NRB Chronicles- It's Story Time Memaw

So, as always, we're having fun here on the convention floor of the 2021 National Religious Broadcasters Convention, and sometimes I get to see old friends, and sometimes I get to talk to old friends that I actually have never met, but I've talked to on the phone many, many, many times, and we've had on our show, in this case, I think twice, is Joanne Vickner, who is one of our many podcasters for the Truth Podcast Network, which, you know, you may be familiar with her stories, but if you're not, wow, I mean, you're in for a treat today, so welcome, Joanne, and so tell our listeners if they hadn't heard about your stuff.

Oh, what a miracle it is. I felt really bad for my grandchildren. I think I've told you this before, but for those that haven't heard, my daughter and her husband separated when they were very young, and my heart just ached for them. After hearing James Dobson on the phone talk about the need to reach your children for Christ by the age of five or six or so, I was convicted, so when my children came to visit, they asked me for a story. That's when I took the opportunity to say, God, give me a story of you. They need you in their lives. Help them draw closer to you. And from that moment on, for eight years, every time they came over, they would chant, It's Storytime Meemaw.

I would pray and tell them a story. And so, It's Storytime Meemaw is both the name of her book, but it's also the name of her podcast, which is right there at truththatwork.com. You can hear her read these stories, which is absolutely classic, but also you need to get a copy of the book so you can have the stories. And you've been a chance here to do some book signings, and tell us about your adventure at the NRV. It's overwhelming. I know I have a great story and it's a miracle, but to be here amongst thousands of people and everyone has a story. God is still in the miracle making business.

I am blown away by what He's doing here. It's amazing to see all the different ways, but story seems to be a common thread that He gives all of us, right? Absolutely. And every child, they love to hear a good story. They do. And what's even better is when they hear a good story that is a good story. Because there's some stories that may be entertaining and they may draw you into the story, but the messages aren't good for their little hearts because stories speak to our hearts.

They do. And these children, they loved it when they were stories of me, stories of people they knew. I wanted them to see Jesus in everything because He is in everything. So I told them all the bad things I had done and how I managed to get through them and they were shocked. Kids love storytelling, but they love it more when it's done by people they know.

Right, because it's interesting. I love the scripture where Paul pretty much explains in my weakness, he's made strong. So as we share our faults and how God came to the rescue and He's the hero of the story, and the glory, by the way, belongs over there, then the kids can say, Oh, when I mess up, I have Jesus.

Jesus will get me through it. That's the thing. One of the beautiful things about Joanne's book, again, it's called Storytime Memaw, and it is Storytime Memaw, I'm sure. As you can tell, Joanne's from Louisiana, so it has that southern flair to it. You get a little of the Cajun thing going on when you're feeling it, especially since a lot of her stories have to do with the bayou.

That's what I can see, based on what I've heard. Can you imagine, you share these real lives. This stuff is people going to jail and stuff like this that's in this book, and you don't hear that in Christians. You pick up a Christian book, you're expecting these Sunday school type stories that you're not expecting, but the Bible is full of that real stuff, right? People do go to jail. People do make bad decisions.

Look at David. All of them, we learn from that, and it gives us hope. As I recall, there are some people that fell into drug addiction. That one wasn't true.

However, there was a story of someone I knew that went through that. That one wasn't true, but I did pray, God, give me a story on drugs. I want these children to know now, have it in their minds now, never to try that. So I created it and souped it up, so they were drawn into it. When the mother of one child called the other, that just made it for my kids. It made an impression. Those things, like, okay, you want to try this out for size, try to tell me what your pastor said three weeks ago in a sermon.

Just give me one line that you can remember of something he said. While you're thinking about that, tell me the name of the dog in the Wizard of Oz. That's we've made our point, that story sticks with you. What I've told several people as I sat down with them at the NRB, I said, we come here to hobnob with our fellow wizards. It doesn't take long for them to go, oh, that's from the Wizard of Oz, of course, because those stories, they stick to some place that's in your heart.

