Coffee Chats with Diane Nix

Welcome back to *Coffee Chats with Diane Nix*! In this special episode, Diane, Lacey, and Allison dive into the unique challenges of raising PKs (Preacher's Kids) and the difference between looking at life through a microscope versus a magnifying glass. After a brief hiatus, we're kicking off a new season just in time for fall, and we're thrilled to have you with us. Lacey, our creative genius, shares her insight into how these two tools symbolize the way church families often scrutinize PKs—magnifying their flaws instead of seeking to understand them. A microscope aims to discover and nurture, keeping the whole picture alive, while a magnifying glass distorts and burns, focusing on small, often misunderstood details. We unpack the impact of this scrutiny on our children, from the pressures of living in the limelight to the struggles of forging their own identity beyond their parents' shadows. Allison opens up about her daughter's journey to find herself outside of her father's reputation, and Diane reflects on her own daughters' experiences under the magnifying glass of church expectations.  Through powerful personal stories, we explore how these experiences can shape faith, foster resentment, or lead to deconstruction—and how crucial it is to teach our kids to focus on what's lovely and pure, as Paul advises in Philippians 4:6-9. Whether you're a ministry wife, a PK yourself, or just curious about the unique challenges faced by these families, join us for an honest and heartfelt conversation. We hope you'll leave encouraged to look at life with a microscope—to discover, understand, and keep alive the beautiful complexity of the PK journey. **Tune in, grab your coffee, and let's chat!**

This Christmas, Diane wanted to give her audience a sneak peek into her exclusive Contagious Joy Plus content by giving away a free episode from one of her podcasts, Soul Sistas. This podcast is a light-hearted journey following three pastors' wives who share their funny stories about being in the ministry. If you enjoy this free episode and want to hear more like this then go to https://contagiousjoy4him.com/membership/ and sign up for Contagious Joy Plus monthly for the price of two cups of coffee! ($9.99 a month) So you know what to do, grab your favorite cup of coffee or beverage and listen in for this free episode of Soul Sistas.

Mrs. Diane meets with an author that she has admired from afar, Christine Hoover, to talk about her new book "Thrive." This is a great resource for ministry wives and they talk about what to expect from the book.

Diane has a conversation with a good friend, Adrianna Anderson, about the effect that Rowe vs. Wade overturning will have on our country and the need for racial unity. Grab your favorite cup of coffee or beverage and listen in for this episode of Coffee Chats.

Jennifer Rothschild is our special guest for today's episode. She tells the stories of what it was like for her growing up as a "Preacher's Kid" and how that even affected her life in the ministry as an adult. Grab your favorite cup of coffee or beverage and join us for this new episode of Coffee Chats with Diane Nix.

Mrs. Diane meets with one of her long-time friends, Christi Haag, to talk about how prayer is more important now, during this time than ever. Across six continents of the world On November 5, 2022, She Loves Out Loud Global is “gathering the women of the world” to say, “We are with you.”  We will share in the burdens and glories; tragedy and triumph; and war and peace as we pray together. We will come to know those women as sisters; listen to their stories, love them, comfort, and encourage them. We will proclaim the grace that has been freely and abundantly given to us. Let us come together in a harmonious symphony as the She Loves Out Loud sisterhood sings across the seas and continents through heart-to-heart prayer.  I get chills just to think of it! Mark your calendar for November 5, 2022. Gather your family, church, pregnancy center, prison ministry, your neighborhood, and everyone you meet at the grocery or the gas station!  “Gather the women to pray!” has never been more urgent. Together we fulfill the command to “bring the Good News” of abundant peace and hope in Christ.

As we're approaching the SBC Annual Meeting, reports have been released about sexual misconduct within the leadership of the SBC. This episode is Diane and Leighann's official response to what has been reported and their prayer for repentance.

As we're approaching Mother's Day, Diane felt led by the Lord to reach out to those women who are hurting for their children and others who are believing God for children. In this episode, we hope that you will find comfort in whatever stage of life that you're in. Grab your favorite cup and listen to Diane pour out her heart to mothers from her own experiences.

While hosting a Refresh Retreat in South Carolina, Diane takes time to record a quick podcast because she was reflecting on the importance of having Hope During Pain. Grab your favorite drink or a cup of coffee and listen in to this episode, "Hope During Pain."

