Better Together

Face the Future Without Fear - Episode 1115

November 7, 2025 | S7 E1115 | 52:34

God is preparing your next step--right now! Fear fades when our perspective changes. We can trust God’s plan and move forward with confidence even when the future feels uncertain. | TBN Prayer Line: 714-731-1000

#Faith #TrustGod #SpiritualGrowth #Prayer #Change #Future #Fear #Perseverance #Hope #Confidence #Preparation #Loss #Discipline #Suffering #Provision #Meditation #Season #NegativeThoughts #Gratitude

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Better Together | Face the Future Without Fear - Episode 1115 | November 7, 2025

When challenge after challenge rolls in like a flood, we are
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Tempted to fear change, but god invites us to see even the
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Most difficult circumstances through his eyes.
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And fear cannot survive in an atmosphere of faith.
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Come on, we need to talk about this.
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♪ (music playing) ♪
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- in 2021, in texas, we had a big freeze.
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I was sitting at my kitchen table, and i heard a pop, and
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Then i heard what sounded like radiostatic.
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And now i know, of course, it was the water spraying in the
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Walls.
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And i saw the water kind of coming down and the floor
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Getting wet.
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I was in the middle of a zoom call because we were still
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Zooming from covid and all that kind of stuff.
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So i jumped up and then i remember running outside and
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There was snow on the ground trying to figure out where the
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Water shut off valve was.
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It took me a while because who knows where your water shut
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Off valve is unless you've had to use it.
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And we had only been in this house for seven months so i
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Didn't know anything, and so, you know, the floor is filling
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Up with water.
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I'm desperately running around outside trying to find that
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Water shut off valve.
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So, needless to say, there was a lot of damage done, and it
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Was very overwhelming to me.
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One, because we'd only been in the house for seven months.
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Two, because i've never had any kind of situation.
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I've never had a catastrophe of any kind to have to deal
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With insurance and getting repairs.
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And the third thing was, i don't, i can barely get
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Dressed.
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So the idea of, we gotta paint the walls, what color do you
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Want, the idea of the flooring, that flooring
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Doesn't exist, pick one.
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I just was like, oh my gosh, i didn't know.
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But in the process, when the first group of plumbers came
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To solve some initial problems, so we could at least
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Have water on in the house, he reached into the wall, and he
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Had a glove and a pair of pliers.
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And he pulled out this wiring.
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And he said, did you know that you had a live wire in your
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Walls?
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And i was like, no.
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And so he touched it and showed that it was a live
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Wire, which, of course, we didn't know.
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Who knows what wires you have in your wall?
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But we certainly didn't know we had a live wire in our
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Wall.
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And we would not have known had the flood, the freeze, and
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The resulting cracked pipes not have happened.
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I feel like change is a lot like that.
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There are things that pop off in our lives that reveal
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Something that we needed to see, that we needed to know,
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That we needed to deal with, that we would not have been
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Able to repair or to resolve had that shift not happened.
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We, you know, have since recovered the floors and done
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All the things, and so we're good now.
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But even that, like the ability to repair certain
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Things, i remember when we moved into the house and the
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Floors were all carpeted.
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And i told my husband one day, i would love for the whole,
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There's one little section with hardwood.
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And i was like, i would love for all the floors to be
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Hardwood.
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Well, through that shift, i was like, well, we got to go
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In and fix all these carpets, so we might as well do this
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Now.
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There now have been multiple things, because we live in an
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Old house that keep popping off.
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It's like we didn't know this, we didn't know this.
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We didn't know this had been jacked or rigged, and the
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Reality is every opportunity now feels that way.
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It's an opportunity like great, so now we can figure
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Out what was underneath or behind, or whatever we can
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Address it and probably make it better than the way it was
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And in my life that's how i've learned to approach change.
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I can think back to so many things, i think can think back
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To changing relationships in my 20s or changing jobs in my
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30s or even hard things, like losing my mom and the shift
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That that created in our family, in our church.
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There's just so many things that have happened.
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And so now i've heard a lot of people tell me, girl, you're
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Just so calm.
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And i'm like, i think that is the accumulation of lots of
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Things that have popped off and lots of live wires that
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I've had to deal with and lots of things that i didn't
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Anticipate.
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And so a part of my ability, and it's not always, you know,
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It don't mean that i don't have reactions, but part of my
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Ability to think beyond what i see is because when you've
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Been through enough changes and you realize that good can
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Come out of them, that actually you're glad that you
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Could discover this, you learn to live with less fear.
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I have had enough relationships to fall by the
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Wayside to realize i'm glad god put a break then because i
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Did not, that could have become something much worse.
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I have learned, you know, even going to the doctor and what
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You might find because i realize that being told
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Certain things, that fear, that initial jolt, is not the
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End of the story, that god can do wonderful things in your
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Health and in your physical health, your mental health,
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But you cannot heal what you don't see, what you don't know
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About.
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We acknowledge, we've acknowledged that change often
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Is something we don't want.
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It's something that is triggering.
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It's something that we have great emotion tied to.
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It's something that can be painful.
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It's something that can be hard to recover from.
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But i think we should talk about today how we can look at
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Change differently and maybe embrace change because of the
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Good that comes with it and how we can learn how to not be
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Fearful of the changes that we've had, not because they
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Don't hurt, not because we don't feel them, but because
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We know there's something behind the walls that we'll be
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Glad that we can deal within us or in other people.
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- i want you to think about redirection as a detour.
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So let's just say that you're driving down a street, and
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It's a street that you normally take to get to a
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Normal destination.
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Well, it's interesting that when a detour happens, it
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Oftentimes takes you down streets that you would not
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Normally go down.
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And you see things that you would not normally see.
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You experience things that you would not normally experience.
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And i believe that this is often how the divine working
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Of god is in our lives, when we end up being redirected
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From the path that we thought would be best.
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God is working a new character out of us.
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He's giving us different experiences and sometimes even
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Different relationships that we simply would not have had
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If it was not for the redirection.
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- i'm even just thinking, i don't know, i'm not an
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Electrician, but what i hear live wires in a wall.
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It's called fire.
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Yes, i think the destruction, the destruction of those not
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Being exposed would have been way worse than them being
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Exposed.
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And so if we apply that to our life and we keep these live
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Wires, we think ignorance is bliss, but it really creates a
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Lot of havoc in our life.
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- well, and i think you're such a brilliant storyteller.
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Like, it's not just that the live wire was hidden, is that
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It was a hazard that was hidden.
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That's right.
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God took me through the season of calling me out of my
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Corporate role and leadership roles.
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It was only then that i came to realize that my identity
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Had become defined by what i did, i didn't know that.
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It's a hazard and you like seriously if you would have
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Asked me like during that 20 year stretch, where do you
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Define your identity, from jesus, the lord, from the
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Bible, i know who i am.
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Until you take the wall literally, plaster off.
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And it's like i'm going to show you what's behind the
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Facade that you think is who you are.
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- and i'm also kind of aware of like the whole, the way you
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Tell the story was amazing.
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Because my mind is seeing all these pictures because i'm
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Thinking i would not think.
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- y'all were looking at me like, what now?
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What does this have to do?
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No, no, no, no.
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I knew it was going somewhere.
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If you could have only seen the bubble in my head, i'm
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Putting all things together because i'm also thinking
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Water and live wires should not have got.
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So there's also a lot of grace in until, until you are
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Understanding the hazard, it's almost like there's a grace,
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Too, that the lord provides our lives while we're getting
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To the hazard parts.
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Because i'm thinking that shouldn't have gone well,
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Right?
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Water and live wires?
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- no, we call that electrocution.
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I think sometimes, like, stories of course, correction,
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Right?
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Those kind of seasons, it looks like a failure, but it's
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Really god's redirection.
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And i think god is so kind.
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I think so many times he's like...okay then!
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There's no way when you're having to redo floors that you
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Were thinking that was protection.
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No you're thinking frustration, and takes time,
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But that's the beauty of i think walking with the lord
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And learning to trust him.
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Is that if there's a change you don't anticipate in your
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Life, in your income, in your health, in your situation, in
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Your relationships, after enough of those, you can start
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To go, god, if you've allowed this, you sit high and look
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Low, you are not in the timeline at all.
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There is something you know that i don't.
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And so my initial feeling of fear, you know, my, you know,
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I mean, we've had so many things with my husband and his
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Health over the last, when i say it out loud, i'm like,
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Well, it's 15 years.
00:09:25.978 --> 00:09:27.747
Because if anybody else were to tell me, it's 15 years of
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Navigating a lot of difficult health things.
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I'd be like, that's really hard.
00:09:32.251 --> 00:09:33.886
But when you're in it, right, you don't see that.
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But one of the things, you know, i remember my dad asking
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Me early on, i can't remember what it was.
00:09:40.326 --> 00:09:42.461
We needed some extra money for something.
00:09:42.461 --> 00:09:44.530
And my dad said, well, i have this illustration book that i
00:09:44.530 --> 00:09:48.067
Want to put together, but it would require somebody going
00:09:48.067 --> 00:09:51.003
Through 30 years at the time of sermons to pull all the
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Illustrations out.
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So i did not want to do that.
00:09:55.307 --> 00:09:57.476
I didn't have time, but i needed the extra money, you
00:09:57.476 --> 00:10:00.713
Know, and so i was like, okay, i'll help out with that.
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Well, what came next was, hey, that was, you did a great job
00:10:04.250 --> 00:10:08.287
With that.
00:10:08.287 --> 00:10:09.488
So i'm writing another book, will you help me do that?
00:10:09.488 --> 00:10:11.991
But all the while, those things were happening, and i
00:10:11.991 --> 00:10:16.295
Was looking at the deficit in funds.
00:10:16.295 --> 00:10:19.899
Which basically i had a writing project i wasn't like
00:10:19.899 --> 00:10:22.735
A published offer i was behind the scenes nobody knows my
00:10:22.735 --> 00:10:25.538
Name i'm just doing the writing thing.
00:10:25.538 --> 00:10:27.173
At the same time there was a shift in my husband's earning
00:10:27.173 --> 00:10:31.010
Ability so these little things that i would say this was a
00:10:31.010 --> 00:10:35.948
Deficit and i'm just trying to think about the bottom line
00:10:35.948 --> 00:10:38.784
And trying to pay bills and frustrated in that was god's
00:10:38.784 --> 00:10:43.022
Provision at work.
00:10:43.022 --> 00:10:44.290
And i remember thinking, i remember thinking so my whole
00:10:44.290 --> 00:10:49.228
Plan was like, i just wanted to be a stay-at-home mom and i
00:10:49.228 --> 00:10:52.698
Just wanted to do the kids and all.
00:10:52.698 --> 00:10:54.033
I didn't want to have to, like i quit the job and came home.