They do. And so when you have these stories that you share with your children, and a beautiful thing, that really God gave you these stories, and Joanne is a master storyteller, not just from a standpoint of content, but then from a standpoint of inflection. Oh, thank you. I'd love to hear her actually read them, which I did. I have to admit, I'd never had done on the air in my entire 16 years or however long I've been doing this. I was interviewing Joanne, and I said, well, just read us one of the stories, because it seemed like something. And so for the first time ever, I've had somebody read an actual chapter out of their book, and we just had the time to do it, because it happened in the third segment. And she read it, and I'll never, ever, ever forget the impact it had on everybody, because the producer was looking at me, and everybody was like, man.

And I said, yeah. I said, I'm going to use these in my devotion I do at a retirement home. And then I thought about it, wow, this would make a great podcast, because people need to not only read, but here they can hear it, and it's a beautiful thing. I'm excited about it. I am so excited about it, and to see what God is doing with it.

I thought this was just a private thing, me, my grandchildren. And eight years later, they've been led to the Lord. They have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. Praise God for that.

And then that's when God spoke to say, have them published, and now He's making it public. So a miracle. Well, tell us about your daughter, the daughter that was divorced early, and so how is she doing? She's doing okay. She's doing okay. She's remarried, and things are going well. Things are going well. She's totally thrilled they've accepted Christ, and they all are members of the church now, and so there is hope.

Things are good, and here we are. You know, those who know my story well know that, oh my goodness, the way that Proverbs reads, as I recall, is train them up in the way that they should go, and when they get old, they won't know our brother. Well, when my, and people that know me know this story, my daughter Tess, she got married when she dropped out of Christian school to marry her boss at Panera Bread who was twenty-three or something. She was seventeen.

You might say, Robbie, how did you agree to that? Well, I thought, well, based on what was going on, it's better they got married than what was going on. She very soon had a child, and very soon also had a divorce, but she dropped out when she was a junior in high school, so she didn't have even a high school diploma. Oh my. Oh my goodness, what God did. So now she's a single mom.

She puts herself in the community college thing so she can get her GED, then goes on and starts nursing school while she works her way through nursing school while working at Cracker Barrel herself, gets her nursing degree, then after she gets that, she does so well, the hospital pays for her to get her full RS, whatever it's called, even her bachelor's degree, and then now she's in the operating room and doing just unbelievable. My granddaughter, as a result of that, which had me all like, is one of the just like, oh my goodness, one of the joys of my life is Lila. And I think back to those times where I was like, God, what are you doing?

Yes, yes. But in spite of whatever else happened, you know, God was, he knew what my heart needed, what Tess's heart needed, what Lila's, you know, all these people that he is, he's bringing it together because it is a story and it ain't over. It's not over. It's not over.

You're right. And so it's a... I keep them covered in prayer. I pray like, you don't want to know, just prayer.

Oh, I do know, Joanne, because I know enough to know that you're very diligent on that whole thing. And so diligent that you are obedient to what God asked you to do to write this book, which I know takes phenomenal courage. It did, because I thought after I had them printed up, I thought I was done.

I thought I'd pass them off and somebody else would print the book and I was done. But God did not leave me to do that. He had me do that. And I, as you know, didn't know how to use a computer, didn't have a computer, had to buy a computer and had never done social media.

So when Larry Carpenter from Carpenter's Son said, Joanne, send me a PDF file with your pictures and a zip file on this. I didn't know what he was talking about. I'm telling you, I was on my knees, crying out to God and telling Him, I have no idea what I'm doing. I can't do this. I don't want you to raise someone else up to do what you called me to do, but I truly cannot do this. Oh, I was in tears.

It was awful. Every deadline God got me through. I made it through prayer and calling my prayer warriors at church and all. And it was later that God spoke to my soul and He said, Joanne, you can't. You never could. This is of me and you will never forget it. And I won't.

And that's why it's such a huge miracle in my eyes. I don't even speak good English. And for the longest I told people, you know, I don't consider myself an author. I consider myself as someone that loves her family, prays for her family and did that which God called me to do. But now I rethink that God has labeled me an author. I am an author because He said so. So I can say I'm an author now. Oh, that you are. And a podcaster.

And a storyteller. But most of all, you're His daughter. And an amazing image of Him when you get to see that God light come on in your eyes, which I now get to see.

I've only heard before. And how beautiful is that? So thank you, Joanne. Oh, thank you. It's so good to be here and to meet you face to face. You are my first very first ever interview. And you made it easy for me. Here I am. Thank you. God bless. Amen.