Deanna Doss Shrodes

I'm seeing this more and more. Christian authors, speakers, musicians and many others are Facebooking and Tweeting constantly, and I love that. As we receive tidbits of information from them all day long, sometimes it's profound and other times not so much. We might hear a powerful quote from their latest message, or we might find that they really like McDonald's shamrock shakes.  So at times these Christian celebrities, for lack of a better phrase, come out with a status or tweet something like this: "God has you in mind..." So later on whether it be five minutes later or five days later somebody writes on their Facebook wall or their Twitter, "God has you in mind..." and someone else pipes up and says, "that's a Beth Moore quote, by the way." Really. I love Beth Moore. And Joyce Meyer. And Christine Caine and many of the other amazing people of God that are quoted. I just randomly chose Beth in my illustration, but here is my ...

Years ago when I was first starting out in the ministry an older minister took me aside and sternly said these exact words: "Deanna, if you're ever going to be successful in the ministry you're going to have to learn to suppress yourself." I knew what the word suppress meant but just to get a fuller picture I went home and looked it up in the dictionary.   Sup·press     [ s uh - pres ]   verb (used with object) 1. to put an end to the activities of (a person, body of persons, etc.): to suppress the Communist party. 2. to do away with by or as by authority; abolish; stop (a practice, custom, etc.). 3. to keep in or repress (a feeling, smile, groan, etc.). 4. to withhold from disclosure or publication (truth, evidence, a book, names, etc.). 5. to stop or arrest (a flow) After this comment was made I quickly decided to suppress anything that person ever said to me again by stopping it ...

Deanna-rant again here.  Two days in a row.  I'm safe.  I know that the diehards who realllllllly love me read the blog on the weekend. I'm tired of my pastor-friends being shot down one by one by the devil.  I know a lot of factors are involved when things happen, but the fact is -- the church needs to pray more!  Prayer is not supposed to be an afterthought.  I've heard it said that you can tell how popular the pastor is by how many people attend church on Sunday morning.  You can tell how popular the church is by how many attend on Wednesday night.  And you can tell how popular Jesus is by how many attend the church prayer meeting!  How long will we be content with a prayerless church? Matthew 26:40-41 says: "When he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter.  “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but t...

Warning:  Deanna rant ahead. If I see one more Christmas commercial, "every kiss begins with Kay" I'm going to puke. Every year I hear some adults make the remark about hating the holidays, or dreading Christmas.  And you know what?  Most every single time it's about who they're not sharing Christmas with.  It's their depression about the fact that that they are not dating, getting engaged, married, making out or having sex. Newsflash:  Christmas is not about whether you are making it to first, second, or third base, or all the way. The way some believe you would think they mistakenly thought Luke 2:10 declared: “Fear not, for behold, I bring you snuggles of great joy that will be for all the people." [Sigh] Christmas isn't about who we're with.  It's about who's with us. Emmanuel...GOD WITH US. That's what this season is about.  He chose to come in human form to become just like us, yet without sin. Through whatev...

I read an article today that frustrated me.  Perhaps I was so disappointed because I've read so many like it, and feel even more pressure when I receive what I view as unworkable advice.  The article was about time management, scheduling and stress.  The basic premise of this article was the question: "What if you knew you only had six months to live?  How would that impact your daily decisions on what to do or not do? "  The article went on to advise that however you would live if you only had six months should be how you are living right now.   Although I'm all for asking people powerful questions, I don't believe this question always works in the real world. If I only had six months to live, I'd stop flossing my teeth.  Right now.  I'd never do it again. If I only had six months to live, I'd forget about having my mammogram this year. Forget the pap smear too. See what I mean?  It's a bad idea to just stop doing everything ...

Yesterday I read an article from lifenews.com by Mike Strain entitled, "Where's the Casey Anthony Outrage When It Comes To Abortion?"  I'd  like to thank Jesse Caris for posting it, and note that I couldn't agree more!  (I can't link to the article here because I'm blogging from my phone but if you go to lifenews.com and put the title of the article in the search box it will come up.) All this outrage does pose a very reasonable question to the millions who are raging.  What IS the difference between Caylee and the millions who have been aborted? One deceived Christian posted on their facebook yesterday that they: "don't understand why everybody's so whipped up about this verdict...Casey's actions just led Caylee straight into the arms of Jesus, so what's the big deal even if she did do it?"  Mmmkay...remind me to keep my kids and future grandkids away from you and to furthermore call your pastor and tell him he should think t...

I've said this many times before I talk about something like the second coming of Christ, the end times, the rapture, holiness, righteousness, sanctification, sin, etc.  I don't hold back in preaching on these topics -- I believe any preacher is held responsible for this before God, especially pastors. I have made the "soapbox" comment so many times (and our church people never mind, they actually love it!) that one of our members, Todd Stewart, made me a soapbox as a gift!  The Sunday he presented it was just TOO FUNNY.  I was so touched.  Nobody wanted me to take it home, or put it in my office, they wanted me to keep it nearby so we keep it in the choir room. On Mother's Day Sunday I was preaching at Celebration and I was getting ready to talk about Jesus coming back and I said, "now folks, I'm fixing to get on my soapbox again," and (this was  not planned) but Todd quickly ran to the choir room and as I was making my point he ran on the sta...