In light of the recent Ukrainian conflict, Diane decides to do a fireside chat about the importance of ministry wives being Strong and Courageous during these tough times.

In this episode of Coffee Chats, Diane meets with two women who are heavily involved with supplying aid to the Ukrainian people while they fight for their sovereignty. Amy and Merritt talk through the struggles the Ukrainian people are facing and how us Christians from around the world can support and pray for them. Grab a cup of coffee or your favorite beverage and a notepad and get ready for Episode 5 entitled "Helping Our Sisters in the Ukraine."

In this Christmas episode of Coffee Chats, Diane talks about how we as humans would do things differently than the Father if we were given the same opportunities to choose what He had chosen. During this season of giving, we are reminded that God is the greatest giver of gifts and His mercy is shown through the birth of Jesus.

In this episode of Coffee Chats, Diane has a deep conversation with her friend Dianne Dougharty about the trials she went through with the loss of her husband and how she's used that experience to help her minister young women around the country. You will be encouraged and inspired to keep on your journey with Christ with this story, so grab a cup of coffee or your favorite drink and listen in to this episode of Coffee Chats.

There is a time in every ministry wive's life where it seems like you can't hear God's voice. Maybe it's the noise of busyness that ministry life can bring with it or the stress of supporting an entire family while supporting an entire church family. In any case, everyone is going to go through seasons where God's voice is not as loud as you would like it to be. In this episode of Coffee Chats, Diane shares moments in her life where she was experiencing the same exact thing as she learned how to get quiet and tune her ears to hear the Whisper of God. You too can learn from this episode how to do the same, because it is the most valuable spiritual skill that any believer will learn. So grab your favorite mug, fill it with something hot, and press play to hear Episode 2: "Listening for the Whisper of God When You are Weary."

Every woman goes through that moment in her life where things change. In some instances, it happens over time and in others, it happens instantly. The biggest question one may ask is "What do I do?" In this episode of Coffee Chats, Diane goes through several moments where the Landscape changed in her life and she figured out several steps to navigate through those hard decisions that she wants to share with you today. So grab your favorite mug, fill it with something hot, and press play to hear Season 3's opener "When Your Landscape Changes."

This is the final part of 5 Smooth Stones entitled "The Finale."

This is Part 6 of 5 Smooth Stones entitled "The Stone of Intimacy with God."

This is Part 5 of 5 Smooth Stones entitled "The Stone of Faith."

This is Part 4 of 5 Smooth Stones entitled "The Stone of Perseverance."

This is Part 3 of 5 Smooth Stones entitled "The Stone of Confidence."

This is Part 2 of 5 Smooth Stones entitled "The Stone of Contentment."

 For the next several weeks, Diane has teamed up with Leighann McCoy and Jacque Garner to discuss spiritual warfare and the weapons we have to fight it.  Our hope and prayer is that you will join us. The battle is real. But we have some weapons we can use to fight! So armor up (Ephesians 6:10-20)! We will meet you in our podcasts and learn how to stand together! Diane: "Join us for this special seven-week summer post of Contagious Joy's blog posts. We will be publishing podcasts on this subject on Coffee Chats with Diane Nix and Leighann McCoy's podcast, Prayer Clinic, and last but not least, Jacque Garner of the Pastorswifelifepodcast!"  Leighann: "Spiritual warfare is the ongoing struggle between God and Satan. But don't for one minute think that it is a desperate struggle between two equal but opposing forces. Unlike God, who is the Creator of the universe, Satan is a created being. And unlike God, who is head over all authority, power, dominion, and title that can be given (Ephesians 1:20–23), Satan has jurisdiction only over the earth. Satan is not equal to God in power, in rule, or in authority. He is subject to God, and his destiny is already determined.  Isaiah 54:16–17 points to this truth:  See, it is I who created the blacksmith who fans the coals into flame and forges a weapon fit for its work. And it is I who have created the destroyer to work havoc; no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and this is their vindication from me," declares the Lord.  The war began in the garden of Eden when the serpent (Satan) convinced Eve to eat the fruit off the forbidden tree. The war started in the garden, and it ended when Jesus died on the cross. Don't miss this important truth. The war ended at the cross. Jesus' death restored what Adam's sin destroyed.  Here it is in a nutshell: Just as one person did it wrong and got us in all this trouble with sin and death, another person did it right and got us out of it. But more than just getting us out of trouble, he got us into life! One man said no to God and put many people in the wrong; one man said yes to God and put many in the right. Romans 5:18–19 The Message   The prince of this world was defeated once and for all when Jesus reconciled men to himself through the perfect sacrifice of His perfect life.  “WHY DO WE FIGHT TODAY?  So, you might ask, if the Enemy is defeated, why are we still fighting the good fight today? The battle continues today because the Prince of Darkness remains in charge of our sin-stained world (see Ephesians 2:1–2). Satan expects to rule and reign over the mess he ordained until Jesus returns and God puts it all to rest. When Adam and Eve yielded to the temptation of Satan, they took the world God gave them—a perfect dwelling place declared “very good” by God, full of good pleasure, tasty delight, and pure joy—and they handed it over to Satan. The deceiver stole creation from the Creator. This world today is only a shadow of what would have been. It's a distorted, sin-stained shadow at that. When you accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you were targeted for attack. With that declaration of allegiance to the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, you gave up your allegiance to the prince of this world. You broke ties with the Prince of Darkness. “Therefore, you no longer belong to this world, and the world hates you as a result. Jesus explained it like this: "If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." John 15:19  And then Jesus prayed for us, My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.

