DEEP WATERS

While most of the country has spent the last month in a frenzy of holiday shopping, baking and decorating, we sometimes forget those experiencing pain during this season. Earlier this month I read a lady's blog that chronicles her years of struggle with infertility. She confided with her readers that while she receives countless Christmas pictures in the mail of her friends' cute kiddos, the holidays are very sad for her. Longing for a child of her own she has renamed Christmas a "helliday", instead of a holiday. As a mother, and a woman with my own history of infertility and miscarriages, I hurt for this young woman. I know the pain she feels during this season. Yet there were some aspects of her struggle that I cannot relate to. During my years of infertility, I experienced hope; not a hope of having children one day, but a hope that Jesus would give me joy despite my circumstances. Hope that I would enjoy peace in life whether I had another child or not. Hope th...

This is the last post in my series examining the challenges of life in the ministry, although I may revisit this topic sometime in the future. This series has apparently blessed many of you. Some of you are pastor's wives, some of you lead ministries in your local church, some of you serve para-church ministries, and all of you are fellow Christians at various churches around the country. My prayer has been that you would be encouraged in whatever work the Lord has called you to. I cannot continue writing without thanking you for reading and supporting my blog. The feedback you have given me -- through blog comments, facebook messages and emails -- have encouraged me to press on with my writings.  One brother sent a message to my husband about my blog that lifted my spirits on the very day that I needed it. I had been wondering to myself, "Is anyone even reading this anymore?" Well, the Lord answered that question through that brother. I appreciate all of you for cheeri...

Welcome back to my blog series on life in the ministry. I hope these writings encourage you as you walk through the calling that God has placed on your life. If you're like me, you have days that you thank God you've been called. Other days the calling seems so natural and fitting, it's not even a conscious thing. It just is. Then there are days when you scratch your head and ask yourself, as I have from time to time, "How in the world did I get here?" Trust me, you're not alone. And if, at the moment, you are not in ministry or married to someone in ministry, please continue to read on. We need your encouragement, grace and prayers!  Challenge #2: Life in the Fishbowl I'm sure all of you have heard of the "fishbowl life" in ministry. Now this may not be a challenge for some of you, but I personally never aspired to a life on Broadway! An introvert, I  am most comfortable behind the scenes, supporting those around me. I am the encourager...

My next series of blogs is dedicated to my sisters in ministry: whether you're a pastor's wife, a missionary or a ministry leader. Ours is a rewarding, yet trying road, Ladies. We cannot walk it alone. I know I certainly cannot. I'll be listing a few challenges of the ministry life then share tidbits of God's wisdom concerning that challenge. May you be encouraged by the things I share, and at the very least know that someone out there "gets" you. And if you find that you don't fit into any of these categories, still read on. I'm sure there's a pastor's wife, missionary or ministry head who is aching for some of your encouragement. These blogs just might clue you in on how to give her that encouragement. Challenge#1: Sundays no longer feel like the Sabbath This was perhaps the most difficult thing about becoming a pastor's wife for me. The Sunday before Anthony became a pastor, we enjoyed worship together as a couple. We sat side-by-...

Last week I had the pleasure and privilege of spending a week in beautiful San Diego, California with my hubby. For several years our lead pastor, Mark DeyMaz, has been dreaming of a conference that would encourage other diverse churches around the country and train others with the goal of becoming diverse. Well that dream is now a reality as we participated in the first Multi-ethnic Church Conference. And what a blessing it was to see men and women of different races, cultures and backgrounds worshiping and walking together During the conference, we were blessed by speakers Erwin McManus, David Anderson, Dave Gibbons and many others. We even heard from Michael Emerson, the spiritual trailblazer that penned the book Divided by Faith . My husband Anthony and our dear former Pastor Chris Williamson (Strong Tower Bible Church in Franklin, TN) facilitated workshops. And my pastor's wife, Linda DeyMaz, represented the ladies in the house by teaching the pastors' wives. We had a wo...

For those of you with children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, godchildren, you know how profound those little people can be. Well, my kiddos are no exception. I'd like to share some God-moments for each one... Kalin a.k.a. K-Man My13-year-old K-Man is a deep thinker, y'all. One of my friends once nicknamed him D.W. or "Deep Waters". Kalin is the artsy type. He daydreams a lot and lives in a constant state of creating. At any given time he's either composing a new song or rap, writing a book or producing a short film. He's a sanctified Kanye West, J.K. Rowling and Spike Lee all wrapped up in one. The downfall to this creativity, however, is that people some may not take Kalin seriously. I've had teachers tell me they weren't sure he was really "getting" his work, until he busted an A on an exam. Kalin shocks us with his intellectual and spiritual depth at times. Take, for instance, a few years ago in Children's Church at Strong...

