Jesus IS the light of the world! What does that mean for us today? Join Julie Jenkins as we study John 8:12-30 together. ***** Welcome to Walking in the Word, the biblical teaching arm of the Women World Leaders’ podcast. I’m your host Julie Jenkins. We have an exciting new offering for you at Women World Leaders! We would love to welcome all ladies, no matter where you live, to join us for our monthly leadership meetings on Zoom. We meet the third Monday of each month at 7pm ET. So, if you are listening to this soon after it is released, our next meeting is Monday, September 19th. You will have to do the math to figure out what time 7pm ET is in your time zone – or, if you’re like me, you’ll just Google it! We do recognize that some of you may have to stay up late or get up early, and we are sorry about that! All I can say is that in heaven, we will surely all be on the same time zone – that isn’t biblical at all – just my hope! At our Leadership meetings, our dear Kimberly Hobbs gives updates on what is going on in the ministry, and we receive a teaching geared toward Christian leaders in today’s world. You will also have the opportunity to meet other ladies from around the world who are involved in the ministry and see how you can connect. To get the Zoom link, register at womenworldleaders.com and we will email you the link.  And then set your calendar alarm for the third Monday of every month at 7pm ET. If you are new to the podcast, I want to welcome you – we do offer three different podcasts in one. This is our Wednesday edition, where we take a few minutes to open the Bible together, study the Scripture, and ask God to show us what He wants us to know today. We are currently walking through the Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – as we look at Jesus’ life in a chronological fashion. Today’s teaching comes from John, chapter 8:12-30. I invite you to open your Bible if you are able, but if you driving, walking, or even doing dishes as you listen, we simply ask you to open your hearts. Before we begin, let’s pray… Dear Heavenly Father – we do open our hearts to you as we open your Word. God, I ask that you speak through me, I long for you to be pleased with this teaching, so I ask you to take control of my thoughts and my tongue. God, we also pray for each listener – no matter where she is or what she is going through. We trust that you will speak directly to her and that she will receive a revelation of your glory. Thank you in advance. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. If you are a regular listener, you might have noticed that last week we veered off our path a bit. We returned to an earlier teaching where Jesus’ gave us the wonderful instruction that we are to be light and salt. That was done purposefully as this week we return to Jesus’ teaching in the temple courts after the Festival of the Tabernacles when He tells the people that HE is THE light of the world. Let’s begin in John chapter 8, verse 12 from the New Living Translation. 12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.” As we look at this statement, let’s attempt to transport ourselves back in time. It may be difficult to imagine, in today’s world, a time without electricity. We have to think really hard to imagine total darkness. I don’t know about you, but in my bedroom with my blackout curtains which prevent the neighbor’s floodlight from lighting my room at night, we have multiple sources of light – even in the supposed dark of night. The clock from the bathroom light spills into my room and the blue light from the phone charger on my nightstand glows…not to mention the light from the kitchen that randomly appears under my door as my teenage son decides to raid the cupboard for a midnight snack. In today’s day, we are rarely in total darkness. But back in Jesus’ day? The darkness was DARK. And remember, the people were at the temple just finishing up their celebration of the feast of tabernacles – remembering the Israelite’s trek through the desert! Now, THAT must have been DARK being in the middle of the desert at night. But if you remember the story from the Old Testament, it wasn’t dark, because God lit the way by showing His presence in a pillar of fire at night and a pillar of cloud during the day. We often think of these pillars as guiding the Israelites, when the pillar moved, the people moved. When it stopped moving, the people set up camp. But not only was the pillar a visual reminder of God’s presence and a practical GPS, but it also offered protection. Remember – they were in a desert, where, in the day, it would reach 140 or 150 degrees, and at night, it could fall below freezing. The Israelites NEEDED the cloud to shade them from the sun, and they NEEDED the fire to give them heat at night. This would have been top of mind for those listening to Jesus’ words as they had JUST celebrated the Festival and had golden lamps burning brightly reminding them of God’s glorious presence among their ancestors – a presence that they themselves longed for. So, Jesus announces – I AM the light – the One you have been waiting for. If you follow me, I will light your path and lead you to life. Verse 13… 13 The Pharisees replied, “You are making those claims about yourself! Such testimony is not valid.” Remember the mindset of the Pharisees – they had tried everything to get Jesus to be quiet and to get the people to stop listening to Him, but nothing had worked. So they stoop even lower, and begin to ridicule Him. This kind of reminds me of a schoolyard fight, when the bully has nothing credible to attack with, and says something unintelligible, like, “I know you are, but what am I?” – that never made sense to me! Anyway…Jesus responds… … “These claims are valid even though I make them about myself. For I know where I came from and where I am going, but you don’t know this about me. 15 You judge me by human standards, but I do not judge anyone. 