In this episode of Coffee Chats, Diane meets up with a good friend, Rhonda Kelley, who knows a lot about the importance of rest during ministry. Rhonda is a natural go-getter who learned how to discipline her life in a way that allowed her to pursue her dreams for ministry while balancing family and ministry. Grab your favorite mug, fill it with something hot, and press play to hear Rhonda's story about how she figured out how to rest in the Lord.

In this episode of Coffee Chats, Diane opens up about some of the early struggles she faced while trying to have children. She details what she decided to do when the doctors told her that she was incapable of having children. Would she decide to accept the doctor's report or keep believing that God would grant her children? Grab your favorite mug, fill it with something hot and listen to find out what Diane and her husband decided to do in the midst of hopelessness.

In this episode of Coffee Chats, Diane reaches out to her good friend, Mary Cox, to talk about how her marriage began and what it takes to trust God to keep your marriage thriving while raising Godly children. Grab your favorite mug, fill it with something hot and get ready for an inspiring story about God's faithfulness in Mary's life.

In this episode of Coffee Chats, Diane has a raw conversation with a close friend, Lenora Grayson, about the hardships that life and marriage bring especially when you are forced with the decision to forgive your significant other. Grab your favorite mug, fill it with something hot and get ready for an inspiring story about forgiveness, restoration, and undoubted hope. This is Lenora's Story. Lenora Grayson has served alongside her husband, Chad, as a Senior Pastor’s wife for almost 20 years. After a season of rest and healing, they are excited to have recently accepted a new call to serve at Life Community Church in Jamestown, NC. Lenora has learned through great adversity how to suffer well, relinquish control, and trust her redeeming Savior because He is good! She has a deep passion for women’s ministry, teaching 9th and 10th-grade girls small groups, and discipling young women to follow hard after Jesus and take His call to holiness seriously. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with the family, running, and reading. Lenora graduated from the University of Mississippi Medical Center with a Doctor of Physical Therapy and enjoys working a few days a week with the elderly. She delights to be called Mommy by Annlee, Deuce, and Asher.

Diane decided to take time out of her busy schedule today and encourage ladies to gain a fresh perspective on the goodness of God in the midst of whatever situation they're facing headed toward Mother's Day Weekend.

Marriage alone is hard enough as it is. So is the ministry. What would you do if you had to do both together at the same time? Kim Hardy guests this episode of Coffee Chats to tell her story of how she came into Marriage and Ministry and didn't ask God to do both of them together. Grab a cup of coffee with Diane and listen to how Kim's story unfolds in Part 2.

Marriage alone is hard enough as it is. So is the ministry. What would you do if you had to do both together at the same time? Kim Hardy guests this episode of Coffee Chats to tell her story of how she came into Marriage and Ministry and didn't ask God to do both of them together. Grab a cup of coffee with Diane and listen to how Kim's story unfolds.

