Faith Talks host: And I’m Anna Faith, and welcome to episode 17 of Faith Talks.

You know what?

One thing I’m super pumped about in this podcast is that it’s actually two of us this time.

Definitely.

I agree.

We’ve kind of been deserting each other at the post, but we’re both back locally as of today, actually.

And I was gone in West Virginia for a couple weeks at Wildwood Christian Camp and I had a blast there and then went to Oregon and Washington.

There was a family camp we did up there and then spent a few days on the coast.

So glad to be home, but it was an eventful July.

Faith Talks host: Yes, and like Jana said, I actually just got back from a trip myself today, about like 2.30 in the afternoon.

I was out actually in the middle of nowhere in Maine visiting a friend who lives up there, and we had a great time together.

It’s definitely an amazing time to be out in beautiful New England.

I don’t know if you’ve been out there in August or July, August, September.

It’s gorgeous out there on the coast.

So we went in the, we kind of did some sightseeing in the Bar Harbor area, Acadia National Park.

It’s kind of pretty well known.

But I’m definitely very glad to be back home and I’m almost ready for school to begin.

I’m still kind of doing that last minute thinking through planning and prep for the school year.

So I’m definitely excited to be back though.

Faith Talks host: So today I’m pretty excited.

We have with us a very special guest.

And you might think when I introduce her, you might say, oh, she’s probably here all the time. but actually not.

She has been gone a lot recently and is just in town to actually speak for the podcast.

Just kidding.

But today I have here my mother and she’ll be speaking and giving some of her testimony.

And of all people, I could probably kind of give an introduction for her, but we’ll keep with our tradition of having the speaker do it just so they can speak for themselves.

So, Could you just tell us a little bit about yourself and what do you do?

Guest: Well, my husband and I got married and started traveling in ministry three weeks after we were married doing a camp on wheels ministry to reach young people.

We called the war and now we’ve been doing it for 38 years along with adult evangelism.

I have three daughters, Stephanie Joy, who’s an assistant pastor’s wife in South Carolina and expecting our first grandson in January.

And then I have Jana Faith, whom you all know and love, and Annalise Hope, who is a senior in college.

Now that I don’t have daughters traveling within me anymore, I spend a great deal of time counseling and putting together counseling materials.

Faith Talks host: And I just got to throw in my connection.

This is my Aunt Rhonda.

So she’s helped us as we’ve grown up stay out of trouble.

All sorts of stuff.

But definitely glad you’re here today.

Guest: Thank you.

Faith Talks host: Now, a lot of listeners out there might just know you as Dr.

Jim’s wife.

But let’s go back to the beginning and talk about how you got there.

So what was your childhood like and how did God lead you to where you are today?

I know that’s a big question.

Guest: Well, I actually had a very unusual childhood, but I didn’t realize how unusual it was.

But I was born in California and lived four places there, and then Texas and Illinois and Canada and South Carolina.

And my dad worked for Frito-Lay Chip Company for quite a bit of that time, and they would just transfer us all over the place.

So I was in and out of different public schools all the time.

I was born to Christian parents and had a very loving home and made a salvation decision at a very young age.

But we weren’t in conservative churches.

We didn’t really know we weren’t.

We were the most conservative around, but we were not really taught separation from the world.

But my feet were pointed in the right direction because I had a love for the Lord, and I would do what I was challenged to do.

I just didn’t know a lot of things.

I memorized scripture when I was challenged to do that or went door-to-door witnessing, but I didn’t know what people would call standards and came actually pretty close to greatly marring my life with various situations I found myself in.

I had never heard rock music was wrong, and that’s about all I listened to.

I had never heard anything about dating standards.

I spent many days at the swimming pool or the beach, and in fact, even my youth group in Canada would go swimming together.

And I wasn’t taught much on modesty, but God loved me and brought me to where I could hear the truth.

And after my ninth grade year, we moved from Canada to Georgia, and unknowingly, we moved across the street from a conservative Baptist pastor.

We began going to his church, and I was put into Christian school for the last three years of high school.

Faith Talks host: Now, as you were going along and just you would learn new things, were there different decisions of faith that God led you to just as you grew spiritually?

Guest: I think one of the things that helped the most was my parents had a very strong conscience, and they also taught me how to obey.

And those two characteristics really were a tremendous help to me.

And I was just going to recall just a few of those decisions that were hard growing up, but just started building backbone in my life.

One of the things, when I lived in Canada, they would just close down school, and they would have dances during school hours.

And you were pretty much required to go to them later.

