As her husband, please allow me to introduce to you Pam Iannello; not only the author of "Rise & Shine for Jesus," but also my dear wife since 1982 and the mother of our three precious children; Justine, Paul Jr. and Luke. Pam was born into a family of ten in Rochester, New York. She became a Christian in her later teen years but was never taught and grounded in the word of God. Hence, she never escaped the pollutions of the world. I met my lovely wife in a nightclub and was smitten by her at first sight. Little did she know that she was falling in love with a pornographic, drunken playboy. We became married a year and a half later … and we lived happily ever after … not quite. You see Pam married a lost man; me, which is against the word of God (2 Cor 6:14), and would have to suffer the consequences for her disobedience to the word of God.
Pam became pregnant with Justine shortly after we were married, and it was then that she began to develop deep convictions about her life. She no longer wanted the world but rather the Lord. She knew that she now was responsible for the upbringing of this little child. Unfortunately, my convictions for life did not match her convictions for life and thus the battle began. You see, I had not changed, she did. She stopped drinking, and she stopped dancing. That was our whole life together up until then. Remember, we met in a nightclub. Pam had decided to begin living the Christian life … and of course she wanted me to live it as well! Not me I said … and not my children! Pam thought that cramming the word of God down my throat was the answer, but she soon found out that I was not going to hear it anymore, and found herself and our daughter-to-be flying the friendly skies back down to her daddy in Florida. When I got home from taking her to the airport I walked into our apartment and immediately fell to my knees sobbing, because I had never felt such loneliness before. When Pam got off the plane she expected a warm welcome from her Christian father, but what she ended up with was a strong rebuke to go back and submit to the man that she married … you made your bed now go lie in it! Thank God for good fatherly counsel. Pam called me and told me that she wanted to come home and would submit totally to her husband. I told her to fly home, being in total disbelief. A new woman came off that plane. It was surely not the same Pam that had gotten on the plane over a week ago. Pam had been praying for a good church in the area. When we arrived home from a family vacation there was a door hanger on our door from a local church inviting us to attend. Pam went and immediately was knit together with one of the godliest women I have ever met. Her name was Patty. Had it not been for the godly Christian counsel of this dear woman, I do not know where our family would be today. Thank you Lord for Patty! Thank you Lord for Pam's heeding her counsel!
As the days and months passed by Pam had stopped preaching the word of God at me and started living the word of God for me (1 Peter 3:1-2). I could hardly believe my eyes as my wife served her hung-over husband breakfast in bed. I would ask myself, "What could possess a woman to be so good and kind to a man that is so selfish and inconsiderate?" Little did I know that it was not what possessed her but who possessed her. This took place for over a year until one day I said that I was tired of trying to find my happiness in a bottle, in a bar, in a business, and in a buck. I wanted what Pam had; to be able to be joyful in spite of my circumstances. On February 14, 1984 I saw myself as a lost sinner bound for a godless hell, and I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior.
I viewed the Christ that Pam portrayed as worth having (2 Cor 3:2). Since then we have struggled like any Christian couple, but praise the Lord we never will quit (Phil 3:14).
Today, I am the pastor of New Beginnings Baptist in White House, TN, a suburb of Nashville. A miracle you say … you are right … but then again that is why He is God. My wife and I have a beautiful family of three children that love the Lord and serve Him as well. Our church's main ministry is the restoration of the Christian family. Thank you Pam for praying instead of punching, for silence instead of screaming, for charity instead of contention, for understanding instead of uprooting, and for devotion instead of divorce. A note to all the ladies that will be reading "Rise & Shine for Jesus." God has gifted my wife Pam with incredible insight into the scriptures. She can take an otherwise non-eventful portion of scripture and make it come alive! This coupled with all of the marital hardship, living with a lost man, ministry struggles, child rearing and a multitude of other experiences she has encountered, gives her a very deep well from which to draw from. I do not know one woman that has heeded her counsel and has been sorry for it. I pray that my Proverbs 31 wife and my children's Proverbs 31 mother will be as much of a blessing to you as she has been to our family, our church, and everyone that has been touched by "Rise & Shine for Jesus."
With much gratitude and love,
Paul A. Iannello
- Husband 1st
- Father 2nd
- Pastor 3rd
