Broken Steps: An interview with the Boss Lady of Gospel Anita Dean Arnette

This is Robby Dilmore from the Christian card I am king in pursuit where we hear how God takes your passion and uses it to build the kingdom your chosen Truth Network podcast is starting in just a few seconds.

Enjoy it and share it but most of all, thank you for listening and for choosing the truth network. This is the Truth Network every once in a while on this program. We are graced with the audience of an awesome famous person and she is boss lady Anita Dean Arnett. I'm so glad to have run I don't like is the last time interviewed you Bosley on my show. I don't think it will not allow time and see celebrating 20 years as well as amazing team and longer that broadcasting yet.

I will say in the well will late 35 decades and decades. What a blessing someone who wakes people up every morning and gets people going during the day. Her slogan is praise is what I do and this means who do you have in your life that lift your spirits toward Christ that picks you up and encourages you that when you see this person you are just your reminded about God's mercy yeah have a tough day yeah just lost a relative you you just got that that the someone has cancer.

Your deal with a virus or something, but this lady for 20+ years has been that in my life and she's right across the hall. If you ever hear background noise from when we interview pro wrestler and a cuticle offer. We interview these people to come through here to be untrue thought the noise is her getting her praise on right right across what happens over there, boss lady every day from 12 until 3 PM on the light, we praise God because simply God is good and even in trying times, even during pandemics, and even doing struggles we have to praise God to let them know that we trust him and we believe in his word.

We stand on his word so praise is what we do, even when we're going through, we still have to give God praise because he is worthy, and this is someone that you need to meet and you need to know and need to. I've been on her show, which is always a blast.

I never want to leave we see refinement statement in like 55 minutes later I'm barely get out the door, but she has written a book called broken steps boss lady of gospel. The Anita Dean story, this is you know you wrote this with your husband, Rev. Jerry Arnett and also Jerry Dean Arnett, but you know I would be as amazing and I got Jesus down the hall and he is something else and to hear him pray with you Sunday morning on the radio but tell us what led you to write this book. I just want people to get to know you don't tell folks how they can listen you even on their smart phones and how they can hear you.

And just to give people a background the Truth Network. We started our Christian radio adventure 20 maybe 22 years ago. Some like that and a couple years into it up of a very sharp a very talented African-American lady walked into my office and for the first time in my early young career in the first time ever since that day. The only time ever someone looking the eye and said, you are gonna hire me and were to do great things to the glory of God together and I thought what a second did she just tell me to hire her sheets healthy so and so now you know why she's called the Bosley value to you. You can corroborate what I just said no that's it, I'm not. I'm not it. You know making it up. No embellishment there right now that is definitely true. I was in secular music for a long long time and had always said I would never do gospel but we have to be careful what we tell God because he already has a plan.

Not only does he have a plan. He has a Masters plan and my plan was to work here, but I broadcasting an even realize that but I knew it had to be different, something had to change in my life and so once I met you I really need to hire me and you and it's been wonderful. Everything on let me set this up to when you walk the halls of this company when you if you come to visit us were true, talk is produced and going to all of our where this you know were on Providence Lane the coolest name for road and that there is God's reminder that none of this is hereby our our our reckonings or doings or machinations raising but you will see when you walk in all these trophies and all these plaques and you'll see a big poster that says Anita Dean day. You know that the mayor of the city was a sale was announced this day you will see awards of Sciacca leads you will is not uncommon for a limousine to pull up in a big promoter to get out enough center thing and all. Yes, I finally Stu finally gets is is is praise and all that in a in a I walk up with a big smile ready to get my ribbon and he says we will see the boss lady Anita Dean Arnett have decided that but so you have God used you from here and all you've done your life you before here to touch a whole lot of people and make a big impact in those trophies really trophies of grace in your book as a trophy of grace alone. Now take us back to the beginnings and how you met Christ in some the struggle early on. The people don't they hear you on the radio they hear the split personality there touched or cursed, but there are some of the God didn't you even going way way on back before radio you talk about in this book. Yes, broken steps in and still some people wonder why the title, broken steps, but at one time or another that we have all been broken and in my life at that particular time when I first came to choose broadcasting live was really broken and I didn't know God, but there was an experience and it's in the book. I want to tell it but there was an experience that I had with them. Stranger here at the studio but basically it was visit from God. And so my life began to change. I had asked God to do some things in my life, but it's about timing. And as I said there so many times when we feel we are broken with the lightly useless without light there is no hope. But God can take anything that's broken which I was broken at that time and he is the only one that can heal a broken soul and my soul was broken but God took it and mended it back together and let me know that through him all things are pots about and then my life began to turn around. That's when the trophies began to come when I start putting my trust in God that I began to heal and what would you say the event was really opened the your heart to the Lord. Neither you're looking at. If the unit down the barrel of a gun there you are. Your your your you you could give your junior baby to be killed yet.