I did find out I could go to an art room or work on a project, and I did that later on. but I had not heard rock music was wrong or anything at that point but my parents had sensitive consciences and they heard that I shouldn’t dance so I would go to the dances, I would get all dressed up and then when guys would ask me to dance I would tell them I couldn’t and it was hard on me because it wasn’t my conviction yet but I had been taught obedience so I would obey.

I remember trying alcohol once and had a sensitive conscience about it afterward and turned myself into my parents.

And then I didn’t really have dating standards either in Christian school.

And I really didn’t hear a whole lot about even standards in the school.

But I remember, and it seemed so crazy to me, having come from the public school, but the Christian school kids would watch movies at camp and they would put blankets over their laps and they would hold hands underneath the blanket.

And this seems so minor, especially after going to public school, but I knew that it was a rule in the Christian school not to, so out of obedience I would sit there and have the blanket on my lap, but I would just put my hands on top.

And it seems like a little thing, but it began building backbone in me to do right even under pressure.

And even when it wasn’t a conviction of mine, but just out of obedience.

Then when I needed a job after my freshman year in college, I knew I couldn’t serve alcohol, And I was offered a high-paying job at a steakhouse, but I would have to give after-dinner drinks.

And I knew I was going to have to turn them down, but for some reason, I told them I’d call them that night with my answer, rather than tell them face-to-face.

And I called and turned them down, and they said that that very day, someone had come into their restaurant and had said, Do you know of a good Christian girl who would work at our restaurant?

And they said, We sure do.

And I was hired right away, and God rewarded me for obedience.

Then my junior year in college, I was put over a hall of about 140 girls.

And I was still developing convictions myself.

I had still so far to go.

But I remember thinking, how can I lead these ladies if any of them have higher convictions than I do?

And it helped me to make even a further step in the right direction on dress, even though I was different in that way.

And most of my convictions had to be developed between me and the Lord.

But in that way, I had to wrestle them through and personally surrender.

There were two more decisions of faith that were to come.

In Christian college, I wasn’t rebellious at all, but I ended up getting engaged to a young man that was preparing for the ministry, but who I didn’t realize was not God’s will for my life.

And God could see that I didn’t want to miss his will, so he came to my rescue and broke off the relationship five months before we were supposed to get married.

I remembered at that point thinking, where will I ever find someone that has a sensitive of a conscience?

Little did I know who was right around the corner, a couple months later, God brought Dr.

Jim into my life.

I knew I needed someone strong, and I thought that after I shared my testimony with Dr.

Jim that he wouldn’t be interested any longer.

But he could see my heart and that I had actually been prepared for the ministry that God had called him to.

And he talks about how he looked over at me and thought I could love her.

And a year and three months later, we were married.

Faith Talks host: Now, I’ll insert something there.

As Daddy says, he, you know, they had different things where he would go out with different girls.

But he said he pretty much felt like all the girls on campus were just trees walking around.

Like there’s just nothing there.

So when he thought I could love her, that was something different.

Guest: And he is so single-minded.

It’s such a blessing.

And I remember even that Christmas, he had talked to his mom before we had ever met.

And he said, Mom, I wouldn’t be surprised if the girl I’m going to marry is engaged to someone else right now.

And it was like the Lord was preparing him for that because he was so single-minded that that would have been hard otherwise. and the final trial of faith was the matter of having children it wasn’t easy for us it was hard for me to get pregnant and we lost our first five children through miscarriage over 11 year period and I’d be so excited to finally get pregnant and then it would end in miscarriage and it was easy to get discouraged but I tried to stay on the ground of faith and not be swayed into bitterness but how thankful I am for each one of the daughters God’s given us, and I would easily wait 11 years again in order to have them, and God can be trusted.

Faith Talks host: I feel like many people would think even just looking back at your childhood and just all the different places and just that there wouldn’t be much good that would come from how you grew up as far as becoming a really strong Christian, but have you found that those things, even the bad in your background, has helped prepare you for your ministry today?

Guest: It really has.

With moving all the time, it taught me how to meet people and how not to get tied to a permanent home.

And it was perfect training for evangelism.

And that God wasn’t trying to be mean to me.

He was preparing me for my life’s work.

And I really have found that God doesn’t waste any bit of preparation in our life.

I also had majored in math in college and struggled through the program because it was so difficult.

And now in ministry, I’ve had to do a lot of work with finances and taxes.

And I was also glad that it taught me not to stop when things got tough.

I went to public school for 10 years and Christian school for three.

So I feel comfortable working with both of them in our ministry, and I can understand where they’re coming from.

