Deanna Doss Shrodes

What a weekend! This is just a personal wrap up of the weekend, for any friends who care to read. Larry was away at district men's conference the majority of this weekend. I was so glad he had the opportunity to get away and spend some time with other men. But I was even happier to have him come home to me, and reconnect. We actually arranged our schedule to have a little impromptu date this weekend, and that was one of the highlights for me as simple as it was. One of the most special aspects of my weekend was having Dr. Bill & Barbara Kuert, missionaries to Kenya, as our guests in service today at Celebration. They have been my hosts on my trips to Africa, and were the first ones to invite me there. Their investment into my life and their friendship means the world. I love them so much. To top off the weekend we had a great choir rehearsal tonight. We've been working really hard on our Christmas production since JULY. Yes, seriously...July. I'm so excited ab...

Do you ever get frustrated that Walmart has sooooo many registers and only opens up one or two? Yeah, me too. Recently I had a conversation with a Walmart cashier and I found out that Walmart has a lot more in common with the church than I ever realized. I'm blogging about that today at the Pastoring Partners Network. I hope you'll join me there. And, I hope you're having a wonderful weekend. Much love,

What?! Are you reading my headline correctly? Yes. You are. I want my husband to leave. I want him to leave today. I want him to leave as soon as possible.  I want him to go away and not come back until Saturday night. Why, you might ask? Well... He's going on a men's retreat!!!  And I love when he does that. It's not that I don't love my husband in fact, it's because I love him so much that I want him to go on this men's retreat. He's going to come back home a better man, a better Christian, husband and father. He's going to come home strengthened and encouraged, and even more fired up. He's going to come home more appreciative of me. Why? Because hotel rooms are lonely without me even though he's with a bunch of guys. He's going to come home ready to eat a late dinner that I make. (He loves my cooking.) He's going to take a warm shower and then get in bed and snuggle up with my head on his chest while we watc...

This may just be the strangest thing that has EVER happened to me in an elevator. Why am I including an elevator story among the "True Church Stories" series ? Because I include things in this series that go on in the course of ministering in the "church world", not just in the church building or office. In addition to pastoring at our church I also travel and speak. The past few years I've traveled an average of about one weekend a month doing that. Many times I've been asked to speak about marriage. In fact, at our district Experience Conference, I've taught the session on married sexuality for many years. I asked not to have that assignment this past year, because I was kind of tired of being known as "the sex lady" at least as that particular conference is concerned. I enjoy teaching about biblical sexuality, but I also like to share on a plethora of other topics. So... At a women's conference years ago here in Florida, I was as...

Songs of worship continued as people streamed forward to receive personal prayer from the pastors and prayer team. This is customary in our church services as we believe in divine healing and miracles and we pray for them. My husband Larry, the lead pastor, was going from person to person, anointing their heads with oil and praying over their needs. As he approached one man, the gentlemen leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Pray for me, pastor. I've been struggling a lot with diarrhea." Larry leaned in and said, "okay... do you want me to bind it, or loose it?" I can't remember what the guy's answer was, as all I have remembered over the years is what my husband said. Either way, it's hilarious. In case you've landed upon this series for the first time, you might notice it's story number 41. I share 40 other "True Church Stories" from our pastoral ministry. Just go to this link and you can enjoy all of them. Many people ...

We often focus on how others irritate us, but do we consider how we may be irritating others? Thursday morning I was on a flight to San Diego, seated next to an older married couple. I'll start by saying something positive about them. They seemed so happy and doted on one another. That was where my admiration started and ended. I followed "the rules" of the ride (turned cell phone off when asked to, put away all electronic devices until otherwise instructed, fastened seat belt) but some others didn't do it so quickly. The couple took it upon themselves to loudly instruct others to do what was really only the flight crew's place to do. I could hardly believe my ears when they started ranting over one woman not shutting her cell phone down quickly enough after the announcement was made. But the ride was just getting started... For several hours I endured the idiosyncrasies of my seat mates. The first thing they did was put on their Bose soundproof headpho...

