Sis. Kim StoneKim Stone was born in raised in Texarkana, Texas. She has been immensely involved in church since a young age. She started leading worship at the age of ten and led her first 100 voice choir at the age of fifteen. She accompanied her father, Bill Henry, traveling all over the United States working in the music industry. Her dad passed away when she was only sixteen years old, a vital time in her life. Kim married the love of her life, Dee, in 1996. They have four girls: Kelsey, Kenzie, Kyley, and Kinlie. I met Kim when they moved to our church in Plainview in 2005. Today, Kim is the worship leader, and she and Dee serve as Youth Pastors. They were also recently elected to serve as National Youth Directors of the A.B. of C.
What is a piece of advice that has affected your life? My dad always said, “Stay Humble.” No matter what you do in your life, God will be the one to exalt you. I try to stay humble in everything I do, whether it is work or something spiritual. Being humble doesn’t mean being a door mat. There is a difference. It doesn’t mean that you allow people to take advantage of you or take your voice. You don’t have to prove yourself to people either; God will do that. It has been proven true in my life that if I stay humble, God will exalt me. What is a great piece of advice you were given as a mother? Take time for yourself. It really was the best advice I have ever received concerning being a mother. As a mom, it has always been important for me to take time for myself. I want to give my all to my kids, but I can’t do that if I don’t take the time I need for myself and even for my husband. Is there a boundary in your life that is non-negotiable? The one that keeps coming to my mind is I do not allow R-rated or horror movies in my house. I don’t want to invite that into my house. We always try to monitor what we let in our house through the TV anyway, but I think it’s just a different line that you cross when you allow R-rated things to be viewed. This may sound crazy, but I even know if my kids have watched something like that without me knowing. It’s like God would just wake me up, and I could feel it. What scripture have you stood on in your life or has meant the most to you? The one that I have stood on is 2 Timothy 1:7. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. I have literally had to stand on it my whole life. I am a very fearful person. I’ve always been fearful of death, the unknown, and losing everything. As a child I dealt with fear; it tormented me at night. My pastor’s wife first introduced me to that scripture, I believe when I was 12 years old. Every night before I went to bed, I would quote that scripture over and over. It really helped me be able to sleep and control my thoughts in order to rest. Even to this day, I still quote it to myself often. Where do you pray? What are your study habits? I pray in my bathroom. It’s the only place where I can escape and be away in the quiet. I have found that He often talks back there. I pray in my car as well when I am driving back and forth to work. My car is also the place where I listen to YouTube songs/preaching and podcasts. As far as studying goes, I normally study in the mornings. I use the youversion Bible app and search different plans and follow them, but I read elsewhere as well. When summertime rolls around, I have to make myself stay in routine and study in the morning, even though I don’t have to be up for school. What do you think makes a strong woman, and is there a woman who embodies that quality to you? A strong woman knows who she is in Christ. She doesn’t let comparison steal her joy. She doesn’t compare herself to other people’s gifts, titles, or ministry. She doesn’t seek to become something she is not or yearn for something she doesn’t have. Comparison will deplete you and make you fall. If she knows who she is and the calling that God has placed on her life, she is strong. When things are thrown at her (spiritual or secular), she doesn’t crumble. She finds purpose in every trial. She knows who she is and to whom she belongs. She understands that God made her a certain way and put her where she is for a purpose. A strong woman lives on purpose. My mom is a strong woman in my life. She embodies everything that I want to be. She deals with every situation thrown at her with such strength and class. Even when my dad passed away, she never let her emotions get the best of her. I believe I never saw her cry but once when he passed. When I put myself in the position that she was in, I don’t believe I would’ve been able to do it. I’m surrounded by people who could help me through it, but she wasn’t. She had her pastor and pastor’s wife, and that was just about it. She dealt with everything with such strength and grace. I look at her, even now, and all I can think is wow. She never lets anything get the best of her, she knows who she is, and she truly lives with purpose and on purpose. Do you make free time for yourself? If you have free time what do you do? Yep, absolutely. I like to take baths. I love to sit on my couch and drink coffee without the TV on. I have a strange obsession with watching YouTube videos about tornadoes. I am fascinated by tornadoes. I am an official storm spotter and love to watch storms. Something about storms is calming to me. Give me a good ole cup of coffee and a nice storm, and I’ll be happy. Besides Christianity and marriage, what was the best decision you ever made? Making the move to come to church at Plainview. When we were looking for a church, we decided we would visit three churches and then decide. The first church we attended was Plainview, and we knew then that’s where we belonged. I remember Sis. Betty Kay greeting me at the door with a huge hug like I was her long lost relative. Plainview not only gave us a good, strong church for my kids to grow up in, but it propelled us into a ministry that I thought we would never be in. I would’ve never thought that we would be youth pastors. Because of the things that we had gone through in our past, in my mind it wasn’t even an option. But God showed off and said, “I’m going to use your past and make you a better minister because of it.” Was there a season in your life that contributed to your strength? Everything that I’ve gone through has contributed to my strength in one way or another. Whether it was circumstances that were out of my control, like my Dad passing at an early age, or if it was something in my past that I learned and grew from, everything has had a hand in building my strength. Every season that I have walked through has given me an assurance in Christ. There is no doubt in my mind that God will see me through whatever may come my way because He has done it so many times before. Strong women know God’s word. Kim Stone has been a part of my life since I was a little girl. She has helped me navigate through some big decisions in my life. I can say of Kim, she is a woman of faith. She completely believes God and trusts in Him. She is sensitive to His spirit and voice. On another note, she may not be the best cook, but she is the best cleaner. She also has a small obsession with cool shoes (ask her about her crayon shoes or her lip heels.) She is a coffee and Friends (the TV show) addict. Kim, like most of the other women, said strong women know who they are in Christ. This phrase has been reoccurring throughout this series. Strong women don’t compare themselves to other women, but they are confident in who God created them to be. The gifts God has given you, the trials you have walked through, and the position God has placed you in are all on purpose. Not to be used to gloat or compare, but to edify and add to the body of Christ. For the final day of the strong women series, I challenge you to ask yourself the questions I’ve asked all the other women. It’s important that we make time to evaluate ourselves and reflect. Strong women know they didn’t get to the place where they are on accident. Today, thank the strong women in your life. The women who were an example for you and poured into your life. Strong women need strong women. We are better together.
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Sis. Brandi DentonBrandi Denton calls Hendersonville, Tennessee, home. It is here that she and her husband, Jonathan, are raising their three kids: Carlie (the oldest and bossiest), and Harrison and Maddi (twins). Together they serve as Family Pastors of First Apostolic Church in Nashville, Tennessee. Their story didn’t start out too hot. As a young girl, Brandi gave Jonathan a picture of herself (bold move). Jonathan then took the picture to his mom and said he didn’t like her. Eventually Jonathan changed his mind, and this past February they celebrated 16 years of marriage. The Denton family has a special place in my heart. Sis. Brandi is such an inspiring lady, and you are sure to be blessed by her words.
What is a piece of advice that has affected your life? A few months ago, we had a marriage enrichment night. A counselor, from White House, Tennessee, was there to speak. When she said this piece of advice, everyone’s mouth dropped. Her statement was, “Self-care is not the same as being selfish.” That really changed my life. She brought up the example of being on an airplane. When the crew is performing the safety routine, they always tell you to put your mask on first before helping anyone else. You can’t take care of someone if you aren’t okay. If you aren’t okay spiritually, physically, or mentally, you won’t be of any good to anyone else. Before this, I always felt like I was being selfish any time I needed to take a moment for myself or do something for myself. I felt like I needed to be home and that my responsibility was to my family. But you know, my responsibility is to myself as well. If I don’t take care of myself, who will? What is a great piece of advice you were given as a mother? My dear friend, Mandi Massie, told me this. She told me, the baby will not remember that you didn’t cater to them first, but the older ones will. When you have an infant or baby, if they cry you think they need immediate attention. Well... they don’t. They won’t die, it just strengthens their lungs. Is there a boundary in your life that is non-negotiable? I am a rule follower. I love rules, and Maddi is just like me. If Carlie or Harrison are ever breaking the rules, she is on them. As far as a boundary, anything that disrupts our home is a no go for me. By home I mean our marriage, family, children, etc. We don’t put ourselves in a position to be tempted. I don’t want to do anything schedule wise that would mess up our children either. I never want to put too much on my kids. I have a quote that I keep where I can see it every day. It is by Andy Stanley, and it says, “Your greatest contribution to the kingdom of God may not be something you do, but someone you raise.” My family and my marriage are a high priority to me, and I want to make sure they are guarded. What scripture have you stood on in your life or has meant the most to you? 2 Corinthians 4:18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. That’s kind of my life verse. We had a sweet couple in the church who wanted to know our verse. They actually ended up making us coffee cups with the verse on them. I think this scripture is a good reminder to not get caught up in things that are going on here. Our focus needs to remain on what is unseen because this isn’t our home. Where do you pray? What are your study habits? I kind of feel like I pray everywhere. I don’t have a specific spot. If I did have to pick a spot, it would be the chair in my living room. That is where I do my morning devotions. I like to do my morning devotions when everyone is still asleep. Luckily, I am married to a Denton and I have little Dentonites who all love to sleep, so it normally isn’t a problem. I don’t get distracted because everything is quiet in the house. I have a little table by my chair where I keep my study tools. I like to use devotionals. I get bored easily, so I have a few devotionals that allow me to mix it up. My Bible app has like 15 different plans going right now. I just kind of pick what I want to do each day. I also read books where each chapter is based on a scripture. When I read a chapter of the book, I like to go find the scripture in my Bible and read before and after it. Jonathan is really good at making sure we have family devotionals. We use RightNow media where we watch a video and answer questions. We also try to incorporate prayer into our daily lives with the kids. For example, if we see an ambulance en route, we will always stop and say a little prayer for whoever is inside. What do you think makes a strong woman, and is there a woman who embodies that quality to you? A strong woman is determined. She has a made-up mind. When I think about a strong woman, I think about my Granny P, my dad’s mom. She had four children, two boys and two girls. Her husband wasn’t a spiritual leader. She was the one that led the family, took care of them, and took them to church. She didn’t have an easy life, but she never gave up. I remember going to her house and hearing one of my cousins call another a fool. Well Granny P did not like that and immediately started rattling off scripture about why we don’t say that. When she taught us, she would always give scripture to show us why we should or should not do something. She was always determined to make sure her kids and grandkids knew Jesus. She had a made-up mind that this was her way of life. Do you make free time for yourself? If you have free time what do you do? Several months ago, I would have been like “What’s free time?” But after