Literature, Public Speaking, Creative Writing, Technical Writing, and classes on leading authors. She graduated from Georgia Southern University with a B.S. Ed and a M. S. Ed, and from West Georgia University with an Ed. S. The recipient of two National Endowment for the Humanities grants, she studied American Studies and Literary Criticism at Tufts University in Medford, MA and Auburn University in Auburn AL. With those experiences she was awarded her Doctorate. The widow of a Southern Baptist minister, she is the mother of three children and the grandmother of one. She has taught adult Sunday School classes (both men and women), worked with youth, been active in Woman's Missionary Union, and cared for her family. Starting college at age 45, and began her teaching career at the same time her oldest son began college. Now retired, Dr. Burgess makes her home in North Georgia with her little dog, Beauregard. Here she her enjoys hiking, gardening, reading, writing, church and experiencing "joy every morning." The mountains are her peace, she says. She describes herself as happy and fulfilled. She continues her devotion to God and His church. Having dreamed of being a writer and having a book published, she wrote for religious publications, articles and plays for the various churches, and has a folder of short stories and ideas for novels. On her 80th birthday, she pledged to make at least one of those ideas come to life. Renewing that pledge as a 2015 New Year's Resolution, in March, 2015, she published her e-book, Another Life. With that book published, she completed what began as a handbook for young women about to become the wives of full-time Christian servants. However, during the writing it became a memoir which should inspire readers. Realizing her desire to have a book published, she has opened up her file of ideas and is now hard at work on a third work. By the end of the year, readers will find her titles to include: My Name is Ruth, Another Life, From the Beginning, Shattered, and one other not yet titled. Readers may contact this author at yzpat@windstream.net.