00:10:54.033 --> 00:10:56.202
And so having to figure out all these little odd jobs to
00:10:56.202 --> 00:10:59.972
Make money.
00:10:59.972 --> 00:11:01.273
I was teaching at the kids, their homeschool class thing,
00:11:01.273 --> 00:11:03.409
Just doing all kinds of random things.
00:11:03.409 --> 00:11:05.177
I'm not a, like i passed the cpa exam, but i never worked
00:11:05.177 --> 00:11:09.081
Long enough to have the letters after my name.
00:11:09.081 --> 00:11:10.916
But i was going and doing tax work, but i mean, just odd
00:11:10.916 --> 00:11:14.053
Jobs thinking, this is so random and this is not what i
00:11:14.053 --> 00:11:17.523
Planned.
00:11:17.523 --> 00:11:18.257
This is not what i planned.
00:11:18.257 --> 00:11:20.793
And then god started making deposits in something that he
00:11:20.793 --> 00:11:23.996
Saw, but not that was my plan.
00:11:23.996 --> 00:11:26.332
So when you realize that god is trustworthy, that changes
00:11:26.332 --> 00:11:30.770
Sometimes are a part of his provision and he's at work,
00:11:30.770 --> 00:11:33.739
Changes.
00:11:33.739 --> 00:11:34.907
Now i'm not, i feel the initial jolt, but the fear
00:11:34.907 --> 00:11:38.744
Doesn't rise because i have a history with god to say, okay,
00:11:38.744 --> 00:11:43.015
There's a change i did not anticipate.
00:11:43.015 --> 00:11:45.017
What is he doing?
00:11:45.017 --> 00:11:45.684
What's happening?
00:11:45.684 --> 00:11:52.625
- we talk about the word blindsided, and really what
00:11:53.726 --> 00:11:56.495
That is, is that it's when something comes at you that
00:11:56.495 --> 00:11:59.265
You were not expecting.
00:11:59.265 --> 00:12:01.033
And there were times in my life when i have been
00:12:01.033 --> 00:12:02.735
Blindsided by a situation.
00:12:02.735 --> 00:12:05.337
When you have a blindsided moment, you very easily can
00:12:05.337 --> 00:12:09.441
Start looking inward and think, what am i being
00:12:09.441 --> 00:12:11.610
Punished for?
00:12:11.610 --> 00:12:12.711
Did i deserve this?
00:12:12.711 --> 00:12:13.646
Did i do something wrong?
00:12:13.646 --> 00:12:15.347
Often, the answer is no, you were blindsided.
00:12:15.347 --> 00:12:18.617
Something happened that you didn't expect and maybe you
00:12:18.617 --> 00:12:21.153
Didn't deserve.
00:12:21.153 --> 00:12:22.388
I think the most important thing instead of focusing on
00:12:22.388 --> 00:12:25.791
What happened, it's letting the who in your life help you.
00:12:25.791 --> 00:12:30.396
Did i let in that moment, did i allow god to show me his
00:12:30.396 --> 00:12:34.500
Purpose in it?
00:12:34.500 --> 00:12:35.701
Did i allow myself to believe that he was faithful?
00:12:35.701 --> 00:12:38.504
These are the questions that you have to ask yourself when
00:12:38.504 --> 00:12:40.372
You feel blindsighted by a moment.
00:12:40.372 --> 00:12:41.974
Because if you get stuck in what did i do wrong or how did
00:12:41.974 --> 00:12:45.678
That happen, i really feel like you won't be able to move
00:12:45.678 --> 00:12:48.480
Into the next thing he has for you.
00:12:48.480 --> 00:12:49.915
But if you can look at that moment and believe that even
00:12:49.915 --> 00:12:53.385
Though you didn't expect it, god knew it was going to
00:12:53.385 --> 00:12:56.255
Happen and he has a way prepared for you that is
00:12:56.255 --> 00:12:59.925
Better than you could ever imagine.
00:12:59.925 --> 00:13:01.927
It increases your trust in him and he will show himself
00:13:01.927 --> 00:13:04.663
Faithful if you stay true to him.
00:13:04.663 --> 00:13:07.833
- we are better together because of you.
00:13:07.833 --> 00:13:10.269
- connect with us on social media to ask a question, share
00:13:10.269 --> 00:13:13.272
A prayer request, and make friends with women all over
00:13:13.272 --> 00:13:15.774
The world.
00:13:15.774 --> 00:13:16.675
- let's keep the conversation going.
00:13:16.675 --> 00:13:18.177
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00:13:18.177 --> 00:13:21.914
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And never miss the latest news.
00:13:26.852 --> 00:13:29.996
And never miss the latest news.
00:13:29.996 --> 00:13:33.860
- have you ever had an experience in your life that
00:13:33.860 --> 00:13:36.062
Felt like course correction?
00:13:36.062 --> 00:13:38.899
- god has a track record with me.
00:13:38.899 --> 00:13:40.867
You know, it's like when you start off in faith and
00:13:40.867 --> 00:13:43.403
Something happens that you didn't anticipate, it's like,
00:13:43.403 --> 00:13:45.538
Oh my gosh, this is terrible.
00:13:45.538 --> 00:13:46.806
Things are out of control.
00:13:46.806 --> 00:13:48.174
And then, you know, you move on further.
00:13:48.174 --> 00:13:50.543
It's like, i know now, as deep as the marrow in my bones,
00:13:50.543 --> 00:13:54.748
Life is not out of control.
00:13:54.748 --> 00:13:55.916
I don't care what's on the news.
00:13:55.916 --> 00:13:57.918
I don't care what they're saying on social media.
00:13:57.918 --> 00:13:59.819
I mean, things can look bleak, but i know god is in control,
00:13:59.819 --> 00:14:04.057
God is on the throne.
00:14:04.057 --> 00:14:05.125
This might not make sense to me at the moment.
00:14:05.125 --> 00:14:07.928
It's like when you know the romans 8:28, i mean, we all
00:14:07.928 --> 00:14:11.398
Know that verse, all things work together for good to
00:14:11.398 --> 00:14:13.800
Those who love the lord, not the called according to his
00:14:13.800 --> 00:14:15.969
Purpose.
00:14:15.969 --> 00:14:17.237
Doesn't say all things feel good or all things are good.
00:14:17.237 --> 00:14:19.572
But that god himself, who is not man that he should lie,
00:14:19.572 --> 00:14:22.175
God has promised, promised that from everything, because
00:14:22.175 --> 00:14:27.647
I mean, i think back, even like, i'll give you a silly
00:14:27.647 --> 00:14:30.784
Illustration.
00:14:30.784 --> 00:14:31.851
I've been in the psych hospital for almost four
00:14:31.851 --> 00:14:33.687
Weeks, and they take away your hair dryer or anything you
00:14:33.687 --> 00:14:36.923
Didn't hurt yourself with, and so i decide one day i'm going
00:14:36.923 --> 00:14:39.159
To wash my hair.
00:14:39.159 --> 00:14:40.427
So i'm walking down to get my hair dryer back out of the
00:14:40.427 --> 00:14:42.696
Sharks box, and i realize that a new patient has been checked
00:14:42.696 --> 00:14:46.099
In.
00:14:46.099 --> 00:14:47.300
And it's an old woman with her, i'm assuming it's her
00:14:47.300 --> 00:14:49.336
Daughter's beside her either side, and she's crying and
00:14:49.336 --> 00:14:52.005
She's shaking.
00:14:52.005 --> 00:14:53.306
And she's got her back to me, so i think, oh, i'm going to
00:14:53.306 --> 00:14:56.743
Let them, i'm going to, you know, back off and let them do
00:14:56.743 --> 00:14:58.979
What they need to do.
00:14:58.979 --> 00:15:00.180
So i'm about to turn around and go until one of the
00:15:00.180 --> 00:15:01.948
Daughters looks over her mom's head and says, mom, turn
00:15:01.948 --> 00:15:05.518
Around and look.
00:15:05.518 --> 00:15:08.154
So the mom turns around and looks.
00:15:08.154 --> 00:15:10.323
I mean, her tears turn into something completely
00:15:10.323 --> 00:15:12.425
Different.
00:15:12.425 --> 00:15:13.760
The mother runs and throws her arm around me and hugs me and
00:15:13.760 --> 00:15:16.763
Holds on for dear life.
00:15:16.763 --> 00:15:18.665
And i have no clue what's happening.
00:15:18.665 --> 00:15:21.034
Other than, what i didn't know was that they used to watch,
00:15:21.034 --> 00:15:23.536
As the three of them, they watched the 700 club every
00:15:23.536 --> 00:15:25.972
Single day.
00:15:25.972 --> 00:15:27.107
But the husband, the two girls, their dad, was very
00:15:27.107 --> 00:15:30.043
Abusive.
00:15:30.043 --> 00:15:31.244
I mean, he'd broken her jaw, he'd broken her arm, he'd
00:15:31.244 --> 00:15:33.413
Broken.
00:15:33.413 --> 00:15:34.681
But she was just like, i made this commitment before the
00:15:34.681 --> 00:15:36.783
Lord.
00:15:36.783 --> 00:15:37.450
I'm staying in this.
00:15:37.450 --> 00:15:38.385
You know, i'll keep forgiving them.
00:15:38.385 --> 00:15:39.853
I'll keep forgiving them.
00:15:39.853 --> 00:15:40.987
And the daughters are eventually, listen, mom, you
00:15:40.987 --> 00:15:43.223
Need to get help.
00:15:43.223 --> 00:15:44.357
And she didn't want to.
00:15:44.357 --> 00:15:45.759
So they're sitting in the parking lot, praying before
00:15:45.759 --> 00:15:48.595
They go in.
00:15:48.595 --> 00:15:49.829
And this one daughter, the older daughter, said, god, i
00:15:49.829 --> 00:15:52.565
Ask you that the minute mom walks through the door, you
00:15:52.565 --> 00:15:55.602
Would give her a sign that she's in a safe place.
00:15:55.602 --> 00:15:58.671
And i didn't know this, but they all referred to me as her
00:15:58.671 --> 00:16:01.274
Third daughter because they watched the show.
00:16:01.274 --> 00:16:03.276
So they walk through the doors and their third daughter is a
00:16:03.276 --> 00:16:08.048
Patient and is going to be there.
00:16:08.048 --> 00:16:10.550
I think when unexpected things happen, i've learned to look
00:16:10.550 --> 00:16:14.154
For god because he just shows up in unusual ways.
00:16:14.154 --> 00:16:17.724
And i see that what initially to me was a disaster.
00:16:17.724 --> 00:16:21.694
You know, people told me if you end up in a psych
00:16:21.694 --> 00:16:23.830
Hospital, no one will ever trust you again.
00:16:23.830 --> 00:16:25.598
Your ministry's over, you know, all of the stuff, you
00:16:25.598 --> 00:16:28.401
Know.