I heard the piece of advice from the counselor, I started working on making time for self-care. I take walks or go on bike rides, which most of the time is still with family, but it is exercise. I feel like exercise helps me relieve stress. Sometimes, I will tell the kids that I’m going to read a book, go on a walk, or do something by myself, and they don’t bother me. I think time for yourself is good, and it is not selfish. Besides Christianity and marriage, what was the best decision you ever made? I actually went to my doctor, who is a great Christian lady, for a yearly checkup. She told me that she had to screen me for depression; it was just required. So, she asked me a bunch of questions and then got to some questions about anxiety. She brought up a point about how when we wake up in the morning, the first thing we do is grab our phone. Usually because that is where our alarm is, but then we see our notifications and have to check them out too. Then we’ve started our day without even being aware, and our minds are immediately clouded by all of the notifications. I think the best decision I ever made was to start my mornings by quickly turning off my alarm and then immediately going into thanking God for everything He has done. Before I ever get out of bed, I’ve already started thanking Him for His blessings. Normally I would get to that, but it would be after responding to all the notifications. Starting my day being thankful before anything else was the best decision I’ve ever made. Was there a season in your life that contributed to your strength? If you want to know what I’m like, look at Maddi. She’s light-hearted, carefree, running through the daisies, and chasing butterflies. That has always been my life. I’ve never been a worrier. I don’t have a problem with faith or trusting God. Jonathan would sometimes say, “What are we going to do about this?” or “What are we going to do about that?” but I always said it will work out. It’s just going to work out; it always does. What do we have to worry about? But there was a period of time when I did get hit with anxiety and worry. I really do believe it was due to being overly connected because of social media and being involved in people’s lives. You get so busy and lose track and overschedule. I would sit and think, “Why do I feel this way when I have everything I have ever wanted?” and “Why am I not happy?” I really feel like it was an attack. Before I didn’t understand how people felt when they worried or had anxiety. I couldn’t relate to them because I hadn’t gone through it. But now that I have; I know that it is very real. If we can cut off the outside voices and the things that are pulling at us (at least in the first portion of our morning before the day begins) and get to a place alone with God, it will be a game charger. It may not relieve the worry and anxiety right away; I don’t want to make it sound easy. It’s not always easy to think yourself happy. But it is a choice every day. We have to make a conscious decision every day to say no to certain thoughts. You are enough, and with God all things are possible. Put scripture where doubt comes in. That was a time in my life that helped me grow stronger. Strong women are transparent and real. That is the only way you can help people. I just love Sis. Brandi; she’s one of my favorite people. She’s a joy to be around and brightens any room she walks into. When I think about becoming a mother someday, she’s someone I want to model myself after. She is full of wisdom and is truly after the heart of the Lord. I was personally challenged by her responses and have even decided to adopt a few of her ways. The first thing I do in the morning is turn off my alarm which is always followed by checking messages and social media. If I’m not careful, that could easily turn into an hour of simply lying in bed on my phone. The danger in this is I’ve just spent the first part of my morning connecting to other people and not to the Lord. I’ve spent my morning giving my “approval” to other people through likes and comments, instead of my thanks to God for my breath and heartbeat. Yes, we need connection to other people. But even more than that, we are wired for a connection with the almighty God. If we become too connected to people, and not connected enough to the Lord, we will find ourselves in a place of anxiety and comparison. This place will rob us of our joy. It reminds me of the old song that says, “I start my day with a prayer of thanksgiving. I start my day with a prayer filled with praise. I tell you I have learned the joy of living, and it’s based upon the way I start my day.” I hope you will take Sis. Brandi’s challenge and start your day with thanksgiving before anything else. Sis. Jennifer LisenbeyWhat better way to celebrate Mother’s Day than to interview my own mother for the strong women series. My mom, Jennifer Lisenbey, was born and raised in Redfield, Arkansas. She is the youngest of three children. She met my dad when he started attending her church in 1983. They were married in 1991 during her freshman year of college. She graduated from UALR with a degree in English. In 1996, they had my brother, Caleb. In 1997, while still living in Sheridan, they began to pastor the Jesus Name Church in Plainview. In 1999, they received their greatest gift from God, me. Soon after my birth, they moved to Plainview full time to pastor. My mom is currently a high school English teacher at Two Rivers School District. Anyone who knows her, knows she is powerful and full of wisdom. I have no doubt that the words you are about to read will minister to you in some way.
What is a piece of advice that has affected your life? I think the advice that shaped me the most was given by my dad. When we were preparing to leave our home church and come to Plainview, we were voicing our concerns about leaving our positions in their church unfilled. We did a lot of work in the church and for the church, and we were concerned that they would be left high and dry by our leaving. My dad told us, “No one is irreplaceable.” What? Are you saying you don’t need us? We were pretty flabbergasted by this amazing statement, but my dad explained to us a concept that we have now stood on in our own ministry. No one is irreplaceable. Don’t get too big for your britches. Someone else can do your job. That doesn’t always mean someone else should do your job, but someone else can. The job will get done if it’s the will of the Lord. One person isn’t going to stop it. My mother was fond of saying, “One monkey don’t stop no show.” Not grammatically correct...I know, but the concept is the same. When we left Junet, they didn’t die! Someone else rose up and took the positions that we vacated. And that is how it should be. We were not irreplaceable. And we still aren’t now! That isn’t to say that we are looking to leave; we are not. But we shouldn’t be prideful in thinking that we’ve done this, and no one else can do it. False. God uses whom he chooses. You are valuable in the kingdom, but you are not the only one who is. If we become prideful, destruction will be on the horizon. What is a great piece of advice you were given as a mother? I feel as if I give advice to mothers, but I don’t really remember someone giving me advice as a mother. About the only thing I can think of is that my mom told me that those babies were mine, and I could do whatever I wanted to with them. That is to say, I didn’t have to take anyone else’s advice in relation to my children. An example would be sleeping...some told me that co-sleeping was amazing while others told me it would ruin my children. As a mother, you get to make the decision on how you bring up your child. This is the advice I give to new mothers in our church. Whatever works for you, your baby, and your family is what you should do. (Interesting side note-whenever we think about motherly advice, I always see small children. I guess it counts for teens and adult children too.) Is there a boundary in your life that is non-negotiable? I stand on the doctrine, and that is non-negotiable. Boundaries are very important to me. I read Jerry B. Jenkins’ book Hedges years ago. This book was written for men, but, of course, its message is for everyone. Jenkins proposes that if you love your spouse and are committed to your marriage, you will create hedges (boundaries) that are non-negotiable. I have plenty of boundaries, but one that I will share here is that I will not watch an R-rated movie or anything that I feel will not please the Lord. I believe that the eyes are the windows of the soul, so whatever I see enters into my soul. I cannot unsee what I saw as a child or teen, and the enemy will use that against me sometimes. An image will appear in my mind, and I have to cast it down and not dwell on it. I teach teenage girls in my Sunday School class and I tell them that they must be careful about what they watch. You can unwittingly allow things into your spirit by simply watching a movie, a tv show, Netflix, etc. Everyone must create boundaries in their lives. We give our kids boundaries, and we are no different. Guard your heart. What scripture have you stood on in your life or has meant the most to you? Psalms 28:7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. My favorite scripture is from Psalms 28:7. The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. I know it seems a little “fluffy” after some of the amazing scriptures the other ladies posted, but this one is mine. The Lord is my strength. He is my shield. I trust in Him, and that helps me. So, I rejoice and praise Him with my songs. This scripture sums up my life! No matter what happens, I’m going to sing His praises and trust in His help because he is my strength and my shield. Where do you pray? What are your study habits? Sis. Nadene often encouraged me to get up early and read and pray. When I was a young mother, it just didn’t happen much. But as I got older, I realized the wisdom of my sister. I now read my Bible first thing when I wake up. I read in our living room or on the front porch if the weather is pleasant. As far as studying goes...I’ve never been good at it. Even when I was in school, I didn’t study much. I’ve always read, and when I read, I think and contemplate. But I haven’t set out on a specific course of study. I read the Bible, and I read books. My favorite authors right now are Levi Lusko and Mark Batterson. I love to talk about what I’m reading with Eva and Anna (when I am fortunate enough to be in their presence), and I talk to Jessica and Jordan here at home. I tell the ladies at our church about what I’m reading because I think it’s important to share what we are learning and how we’re growing. And I pray in my bathroom. Weird. I know. But it’s one of the places where I am truly alone (now that my kids are grown). I’ve done it for so long, that now when I walk into my bathroom, I feel as if I’m stepping into His presence. Not every time! Sometimes it’s just a bathroom, but sometimes it’s the throne room. (OMG) What do you think makes a strong woman, and is there a woman who embodies that quality to you? I believe that strong women control their thoughts. They know what they want and they go for it, and they don’t give up until they have achieved their goals. That might sound too cutthroat...what I mean is no matter what comes your way, a strong woman will keep going. My mom, Virginia Michael, is who I see when you ask about a strong woman. During my dad’s sickness, my mom never gave up hope for his healing. Even during rough times, she and my dad were full of faith and encouraged those people around them. When we lost my dad, my mom was a tower of strength. She confided in me that she had moments of weakness when she would have to get hold of herself and remind herself that my dad wouldn’t want her to be sad, and she would remind herself that the Lord didn’t want her to live like that either. My mom has learned to be in control of her thought life. She was able to cast down imaginations and stay strong. Then she was struck down by a stroke. Even after a massive stroke that has taken her speech and strength from her right side, my mom is still one of the strongest women I know. Her determination to recover after her stroke is inspiring. She has maintained a good spirit, and I believe that even in her diminished capacity, she has control of her thought life. “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” I have used this process to control my thought life. When I am overwhelmed, I realize that I have to control my thoughts. I think about the next thing that is important. What do I need to do first? I concentrate on that and try to compartmentalize what I have to do. Cue the music “Do the Next Right Thing” from Frozen II. I can’t help it. I remember times when I have been counseling someone and they’ve told me that they just want to quit/give up. I always ask them, “What will that accomplish?” “Where will you go?” Quitting or giving up is just a cop out. It doesn’t solve anything. Whatever you’re scared of facing is still going to be there. You have to keep going. There’s no stopping in life. As Dory would say, “Just keep swimming.” Keep putting one foot in front of the other. Would I like to hide away from the world sometimes? Sure, but that isn’t an option. I just continue on. It’s not glamorous. It’s not amazing. It’s not life changing. It is life. Stay focused. Keep your eye on the goal. I believe that is what my mom does as well. She just keeps going. There is no other option. We used to sing a chorus that said, “You’ve got to keep on walking. You’ll get to heaven someday, if you walk the right way.” That could be my life motto. Keep