16 And if I did, my judgment would be correct in every respect because I am not alone. The Father[a] who sent me is with me. 17 Your own law says that if two people agree about something, their witness is accepted as fact.[b] 18 I am one witness, and my Father who sent me is the other.” Jesus and God the Father agreed. That makes a credible consensus. As Christians, we should go to our Father with EVERY decision and step we take. We have such a limited view from our earthly bodies – but God can see it all. And He knows all. Not only should we go to Him with every decision, but we can trust His answer! Let’s think about the Israelites in the desert again for a minute. They trusted God’s visible presence in the cloud and the fire. When the cloud moved, they moved. When it stayed still, they stayed still. On the surface, we can think – wow…they were REALLY obedient…and they were. But the truth is…they HAD to follow God’s leading in ORDER to live. If they didn’t follow under the shade of the cloud, it wouldn’t be long before the scorching sun killed them. And if the pillar of fire got too far away, they would freeze to death in the desert nights. God WAS their key to them LIVING. And much the same way, JESUS is our key to life. By not following Him, we WILL die. This time, the Pharisees responded with a dirty, nasty question… 19 “Where IS your father?” they asked. This was a dig at Jesus. Nothing more and nothing less. They knew Jesus was the son of Joseph…at the very minimum, this question was reminding Jesus that his father, Joseph, was dead. At the worst, they were reminding Jesus that Joseph was NOT his father and Mary, Jesus’ mother, had gotten pregnant out of wedlock. Truly a disgusting dig if it had any merit, but in reality, it was quite a foolish question. Jesus answered, “Since you don’t know who I am, you don’t know who my Father is. If you knew me, you would also know my Father.” 20 Jesus made these statements while he was teaching in the section of the Temple known as the Treasury. But he was not arrested, because his time[c] had not yet come. God was STILL protecting Jesus…and Jesus kept teaching…verse 21… 21 Later Jesus said to them again, “I am going away. You will search for me but will die in your sin. You cannot come where I am going.” 22 The people[d] asked, “Is he planning to commit suicide? What does he mean, ‘You cannot come where I am going’?” We can wonder here if the people were trying to understand, but when we look at their question, we uncover their pride. The Jewish people had a firm belief that those who committed suicide would go to hell. Today, we know that Jesus’ death and resurrection covers ALL our sins – and that when we give our lives to Christ, NOTHING can separate us from eternity in heaven. But the listeners that day were living under the law – they were trying REALLY HARD to get to God – by following every law and completing every sacrifice to a T. And apparently, they assumed that they were doing a pretty awesome job, because they thought that if they couldn’t go where Jesus was going, that must mean that He was going to commit suicide and go to hell, because SURELY, THEY were going to heaven. Seriously – how is Jesus so patient with them? How is he so patient with us?? Verse 23… 23 Jesus continued, “YOU are from below; I am from above. You belong to this world; I do not. 24 That is why I said that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am who I claim to be,[e] you will die in your sins.” 25 “Who are you?” they demanded. Jesus replied, “The one I have always claimed to be.[f] 26 I have much to say about you and much to condemn, but I won’t. For I say only what I have heard from the one who sent me, and he is completely truthful.” 27 But they still didn’t understand that he was talking about his Father. 28 So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up the Son of Man on the cross, then you will understand that I am he.[g] I do nothing on my own but say only what the Father taught me. 29 And the one who sent me is with me—he has not deserted me. For I always do what pleases him.” 30 Then many who heard him say these things believed in him. Jesus IS the light of the world. He is God with us. He is our guide. And He is our ever-present protection. Beyond that, Jesus is the one who was lifted up, killed on a cross, descended to hell for three days as He paid for OUR sins, and rose again, overcoming death, once for all time. We can trust Jesus – with our daily decisions. We can trust Jesus to lead us where we should go. We can trust Jesus to protect us. And when we give our lives to Him, when we believe in our hearts that He IS God and we profess that with our mouths, we can trust Him with our lives. Because He will lead us to our TRUE promised land – an eternity with God in the heavenly realms. Let’s confess together shall we? Dear Jesus – we give our lives and ourselves to you right now! You are LORD and we are honored to serve you and follow you wherever you lead. We know that we are sinners, and without you and your saving grace, we are doomed to live in darkness for eternity, apart from you. Thank you for being our light in the dark, our protection, and most importantly, our Lord and Savior. Thank you for coming to earth to bring us home to you. We love you and we give you our hearts. And all God’s people said, Amen! Have a beautiful day!