Faith Talks host: Now, I know you teach women of the Bible, and you’ve studied a lot of Bible characters.

But are there certain ones that have stood out to you as examples that you’ve kind of seen parallel to your own life?

Guest: I think Jochebed, that was Moses’ mother, has been a challenge and really similar to my story because she only had Moses for a brief time and every minute had to count.

And I tried to embrace that same philosophy that I didn’t want to just babysit our children, but I wanted to think of everything I wanted them to know by the time they left our home.

And I started when they were very young working toward that.

And the other person would be Hannah, who also just had Samuel for a short time.

But she didn’t just pass on character.

She also, he was able to catch who she was.

And she wrestled with the Lord in prayer over the desire to have a son and give him back to the Lord.

And her son picked up this burden that she had for prayer.

So that has been a goal in my life.

Faith Talks host: That’s neat.

And as you said that you tried to prepare all your girls for knowing everything they need to know, I think you did a good job and think maybe that’s why our podcast is here today.

Faith Talks is.

Janice, she’s ready for it.

So what are some takeaways that the listeners can just remember briefly and some action steps that they can apply to their lives?

Guest: One thing would be not to get discouraged with your surroundings, but think, how can I develop with the opportunities I do have?

I know our kids would miss out on Bible quizzing, orchestra, consistent music lessons often.

But I looked around and I tried to figure out what could they learn on the road while they were traveling.

So someone would travel and they would know sign language and would teach the girls sign language every day.

And it was unusual how that almost every tour there was somebody that knew sign language and could keep working with the girls.

And our girls learned how to do children’s meetings.

They learned how to counsel.

And we’re able to observe a lot of different philosophies and ministry across the United States.

So instead of looking at things you’re missing out on or you can’t do, look for the opportunities that you have that you can get developed in.

And then not ever to get to the point where you say, I’m not going to change in that area.

Because God’s there to meet you, and he’s going to teach you, and he’s going to enable you.

And who would have ever looked at me years ago and thought I would be married to Dr.

Jim?

I had such a long way to go.

But my feet were pointed in the right direction, and God just kept bringing me to crisis and decisions where I needed to make decisions of faith.

In the last three years, God’s continually brought me back to Proverbs 3, 5, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding.

I could never have dreamed up the life God has given me, and I’m so thankful that he’s consistently been working behind the scenes in my life.

So, ladies, just give him a blank slate and let him write his will for you, And get ready for a lot of out-of-the-box adventures.

Don’t lean on your own understanding.

God is so much bigger than that.

Faith Talks host: Well, thank you so much for coming and sharing today.

I know it’s been a blessing even in my own life, just my mom constantly counseling me.

You know, God has a reason behind all these things that might be going on.

And I remember even growing up sometimes struggling with traveling, different aspects of it.

But now I can honestly look back and say that was the perfect childhood for me.

And it’s exactly what God had for me.

And even looking forward what he’s going to use in my life.

So thank you for coming and sharing that.

Yes.

Faith Talks host: And just the theme of how you just took what God had for you, obeyed your parents, that obedience.

And then as you obeyed your parents, you could start obeying the Lord as he built those convictions in your heart.

So it didn’t just come from, you know, out of the blue, you started obeying the Lord, you know, But it came from that, the simple steps of obedience, even, you know, those simple things, not holding hands.

And, you know, that doesn’t sound like a big deal, but it ends up in the long run.

You know, as you take those steps, it builds up to what God has given you in the life, the amazing life that he’s given to you.

And so I think just a challenge to each one of us that every little step that we either take in obedience or don’t take in disobedience, it’s a big deal. and also just having that sensitive conscience.

And even I was just thinking how so often in our world, like it’s so easy, there’s so much out there to destroy your conscience.

And I know I’ve hurt mine many times, but just realizing how that having a sensitive conscience is a gift and it’s a big deal.

And it definitely makes a difference even in just how you prepare your life for what God has for you or how you could hurt it.

So I think just, you know, a takeaway, just remembering, you know, obedience is a big thing and being sensitive, having that sensitive conscience is just so important.

So that’s, those are steps of faith that each one of us can take.

And I just encourage you girls, even just go right now and even write down or talk to your parents about any area that you know, maybe you’re not obeying in and you want to obey or just take those steps that God’s laying on your heart right now. each of you know what those are.

And just be obedient to Him and be excited about what He has for you.

He has an amazing plan for your life.

It’s definitely a roller coaster and really exciting what He has for you.

So remember girls, this week, faith doesn’t just talk, faith walks.