Latest few days with my family....

Monday we went to Tarpon Springs with Kim, Dave and Lexi. We ate at Hellas, and then just walked around the shops all day and headed over to Howard Park afterwards to the beach to watch the sunset.

It was really beautiful. They loved it.

Yesterday they were all at Busch Gardens, but I chose not to go being that it's really not my thing and I would have just been a drag, quite honestly. I will never use the pass again and didn't want to spend the money, so I had a quiet day at home by myself...which is extremely needed right now.

As far as my situation I've been going through it actually just got a bit worse. I got a negative report yesterday. For all of you who have been praying, I just ask that you pray even harder if possible. :-) Thank you so much. I mean it (not just cliches or the "thing to say" here) but I REALLY MEAN IT when I say thank you for holding me up -- you'll never know what it means.


I just have to believe that God has a miracle in store...it's my only option, so I have to believe.

Christian Women Take Root!

A few months ago I was contacted by a woman named Noelle Mena, and asked to start writing a column for ministry wives at a new online community she was starting called, "Christian Women Take Root."

CWTR was just launched on Monday and is an incredible gathering place for women of all ages and backgrounds. It is a community by women, for women. There are over 20 groups (and 21 writers involved at this time ) who are speaking out on every topic imaginable, and leading these online groups.

My column for ministry wives will be published here every first Friday of the month. My bio page is here, although I think any of you who read my blog regularly probably have this information memorized by now. (SMILE)

My good friends Pastor Tara Sloan and Pastor Leanne Weber are also writing columns for CWTR. You can find Tara's column, Feminine Fire, here. She will be blogging at CWTR every Tuesday from this week forward. And, find Leanne's column, Women in Ministry, here.

There seems to be some fantastic insight and encouragement being shared at CWTR, so I encourage you to check it out!

Guest Blogger: Pastor Tara Sloan

As many of you know, Unstoppable 2008 will take place September 4-6 in Tampa, FL. Unstoppable is hosted by my dear friend Pastor Deanna Shrodes. This conference is second to none. If you are a woman in ANY ministry capacity, ever have been or desire to be in the future, you MUST not miss Unstoppable 2008.

The vision Pastor Deanna has for Unstoppable and the Pastoring Partners Network would BLOW YOUR MIND if you ever sat down with her. This ministry is God ordained and is life changing… let me share my own story with you.

Last year I made it a priority to attend Unstoppable 2007. Craig and I had to scrimp, save and plan, but we both knew the importance of my attending. To say the very least I had had a very rough year. Every fiber of my being had been through the ringer, my calling questioned and scrutinized. I was near my breaking point.

On the very first night after a beautiful and delicious banquet, Unstoppable launched with a powerful time of praise and worship. I remember losing myself in the presence of God, almost melting into Him. I was determined to suck every bit of marrow out of Unstoppable.

Pastor Sherri Hawley brought the Word that night. As she spoke I felt myself begin to break, all of my walls came shattering down around me. At the time of ministry I collapsed into the arms of Pastor Deanna who prayed and encouraged me for quite a long time. After the service I felt so light, so refreshed. I slept better than I had in months. The days following were just as powerful. There were sessions for EVERY woman and hours of fellowship and networking. Pastor Deanna spoke on Friday night on the topic of, “Why Women Stop.” As Pastor Deanna and the other speakers made themselves available for one on one ministry so many woman received a fresh impartation from the Lord. I watched many women who walked into Unstoppable downcast become filled with the joy of the Lord once again.

Unstoppable 2007 was one of if not THE BEST conference for women I have ever attended. And allow me to say, I have been to MANY! One thing that separates Unstoppable from every other Christian Women’s Conference venue is the personal touch that is given. There are women on hand to serve and love on every one of the attendees. The speakers are accessible and available to minister corporately and individually. The facility is gorgeous and very reasonable! I could go on and on and on but I won’t keep you!