There comes a time when you are face to face with your own spiritual, physical and emotional well being. A time when pleasing  people fades into the background and doing what you need to do to take proper care of yourself comes into focus. I am feeling little tolerance for anything stressful right now.  I'm losing concern for what happens around me as long as it just doesn't drive my stress level up any further than it already is. I'm gaining the power to set boundaries and not really care who gets mad at me. I'm so there. Excuse me while I go take some deep breaths and then hug my dog Max.  He is otherwise known as "Meds".  He truly is my medication.  He is the only medication I am currently on.  And it's my goal for it to stay that way.   Every time I hug him I feel my blood pressure go down.  I'm not imagining this.  Studies show when you pet your dog, your blood pressure goes down. Now if I could just take Max everywhere wit...

Yesterday on Fun Friday I had lunch with a friend and then I almost had my husband all to myself for a few precious hours of time.  Except for the constant interruptions of my husband's phone it was the PERFECT day.  We were involved in deep, amazing, intimate conversation and within the first fifteen minutes, his cell phone rang FOUR times, with four DIFFERENT individuals calling.  And it continued several times through the night.  This is not uncommon, in fact it happens every time we spend any time together.  Every single time!!!  If they had cell phones back before we had kids, it's doubtful we would have ended up with any children. The phone would have interrupted us from conceiving every time.  I might have had to get artificial insemination if I ever wanted to become a mother, due to my husband's cell phonus interruptus.   You think I'm kidding?  I really am not exaggerating that every time we have a conversation or go anywhere or ...

Multi-tasking is a way of life for most Americans.  On Monday I was scheduled for jury duty.  I went through the jury selection process on Monday with the possibility of serving on a murder case but ultimately was not selected.  Pasco County has taken great effort to make the whole experience as comfortable as possible -- providing free coffee, lots of books and magazines to read, and TV shows on several big screens.  I was pleasantly surprised to see Animal Planet on the TV as I took my seat.  As we began the morning, Judge Michael Andrews (Circuit Court Judge, Sixth Judicial Circuit, Pinellas & Pasco Counties) came and talked to us and gave an overview of the process and fielded questions and answers.  He encouraged us to share what we thought about the process, and noted that many changes including the coffee, books and other things provided were a result of feedback from previous jurors.  I thought that was great. So here goes. Judge A...

So as I mentioned in my post on Friday I've been watching Sister Wives on TLC.   It's like passing a bad accident on the side of the road.  You just can't help but slow down and look. Watching it last night I was mostly noticing all the crying the three "wives" were doing over Robin (Kody's new fiancee) joining the family.  Robin was doing her own share of crying too, over "hurting the wives".  ::sigh::  I resisted the urge several times to scream at the TV. These women have become delusional.  They think this whole arrangement actually has redeeming spiritual qualities. What a crock.  I almost fell off my bed several times while watching especially when one of the wives said that Kody had "prayed about it and come home with a testimony about Robin."  Oh PUH-lease!!! They should have owned stock in kleenex they cried so much this episode.  But here's the thing -- they have chosen this lifestyle.  They have quite literally ...

Savanna and Larry and I watched Sister Wives on TLC the other night.   I'm so busy I hardly have time to shave both legs in one day these days.  So why take time to watch what many call mindless trash?  It was like passing a bad accident on the road.  You just can't help but slow down and look. My initial reaction...something is really wrong with Kody Brown. Sitting there watching I said, "Man, this guy really has something wrong with him..."  ( "Duh!!!" Savanna says, incredulous. "Mom!!!  Of course there's something wrong with the man!!!  He has three wives and a girlfriend!!!  What more do we need to see to know there's something seriously wrong?" )  Well, yes, but there's something even more than that.  I'm telling you, I know it in my knower.  He's got a serious personality disorder.  Maybe narcissistic , and a great actor for sure.  I didn't get the feel that this was reality TV as I do with some other shows...

When a cashier looks your way and directly tells you, "I can take you over on register 6... " and then as you are moving your cart there somebody else slides in front of you, even if it's just with a few items and now you have to stand there and wait because the cashier takes them first?"  (Just happened to me yesterday and it always makes me wish I would have stayed at the previous register.)   In my head I say, "if I were a cashier I would say to that person, 'hold on a moment, I just invited this lady to this register first'.  But then I realize they might be one of those people who sit in a church somewhere week after week and think, "If I were the pastor I would..."  Nah, forget it.  I'll stand there, smile, be quiet and quit thinking their job for them. When teens ask other teens (who have never lived any longer or much longer than they have) advice about decisions that will affect their lives forever?   When people r...