Susie Hawkins lives in Dallas and has been actively involved in ministry as a pastor's wife, teacher and volunteer. A noted author, Susie holds a Master of Arts in Christian Leadership and a Master of Arts in Theology from Criswell College. Her writing appears on the Engage blog at Bible.org. Additionally, Susie has contributed to various publications, such as Voices Behind the Veil and the Women's Evangelical Library Commentary, as well as the author of From One Ministry Wife to Another. Susie currently serves on the board of the Lifesavers Foundation, a pro-life Dallas area organization that serves families in crisis. She also is co-writer and founder of Passover for Christians ministry, which encourages Christians to observe Passover from a Christian perspective, as a part of their Holy Week traditions. Additionally, Susie is involved with women's ministries at both Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, and First Baptist Church of Dallas. In addition to writing and speaking opportunities, some of her favorite activities in ministry are sharing with small and informal groups of women and ministry wives at churches of all sizes around the country. Susie is actively involved with the Southern Baptist Convention causes and committees. She served on the Baptist Faith & Message Study Committee in 2000. She serves as part of the steering committee of the SBC Women's Leadership Network, which connects women in various capacities of leadership across Southern Baptist entities, institutions and churches. Susie enjoys leading and advocating for the Widows' Might prayer ministry and Mission:Dignity. A native of Austin, Texas, the former Susan Cavness has been married to GuideStone Financial Resources President O.S. Hawkins since 1970. Together, they have two married daughters, Wendy and Holly and two sons-in-law, Brian and David, and have six grandchildren.

Diane sits down with some close friends, Ryan and Ashlie Cook, to ask them about the hurdles of marriage that they have faced in their 18 years together.

In our Christmas Episode, "What I Want for Christmas", Diane does a fireside chat about the importance of keeping Christmas as normal as possible within an extremely abnormal year. Grab a cup of coffee and join us!

As the restrictions from the 2020 pandemic seem to be loosening up, a lot of ministries are far from going "back to normal." Diane contacts a good friend, Diane Strack, to see how she has dealt with loneliness in her ministry and how she has remained in faith during the Pandemic. For over 35 years, Diane Strack has created, facilitated, and spoken at women’s and youth ministries across the nation. She urges women to engage their circles of influence to share the Good News of God’s love and healing.  Diane’s life message is to “Always Expect Amazing” because it is never too late for God to bring about hope and a new start in a life. She is also the Founder and Author of New Start for Single Moms and the Co-founder of Student Leadership University. Diane currently serves as Member of the Board of Directors of One More Child Foundation, a ministry that touches 160,000 children annually through adoption, foster care, trafficking restoration, single mom homes, and international ministry. She and her husband Jay live in Central Florida and love spending time with their daughters Missy, Chris and son-in-law Brent, and six grandchildren.

Susie Hawkins lives in Dallas and has been actively involved in ministry as a pastor's wife, teacher and volunteer. A noted author, Susie holds a Master of Arts in Christian Leadership and a Master of Arts in Theology from Criswell College. Her writing appears on the Engage blog at Bible.org. Additionally, Susie has contributed to various publications, such as Voices Behind the Veil and the Women's Evangelical Library Commentary, as well as the author of From One Ministry Wife to Another. Susie currently serves on the board of the Lifesavers Foundation, a pro-life Dallas area organization that serves families in crisis. She also is co-writer and founder of Passover for Christians ministry, which encourages Christians to observe Passover from a Christian perspective, as a part of their Holy Week traditions. Additionally, Susie is involved with women's ministries at both Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, and First Baptist Church of Dallas. In addition to writing and speaking opportunities, some of her favorite activities in ministry are sharing with small and informal groups of women and ministry wives at churches of all sizes around the country. Susie is actively involved with the Southern Baptist Convention causes and committees. She served on the Baptist Faith & Message Study Committee in 2000. She serves as part of the steering committee of the SBC Women's Leadership Network, which connects women in various capacities of leadership across Southern Baptist entities, institutions and churches. Susie enjoys leading and advocating for the Widows' Might prayer ministry and Mission:Dignity. A native of Austin, Texas, the former Susan Cavness has been married to GuideStone Financial Resources President O.S. Hawkins since 1970. Together, they have two married daughters, Wendy and Holly and two sons-in-law, Brian and David, and have six grandchildren.

In Episode Seven of Coffee Chats, Diane reflects on the importance of Thanksgiving in our personal lives especially when life is not going the way we want. Whether you are driving to relatives homes for a Thanksgiving meal or going about with your day to day tasks, take a moment throughout this episode and give God thanks for the life that He has given you.