For more information, including excerpts from last year’s speakers, go to http://www.unstoppableconference.com/. Are you in need of a touch from the Lord? Do you desperately need to hear from Him away from present influences? Are you looking for a place to gather with other women you can network with and call on at any time for encouragement and or prayer? Do you just need to get away????? Unstoppable 2008 is the place where you can experience ALL of those things and SO much more!!!!

I know the economy is not great right now, but I also know that if you are determined to go and you commit to do so, God WILL provide! You may have to get a little creative, but it will be possible! Need some ideas on how to get creative? Email me and I’ll brainstorm with you! I don’t want you to miss this opportunity!!!! If you haven’t made a decision to attend, let me encourage you one more time to take the plunge. Do it! You will be so glad you did. Do whatever is necessary to be there. I can’t wait to hug your neck! Be Blessed!

Tara Sloan

Sunday wrap up...

God knows what we need when we need it! Today we had "ministering angels" called alongside to help us.

Of course it was nice to have my sister and family in church with me. Some other things that meant a lot today...

Tom and Cathy drove in from vacation to be at church today...just felt it was important to be there for Larry and I. You know, it means the world...really. They didn't have to do that. Who drives back home from vacation to be with their pastor? The Garland's do, because they do anything they need to do to show, "we're with you." It's part of who they are.

Second, Debbie and her words of encouragement today were like a healing balm. Often over the past 6 years Debbie's words have just been absolute LIFE and HOPE to me. Today was no exception. I don't know ANYBODY who has the gift of encouragement like she does. Every single week when I come off that platform, Debbie is waiting for me with an encouraging, "I love you," and some word of LIFE to speak into my spirit. She is a friend in the church who comes from a pastor's home. She grew up in the ministry...and so she understands it. She knows what pastors and their families go through and she has made it her mission to be there for me, to always speak a word of encouragement to me on a continual basis. Every pastor out there knows what a value this is, to have somebody like this. She sits with her husband Eddie behind on the second row, and there are countless times over the years, I'll feel a squeeze on my shoulder, as Larry is preaching or makes a point, Deb will squeeze and say, "that's for you today, receive it," or "I love you, I'm behind you..." or "Pastor Deanna, the anointing was flowing so powerfully through you today...we're headed to the next level." She's AMAZING, that Debbie...

Third, we had a surprise visit today from our friends, Pastors Mark & Judi Cotignola who co-pastor the A/G in Palmetto. They were on their vacation today and decided to be with us in service. At the conclusion of the service, just talking to them for a little while was like a cold drink of water in a parched world. I told Judi, "you're on vacation, this isn't your time to be ministering and functioning like 'a pastor's wife' a this moment, but here you are spending your vacation time, ministering to me..." She said, "no, I'm not 'the pastor's wife' at this moment, I'm just A FRIEND."

Thank you Jesus, for friends! Friends who follow the leading of the spirit. Judi said, "Now I know why we were here today...everything happens for a reason..." Sometimes God knows when to send the pastor a pastor!

In the next few weeks once my family goes back to Baltimore, Mark and Judi are going to make another trip up and spend time time with us over lunch. Fun! Have I mentioned lately how much I believe in the fact that ministers need each other? Yes, we do! Connection, networking, support, fellowship with others in ministry is one thing I'm so passionate about. Judi told me today she knows one reason I'm so under attack right now is my work with the Unstoppable Conference & Pastoring Partners. Anything the enemy can do to try to bring me down he will because I am passionate about encouraging and strengthening other leaders. And if the enemy can stop that - he will. He is NOT going to win though, in Jesus name He is NOT going to succeed. The enemy IS DEFEATED.

I am reminded of the story of Joseph of the Old Testament, when he went through trials...the Bible would chronicle those trials and then the Word would say, "...but the Lord was with Joseph..." I am feeling this week that although I am going through trials, "...the Lord is with Deanna..." Yes, He is.

The next week as I'm spending time with my sister and her family, I'll post photos as I have time along with highlights from our time together.

I also have some posts pre-scheduled that I've been working on that are just things I've been thinking about and wanting to share in blog world.