Talk about extras rough stuff right step in attacks in all kinds of things in your thinking this could be a war for Anita Dean then noting Anita Dean Arnett right and there was no book. There was no national you know.

Awesome you high rated it gospel music program right in and there was no know that would you say God used in your life when you talk about broken steps yes domestic violence was very, very, very strong in my life and I knew that that was something that I had to do had to call on somebody and as I said I wasn't saved at that time, but I had sense enough to know that there was a higher power.

I knew that there was somebody other than my friends and my family that I could go to, and I still get emotional because when I think about the goodness of God in all that he did for me during those times when I was going through domestic violence.

When I was looking at the barrel of the gun went in my life was threatened more than one time God saw fit to save me.

Then he saw fit to continue to let me live because he did have a purpose for my life and so I want everybody that's listening to know that no matter what you been through no matter what it looks like no matter what you basin that God can take a broken vessel and he can heal and so it is just important to encourage people because we all need to be encouraged. Overall, like two steps yes pictures yes is really like, you know, quite frankly, you know I love your book and I was honored to be one of the folks that endorses you and so many great people.

Mia Alan Jones just Denise Hartsdale, Pastor Pastor Shirley seeds that I docked us a while to Mac. We just had so many people that read the book that was really, really encouraged by what I love it and I love how you take this is real like you suck some books you to paint this picture there's just not real know that is right in front of you. But when you have the word broken in your book title. Yes, you got this picture now working out you have to take a quick break and then come back in order to make this a podcast and everything in this you can share with your listeners and everything across all your stations against what is the best way for people to get your book.

Have you, what's the practical way to get that even call our headquarters here. Yes, you know, I can call here go online okay it's at Amazon Amazon Amazon and then they can call us here at 336-480-2039 and we can ship anywhere and only price is $15 and $50. You may want to buy case of a woman in a court let somebody time, why not prison ministries any type of you know, revivals or conferences women conference, domestic violence, that type of thing are just to encourage anyone more of the Anita Dean story from the book broken steps boss lady of gospel really is an easy read.

A simple Reba basically putting your letter know how you put your life in this could be sicker than the thickest encyclopedia or dictionary but but it's it's a but it's a jumping off point. Yes right it's a beginning because the story is still being written, and I know that in its impact in my life every day. She is Anita Dean Arnett, the boss lady of gospel we come back and get more into the brokenness and how God can use the brokenness in your soul to shine his amazing like a man S will get more will will will continue our visit with Anita Dean Arnett right after this from a rock jock top 40 music to the Queen of gospel hey man some cool stories about some famous people when we come back right your truth talk. I'm Stu Epperson make sure you follow me on twitter Instagram. All those places and will put pictures up and will talk about what she does for Mother's Day and what she does for kids. After this to these are two epic things she does that are transforming our community here in Winston-Salem, North Carolina against now and inspire you all over the world. Stay tuned almost a special thank you to a wonderful partner helping us advance the message of this program of the gospel in the thank you goes out to my pillow.com Mike Lindell, the inventor and CEO has now open his heart to say thank you as well. He wants to give you the opportunity to do what I've done I've slept on his pillow. I love my pillow.