In Episode 6 of Coffee Chats Season 2, Diane makes a new friendship with Author and Speaker, Shauna Pilgreen. Shauna shares her story about what it means to her to "Live Sent" by God. Grab a cup of coffee and join them today. Raised in a ministry home in the rural parts of south Georgia, Shauna Pilgreen now finds herself immersed daily in the reality of doing life in a global city. She and her husband, Ben, started Epic Church in the heart of San Francisco in 2010 and have been “living sent” ever since. Epic has grown to be a multi-national church of 600+ people and families, diverse in age, ethnicity, viewpoints, income level, and faith background. Their previous church ministries included working with youth and college students in Alabama, and launching a new service at a thriving missional church in the Midwest. Shauna is a conversation starter, hope giver, and loves to pour into ministry families. She is the author of an ebook, Live Sent: 31 Days in the City, and Love Where You Live: How to Live Sent in the Place You Call Home. She is the mother of three boys and an adopted daughter from India.

With us rounding the corner on 2020, Diane has been compelled to work even harder to bring encouragement to pastor's wives because of one topic that keeps showing up in conversation with other pastor's wives which today's guest, Rachel Lovingood, talks about: Conflict. Rachel is an author and speaker. Her ministry is primarily to women’s groups and to ministry wives. She and her husband have been involved in ministry for the past 31 years. In light of her student experiences, Rachel also speaks to groups of students from middle school to college age. She firmly believes that God’s Word is transforming and the best way to live the abundant life is by following Christ daily. Whatever the group, she brings the Truth of Scripture unapologetically and uses every day situations to help the listeners make applications to their lives. Rachel is real and relevant and audience members invariably walk away challenged and changed.

In episode 4 of Coffee Chats, Diane is about to celebrate an important milestone in her life as she faces the reality of the importance of finishing the race well. Join Diane on this fireside chat episode as she reflects on what it really means to "finish well." If you would like to connect with her or Contagious Joy then go to www.contagiousjoy4him.com and sign up the for the weekly newsletter and blog.

In Episode Three of Coffee Chats, Diane gains insight on what it was like for today's guest, Marshelle Wilburn, to raise five kids while serving in the ministry along side her husband. Marshelle Jackson Wilburn, is a California native, born in sunny Southern California and raised in the fog and hills of the San Francisco Bay Area. She is a wife, mother of five, inspirational speaker, author, international leadership trainer, and urban church planting missionary to the San Francisco Bay Area.  Since 2005, she has partnered with her husband, Port, in urban missional strategies, ministry/community leader development and coaching, training, and care for church planters, their spouses and families. Together they replanted a dying ministry and birthed Rock Harbor Christian Fellowship, which is a multi-ethnic, multiplying ministry, and ministry center. Marshelle's heart for excellence and empowering others has been shown in her roles as a business owner, academic adviser and teacher in primary and secondary education, management at one of San Francisco Bay’s largest homeless shelters, and advocacy and care for women in ministry, She has been a member of church planter assessment teams, a church planter and leadership trainer for North American Mission Board’s SEND Network and currently serves as the Director of H.E.R. Care Women's Network for San Francisco Bay Area Baptist Associations. She has been a published author for LifeWay Christian Resources since 2015 and is also an international Leadership Trainer for LifeWay Women's YOU Lead Women’s Leadership Development. Marshelle's passion for teaching and encouraging people of all ages to discover their value and life purpose is manifest in her inspirational and practical messages and development series STRONGLife. As a lifelong learner with a degree in Clinical Psychology from Patten University, and a member of Gateway Seminary community as a student and Women’s Forum trainer, she brings a wealth of professional experience and knowledge which inspires audiences and organizations to authentically and practically strive for their greatest potential. ​The loves of her heart are being a wife, mom of four daughters and an only son, and Noni to her first granddaughter, spending time with family, studying and teaching the Bible through her "Simmer In The Word" Series on Facebook and Instagram Live, developing others for exponential impact, oceans, beaches, and coffee.