Today has been a nostalgic day for me. After spending a weekend in Franklin, Tennessee, I just realized how much I really miss that place. Franklin -- for those of you who have never been there -- is a sweet little city outside Nashville. It has the charm of a small Southern town with the conveniences of a larger city. What other city its size has a beautiful mall, almost every food chain you can think of, and both a Borders and Barnes and Noble? What more can a girl ask for? With all its positive points, what I realize I miss most are the people there. Having resided there for nine years, I dug some really deep roots there. This was evident to me when after church at Strong Tower Bible Church -- where my husband served as Assistant Pastor for several years. While telling a girlfriend that I was praying for a challenge in her life, I found that I was the one in tears. I then commenced to share about the challenges of having relocated, and yet relocated again. When the conversation en...

Okay, so I've been serious and deep up to this point. But today I'm feeling kinda silly. So come on and have some fun with me. And if you're in -- or from -- Arkansas, don't be offended. I'm just having a little fun getting acquainted to my new hometown! Trust me, there have been days here that I've had to laugh to keep from crying! Now I must say, when I lived in Franklin, Tennessee I thought I was in a Southern town. And I was. But now that I'm in Arkansas I must say, I'm in a more Southern town. And I didn't think it possible! So, for whatever it's worth, here's my list of: YOU KNOW WHEN YOU'RE IN ARKANSAS WHEN... 1. The status symbol of choice isn't a Mercedes or Jaguar, but a big ol' hefty pick-up truck. 2. People don't love Razorbacks paraphernalia, they live for it. 3. Mature and mentally stable adults wear pig snouts to football games. 4. Fried foods (meats, vegetables and fruits) are a delicacy. 5. People either ...

For the past few weeks, I've been attending a Bible study at Mosaic Church taught by three of my favorite ladies. The study, entitled "Faithful, Abundant and True: Three Lives Going Deeper Still", is taught by Kay Arthur, Priscilla Shirer and Beth Moore. This study has convicted and challenged me tremendously. This past week, Kay challenged us through the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, often deemed the "Hall of Faith". I was once again challenged by the faithful steps of  Noah, Abraham, Moses and so many others. But what spoke to me deeply through God's Word this week was verse 4: "By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead." Amazing. "And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead." On July 18 of this year, I lost a dear cousin, Marcus L. Adair. Marcus and I grew up close -- g...

And now the last reason why I've named this blog Sojourner of Truth. "What is truth?" is the question Pilate asked Jesus before he released him to the Jews for crucifixion. "What is truth?" is a question that scholars and religious people have debated since the world began. As far back as the Garden of Eden, the serpent questioned Eve seductively, "Did God really say, 'you must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" What was he tempting Eve to question? The issue was far deeper than whether or not the fruit was good to eat. He was tempting Eve to question the truth. And what was the truth? Every word that God the Father had spoken -- nothing more, nothing less. So that's the Truth that I plan to share throughout this blog. As I share my thoughts on this screen, I would be remiss if I didn't share my God's thoughts too. After all, anything He has to say is far more important that the deepest knowledge I could ever communicate. An...

Sojourn, noun: a temporary stay Sojourn, verb: to stay for a time in a place; live temporarily So today I explain the second reason for the name of my blog.  Well, for a little girl who fervently prayed that she would never ever have to move out of the only home she knew, I have spent the last decade of my life relocating to new towns. After having spent my entire life in my hometown of Baltimore, Maryland -- except for four years of college in faraway Washington, D.C -- at age 30 I relocated for the first time to Franklin, Tennessee. My husband Anthony had answered the call to ministry at Strong Tower Bible Church. We were thrilled with the opportunity to serve the Lord and His people full-time. I can remember the bursts of joy that I'd feel at any given moment. We had been given a clean slate, a fresh start, a chance to "reinvent" ourselves, if you will. What an awesome opportunity! For weeks, Franklin was a perfect place: a great place to raise our son Kalin (and ...

Today I begin my second journey into the world of blogging. Years ago I began a blog, enjoyed it for a while, then decided it was more time-consuming and heart-revealing than I was really wanting. This time I've purposed to stick this thing out. Well, we'll see, won't we? I thought I'd begin by explaining the name of my blog -- Sojourner of Truth. There are a few reasons; today I'll focus on the first. I am totally intrigued and inspired by Sojourner Truth, a woman born into slavery. After escaping the bonds of U.S. slavery Sojourner became one of history's most famous abolitionists and women's rights activists. Born Isabella Baumfree, she changed her name to Sojourner Truth, telling her friends "The Spirit calls me, and I must go." In her famous speech, "Ain't I A Woman", Truth proclaimed at the 1851 Ohio Women's Rights Convention "I have heard the Bible and have learned that Eve caused man to sin. Well, if woman upset t...