00:16:28.401 --> 00:16:29.602
But i began to see the redemptive power of god behind
00:16:29.602 --> 00:16:32.639
The locked doors.
00:16:32.639 --> 00:16:33.873
That there's no place that we ever have to go, that the
00:16:33.873 --> 00:16:37.577
Shepherd doesn't check in with his lambs.
00:16:37.577 --> 00:16:39.479
And so for me, that was just, i learned to look for god in
00:16:39.479 --> 00:16:44.117
The least likely places after that.
00:16:44.117 --> 00:16:46.986
- i need you to hear me when i say this.
00:16:46.986 --> 00:16:49.189
I don't care how bad you may have messed it up.
00:16:49.189 --> 00:16:52.358
I don't even care how bad somebody messed it up for you.
00:16:52.358 --> 00:16:56.329
I need you to know that the god that you serve has all
00:16:56.329 --> 00:17:00.133
Power.
00:17:00.133 --> 00:17:01.367
Not only that, the god that you serve lives outside of
00:17:01.367 --> 00:17:03.837
Time.
00:17:03.837 --> 00:17:05.138
And so while we have anxiety in the present, god is already
00:17:05.138 --> 00:17:09.209
In the future.
00:17:09.209 --> 00:17:10.510
And that is how he works all things together for our good.
00:17:10.510 --> 00:17:13.947
Because the future that we can't even imagine, god is
00:17:13.947 --> 00:17:17.517
Already in.
00:17:17.517 --> 00:17:18.718
And the love that he has for you means that all of the
00:17:18.718 --> 00:17:21.955
Craziness, all of the muck, all of the mire will be worked
00:17:21.955 --> 00:17:25.458
Together for your good because he loves you.
00:17:25.458 --> 00:17:28.261
So please don't think that what you've done is
00:17:28.261 --> 00:17:30.864
Irredeemable because the victory is already won and the
00:17:30.864 --> 00:17:34.167
Purpose is already set.
00:17:34.167 --> 00:17:36.402
- what's interesting though is i think there's two scenarios.
00:17:36.402 --> 00:17:39.072
There's maybe the scenario that was done to you versus
00:17:39.072 --> 00:17:45.145
One maybe that you've caused or that it's, you know, and so
00:17:45.145 --> 00:17:48.815
Those are, i think you deal with those even differently.
00:17:48.815 --> 00:17:51.484
You know, if there's something that was out of your control
00:17:51.484 --> 00:17:53.987
Done to you, i think you might have more of a tendency to
00:17:53.987 --> 00:17:57.824
Feel like it was punitive.
00:17:57.824 --> 00:17:59.292
Or like, like, i didn't deserve this.
00:17:59.292 --> 00:18:01.361
Why was this done to me versus, i guess maybe if you
00:18:01.361 --> 00:18:04.898
Caused it, maybe that would be more punitive.
00:18:04.898 --> 00:18:07.233
Hey, i caused this.
00:18:07.233 --> 00:18:08.535
But i feel like i have scenarios that i can think of
00:18:08.535 --> 00:18:11.171
Where it feels like it was maybe done to me.
00:18:11.171 --> 00:18:13.239
And i have a harder time feeling like i didn't do
00:18:13.239 --> 00:18:18.444
Anything to deserve this, yet i'm having to change a lot
00:18:18.444 --> 00:18:22.148
About my life because of it.
00:18:22.148 --> 00:18:25.285
And it does feel like questions for me that would
00:18:25.285 --> 00:18:28.788
Come up would be, did i lose favor with god?
00:18:28.788 --> 00:18:31.691
Did i- why did he allow this kind of pain if he wasn't
00:18:31.691 --> 00:18:36.229
Trying to course correct?
00:18:36.229 --> 00:18:37.497
Like if, like, why would i be having to endure this if he
00:18:37.497 --> 00:18:40.166
Wasn't trying to get my attention?
00:18:40.166 --> 00:18:41.901
Versus sometimes, because i need the jolt to move to a
00:18:41.901 --> 00:18:45.572
Different season, i don't know.
00:18:45.572 --> 00:18:47.507
Yeah, and i think like today, you think about, like, just
00:18:47.507 --> 00:18:51.010
The fear in our society, so, right, filled with fear,
00:18:51.010 --> 00:18:54.714
Whether it's fear of change or whether it's the economy or
00:18:54.714 --> 00:18:57.350
Politics, you know, regime changes or ai.
00:18:57.350 --> 00:18:59.986
You know, we just think about, you know, kind of what's
00:18:59.986 --> 00:19:05.358
Happening.
00:19:05.358 --> 00:19:06.693
And so, and the change that's happening, and then we'll find
00:19:06.693 --> 00:19:11.130
Ourselves wishing for a more uncomplicated time in history,
00:19:11.130 --> 00:19:15.201
Whatever that was, i don't know, right?
00:19:15.201 --> 00:19:17.537
- because it was complicated when we were there.
00:19:17.537 --> 00:19:19.138
- exactly.
00:19:19.138 --> 00:19:20.607
We get sentimental, kind of right about what was.
00:19:20.607 --> 00:19:23.076
And so we're resisting the change that's happening now
00:19:23.076 --> 00:19:26.179
Because god is molding us into the image of his son to bring
00:19:26.179 --> 00:19:31.618
Change in a world, right?
00:19:31.618 --> 00:19:32.952
I mean, that sounds like a big mission, but it's the one he's
00:19:32.952 --> 00:19:35.755
Given us, by the way.
00:19:35.755 --> 00:19:37.757
I'm not like a very crafty person.
00:19:37.757 --> 00:19:41.427
I mean, my mom is the needle pointer and cross-stitcher.
00:19:41.427 --> 00:19:45.398
But the one thing i've learned is that god doesn't work from
00:19:45.398 --> 00:19:51.504
The front.
00:19:51.504 --> 00:19:52.805
He works from the back of the tapestry.
00:19:52.805 --> 00:19:54.574
So we just see the back, right?
00:19:54.574 --> 00:19:56.976
We see the knots and the threads and the tangles.
00:19:56.976 --> 00:20:00.546
And we think, what in the world is happening here?
00:20:00.546 --> 00:20:04.517
Right?
00:20:04.517 --> 00:20:05.852
So this thing happened and it feels like you're coming after
00:20:05.852 --> 00:20:07.053
Me or why is this happening?
00:20:07.053 --> 00:20:08.955
But when you turn it around, that's when you see the beauty
00:20:08.955 --> 00:20:12.592
Of what he's building.
00:20:12.592 --> 00:20:14.661
We just don't see that, right?
00:20:14.661 --> 00:20:16.429
And so i think for me, sometimes i just have to keep
00:20:16.429 --> 00:20:18.631
Reminding myself that.
00:20:18.631 --> 00:20:20.533
- and we're in a microwave society where we want things
00:20:20.533 --> 00:20:23.136
Hot now.
00:20:23.136 --> 00:20:24.437
- we want the answer now.
00:20:24.437 --> 00:20:26.339
- yes.
00:20:26.339 --> 00:20:27.674
And some of those things take a lot of time to see what god
00:20:27.674 --> 00:20:29.542
Was doing.
00:20:29.542 --> 00:20:30.877
You know, i mean, i know that i'm three years into something
00:20:30.877 --> 00:20:33.146
Before i can really say, hey, i can see what he was doing.
00:20:33.146 --> 00:20:39.152
And i don't know if maybe we lose heart too soon.
00:20:39.152 --> 00:20:44.857
- one of my favorite scriptures, i've loved this
00:20:44.857 --> 00:20:47.327
Since i was a child.
00:20:47.327 --> 00:20:48.461
You find it in proverbs, chapter 3, verses 5 and 6.
00:20:48.461 --> 00:20:51.331
And it says this, trust in the lord with all your heart, and
00:20:51.331 --> 00:20:55.568
Don't lean on your own understanding.
00:20:55.568 --> 00:20:57.904
In all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make your
00:20:57.904 --> 00:21:00.840
Path straight.
00:21:00.840 --> 00:21:02.375
And when you really kind of sit with that for a while,
00:21:02.375 --> 00:21:04.377
What i love to do is i'll take a couple of verses and i'll
00:21:04.377 --> 00:21:07.480
Just, scripture calls it meditating.
00:21:07.480 --> 00:21:09.649
Sometimes we think, well, meditating is not christian,
00:21:09.649 --> 00:21:11.551
That's eastern.
00:21:11.551 --> 00:21:12.318
No, it's not as biblical.
00:21:12.318 --> 00:21:14.187
Meditating just means you turn something over and over and
00:21:14.187 --> 00:21:17.123
Over and ask for deeper understanding.
00:21:17.123 --> 00:21:19.826
And one of the things i know is when in our hearts, our
00:21:19.826 --> 00:21:22.562
Number one desire is to trust the lord, not to always go
00:21:22.562 --> 00:21:26.366
Into what makes sense to us, but to trust god's hand.
00:21:26.366 --> 00:21:28.701
He has promised that he will make our path straight.
00:21:28.701 --> 00:21:33.206
- as i'm listening to this, it's like there's so many
00:21:33.206 --> 00:21:35.141
Memories that are flooding my mind of god's faithfulness.
00:21:35.141 --> 00:21:38.544
And i think, to your point about this track record,
00:21:38.544 --> 00:21:42.148
What's so important as we're navigating changing seasons
00:21:42.148 --> 00:21:44.917
And the fear of what's on the other side of it, the question
00:21:44.917 --> 00:21:48.554
Really is, where is our hope?
00:21:48.554 --> 00:21:51.190
Hope is something that i think we don't talk about enough
00:21:51.190 --> 00:21:55.762
Because hope is really about trust, but you can actually
00:21:55.762 --> 00:22:00.199
Place your trust in a whole bunch of things.
00:22:00.199 --> 00:22:02.969
You can trust in yourself.
00:22:02.969 --> 00:22:05.505
And so what happens is your hope is in what you can do,
00:22:05.505 --> 00:22:08.374
What you can create, what the extremities of your power is
00:22:08.374 --> 00:22:12.745
What you place your hope in.
00:22:12.745 --> 00:22:13.946
So when you no longer have the ability to control the
00:22:13.946 --> 00:22:16.115
Situation, you lose hope, you lose heart.
00:22:16.115 --> 00:22:19.619
But when your hope is in the lord when you trust in the
00:22:19.619 --> 00:22:23.756
Lord, we have to remember that the word tells us that faith
00:22:23.756 --> 00:22:26.592
Is the substance of things hoped for, when your faith is
00:22:26.592 --> 00:22:31.397
In god you can experience some of the worst crazy situations
00:22:31.397 --> 00:22:36.302
To your point it won't be good, might not feel good but
00:22:36.302 --> 00:22:39.605
Your faith is in the fact that he's promised that he will
00:22:39.605 --> 00:22:42.608
Work together for your good.
