Tiphane S. Deas:
Memories of my Mom Mom have been triggered by the smallest things, so I know there’s a lot that I’ll remember about her into my old age, but what I love to remember is how she always used to speak into my life: telling me that I was a prayer warrior when I was still simply a kid to most, reminding me of how much she believes in me and what I can accomplish. Lately the conversations had gotten so good that I would take notes after they were over. On July 16, 2008, I took this note from one of our phone conferences: “Nobody can take anything away from me unless I give it to them, particularly God’s promises to me.” I apply that even to her death. Mom Mom gave her life to Christ a long time ago (and she lived like it), so no matter what time and illness tried to take from her, nobody could take away her peace, her faith, or her life. Last week, she encouraged me one more time. Recently, I’d gotten comfortable venting to Mom Mom about the guys in my life who got on my nerves, and even though a lot of the time we made jokes out of my stories, I think she knew when I was hiding hurt behind them. I was thinking about some of those experiences while we were watching the news together not long before she passed but not really saying what was on my mind, and out of nowhere she looked at me and said, “You let God pick out the man for you, and you’re going to get a good one,” then she proceeded to tell me why while I wondered how she got into my head. I don’t know if her insight was wisdom, the Holy Spirit, or a combination of both, but it’s going to be missed in my life.
Anthony “T.J” Johnson:
There are so many things that I remember about Mom Mom. I am her only grandson and she has always treated me as if I were special. Now I realize that she treats everyone like that. Even some of my friends and co-workers called her Mom Mom and she treated them as if she were their grandmother.
I will miss the gift of music that God blessed her with. It was such a blessing to me to see her in action. Many times I was in awe when I heard some of the chords she struck. Sometimes we laughed at some of her rhythms and the special vibrato that she was able to incorporate into the music, but that’s another story.
When I graduated from college, I accepted a job in this area and moved in with Mom Mom. There were times when it was hard living with her because she was over-protective and very demanding but I learned so many things from being around her. She was a “real” Christian and had a very intimate relationship with God. She was a dedicated prayer warrior and prayed with her intercessory prayer partners each morning around 5 a.m. Not only that, she watched only TBN as if none of the other channels worked. She has a complete library of books about spiritual living, faith, finances, preaching, and every translation of the Bible, which contributed to her being a Bible scholar. After work I could always look forward to some type of outing. There was choir practice and Bible Study to name a few. Although she was challenged with sickness the last few years, she even completed her studies at Spirit of Faith. Many of our conversations were about God. I was fortunate to witness her living her ministry. She spoke of God’s healing her body in spite of what it looked like and felt like. She had faith in what God could do and what He said He would do.
One of my most memorable events is one that involves my daughter, Shanae. When Shanae was born, she experienced problems with her bowels. Her pediatrician directed us to regulate it with prune and apple juice. Most of the time this worked, but there were times when she still experienced discomfort. Mom Mom was empathetic to this and often asked about her. One day she asked me if we were still having difficulties. She asked me if I really believed that God could heal. My answer was yes. She then told me that I no longer needed to wonder about it or worry. Instead, I needed to lay hands on her stomach and watch God heal her. Years since this conversation and her passing, I can attest to His healing power. Shanae no longer experiences any discomfort, nor do we regulate her bowels with juices or medicines. To God be the glory! My grandmother will always be remembered for her words of wisdom and her faith in God.
Shawanda Johnson:
Although I’ve only officially been a part of the family for 6 years, Mom Mom Millie welcomed me with love. I remember how nervous I was the first time I met Mom Mom as “T.J.’s girlfriend.” When I walked in the door, she embraced me and asked if I wanted something to eat. I felt right at home.
One of the many things I’ll miss about Mom Mom will be our weekend appointments. Mom Mom was my “foot buddy.” On Saturday mornings, she’d call and ask me what I was doing. After a brief, “nothing really,” she’d say, “Let’s go get our feet done.” We’d sit in the chairs and chat while beautifying our feet. I’ll miss those conversations.
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