There will be something here for you each day, so come back and enjoy. :-)

"You Go,Girl!" Highlights

We have just gotten back from the "You Go, Girl!" Conference in Jacksonville, FL. I was one of the speakers there this weekend and took my life coaching group to it. We had a great time! So many good memories and some great spiritual highlights.

I'm too tired to blog anything major right at the moment and need to gather my last minute things for in the morning and get to sleep...I had planned to post a few photos that I had gotten off of Lourdes's camera disk, however I thought I had downloaded them onto my computer and now that I look, I discover that I cannot find them on here. Ugh!! Evidently I did the wrong thing in downloading her disk. No clue. I'll have to wait to get the photos

Anyway, other speakers were Marsha Woolley, Dr. Debbie Dunlap, and Pastor Andrea Fruscella.

Marsha preached a word that was so off the chain and basically what I'm dealing with right now...I needed it so much. Great time spent together, great conversation...just talking to the ladies riding in my car was an amazing uplift. I am not alone. Not at all.

My sister is here!

My sister and her family just arrived from Baltimore to spend a little over a week with us! We are so excited and thrilled to have them here. We are going to have a Tampa "staycation" together. (Staycation for the Shrodes, and vacation for the Moraniec's) Actually Larry and I are taking a week's vacation from all things office related, emergencies and such (Pastor Trinity and Cathy will handle the office & emergencies) but for any Northsiders reading just know we will be there for all services , both Wednesday and Sunday. :-)

My sister decided to fly in late last night (well actually in the early morning hours...they got here after 1 am...) and go with me this morning to the Go Girl Conference in Jacksonville. I am speaking there, and will be taking my life coaching group and Kim accepted my invitation to come along. She's excited that she will also meet another fav blogger of hers, Michele from Northside as well as my assistant/friend Cathy. She already feels like she knows them through their blogs and reading mine.

We're traveling to Jacksonville today with the ladies and will be back late Saturday night, leaving the guys with the kids to do fun things like see the new Batman movie and whatever else fun they find to do.

I will post photos and highlights from the conference when I get back. I hope you all have a fantabulous weekend!

Also, please know that my sister coming in has absolutely nothing to do with the prayer need I posted yesterday. In fact, she's one of the people holding me up right now. In one way I'm sorta down that her vacation week and mine has to fall during a time when I'm going through so much. On the other hand, I really need her more than I ever have. I told Larry yesterday, "why does it have to be NOW that Kim comes when I'm dealing with this?" He said, "baby, I think maybe it's the perfect time for Kim to come."

All that to say, the storm is not over. Please my blogging friends, when you pray...breathe my name...and my family's. Thank you. Also thanks to all of you who commented or e-mailed yesterday. You'll never realize how much your words and your concern mean.

Hugs,

WOMEN DRIVEN TO PRAY

As you know from my post yesterday, I'm going through something...not just everyday spiritual warfare but something beyond. The friend I have leaned on most is my dear friend, Pastor Tara Sloan. Some of you are blessed to know her as well. After seeing what I'm going through, and walking through it with me, as well as receiving calls from several other close friends in ministry about some of the same type of things, Tara just became totally fed up with the devil and his schemes against women of God, pastors, churches, and our nation, and decided to do something majorly earth-shaking about it!

There have been times lately I've just needed to hear her voice or have her pray for me. She's been praying the power down in Chicago, and I can feel the power of the Holy Ghost coming through that phone line when she prays. But right now she's taking it a step further. She has decided to call a WORLDWIDE prayer meeting. That's right, I said WORLDWIDE, and I do mean literally inviting everyone in the world to join TOGETHER with us in prayer.

On August 3, 2008 at 8 pm EST hundreds of women will come together over a FREE conference call and we will pray together. This conference call event will be called, "Driven to Pray." Tara has put together a team of women leaders who will lead the call with her. Each participant will receive an agenda for the prayer event and a list of prayer requests compiled through the online request form here.