walking. Stay the course. Do you make free time for yourself? If you have free time what do you do? I do make free time for myself. Not tons, but when I can I enjoy a little time alone. I grab a good book, run a bath, and stay there for an hour. I need time by myself because that is when I recharge. I love people, and I’m a people person. But I need to have alone time too. It keeps me sane. Even when I was a kid, I didn’t want to be around people all the time. My mom always told me I was grumpy when I came home from staying over at someone’s house. When I would get home, I would go to my room and just be by myself for a while. (Emily is like this too.) Besides Christianity and marriage, what was the best decision you ever made? I can think of a few decisions that affected my life for the better. The first is one I tell kids at school. Getting braces changed my life. It sounds silly, but braces allowed me to smile. I smile a lot. You might think that’s crazy, but it is something that wouldn’t happen if I hadn’t had braces. Another decision was moving to Plainview. It was the hardest decision of my life. We consulted other people we trusted, and most of them said, “Go for it.” I had plans to raise my family in my home church at Sheridan and live there for the rest of my life. My whole family lived within five miles of one another and ate dinner together about three times a week. I didn’t want to live away from my family. But we moved. It was the hardest season I had walked through at that time. But God was faithful to me through that time. He helped me through that season and gave me support from friends and family to ease the transition. I guess I could have told Stacy that I wouldn’t move to Plainview. I could have resisted the blessings that God had lined up for me and my family. But I am thankful that I didn’t do what my flesh wanted at the time. We would not be reaping the blessings we’ve been given here if we had not followed the leading of the Lord. I’m thankful that I didn’t let temporary feelings affect a permanent decision. Stacy always preaches, “Don’t make permanent decisions based on temporary circumstances.” I think that the Lord was pulling away some of the things I counted on instead of Him. He separated me and caused me to lean on my husband and create a better prayer life. There’s always purpose in pain. Growth doesn’t come without pain. Separation is painful, but look at what I got out of it. We have been blessed here at Plainview, and I couldn’t imagine raising my kids anywhere else. I believe that we were (and are) in the will of God, and He’s blessed us for following after Him. That season was hard, but it taught me great things. And He’s given me a huge and loving church family. Was there a season in your life that contributed to your strength? The hardest season that I’ve ever walked through was losing my dad. He was the single most influential person in my life. He grounded my whole family. I could never have imagined a world without my dad, but here I am living in it. He was the compass for all of us. We didn’t know what to do without him. We discovered that he had already paid for his funeral, decided who would do it, and who would sing. Again, he had directed us without our even knowing. (My mom knew about it. And was not happy about it. She felt like paying for that was faithless, but I know that because he had taken care of that beforehand, he made his passing easier on us.) Maybe we depended on him too much. I don’t know why the Lord decided to take him when and how he did, but I see that after that event, we all had to turn to Jesus fully to direct our lives. It affected us all...it made us all stronger. I knew that at that point I had more to go to heaven for than I had yesterday. I don’t get how losing someone turns people away from God because it had the opposite effect on me. I know where my dad is, and I intend to see him again. Strong women control their thoughts. Words fail me when I try to explain how awesome my mom is and the way she has impacted my life, and the lives of others. I owe it all to my mom. As the poem says, “Oh what a difference it’s made for me. I have a mother who prays for me.” Today I honor you, Mom. You are the image of class, grace, and beauty. You are the perfect example of a God-fearing woman, a faithful wife, and a loving mother. You are the strongest woman I know. I love you, Mom. Today for Mother’s Day my mom preached about one mother from the Bible, but not the mother we all expected. She preached about the life of Bath-Sheba. You may remember her as an adulterous woman, and yes, that was a part of her story. But it isn’t how her story ended. Later on in her life, we see the Prophet Nathan seek her counsel and King Solomon, as well. In 1 Kings 2:19 it says “Bathsheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king's mother; and she sat on his right hand.” The King rose up and bowed before Bath-Sheba, though it wasn’t required of him. Not only did he bow, but the wisest man in history sat her at his right side (the place of power) because he recognized the wisdom she held. The passage of scripture that we often refer to concerning women is Proverbs 31. It speaks about a virtuous woman. King Lemuel wrote this passage, who is believed to be King Solomon. And what virtuous woman was in his life? His mother. The once adulterous woman is now someone who women everywhere model themselves after. Strong women don’t let failures define them. They control their own story. Sis. Mandi MassieMandi Massie grew up in Jacksonville, Arkansas. She attended UCA where she began as a special education major before obtaining her Master of Health Science with an emphasis in Occupational Therapy. She met her husband, Brian, while attending church in Jacksonville shortly after she was saved. They started dating at the one and only Camp Mulberry in 1999 and were married in 2003. They began their marriage living in Cabot, Arkansas, from 2003 to 2011, before moving to Nashville for four and a half years. They have since moved back to the great state of Arkansas and recently planted a church in Lonoke called the Well. They served as youth pastors in Arkansas and Tennessee before being elected National Youth Directors of the A.B. of C. where they held that title for eight years. They have three children: Ava, Emma, and Silas. I consider Mandi a dear friend. She has believed in me and the call of God on my life for as long as I’ve known her. I’m thankful to have a woman like her in my corner. She has such a heart for the Lord and His people. I know you will be blessed by her words and experiences.
What is a piece of advice that has affected your life? Whenever Brain and I first got married, we went to church with Bro. Eric Kirkendall. He told us, “Get so involved in church that you can’t miss.” We did that, and I think it was a saving grace for us a lot of times. There are seasons that you can get lazy in your spiritual walk and it becomes easy to miss church. So, we just got so involved that we couldn’t miss. It became inconvenient to miss and have to find a replacement to teach or minister or sing. Also, Pastor Ronald Denton talked to us early on in ministry about never opening a door for ourselves. That’s been good for us. When we were younger, especially, we were very zealous and wanted to do everything. He really taught us to be patient and wait on God to open doors and not try to force them open. I feel like that piece of advice has helped us through the years. What is a great piece of advice you were given as a mother? This is going to sound bad but… lower your standards and then lower them than again. What I mean by that is don’t compare yourself to other mothers and don’t insist on perfection. We have expectations going into motherhood, maybe because of social media, Pinterest, etc., that motherhood is supposed to look a certain way. But God gave you your kids specifically. Motherhood for you won’t look the same as it does for someone else. There is so much pressure on moms to just get it all right. We are so weighed down by the constant decision making that is required in motherhood. I think you just have to lower some standards, remember the most important things, and learn to let the others go. I’m married to a firefighter, and his schedule is really hard sometimes. There have been seasons that we had frozen corndogs or cereal for supper and that’s okay, of course, but not every night. There are just some things you have to let go. You have to prioritize. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Is there a boundary in your life that is non-negotiable? Obviously, the essentials of the gospel are non-negotiable. There are things that ministry wise we have to put as essentials, and there are things that are traditions and opinions and we have to let those be traditions and opinions. The essentials of the gospel have to remain that. Besides theological, there are definitely some boundaries in our marriage that came to mind when asked that question. Brian and I have a really trustworthy marriage and we have always set up boundaries for that. We never put ourselves in positions to fail. We don’t allow ourselves to be alone with someone of the opposite sex or in a situation that would look bad or be a set up for failure. We just safeguard those things, so we never have to worry, and it never has been a worry. What scripture have you stood on in your life or has meant the most to you? Luke 4:18-19 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. I love that so much. I think the way we have been brought up in church placed so much emphasis on certain gifts of the spirit instead of the spirit itself. I got a little confused about that in my early walk. I believe in the gifts of the spirit, but I just didn’t think that was why He gave me His spirit. This scripture is a constant reminder of why the spirit of the Lord is upon me. This scripture draws me back in and helps keep my focus on what it should be on in ministry. 1 Cor 10:43 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. This one has helped set some boundaries in my life. It helped me so much with the areas in scripture that people call gray areas. Especially because I didn’t grow up in a Christian home, I didn’t always have a real clear idea of right and wrong on some issues. This scripture helped me realize that things might not be a sin or send me to hell, but they aren’t beneficial to my Christian walk. That helped me make decisions. It was no longer is this right or wrong? Because in some cases it was hard to say if it was right or wrong. It changed my thought pattern from, “Is this right or wrong,” to “Will this benefit my walk with Christ and help me grow?” It’s not about “Can I get away with this?” In Christianity, we aren’t under the law, we live under grace. But because we have this relationship with God, and if we really love, we will want to do things that are beneficial in that relationship. Where do you pray? What are your study habits? When we bought our most recent house, the master bath had his and her closets. Being the aspiring minimalist that I am, Brian and I were able to share a closet. So, we turned the extra closet into a prayer closet. That was such a game changer for my prayer life. Before that I prayed, but it was not always at a consistent time or place. It was in the car, shower, bedroom, etc. But giving my prayer and study time its own place has been a game changer for me. Sometimes when I am getting ready in the morning, I get excited because I feel like Jesus is in my prayer closet and He is waiting for me. I want to hurry and get in there. There is something about having a place with no distractions that has really made a difference in my prayer life. As far as studying, I am ADD so I have to change it up to keep it interesting. I use many different outlets. I use the Bible app and will search plans for what I am feeling or dealing with. I use RightNow Media and their Bible studies; we do some of those as a family. If we are studying for camp, instead of just having the kids memorize verses, we will take a few verses and study them as a family, so it gets in their hearts instead of just in their heads. I study in a lot of different ways because I need to. Even with praying, I don’t always pray the same way. If I am super distracted, I just write prayers because I can stay focused. What do you think makes a strong woman, and is there a woman who embodies that quality to you? What really makes a woman strong is not a personality thing. A woman is strong when she knows her identity in Christ and is confident in what God has called her to do. You’ve heard people throw around the term “God-fidence.” It’s not about self-confidence. It’s about knowing who you are in Christ and not being deterred by other influences. My life has been influenced by so many Godly women. I know I will get in trouble for naming names but a few that come to mind are Nancy Denton, Linda Ferguson, Emily Tipton, Jennifer Lisenbey, Angie Burks, and Jeana Beecher. These are just some of the ladies who have influenced my personal walk. Do you make free time for yourself? If you have free time what do you do? No, I really don’t have free time; it’s a rare thing. Brian works a complicated schedule as a firefighter, plus he was working a second job. Now, we pastor a church. I take the kids to school, and then Silas goes to school with me, so I don’t even have alone time in the car to and from work. I did a day last year by myself. I went and got my hair done, ate lunch at McAlister’s, and then went to Barnes and Noble and read a book until I had to go pick up the kids. If I did have free days, they might look something