Key Takeaways

• Serve through Christ, not merely for Him—let His strength carry the weight.
• Guard your home with prayerful boundaries and wise transparency.
• “Selah” matters: rest, breathe, and reset before pouring out again.
• Build your village before the crisis; community is a spiritual safeguard.
• Women have a vital, God-affirmed role in global ministry—seen, called, and needed.

Mentioned in This Episode

• Samaritan’s Purse & On the Ground podcast (search in your podcast app)
• Operation Christmas Child & The Greatest Journey discipleship course

Connect & Resources

• More from Diane and community for ministry women: contagiousjoy4him.com

If the episode encouraged you:

• Follow/Subscribe to the show
• Rate & Review (this really helps!)
• Share it with a friend in ministry who needs fresh couragement

Listen as Isabella recounts her miraculous prayer for snow, the unexpected delivery of a colorful shoebox, and the life lessons she learned through the simple yet profound act of giving. Discover how this ministry continues to impact lives around the globe, as Isabella transitions from a recipient to a leader overseeing a team of storytellers sharing the gospel.

Join us for this inspiring testimony of faith, resilience, and the extraordinary impact of ordinary acts of kindness.

In this moving episode, Isabella shares her story of growing up in a society where faith was forbidden, and survival meant standing in line for rationed food. She recounts her family’s fear and courage, her secret encounters with Scripture, and her first introduction to God’s love through an underground church. As we approach Samaritan’s Purse Collection Week, she reveals how a simple shoebox filled with small gifts opened her heart to the gospel and answered her very first prayer.

Join us for an inspiring tale of resilience, faith, and hope, as Isabella reminds us of the power of small acts of kindness to transform lives. Don’t miss this powerful episode—and find out how you can spread God’s light through a simple shoebox this Christmas season. Stay tuned for the next episode, where Isabella reveals the life-changing impact of her very first prayer.

Grab your coffee, sit back, and prepare to be inspired on Coffee Chats with Diane Nix.

With vivid details, Diane describes the shock of seeing her house burn down as a teenager and the devastating aftermath of Katrina, where her family was left with nothing. Throughout these hardships, her faith in God remained her family’s anchor, providing strength and guidance in the darkest times. Diane shares the comfort she found in scripture, particularly Isaiah 43, which reminded her of God’s promise to be with them through deep waters and fiery trials.

This episode offers listeners a message of hope, the strength of family, and the power of community in times of need. Diane emphasizes how prayer, physical assistance, and financial support can make a world of difference to those facing loss. Join her as she reflects on her family’s journey of faith, restoration, and how you, too, can help others recover from the unimaginable.

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!**

So you know what to do, grab your favorite cup of coffee or beverage and listen in for this free episode of Soul Sistas.

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.

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."

So grab your favorite mug, fill it with something hot, and press play to hear Season 3's opener "When Your Landscape Changes."

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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/

Rachel Lovingood has been doing ministry with her husband Jeff for 30 years and they have 5 grown children. She is an author and teacher with a knack for teaching Biblical Truths in a simple, fun, relevant way so that they can be applied to everyday life. Her passion is to see lives transformed by the Word of God which happens when Scripture is applied to our lives. Rachel serves as a Womens Ministry leader at her home church of FBC Cleveland TN.  

Kaye has a Masters Degree in counseling from Liberty University and is a crisis counselor for Women’s Events through LifeWay Christian Resources. Whether speaking, singing or listening, Kaye’s passion is to help others find intimacy with Christ and soul transformation through the living pages of His Word. “I was a wounded, lonely Midwest farm girl until the Divine Romancer swept me off my feet. I want to steward my story well so that others can find Him in their stories and be fully satisfied.”

Kaye met and married her husband Chris in Austin, Texas in 1987. They have two daughters through the miracle of adoption, Madison and Cami. They live on Florida’s West Coast and are both on staff at Bayside Community Church. Kaye is also a contributing author for the LifeWay resource, Women Reaching Women in Crisis.

A graduate of Baylor University, Christi has led and participated in Christian orphan care, humanitarian aid, emergency relief, medical missions, childcare and ministry to children and families around the world. She has traveled across the globe for recreational, missional and educational purposes. Christi is an advocate for orphans, homeless and the hungry and speaks passionately about her call to reach out to “…the least of these.”

Having grown up at a Texas children’s home where her father worked for 40 years, Christi has seen how loving Christian homes can impact the trajectory of a child’s life. Christi is a Women’s Bible study teacher and speaker. She has also been a guest on Christian tv, radio, blogs, podcasts and has been featured in magazines and newspapers. The wisdom and application Christi shares will forever change your perception of Jesus and your daily relationship with Him.