00:22:42.608 --> 00:22:44.544
That, it's like it bolsters hope.
00:22:44.544 --> 00:22:46.813
And i was thinking about philippians 4:6 do not be
00:22:46.813 --> 00:22:50.616
Anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and
00:22:50.616 --> 00:22:53.786
Petition with thanksgiving, present your request to god.
00:22:53.786 --> 00:22:57.023
And the peace of god, which transcends all understanding,
00:22:57.023 --> 00:23:00.059
Will guard your hearts and your minds in christ jesus.
00:23:00.059 --> 00:23:02.361
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is
00:23:02.361 --> 00:23:05.665
Noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is
00:23:05.665 --> 00:23:08.434
Lovely, whatever is admirable.
00:23:08.434 --> 00:23:10.503
If anything is excellent or praiseworthy, anything, think
00:23:10.503 --> 00:23:14.073
About such things.
00:23:14.073 --> 00:23:15.441
That is the essence of our hope.
00:23:15.441 --> 00:23:17.677
- right, so to me, that's like, think about those
00:23:17.677 --> 00:23:20.213
Things.
00:23:20.213 --> 00:23:21.414
Yes, then that's when the piece that passes off comes,
00:23:21.414 --> 00:23:23.282
Anyway.
00:23:23.282 --> 00:23:24.517
- and see, the reason why he's telling us to think about
00:23:24.517 --> 00:23:26.953
Those things is because when you go back to verse six, he
00:23:26.953 --> 00:23:30.323
Doesn't just say to pray.
00:23:30.323 --> 00:23:32.191
He doesn't just say to supplicate.
00:23:32.191 --> 00:23:34.360
He says, with thanksgiving, that's what actually activates
00:23:34.360 --> 00:23:39.031
The peace of god.
00:23:39.031 --> 00:23:40.333
Because thanksgiving requires you to take an inventory of
00:23:40.333 --> 00:23:43.302
God's goodness and his faithfulness.
00:23:43.302 --> 00:23:45.338
And it causes you to remember and keep a track record.
00:23:45.338 --> 00:23:48.641
But when you're in the thick of a thing, if you don't pause
00:23:48.641 --> 00:23:52.144
And take an inventory of god's faithfulness, you will lose
00:23:52.144 --> 00:23:55.381
Hope.
00:23:55.381 --> 00:23:56.048
You will lose heart.
00:23:56.048 --> 00:23:57.250
When i've gone through transitions that were really,
00:23:57.250 --> 00:23:58.985
Really hard, i would get discouraged.
00:23:58.985 --> 00:24:01.020
I would get depressed because i wasn't taking an inventory
00:24:01.020 --> 00:24:04.957
Of god's faithfulness.
00:24:04.957 --> 00:24:06.225
I was like, oh, i'm all i got and it didn't work out.
00:24:06.225 --> 00:24:09.028
But when i remembered what god did, i was like, wait a
00:24:09.028 --> 00:24:12.031
Minute.
00:24:12.031 --> 00:24:12.698
Why is my soul down cast?
00:24:12.698 --> 00:24:14.467
Wait a minute.
00:24:14.467 --> 00:24:15.801
This is the god who causes all things to work together for my
00:24:15.801 --> 00:24:18.070
Good.
00:24:18.070 --> 00:24:18.838
That's where we find our hope.
00:24:18.838 --> 00:24:20.106
And the enemy would love for us to stay in that space where
00:24:20.106 --> 00:24:22.909
All we can see is what we're losing, what the losses, what
00:24:22.909 --> 00:24:26.646
We're enduring, what's hard.
00:24:26.646 --> 00:24:29.715
And we have to make the effort to speak truth to that.
00:24:29.715 --> 00:24:32.485
Intentional.
00:24:32.485 --> 00:24:33.553
I'm going to see what is true in the situation.
00:24:33.553 --> 00:24:35.988
- it's funny that you even bring that up, i told you i've
00:24:35.988 --> 00:24:37.857
Been reading these scriptures.
00:24:37.857 --> 00:24:39.225
And so during that season that we spoke a little bit about
00:24:39.225 --> 00:24:42.595
Just yesterday with me, just a relationship shift.
00:24:42.595 --> 00:24:45.131
And that was a part of a much bigger season of pain and
00:24:45.131 --> 00:24:47.800
Trauma.
00:24:47.800 --> 00:24:49.035
And with philip getting cancer there was a lot of things
00:24:49.035 --> 00:24:52.038
Happening at once.
00:24:52.038 --> 00:24:53.372
And i was so not at peace and that's when, and we have it to
00:24:53.372 --> 00:24:58.177
This day, and we still practice this we have this jar
00:24:58.177 --> 00:25:00.746
In our kitchen and every day we wrote something we're
00:25:00.746 --> 00:25:03.215
Thankful for and put it in that jar.
00:25:03.215 --> 00:25:04.750
And that's what broke it for me all those years ago.
00:25:04.750 --> 00:25:09.722
And i realized, why would i stop that habit?
00:25:09.722 --> 00:25:12.124
Yeah.
00:25:12.124 --> 00:25:13.426
Because it focuses your eyes on who god is and what he has
00:25:13.426 --> 00:25:15.928
Done, as opposed to what i'm feeling like right now, what
00:25:15.928 --> 00:25:19.265
Is not happening or where i'm lacking.
00:25:19.265 --> 00:25:21.534
I mean, i got two places i could look, right?
00:25:21.534 --> 00:25:23.269
And so every day we write something we're thankful for
00:25:23.269 --> 00:25:27.406
On that little colorful post-it notes, no matter
00:25:27.406 --> 00:25:30.843
Coffee or chocolate, whatever it is, i don't care.
00:25:30.843 --> 00:25:34.747
- i love the scripture in 1st thessalonians 5:18, 16 through
00:25:34.747 --> 00:25:38.651
18, i think, that says, rejoice always, pray
00:25:38.651 --> 00:25:41.587
Continually, and in all things, give thanks in all
00:25:41.587 --> 00:25:44.323
Circumstances, for this is the will of god.
00:25:44.323 --> 00:25:47.493
When you find yourself in a cycle of believing lies and
00:25:47.493 --> 00:25:52.131
Feeling like the enemy is just overwhelming your thoughts in
00:25:52.131 --> 00:25:55.534
Your mind, the lord tells you right there in that scripture
00:25:55.534 --> 00:25:58.471
What the will of god is for your life, to rejoice always,
00:25:58.471 --> 00:26:01.974
To pray continually, and to give thanks in all
00:26:01.974 --> 00:26:05.177
Circumstances.
00:26:05.177 --> 00:26:06.345
I believe this.
00:26:06.345 --> 00:26:07.613
If you're having a struggle with believing lies and the
00:26:07.613 --> 00:26:10.883
Truth you want to put on them, if you began to pray
00:26:10.883 --> 00:26:13.719
Continually, if you rejoiced always, and if you started
00:26:13.719 --> 00:26:17.189
Giving thanks for everything in your life, i believe you
00:26:17.189 --> 00:26:20.292
Would start filling your heart up with faith, and you would
00:26:20.292 --> 00:26:23.796
Begin to speak truth over lies, and you would start
00:26:23.796 --> 00:26:27.099
Living in freedom.
00:26:27.099 --> 00:26:28.434
- and, you know, i think about, like my kids, i've got,
00:26:28.434 --> 00:26:30.770
You know, three kids, and so you're going to have different
00:26:30.770 --> 00:26:32.672
Personalities, and i have one child who just naturally, the
00:26:32.672 --> 00:26:35.975
Glass is always half full, and then i kind of had another had
00:26:35.975 --> 00:26:39.545
To work with.
00:26:39.545 --> 00:26:40.846
The glass is just naturally, it's always just a little half
00:26:40.846 --> 00:26:42.715
Empty.
00:26:42.715 --> 00:26:43.749
And it's exactly how you choose to see it.
00:26:43.749 --> 00:26:45.918
They grew up in the same home with the same circumstances or
00:26:45.918 --> 00:26:48.020
The same lack or gain, whichever way you would want
00:26:48.020 --> 00:26:51.624
To look at it.
00:26:51.624 --> 00:26:52.725
But one of them would be content and joyful with
00:26:52.725 --> 00:26:56.328
Whatever was before them.
00:26:56.328 --> 00:26:58.564
And the other one saw all the problems and all the hold.
00:26:58.564 --> 00:27:01.734
And how much we talked about mindset and how much of how we
00:27:01.734 --> 00:27:07.606
See life changing, seasons changing, really can be helped
00:27:07.606 --> 00:27:11.544
With the right mindset.
00:27:11.544 --> 00:27:14.613
And how much do we get delayed if we're just stuck in an old
00:27:14.613 --> 00:27:18.851
Mindset with stinking thinking?
00:27:18.851 --> 00:27:20.586
Because, i mean, it really is.
00:27:20.586 --> 00:27:22.521
That's the part of the scenario we get to choose is
00:27:22.521 --> 00:27:25.458
How we're going to see it.
00:27:25.458 --> 00:27:27.093
How we're, the attitude we're going to have to deal with it.
00:27:27.093 --> 00:27:29.462
- and that's why the israelites would erect stones
00:27:29.462 --> 00:27:32.331
Of remembrance, right?
00:27:32.331 --> 00:27:33.899
It's like, let me remember.
00:27:33.899 --> 00:27:35.201
Let me actually a place, not just, you know, something i'm
00:27:35.201 --> 00:27:38.237
Going to tuck in the back of my mind.
00:27:38.237 --> 00:27:39.572
It's like, no, let me physically mark the place
00:27:39.572 --> 00:27:42.608
Where god did something so that, when we find ourselves
00:27:42.608 --> 00:27:46.779
In a discouraging situation we can visit the place where god
00:27:46.779 --> 00:27:51.117
Did the miracle.
00:27:51.117 --> 00:27:52.118
- how do you think we can do that today?
00:27:52.118 --> 00:27:53.152
- part of what you did you said you're writing?
00:27:53.152 --> 00:27:55.221
- the jar.
00:27:55.221 --> 00:27:55.888
I guess that's a good one.
00:27:55.888 --> 00:27:57.189
- like literally keep a notes app, do something a journal
00:27:57.189 --> 00:28:02.294
Because what we do is we remember what isn't going
00:28:02.294 --> 00:28:05.364
Well, always struggle to remember what god did.
00:28:05.364 --> 00:28:08.434
It's true.
00:28:08.434 --> 00:28:09.568
Why is it that we default to that negative so fast?
00:28:09.568 --> 00:28:12.138
It's just the human condition.
00:28:12.138 --> 00:28:13.572
Man, it's the human condition.
00:28:13.572 --> 00:28:15.007
Like when i think about my husband, what i would fix.
00:28:15.007 --> 00:28:18.144
Yes, exactly.
00:28:18.144 --> 00:28:18.811
It's true.
