What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Romans 8:31

Dear Friends, I have waited so, so long to have the privilege of sharing my dear friend Nan Jones with you and her debut book, The Perils of a Pastor’s Wife. I’ve benefited immensely from the wisdom she shares in this book, and, I can also tell you that she really does live this faith out loud. Nan’s faith is so real, and so vibrant, I know her words will be an encouragement and blessing to you. (Stay tuned for how 2 of you can get a free copy of her book!)

 So without further ado, 

Nan, 

Welcome to Heart Thoughts today! 

So, Nan, first, please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I
live in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina (Ashe County) about
10 minutes from Virginia and about 20 minutes from Tennessee. My home is
a farmhouse built in 1895 with a much loved wrap-around porch, complete
with rocking chairs and porch swing, that replenishes my spirit when I
feel worn. I have three adult children in their late 20s and one
grandchild. Talk about joy! I love the dynamics that occur in a
parent-adult child relationship. Watching the fruit of my labor sweeten
the world around them is a delight of my heart. I had the honor of
serving as a pastor’s wife for 31 years. These years were some of the
most fulfilling of my life, and yet some of the most painful and
difficult, thus my book, The Perils of a Pastor’s Wife. My simple
country home wouldn’t be complete without my Mastiff, Blue—a 125 lb.
hunk of love and two country cats. When I’m not writing or preparing
messages for my speaking ministry, you’ll find me gardening, crocheting,
reading or sharing a cup of coffee with a friend.

That sounds like a beautiful house and wonderful relationships and you keep quite busy! Let’s transition to your book —

Tell us a little bit about your book. What made you decide to write it?


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 battle 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
deep-seeded hurt that most folks don’t think about when they consider
the lives of pastors and their wives. We love our church people like
they are family. When we are asked to leave or voted out because of the
annual confidence vote (a rural Baptist tradition) it’s like going
through a divorce. The pain is unbearable. But most people don’t think
about that. 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.

The Lord has taught me
so much through this journey of service to Him—lessons of His
faithfulness, lessons of His pleasure in obedient hearts, and lessons of
finding shelter beneath the shadow of His Wing. I am so thankful He
asked me to share this with His girls.

The
Perils of a Pastor’s Wife is written with raw, authentic emotion—no
fluff—as I share actual incidents occurring in our ministry. I want my
reader to know that I truly understand how she feels and what she’s
going through. The beauty of this book is in the illumination of God’s
presence throughout its pages. The Lord taught me to find Him in my
darkest moments and I, in turn, teach my readers the same.

You do a phenomenal job of showing your reader’s that you know how they feel and you’ve been in their shoes so I wonder, how has writing this book impacted your life on both a personal and spiritual level?

Wow!
That’s a good question. I honestly believe, on a personal level,
writing The Perils of a Pastor’s Wife, brought healing to many areas of
my life. It caused me to search the scriptures thoroughly to make sure
my teaching lined up with God’s Word. In so doing, God poured His Living
Water over and through my broken places and brought precious healing to
me. On a spiritual level I pressed into God like never before—I
partnered with Him to get this message before His girls. I know for a
fact this deepened our relationship.

Mmmm yes, I hear that passion in your voice and throughout your book which leads me to a question I’ve meant to ask you and I think is so important to your ministry and book. Your key verse (and subtitle) in the book is, “If God be for us, who can be against us?” What does this verse mean to you?

 It
means that I have confidence in the knowledge that nothing comes my way
without coming before the Lord first. He is aware of all that pertains
to me. Nothing catches Him by surprise. By applying this scripture to
events in my life, I can find comfort knowing that nothing will
ultimately harm me, for God is greater than any foe. I am sealed in His
Holy Spirit. I am written on the palm of His hand and I am the Apple of
His Eye. So, no matter what may come against me, it will not destroy me.
The Lord will carry me through to the other side.

What encouragement do you offer to help that wife be able to live in ministry with her husband?

I’m
so glad you asked this after my last answer. The Perils of a Pastor’s
Wife gives the tools to lead her toward healing from such wounds. I
discuss our callings alongside our husband. I teach thoroughly about
spiritual warfare and how that applies to us, and how that applied to
our biblical heroes like Paul, David, Moses, and Elisha, to name a few.
Yes, even these guys wanted to give up and say, “Enough Lord!” But then
they realized the fellowship of His sufferings and how being yielded to
God’s plan for our lives and enduring suffering for His sake takes our
relationship to a deeper level. There is intimacy in suffering for His
sake. We learn the essence of who He is. There is nothing that compares
to the knowledge that “if God be for me, who can be against me?” There’s
nothing that compares to the knowledge that God is faithful and He is
with us always. There’s nothing that compares to the knowledge that God
is honored and blessed by our service to Him and joins us in our
struggles to minister comfort and peace.

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.
 

Wow! What a beginning to your story! Nan, thank you for sharing your heart with us, you’ve been such a blessing to me and to all of us. 

A Little Bit More About Nan Jones:

Nan
Jones is an author/speaker who uses the words of her heart to assist
fellow Christians in discovering the Presence of God in their darkest
hour. Her devotional blog, Morning Glory, has become a place of
community for Christians to find encouragement in God’s Word and comfort
in His Presence. She has been published in several anthologies as well
as the online inspirational sites Christian Devotions, and Inspire a
Fire. Nan has also had the honor of being featured as a guest blogger on
several sites. She is thrilled to announce her debut book, The Perils
of a Pastor’s Wife released June 30, 2015 by Lighthouse Publishing of
the Carolinas. When Nan is not writing, she enjoys leading prayer
retreats, bible studies or sharing God’s love as keynote speaker for
special events. She is becoming known by her brand: “Even so, I walk in
the Presence of the Lord” as she teaches her audience to go beyond the
veil to find God’s Presence. You may visit Nan at her website:
www.NanJones.com or her blog, Morning Glory:
http://morningglorylights.blogspot.com/. Nan has also created a facebook
community page, Seeing Beyond The Veil, to provide a place for folks to
go and get away from the chaos for a few moments and focus on Jesus
through scripture, worship, testimony, and inspirational quotes. For
personal communication you may email Nan at nan@jubilantlight.com.

The Perils of a Pastor’s Wife is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble 

Tweet This! Coffee and Conversation with Author Nan Jones