I sleep better. What would you give her good night sleep right now for the first time you get deep discounts on all of my pillow products. I'm talking about my pillows. The mattress toppers the bedsheets and the body pillow all the products were in all you do is go to my pillow.com and click on the new radio listener specials my pillow.com. Click on the new radio listener specials and you'll save big you will believe the savings just enter promo code truth when you get there, always promised with a 60 day moneyback guarantee and a 10 year warranty. You can also call this toll-free number 800-944-5396 thank you my pillow for partnering with us to advance the good news the gospel and think all you guys that have checked about supporting our sponsors Stu Epperson looking at the baby picture of a woman of God, whose book is absolutely inspiring you not to be able to put it down and I think about the verse in Psalms 34 think it's verse 18 works as the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves such as are of a contrite spirit in this book is entitled broken steps boss lady of gospel. The Anita Dean Arnett story she's with me right now. The studio of beautiful book in the cover you got steps into kind, maybe a little bit rough house or area, but with with the steps to broken their broken and it's interesting broken steps tell us about that. Just those two words and and how that seem kinda pulsates through this whole book you wrote a man still if you looking at that book and you would have to have it but we had to make sure we could find the right steps, it had to be an old set of steps and and they had to be broken and as I said earlier, when you look at those steps you see they they really specified in danger because you know when you go up to an old house and you see the steps you get ready to enter the house you're very careful how you enter because of those steps because they're not stable and it points in my life I was not stable.

There were brokenness in my life so many things were going on. You know, as I said, domestic violence, about to lose my life about to be homeless. All kinds of things and as I say, people look at me and I don't look like what I've been through. Honestly, you know we cannot judge a book by the cover, but brokenness is something that we all go through at one time or another, and so when you see those steps but through my brokenness, God used my wholeness to make me whole again. And so he can do that for anybody but that's where the title came from the husband had talked to me during our courtship and that type of thing and so when David said to me you know your stories are just powerful, the most most people would have lost their minds to all the things that you've gone through. How can you smile, how can you go on. How do you go on anything you really need to write a book.

We need to write a book and it was painful very painful because as I said I get Gary I know I want to think about all the things that happen to me and it almost seems like a lifetime story. It seems like something that is not real but I lived every day, every day of that brokenness, and he said we need to do it. It took him five years to write the book while because there were times when I didn't want to discuss it. I couldn't talk about it back in the pain that pain and it was so difficult but I had to tell the story in the God say my brokenness while of that verse in second Corinthians 4 were Paul through the Holy Spirit's inspiration says we have this we hold his treasure in earthen vessels and literally jars of Clay and we know the jars have cracks in the yes but we also know that through those cracks the light of the glory of God can shine. Nancy and Paul goes on to talk about the glory of the light of Jesus, and I think about this chapter.

In chapter 9 rebirth of boss lady yes can you talk about that how this was you had been in religion you had been a part of the church. We all you know he had a bunch of us are some of the choir.

We were sitting right in closing at four but something happened when you lived synchronous 517 which says if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature, old things are passed away behold all things are become new. Yet that's right. Well, that was the rebirth because as I said when I started to work here. That's when my life began to change and I thought it was all about me prior divorce divorce divorce to realize that it wasn't about me. One Sunday morning I came in because when you first hide me. Remember I wanted to go on the air. I wanted to do a program I was excited I wanted to do this and I wanted to do that to me and you said it's not time is not time so we realize that everything happens in God's time about four or five months later you came to me why was right before Easter never will forget you said to me she show going show you looked at me and you said it's time and that's when you gave me a Sunday morning. I only had Sunday morning and got is open up doors down on every day except Saturday I'm on every day from Monday through Friday and on Sunday morning while but God did a new thing in my life I came in one Sunday morning I was doing my shell and all of a sudden Stu. This spirit me about me anymore. I had to put my paper down and my music went off and all of a sudden I was praising God. That's where the praise is what I do them. Then I was praising God. And I mean it was a different thing.