00:28:18.811 --> 00:28:19.478
And we just go there.
00:28:19.478 --> 00:28:20.713
But you know what?
00:28:20.713 --> 00:28:22.047
I'm going to say, even god can redeem that because i have an
00:28:22.047 --> 00:28:25.551
Interesting story.
00:28:25.551 --> 00:28:26.819
I went through a season where i just felt like i mean, i
00:28:26.819 --> 00:28:29.789
Walked around feeling like when is the other shoe going
00:28:29.789 --> 00:28:31.924
To drop because it just felt like it was a season of
00:28:31.924 --> 00:28:34.660
Perpetual disappointments or expectations missed or
00:28:34.660 --> 00:28:37.730
Whatever.
00:28:37.730 --> 00:28:38.464
And i was in my quiet time.
00:28:38.464 --> 00:28:40.032
I was just so frustrated with all of my situation and i
00:28:40.032 --> 00:28:43.135
Tried to see it from a good perspective.
00:28:43.135 --> 00:28:45.204
I've done all the stuff and i was like, this is real stuff.
00:28:45.204 --> 00:28:48.974
Real stuff keeps happening.
00:28:48.974 --> 00:28:49.909
This isn't just me seeing it bad.
00:28:49.909 --> 00:28:51.577
Real stuff is happening.
00:28:51.577 --> 00:28:52.511
So i just decided to write it down.
00:28:52.511 --> 00:28:54.413
And it was like a page and a half of things in the last
00:28:54.413 --> 00:28:57.716
Five months or whatever.
00:28:57.716 --> 00:28:58.651
And i'm all, all the bad things.
00:28:58.651 --> 00:29:00.286
This is all.
00:29:00.286 --> 00:29:01.287
And i'm just writing it down to the lord.
00:29:01.287 --> 00:29:03.122
Like, do you see all this that happened, whatever?
00:29:03.122 --> 00:29:05.257
Fast forward, three, four, five months or whatever i
00:29:05.257 --> 00:29:07.827
Pulled that back out just to look at it.
00:29:07.827 --> 00:29:10.863
And i'm telling you, he can turn it for good because i'm
00:29:10.863 --> 00:29:13.566
Reading a page and a half of things that were going wrong
00:29:13.566 --> 00:29:16.936
That i didn't understand.
00:29:16.936 --> 00:29:18.871
They had all either been resolved.
00:29:18.871 --> 00:29:21.040
Or god had given a new perspective or god had
00:29:21.040 --> 00:29:23.909
Answered.
00:29:23.909 --> 00:29:25.244
I mean, i'm like, i'm reading it and i'm like, oh, oh, oh my
00:29:25.244 --> 00:29:28.747
Goodness.
00:29:28.747 --> 00:29:29.415
Good.
00:29:29.415 --> 00:29:30.082
Okay, god.
00:29:30.082 --> 00:29:31.283
I mean, like, i'm reading through it and i'm like, he
00:29:31.283 --> 00:29:32.351
Used me grumbling and complaining.
00:29:32.351 --> 00:29:34.253
Even he had the grace on me to be like, just give it a
00:29:34.253 --> 00:29:36.856
Second, just give it a second daughter.
00:29:36.856 --> 00:29:38.824
You're going to look back and all of these.
00:29:38.824 --> 00:29:40.626
- i'm working on the backside of the tapestry.
00:29:40.626 --> 00:29:42.294
- working on the backside.
00:29:42.294 --> 00:29:43.596
- yeah.
00:29:43.596 --> 00:29:44.897
And even that he allowed for me to see that he was working
00:29:44.897 --> 00:29:48.234
Things for good.
00:29:48.234 --> 00:29:49.501
- i just want to remind you that god is faithful and his
00:29:49.501 --> 00:29:54.039
Promise that he will work all things together for good to
00:29:54.039 --> 00:29:58.177
Those who love him and to the called, according to his
00:29:58.177 --> 00:30:01.380
Purpose, right?
00:30:01.380 --> 00:30:02.381
And i know that can sound like a cliche.
00:30:02.381 --> 00:30:04.049
We have to be very careful how we use that because someone in
00:30:04.049 --> 00:30:07.319
Real pain, we don't want to just throw that out there
00:30:07.319 --> 00:30:10.589
Meaningless, but we have to know it.
00:30:10.589 --> 00:30:13.759
And so i don't want to nullify any pain that you might be in
00:30:13.759 --> 00:30:16.729
The middle of, but i do want to remind you that god is
00:30:16.729 --> 00:30:19.965
Faithful, that he hasn't forgotten the season that
00:30:19.965 --> 00:30:22.167
You're in, and i just want it to encourage you to keep
00:30:22.167 --> 00:30:25.070
Taking the next step.
00:30:25.070 --> 00:30:26.605
And then also to pray, you know, james tells us that we
00:30:26.605 --> 00:30:28.507
Can ask god for wisdom and that he gives it faithfully.
00:30:28.507 --> 00:30:31.176
And so maybe there's some wisdom that we need in
00:30:31.176 --> 00:30:33.545
Navigating this season or and just as we handle this
00:30:33.545 --> 00:30:36.916
Transition.
00:30:36.916 --> 00:30:37.850
So i would just ask god for wisdom.
00:30:37.850 --> 00:30:41.253
- my husband and i, we were celebrating our 20th wedding
00:30:41.253 --> 00:30:43.222
Anniversary, and we went to the maldives, this beautiful
00:30:43.222 --> 00:30:46.558
Trip, like just, ugh, amazing.
00:30:46.558 --> 00:30:48.560
And when we went, i took my bible, not this one, took my
00:30:48.560 --> 00:30:53.933
Bible, it was the exact same bible.
00:30:53.933 --> 00:30:55.834
I took my journal at the time, and i was just like, you know,
00:30:55.834 --> 00:31:00.272
Praying and studying and taking notes and all these
00:31:00.272 --> 00:31:02.241
Things.
00:31:02.241 --> 00:31:03.342
I had a prayer journal, i was doing all this.
00:31:03.342 --> 00:31:04.643
Well, one day, we were riding across a bridge and it was
00:31:04.643 --> 00:31:07.146
Beautiful view.
00:31:07.146 --> 00:31:08.314
And i said, honey, let's get a picture on the bridge.
00:31:08.314 --> 00:31:10.282
So we get off our bikes, we put the bikes on the
00:31:10.282 --> 00:31:11.917
Kickstand.
00:31:11.917 --> 00:31:13.185
The bikes are behind us, and there's this couple that was
00:31:13.185 --> 00:31:14.987
Taking a picture of us.
00:31:14.987 --> 00:31:16.188
And as they're taking the picture, i hear, psh, and i
00:31:16.188 --> 00:31:19.558
Turn around, and our bikes have fallen off the bridge
00:31:19.558 --> 00:31:22.194
Into the indian ocean with my bible, with my journal, with
00:31:22.194 --> 00:31:25.097
My ipad, with my phone, everything's in the indian
00:31:25.097 --> 00:31:27.833
Ocean.
00:31:27.833 --> 00:31:28.667
Now, here's what's interesting.
00:31:28.667 --> 00:31:30.703
We were able to recover my ipad, which, of course, was
00:31:30.703 --> 00:31:34.406
Dead by then, my phone.
00:31:34.406 --> 00:31:36.709
We recover everything, and i look over, and i see my bible
00:31:36.709 --> 00:31:39.678
And my journal are, like, out at sea.
00:31:39.678 --> 00:31:42.081
So there's no way i'm going to get that, right?
00:31:42.081 --> 00:31:43.415
I was so devastated because i loved my bible.
00:31:43.415 --> 00:31:45.651
I loved my journal.
00:31:45.651 --> 00:31:46.852
But when i got back to the room that night, and i was
00:31:46.852 --> 00:31:50.022
Praying, i was like, lord, like, these are my tools of
00:31:50.022 --> 00:31:52.858
Ministry.
00:31:52.858 --> 00:31:53.525
Like, what happened?
00:31:53.525 --> 00:31:54.760
The lord told me, he said, you are now in a new season.
00:31:54.760 --> 00:31:57.062
He said, you've been keeping an inventory of all that has
00:31:57.062 --> 00:32:00.366
Been going wrong in your life.
00:32:00.366 --> 00:32:02.201
In the journal, i had all these prayers for what was
00:32:02.201 --> 00:32:04.403
Going wrong and relationships and hurts and all these
00:32:04.403 --> 00:32:06.638
Things.
00:32:06.638 --> 00:32:07.806
Even in my bible, i would have notes, i would circle
00:32:07.806 --> 00:32:09.108
Scriptures that i was praying because of a situation that
00:32:09.108 --> 00:32:11.176
Wasn't working out.
00:32:11.176 --> 00:32:12.478
And god said, i literally am writing a new chapter for you.
00:32:12.478 --> 00:32:15.881
Wow.
00:32:15.881 --> 00:32:17.216
He said, so when you get back, you're gonna buy a new bible,
00:32:17.216 --> 00:32:19.084
You're gonna buy a new journal.
00:32:19.084 --> 00:32:20.352
And you're not going to keep a record of all of the pain,
00:32:20.352 --> 00:32:24.289
Because i have called you to a new season.
00:32:24.289 --> 00:32:27.059
So the lord had to physically take what i was using to keep
00:32:27.059 --> 00:32:31.530
A record of everything that had gone wrong, relationships
00:32:31.530 --> 00:32:34.133
I was hurt about, all these things.
00:32:34.133 --> 00:32:35.601
And god was like i said whatever is pure, whatever is
00:32:35.601 --> 00:32:38.771
Noble, whatever is true.
00:32:38.771 --> 00:32:40.139
Like, whatever is excellent or praise, think on these things,
00:32:40.139 --> 00:32:43.876
You've been thinking on what's going wrong and what's so bad.
00:32:43.876 --> 00:32:46.879
And he said, so i took it away.
00:32:46.879 --> 00:32:48.380
He said, i had to take it all the way out to sea.
00:32:48.380 --> 00:32:51.150
Some shark is reading the word of god.
00:32:51.150 --> 00:32:52.718
- apparently.
00:32:52.718 --> 00:32:53.619
- but he said, i gotta get rid of it.
00:32:53.619 --> 00:32:56.255
You cannot live this life without change.
00:32:56.255 --> 00:32:59.658
Changes in relationships, changes in your health status,
00:32:59.658 --> 00:33:02.461
Changes in your finances, changes for where you live,
00:33:02.461 --> 00:33:05.230
Changes in even how you think and move.
00:33:05.230 --> 00:33:07.266
And so anticipating change in your life should be a part of
00:33:07.266 --> 00:33:11.770
Your expectation, because this is how you grow.