Today's guest, best-selling author, wife, mom, and Mompreneur Candice Daniel shares her story about "The Ripple Effect."    We all need to believe God's good plans for our future. Ephesians1:9-10 The Ripple Effect includes YOU!   *****   Kimberly Hobbs   Welcome to Empowering Lives with Purpose. And I'm your host, Kimberly Hubbs. I'm the founder of Women World Leaders. And we are so happy that you've decided to join in with us today. And I would love to welcome our guest today, Candice Daniel. Candice, welcome. Candice Daniel   Hi, Kimberly, such an honor to be here. Kimberly Hobbs   We are so happy to have you. And she is coming to us from Sanford, Florida up near Orlando Disneyland. So ladies, it is a treat when we have these wonderful women of God on this podcast. And Candice is one of our leaders and women are a leader. So this is really a treat for me to get to interview her and talk to her about the Lord. She is just precious to us at women, we're a leaders. Our hope today is that we can encourage you and strengthen and inspire you to walk with Jesus closer to talk with him have a daily relationship with Him. And God says that we are His masterpiece created a new in Christ Jesus to do the very good things that he planned for us long ago. And we believe that each of you are here because he has a purpose and a plan for you. And there is, again, I feel no coincidence that you are listening to this podcast today. And God is just going to pour into you some encouragement that you need. So as we get to share a little bit today, Candace, I want to share a little bit with our audience about you. So Candice is a wife and she's a mom of four. And she also has an angel baby. And she is mompreneur part owner of three successful companies and a district leader for her own financial services company. And she is educating others and on how to control their finances and equips them with tools that they need to be successful. Candice his passion is encouraging and inspiring women to use their God given talents to courageously walk out their purpose. Her heart's desire is to know Christ deeper and share His love with the world. Candace, you are amazing at that. God is still writing her story through the challenges and trials and she knows that with Christ, all things are possible. As I said, she's a leader within women, world leaders. We all love Candace so much. She's a best selling author and some of the books I'll share with you later. She's a volunteer in her church. She's a huge advocate for human trafficking. And she enjoys spending time with her family and friends and connecting with others. And today ladies, we are going to be talking about the ripple effect. And that leads me into a personal experience with Candice. I call Candace the connector. This woman of God is amazing how she brings people together. And she has brought so many fascinating women into this ministry with such amazing gifts and talents that possibly if you're involved in women, world leaders, you have seen some of the women that Candice has connected us with because they read right in voice of Truth magazine. They head up our prayer teams they are they are just powerful women for the Lord. They're working with the our next gen team. I mean, the connections you have made Candace are just just God divine connections. Thank you, honey. So when I began discussing with Candace about being a guest today, on the podcast interview, believe it or not, we weren't quite sure where God was gonna take us and what it was going to be about. But as we started talking together, God revealed it to both of us that we were going to title this the ripple effect. And I'd love it when God speaks and we get it right. So Jesus says, I am giving you a new commandment, love each other. Just as I have loved you. You should love each other. You love for one another. Your love for one another will provide to the world that you are my disciples. That's John 1334 to 35 One of the things here Canvas as we open up I love how you love on people you just see right inside to that heart. And in our conversations. You had said to me Can I read you something Kimberly that I wrote and I set up course you know, like, of course, Candace, I'm going to tell you no. So you started reading this to me. And I just knew I just knew right there that God says, This is what we're going to do this podcast about. So Candice, can you please read, Ready Yourself and about Pieces of the Heart? Candice Daniel   Yes. So I'm going to read you straight from a journal that I journal in. And this was given to me by God, middle of the night, actually, as I was praying over being on the podcast. So this is straight from my journal. This morning, with ready yourself stuck in my head. I was spoken over several times this week, and I'm told that I'm a light, and I shine bright for others to see the love of Jesus Christ. Kimberly asked me to do a podcast yet again. And I truly know that it is something that God's calling me to do. I have no idea exactly what I'm going to share with the world. But I know that I need to ready myself to be the light for all to see. Those are the words that God has given me, I truly know that everyone has a story. And I feel that that story is actually God's love letter to us. And as sometimes we have the honor and privilege of having the opportunity to read our love letter while we're still here, and know what kind of impact it has on the world. And sometimes, it's not found until we're no longer seeking it or looking for it. Like a memoir that you come across in a loved one's personal things and belongings when they've passed on and gone to view with God. Love Letters are representations of that person's thoughts. They are a collection of their most treasured memories, their hopes, their dreams, their trials that were overcome with victory. There are tears that were shed in silence, trials that were overcome with victory. That their tears that were shed and silenced in their private most sacred conversations with their Heavenly Father, their innermost feelings, their the pieces of their hearts spelled out