On this "get to know..." post, I want to introduce you to Ginger Pelletier. Ginger has been with Legacy Moms from the beginning....and many years before our little group turned into Legacy Moms! I first met Ginger and Jeff when they were pregnant with their first baby and they attended a parenting class we were helping to teach. It has been such a privilege and joy to see what God has done through them as their family has grown and how they now minister to others through parenting classes and marriage classes. If you were at our annual "Dad's Night" this summer, you got a chance to hear Ginger and Jeff talk about marriage and you saw first hand how great they are. We are so privileged to have Ginger on the team!
Ginger, describe some of the things you do at Legacy Moms?
I serve as a table facilitator/ coffee maker/ encourager to mommies!
Tell me about your family.
Tell me about your family.
My husband, Jeff and I celebrated our 13th anniversary on August 19th! Being married to him has been a blast. Our oldest son, Justin is 9 years old. Our daughter Maegan is 7 and youngest son, Ryan is 5. The older two children attend Coram Deo Academy. This school affords them the opportunity to have classroom instruction two days a week on campus and spend the other days at home with me…making sure that they complete all their assignments before the next day of class. I’ve decided to have Ryan stay home from pre-school this next year and hang out with me. Being the third child, I feel like he gets the short end of the stick much too often and I’m enjoying the hang time with him! We have a dog, Charlie. He’s a mutt and we love him. As a family, we like to snow ski, hang at the beach, bike ride, camp in a tent, go to the lake and read together.
Where do you go to church and what sort of things are you involved in there?
Where do you go to church and what sort of things are you involved in there?
We have been members of Fellowship Church for 12 years. Jeff and I enjoy serving together in ministry. We serve in the married life ministry where our purpose is encouraging and strengthening marriages. Serving in the Parenting Ministry allows us to minister to families as they maneuver through some of the toughest season’s of their lives. And last, but not least, we love to help in the Kids ministry during special events. Serving at kids’ camp for the first time this summer was wonderful!
What is the most rewarding part of being involved in LM for you?
What is the most rewarding part of being involved in LM for you?
Gleaning wisdom from Kym! God has used her to shape the way that I view my role as a wife and mother. I have been equipped in parenting and can partner with my husband and the Holy Spirit to bring these little ones to moral maturity…God willing! When I am not doing such a great job, I can rely on my Legacy friends to lift me up, put things into perspective and set me off on the right path. I have a safe place to go when I need to admit my inadequacy, failure, struggles and needs. It’s a blessing to have their support and this is why I serve in this ministry; to give other mom’s the same safe place! It’s both rewarding to give and receive!!!
When did you become a Christian?
When did you become a Christian?
In college. I lay in my bed one night crying because of the mess I made of my grades, friendships and work situation. For the first time in ever I got an overwhelming knowledge of God. I was so embarrassed that I had not thought about Him or lived for Him…ever! I asked God to forgive me and to please help me out of the mess I made of my life. I had no idea how to get to God. A week later I was at work as a waitress and a handsome young lad was sitting at one of my tables. I realized that I knew him from my hometown. So we made the connection with one another and went on a date….water skiing! He then began to take me to church and introduce me to Jesus and encourage me to trust in Him. I accepted Jesus into my life a few months later and then married the boy!
Finish these statements:
If you see me around town it would most likely be at: The grocery store! Why can’t I seem to make just one trip? Lifetime Fitness in Flower Mound….Love It! The Lewisville Library.
The last great book I read was: Lord, Change My Attitude before it’s too Late by James MacDonald. I didn’t know I had an attitude problem till I read this book. It’s great!
My favorite part of being a mom is: Hanging out with these cool kids. Now that the kids are a bit older, we have the best time together. Conversations are meaningful and thought provoking, recreation is more fun than a beating and it seems like we work more as a team to keep the house running than me doing everything for everyone all the time!
The most challenging part of being a mom is: Parenting! Pinpointing behaviors and putting wise words to correcting attitudes is challenging for me. Balancing time between the three is seemingly impossible and I constantly feel like I’m failing someone. If I get all my chores and to do list done, I find that I’ve ignored the kids all day. Will I ever learn to do both? Who knows! I find myself staying up late to get things done and telling the Lord to help me cherish every moment of these child rearing years because once they are gone, I’ll miss the commotion. I sure do love my kids!