like that. Besides Christianity and marriage, what was the best decision you ever made? Besides the decision to have kids, my career choice, as an occupational therapist was the best decision. I started as special education, and I am so thankful I came across occupational therapy. My stepbrother that I grew up with has Cerebral Palsy, so I knew that I wanted to do something with special needs kids. The most obvious route was special education, so that’s kind of where I was veering. My stepbrother had always had occupational therapy in the school, so I never had the chance to witness it. One summer I was home with him when the occupational therapist came to the house. I was very interested in what the therapist was doing. I went back to school like the next week and changed my major. I am glad I did because I really feel like it is a ministry. It’s all about serving and helping someone find their independence and live their best life. I love what I do. It has allowed me so much flexibility. When we moved to Nashville, I was able to find a job immediately. I feel like it was a God thing that I was led into that. Was there a season in your life that contributed to your strength? Every season in one way or another contributes to your strength. We’ve been through a couple of different churches in our life due to moves or other situations. I gained so much under each pastor. One season that stands out was a season of loss that I went through. I lost a lot of family members in a short amount of time: two of those were brothers. It makes you look at life differently and family differently. All of these things even impacted my decision to have kids and how many. It changed the way I viewed things. My brothers were young, and I learned how fleeting life can be. We take advantage of family and opportunities when we have them. It was definitely a learning season in my life that I came out of so much stronger. There are so many times that God has used that hurt to help me minister to someone else who is going through something similar. I really feel like our move to Nashville strengthened our marriage and our family unit. When we lived in Arkansas, we were super close to family. Moving off made us depend on each other as a husband and wife. It required us to grow up some and depend on each other more. We grew a lot in ministry too, as well as our faith. There’s just something about Pastor Dee Jay’s leadership. He is just a man of faith and believes that God can do the impossible. Our mustard seed grew there. Every season gave us something we needed to live off of next. Strong women don’t play the victim. Sometimes we get dealt a tough hand, but you can’t play the victim and sit around and lick your wounds. A strong woman takes what she is dealt and makes the best of it. Acknowledge your emotions, give them to God, and move on. If you don’t know Mandi, and if you haven’t figured this out already, you need to. She is an incredible person with a powerful testimony. Any woman who gives up the opportunity to have her own walk in closet is strong in my book. Mandi shared so many good nuggets in this interview; it’s hard for me to pick just one thing to hone in on. However, the scripture, “All things are lawful to me, but not all things are expedient,” she chose to speak on is one that I have heard her use many times in the past couple of years. It’s come up in conversation at her house, Camp Mulberry, and Wired Weekend and has changed my thought pattern. I believe I heard it first before my life transition from high school to college. It definitely altered the way I viewed things and certainly kept me accountable, and it still does. I don’t believe God intended us to judge the things in our adult life by right and wrong. When we were younger, or babes in Christ, we should absolutely use right or wrong. But as we mature in Christ, we must take the next step. The next step goes beyond right and wrong and requires us to think, “Is this Holy?” The Lord never tells us, “Be ye right, as I am right.” He says, “Be ye Holy, as I am Holy.” It’s less of a question of right and wrong, and more of a question of is this holy? Does this benefit my walk with Christ? Does this tarnish my witness? Will this help me win a soul? Does this draw me closer to Christ? Sis. Liz MauldinLiz Mauldin is originally from Scottsville, Kentucky. When she was 10 years old, her dad answered God’s call and moved to Hot Springs, Arkansas. It was there that they began Grace Apostolic Tabernacle in their garage in 1982 with 18 people. She met her husband, Harold, at church, and they started dating in 1990. A month or so before her 18th birthday, he called her and asked, “How old of a person would you date?” Knowing he was 23 years old, she said “24.” Their first date was to a southern gospel concert with their whole church. By date, I mean he was allowed to drive her there and sit by her. It must have been a good date because they married six years later. They have two kids: Derek and Jared. Sis. Liz was the President of the A.B.of C. Ladies Ministry for 10 years. She and her husband pastor Grace Apostolic Church in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
What is a piece of advice that has affected your life? There have been two different pieces of advice that have affected my life. The first was from my Grandmother Keen, which is my mother’s mother. She wrote me a letter before I went off to college. In it she said, “Don’t let them change you.” I have always remembered that. She was a kind, simple woman full of love and country wisdom. She had ten kids and raised them all. I have always remembered those words of wisdom she gave to me before I went off to college. I lived away from home, which I had never done, for three years. I came home for church, of course. But I was alone at college. I didn’t go to school with anyone from church, I didn’t have any friends, and I was very quiet person. There were plenty of opportunities to do things that I had never been exposed to. I can honestly remember being in situations and thinking, “My grandparents could be watching me. My dad, Lord forbid, could be watching me. And if he wasn’t- God would give him a dream about what I was doing.” That piece of advice affected me a lot during the time that I left home and went off to college. The second saying that has stayed with me is something my Dad wrote, “Work smarter not harder.” That is one thing that for the last ten years I have kept for myself. I try to find better ways of doing things. I try to make sure I am not wasting my time. Whether it’s in life, at home, or at work, I try to work smarter and not get so stressed out about things. Everything is not worth all of the work. Take things a little bit easier and enjoy life. What is a great piece of advice you were given as a mother? “The laundry and the house can wait; enjoy the kids.” I give that out frequently to new moms because it is true. Is there a boundary in your life that is non-negotiable? My doctrinal beliefs, of course. I believe in the name of Jesus and baptism in Jesus’ name and no one can change me on that. There are a lot of personal boundaries that I have kept from my youth up. I have my own personal convictions that may not be someone else’s, but they keep me rooted and grounded. What scripture have you stood on in your life or has meant the most to you? Philippians 4:13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Honestly, they vary at different stages in life. I have several that I go to. Philippians 4:13 is one. I know that one is used over and over, but it is the one that has carried me the most through every aspect of life from my youth forward. There have been so many things that have happened in my life that I didn’t think I could do or face, but I’ve always gone back to that scripture and known that He will give me strength through it all. I’ve always thought if He has given this to be done, it will be accomplished through His strength. Where do you pray? What are your study habits? I don’t really have a specific prayer place. I pray in my recliner in the morning before everyone gets up when it is quiet. I pray in my car and also at the church because I am there when most people are not. I will stop and pray at work. One day, I had been listening to gospel music at work and the Holy Ghost began to move on me. I thought, “I have got to get out of here before it happens (speaking in tongues).” I ran to the bathroom to have a little church. So, I don’t really have a specific room for prayer, it’s more of a timing thing. As far as study habits, I do better if something just comes to heart or mind and I study it out, or if I am preparing for class, I will study what God impresses me to teach. If I read a scripture and become curious about a word or topic, I will study that out. For me, there are two different types of reading. A daily read or light read and a meat read. The meat read is where you learn, get more in depth, and really study it out. You can see in my notebook, there might be two or three different things that I have been studying out for a while from my meat reads. There are scriptures that I study and feel that God reveals them to me that I would not share or teach on. That’s between Him and me. I do use my Bible app to read along with or listen to on the way to work. My voice on the reader is set at .75x speed and with an English accent. It makes scriptures sound like an old James Bond is reading. I guess, I’m a multitask reader/studier. What do you think makes a strong woman, and is there a woman who embodies that quality to you? A strong woman is a humble woman. The Bible tells us that a meek and quiet spirit is of great value. I like to say, “Meekness doesn’t mean weakness.” Meekness is a powerful thing. There are so many ladies that I know who are powerful women. The elders in my life whose walk with God has survived the test of time and are still going strong are strong women to me. There is a lady in our church, Sis. Jessie, who is 94. She is our last original church member who started with us in the garage. Of course, my mother. Those are two meek women who love the Lord and are strong. You can’t tell them anything different. They are convinced and persuaded. A persuaded woman is a strong person. We are all to be persuaded. A persuaded woman who is humble and meek is a valuable woman. The don’t have to be a loudmouth. They don’t have to be up front leading the band. They just have to be persuaded. Do you make free time for yourself? If you have free time what do you do? That is something that I need to work on. If I do get to take some time for myself, I like the outdoors. I like to walk and enjoy nature and things like that. I do not like shopping. I would much rather make memories with my family than to have a bunch of free time. I’ll do free time when I’m older and grayer. Besides Christianity and marriage, what was the best decision you ever made? The decision to go to college and become a nurse was a good decision: a God decision. Other than that, the decision to not be afraid to step out and go a mission trip. I stepped out and did something different, even when I was nervous and others were nervous for me. I went on a mission trip to Sis. Mary Mitchell’s in 2015 with my Mom, Terra Goodin, and Sis. Karen Lanning. I cannot explain what the Lord did for me there, but it changed my life and worship. I was scheduled to go to Honduras with Celebrating Teachers at the first of March, right when COVID hit. Praise the Lord that date was moved before the travel restrictions. But I am waiting and anticipating for this work to resume and see what God will do. Was there a season in your life that contributed to your strength? Yes, there have been many seasons in my life that have contributed to my strength. Each of the seasons have shown me a different attribute of God. It’s not that I was strong in each of these seasons, but they showed me His strength and how to depend on Him. When we are weak, He is strong. He has brought me through each season. Every season that I have walked through has helped me become a strong and persuaded person in the Lord. Strong women are persuaded believers. Sis. Liz described the strong women in her life as meek and persuaded, which is exactly how I would describe her. What a perfect piece of advice she shared with us concerning motherhood, “The laundry and house can wait; enjoy the kids.” I can remember thinking as a small child how long a year was. Now, it feels like they come and go so quickly. As I grow older, time seems to fly by. I feel like I was just a senior in high school, and now I’m a senior in college? That’s crazy. As I watch the young couples in our church grow their families with new babies, I realize just how fast those babies grow up. So, this blog is dedicated to all the moms of young babies. Days may seem long, and I am sure that you are exhausted, but one day you will look back and think the years felt like minutes. The laundry you’re stressing over can wait and so can the dishes. You don’t have to have the perfect house, or even be the perfect mom…just be present in the moment and those moments will live on forever. Sis. Eva Wojcik Eva Wojcik is originally from Jacksonville, Arkansas. She graduated from UCA with her masters in speech language pathology. She has been married to the love of her life, Aaron, for 14 years, and they call Gallatin, TN, home. They have three beautiful children: Oliver, Stella, and Hazel. Together they serve at FAC Nashville on the senior leadership team where they are over small groups. Eva has been a voice of reason and encouragement in my life. I am confident that you will be encouraged and challenged by her words.
