by Deborah Malone and Rita Prochazka
Annie, could you share some of your testimony with our readers?
I surrendered my life to the Lord at age sixteen when I had almost given up on life. My upbringing had been troubled, yet I had heard of God and the good news of Jesus through Vacation Bible School and attendance at Sunday School.
For years after receiving Christ, I did not grow in my faith. I didn’t even go to church. But eventually God’s Spirit stirred up discontent in my heart and gave me a desire to know Him better. My husband and I decided to begin attending church. A year later, my daughter was born with Down syndrome. God knew her diagnosis would rock my world, so He reeled me to His side where I would be ready to receive His care and provision.
Since then, I have been on an adventure of bold faith that includes more children (one through foster care), homeschooling, a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis, the call to the mission field on four continents, radical forgiveness, and a ministry through writing and speaking.
In your walk with God in this season of your life, what have you learned?
In the years since my kids became adults, I’ve learned God may still have a few unexpected twists and turns to navigate with Him. I knew my nest would never be empty because my adult daughter would remain in my care, but several years ago, God added to our family and sent me back to parenting a teenager.
I confess, I fussed at God a bit over this challenging course change. But by now, I’ve learned it’s best to stick with His plan. In any season, our lives are not our own. Instead, we’re instruments in His orchestra, ready to be played at the direction of our Conductor.
(Deborah here: Annie what a beautiful illustration. It touched my heart strings)
How have you prepared/been prepared for your ministry?
I always loved writing, but after I graduated from school, I pursued other interests. I never even kept a journal. A couple of years after my daughter was born, however, God gave me the idea for a book. I wrote three words on a sticky note – “ignorance is bliss,” and I put it in a drawer. Over the years, as I raised my daughter, I’d see the slip of paper from time to time but felt too busy to act on it.
Several years ago, I got serious about writing the book. My inspiration bloomed into a ministry of writing not only books, but also Christian living articles and ministry as an inspirational speaker. I believe God withheld my writing ministry until He steeped me in His Spirit and matured me for the demands and heightened accountability that comes with teaching others.
God also led me to a Christian writers’ conference where I met people who helped me to understand the publishing industry. There I found a group of faithful writers who critique my work and help me hone my skills.
How have you seen God working in your life recently?
Over the years of walking with God I’ve had several growth spurts. My most recent came when He impressed on me the need to better understand Him as my Father. My experiences with my earthly dad left me with deficits I didn’t perceive until recently. In the past year, I have been meditating on God’s fatherly attributes and learning what it means to live as a little child who can fully depend on my Abba for every need. Now I’m more secure in His deep and abiding love for me.
Can you tell us something about yourself that most people wouldn’t know? (serious or fun)
I grew up in a family with four older brothers, and I blame them for my competitive spirit. I absolutely love to play fast paced and fun board and card games. None of those boring strategy games for me (yawn). I often invite people to my home to play. Though I enjoy winning, I take pleasure in the camaraderie even more.
What would be your advice to other “seasoned” women on ways to stay active in ministry?
When God first called me to the mission field, I discovered men and women who passionately served God in their retirement years. My heroes include an eighty-three-year-old Idaho farmer and a seventy-four-year-old spitfire from Texas who trekked with me into Siberia in the middle of winter to share the Gospel with orphans.
We never know what God has planned for us. “Active” in ministry runs the gamut from faithfully praying for others each day, to tending babies at MOPS meetings, and to crossing cultures to share the Gospel of Jesus. All equally please and glorify God. The key to staying active in ministry is keeping our hearts and minds open to His plan. If you’re not sure what to do, in prayer express your desire to serve God and ask Him to direct you to where your talents and spiritual gifts are needed.
Annie, can you tell us a little about your ministry?
Over the past several years of writing and speaking for God’s glory, He has given me numerous opportunities.
At my website, I write a blog to encourage people to perceive God at work in both the mundane and magnificent parts of your life. Please stay connected with me at AnnieYorty.com by subscribing to my quarterly newsletter and blog updates. I also write devotions and articles for Crosswalk.com. My Christian living articles are often about homeschooling, parenting, and living faithfully. You can also find my work in other print and online magazines.
My first book, From Ignorance to Bliss: God’s Heart Revealed through Down Syndrome, came out in 2023. Through a transparent look at the life of a person with Down syndrome, this book shows how God uses our life circumstances to teach us to know and trust Him. My second book, 25 Symbols of Christmas – Finding Jesus, releases in November 2024. Each devotion focuses on one symbol or tradition of the season to show us the character of the One whose birth we celebrate and to increase our devotion to Him.
I have also contributed to two Chicken Soup for the Soul books, including the 2024 Christmas edition, as well as several other books.
In my speaking ministry, I enjoy connecting with women, homeschool parents, children, and families of kids with disabilities. For a year I published a weekly podcast, Ordinary Moms of Extraordinary Kids, with weekly Bible encouragement for special needs moms. Currently, I co-host the podcast, Empowering Homeschool Conversations, the authority on homeschooling diverse learners.
What challenges have you had to overcome in this time of your “seasoned” ministry?
I’ve always led a busy life, but these days feel more active than ever. As a lifelong learner, I enjoy acquiring new skills, but the learning curve for the publishing industry has stretched me to depend more fully on God. Also, I’m probably not alone in my struggle to find a work-life balance.
Have you ever felt “too old” to be used by God? What made you decide God could still use you?
I have never felt too old to be used by God. But when I was younger, I wrestled with God about how I could be useful with physical limitations. I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis around age forty and spent quite a few years physically impaired. God assured me through His Word that in my weakness He is strong. (2 Cor. 12:10) Then God went on to prove this truth to me by giving me opportunities to serve Him in various capacities. If we are breathing, He can use us for His glory.
What seasoned woman in the Bible is an inspiration to you? Why?
A woman named Anna occupies only three verses of the Bible, but her devotion to God shines down through the centuries to us today. Luke tells us she knew adversity (Luke 2:36-38). After only seven years of marriage, her husband died. She never remarried, and there’s no mention of children. She devoted the remaining decades of her long life to worshiping God in the Temple.
Worship of God should be the chief aim of our lives. Worship includes everything from the attitude of our hearts to our thoughts and our actions. We can worship with our work and our leisure. With our songs and through our studies. God is pleased whenever we seek to glorify Him.
Anna also studied the Scripture and anticipated God’s fulfillment of His promise to send a Messiah. Because she was watchful and expectant, she immediately recognized the baby Jesus as the One she longed for when His parents brought Him into the Temple. She witnessed to everyone that his Child was sent by God to rescue His people.
In my ministry, I seek to help people notice the presence and power of God in every situation they encounter. In Isaiah 43:19, God says, “For I am about to do something new. See I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.” (NLT) If you feel discouraged today, remember Anna. She trusted God to send His Son into the world to save us. And He never ceases working out His will in your situation, too.
I’d love to hear how you’re connecting with God in this season of your life. I invite you to visit my website, AnnieYorty.com and send me a message. It would be my privilege to encourage and pray for you. I have been blessed to visit with you today. – Annie
Annie thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your encouraging words with our readers. What a pleasure it was to interview you!
Bio: Annie Yorty is a wife, mom to three children and a furry beast labradoodle, author, speaker, and podcaster. Through a series of unexpected twists and turns in life – a child with Down syndrome, a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis, a 16-year homeschool journey, foster care, and over 20 mission trips to four continents – Annie has developed bold faith to go all in with God.
Where Hope Blooms 