The children were play-acting on the back porch. I could hear them through the kitchen window as I worked at my computer, answering correspondence for the ministry I direct

Cute, I thought. They're playing house-or maybe school. But I began to hear about secretaries, mailing lists, and catalogs. Amanda proclaimed herself "The Director," telling the others, "Go away now. I'm busy.

Hmmmm. I called out, "Sweeties, what are you playing?

"Nonprofit corporation," they shouted. Nonprofit corporation? They can pronounce "nonprofit corporation"? And the director acts busy and self-important and shoos her children away? Uh-oh

I took a coffee break to mull over what I'd just heard. I had been trying to balance the duties of a pastor's wife, mother of four, and director of a ministry to ministry families. Could it be possible that some area of my life was being neglected? Or some area of four little lives

That night, I dreamed my children grew up and wrote a best-seller about me: Pastor's Wife Dearest. ...