I’m so glad you asked!
Raised in Georgia by a true southern lady, I was taught not to talk too much about myself, but to ask lots of questions of others. So telling you all about me feels a little awkward. But I’m tickled that you want to know me.
I absolutely love ministering to women any way I can. That's my passion, my calling, and my thrill.
As the wife of a pastor I have the unique opportunity to touch the lives of so many women in our church and community. God has given me a tremendous platform for sharing His love and His Word with women of all ages and backgrounds, and I am grateful. I love working with senior adult women, moms of teenagers, working women, homemakers, mothers of preschoolers, young women who are just starting out, and teenaged girls full of giggles and questions. Ministry, to me, is the color red – the color of lipstick and nail polish and flowers and cute purses!
So what do I do in ministry exactly?
I write. I write for popular Christian magazines like ParentLife, HomeLife, Living with Teenagers, Just Between Us, In Touch, Discipleship Journal, and Christian Women Today. I also write monthly for a couple of women’s devotional guides, Tapestry (Walk Thru the Bible) and Journey (LifeWay). And of course I blog here at Off the Beaten Path five days a week, trying to give a little encouragement to others who are walking the road less traveled.
I’ve written two Bible studies. The first is The View From My Front Porch, which is a woman’s approach to developing a biblical worldview. It’s a four-week study you can do on your own or with a group. You can find out how to order it and my newest study on this web site. My most recent publication is Satisfied...at Last! This 6-week study challenges women to examine where they've been going for soul satisfaction and teaches them, step-by-step, how to feast on the Bread of Life, the only One who can truly satisfy our souls' deepest desires. I'm all about responsible and accurate Bible study so you can count on both of these studies guiding you humbly and carefully through the pages of God's Word. They're also both very timely, applicable, and honest approaches to issues dear to women who are trying to walk the narrow path of discipleship.
I speak. I enjoy speaking to women’s groups, senior adults, and teenagers. I’m available to speak at retreats, conferences, MOPS groups, banquets, and anything else you might dream up. Depending on the event and your needs I may be funny or poignant, lighthearted or to the point, but I’ll always bring you a message from God’s Word.
I teach. I teach women’s Bible studies. Sometimes I write them; more often than not I teach studies by Beth Moore, Kay Arthur, Priscilla Shirer and other great authors and Bible teachers. Most importantly I love helping women learn how to study the Bible, giving them a taste of its fruit, and watching them catch the passion for the Word of God.
I also teach teenage girls. What a trip! A little out of my comfort zone, but God has shown me they are not nearly as scary as I thought.
I mentor. I serve as a Mentor Mom for a local MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group. Because we live in a military town I have the privilege of befriending and mentoring many military wives who are living far from home. These brave women are keeping the home fires burning while their husbands are deployed or in school, helping their children adjust to yet another move, and learning how to be wives and mothers while far from their own moms. I love ministering to these fine ladies and their families.
I lead. I lead my church’s women’s ministry, Women of Worth. I don’t do this job all by myself, of course. I have the honor of working with a team of godly gals who care passionately about the women of our church and community. To tell you the truth, I’m a huge delegator and fortunately the rest of my team is made up of industrious and willing servants.
I stand by my man. James and I met in seminary and I agreed to marry him before I ever heard him preach even once. Shortly after I accepted his proposal this little detail occurred to me. Fortunately the first time I heard him preach in a little town in west Texas, I knew I could sit in the front pew and let him be my pastor for the rest of my life. God has so arranged it to where when James stands in that pulpit and begins to preach from the Bible, I don't really hear my husband talking as much as I hear a message from God. That's a good thing because we've had the normal ups and downs in marriage that could have made it difficult to listen to him on a few Sundays!
I love being in ministry with James. God has given us backstage seats for so many awesome miracles through our 20+ years together. We've seen marriages restored, families come together, wayward folks saved, and addicts healed. Being a pastor's wife is not always easy and we've certainly known our share of conflicts and hurts, but I wouldn't trade this calling for anything.
I mother. I do believe this is my favorite job of all. I have a bright, capable son in college and a very creative daughter in high school who was born for the theater. They are precious loans from the Lord and I have only a little longer to invest in their lives at full throttle. So they get much of my time and attention still. I’m determined to love them to pieces while instilling godly character and discipline in them at the same time.
And I hike. An avid hiker, I've enjoyed the view from many out-of-the-way places most never visit. I know the rewards reserved for those willing to take the trail less traveled and I've savored the satisfaction of perseverance in the face of difficulty. I love to lace up my boots and hit the trail, expecting to go somewhere new, see something beautiful, and learn something along the way.
As a follower of Jesus, I'm also familiar with His call to walk off the beaten path on a trail blazed distinctly by His Word. Jesus warned that following Him would take us onto a narrow path marked by difficulty. That path is often lonely, sometimes tricky to navigate, usually challenging, but always rewarding. Just like the trails in my nearby Arizona mountains, that narrow path is marked with glorious vistas and rare discoveries worth the climb.
The world beckons us to abandon the difficult, narrow path blazed by God’s Word and to defect to the highways paved by our culture. But God’s Word says that if we stay on the trails hewn with truth and holiness He will grant us rest and reward on those ancient paths. So that’s where I’m walking, on the ancient paths. I invite you to join me.
