Deanna Doss Shrodes

Very busy day that was a typical Monday for a pastor. Found myself doing many tasks that ministers find themselves doing on a Monday. If you are not a pastor and have no clue why Mondays have any significance, just google, "what do pastors want to do on Monday morning?" and you might find out. After a long day I'm headed to a sectional ministers meeting tonight. I'm exhausted. It's a good thing our presbyter makes things interesting and it will be a worthy meeting to drag my butt of the couch this evening for. Before I do, here's a list of a few more things I love...my friends, you've gotta look on the bright side every day! I love banana blueberry pancakes! (I make them home made. Just make regular pancake batter, then I smash up one banana and mix in, plus throw about 1/2 cup of fresh blueberries in the batter. Mmmmmm....) I love the people I work with. I love the Dearborn girls and I know they are reading this right now. I love candles. I love naps...

Missions weekend was awesome! How amazing it was to have my dear friend, Pastor Walter Nyangweso from Kenya with us! He is now not only my friend but a friend to our church. They just loved him like I knew they would and vice versa. We had a phenomenal weekend together just sharing and catching up, and raising a lot of money for mission all around the world. And the best is yet to come!

This weekend is our annual missions convention. Today I'm excited that my friend, Pastor Walter Nyangweso from Buru Buru Assembly of God in Kenya is coming to visit and minister a t Northside this weekend. He arrives tonight and we'll have dinner together and then services all day tomorrow. Here are photos that were taken when I was ministering at his church this past year. Plans are in the works now for me to go back. :) Can't wait!

I'm leaving in a few moments to have my endoscopy done this morning. I'm really not looking forward to taking my day off to do this. I like to use Fun Friday for the purpose of dating Larry, spending time with my kids when they aren't working or in school, reading, writing, exercising, movie watching, sleeping, going to the beach, and the like. But today is different. I've struggled health wise since getting back from Africa and I need to get well and move on. I am not wrestling with fear over having the actual test. I also had it done 22 years ago when I had an ulcer and remember waking up in recovery thinking, " that wasn't so bad after all. What did I worry so much about?" So I determined this time not to stress over the actual test. What I'm struggling with are the results. (Thanks for your prayers. Extra special thanks to Melissa Kelly who has been not only praying but fasting for me. She has done this on my behalf multiple times. That lady is ...

When he was about two years old, Dustin turned to his Dad and inquisitively said, "Daddy, what's a booby?" My husband thinks up clever answers faster than anyone I know. It tends to work out really great for him in an annual business meeting but I really hate it when we're in an argument and he does it. So upon being asked the booby question he says, "Well, Dustin, it's when you see a bee, but the bee doesn't see you coming and when you get right up on it you turn and yell, 'BOO, BEE!!!' and you scare it. " [sigh] Yes, life with my husband has been quite entertaining. Last night at church we were getting ready to leave and as usual the pastor's family is the last or almost the last to leave. We were with three other families standing around and talking and Savanna and Jordan noticed the condensation on the glass doors of the sanctuary. This seems to be a magnet for many of the kids of the church and it drives me crazy. I hate seeing an...

I stand in my kitchen, laptop open on the counter , checking my e-mail while talking on my headset phone. I simultaneously stir spaghetti sauce, put breakfast dishes in the dishwasher, set the table, make a salad, click down my e-mails and delete junk, quickly answer a few that only require one sentence answers, and take our whining dog out to go potty while still holding the conversation on my headset. I glance over at the weeding that I have to do in our flower beds after supper, which I always do while listening to teaching podcasts on my Zune. When the dog is done with her potty break I wash my hands and resume cooking while I answer various questions my kids are posing during this time like, "what's for dinner?" and "where's Dad?" [ on the toilet ] and "did you sign my permission form yet for the field trip Thursday?" while finishing out my call and taking another one that is waiting on call waiting. At the office and even offsite I operate i...

Just thought I'd throw a few things out for those who keep up with any details of my life aside from the other prolific (?) boundary pushing things I post here. This past Friday didn't get out of bed all day/night except to take Jordan to work. Larry says, "are you really going to go outside in your nightgown?" Yes. That's how tired I was. I figured the world wasn't going to fall apart because I was walking outside to the car and driving him to work in my nightie. I'm going in for my scope (Endoscopy) on Friday morning. Thanks for your prayers, friends. This weekend is our missions convention. My friend Pastor Walter from Kenya will be arriving on Saturday. Larry and I will preach a tag team message on Sunday and Pastor Walter will speak for the banquet. It's going to be a busy weekend and another awesome one. School started yesterday and I signed a bazillion papers for Savanna. She's excited...she loves school and does well, despite ...