I was a new creature.

I was a new person because God came into my life at that time and I knew I could depend on him. I knew I could trust him in all things and then the breadwinner and you start school telling is not working and you got to do a lot I don't want thing is here I am in in Christian radio and Sony people listen to some of you will listen to the show all over the country and have awesome ability of foreign will be through network. It's only people to carry this program and these are people that labor they come in they do their shifts and some of them are. Listen to me right now listening to you in their struggle and in the hood there there there a single mom or in here trying to feed and this is where you were getting that shows a lot of Sunday morning and then as I said, I apologize on the air. I said oh I apologize. My music was often.

I was crying I was praising God and I had a Dr. Dr. music called me and he said don't ever apologize for your prey so you can praise God through anything, even when you've lost a loved one, even through this pandemic. Even if you going. I have a job you monies looking funny. You know, but you can still try God was so encouraging to hear your me.

By the way, you could have a whole book just on your awards because your time on it. For example, gospel announcer of the year award 2006 2007 gospel female announcer Hugo award after ward after ward.

All these you know wonderful awards Renault citizenship awards and just bringing hope in life, the community, and I think these two big things that you're doing yeah we've done for decades. You know, and that is this this amazing toy drive yes, every year we service the community with toys and we are so blessed. People donate toys. I me. It looks like Toys "R" Us and here you can.

I have told you. I dare you to walk in the truth talk headquarters.

Yes in in early December yet you can't amigo you know when to fill the broader the tractor-trailer that has Randy loves Jesus.

He calls it on over towards. I was an okay so bring a few but okay new for I had a hop on what I can. Early writer through the thing you know have a buddy health customer but one amazing thing and I don't care what anyone says.

By the way, Santa Claus is black Santa Claus is any color you want him well. I sat on his lap. Okay, so we improve and he comes in here awesome in a God who also we know BBD you know he he also does some work. You know, in the funeral industry that drives a limousine and he brings a limousine to bless our moms a Mother's Day but what a deal to look at kidney who is not a good Christmas. Yes, maybe a single mom of that one family with no six kids know the whole of work shoes and then came up when I big clunker of a car they don't know how I got to the parking lot and they came in and they walked out with the radiance of Christ on yes I'm telling you that had 198 children and there was no way that she could provide for those children and we do that every year that the numbers just keep going up and think it was 193 this past year a God truly blessed us with donations from so many business people. We had so many sponsors and we thank them all, but every year just as good and good that's not a good word but it's amazing though this is this is classic greatness is almost like a time lapse or to your time capsule from the 50s 40s and 50s because you literally asked people to write letters to log toward one another goes that each family will write a letter as to why they need help, and we don't turn anybody away even after we finished our in our deadline. We are still given away. We had names last year that had been burned out.

That type of thing so I'm just a sucker for babies and elderly people. So we always make sure everybody gets something and we always have surplus and then we donated that to an organization so we just keep on doing great things here at the light and truth, it's off to a guys doing Mother's Day huge thing for mom.

She had had 300 mothers that we celebrate and celebrate mom's while they are alive in us have a big dinner and we give them prizes and they have flowers and entertainment and we love our mothers every year it gets bigger and bigger.

We started out like seven or eight in a conference room and then we went to like 100 and 200 now.

Last year we had 300 God can take someone riddled with domestic violence talk in tough spots, single mom, breadwinner with with all kinds of rough rough things in her past and turn her into a wonderful lady we call the gospel queen. She's the boss that you gospel.

