Honey has been a faithful member of our church since 1987, and Covenant wouldn’t be the same without her. Thanks for doing this interview with us, Honey!
Where did you grow up?
Well, I was born in Philly and lived there till I was ten. But I’d have to say I did most of my “growing up” in a very cute little town right above Collegeville, called Trappe, in Montgomery County. So that makes me a Montco!
Where do you live and what community group do you attend?
My husband, Jim, and I live in Westtown and have been attending the Radano Community Group for about four years.
When and how did you start coming to Covenant Fellowship Church?
My older sister, Mary, invited me to come to church in January of 1987 and I got saved here April 5th that year. And I’ve been here ever since.
Tell us about your family.
My husband Jim and I were married in March of 1991. At that point I already had our oldest daughter, Melissa. In February ’92 I had our twin boys, Dan and Mike and 4 years later our youngest Jeff was born. Melissa and her husband Jesse have two boys, Jackson, 4 and Jace, 8 weeks. Dan is married to his beautiful wife Lindsay. Jeff is married to his beautiful wife, Lily. Mike has been living in South Korea for 3 years teaching English as a second language and enjoying some travel and adventure.
Do you have an interesting family tradition?
We sing “Happy Birthday” really obnoxiously, which has been passed down from my husband’s side of the family.
What is your most embarrassing moment?
Well, there should be a lot of those, but unfortunately, I don’t get embarrassed very easily. Apparently, I don’t have that gene.
Tell us about your job.
I help my daughter two days a week caring for my grandboys. Aside from that, I like to serve by filling in gaps where there’s a need. So that might be at church or with my kids or friends. I’m really enjoying this season of life because I have a lot of flexibility and availability in my serving. It’s been really fun!
Can you list “five favorites in five words”?
Jimmy, Grandboys (and the rest of my kids and their spouses), Dancing, Birding, Crocheting/AudioBooks (sorry, I need six, but maybe you won’t notice)
What ministries do you serve in at CFC and how have you have seen God work in one of those ministries?
Sunday mornings I am a greeter and/or editing messages, I serve in the kitchen for Bridge, I participate on the ProLife Team, I help facilitate the Prayer Force, and I’m a Bridge prayer warrior. In each of them, I am under an authority. That might sound funny, but it has been really good for me to practice loving others, submission, humility, and obedience and really just trying to be faithful without pushing my way or opinion and complaining. I have gotten to a place of really loving to serve others. It really has become a joy! Plus the people I’ve served with are a blast!
What are you currently studying and learning in your devotional times?
My husband and I have been doing a devotional together, reading through the New Testament in a year. Also, I have been studying suffering and trusting God. It has really challenged my thinking on how I interact with people who are going through trials. I have been really blessed in these studies but my hope is that I’m growing in caring for others as they walk through hardships in life.
What is your favorite verse or passage of scripture, and why?
One of my very favorites is Romans 11:33-36:
O, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable are his ways!
For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?
Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be glory forever!
This one keeps me grounded. It helps me remember who God is and who I am. I need that.
And Matthew 22.37-40 where Jesus replied: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
I love when God makes things simple! One thing to remember. Love God, love others. It’s not complicated.
If you could talk to a younger version of yourself, what advice would you give her?
- Study and know Jesus. He’s your treasure!
- Trust the Lord with everything. He knows what he’s doing and you’re just getting in the way!
- It’s not your job to save your kids, God will take care of that.
- Love, love, love…Your husband, your kids and everyone else! Lay down your life just like Jesus did for you.
- It’s better to love than to be right.
- Love your people more than your stuff.
- Pray for and practice patience.
- Be quiet and listen.
- THINK! It’s hard work but will be worth it.
When and how did you come to Christ?
My sister, Mary, invited me to Covenant, and I was really affected during worship. I grew up Catholic and this was nothing like it. I was living a wild life, partying during the week, but I couldn’t wait to go to church on Sunday. I would cry every week during worship. I could feel the battle for my soul. And still, I kept coming to church. On April 5th, 1987, during worship, Bill Patton prayed a prayer and I felt like it was what was in my heart. He was praying my prayer. It freaked me out. I thought to myself, “Whatever happens today, just go with it.” At the end of the message, Bill said, “I believe there are people here who need to get right with God.” I knew that was me. He said he would call us up front after we sang a worship song. I couldn’t wait to get up there! I was squirming in my seat. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a man walking toward the front and I thought, “If he’s going, I’m going!” So I started up the aisle only to see this man move into a row and sit down. I didn’t care. I was going up front. So I did. I tried to sing but I couldn’t because I was crying. I gave up and knelt down on the floor and prayed, “Make me white as snow, make me white as snow, make me white as snow!”
What is one situation you have faced or are facing? Share how God moved, or is moving, in the midst of this experience.
Jim and I have been married for 28 years. From the beginning, we had this ongoing issue that wasn’t huge but kept coming up in different forms. After about seventeen years of this, we came to an amazing mutual God-inspired epiphany. One night we were talking through this same issue and we realized that we came from two very different family cultures. Jim came from the victim family and I came from the offender family. This may sound simplistic, but it helped us to see each other and ourselves differently. We realized we weren’t acting the way we were to hurt or annoy the other, but that we were raised this way and so it seemed normal to each of us to behave the way we did. It also helped us to see how it affected the other and that we needed to change this behavior and think better about the other. I came away from that night thinking, “God doesn’t mind taking his time to accomplish his will.” We both are still amazed at this work God has done in our marriage.
