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| Nan Jones |
My
guest today is Nan Jones. I first became
acquainted with Nan Jones through her uplifting blog, Morning Glory. Nan is an
author and speaker who resides in the beautiful mountains of Ashe County, North
Carolina. She is the mother of three adult children and one grandchild. When
Nan is not writing or preparing messages for her speaking ministry, you'll find
her gardening, crocheting, reading or sharing a cup of coffee with a friend.
I’ve
asked Nan to tell us a little about herself and her new book, The Perils of a Pastor’s Wife. Nan would like to give away a paperback copy
of the book, so be sure to read the details for the give-away at the end of
this interview.
Nan, tell us about
your ministry.
For
years I prayed, "Lord, open my eyes that I might see You. Teach me to know
Your voice." God has honored my persistent prayers. He has taught me what
it means when Paul said, "For it is in Him that we live and move and have our
being" (Acts 17:28). That is how I survived the years of sorrow and loss I
have lived through. I love encouraging others with the truth that God is with
them always, even when it feels like they've been abandoned. I know that by
sharing my personal struggles with them and the tender ways the Lord has
pursued me with His love in the midst of my pain—I know it will encourage them
and give them strength for the journey. I love when the words of my heart meet a deep need in the life of a reader. It
is an honor for me to share His message of faithfulness through my writing and
speaking.
Share with us the
most meaningful truth you hope your readers glean from your writing.
There
have been times in my life that I was so overcome with sorrow I could no longer
pray. All I could do was speak the Name of Jesus. He drew near to me in
response to my cry and taught me to see Him and hear His sweet whispers of
love. I learned to rest in His Presence—just being. Not striving. Not running
my mouth. Just basking in His love. These are the things I write and teach
about.
Tell us a little
about your new book and what inspired you to write it.
The Perils of A Pastor's Wife will help mend hearts burned in the lonely fires
of ministry. Through its pages I share what God has taught me about finding Him
in my darkest hours.
I
served as a pastor's wife for 31 years. These were some of the most fulfilling
and rewarding years of my life. These years were also some of the most
trying—not necessarily because of the people, but because of the spiritual
battles that raged. Our lives could be turned upside down as quickly as the
wind changes in a storm. A pastor's wife knows what it is to feel completely
alone in the middle of a crowd. We are known to have trust issues—wondering who
we can really be ourselves with and share our hearts with when we're troubled.
Rejection is another hurt that most folks don’t think about when they consider
the lives of pastors and their wives. The pain can be unbearable. I knew that
other pastors' wives needed to know that they were not alone in their struggles
and that someone understood what they were going through. I hope readers walk
away from this book with renewed confidence in her calling, with healing deep
in her spirit, and the realization that in her darkest moments God is with
her—He is faithful.
I’d
like to share this excerpt:
CHAPTER
ONE
AFTER
THE FIRE, A GENTLE WHISPER
ONLY
GOD KNEW where my husband was. I had run from
the
business meeting before its completion. Tempers
flared.
Tongues were unleashed, and nearly three years
of
fruitful ministry were all but destroyed. My heart beat
madly
within my chest, fighting desperately not to break
from
the pain of rejection. Angry tears stung my cheeks
as I
bolted from the sanctuary. I didn’t know if I could
continue
in this thing called ministry. God was asking too
much of
me.
My
husband, David, and I had been ministering in the
small
rural church for three years. Under his leadership
and the
Holy Spirit’s guidance, the church had experienced
exponential
growth. God’s mercy and grace flowed into
the
lives of our people. Church had become a place of joy,
restoration,
and refuge.
Then evil reared its ugly head.
Share with us your
favorite Scripture and give us your insight about it.
The
Scripture that I ponder and rely upon the most is Exodus 33:14:
This
verse expresses the Truth that carries me through my difficulties in its
simplest form—God is with me always and because of that I can find rest from
the heartache, rest from the fears and anxieties, rest from the enemy's
pursuit.
Where can we find
you on the web? Readers might like to connect with you there.
website: www.NanJones.com
Twitter: @NanJonesAuthor
Facebook: Nan Trammell Jones
Facebook Community
Page: Seeing
Beyond the Veil
Pinterest: Nan Jones, Author
To contact Nan,
please visit her website or contact her directly at nan@jubilantlight.com
Please leave a
comment below (along with your email address)
to be included in a random drawing for a copy of The Perils of a Pastor’s Wife. The winner will be announced on the blog on Monday, August 17th.
Many
thanks to Nan for being our guest, and thank you as ever for taking the time to
visit Write Moments with God. You
are much appreciated.
Would love to read this. Thanks for the chance to win.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for visiting. I think it's a lovely book full of insight and encouragement.
ReplyDeleteBrenda, thank you for stopping by. Are you a pastor's wife? I write from the perspective of a pastor's wife so my reader will know that I understand what she is going through. But I have heard from many women who have read The Perils of A Pastor's Wife who tell me they benefited greatly from the lessons I've learned even though they are not in ministry. That blesses me so much because all of us have times that we struggle with our faith and feel as though the Lord has abandoned us. I'm so very thankful that the Lord is using the words of my heart to encourage my sisters. Sweet blessings to you, Nan
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your understanding, as reflected in your response to Brenda above, "that all of us have times that we struggle with our faith and feel as though the Lord has abandoned us." My struggle has always been to just believe that there is a God and that he is present to me and each of us. Thus, my prayer has been, "Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief."
ReplyDelete