Deanna Doss Shrodes

Today is Thanksgiving AND it's also my husband's birthday!  How fitting. I'm extremely thankful for him. In particular, here are seven things I'm grateful for: 1) He's funny. His sense of humor is the first thing that attracted me to him. 2) He's a great father. He spends a lot of time with each of our kids, and always has. 3) He comforts me. If he knows there's something wrong, he doesn't rest easy until I talk to him about it and he is good at talking me through things. 4) He prioritizes family things . Doing things as a family is his favorite thing to do. 5) He cooks. So do I, but I get tired. And I love knowing that at least half the time, somebody else is doing the cooking and it actually tastes amazing. He's always making new dishes and serving up older favorites. Some of my favorite things that he makes are ~ pierogies, spaghetti, crepes, and a dish he created called, "breakfast potato salad." 6) He loves to tr...

1) He doesn't give up. He sticks with things, working hard on them,  long after most people quit.  He stays the course even when he's down emotionally or physically. When things aren't going the way he wants them to, he just keeps moving forward.  2) He  likes me to be beside him. Always wants me in his world. Hates when I'm not, for some reason.  3) He's the most committed "family man" I know. I've never worried that he's going to do something "crazy" in the sense of a mid-life crisis that would include coming home with a sports car or leaving our family to "find himself."  He's really the most stable person I know.  4) He's the most sentimental person I know. One day he told me, "If I had to pick a theme for my life it would be making memories with my family." I don't really know that I recall ever hearing a man say that. 5) He has sweet habits that are long lasting. Like when I say to him,...

This happens to me all the time! In addition to going through it myself, I have a front row seat when unexpected things go wrong in other people's lives, being that I'm a pastor. When senseless things happen, I witness people's frustration up close and personal and I grieve with them. Many times people want to know, "Why?"  I saw this coffee cup recently in my travels to thrift stores. (Second hand stores are my favorite places to shop.) I have more than enough coffee cups at home and the office but I knew I had to have this one for my collection. It's my new favorite! There are problems that will never be understood in the natural. When ungodly actions are involved, it's doubtful it will ever be explained. This is because sin never makes sense. And there we go, always trying to figure it out!  Although I don't know have an explanation for why things happen the way they do, I do know God. And in those times, it's all that matter...

Twenty four years ago today at 12:45 AM, at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, in Camden, New Jersey... it happened.  I became the mother of one of the greatest people to ever walk the planet. And, I met my first blood relative. It was my first time to ever look into the face of a relative who resembled me in any way. I will never forget looking into his little face, and seeing something of myself. This was that moment... Looking at my newborn son while the cord is cut... The wonder. The awe. Life with him has been the best experience, ever. With his Daddy after getting all cleaned up. Our new little family, a few days after he was born.   His first Sunday in church, one week after birth. He has always loved pizza. This works out well now that he's a youth pastor. He has always loved to sleep. He rarely gets to these days, he's so busy. He has always been drawn to music, and gifted at it. He figured out how to program the keyboar...

Are you totally itching to get speaking invitations? Here's something you might want to think about. Time Out I took the summer off from traveling to speak outside the church. Even before my natural mother got diagnosed with cancer or passed away, I did this because I needed a time out. It wasn't a hard decision to say no to invitations, because home is my favorite place to be. I had no aspirations to go anywhere in 2014, except for my preaching trip to Africa which is already scheduled. I'd be perfectly fine should Jesus just decide to keep me here. It would be nice to not have to flat iron my hair yet again.  But this past week people have started to reach out to me about scheduling for the months ahead.  So I'm open, and praying and saying, "Whatever you want, Lord."

There's nothing like being away with my amazzzzzzing Celebration ladies and teen girls, but there's also nothing like getting in the car and coming home. Coming home means being reunited with the love of my life. Hugs from my boys and kissing their stubbly faces. (Savanna Rose was with me on this trip.) Being greeted by my leaping fur-kids. One day closer to seeing everybody in our church family. Nothing compares to loving now. And I do. I am most blessed among women.

My Celebration Church ladies pray for me.  Fierce 2013 -- our Fall Breakaway for the AG women and teen girls  here in Florida kicks off today!  I'm the rep for the Tampa Bay area and even more than the privilege of serving on this great leadership team, I love being away with our church women and girls.  There is nothing like being a "church mama," and I am one. :)  Have been for 26 years. There is nothing that compares to investing in the lives of people and seeing changes in their hearts. There is nothing I want more than to see our ladies and girls walk in the fullness of God. I'm ready for all that God has for us the next few days. Those of us on the leadership team have been here since 4 pm yesterday, setting up. There's so much amazingness in store for almost 1800 women and girls, they have NO idea!!