What is a piece of advice that has affected your life? One thing that has really stuck with me was said during a marriage conference. One of the preachers’ wives was talking to us and she said, “If there is something that you don’t like about yourself, pray about it, and let God change it.” I know that sounds so simple, but I have felt before that if you are a certain way, that’s just who you are. So, I started reading about this topic and found myself in 2 Corinthians where it says if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. Now I feel like if I am naturally a worrier, or jealous, or impatient, I don’t have to say, “Well, that’s just how I am.” I don’t have to learn to accept those things about myself because those things aren’t of God, they are sin. That means I can take those things to God and say, “I don’t want to be a worrier.” I don’t want that to be my first reaction to things. Then because I have God in me, He can change those things about me. I don’t have to receive things about myself that I don’t like or that cause me pain; I can just take them to God and let Him work on them. However, that doesn’t mean that those natural things about our personality that we inherited won’t still be there. That doesn’t mean that I won’t naturally tend towards being a worrier or that I will never worry again, because I do think that we have to be conscious of those things and die daily to our sin. But I don’t have to classify myself as a worrier and accept it, because I know I can take my issues to Jesus and allow Him to work on me. That changed things for me. What is a great piece of advice you were given as a mother? This is something I tell all mothers because it really was lifechanging for me. It’s this: motherhood is just hard. I know that it’s not very encouraging. But when I had my first child, I remember thinking I’m not very good at this; maybe I am just not cut out for this. It looks all nice and easy when you are watching others do it, but when it comes down to it, motherhood is just hard. There are a lot of hard things about it, especially in the beginning. When someone finally told me that the first 6 months are just hard, I thought, okay, so I don’t stink at this. It’s just a really hard thing. It made me feel like I wasn’t alone to know that this is how it is for everyone. It helped me to know that the hard times I was going through were for a season. Not that every stage of motherhood doesn’t have its challenges; it’s challenging. Parenting is on the job training; that is the only way you learn. No one has any clue what they are doing, no matter how much experience you have with kids. When you have your own baby and you’re responsible for it 24/7, it’s different. Just know if you are doing your best and you are submitted to God, that’s all you can do. It’s hard, but God will give you the grace you need. Is there a boundary in your life that is non-negotiable? For me, this was a ministry boundary. I came to know Christ in my college years, and when I jumped in, I completely jumped in and wanted to do it all which is great because we need to be serving and working for the Lord. However, when you have a family, it really changes things. The older I get the more I realize that my family is my ministry. They have to be my ministry first, and I am okay with that. But because of that, I kind of felt like I was disappointing other people and not meeting their expectations. But when I started talking to the Lord about it and asking him what he wanted me to do, I remembered that as long as I am pleasing Him, that is all that matters. I can’t try to meet everyone’s expectations and let my own family down. If I am not investing in my own children or my own marriage, just so I can say yes to other people, that is not necessarily improving my relationship with God or His work in His kingdom. I had to say that no matter what my relationship with God comes first, and then my family. I have found that ministry is not just what I do on Sunday. God has showed me ways to minister while I have young kids in ways that don’t involve Sunday. I believe that we need to come together, encourage one another, and have body ministry, but more than that...we are the church. All of those things that I have found to do to minister, to pour into people, and meet the needs of people that God places in my path, those things are more important that what I do on Sunday, in my opinion. I won’t feel guilty of an obligation if I don’t feel like it is something that God wants me to do. What good will it do if I pour into other people but don’t make disciples out of my own children? What scripture have you stood on in your life or has meant the most to you? Psalms 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. I need it all the time. It makes me humble and keeps me growing. If you can’t admit that you need a new spirit and allow God to correct you in your own spirit and mind, then He can’t do anything with you. I feel like I need to say that scripture all the time to myself. Where do you pray? What are your study habits? I do best if I get up early in the morning. I’ve tried other things, but my day is infinitely better if I get up before my kids and have my quiet time. I am not a super disciplined person; in fact, that is an area in my life where I need a lot of growth. I am really praying that God would help me be consistent, and I will keep on working on it. With three small kids at home, I just pray out loud when I think of someone or something. I might look a little crazy, but that is okay. If something is really pressing on me or if I feel a certain way, I will just start talking to God about it. I will simply pray about things when I feel them all throughout the day, because if I try to remember them to pray about at night…by the nighttime, I’m done. As far as studying, my favorite thing right now is the YouVerison Bible app. I am currently doing a study plan that reads through the entire Bible. I can read it or listen to it in my airpods. As soon as I wake up, I put my airpods in and play it while I am getting my coffee. Then I get my study Bible out and make notes. I like having a Bible where I can make notes. I even write some of my prayers in my Bible, or ideas that come to me during reading. I also listen to a podcast that follows along with the reading plan. It is by a Bible scholar who sums up the reading and helps you understand what you read. The podcast is called “The Bible Recap.” What do you think makes a strong woman, and is there a woman who embodies that quality to you? Meekness makes a strong woman. It’s harder to be slow to speak, slow to react, and slow to judge. Meekness is not silence, but it is the ability to use wisdom in the manner in which you respond. It’s about how you respond. This totally goes against my nature. Aaron says that I was raised by a pack of women because all of the role models and influences in my life growing up were women. That is true; I was raised by a single mom, and I surrounded myself with women I admired. However, I don’t consider myself a feminist and here’s why: I feel that God created man and woman differently for a purpose. I embrace my feminine qualities and I think that makes me strong. I am a nurturer, emotionally driven, and sensitive to other people. I don’t believe those are weaknesses, I think they are strengths. My husband doesn’t have those qualities; he has other qualities that God gave him for a purpose. Even though my answer is meekness, don’t get me wrong, those who know me know that I am outspoken. However, if you know my sisters, I am actually the least outspoken. I do speak my mind, and I have strong opinions; I have just learned that when and how I express them makes a difference. Do you make free time for yourself? If you have free time what do you do? Yes. As a mother with three young kids, I struggle with guilt about it. No matter if you are a stay at home mom or a working mom, you have mom guilt. It’s just a thing. I don’t know how to make it go away. I pray for time for myself and then when I am away, I miss my kids. It makes no sense at all. When I do get away and then come back, I am a better wife and mom. I just need some time by myself. At this stage in life, just being alone at any place is life giving! Whether it is at the grocery store, eating lunch out by myself, running errands, or even the bathroom (because even that is a place that I rarely find myself alone.) Pandemic free time means a drive through lunch, sitting in my car and eating and listening to something that is life giving to me (sermon, book, etc.). Sometimes I love to get lost in a fiction book that takes me somewhere interesting that is not my house. Audiobooks and podcasts are my friends. Pre-pandemic, I would go to dinner by myself, put headphones in, read a book, or get on Pinterest. This is strange, but clipping coupons is therapeutic to me for some reason, even though I will probably forget to use them. Besides Christianity and marriage, what was the best decision you ever made? Choosing to forgive. Forgive others from your past, forgive people who aren’t sorry, forgive yourself when you fail, forgive ignorance of people who harm others out of their own pain, forgive those who don’t know Jesus like you do, forgive the world for being broken and ungodly, and allow God to forgive you. Just forgiveness. It makes life a million times easier. Don’t carry around a bunch of stuff that is not yours to carry. Was there a season in your life that contributed to your strength? I would say my college years. College is where I found the Lord. It was where I became desperate enough to find Jesus and get to know Him. It’s where He set me free and set me on a path to grow. College was the beginning of my Christian walk, and it was tough; but I don’t regret any of it because it brought me to where I am now. I am grateful for that time because it really drew me toward him. Strong women just know who they are in Christ. To me the most enviable women in the room, the “It” girl, is the one who knows and is comfortable with who she is in Christ. It’s not the prettiest girl, the smartest, the best dressed, or the most successful. It’s just the one who is submitted in God’s covering and is comfortable there. If you can start believing what God says about you instead of what you say or others say or what the enemy says about you, the sky is the limit. Wow, wow, wow. It’s okay if you want to go back and read her words again; I did. As I typed her words, I stopped multiple times just so they could settle in my spirit. I appreciate women who are transparent and honest, like Eva is. She genuinely cares about people and their lives. In her interview, I asked her about the best decision in her life excluding Christianity and marriage. I can’t exactly tell you what I expected her answer to be, but I was blown away by the answer she gave. It was simple, yet so powerful. “Choosing to forgive” is a decision. It’s your decision. Take it from Eva, don’t carry around a bunch of stuff that is not yours to carry. I want you to read her words again, “Forgive others from your past, forgive people who aren’t sorry, forgive yourself when you fail, forgive ignorance of people who harm others out of their own pain, forgive those who don’t know Jesus like you do, forgive the world for being broken and ungodly, and allow God to forgive you.” There is no end to what the power of forgiveness can do. Forgiveness is the enemy of anger, hatred, pride, and bitterness. Matthew West said it best in his song “Forgiveness,” the prisoner that it really frees is you. Give forgiveness, accept forgiveness. Whether those words apply to you right now or not, someday it will take everything you have to say, “I forgive you,” but do it anyway. Forgiveness is a decision, and like Eva, it could be the best decision you make. Sis. Jeana BeecherJeana Beecher hails from Franklin, Kentucky, and has been to the married the love of her life, Cliff, for almost 36 years. They have three kids, Ashley, Joel, and Grace, and six grandchildren. Her husband is the Senior Pastor of Cross Point Tabernacle. They started Cross Point almost 12 years ago in a store front. When they started the church, it was only Jeana’s family of five and a senior citizen couple. Today, Cross Point runs anywhere from 100 to 115 people, and all three of Sis. Jeana’s children are actively used in ministry. I know you will be inspired by her words.