We are believing for a great move of God! This worldwide prayer meeting is going to strengthen leaders, break strongholds, shake nations, and more!!! We will be activating Matthew 18:19-20, "Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

All of you are invited to join us by conference call for this evening. We are encouraging you to GET THE WORD OUT about this. It's going to be a time of breakthrough, all over the world.

There have been a few difficult times I've gone through where I have felt like I was so weak spiritually that I couldn't minister to myself, and as Craig and Tara spoke or prayed, it was like they were dropping Holy Ghost anointed drops of medicine moment by moment into my spirit and giving me strength again when I was too weak to feed myself. Right now I am in need of a breakthrough myself but being that we partner together in so many things, Tara has asked me to be on the leadership team of this conference call, and of course I gladly will. I know as I reach out and pray for others, God will also be touching me and ministering to my need.

For more information about this event, "Driven to Pray," click here.

I need you

Blogging friends...

I can't get into the specifics on my blog, but for any of you who read daily and feel like you "know me" - whether you are from Peoria or Singapore, would you just please pray for me in a special way right now? Put me and my family on your prayer list.

I try to be nothing but uplifting on this blog and encourage everyone but I also aim to be honest and I'm telling you, I honestly need your prayers. Many of you who are my personal friend outside of this blog know the details, but the details aren't important, just pray in the spirit that God would move upon my situation in a mighty way. I need a miracle. Yesterday.

If you do read everyday or even a couple times a week, whether I know you or not, whether you ever commented or e-mailed or not, whether we ever meet this side of heaven or not - know that I do love you and pray for all who click on this blog.

Thank you for lifting me and my family up.

p.s. A special thanks to my longtime friend Pastor Tara...yours and Craig's words are absolute LIFE to me right now.

Insane mind dance about parenthood

I go back and forth in my life between wanting to have more children and not wanting to.

Not that I have a choice.

1) We're both "fixed".

2) Even if we weren't, my husband would still say no. He has said no, period. No adopting. No foster care either. So, that's that. End of discussion.

On some days it pains my heart that I won't have more children in my household. I say in my household because I have lots of spiritual children who don't live with me. That's my life...spiritual parenting.

But every once in a while when I hold one of our babies at church, like I am here (holding Joel & Sheri's son Dylan here when he was a baby, at one of our church dinners)... or when Michele's son Marcus flings into my arms for a hug after church as he is here in this picture below, well...it puts a pang in my heart that goes something like this... "ohhhh...this season in my life is fading...the kids are growing up...my house is going to be going through a real transition soon as much as I'm trying to hold off on it..."

On some days the fact that we're heading towards transition seems a welcome relief. Like one day this week which was very typical... I had two extra kids here...stereo blaring in one bedroom, Halo 3 blaring in the other bedroom...with Jordan in the garage banging on the drum set for 45 minutes as I was cooking dinner. At the same time, Savanna and her friend were running through the house...doors opening, doors banging shut as they are bouncing between outside/inside. Every time they open the door, it seems a fly gets in. (Question of the ages: why didn't Noah swat those two flies?) Meanwhile, Dustin and his friend are banging on the piano and the telephone is ringing mercilessly.

When my two boys are home from work or school, this is basically what my household is like right now. And on days like this when the noise gets to fever pitch and I'm stressed, I say to myself, "Nope, no more, no more, no more. Larry's right. Our kid raising days are ending with these kids. We need peace and quiet and in the next few years, it will finally be here for the first time since 1989."

And then other days I think of being without conglomeration of noise and activity and get dreadfully depressed. Sometimes I even start crying over the thought. On days where my kids make me so proud I could burst, I get woefully down about it and think, "what was I thinking to just stop at three kids? Why didn't we have a dozen at least? Why am I not doing this all the rest of the days of my life?"

And then the next day Jordan gets kicked off the bus or something. Never for anything serious, knock on wood. Fortunately my kiddos have never gotten into trouble for anything catastrophic. It's usually for something like standing up in the middle of class and singing a song, or banging empty coke bottles like a drum set against the seats on the bus, or pulling a prank on someone. Yes, they are stupid childish pranks but still nevertheless a stress for his father and I to get a call from the teachers or principle. And on days like that I said, "why did God ever trust me enough to give me kids? I am not equipped to handle this!"