Have you ever been afraid that you wouldn't accomplish your life's dream by the time  you die?  I read 1,000 Places to See Before You Die and all I could think of while reading it was, "If I race around to see all these places I won't have time to achieve my dream."   A few weeks ago I told Larry, "If I pass away before achieving my dream, please don't have a funeral." You think I'm kidding?  I was dead serious, pardon the pun. I said it would be an embarrassment for him to have a celebration of my life and have to admit to everyone that I never reached what I set out to do. At least two or three of my friends would probably show up and share a nice memory or two. Hopefully my kids would share more than the story about me substituting vanilla coffee creamer for milk in the recipe for homemade creamed corn two Thanksgivings ago. It was disgusting but I did it out of desperation since the stores were closed. I thought it would work since th...

That's a HUGE rarity.  I've been known to tell people, "If I'm not at church, call 9-1-1!" I almost never miss. I can probably count on one hand the times I haven't been in church on a Sunday morning during the course of my life. My absences have been associated with having just delivered my children or recovering from an operation, or something equally serious. Missing church is just not a part of my life. So, you know my absence today involved something critical. Fortunately I'm not sick... I am still in California today and late tonight I will take the red eye flight back and arrive in the morning. (Thanks for your prayers.) I am fascinated by the church and love studying what makes her tick. I love taking pictures of churches, especially old ones. The photo above is one I took at Christ Church in the Bahamas. I shot the photo below at the Washington National Cathedral in Valley Forge, PA, where Larry and I have many fond memories. We met at...

Everyone wants something. I've noticed the majority of people are clueless about how to get help. And some, when instructed, will insist on continuing to do things their own way which does them no favors. If you want to receive someone's attention, and ultimately their favor -- communicate with them in the manner that they best receive requests. There are no guarantees, but success is much more likely.  A previous boss loved texts. If I wanted their attention and response I could text immediately and they promptly responded.  I hate texts. If someone texts me, I groan. I answer in as few words as possible. And, I normally check my texts once or twice a day...not all day. But if I'm dealing with someone who prefers texts and I need something, I know I need to make a personal adjustment. Because I'm the one asking. I am easy to reach through e-mails, Facebook messages, etc. This would be my number one method of communication where I really flow in helping peo...

If someone had no legs or was paralyzed, would you command them to stand up and walk across the room to give you a hug? Probably not, as that would be an exercise in futility. Most people would look at you like  you were crazy if you kept demanding that a person with no legs or paralysis walk across the room to give you affection.  People understand physical disabilities much more than they do emotional ones. The other day a friend of mine posted on her Facebook status, "Don't lose your dignity and self respect trying to make people love and appreciate you when they just aren't capable." Very wise words. There are some people in this life who are broken emotionally.  Sometimes there are even groups of people who are incapable. They don't know how to love you. They don't know how to treat you. They just aren't capable of extending to you what you so long for, because they're emotionally disabled. Instead of repeatedly demanding of them what th...

This perfectly describes me going through airport security! Isn't this a riot? My favorite part is the socks. So realistic! In honor of my trip this week I thought I'd post some of my best travel tips. I travel quite a bit for speaking, and a few years ago when I took a former assistant on a trip with me she remarked that I do some things in travel every time that she's never seen anyone do. She thought they were pretty smart. I'll let you be the judge.  1) After the airlines started charging for checked bags, I started only taking a carry on and not checking bags if it was a trip of 3 days or less.  In order to take everything necessary, I don't use my normal purse and instead use the largest legal size bag I can find as my "one personal item" that goes underneath my seat. As far as a purse, I bring one that lays flat and doesn't take up much room inside my carry on with nothing in it. When I get to my destination I get the purse out, fill it a...