What is a piece of advice that has affected your life? Something my dad told me all through my life was there are two kinds of people: leaders and followers. I’ve always remembered that, and I’ve even taught my kids that. My dad always told me I was a leader, and that gave me self-confidence. It made me feel good, even as a child, to know someone believed in me. It made such an impact on my life that even my kids will tell you that there are two types of people in life. Even in the lessons that I teach at Point of Hope, our drug recovery program, that is a quote/lesson that I use every couple of years. I think it is something everyone needs to know. You have a choice in determining which you will be. What is a great piece of advice you were given as a mother? Let praise outweigh the correction. Give three fourths of praise to a fourth of correction. I remember hearing someone talk about this in Arkansas. It really stuck in my mind that I needed to always remember to tell my children I am proud of them, and that they are leaders not followers. I think a lot of times we get so caught up in correction that we forget to praise our children. That is a piece of advice I always remembered. That doesn’t mean that I did it perfectly, but it definitely impacted my mind and my discipline with my kids. Is there a boundary in your life that is non-negotiable? My apostolic doctrine and beliefs are nonnegotiable. Another thing would be the boundary that I put in front of my family. I believe that it is my right to protect my family. Our family is our safe place. It’s kind of like the saying “what happens here stays here.” What happens in my life and in my family is a boundary that people can’t cross. Don’t come up against or touch my family because I will fight for them. They are mine and no one else’s. What scripture have you stood on in your life or has meant the most to you? Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Psalms 138:8 The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands. The first thing that came to my mind was Matthew 6:33. That has always been my favorite scripture because to me it puts things in order. When you put God first, everything else falls in place. That has been the ground scripture of my life. I also like Psalms 138:8. It reminds me that the things I care about, God cares about too. As a mother I understand that. The things my children are concerned with and love, I am concerned with and love too because they are my children. How much more does the heavenly Father care for the things that I care for? Where do you pray? What are your study habits? I pray at the couch in our family room. I also have a desk in there that I sometimes pray at as I am studying. I am up in the wee hours of the morning somewhere around 2 am to 5 am. I like that. It’s quiet, my phone doesn’t ring, and it’s still. The darkness blankets me, I guess you could say. Every year I read the Bible through and have for the past 15 years or so. Every time I read it, there is always something that stands out. My favorite plan to follow for reading the Bible through is the chronological order plan. The main reason I do that is because it helps me match things up and get a better perspective. If I am reading 2 Kings or Chronicles with David or Solomon, the plan takes me to the Psalms they wrote at that time. I am a visual learner, so that helps paint a picture for me. I also do cross reference. There are some days that I don’t get the full section read because I have found something and chased it. I really enjoy topic searches and character studies. What do you think makes a strong woman, and is there a woman who embodies that quality to you? My Grandmother had a great impact on my life. She was just amazing. She kept me for the first twelve years of my life, and she taught me to pray. As a little girl, I can remember her telling me “Jeana, it’s time to pray,” and we would go up the steps and pray. The thing I believe makes a strong woman is the ability to adapt. Things change whether it is your hormones, people walking in and out of your life, or age. We have to learn to adapt to the circumstances and situations that cause change. Not that you should compromise truth, by any means. However, we should be able to stand when things are not like they were last year. Strength is a process, and it doesn’t happen overnight. Do you make free time for yourself? If you have free time what do you do? I do make free time for myself. We live out in the country, and I enjoy going on walks. But I absolutely love to go get a manicure and pedicure. Besides Christianity and marriage, what was the best decision you ever made? I am an only child and at one point in our marriage, my parents sold their house and moved near us. The best decision I ever made was also the hardest decision I’ve ever made. When Ashley was three months old, we made the decision to pack our bags and leave Louisville, Kentucky, to move to Springdale, Arkansas. I left everything I knew. I left my family. I remember crying bitter tears over that, yet I knew I had to go. I had to start my own life. I was raised in the UPC, and around that time everywhere you looked there was a church split. We knew we had to leave in order to survive. If we had not made that decision, I don’t believe Cliff and I would be in church today. Was there a season in your life that contributed to your strength? The season I just discussed would probably be the season of my life that really helped me grow. To me there are several mile markers in my life that have brought me to where I am. One of those mile markers was leaving Louisville and moving to Springdale, AR. Another mile marker was moving to Birchtree, Missouri, for four years. We were just youth pastors in Arkansas. When we moved to Birchtree, I had to figure out what I believed for myself. That has really contributed to my life today. Now I am able to give home Bible studies and actually state what I believe. Strong Women are Adaptable. I can’t recall a moment when I have been with Sis Jeana where I wasn’t laughing. She is a hoot. When my Dad was preaching for Cross Point, he stayed with the Beechers. He said Sis. Jeana is a clean freak, so he made it a point to touch all of her windows. You can’t do that to just anyone. But Sis. Jeana is fun and loves to cut up. They have been family friends of ours for about 20 years. We love them very much. Normally this would be the section where I tell you my favorite parts from the interview. Today is a little different. Sis. Jeana felt to share another story with us for the blog, so here it is. You know my personality; I am loud and obnoxious. I have an opinion. There was a point in my life, close to 15 years ago, where I was really down on myself and didn’t like myself. We all have gone through a point of low self-esteem. I don’t remember at all how I got to this place, but I remember being at this place in my life where I just did not like myself. I was loud, obnoxious, and I couldn’t stand myself. I remember I had gotten so low that I was in my bedroom and I hit my floor crying; it was a gut-wrenching cry. I began to pour my heart out to the Lord and empty everything. The Lord spoke to me something that I still quote to this day, “I am what I am because the great I Am made me what I am.” From that day forward, there was something that changed in my life. I can’t explain it. The Lord just let me know that He made me, personality and all. Does it make me perfect? No. I know I still have flaws and I still have to pray and seek the Lord. I don’t say it boastfully. I realized that day that I was fearfully and wonderfully made by God. I had to go to my lowest point in order for me to like myself. In order to be strong, you have to hit your rock bottom. We have to come to the place that we like ourselves. If we don’t like ourselves, who else is going to like us? What I am presenting to people, the love of God and this wonderful truth we have, I have to be sold on it, and that means being sold on yourself. Sis. Angie BurksSis. Angie Burks is a mighty woman of God. She lives in the great state of Mississippi. She and her husband, Lonoia, have three children Richard, Lisa, and Angela. Her husband was raised Pentecostal but wasn’t in church when they met at the skating rink. She said they were big dancers and loved going to dance halls. She lived for Friday and Saturday night until she found Jesus. They were married in 1961. They moved to Jackson, where they attended a Methodist church for a while. That was until her husband decided to try a Pentecostal church near them. When they moved back home, Sis. Burks tagged along with her Mother-in-Law to a big camp meeting. She ran to the altar that night, and she said they told her she prayed for four hours. It wasn’t until a revival at her church that she received the gift of the Holy Ghost. She evangelized for four years. While working at a factory, God spoke to her that she and her husband would be the pastors of Mars Hill Pentecostal Church. It scared her to death. They were voted in as pastors soon after in 1970. They pastored Mars Hills for 44 years. I am confident that her words will challenge you and encourage you.