But then the next day Jordan leads somebody to Jesus, or helps an old lady in the parking lot at church, I think, "how crazy am I to be stressed out about anything? I am so blessed!"

Yep, this is the insane back and forth dance that goes in my mind about parenthood.

Does this happen with anyone else but me, this insane mind dance? Are you convinced you can't handle parenthood one more second sometimes and then at others you absolutely ache to have a little newborn in your arms again, or long for the days to come back when you were teaching your kids to tie their shoes?

Do the wave!

If you've been reading the my blog for very long, you know that 2007 was a challenging year for me. Oh, some phenomenal stuff happened, the two most notable being my Africa preaching trip, and the Unstoppable Conference. Off the chain. Simply off the chain. God showed up...to Him be the glory.

Other than those two amazing things, it was a year from the pits. I can't for the life of me imagine that it was from God. My son getting so sick and coming down with a near fatal disease? My husband having an operation and one year recovery? (Yep, he's still recovering...will be til' October) My car being totaled? And some other things happened, that due to their confidential nature (ahhh yes, the ministry) I won't mention.

I thought 2008 was going to be radically different and declared it so even before it began. And so did some other people. Several people prophesied over me..."this is your year, Deanna!" I'm starting to ask, "my year for what?!" Actually they (the Lord through them) told me for what...a year of increase, power, breakthrough, yada yada. And I so desperately want to believe all that.

But here I am, facing another wall the past few months and thankfully some women who know how to get ahold of God have been hammering away at that brick wall in intercession for me. Thankfully God specializes in WALLS. Maybe I should get my friends to come to Tampa and we'll march around seven times and see what happens? LOL

Yesterday, I e-mailed my friends Pastor Tara Sloan and Pastor Sandy Phinazee to give them an update and what I considered a small praise report about 4 things, (actually to be exact, four out of 46 more that have to be accomplished for this particular breakthrough) and Tara got incredibly excited and said to Sandy and I via e-mail, "Ladies, right now, let's do the wave, four times! I'm serious, I just backed up from my desk and did it! Do it with me!" I have to confess, I did it right then, and later on opened her e-mail and did it again with her, for a total of eight times. :-) I am so thankful for friends who have FAITH when mine is weak. I am being strengthened even now, and I am coming out, through the power of His Spirit, fighting!

I am also thankful for God being so faithful to speak to me through so many avenues. Did you know God can speak to you through the news? Yes, He can. Today the news waves were full of the story with GM announcing their plans for cutbacks for this year and next, based on what's happening with the economy. After telling everyone about the new plan, the president of GM, Rick Wagoner, said this: "This is not a plan for survival, it's a plan to win." God reminded me, HIS plan for us is not survival, but a plan to WIN. Why am I experiencing such huge walls in front of me? Why did I face them last year? BECAUSE HUGE THINGS ARE AT STAKE! I am taking new ground that has never been taken before, in several areas. God has called you and I to win...to do exploits, but it doesn't come easily. "The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force..." (Matthew 11:12)

Before bedtime last night I was reading come Away My Beloved and it was uncanny how it spoke to me in dealing with situations:

"O my beloved, do not be anxious concerning tomorrow. You shall encounter nothing of which I am not already aware...My wisdom has conceived a solution to every perplexity...I will not always cause favorable winds to blow upon your life, for then you would be at ease and you would soon grow soft and dull. It is when the wind is high and the waves are threatening that you become alert and keen, and then I can strenghten your spiritual fiber...You have no need to fear whether I will be faithful to you, for I have never failed anyone else, so why would I fail you? You have an innumerable company of spectators cheering you from the ramptarts of heaven, reminding you of what I did for them, and encouraging you that the struggle is not interminable, surprisingly soon it shall end in victory for you also - if you endure faithfully."

ATTENTION: Women involved in ANY kind of ministry...