Truth bomb ahead!!! God dropped this into my heart last night: There is no failure in the surrendered life. Today I brought the devotional thought in my weekly ezine on the subject, "When Getting Your Own Way Destroys You" .  There has been a lot of reaction to it, not just a few folks responding on Facebook, but private emails.  Evidently what God has been dealing with me on lately has really struck a chord with some other people too. God has been zeroing in on this in my life and speaking to me loud and clear that as long as one is fully surrendered to God, failure is impossible. When we surrender completely, we line up with every single thing He's instructed -- every thing He's required. Everything that's His heart for us is complete as we totally relinquish our will for His. Human beings have an idea of what failure looks like and I'm here to tell you, it's radically different in many ways than what God thinks. Are you living in 100% s...

I'm blogging over at Pastoring Partners Network today and tackling the subject of the pastor's wife's job description. PW friends, join me there. My prayers are focused today on every pastor's wife who reads this -- whether I know you personally or not  ~ that God's empowering and sustaining grace be with you. I love you,   

Do you feel as if you can't handle one more thing going wrong right now? Yesterday my inbox had a number of messages from people who are facing life-altering situations and several said, "I don't know that I can handle one more thing going wrong right now..." I understand. I've been there. Jesus meets you at the place of "one more thing". I have literally sat in my bathtub soaking (that's where I get the most privacy in my life and therefore it's my favorite place) and cried and said, "God, please hear me. One more thing is not an option. If you think it is, just please, take me on home, because I can't weather it." Obviously God knew more than I did. Sometimes the "one more thing" came. And grace came with it.  Grace that enabled a stretching, beyond what I ever thought I could do. There were times I felt like a rubber band that was stretched to it's maximum, ready to snap and God knew I had a little more p...

Here's what's in my heart, in no particular order. Get ready for random. I'm "good and tired" tonight. Not just tired, but a good-tired. I'm so glad to be sitting here, with Max. He's the jelly on my biscuit, the gravy on my mashed potatoes, the marshmallow on my snowball. Speaking of marshmallows...I've been on a "sweet fast" for almost a month. I'd pretty much kill to have a brownie right now. With walnuts. Oh my.    After the Experience Conference, coming home and unpacking, cooking for choir lunch and then going through the Sunday schedule: Up at the crack of dawn Head for church at 7:30 AM Lead rehearsal Teach my Life Group Morning Worship Choir Luncheon Choir Rehearsal Rehearsal was over at 3:00 and I stayed at the church all day today and worked until about 6:30 PM, by myself. It had to be done. I have some more to do tonight before sleep comes again. I'm headed to California this Thursday, so ...

My heart is full from the Experience Conference. I gave of myself (taught 4 sessions and I'm exhausted tonight), but I received so much more. I enjoy this conference every year. There's so much for anyone to glean from it, it's overwhelming. I always get amazing revelation from it but this year was different for me. It was a turning point for me with some things but I haven't thoroughly processed it yet to be able to express it. Right now it's just simmering on the burner of my life, but it'll soon be ready to serve up. I had a good time with my husband this weekend. As much as I dislike being away from the kids (we were away from Jordan and Savanna -- Dustin was at Experience) and the dogs, it's so good to be away with the man. It wasn't a vacation, as we were busy the whole time with speaking and learning and connecting with other leaders. However, we have driving time and hotel time together and that means the world to me. I like to think it does...

Would you like to know how to lead a church prayer meeting without flakes, fruitloops and freaks taking over and holding it hostage? It's not easy, especially if you're a pentecostal. I understand your dilemma. We've finally managed to have pentecostal prayer meetings that aren't hi-jacked, at Celebration . It took a while. I was asked to teach on this subject at the Experience Conference , which is a district event today and tomorrow in Lakeland, FL. Larry and I are teaching sessions both days. I'm speaking on leading pentecostal prayer & JUGGLE , and he's speaking on leading the church through change. In case you are interested in the basics of what I'm going to cover today about leading prayer meetings minus the flakes, you can find it in my 5-part series here on the blog on the same topic. My Journey to Making History Through Prayer - Part 1 My Journey to Making History Through Prayer - Part 2 My Journey to Making History Through Pra...