00:33:11.770 --> 00:33:14.840
We would not grow if everything stayed the same, if
00:33:14.840 --> 00:33:17.176
There was no friction, if there was no hardship, or if
00:33:17.176 --> 00:33:19.778
There were no challenges to the relationships that we
00:33:19.778 --> 00:33:22.281
Experience or the circumstances that we find
00:33:22.281 --> 00:33:25.184
Ourselves in.
00:33:25.184 --> 00:33:26.485
You want change, because this is how you learn more about
00:33:26.485 --> 00:33:28.420
God and learn more about yourself.
00:33:28.420 --> 00:33:30.189
It's how you learn to operate in power and learn how to take
00:33:30.189 --> 00:33:33.325
Things to the throne that you have no control.
00:33:33.325 --> 00:33:35.661
Change is and should be a part of life but it doesn't feel
00:33:35.661 --> 00:33:39.231
Good so when you find that life is changing especially
00:33:39.231 --> 00:33:42.501
With changes you didn't expect, i want you to pause
00:33:42.501 --> 00:33:45.871
And use that feeling that you have to send you to the throne
00:33:45.871 --> 00:33:50.075
And for you to say god, i don't know what this change
00:33:50.075 --> 00:33:52.444
Means, i don't know how i'm going to get through it, i
00:33:52.444 --> 00:33:54.813
Don't even know if i like it.
00:33:54.813 --> 00:33:56.148
What i do know is you can still be my god and the god of
00:33:56.148 --> 00:33:59.485
All of the things in my life in this change.
00:33:59.485 --> 00:34:02.488
Help me to learn to lean into you.
00:34:02.488 --> 00:34:04.389
And if you will do the leaning in, here's what i know.
00:34:04.389 --> 00:34:07.126
The god who is lord over change in your life can change
00:34:07.126 --> 00:34:10.796
You for the better.
00:34:10.796 --> 00:34:13.499
- let's keep the conversation going.
00:34:13.499 --> 00:34:15.267
You can find the better together podcast on your
00:34:15.267 --> 00:34:18.036
Favorite listening platform.
00:34:18.036 --> 00:34:19.805
Subscribe today.
00:34:19.805 --> 00:34:20.806
♪ (music playing) ♪
00:34:20.806 --> 00:34:23.996
♪ (music playing) ♪
00:34:23.996 --> 00:34:27.980
- i think it must be one of the most
00:34:27.980 --> 00:34:31.683
Painful things in the world to feel as if god is ignoring
00:34:31.683 --> 00:34:33.685
You.
00:34:33.685 --> 00:34:35.220
The one thing i know is god is always, always watching over
00:34:35.220 --> 00:34:38.624
Us.
00:34:38.624 --> 00:34:40.125
It says in hebrews that the lord said, i will never leave
00:34:40.125 --> 00:34:42.694
You.
00:34:42.694 --> 00:34:43.929
No, will i not never forsake you?
00:34:43.929 --> 00:34:45.631
The way it's written is almost ridiculous.
00:34:45.631 --> 00:34:48.033
It's like it's been stated over and over and over again.
00:34:48.033 --> 00:34:50.636
Trust me, i will never leave you.
00:34:50.636 --> 00:34:53.105
I will never forsake you.
00:34:53.105 --> 00:34:54.139
♪ (music playing) ♪
00:34:54.139 --> 00:34:58.043
- we talk about shifting our thinking
00:34:58.043 --> 00:35:02.080
And shifting our perspective.
00:35:02.080 --> 00:35:03.715
The big part of that is revisiting the first thought
00:35:03.715 --> 00:35:07.419
And replacing that.
00:35:07.419 --> 00:35:09.555
And so replacing truth with lies is...
00:35:09.555 --> 00:35:12.124
This is why it's important to know the word of god so if you
00:35:12.124 --> 00:35:16.195
Have thoughts, and then line those thoughts in a journal
00:35:16.195 --> 00:35:19.097
And maybe they come out of your mouth or whatever but
00:35:19.097 --> 00:35:22.267
Going back to them and going let me hold that up to a
00:35:22.267 --> 00:35:26.071
Mirror and what's actually true.
00:35:26.071 --> 00:35:27.506
Or what was god actually doing which is why the stones were
00:35:27.506 --> 00:35:31.009
So important because they would come back and go this
00:35:31.009 --> 00:35:34.046
Was the experience of god's people when they came here the
00:35:34.046 --> 00:35:36.815
First time.
00:35:36.815 --> 00:35:37.916
But now we have the perspective of time to see
00:35:37.916 --> 00:35:40.519
What the larger story is that's being written.
00:35:40.519 --> 00:35:43.088
And i think that's, it's so important.
00:35:43.088 --> 00:35:45.023
I mean, i always say, you know, i haven't done it, but i
00:35:45.023 --> 00:35:47.893
Need to label burn and then call my burn friend.
00:35:47.893 --> 00:35:50.596
Like, these are the journals that you have to burn.
00:35:50.596 --> 00:35:52.431
But when i was, you know, everybody needs a burn friend.
00:35:52.431 --> 00:35:55.701
But when i was younger, all of my journals were about what
00:35:55.701 --> 00:35:59.905
Was wrong.
00:35:59.905 --> 00:36:01.206
Because of all the thoughts we have, the large majority of
00:36:01.206 --> 00:36:03.141
Them are not the good ones.
00:36:03.141 --> 00:36:04.710
We tend towards complaining.
00:36:04.710 --> 00:36:07.145
We tend towards the lack of gratitude.
00:36:07.145 --> 00:36:08.947
We tend towards waiting for the shoe to drop.
00:36:08.947 --> 00:36:11.483
So it's coming back to those thoughts and saying, but
00:36:11.483 --> 00:36:14.753
What's really happening?
00:36:14.753 --> 00:36:17.022
This is one of the reasons why the psalms is so powerful
00:36:17.022 --> 00:36:19.558
Because david did both.
00:36:19.558 --> 00:36:21.393
He lamented.
00:36:21.393 --> 00:36:22.527
He expressed his frustration.
00:36:22.527 --> 00:36:24.463
He was like, god, where are you?
00:36:24.463 --> 00:36:25.797
Do i have to run forever?
00:36:25.797 --> 00:36:27.132
You know, all of that.
00:36:27.132 --> 00:36:28.433
But if you read the psalms, either in the same psalms or
00:36:28.433 --> 00:36:31.837
Quickly thereafter, there is a reframing.
00:36:31.837 --> 00:36:35.073
And so if you only put the complaining and the lamenting
00:36:35.073 --> 00:36:40.045
And the grief discussion in a bottle by itself, and if you
00:36:40.045 --> 00:36:44.883
Never mix it together with anything else, then you don't
00:36:44.883 --> 00:36:47.619
Have a mixture that actually has impact.
00:36:47.619 --> 00:36:50.689
And so i think that's the question is, are we coming
00:36:50.689 --> 00:36:53.325
Back to the things that, to our experiences or to our
00:36:53.325 --> 00:36:56.995
Emotions or to the things that were unexpected and reframing
00:36:56.995 --> 00:37:00.866
Them.
00:37:00.866 --> 00:37:02.100
We went to disney world and the last day of our disney
00:37:02.100 --> 00:37:06.204
World trip, we were staying on a disney property and we had
00:37:06.204 --> 00:37:09.875
Not been to disney world before.
00:37:09.875 --> 00:37:11.243
So it was like a big deal for us.
00:37:11.243 --> 00:37:12.844
And the last night was we could do magic hours.
00:37:12.844 --> 00:37:16.481
And magic hours at disney world is when you get to go
00:37:16.481 --> 00:37:18.784
Back to the park.
00:37:18.784 --> 00:37:20.085
And if you're staying on the property, only property people
00:37:20.085 --> 00:37:22.754
Get to stay later and stay longer and ride the rides with
00:37:22.754 --> 00:37:26.925
Shorter lines.
00:37:26.925 --> 00:37:27.893
So we were really looking forward to this.
00:37:27.893 --> 00:37:29.695
And that was a night that my husband felt ill.
00:37:29.695 --> 00:37:32.264
His temperature was like 104.
00:37:32.264 --> 00:37:34.066
We had to call the ambulance.
00:37:34.066 --> 00:37:36.201
They had to take him to the hospital.
00:37:36.201 --> 00:37:39.104
And, you know, he was coherent and all that.
00:37:39.104 --> 00:37:40.972
Like, we're there in florida.
00:37:40.972 --> 00:37:42.674
Like, we don't have anybody.
00:37:42.674 --> 00:37:43.742
It's me and kids and my husband.
00:37:43.742 --> 00:37:45.544
So he said, i'm fine.
00:37:45.544 --> 00:37:46.845
You know what's going to happen.
00:37:46.845 --> 00:37:48.213
We're going to get to the hospital.
00:37:48.213 --> 00:37:49.881
It's going to take them forever to do whatever.
00:37:49.881 --> 00:37:55.721
He said, be sure and take the kids to magic hours.
00:37:55.721 --> 00:37:58.223
So he goes to the hospital in the er.
00:37:58.223 --> 00:38:01.326
And i'm taking my kids back to disney world.
00:38:01.326 --> 00:38:02.961
We're riding rides.
00:38:02.961 --> 00:38:04.229
And, of course, we told them he'll be fine and all these
00:38:04.229 --> 00:38:04.963
Different things.
00:38:04.963 --> 00:38:06.031
And they had the time of their life, right?
00:38:06.031 --> 00:38:07.165
So come to find out the infection that he has, it
00:38:07.165 --> 00:38:08.333
Keeps him in the hospital for 10 days, okay?
00:38:08.333 --> 00:38:10.235
In florida.
00:38:10.235 --> 00:38:12.170
So that night, the first night, i was like, what am i
00:38:11.002 --> 00:38:14.639
Going to do?
00:38:14.639 --> 00:38:15.774
Because i need to go be with him at the hospital.
00:38:15.774 --> 00:38:18.110
We knew a pastor in the area and they said, we have one of
00:38:18.110 --> 00:38:21.546
The girls that babysits our kids, don't worry, we'll send
00:38:21.546 --> 00:38:23.982
Her to you.
00:38:23.982 --> 00:38:25.250
So this girl i'd never met comes to stay with my kids so
00:38:25.250 --> 00:38:27.919
I can go to the hospital.
00:38:27.919 --> 00:38:29.421
This is how this started.
00:38:29.421 --> 00:38:30.622
Within 48 hours, my sister and my brother were already
00:38:30.622 --> 00:38:33.425
Planning to be in orlando for an event.
00:38:33.425 --> 00:38:35.927
Wow.
00:38:35.927 --> 00:38:36.995
So within 48 hours, my children are now with my
00:38:36.995 --> 00:38:40.098
Sister and my brother in orlando, and i spent the
00:38:40.098 --> 00:38:43.001
Majority of that time, you know, in the hospital with my
00:38:43.001 --> 00:38:45.971
Husband.
00:38:45.971 --> 00:38:46.638
Here's the thing.
