Gloria Furman

Gloria Furman (@gloriafurman) lives in Dubai with her husband Dave, a pastor at Redeemer Church of Dubai. They have three young kids. Gloria is the author of Glimpses of Grace: Treasuring the Gospel in Your Home (Crossway, 2013) and blogs regularly for Domestic Kingdom.
 

Apr

17

2013

Gloria Furman|12:01 AM CT

God's Promise and a Petrol Station
God's Promise and a Petrol Station avatar

It seemed like such a small thing in comparison to the Hebrews' deliverance through the Red Sea. Nonetheless, I felt like bursting into a song of praise like Miriam did when the water came crashing down on the pursuing Egyptian army (Ex. 15:21). The Lord had triumphed gloriously on our behalf, parting the tempestuous waves of our fears. We rejoiced to see the rock-solid foundation that remained unshakeable beneath our feet. My husband, David, and I often reminisce about this story from nearly five years ago. We don't want to forget what the Lord taught us that day.

It had been two days since we stepped foot onto the sizzling tarmac at the airport, with all our earthly belongings strategically packed into six black trunks. "Hey guys! Over here!" we heard an American accent lift above the din of the noise once we...

 
 
 
 

Sep

12

2012

Gloria Furman|10:00 PM CT

10 Ways Ecclesiology Encourages Me
10 Ways Ecclesiology Encourages Me avatar

As the wife of a pastor and mother of three little kids, I know how challenging it can be to get everybody out the door to go to church gatherings.

I can also empathize with those who struggle with being "present" once you're there. I recall one morning at a church gathering where I spent the entire time either caring for my colicky baby in the bathroom or collecting pieces of borrowed clothes for another child who had multiple accidents involving bodily fluids in children's church.

It's tempting to dive into feelings of futility on these occasions: "Was this morning all for naught?" or even to utter the more faithless despair, "What a waste!"

Personally, I tend to blame my attitude on my circumstances. But the real battle wages in my heart as I fight...

 
 
 
 

Jul

30

2012

Gloria Furman|10:00 PM CT

Cacophony in the Kitchen Coliseum
Cacophony in the Kitchen Coliseum avatar

Lunchtime with my young children can sometimes resemble a gladiator match.

I'm simultaneously the empress who wants to please the crowd and the gladiator fighting for life.

The juice-thirsty crowd jeers: "I no want dis cheese!" "We ate turkey sandwiches yesterday. Can you make something that doesn't have turkey, ple-e-e-ase?" "[High-pitched shrieking that only dogs can hear.]" "I no like jelly anymo; I only like peanut butter!"

And then all the silverware crashes to the floor and echoes in eternity. The gladiator quells the ravenous lunch beasts by tossing javelins of carrot sticks onto their plastic plates. Sometimes I feel like roaring back: Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here?

This description of lunchtime sounds rather extreme, doesn't it? Of course I'm exaggerating (a little), but only to make this point:

The cacophony in...

 
 
 
 

Jul

19

2012

Gloria Furman|10:00 PM CT

Sometimes God Doesn't Open Doors
Sometimes God Doesn't Open Doors avatar



A coffee press and a set of icing tips are examples of gifts that keep on giving. So is Milton Vincent's 97-page book A Gospel Primer for Christians.

It's rare for me to remember how I happened to own any particular book. Books fly in and out of our house like the dusty Dubai air.

This book is different. I remember standing in Kevin and Katie Cawley's living room in Kansas City, and I noticed a thin, brown book on their coffee table. "A Gospel Primer for Christians. What's this about?" I inquired.

"It will change your life! Take it." Kevin likes to give grandiose endorsements for great books, BBQ, and Death Cab for Cutie songs. And I like free books.

I was not aware that in God's providence I would soon be clinging for dear life to the truths in...

 
 
 
 

May

08

2012

Gloria Furman|10:00 PM CT

The Pastor's Wife and Her Primary Ministry
The Pastor's Wife and Her Primary Ministry avatar

Editors' Note: This is part three in a series on pastor's wives. Previously:

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An article in our local newspaper announced an airline's new policy---"your fourth wife flies free"---in honor of a ruler who had just taken his fourth wife.

When my husband traveled to India for ministry he brought back an interesting anecdote. He said, "Every pastor I met introduced himself to me like this: 'My name is So-and-so; I have one wife and however-many kids.'" One of our church members from India explained that the rules of English grammar might be the reason the Indian pastors said that they have "one" wife instead of "a" wife.