What is a piece of advice that has affected your life? I went to my state presbyter, Rev. J W Johnson, when I had been hurt by a minister. He stood and listened quietly to my complaint then put his arm around me and said these words, “Sis. Burks, sometimes the real Christian has to take the humble side.” I have always tried to live by that. He was very humble man. What is a great piece of advice you were given as a mother? A great piece of advice I was given as a mother was to always put God first in every decision. My dear friend, Sis. Roark told me that. Is there a boundary in your life that is non-negotiable? I never let Satan lie to me. When he begins to put things in my mind, I just go to the door and tell him to get out. I order him out of my mind. He will always try to pull us down. But I refuse to let him have any power in my mind. I evangelized for fours years and then we started pastoring our church. Of course, the devil really started working on me. I was new, and I was having to learn to fight the devil. One of my preacher friends was preaching about the lies that Satan puts in our mind. He said, “I just go to the door and order him out.” So, I started doing that too. What scripture have you stood on in your life or has meant the most to you? John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. I was raised in the Methodist church and I was very faithful to the youth there. Then I got the Holy Ghost after my husband and I married. When that scripture came to me, I realized that God is the word and always will be the word. You cannot change that. You have to have the word to have God. Where do you pray? What are your study habits? I pray wherever the lord directs me. Sometimes that is washing dishes, sometimes it is when I am just walking. However, most of the time it is when I am studying in my bedroom at 4 in the morning before I start my day at 5. Of course, there are always things which cause me to pray more or at a different time, but the majority of it happens at 4 am. I used to have a pine tree down behind the house where I would go and do a lot of praying. But they cut it up. Everyday around 1 o’clock I try to read my bible. Our church is currently reading the through the Bible together. That is usually when I study but if God is directing me on a message, I study it mostly at night after everyone is gone to bed. If the Lord is really dealing with me, I get alone at any point in the day and study what He is laying on my heart. I do a lot of Bible reading on my iPad because I can read it better. If I use my Bible, I have a flashlight that helps me see. If I need to run references, I use my Bible and flashlight because I haven’t learned how to run them on my iPad yet. Sometimes I use devotionals, but I mainly stick to what God is laying on my heart. What do you think makes a strong woman, and is there a woman who embodies that quality to you? A strong woman is a woman who walks in the word daily. Sis. Lily Roark was a strong woman in my life. She started preaching when she was 13 years old. She held revivals all over the place. They pastored a church neighboring where we live now. Of course, they had been pastoring a long time when we started preaching. I preached three revivals for them when they were at McClain’s Chapel. Then they started the church where my son is pastoring now. Sis. Lily and I started the ladies retreat here in Mississippi. She was my mentor and taught me a lot about strength. The only way to be a strong woman is to be close to God. The closer you get to God, the stronger you become. The only way to be strong is to be strong in Him. Do you make free time for yourself? If you have free time what do you do? I try to rest about 30 minutes every day, if I can. When I get my husband in my recliner for his nap, I try to take one myself but sometimes it doesn’t work that way. I watch some of my great grandchildren, so I don’t have a lot of free time. I have seven grandchildren (who are all grown) and nine great grandchildren with one on the way. Besides Christianity and marriage, what was the best decision you ever made? The best decision I ever made was to answer the call of God and obey his leading in my life. After I received the Holy Ghost and answered the call to preach, I started evangelizing. I realize now that I didn’t know very much. But the anointing breaks every yoke. I was very young and really didn’t know what I was doing. I just knew the Lord told me to do it. The Lord spoke a scripture to me, and I went straight to my Bible and found it. The scripture was Matthew 10:16, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” I realized that the scripture was directing someone to answer the call. Then I had a dream about the scripture. I dreamed the wolves were after me and I barely escaped under a fence. I knew what the Lord was directing me to. I always thought I would be missionary when I was in the Methodist church. When I married, I realized my husband and I would have the same calling. I answered the call before he did, but I believe he had the call before I did but didn’t answer it. I always knew that I had to do something for God, even in the Methodist church. I couldn’t go to church and hear a preacher preach without feeling a call on my life. Bro. Dillard asked me to come preach my first revival and from then on, I traveled all over to preach. Every time I got up to preach, I would think I had just preached all I knew, but I would just keep preaching. Was there a season in your life that contributed to your strength? For about four years of my life, I evangelized and went everywhere preaching revivals. It was very hard on the body but great for the soul. During that time, I really learned to completely rely on God. Relying on God makes a strong woman. I remember coming in from a three-week revival for James Lowry in Butler Church. It was a sixty-mile drive from my house. My mother-in-law made the trip with me since my husband was working. I came home from church every night and couldn’t go to sleep until I knew that I had touched God. I would study until I had something from God for the next night. That lasted for three weeks. I didn’t have sense enough to know I didn’t know a lot, I just got up and preached. I remember being so tired after coming in one night, but the Lord was moving on me mightily. I prayed, “Lord I just don’t know. You have to direct me. I’ve preached everything I know.” He said, “Tell my people to pray past that point”. He began to deal with me on the point. People would pray until a certain point and then go back to their seat. All He gave me was one scripture. I got up to preach with that one scripture and preached stuff I didn’t know. The Lord just anointed me. That’s how you learn to rely on God. I never did think that I knew enough to preach on my own. Strong women are women of God. It takes God to make a woman strong. You must keep a daily walk with God to be strong. Stay in the word; if you stay in the word, you stay with God. You can’t walk with God without the word, because He is the word. My interview with Sis. Burks was nothing short of interesting. I laughed a lot and said amen even more (maybe because I was bring preached to.) She is a very humble woman who has a huge heart for serving the Lord, and that was evident in our conversation. The part that had me so tickled was during the question concerning her prayer and study habits. Obviously, you just read about how she enjoyed praying at a fallen pine tree in her backyard. Of course, being the scaredy cat that I am I asked her, “What about snakes?” To which she replied, “Well, you just have to pray around them.” Um, no thanks. I understand that the Bible tells us that we have the power to tread on serpents, but I think I’d just have to find a new place to pray. After she told me that, I knew she was really a strong woman. One reoccurring topic throughout this interview was the necessity of the word of God. Sis. Burks tells us that a strong woman is a woman who walks in the word daily. She says you can’t walk with God without the word because He is the word. I appreciate books, devotionals, and podcasts, but never forget those are additional study tools. There is no substitute for the word of God. The hunger Sis. Burks has for the Lord is evident throughout this interview. It’s not only evident, but it’s also inspiring. She spent four hours at an altar during a camp meeting service. When she preached a three-week revival, she would stay up every night after returning home until she heard from God for the next night. It is my prayer that each of us would develop a hunger for God that consumes us like it has Sis. Burks. May we learn to pray past the point. Sis. Karla ShouldersWhen I began to decide who I wanted to interview for this series over Strong Women, I knew without a doubt that I wanted to interview Karla Shoulders. Karla Shoulders was born and raised in Tennessee and still calls Nashville home. She and her husband, Dee Jay, pastor the First Apostolic Church in Nashville, TN. They have been married for 29 years and have two boys, Preston and Peyton. The Shoulders have been family friends of ours for the past 20 years. Sis. Karla is the President of the Women’s Ministry in the ABofC, which is our church association. She is a true picture and example of a Godly woman. I was very excited to be able to pick her brain, and I hope that you are inspired through our discussion.
What is a piece of advice that has affected your life? My dad, and my mom too really, both lived by the unsaid motto of “Can’t Never Could”. In my house growing up, you just did it. You didn’t go find someone who could do it, you did it. If you didn’t know how, you just figured it out. This helped me develop a will to try things, whether I know how to do them or not. What is a great piece of advice you were given as a mother? This is simple and basic, but it has worked. I don’t know if it’s good or bad but... don’t let your kids be picky. I would see kids who were so picky and who demanded to have their way, whether it was about food or clothing. I just decided from day one that I was not going to let my kids control like that and call the shots. We didn’t feed into the brand name thing and whatever I cooked for dinner they ate, or they did without. Is there a boundary in your life that is non-negotiable? Nobody can change me on my faith and my personal boundaries. I settled a long time ago that I am who I am in the Lord. The boundaries that I set for myself may not be other people’s boundaries, but they are mine and no one can change me on them. What scripture have you stood on in your life or has meant the most to you? Romans 8:38-39 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. That is my favorite, always. It took me a longer than it should have to figure out who I was in life. However, when I did figure it out and became settled in the Lord’s plan for my life, that scripture jumped out at me because it talks about being persuaded. I became persuaded and knew that nothing was going to separate me from Him. Where do you pray? What are your study habits? I have tried different places to pray, you know like the War Room thing. But for the most part, I like to pray on my couch where I can open the blinds and see nature outside. It’s nothing fancy or profound, but it works best for me. As far as study habits, I am so not a methodical person. I’m one to jump from thing to thing. I’ve done some Bible studies and they are great, but if something is dropped in my spirit, I will go study that. I am not so structured that I can’t jump around. What do you think makes a strong woman, and is there a woman who embodies that quality to you? A strong woman knows who she is and is settled in God’s plan for her life. She never waits for another person to determine who she will be. As far as a strong woman, one jumps out to me, Elizabeth Tolman. She was on the top of my mentor list. Obviously, I was not with her 24/7, but I would email her and talk to her on the phone. She really poured into me and gave me so many pieces of good advice. Her sensitivity to the Holy Ghost and to hearing God’s voice was amazing to me. It’s a quality that I want to have. I want to know how to hear the voice of the Lord and be settled in my spirit like she was. She never feared, worried, or was concerned with where she was going because she totally trusted the Lord, 110% for every step she took. Elizabeth Tolman was one in a million, a true model to pursue. One thing she told me that stuck with me was when we visited them for their 50th wedding anniversary. We were talking about what they were going to do to celebrate, and I asked her if they were going to renew their vows. She just looked at me and said, “We never broke them.” That stuck with me. We shouldn’t have to renew something that is not broken. If we keep cultivating it, pursing it, and building on it, then it will stick. You don’t have to renew something that isn’t dead. Do you make free time for yourself? If you have free time what do you do? I do. I am a very simple person. I love to play games. Oh yeah, I do. I am a very simple person and I love games. They are my outlet. I get the Wii out, I get the Nintendo 64 out, I play some games. I also like to do puzzles... anything to keep my mind busy. Besides Christianity and marriage, what