Just a reminder that no matter what is going on in your life, you can't afford NOT to take a break.

Your marriage, your family, your church, your ministry team, your people desperately need a healthy, fully focused YOU. How does that happen? Times of refreshing, and taking care of YOU.

Making plans to attend the Unstoppable Conference is a way to do that. Guaranteed you will find this to be a one-of-a-kind gathering that will bless you in ways you never imagined. If you want to know what others are saying about that, just go to the conference site and read the testimonies!

For those of you who are regulars here on the blog, please take note, Pastor Tara Sloan is also a key speaker this year at Unstoppable! To register to share this awesome time with us , just go get your downloadable registration form here.

Ladies, if you are living and breathing and involved in ministry in any capacity, I encourage you to make plans to be there. If you need a roommate to share costs, if you have other special needs, just e-mail me and let's talk about it. Nothing would make me happier than sharing coffee with you personally at Unstoppable. Let's do it!

Hugs,

The value of women of faith...

So the other night, my vision was keeping me up at night again. Scaring me out of my mind.

Someone once said if your vision doesn't scare you to death when you lay awake at night, it's too small.

Sometimes I honestly wonder why God gave me a vision for anything because I also know fear is not of Him, yet I do feel scared to pieces sometimes when facing the vision before me.

So the other night this was happening, but I got up and started to read the Word. One night I was in that tossing and turning mode and God said to me, "It's like this Deanna...you can TOSS, TURN, OR TRUST!!!" I realize I'm called to trust Him, not called to toss and turn. But I can't trust Him without His Word. I don't know about any of you but the Word leaks out of me. I have to keep pumping it in to me, or I start to falter. Most times that means getting out of bed and going to the other room to read so I don't wake up Larry.

So there I went the other night, out to read and before I open the Bible I often read Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, because it has a way of cutting through the craziness in my life so quickly and there it was. He said, "What I need is God’s surgical procedure— His use of external circumstances to bring about internal purification." Yep, yep, okay I'm there, Lord.

Even before I came out to the other room to read I had already prayed, "Lord, I need peace, so what is it that you would have me do? I just want to walk in wisdom...just want to walk in righteousness...just want to obey you."

As I read a few minutes later in the devo it went on to say: "Your priorities must be God first, God second, and God third, until your life is continually face to face with God and no one else is taken into account whatsoever. Your prayer will then be, "In all the world there is no one but You, dear God; there is no one but You." Keep paying the price. Let God see that you are willing to live up to the vision."

I have to be honest that I am totally all about this and saying "yes" to the Lord, yet my faith has been lacking the past few days. When I see the mountain that is in front of me it seems too big to climb at times. Honestly in the natural some days I do not have the strength to do it anymore. I feel like a heel about that. I'm supposed to be filled with faith and power, yet the past week I have struggled. If it weren't for God's Word (which never fails) and a few friends who are very strong women in God I do not know what I'd do.

I was feeling really cheesy about this (my lack of faith the last few days) until I opened God's Word after reading Oswald Chambers and saw this in I Thessalonians 3:10 "Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith." That simple verse reminded me that there were occasions Paul and Timothy had to come and encourage the believers who were lacking in their faith. I need a miracle right now. I'm having trouble hanging on for it the past few days, but it seems I have a few women of faith in my life who like who like Paul and Timothy, are supplying what I'm lacking right now.

I won the B.O.W. Award!

I have been informed that I am the winner of the Assembly of God Blogs "B.O.W. Award" this week. (B.O.W. stands for Blog of the Week.)

I'm so honored! Thank you Sharon, for bestowing this award on me, and thank you Laurie, for nominating me. These ladies are the bomb! (SMILE) If you click on the B.O.W. Award it will take you to the interview that they do with each winner and mine is posted there this week. Also, since I am the B.O.W. Award winner this week, the award will be displayed in each of my posts this week.

Thank you again...you are a blessing and I appreciate all of you who read my blog and especially those who let me know it has been a particular blessing to you in some way. I love you all.