Hey friends — this episode dropped one day late, and honestly? That feels fitting. Because we’re talking about peace… and sometimes peace means slowing down.

This week on Anchored by the Sword, I’m joined by Tara Dew, author of Overflowing Peace: What God Says About a Peace-Filled Life.

Tara serves alongside her husband, the president of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, where they help train men and women who are called to take the gospel to some of the most broken places in the world. She’s also a wife, a twin mom (yes — twins!), a Bible teacher, and now the author of a powerful new book walking slowly through Psalm 23.

In this conversation, we talk about:

• Her freedom story and meeting Jesus at a young age

• Being released from perfectionism and people-pleasing

• What Psalm 23 really means when you study it slowly

• Quiet waters in a loud, anxious world

• The valley of the shadow of death — and the promise that we walk through it

• The difference between noise, poison, and true Living Water

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, or like your mind never shuts off — this episode is for you.

Because peace isn’t the absence of struggle.

It’s the presence of the Shepherd.

Bio:

Tara Dew is a national speaker, author and Bible teacher. She has loved Jesus for as long as she can remember, trusting Him to be her Savior at the age of five years old at a Billy Graham Crusade. She felt called to ministry in the high school youth group, where she also met her husband, Jamie. Her primary ministry is to her family, as she is the mother of two sets of fraternal boy/girl twins called “the Dew Krewe.”

Tara holds a Bachelors of Arts in Human Communication (2003) from Meredith College, a Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning Elementary Education (2012) from Liberty University and a Doctorate in Education (2018) from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Tara's dissertation was entitled “Survive or Thrive: An Exploration of the Preparedness of Southern Baptist Pastors’ Wives.”

Tara is the president’s wife, serving the students, staff, and faculty of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. She teaches as an adjunct professor in the Ministry to Women program. She also directs and teaches in Thrive: A Ministry Wives Certificate Program. She has authored two books, “Overflowing Peace,” releasing in 2026 and “Overflowing Joy,” released in February 2024. Tara also has an upcoming Lifeway Women’s Bible Study about the fruit of the Spirit releasing in May 2027.

Through all of the ministry opportunities, two of Tara's passions have remained the same: God’s Word and women.

Anchor Verses:

1 Timothy 4:12

John 15:5

Psalm 23

Connect with Tara:

Website: https://www.nobts.edu/president/about-tara-dew/default.html

FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559548471008

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