In Episode 2 of Coffee Chats, Mrs. Diane calls Donna Avant, an old friend from her past, to not only reminisce about the "good ole days" of supporting their husbands through seminary, but to hear her story about her and her husband's journey that they took to become who they are today. It's her story of hope. Donna Avant is the wife of Dr. John Avant. John and Donna serve with Life Action Ministry, a ministry called to ignite movements of authentic Christianity. John is President of Life Action. John and Donna have been married for 39 years and are the parents of three adult children who are all married now. They have five grandchildren: William, Addy, Aubrey, Isaac and Judah. Donna serves Her King by teaching, writing and mentoring. Donna has had the privilege of speaking all over the United States and many countries, including England, Wales, Belarus, Central Asia and Lebanon. Donna is a contributing author to The Woman’s One Year Devotional published by NavPress. She has also authored “No Excuses” a Bible study of I and II Timothy. Donna was the 2014 President of the SBC Ministers’ Wives Luncheon and currently serves on the Executive Board of the SBC luncheon. Donna loves to be involved in community ministry and has served as a CASA (court appointed special advocate) volunteer, Kids Hope volunteer and Broaden Horizons volunteer (ministry for at-risk youth). She loves to read and walk (and not at the same time)! She also loves to play bubbles and swim with her five grandchildren

In the Season 2 opener of Coffee Chats, Diane opens up about her personal struggle with addiction years ago that stemmed from a self-fulfilling prophecy she made regarding someone very close to her. Join her as she reveals how her life changed and what to expect in this upcoming season of Coffee Chats.

In the season finale of Coffee Chats, Diane speaks with her good friend, Courtney Moore, about how she balances being a ministry wife at her church and the president of her own company. Here's just a few things to know about our special guest. Courtney Moore is the founder and president of Women & Work. A former IMB missionary and classical educator, Courtney writes content for LifeWay Christian Resources, The Gospel Coalition’s “Thorns & Thistles” column, as well as discipleship curriculum for Pinelake Church in Jackson, MS. She holds a B.A. in Religious Studies from the University of Mobile and an M.A. in Biblical Counseling from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Her passion is to see God honored through women as they steward their gifts and leverage their potential for His glory through their vocational callings. She and her husband Brent live in El Paso, TX where Brent pastors LIFEchurch. They are the parents of 3 great kids. Follow Women & Work on Instagram at @womenwork_net.

In Episode 17 of Coffee Chats, Diane asks a simple question that she has been asked numerous times: Do I have to have a seminary degree to be a ministry wife? She reached out to her good friend Tara Dew to answer it. Here's a little info about Tara. I have loved Jesus for as long as I can remember. I was blessed to be raised in a Christian home by godly parents, and grew up going to church whenever the doors were open. I trusted Jesus to be my Savior when I was only five years old at a Billy Graham Crusade, and really started growing in my faith in middle school when I did my first Bible study: Experiencing God Youth Edition. Jamie and I met in our church’s high school youth group, and were married 6 years later. We have been blessed with two sets of twins: Natalie & Nathan and Samuel & Samantha. We lovingly refer to them as the “Nats” and the “Sams.” And all four of them are the “Dew Crew” (or in New Orleans they spell it “Dew Krewe”). My primary ministry is to my family, as many hours of each day are spent homeschooling, training and discipling our four children. When I was a sophomore in high school, I felt God’s call on my life into ministry. Over the years, this has taken on many different forms. I served as a Pastor’s wife for almost 10 years, where I served in AWANA, coordinated the nursery volunteers, led the women’s Bible study, and helped with hospitality events. When my husband transitioned out of the pastorate to academia, I became a Dean’s wife, as Jamie was the Dean of the College at Southeastern in Wake Forest, NC. In the local church, I continued serving in both women’s and children’s ministries. I co-directed our church’s Women’s Internship, served in AWANA, and loved teaching women the Word of God in our small group and discipleship classes. As of June 5, 2019, my husband is the President of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in New Orleans, LA. This now makes me a President’s wife. What a blessing it is to serve the students, staff, and faculty of our institution, as well as women in our community, state and region. I also love all things “hospitality,” and enjoy opening our home for friends, family, and guests. With Jamie’s new role, I counsel women on our campus, am an adjunct professor in our ministry to women program, accompany Jamie as he visits local churches, and speak at women’s events and retreats throughout the southeast. Through all of the ministry opportunities, two of my passions have remained the same: women and God’s Word! Ever since I was a little girl, it was my lifelong dream to become a teacher. In 2003, I graduated from Meredith College with a Bachelors of Arts in Human Communication and a K-6 Licensure. After teaching 2 nd grade for 4 years, I became a stay-at-home Mom and continued my education online, receiving a Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning Elementary Education from Liberty University in 2012. I then started working on post-graduate, theological education and graduated with my Doctorate in Education from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in December 2018! My dissertation was entitled Survive or Thrive: An Exploration of the Preparedness of Southern Baptist Pastors’ Wives. Training, equipping and supporting ministry wives has become another passion and I am honored to direct and teach in THRIVE, our Ministry Wives Certificate Program at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