Her book is broken. Steps get a copy of this book just right away. It'll be a blessing to so many is just down-to-earth. What I love about this book is it's down to earth yet is not one of these you know New York best sellers books which all those are good to where this is got a this is the kingdom of God. All time bestsellers because it's it glorifies the one who wrote all of our story. Yet the Lord Jesus Christ in your life is is a testament to him and that we all have a story we just sometimes we are ashamed to talk about it. But as I said in order for God to heal. We have to tell our stories to share, to let God. If God did it for me. He can do for anyone else and I really think my family and my husband for Raven Jerry Arnett he's my prayer partner.

He's my friend and he wrote the book basically and I just chimed in. But we thank God for truth broadcasting use to the work that you do not only here but in the community. Awesome broken steps. Get it on Amazon boss lady of gospel you need to deem story there. Call this number 336-759-0363 yes and will find a way to get you a copy. 15 bucks but get a whole bunch of the blessed people with broken steps. The boss lady of gospel want to treat to sit down know many of you heard the broadcast.

But this is bonus material just for the podcast in all well boss lady. I want to tell you I just when I walked in your conference room in over a decade ago and is packed when I had to stand up because all the these moms that were Mother's Day winners were in there and then we had to move to another facility off-site.

We had to move to a bigger facility and then we had to move to a mega facility 300 moms, but taller one maybe one of the highlights of that Mother's Day thing boss lady Anita Dean Arnett, one of her awesome gospel host for 20 years. What an epic sort of do a big party redo big celebration without they were in figure out how to do parties right now is a little weird thing going on, yes, but you have been that the life source for so many people in the radio will turn on the radio 1340% 1400 Greensboro, the new one is 3.5 because he's alive on 103.5 and 96.3 and in Fairmont Northville on AM 860, and other people want to cure your program because you're just lifting people up to Jesus, effectively, to say the wrong know you said it right and you are your slogan is praise is what I did. The praises you who you are. It's what you do your point him in Jesus Christ is glorified in your book, broken steps, boss lady of gospel you need to deem story but something people don't know is I walked in your office two months three months before the big Mother's Day gala and this is true the toy drive you to big events of your toy drive in the Mother's Day thing we have wonderful people to sponsor these things help we go get more choice we go to make more more smiles on faces. We share the gospel give Bibles out. We just love on people to cut the station is like a party in here it's like Christmas all over the place and Mother's Day.

It's like that to ask the people you will see the stacks of letters on your desk from people you daughter just children what they did. This is so epic. This is from from what this is what how radio was done for years. I think people appreciate this statement we you know don't use the computers to pick we read every letter, every letter for the toy drive every letter that comes and we read them and for the Mother's Day for winners. We always have three top winners. Every letter is read every year we have a theme in every letter that is sent in is red. I do not choose always have up panel that picks out Mother's Day winners. But every letter is read.

We dowsing you know use the computers or anything. I sent a letter what's illegible glittery for the toy drive.

Basically the families are telling us why they need to help, they get the age of the children. How many children they have boy or girl and then we handpick letters and we do add everything by hand and we have a party that helps us to separate the toys by Boys and Girls Club. So it's almost like assembly-line unit we do that and we do it for the Mother's Day as well.

We have a theme in each person will send a letter while they mom should be mother of the year, we read every letter and we picked them according to the needs of that letter okay so let's talk about that because there are some mom's.

I just couldn't literally ousting the book of Job were you got a great grandma raising file is so you talk about that just network with this.

This mother grandmothers now are raising children four and five and six and seven and they really have basically just enough money to take care of their needs and their trying to supply food, clothing, and that type of thing for their children for the grandchildren and some of them don't even know where the parents are that we commend them for all the services that they're trying to give. So that's where we stand in and help. I can't believe that I've been working with you and I've been blessed by you for 20 years and growing boss lady Anita Dean Arnett. Her book is broken. Steps boss lady of gospel. Looking back over 20 years which you do a lot in this book.