A few weeks ago I said I'd post career advice here from time to time, and today's another such day where the mood is striking. One of our coaches at the company I work for shared a brilliant strategy that one of our job seekers used and it worked extremely well. I want to pass this on to those of you who are preparing for an interview, especially in this current very competitive job market. A common question asked in an interview is, "What do you see as your greatest strengths?" and then the dreaded follow up, "What about your greatest weaknesses?" Nobody wants to answer that. If you go too far, you've lost the job opportunity and if you say something too shallow they can read right through it. One of the worst answers people give is, "Well, I'd say my weakness is perfectionism..." ( They say this in a futile attempt of thinking the hiring manager is going to be attracted with that answer. They usually won't and can readily see thro...

On Monday I made the decision to structure things this weekend to have some time off. The last two weeks were insane with wedding planning, keeping up with two jobs, keeping things in the home running and everything else. This next week coming up is missions convention. It was time to release some pressure before the heat is on again. So, on Friday, I took my day off. Completely. No interruptions, no returning calls, no answering emails. Then last Monday I announced to the choir through an e-communication that we wouldn't have rehearsal today and that everybody would have the afternoon off today from practice although we did have early morning rehearsal and an off the chain service today! God was all over the place. After a great service, Savanna and I headed off to Sand Key with Irene and Becca. We had an amazing time... Spent the afternoon/evening "just us girls" laying on the beach with our toes in the sand, riding the waves (they were so high today by Tampa Bay stan...

It's been a while since I posted any photos of Madeline. She's such a big part of my life, everyday. I love being with her and when I'm away, can't wait to get home to her. Here are some photos Larry took of her this week...

So I know many of you from Boston to Singapore who read my blog may be waiting with bated breath to find out what I learned from Kathryn this week. Wait no longer my friends... This week I didn't really ask Kathryn any serious questions about coaching or anything else leadership related. She began our meeting as she always does by asking about what's happening for me both personally and in my job. I began telling her about this week's wedding , and being that it's such an amazing story it's pretty much what we talked about during our meeting. She found the story about the wedding to be as cool as all of you did. Of course it was very enjoyable for me to tell her about it, as it's had me literally on a cloud all week long that has lasted to this moment. When I got off the phone, I thought to myself, "Drats! Besides talking about the wedding I only asked her a few little piddly things about my work...did I just waste that time? I could have been learning som...

Another e-mail from the happy couple...this time a poem the groom wrote yesterday an d some more honeymoon photos to go with it... I thank God for who I am and the person I've become I thank God for who's in my life and that I'm safer than some I thank God for my church family and how they're always there I thank God that they embrace me and how they'll always care I thank God for all my natural family and the trust they have in me I thank God for my happiness that's now so easy to see I thank God for the gift of life and that it's good and pure I thank God for who's in mine to make me safe and sure I thank God for his Holy Son and what He means to me I thank God for how my heart felt when He set me free I thank God for my favorite gift a special gift, it's true I thank God for this special gift and that special gift is you I thank God that you're by my side that our hearts have become one I thank God that I have you now for my love will never ...

Yeah, okay... I know it might not be totally normal for someone to e-mail their pastors on their honeymoon, but we are anything but conventional around here. I was delighted to open my e-mail box last night and have a letter there from the new Mr. and Mrs. Lainez with som e photos. Since everyone has been such a part of this story from the beginning whether you know them personally or not, I thought I'd share their note and photos on my blog: Hello Pastor Deanna! Well, we can't get enough of all the blessings God poured down on us Sunday starting with such a wonderful church and pastors!!! We love you sooo much! You and Pastor are one of a kind. We would love to be there for the [missions] banquet. Me and my WIFE were talking about it and she said she'll bake a chicken or turkey...she has signed up with Janice. We can't wait! Thank you again for all that you do...attached are some pictures we wanted to share with you and Pasto r Larry from our honeymoon. We love you! ~...

We have gotten all sorts of questions about the pretzel favors that were made for the surprise wedding on Sunday. They are very easy and they are a HUGE hit with people. You could make them for any occasion , not just a wedding. The white chocolate was purchased in the food aisle at Michael's. The pretzel rods were Snyder's and purchased at the grocery store. I purchased the sugar from a place on line, Country Kitchen Sweet Art , since it was much cheaper and they had a larger selection. I highly recommend ordering from there as it came through regular shipping in just 3-4 days and they sell 1 lb. bags for $2.30 each versus getting them at a local place for MUCH more money and a lot LESS product! I had Larry take photos of me making them so I could demonstrate it here and show you just how EASY it is: I don't have a double boiler (I need one!) but made a little makeshift one with two pans in the church kitchen. If you have one, fantastic but if not you can probabl...

Balloon ascension ~ as the guests release their balloons, Bladimir and Angela let go of arch of balloons... And away they go... Angela getting ready to walk down the aisle... The kiss The Rojas family with their pastors... :) The couple received a toast at the reception from their small group leaders at Fusion (the small group ministry on Wed nights at our church) Bernie Currie, and Candy Rivera All photos courtesy of Lourdes Manners , of Snapshots by Lourdes.