Have you ever wondered how different your life would have been if you could have been mentored for ministry early on? Maybe you came into ministry later on in life and now you have a lot of questions? Today, Diane talks with one of her good friends and mentor to a lot of pastor's wives, Ruth Ripkin. Ruth and her husband, Nik are mission veterans of 35 years with the International Mission Board, SBC, having served in Malawi, South Africa, Kenya, Somalia, Germany, Ethiopia and the Middle East. Currently they are directing and serving with Nik Ripken Ministries (NRM). Ruth has a BA and Masters in Education and she taught school while Nik pastored before they went overseas. Along with her husband, they have done extensive research among believers living in the midst of persecution in over 70 countries. This research has been shared in numerous articles and three books, The Insanity of God: A True Story of Faith Resurrected and The Insanity of Obedience: Walking With Jesus in Tough Places. They spend their time sharing the truths they have learned from these believers in persecution with churches, schools, and mission organizations. One of Ruth’s greatest joys is spending time with Muslim women, listening to their story and seeing how God can break into their lives. Another blessing is helping women across the US connect and fall in love with the nations in their midst. Nik and Ruth are the parents of three sons, two wonderful daughter-in-loves and an amazing grandson.

In Episode 15 of Coffee Chats, Diane asks her friend and today's guest, Katie Orr, one simple question that only friends can ask each other: Are you happy as a ministry wife? You'll be surprised to hear what Katie has to say. Grab a cup of coffee or your favorite hot beverage and take a listen to an honest conversation about what it's like to be a ministry wife.

In Episode 14 of Coffee Chats, Diane reaches out to Jacki King and Lori McDaniel to ask what their views are on the importance of having a mentor in their lives. They bring a unique perspective as they explain their relationship as mentor and mentee. Grab a cup of coffee and join Diane in this conversation about the value of having a mentor.

In Episode 13 of Coffee Chats, Diane reaches out to her close friend, Brenda Croston, to search for answers concerning the riots that are breaking out across America in response to the death of George Floyd. The question she is seeking to have answered is What is the ministry wife's response to racism and prejudice and Brenda has a very relevant answer. Brenda Croston, a former educator in the public school system, serves as the Women’s Ministry leader at Mt. Gilead Missionary Baptist Church in Nashville, TN and is the founder of Simple Truth Publishing. Brenda holds a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies and a Master of Education, both from Regent University, Virginia Beach, Virginia. Blessed to have met and married the love of her life, Mark, they have the pleasure of parenting four children with the added bonus of two granddaughters, London and Phenix. On a lazy day, you can find Brenda wrapped in a fuzzy blanket feeling grateful for every aspect of the life God has allowed her to live.

In Episode 12 of Coffee Chats, Diane seeks to help ministry wives cope with the COVID-19 pandemic as the nation begins to open back up for business. The world has seriously changed and ministry wives need to understand how they can deal with a "new normal." Diane shares insights from her own personal experience in hope's to bring light to some of the problems that ministry wive's could be facing as the world tries to start spinning again.

In Episode 10 of Coffee Chats, Diane takes another chapter from her book, "When God's Woman Wants To Give Up", to give some hope to ministry wives who feel like at times life is unfair. Hopefully this will give you some encouragement during the rough trials of your life. Grab a cup of coffee and get comfortable with Diane as she shares insights from her personal life to possibly give you some hope into your personal life.

In episode 9 of Coffee Chats, Diane sits down with one of her longest friends, Leighann McCoy, to talk about the importance of prayer in the life of a ministry wife. Leighann McCoy is the founder of the Prayer Clinic ministry. She's written 17 books and taught thousands of people to pray. Leighann serves as the prayer minister at Thompson Station Church in Thompson Station, TN, where her husband, Tom, is the senior pastor. You can connect with Leighann at www.leighannmccoy.com, and you can learn more about the Prayer Clinic at https://prayer.clinic/