Even so, in this area of the world, monogamous marriages are not assumed. I suppose it couldn't hurt for married pastors to affirm that they are married to only one wife!
...

 
 
 
 

Apr

22

2012

Gloria Furman|10:00 PM CT

The Pastor's Wife and Her First Love
The Pastor's Wife and Her First Love avatar

Editors' Note: This is part two in a series on pastors' wives. Click here to read part one, "The Pastor's Wife Is a Pastor's Wife."

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"I just want to take a minute to soak this in." Our cheeky South African friend had a big grin on his face as he approached my husband and me after a church meeting.

"What do you mean?" my husband inquired.

"It's just so strange to see you two standing next to each other at church of all places! Shouldn't you both be working?" He chuckled. Our friend's remark about us rarely being in one another's presence during church gatherings is humorous.

But some remarks aren't very funny.

Someone once told me, "Excuse me, you are the pastor's wife? I expected you to be different."

I'm slowly getting used to the forthrightness...

 
 
 
 

Apr

03

2012

Gloria Furman|10:00 PM CT

Put Off Nagging, Put On Love
Put Off Nagging, Put On Love avatar

My husband and I can be counted among that strange stock of people who like to make To Do Lists.

We get excited about action steps and dry erase boards. We ooh-ed and aah-ed over the organizational software we installed on our computers. One time we spent an entire evening cataloging our sloppy 12-page To Do List in our shiny, new computer program. It was exhilarating and very, very nerdy.

To Do Lists can be a beautiful thing. But sometimes things get ugly when you become a slave to your To Do List. What's worse is trying to put shackles on your spouse and make the To Do List their master, too.

One way I try to share my To Do List chains is by nagging.

When I say nagging I am not talking about how I...

 
 
 
 

Mar

21

2012

Gloria Furman|10:00 PM CT

The Pastor's Wife Is a Pastor's Wife
The Pastor's Wife Is a Pastor's Wife avatar

"There you are," a woman whispered in my ear as she grabbed my elbow during a church gathering. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

I braced myself. You never know what a statement like that could mean---especially at a church gathering.

Did I leave my car running in the parking lot? Did one of my kids have an accident involving bodily fluids? Or horror of all horrors---is my husband's zipper down while he's preaching?

The woman led me from the back of the meeting room where I was standing into the lobby area.

Was there someone critically in need of prayer? Is there a baby being born in the lobby? Did someone leave a pumpkin latte out here with my name on it?

The woman urgently pointed to the ceiling. "Look! The air conditioning isn't cold enough. You have to fix it."

I breathed a sigh of relief and gave her a quick hug. "The air...

 
 
 
 

Jan

26

2012

Gloria Furman|2:00 AM CT

Mommy Needs a Recess
Mommy Needs a Recess avatar


Mommy-y-y-y! Dad can't find his keys again and Judson is eating crayons and Norah didn't make it to the potty and I need help with my homework and someone rang the doorbell and now Dad really needs his keys and Mommy, why are you closing your eyes like that are you tired?

If this scenario sounds familiar, then this article is for you. Yes, you with the peanut butter handprints on your blouse and 14 sticky notes on your refrigerator.

I suspected that I could relate to you when I saw you drinking room temperature coffee leftover from yesterd--

Oh, hang on---I hear a baby waking up. . . . False alarm. Poor guy---he's teething. I started to tell you something. Hold on, it will come back . . . ah, yes!

Did you hear about...

 
 
 
 

Jan

02

2012

Gloria Furman|10:27 AM CT

Mother of the Year? Not Here
Mother of the Year? Not Here avatar


A funny friend of mine recently wrote:
Not only did I make my child a kind-of-ugly pair of pajama pants that don't really fit very well, I also forgot to take one of the pins out before having her try them on. I got this Mother of the Year thing in the bag, baby!

I made my daughter cry on Christmas Day when I accidentally threw away a gingerbread cookie she painstakingly decorated. I'm probably not going to be nominated for Mother of the Year, either.

A fictitious MOTY trophy is fun to joke about---what mother doesn't have "those" moments?

In reality, though, many of us are plagued with the nagging feeling that we just don't measure up as moms.

Impossible Perfection


Certainly, when we compare ourselves to the glorious perfections of God's...