Walking with Christ through Lent

by Leslie Ann Jones

“I spend half of every week in a dorm room and leave the upkeep of our house in Iuka, Mississippi, to Dennis, my husband. Typical of first houses, one project or another constantly begs for attention.”

As as student at Beeson Divinity School, I helped collect, edit and write a series of Lenten devotions written by students and faculty.  We published the devotions and distributed them to the Beeson family to use for personal reflection during the 2008 Lenten season.  I pulled the preceding quote from one of the two devotions I wrote that were published in the book.

To read the full devotions I contributed to the project, click here.

Poplar Springs Pastor Trains for Olympic Trials

by Leslie Ann Jones

Alabama Baptist pastor Daniel Ellis runs about 115 miles a week — more miles than many people drive their cars.

“I enjoy running, because it’s relaxing to me. I just put one foot in front of the other and go,” said Ellis, pastor of Poplar Springs Baptist Church, Brookwood, in Pleasant Grove Baptist Association.

But his running is not simply exercise. He loves to compete in races and is training for the Olympic trials.

Ellis plans to test his desire to reach the Olympics Nov. 3, when he runs in the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials — Men’s Marathon in New York. He qualified for the race in February at the AT&T Austin Marathon in Texas, with a time of 2 hours, 21 minutes, 52 seconds.

“This is pretty much a dream come true,” said Ellis, a student at Samford University’s Beeson Divinity School in Birmingham. “It’s like playing with all-stars in the all-star game.”

Ellis is one of more than 170 men eligible to enter the trials. Only the top three of those will go on to compete with the 2008 U.S. Olympic team.

“The magic mark is [2 hours, 20 minutes] for the average qualifier,” said Jim Estes, senior manager of long distance running and marketing for USA Track & Field. “But to win a spot on the team, you need to run in the [2 hours, 12 minutes] or faster range.”

Ellis said his goal is to complete the 26.2-mile course in 2 hours, 17 minutes.
The Oklahoma native trains with his wife, Bekah — the closest thing to a coach he has. The two met at Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, where they ran together, winning top honors at the 2006 NAIA championships. He took first place in the men’s marathon, and she finished third in the women’s marathon.

The couple rises before 5 a.m. to put in a 13-mile run or track session before school and work. A few days a week, the Ellises double up their workouts and take an eight-mile afternoon run. On weekends, they take a 23-mile run.

Each week, they add more miles to their routine to build endurance, and training on Birmingham’s hills helps the runners build speed and strength.
“He’s worked really hard for this. It’s a big honor to make the trials,” Bekah Ellis said. “The other runners may have more foot speed, but Daniel’s a lot tougher and stronger.”

She will run with 38,000 others in the ING New York City Marathon Nov. 4 and hopes to clock in at 2 hours, 50 minutes — three minutes shy of the women’s standard for the 2008 Olympic trials. Her dream is to run in the trials for the 2012 Olympics.

Daniel Ellis said making the 2008 Olympic team is a long shot but he’s glad to be in the trials.

Poplar Springs Baptist Deacon Wayne Stanley said he is proud of his pastor. “Everyone in our church is pulling for him 100 percent,” Stanley said. “He’s a fine young man who lives for the Lord.”

[originally published in The Alabama Baptist, 10.18.07]

Mulligans for Marcy

by Leslie Ann Shoemake

“Every golfer knows that a mulligan is a second chance, but for Marcy Payne, the term applies to more than golf.  Payne is a woman looking for another shot at life, and friends and neighbors are doing everything they can to help that dream come true.”

While Marcy fought Lou Gehrig’s disease, her community rallied around her to help offset the cost of medical bills.  I met Marcy and her husband, Rob, at their home in Franklin, Tenn., and spent a few hours talking with them and learning their story.

The Franklin Review Appeal ran the article, and you can read the full text here.

Ready, Willing and Able

by Leslie Ann Shoemake

“Shamekwa Simmons loves cleaning, which is a good thing, because she spends her work days doing just that at the Chick-fil-A on Franklin Avenue.  She does everything from taking out the trash to wiping off tables and trays.

‘I really like my job,’ she said.  ‘We laugh a lot.’

Simmons, who has been employed at the restaurant for five years, learned many of her work skills at Heart of Texas Industries…”

The previous snippet is an excerpt from a feature on Heart of Texas Industries published in The Waco Tribune-Herald’s January 2005 issue of Waco Today.  Shamekwa is just one of HOTI’s success stories, and her passion for her work was evident.

To learn more about Shamekwa and HOTI, read the full article here.

LifeWay Internship

I spent the summer of 2003 as an intern in the communication department at LifeWay Christian Resources.  While there, I wrote several articles and press releases that various publications picked up.  The list of links below is a smattering of those articles spanning a broad range of topics.

Montgomery LifeWay Christian Stores Commit to Pray for U.S. Soldiers on Active Duty

LifeWay ‘LINKS’ Ministries, Churches to Internet with Web Site Design Service

Rookie Children’s Sunday School Teachers Learn Tips for Success at Ridgecrest

Acts of Kindness, Demonstrations of Love Lead People to Christ

Insights Assessments Provide Useful, Accurate Strengths Profiles for Churches, Families, Couples

To read more articles I wrote at LifeWay, go to lifeway.com and type “Leslie Ann Shoemake” into the search field at the top right corner of the page.