As you talk about coming in the first day and she's only employee I've ever had.

Team member.

That said, we call it we color employs team members here at the Truth Network were she said us to your hire me only because he knows it's usually okay will tell you what. You know what you tell your pastor so that you do the job.

She said… Cut to the chase.

I really only started working upward to make music together for the glory of God. Yes, and I did. It was the best best deal I ever did was a great move it around the back of this book. I said I knew when I first met Anita Bosley did you know that I knew was the presence of greatness. But not just some was amazing to us and tell us what someone with the anointing of the Lord when you would like in 20 years what your, how do you you even contextualize that or what what's away at how do you talk about or what's what. Something that how would you express that verbally to everyone listening. Well, it was the best choice I ever made. And somehow another God was speaking through me to you, and I didn't even realize it at the time because normally I went and made a statement like that. But God knows everything and as I said he had a plan and he had the Masters on land and so my life has been a change. There's been a change in my life for the last 20 years, I'm blessed to be a part of truth broadcasting on all my kids whatever hope Grace going to say they were even born. Then they'll have home and then you saw him as little babies, you saw him in here and they always want to go to Bosley's room. They always came out candy that there's bouncing off the walls. But what a blessing you been to so many, your family or tells about your family know you got you got the Rev. Jerry Arnett, your awesome husband who helped you really put this book together, and then Darnell told was about our now I drink you live. Yet Tonya Darnell Jennifer Jaden Jordan RJ Danielle derail and that's our children and our Grinch unbelievable planning family and there's a whole bunch more spiritual fads that we all have more that you know the impact the Jesus didn't have any biological kids. Jesus didn't have a wife physical wife yet but what's cool is we are the Christ, and what schools you said is as the father sent me so I sent you and they're using on the cross with no progeny in the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah 53 verse eight says who will declare his generation. Yes they basely were laughing so you have no kids yet knowing you to die on the cross getting thrown in some unmarked humanoids never know who you were forever. As you know kids care your name on the grandkids. The rigging kids whatever the wife of the law when in fact Jesus Christ died to make us sons and daughters.

John 112 as many as received him, to them gave you the right to become the sons of God yet and so now we are creating a you are boss lady Dean Arnett. I'm giving you a word from God right here his word. Nothing original me the Holy Spirit wrote this. You are creating spiritual progeny. Yet when you open that Mike and go on the radio like you're about to do just a few minutes to bang on the door getting out here.

Hey can you leave your shift.

You do this gospel radio program every day and every weekend.

On Sunday mornings, yet amazing.

It's awesome.

You can download the Truth Network app and listen to boss lady, just click on Truth Network radio on your app store whatever phone you have, or whatever computer you can just scroll down to the light of the gospel station.

I was in your time and around the country.

I can listen to you on this Truth Network for you have to scroll down to the light and you'll hear her light of so many people's lives, but you're creating spiritual progeny, and your bringing people to Christ who may not even know who their biological parents are guests.

But they know Jesus and for all they know you're there spiritual mama.

That's right moment to so many.

And some of them are older than I am but they call me mom and thus the power of discipleship naming us the power that's how we can even closer to people that are even biologically related us that we are people that you know because of how Christ brings us together and thank you for all you've done to so many blisters and through God hole in the list or use you to bring so many to Jesus and to bring hope in the play that music which are about to do because he prays it's what I do and you know it's just a blessing to be a blessing and truly I love blessing people everyday. Not because he did well were glad he did to because you have lit up our lives, and blessed us beyond words in this book, broken steps, boss lady of gospel. The Anita Dean story and I think to buy a bunch of toys like if you given these out. The people we come out on here to don't okay so you can listen or show you can win it that way but order it and bless someone your life and what a blessing. I'm so encouraged and you know I feel like we could talk all day but we got out I got I got work to do. You gotta go.

You will blessing others, you got a blessing you raise are rating 02 stock negative raise much other people's ratings