00:38:46.638 --> 00:38:47.773
When we look back on this trip, my children don't
00:38:47.773 --> 00:38:49.741
Remember.
00:38:49.741 --> 00:38:50.976
They don't remember, or it's not- they vaguely remember
00:38:50.976 --> 00:38:54.346
Remember the ambulance.
00:38:54.346 --> 00:38:55.614
They don't remember the hospital visit.
00:38:55.614 --> 00:38:57.549
They don't remember, you know, the scary parts of it, because
00:38:57.549 --> 00:39:01.420
All they remember is we went back to magic hours.
00:39:01.420 --> 00:39:04.656
And then our uncle and aunt showed up with our cousin, and
00:39:04.656 --> 00:39:06.725
We got to go back to the parks again.
00:39:06.725 --> 00:39:08.527
So how we frame the experiences is so important.
00:39:08.527 --> 00:39:12.864
It doesn't mean that the experiences didn't happen.
00:39:12.864 --> 00:39:15.567
It doesn't mean that they weren't painful.
00:39:15.567 --> 00:39:17.235
It doesn't mean that they weren't scary.
00:39:17.235 --> 00:39:18.570
It just means god was at work doing something else too.
00:39:18.570 --> 00:39:21.706
And a lot of times we can't see that unless we layer it
00:39:21.706 --> 00:39:25.110
With another view.
00:39:25.110 --> 00:39:27.078
- it is hard when you are in a season where it feels like the
00:39:27.078 --> 00:39:31.516
Cycle of loss just never ends.
00:39:31.516 --> 00:39:33.852
And i've referred to it before, but it feels like when
00:39:33.852 --> 00:39:36.388
Is the other shoe going to drop?
00:39:36.388 --> 00:39:37.756
Like, as soon as one, you get over one thing, you feel like
00:39:37.756 --> 00:39:40.292
Another trial or tribulation happens.
00:39:40.292 --> 00:39:42.661
And that is a tough place to be and i want to just
00:39:42.661 --> 00:39:45.630
Acknowledge it's really hard if you're in a season that
00:39:45.630 --> 00:39:48.834
Feels like that but i can speak to if you stay in the
00:39:48.834 --> 00:39:55.040
Mentality and the thought that this season is just never
00:39:55.040 --> 00:39:58.877
Going to end, a fear in you could rise up and you might
00:39:58.877 --> 00:40:02.747
Start feeling like you're never going to get out of this
00:40:02.747 --> 00:40:04.916
And you may start feeling like i don't deserve this and why
00:40:04.916 --> 00:40:07.419
Me why would god allow any of this to happen.
00:40:07.419 --> 00:40:10.288
And when you flood your mind with those thoughts, i have
00:40:10.288 --> 00:40:14.659
Spoken before that fear and faith really cannot coexist.
00:40:14.659 --> 00:40:19.064
And so when you allow all of the thoughts to come in about
00:40:19.064 --> 00:40:23.502
Fear of what's ahead, is there going to be another bad thing
00:40:23.502 --> 00:40:26.905
Happen?
00:40:26.905 --> 00:40:27.772
Am i going to keep losing things?
00:40:27.772 --> 00:40:29.508
Am i going to keep losing my relationships?
00:40:29.508 --> 00:40:31.776
Am i going to lose a job?
00:40:31.776 --> 00:40:33.111
Am i-all of these things?
00:40:33.111 --> 00:40:34.312
What ends up happening is the space for faith to grow
00:40:34.312 --> 00:40:39.851
Becomes diminished.
00:40:39.851 --> 00:40:41.119
And so if you have only so much space to give to fear or
00:40:41.119 --> 00:40:45.824
Faith, i want to encourage you, give it to faith.
00:40:45.824 --> 00:40:49.928
- you have an example of something in your life where
00:40:49.928 --> 00:40:53.665
It's not that it didn't happen.
00:40:53.665 --> 00:40:54.633
It happened.
00:40:54.633 --> 00:40:55.834
It's just that you can see what else god was doing.
00:40:55.834 --> 00:40:58.904
Because the reframing is the issue.
00:40:58.904 --> 00:41:01.106
- i mean, it's so crazy how patient god has to be with us.
00:41:01.106 --> 00:41:03.575
It takes so little for me to see the glass half empty
00:41:03.575 --> 00:41:06.311
Sometimes, you know, the reframing.
00:41:06.311 --> 00:41:08.980
That's, yeah...
00:41:08.980 --> 00:41:10.148
- my entire life in ministry is a testament to the
00:41:10.148 --> 00:41:12.951
Redeeming power of jesus.
00:41:12.951 --> 00:41:14.185
And i often marvel on this because, for those who don't
00:41:14.185 --> 00:41:17.522
Know my story, only child raised by a mother who didn't
00:41:17.522 --> 00:41:20.892
Want to have children.
00:41:20.892 --> 00:41:22.127
She was married to my dad for 13 years, got pregnant.
00:41:22.127 --> 00:41:25.497
Halfway through her pregnancy, he got terminal stomach
00:41:25.497 --> 00:41:28.099
Cancer.
00:41:28.099 --> 00:41:29.401
And so he ends up dying, and she got in a relationship with
00:41:29.401 --> 00:41:31.670
A guy.
00:41:31.670 --> 00:41:32.904
He sexually abused me for the majority of my childhood.
00:41:32.904 --> 00:41:35.006
She had him arrested, but then brought him back home on the
00:41:35.006 --> 00:41:38.310
Day of his release from jail, and he picked up where he left
00:41:38.310 --> 00:41:41.580
Off.
00:41:41.580 --> 00:41:42.781
And so it was a very, very, very, very traumatizing
00:41:42.781 --> 00:41:44.883
Childhood, tried to end my life several times.
00:41:44.883 --> 00:41:46.785
People, when they hear my story, the details of my
00:41:46.785 --> 00:41:49.020
Story.
00:41:49.020 --> 00:41:50.322
People who have been through similar situations, they will
00:41:50.322 --> 00:41:52.557
Say, i've never been able to move past it.
00:41:52.557 --> 00:41:56.394
Like, the pain is still there.
00:41:56.394 --> 00:41:58.096
And they're like, how is it that you can tell your story?
00:41:58.096 --> 00:42:00.932
And i can tell that there's freedom there.
00:42:00.932 --> 00:42:03.468
Like, how did that happen?
00:42:03.468 --> 00:42:04.769
And i look back on it and i'm just like, there was, i didn't
00:42:04.769 --> 00:42:08.473
Go to therapy.
00:42:08.473 --> 00:42:09.774
There was never a time where i sat across from a counselor
00:42:09.774 --> 00:42:11.376
And, like, processed everything.
00:42:11.376 --> 00:42:12.811
But the lord literally renewed my mind to the point where he
00:42:12.811 --> 00:42:17.616
Began to use that story to point people to him.
00:42:17.616 --> 00:42:22.454
It wasn't about what happened to me, it wasn't about the
00:42:22.454 --> 00:42:25.490
Pain of what i experienced, but it is about the fact that
00:42:25.490 --> 00:42:28.793
He is in it with us.
00:42:28.793 --> 00:42:31.062
I look back on my childhood and i think back on how i
00:42:31.062 --> 00:42:34.299
Didn't know the lord, i didn't grow up in a christian home,
00:42:34.299 --> 00:42:37.302
Never read the bible, know about jesus or anything, but i
00:42:37.302 --> 00:42:40.038
Can literally remember hearing the voice of, i didn't know it
00:42:40.038 --> 00:42:42.507
Was god, but hearing a voice telling me, i love you.
00:42:42.507 --> 00:42:47.579
You're precious.
00:42:47.579 --> 00:42:48.913
And these are words that were never spoken over me by my mom
00:42:48.913 --> 00:42:51.483
Or anybody.
00:42:51.483 --> 00:42:52.550
And those were the things that kept me living.
00:42:52.550 --> 00:42:54.519
And so i know god is real.
00:42:54.519 --> 00:42:56.655
And i can say now in this season i'm in, i can talk to
00:42:56.655 --> 00:43:00.091
Anybody who's been through something similar or worse, i
00:43:00.091 --> 00:43:03.128
Know god is real.
00:43:03.128 --> 00:43:04.295
And i know he can redeem the pain because i've walked
00:43:04.295 --> 00:43:06.931
Through it.
00:43:06.931 --> 00:43:08.099
This is not something that's just theoretical for me.
00:43:08.099 --> 00:43:09.801
This is life, and i know what god can do.
00:43:09.801 --> 00:43:12.537
So when you talk about reframing, it's not even just
00:43:12.537 --> 00:43:14.773
Reframing, it's redeeming.
00:43:14.773 --> 00:43:16.541
You know, it's like, i don't have to think differently
00:43:16.541 --> 00:43:19.144
About what happened to me.
00:43:19.144 --> 00:43:20.612
I simply invite god into what happened to me and allow his
00:43:20.612 --> 00:43:24.315
Promise to remind me of his goodness.
00:43:24.315 --> 00:43:27.719
And so that becomes the the healing power.
00:43:27.719 --> 00:43:30.288
- i love it.
00:43:30.288 --> 00:43:31.056
I was reading in psalm 22:24.
00:43:31.056 --> 00:43:33.324
And this is what it says.
00:43:33.324 --> 00:43:36.227
For he has not despised or scorn the suffering of the
00:43:36.227 --> 00:43:39.264
Afflicted one.
00:43:39.264 --> 00:43:40.532
He has not hidden his face from him, but has listened to
00:43:40.532 --> 00:43:43.034
His cry for help.
00:43:43.034 --> 00:43:44.235
But in the passion translation, it says, he's my
00:43:44.235 --> 00:43:48.106
First responder to my sufferings.
00:43:48.106 --> 00:43:50.875
And i love that reframing.
00:43:50.875 --> 00:43:52.377
That any time i'm in need, i'm in pain, and i think god is
00:43:52.377 --> 00:43:57.515
Distant.
00:43:57.515 --> 00:43:58.717
He's actually the complete opposite.
00:43:58.717 --> 00:44:00.585
He's the first responder.
00:44:00.585 --> 00:44:02.287
You're talking about your husband and the ambulance.
00:44:02.287 --> 00:44:04.355
I mean, the one that is there first to save you, the one who
00:44:04.355 --> 00:44:07.926
Is there to give you the breath, to give you the life,
00:44:07.926 --> 00:44:10.929
To save you from the despair.
00:44:10.929 --> 00:44:12.163
I just love that imagery.
00:44:12.163 --> 00:44:15.233
- one of the biggest questions that's been asked throughout
00:44:15.233 --> 00:44:18.203
The centuries is why does god allow pain?
00:44:18.203 --> 00:44:21.606
If god is good and god is powerful, that means that he
00:44:21.606 --> 00:44:25.744
Has the power to stop bad things, so why does he not?