black and white. And when they are written and read, we begin to truly understand that individual and who they were, who they truly are, and begin to realize who's they are. I have the honor of being blessed enough to have others read their and share their love letters with me. This is such an incredible gift. There are no words to describe it. It's something I hold so very dear and sacred, it's something that I have maybe even taken a bit for granted through the years. I am so incredibly humbled, God has given me a gift of being that love letter reader, the acceptor deliver, if you will, or American Mail Carrier of love letters, I have a heart that opens up and is vulnerable enough to listen to be obedient enough to encourage to inspire them to share their love letter with the world. Every single person has the right to be loved. And to know that they are loved. They have the God given right to open and receive their own personal love letter from God to write their love letter, and to share it with the world. Kimberly Hobbs   I just thought that was so beautiful. And when Candace was reading that, to me, just God spoke into my heart, you know just about every person's love letter, you know, and just, they're all just so amazing and so beautiful. And Candice has this gift when she meets somebody up just pulling out that love letter. And so I just find it interesting, Candace that you have brought so many women to this ministry because you reach into their life and you just kind of have that gift of pulling out of them. What is that love letter? You know, what is that beautiful, beautiful writing that they have that the world needs to hear about? Right? And just as you do that with others, somebody did that with you. And you came to women were leaders. Can you talk about that for a minute? Candice Daniel   Yes. So I was introduced to you Kimberly, by my RVP Monica through primerica and she mentioned women were leaders to me when I accepted the opportunity for the business. And and she said you should really meet Kimberly says she mentioned women were leaders to me, but it wasn't until actually I went to a women's leadership conference over a weekend. And it wasn't until months later when I went to this conference that I actually God spoke to me at this conference. And I came back and I was prompted by the Holy Spirit to reach out to you Kimberly to find out just what women world leaders was and what it was all about in God really spoke to me and just wanted me to meet you. And so I had that phone call. I've reached out, I got that phone call with you. And I knew immediately when I talked to you and that conversation we cried. We laughed. Yes. We just shared in like an hour's time. And I also know, I remember you telling me, Wow, because I we've actually been praying for a leader to rise up in the Orlando area. So I know this is a, an answer to prayer. And I knew right away, it was an answer to prayer for me. So, honestly, for years, I had several people tell me that I was going to be a writer one day, and all these things. And it just all came together in that conversation that I knew that this was somewhere where I could really serve and use my gifts and talents in a way like I had never dreamed before. And so that definitely was something I could have never imagined would have taken place. But it's come around and come into full circle fruition. Kimberly Hobbs   Amen, amen. And I remember I remember that conversation when I first met you, and God has kept telling me pour life into her speak life into her, you know, give her that encouragement and empowerment. And that's what we do here at women were leaders with each other is just empower and encourage. And from that conversation, God just exploded inside of Canvas, because she had that a belief that yes, she could do it. And yes, she could use her God given gifts and talents here. And you went right to work. God allowed you to use those here and you started writing with us remember you, you just you've always wanted to be a writer. So God gave you these amazing abilities to do within this ministry. And you start you just went right to work and started doing it. You're like, Yes, Lord, here I am, son me. And he did. He just hand selected you. And so maybe now you can share a little bit about you being in women were leaders in the other lives that it is impacted, like your family, and some of the people that women were leaders has touched because of you being in this ministry. Candice Daniel   Oh, yes, wow. I have been so humbled and blessed to be given the opportunity to be able to meet some of the most incredible, amazing women, with this ministry and in through this ministry and being in this, this arena, this platform, and using this ministry as a vessel to do that. There are so many love letters, if you will, testimonies and stories that I could share. But the one that really stands out the most for me, is about one of our leaders, or she's now one of our leaders, a long time ago, is a friend that I knew from a really long time ago, and I worked with her many, many years ago. And I remember when I stepped out in faith, and I wrote in courageous steps of faith. And she kind of reconnected with me on social media. And she saw when I posted about that book being launched, and she shared with me that she too, had always had a god dream, to write her testimony and her story. And because I was willing to step out with courageous steps of faith, and do just that and share my story and my testimony, it inspired and encouraged her to do the same. And so I had no idea that that friendship from that long ago. And the friendship that God created that long ago, would literally come back around full circle and allow the opportunity for her to do just that. And so now coming around full circle, she's