Joyfully from Jacksonville

While researching an article, I came across a site, Joyfully from Jacksonville, which features weekly devotional written by local author Barbara Gobbs. I had an opportunity to sit down with Barbara and her husband Bob, a retired military and commercial pilot.

I came across your blog, and it appears to be a new venture for you, how long have you been writing?

Actually yes and no, that particular blog was started in 2003 when we moved to Denver. It was called A Day’s Devotion From Denver, and I wrote that every Monday every week for the 3 years that we were there and when we moved to Phoenix, I continued from Phoenix. When we came to Jacksonville, I switched from a website to a blog site.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I have been a Christian since 1982 I have had some very interesting highs and lows which I cover in testimony in my books. I do speaking for Stonecroft ministries and work part time for Pocketful of Change Ministries.

Are you a native Floridan?

I was born in Montgomery, Alabama and did a short time in Long Beach, California. My father worked for IBM and did work for NASA while the moon project was active, so I lived in Florida ever since the 3rd grade. Jacksonville and Panama City are where I have spent the most time as an adult.

Tell us about your books.

The devotions I wrote while in Denver became A Day's Devotion From Denver, and it was a kind of therapy for me since I was in a new town and my friends and networks were in Florida. Up until that time, I had worked fulltime and I had written a book for my grandmother, so with the newfound time I had, I started my writing career. Cinderella Moments was a caompilation of short stories that contained life lessons and Girl Gab is similar but I am a co-author with a friend and my current boss at Pocketful of Change Ministries.

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the church today?

I think the biggest challenge is getting the news of the gospel out to people in an understandable fashion and make it relevant to their lives. That coming to church is not a magic charm. There are virtual churches, and churches accessible through the media; but there is no lucky power associated with that. Going to church is an extension of a relationship with a living God.

To purchase Barbara’s books or read her devotionals you can go to her Joyfully from Jacksonville site. You can contact her at barbaragobbs@gmail.com

Pocketful of Change Ministries can be found here.

You can reach me at Jax.evangelical.examiner@hotmail.com and receive updates on me or this column on Twitter by following captequinox.

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