00:44:25.744 --> 00:44:28.246
And better theologians have argued that throughout the
00:44:28.246 --> 00:44:33.318
Centuries.
00:44:33.318 --> 00:44:34.619
And i don't think there's an answer that fits the weight of
00:44:34.619 --> 00:44:37.522
That question.
00:44:37.522 --> 00:44:38.823
The one thing we do know is this was never god's original
00:44:38.823 --> 00:44:41.559
Plan that sin would enter the world.
00:44:41.559 --> 00:44:43.862
But because sin entered the world, so did jesus.
00:44:43.862 --> 00:44:47.265
I don't know if you've ever done this, where you've read
00:44:47.265 --> 00:44:49.901
Your bible right from the beginning, from genesis, all
00:44:49.901 --> 00:44:52.237
The way through to the end of revelation.
00:44:52.237 --> 00:44:54.706
It's really awesome.
00:44:54.706 --> 00:44:56.141
And if you do that, you'll see there's this scarlet thread
00:44:56.141 --> 00:44:59.444
That starts in the garden of eden and comes all the way
00:44:59.444 --> 00:45:02.247
Through, all the heartache and the brokenness and the wars
00:45:02.247 --> 00:45:05.316
And the defeats and the human suffering up to a place where
00:45:05.316 --> 00:45:09.721
Christ himself said, you know, punish me, father, for
00:45:09.721 --> 00:45:13.591
Everything that's wrong in this world to make it possible
00:45:13.591 --> 00:45:16.594
For you and i to live with god again and to be at peace.
00:45:16.594 --> 00:45:20.632
So i just think there's something amazing about the
00:45:20.632 --> 00:45:24.769
Adventure of following god, knowing he is in the future,
00:45:24.769 --> 00:45:27.806
And because he's there, you don't have to be afraid.
00:45:27.806 --> 00:45:31.209
- the reality is that that's how life is.
00:45:31.209 --> 00:45:35.213
There's joy and sorrow in the same moment, that i dance.
00:45:35.213 --> 00:45:38.750
When i'm dealing with just that painful betrayal in my
00:45:38.750 --> 00:45:41.920
Husband's cancer, i also got a really great book deal
00:45:41.920 --> 00:45:45.056
Situation.
00:45:45.056 --> 00:45:46.257
Try to celebrate this and then, like, and yeah, one of
00:45:46.257 --> 00:45:49.594
My grad school professors asked this question to the
00:45:49.594 --> 00:45:52.797
Class.
00:45:52.797 --> 00:45:53.998
He said, where do you feel, when do you sense god's
00:45:53.998 --> 00:45:57.268
Presence more, when everything's going right for
00:45:57.268 --> 00:45:59.971
You or when you're in the middle of suffering and of
00:45:59.971 --> 00:46:03.608
Course we all said when we're suffering he said so that
00:46:03.608 --> 00:46:06.110
Don't discount that moment those moments or despise it or
00:46:06.110 --> 00:46:09.214
Despise them yeah, right there though i do kind of despise
00:46:09.214 --> 00:46:13.251
Them of course of course our human nature we do can't
00:46:13.251 --> 00:46:15.954
Always run from them.
00:46:15.954 --> 00:46:17.322
- yeah well i mean i think of the verse that says that we
00:46:17.322 --> 00:46:20.859
Come to know christ in the fellowship of sufferings.
00:46:20.859 --> 00:46:24.128
- we don't underline that one.
00:46:24.128 --> 00:46:25.330
We don't underline.
00:46:25.330 --> 00:46:26.264
It's not on anybody's wall.
00:46:26.264 --> 00:46:27.966
No, but time after time, after time, again, for as long as i
00:46:27.966 --> 00:46:33.738
Can remember listening to people teach or hear people's
00:46:33.738 --> 00:46:37.709
Testimonies, when they talk about the hard season, whether
00:46:37.709 --> 00:46:41.646
It was related to sickness or betrayal or abandonment or
00:46:41.646 --> 00:46:46.050
Financial challenges, when they say, and they always say,
00:46:46.050 --> 00:46:49.153
If i had to trade that difficult season for how i
00:46:49.153 --> 00:46:55.393
Came to know christ and how close i know him to be, i
00:46:55.393 --> 00:46:59.430
Wouldn't.
00:46:59.430 --> 00:47:00.632
It was hard, it was terrible, it was difficult, it was
00:47:00.632 --> 00:47:03.735
Straight, you know, there's a lot of strain.
00:47:03.735 --> 00:47:05.103
But because i got to know, god, i wouldn't trade it.
00:47:05.103 --> 00:47:08.406
Yeah.
00:47:08.406 --> 00:47:09.073
I wouldn't trade.
00:47:09.073 --> 00:47:10.408
And we hear that over and over again, and still we say, but i
00:47:10.408 --> 00:47:13.711
Don't want that.
00:47:13.711 --> 00:47:14.846
And maybe a part of this discussion is to just help
00:47:14.846 --> 00:47:18.149
Someone say, maybe since i can't change it and these
00:47:18.149 --> 00:47:22.120
Challenges are difficult since changes do come, even if i
00:47:22.120 --> 00:47:25.723
Would prefer not to, maybe i can lean in because i will
00:47:25.723 --> 00:47:29.394
Meet more jesus there and if we met jesus there we wouldn't
00:47:29.394 --> 00:47:34.232
Trade it.
00:47:34.232 --> 00:47:35.533
Let's just pray for those who have been watching, god you
00:47:35.533 --> 00:47:38.536
Are near to the broken-hearted, you say in
00:47:38.536 --> 00:47:42.640
James 4,8, we read that we should draw near because you
00:47:42.640 --> 00:47:46.878
Will draw near to us.
00:47:46.878 --> 00:47:48.913
Even in the garden when adam and eve were hiding
00:47:48.913 --> 00:47:51.182
Themselves, you came looking for them.
00:47:51.182 --> 00:47:55.453
You teach us in the new testament that even if there
00:47:55.453 --> 00:47:58.222
Are a hundred and ninety-nine are doing okay, that a good
00:47:58.222 --> 00:48:01.659
Shepherd goes in search of the one sheep.
00:48:01.659 --> 00:48:03.895
We have a picture of the prodigal fathers, the prodigal
00:48:03.895 --> 00:48:08.132
Son's father waiting for him, looking for him to come above
00:48:08.132 --> 00:48:11.803
The horizon.
00:48:11.803 --> 00:48:13.004
You are a god that despite the landscape and the
00:48:13.004 --> 00:48:16.007
Circumstances of our life, you are in hot pursuit of us,
00:48:16.007 --> 00:48:21.412
Wanting closeness, wanting nearness, should we choose to
00:48:21.412 --> 00:48:24.716
Lean in?
00:48:24.716 --> 00:48:26.050
And often life because of the changes and the challenges and
00:48:26.050 --> 00:48:29.554
The things we don't expect, they often can help us or hurt
00:48:29.554 --> 00:48:33.891
Us by putting a wedge between what we don't want to
00:48:33.891 --> 00:48:37.495
Experience and leaning into where you are there, even in
00:48:37.495 --> 00:48:40.665
The hard places.
00:48:40.665 --> 00:48:42.233
Lord, change is a part of life.
00:48:42.233 --> 00:48:43.568
We can't avoid it, but what we can do is get closer to you in
00:48:43.568 --> 00:48:46.704
It, learn from you, lean in and learn how to live without
00:48:46.704 --> 00:48:49.807
Fear, learn to be grateful and reframe things.
00:48:49.807 --> 00:48:53.144
Lord, we can learn to live above our circumstances, to
00:48:53.144 --> 00:48:57.115
Learn to lean into purpose when relationships change.
00:48:57.115 --> 00:48:59.951
Lord, there's so much for us, so much good stuff in and
00:48:59.951 --> 00:49:03.988
Through the seasons of change.
00:49:03.988 --> 00:49:06.524
Lord, would you help us to know that even in the swirl of
00:49:06.524 --> 00:49:09.260
Change that you are there?
00:49:09.260 --> 00:49:11.796
And would we lean into places that we don't like in our life
00:49:11.796 --> 00:49:16.434
If it means that we're leaning into learning more about our
00:49:16.434 --> 00:49:19.771
Lord and would you meet us there in an unforgettable,
00:49:19.771 --> 00:49:24.008
Unsurmountable, just impactful way so that even in the middle
00:49:24.008 --> 00:49:28.913
Of change that we don't anticipate and then maybe we
00:49:28.913 --> 00:49:31.282
Don't want that we would find that we wouldn't trade it.
00:49:31.282 --> 00:49:34.852
In jesus' name, we pray.
00:49:34.852 --> 00:49:35.753
Amen.
00:49:35.753 --> 00:49:37.855
- connect with us on social media and let us know how our
00:49:39.090 --> 00:49:41.659
Team can pray for you.
00:49:41.659 --> 00:49:44.028
- we spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about
00:49:45.163 --> 00:49:48.699
Where we've been and where we're going and what that
00:49:48.699 --> 00:49:51.436
Means is we spend very little time actually being grateful
00:49:51.436 --> 00:49:55.306
For where we are.
00:49:55.306 --> 00:49:57.175
I want you to get into your mind this three word mantra,
00:49:57.175 --> 00:50:01.079
Be here now.
00:50:01.079 --> 00:50:03.514
The only thing that you have is this current moment.
00:50:03.514 --> 00:50:08.052
Because all you have is this current moment, this is the
00:50:08.052 --> 00:50:10.855
Moment that god is in.
00:50:10.855 --> 00:50:12.490
If you want to experience the presence of god, you have to
00:50:12.490 --> 00:50:16.294
Commit to being in the present with god.
00:50:16.294 --> 00:50:19.697
And so i would encourage you to be grateful for this
00:50:19.697 --> 00:50:23.868
Moment, even if it's hard, even if it's painful, even if
00:50:23.868 --> 00:50:27.705
It's discouraging.
00:50:27.705 --> 00:50:29.006
Be grateful for this moment because god has made a promise
00:50:29.006 --> 00:50:31.876
That he'll work all things together for our good.
00:50:31.876 --> 00:50:34.512
So that means even this moment is going to serve what god is
00:50:34.512 --> 00:50:37.415
Calling you to.
00:50:37.415 --> 00:50:38.116
So don't despise it.
00:50:38.116 --> 00:50:41.219
Receive it.
00:50:41.219 --> 00:50:42.854
- stream full episodes of better together on demand.
00:50:42.854 --> 00:50:46.524
Go to bettertogether.tv to stream all of our latest
00:50:46.524 --> 00:50:49.760
Conversations.
00:50:49.760 --> 00:50:50.495
♪ (music playing) ♪
00:50:50.495 --> 00:50:50.495

Face the Future Without Fear - Episode 1115

November 7, 2025 | S7 E1115 | 52:34

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