was the best decision you ever made? When I was a senior in high school, the day after I graduated my parents split up. From that day on and up until about 15 years ago, I was constantly praying Lord, let me parents get back together. Which isn’t a bad prayer, but it consumed me. I was so distracted by the “What ifs” and “Could be’s.” I found myself eventually not praying that prayer. It suddenly wasn’t at the front of my mind anymore. It just kind of settled in my spirit that it wasn’t going to happen, and I needed to move on. About 5 or 6 years ago, my mom started to struggle with her memory. Around that time, she and my dad began to have a relationship again. It was like when I quit praying that prayer, God fixed it all. Once I gave it to the Lord and stopped dwelling on it all the time, He took care of it. You can pray about something, but if you are constantly letting it bother you or consume you, you haven’t given it to the Lord. Once I gave it to Him, He took care of it. Was there a season in your life that contributed to your strength? I guess this would kind of answer that question. I have a really good husband, a godly husband. I know every woman thinks that about their man, but I really do. He affirms me all the time. I am not a needy person, quite the opposite actually. Yet he affirms me all the time without my need for that. It really gives a woman confidence when she knows that her husband totally loves her and supports her. He has been a major help in my life and in every season. Strong women are fully persuaded. As I mentioned earlier, Sis. Karla is a true picture and example of a Godly woman. I have always admired the way she just does things. Now knowing the advice she has held to throughout her life, it makes sense. I remember being very impressed when I discovered that she had redone the back splash in her own kitchen by herself. That is definitely a project many of us would have said, “I can’t do that.” Not Sis. Karla. She loves a good challenge. As a pastor’s kid, when I attend other churches, I’m always looking for things that they do that my church could do too. My visits at FAC Nashville are no different. As I walk through their campus, I often ask the origins of certain pieces of decoration. The answer most often is, “Oh, Sis Karla made that.” To which I am amazed. From a giant silhouette of the Nashville skyline to the stage decorations at events, she really can do it all. Maybe we could too if we adopted the quote, “Can’t never could.” It was a true honor to interview this celebrity. As many of you know, Sis. Karla recently had some screen time on the show “The Price is Right.” She is using her fame for the greater good and has recently started her own Facebook Live series, “The Shoulders Trivia Night.” It has been said the second greatest decision in your life (with Jesus being the greatest) is who you marry. Sis. Karla didn’t speak about a season in her that contributed to her strength. She did, however, speak of a constant in each season, her husband. She said Bro Dee Jay always affirms her even without her asking. What a great quality to look for in a husband. It’s not all about the seasons we go through, it’s about who we go through them with. Surround yourself with people who affirm the call of God on your life. People who cheer you on, support you, and never let you forget who you are. A strong woman realizes that she did not get to where she is alone. Sis. Patt HumphreysShe would tell you that she is not the typical preacher’s wife. She fishes, hunts, picks strawberries, hauls wood, and shoots a muzzleloader. But nevertheless, she is a powerful woman of God. Sis. Patt Humphreys was born and raised in Nimrod, Arkansas. When she was born at her grandparents’ house, it was believed that the mother should stay in bed for a certain period of time. When she was eight days old, her mother was lying in bed when the house caught on fire. Her mother began to get up, only to be stopped by her grandfather who said that he would put the fire out and she shouldn’t move (The fire was put out, and all was well.) Patt met the love of her life, Rick, on the school bus. They have been married for almost 50 years. They have three children, Sarah, Sheryl, and Shelia. Sis. Patt was not raised in a Christian home but began to go to Hollis Jesus Name during their marriage without Rick. At that point she went to church off head knowledge, but she said, “If you stay by the fire, you’re gonna get warm.” Eventually she did, and after her husband’s scare with a brain aneurysm, he did too. They now pastor the Hollis Jesus Name Church.
What is a piece of advice that has affected your life? Sis. Bernice Davis told me that as a pastor’s wife especially (but really for any Christian) it is very important to be able to keep a confidence. By that I mean be someone who people can trust. If someone tells me they need to talk to me about something, I usually say, “Is this between me and you, or do you want me to tell my husband?” If someone were to tell me something and they asked me to keep it just between us and the Lord, I will not talk to anyone about it except Jesus. Sis Bernice used to tell me that I would need to ‘do a lot of pondering in my heart’ (Luke 2:19) over the years. I will keep a confidence till Jesus comes because I think it’s super important that people are able to trust me when sharing their hearts. Rick asked for my hand in marriage the old-fashioned way by asking my dad. My dad sat us both down after the engagement and had a talk with us. My dad was not a Christian, mind you. He told us that my mother and he had been married for 19 years and they had never had but one fight. My mouth dropped because I knew of more than one fight that occurred over the years. My dad grinned and said, “It’s lasted 19 years.” He followed that up by saying this: anything worth having is worth fighting for. What is a great piece of advice you were given as a mother? As a mother, you know your baby better than anyone else; therefore, you should follow your maternal instincts. Whether that means taking them to the doctor, checking up on them, or making sure they are really okay. Is there a boundary in your life that is non-negotiable? I will not knowingly lie for anyone! Back when our girls were home in high school, they had senior skip day. The rule was if a parent called the school, the kids wouldn’t be counted absent. Most parents would call and say their child was sick. I told my girls I would call the school, but I refused to lie and say they were sick. I just told them the girls wouldn’t be at school that day! What scripture have you stood on in your life or has meant the most to you? This is a hard one because I have so many favorites. James 1:8 is one of my favorites. I believe you must have a completely made up mind to follow the Lord. You can’t be wishy-washy about it, simple as that. Of course, John 3:16, because His love opened the door of salvation. James 1:8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Where do you pray? What are your study habits? I pray everywhere. In the shower, while driving, when I wake up in the night, when I’m cooking or doing dishes, or when I’m doing my housework. My study habits aren’t as strict as others, but I read every morning before I start my day. I might get on a topic and follow it through for days. Sometimes I just get a ‘quickening’ while a minister is preaching and can’t wait to get started researching that topic. I have a good Bible study program on my computer and I even pick my husband’s brain on occasion! What do you think makes a strong woman, and is there a woman who embodies that quality to you? Strong women are made strong by simply living a godly life in an ungodly world. Life itself makes you strong if you are determined to live for Him. The outside forces are always against us being totally sold out. There will always be trials to go through. It’s imperative that we not allow ourselves to stay in the middle of a trail but to go and grow through it. Each trial builds your spiritual muscles, if you will. None of us want trials, but in the long run, we’re made strong by going through them. Sis. Fay Randall is a strong woman! I’ve watched her life for many years and have spent hours in her home. Her husband literally accused her of losing her mind when she got the Holy Ghost! He asked the neighbors to watch over the kids and her while he was at work because he was so worried! She never had money, she had very little education, she didn’t drive, but she raised her children in church until they were big enough to answer for themselves. She always kept the faith! She’s a one of a kind woman; I love and admire her so much! She was ‘given to hospitality’ when we were a young couple attending the Plainview church, even though she never had much. She has always had love and Jesus and was never ashamed to share! Do you make free time for yourself? If you have free time what do you do? Yes, I do make free time for myself. I love to read (I even read mysteries). I LOVE to spend time with my grandkids. Anything I can do with them is fun to me and refreshes me even if it wears me slam out. I’ve been told not to do anymore zip lining or jumping on a trampoline, but there are still lots of things I can do with them. A few years ago, I zip lined across the Royal Gorge in Colorado with our oldest grandson. One time, I even got out of bed at 3 am to whisper with 3 of my 4 granddaughters till their mom and dad got up to go to work. I love any time I get to spend with them, whether it is jumping on the trampoline or playing basketball. Besides Christianity and marriage, what was the best decision you ever made? Definitely the decision to have children. I love being a mom and grandmother. It was important to me to be the kind of mom who my kids knew they could talk to about anything. I would get up and talk with them when they got home from a date. Midnight was always their curfew, and I got up lots of nights to listen to them talk about whatever. Many thought this was crazy, but it made us close. Was there a season in your life that contributed to your strength? My husband had a brain aneurysm when he was in his early 30’s. We had just bought land, built a house, and had three small children. We knew two people who had had aneurysms— one died on the spot and the other was in a nursing home living as a vegetable. It was a very rough time for me. We weren’t in church at the time, although I had told my husband that I was going whether he did or not. He was never opposed to me and the kids going, he just wasn’t ready to commit himself. The possibility of living the rest of my life without him was a very hard thing for me. But I just continued to put my fledgling faith in God. Eventually, Rick gave his heart to God, and we’ve never looked back. We’ve had financial issues, family issues, work issues, BUT GOD! Through it all, GOD! Another season of my life that I had the most growth was when we moved to south Arkansas due to my husband’s work. I didn’t know a soul there, and I had to learn to depend on God like never before. I was a country girl and loved it, but our lives changed so much. Magnolia & El Dorado aren’t big towns—-until you compare them to Nimrod & Hollis. It was definitely a growing season for a few years! Strong women are necessary. Greatly used by God. Maybe even stronger than strong men, though most men wouldn’t like to hear that! “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.” A strong woman wields more power than some kings and presidents. One thing that I have always told people about why I love my church and church association is they are basically an extension of my family. Bro. Rick and Sis. Patt have been like family to me for as long as I’ve known them. They are pretty good to always send me a birthday card with money that matches my age, and I really appreciate it. Sis. Patt is one of the sweetest people I know. She is so genuine and encouraging. She married one of the hardest working men there is. Bro. Rick is a true prayer warrior and is full of faith, but it wasn’t always like that. She mentioned in her interview that she took the children to church without him. I consider Bro. Rick to be a spiritually strong man in my life, and I know others do too. He is the pastor of a church and led our church association as chairman for quite some time. His life and ministry have no doubt affected hundreds. But let me make one thing clear, he owes that all to a strong woman. A strong woman who got up every Sunday and took his kids to church. A strong woman who never stopped praying for him. A strong woman who kept the faith. If you are the wife who is worn out because you are the only one in your marriage serving God, don’t give up. If you are the mom who takes the kids to church every Sunday without your husband, don’t give up. You are not running in vain. Your prayers have not gone unheard and your giving has not gone unnoticed (Acts 10:31.) Sis. Patt said it best, “Life makes you strong when you are determined to live for him.” So be determined to live for him, regardless of your situation. Don’t give up. Don’t give in. God is going to turn your trial into a testimony. One day your husband or kids will say, “I owe it all to a strong woman who kept the faith.” |
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