The best advice I have ever received was: This is just a season of your life and you should embrace it instead of wishing it away. This was most helpful when I had three children in preschool/diapers. I remember it being very challenging physically, emotionally and relationally.
My family would describe me as: Just asked my kids. Justin said that I “am loving, joyful, happy, spiritual and strict”. Maegan said that I’m “nice, cute, helpful and that’s all”. Ryan says that I “praise Jesus, like daddy, and like our hamster”.
The lesson God has been teaching me lately is: To have an eternal perspective with my husband and kids. He’s been helping me let go of feeling like I should always say “yes” to every volunteer and social opportunity. I spend as much time as possible at home. I don’t talk to my friends nearly as much as I desire, but am honoring God by keeping my schedule manageable for our family’s sake. And keeping myself available for Kingdom Moments!
When my kids are grown, the thing I hope that remember about me the most is: I loved every minute spent with them. That I always encouraged them to lean on Jesus and develop a personal relationship with Him. I pray that they will always know that it was not I who raised and parented them; it was the strength and wisdom of the Holy Spirit through me that did it. All glory be to God!
What I wish I had known when I first started having kids that I know now: Everyone talks about how your life is changed when you have kids. “You’ll never love anyone as much as you love your kids” I wish that I would have known how much my marriage was going to change. Jeff and I had never had a disagreement before these little munchkins came along. It is a constant battle to stay connected both to one another in our marriage relationship and stay on the same page in parenting. We have grown so much through our parenting experience.
Finish these statements:
If you see me around town it would most likely be at: The grocery store! Why can’t I seem to make just one trip? Lifetime Fitness in Flower Mound….Love It! The Lewisville Library.
The last great book I read was: Lord, Change My Attitude before it’s too Late by James MacDonald. I didn’t know I had an attitude problem till I read this book. It’s great!
My favorite part of being a mom is: Hanging out with these cool kids. Now that the kids are a bit older, we have the best time together. Conversations are meaningful and thought provoking, recreation is more fun than a beating and it seems like we work more as a team to keep the house running than me doing everything for everyone all the time!
The most challenging part of being a mom is: Parenting! Pinpointing behaviors and putting wise words to correcting attitudes is challenging for me. Balancing time between the three is seemingly impossible and I constantly feel like I’m failing someone. If I get all my chores and to do list done, I find that I’ve ignored the kids all day. Will I ever learn to do both? Who knows! I find myself staying up late to get things done and telling the Lord to help me cherish every moment of these child rearing years because once they are gone, I’ll miss the commotion. I sure do love my kids!
The best advice I have ever received was: This is just a season of your life and you should embrace it instead of wishing it away. This was most helpful when I had three children in preschool/diapers. I remember it being very challenging physically, emotionally and relationally.
My family would describe me as: Just asked my kids. Justin said that I “am loving, joyful, happy, spiritual and strict”. Maegan said that I’m “nice, cute, helpful and that’s all”. Ryan says that I “praise Jesus, like daddy, and like our hamster”.
The lesson God has been teaching me lately is: To have an eternal perspective with my husband and kids. He’s been helping me let go of feeling like I should always say “yes” to every volunteer and social opportunity. I spend as much time as possible at home. I don’t talk to my friends nearly as much as I desire, but am honoring God by keeping my schedule manageable for our family’s sake. And keeping myself available for Kingdom Moments!
When my kids are grown, the thing I hope that remember about me the most is: I loved every minute spent with them. That I always encouraged them to lean on Jesus and develop a personal relationship with Him. I pray that they will always know that it was not I who raised and parented them; it was the strength and wisdom of the Holy Spirit through me that did it. All glory be to God!
What I wish I had known when I first started having kids that I know now: Everyone talks about how your life is changed when you have kids. “You’ll never love anyone as much as you love your kids” I wish that I would have known how much my marriage was going to change. Jeff and I had never had a disagreement before these little munchkins came along. It is a constant battle to stay connected both to one another in our marriage relationship and stay on the same page in parenting. We have grown so much through our parenting experience.
Thank you, Ginger, for sharing your heart and your time with us!