Yesterday we took our assistant Cathy out to lunch for her birthday.  She wanted to go to Red Lobster, which is somewhere I love to go too.  After being seated the server came to take our drink orders and my husband asked for his usual, a Boston iced tea .  Immediately the server says, "I'm sorry sir, we're out of cranberry juice."   My husband's face displayed immediate disappointment but he didn't complain and responded, "okay I'll have a diet coke."   Then the server says, "no, I'm just kidding, we have the cranberry juice.  I'll bring you the Boston iced tea."  So we all sat there and just sort of went , "mkay...moving right along.  That wasn't really funny but whatever..." Our lunch progresses and the server continues to do this kind of thing.  With other requested items he proceeds to tell us that they don't have them available...sees the disappointment register on our face and then tells us, "ha ...

If someone isn't faithful with $10.00 what makes them think they would ever be entrusted with $100,000, or $1,000,000?  If someone isn't faithful to do the job they have now with excellence, what makes them think they should ever be entrusted with anything more? If someone isn't faithful in another man or woman's field, what leads them to believe they should have a field of their own?  So many people blame God or others for not getting out of life what they never put into it in the first place!!! Always a puzzling experience for me to deal with naive people who just don't get it.

So I've had another post I had written that was ready to publish this morning and it was excellently crafted if I do say so myself.  But,  I can't bring myself to post it because it's just not true to where I'm at this morning. I can't post what I really think today.  It's a day for private journaling and saying a lot of things that would be extremely unwise should I speak them aloud. But I blog everyday here.  Without fail.  365.  Rain or shine.  Sick or well.  Happy or sad. So here it is.  I'm leaving this afternoon to speak in Orlando this weekend.  I would love to start driving, throw my cell phone out a window into a ditch,  cruise down the road for however long I felt like it, then stop and sit in the middle of nowhere for days.  During this time I would scarf down a plate of my mother in law's pork chops with gravy and mashed potatoes, and top it off with a big piece of warm pie....

"When a woman of many words says nothing, her silence is deafening." King Monkut, Anna and the King Okay, so today is my day off, a day I reflect more than any other, because it's the one day I have time to. And today my friends, I'm going to share with you one aspect of my personality that is both blessing and curse, and something I've never known quite how to deal with. Maybe if you make it all the way through this post and have an idea, you can tell me what you would do if you were me. (I know, I know it's totally scary to even consider being me for 2 seconds, but...) Remember when you were a kid and you were instructed by parents, teachers and other responsible adults, "if you don't have anything nice to say...don't say anything at all" ? Well, I try to live by that, but many times am vilified for doing so. Allow me to explain. I talk. I mean, I REALLY talk. I'm a communicator, both naturally and it's what I do for a liv...

Well, I missed church ALL DAY. Today of all days. The missions convention with Robert Solomon . I can count the number of times I have missed Sunday church (aside from vacation) over the past 20 years on one hand. To my knowledge, as far back as I can remember...I've only missed once Sunday for each of the births of my kids, and then for my gallbladder operation. That was it. It's not just because I'm a pastor/pastor's wife, but as you can tell by my previous posts, I simply love the house of the Lord. Today was a miserable day. Just being honest. Prepare for my Psalm. My imprecatory Psalm...O LORD, HEAR FROM 5036 SPECTACULAR BID DRIVE, AND HEAL THY SERVANT...FOR I AM WEAK, AND EVEN MY STOMACH HURTETH AND THOU KNOWEST THAT MY INWARD PARTS ARE WRETCHED IN PAIN.............. :-) When my alarm rang this morning I felt dizzy. I went out to the kitchen to turn the coffee pot on, and things started spinning and suddenly I felt "chills." I called to Larry and sai...

REALITY. That's what this blog is about. Welcome to my personal reality blog. Well, I had planned to take some time off today and tomorrow but it's just not to be. So I keep plowing forward. I went for another test this morning first thing, then went in to the office. I would have just had to work from the lap top at home and it wasn't worth it to drive all the way back home plus somebody needed to run the staff meeting since Larry could only be there for 30 minutes of it today. And it was a long one.  He left the staff mtg. and took Dustin for his senior project at 4:30, which by the way, Dustin totally rocked. He thinks he definitely got an A. So proud of him.  So I finished up in running the staff meeting, left at 5:30 or something like that, can't remember the exact time but left there and went major grocery shopping. All the while the kids are ringing my cell phone asking what's for supper. I said, "I'm buying it now." So, I come home, and th...

Proverbs 6: 17-19 "There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers."   Well these are the seven things God hates. So I got to thinking about the seven things I hate. (I only get to pick seven according to my rules tonight, that's why there aren't more. Rules are rules.) 1) Lack of solitude. That is absolutely on the top of my list. 2) Bland writing. My definition of bland are a lot of Christian publications that stay very generic so as to not offend anybody but in doing so, they are really not relevant to anybody. I want to hear from somebody who really has something to say. Even if I disagree with what someone says, I enjoy experiencing a person's passion in their writing. That's why most of the time I do not ...