now a part of the ministry. She's one of our leaders, she's helping us with the next gen project that we're working on. And she's so fired up and excited about that. And honestly, that's just been just such a blessing to my heart, such a gift. So humbled by that to be able to see that and even now her daughter is now stepping up and stepping into her God given purposes and using her gifts and talents and sharing her testimony with the world. And so it's just been an incredible gift. And that just is one of the main the the big ones that I'm thinking of, on my personal note, my children, what this has done for my children. And what they've seen through this ministry is huge. My nine year old is now an aspiring author. He is aspiring to be an author because mommy stepped out and wrote for the very first time ever, my footsteps, my 13 year old wants to be a praise and worship leader and travel the world and share the love of Christ through music, and all of these things because they've watched them done this ministry. So just a few just a few things that I needed to share with you and how much this has grown their faith and their testimony again, that ripple effect and how it's happening through my family through the families of others and next generations to come.  Kimberly Hobbs   Prais God, I love it. I love it. I love it. So Candace, let's go back now you were Believe it or not, you were an introverted child. And none of us and women world leaders would have ever guessed that. But, but you were. And we all need to believe that God has plans for our future because the Bible tells us that so even as you were this introverted child, God says, show me the right path. Oh, Lord, point out the road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me for you are the God who saves me all day long. I put my hope in you that Psalm 25, four to five. So Candace, God began leading you and you journaled as a kid. And now the ripple effect through that journaling. God was doing something in your writing in between you and him in those moments with him. Ladies, listening, journaling is so incredible. It is so important. And Candace is going to show up our share about the ripple effect right now and how it kept you hanging on. So can you share a little bit about that? Candice Daniel   Absolutely. So I as a child, I know you would never believe it, I was very introverted, I actually had a lot of difficulties with socially, because I, I actually went through a lot of trauma as a child, and had a lot of turmoil and just miscommunication and relational type things in my household that I lit that I lived with on a daily basis. And so I had a best friend who lived across the street from me and the neighborhood we lived in, there was this beautiful lake, in the middle of our neighborhood. And I remember, I would journal that was my quiet time with God. And I truly felt like that is what grounded me and became my anchor for my fate was when I was able to sit alone and just be with God in the moment and just listen to him and what he had for me and his heart for me. So I would walk across the street, and sometimes they were home. Sometimes they weren't. But I would walk out to the end of the dock, and I would put my feet in the water. And that was just my quiet time. It's just me and God. And I would cry out to Him, you just cry out to Him. And I remember, the tears would fall down. And I remember specifically one day I was looking down, I was in deep thought and just sharing things with God from my heart. And he's speaking back to me through the tears falling down, every single one of them would make a ripple effect. You know, when you drop water? Yes, when you drop water, it makes a ripple effect. And I just knew in that moment that every single one of my tears had a purpose. There was a purpose behind the pain, there was a purpose behind what I was feeling. Because God was telling me through what he was speaking to me in those moments that I have you and there's a purpose for what you're going through. And so as the ripple effects just grew, it was a confirmation and affirmation to me, it became it became my love letters to me from God. His his love letters to me. And I was speaking out my love letters to him through journaling and through those quiet times. And so as the ripples would form, I just gotten to deep thought of there is purpose. There's purpose there. All of this hurt all of these things I'm going through, I've just always have this unshakable faith. And I also want to share, I went through a family of divorce, and I actually took myself to church. And so that has been probably one of the biggest things in my life, just knowing that God has always been seeking after me. He's always had, he's always been right there. And he's always been seeking after and looking after me and coming after me. And so those ripples, and that so then a few a month ago, a good dear friend of mine, I was having coffee with her. And she again calls me Kansas, the connector. I think everybody's kind of labeled me that name. Yes, I knew that was a gift and talent. And so being and women, world leaders and all of the confirmations and affirmations that I've had with that, that name that, that calling of that name, and she said, Candace, I want to I want to show you something, and she pulled out a napkin as she began to draw out this diagram and she said, Candace, this is how I see your spiritual walk. This is how I see your life. You are Candice the connector and she put my name in the middle of the napkin. And from the middle of the of my name, she started drawing these ripples these connections out from my name and she said Candice the connector. It actually says Candice, the connector. it like ripples in the water. Let go and let God Wow. And she had no idea. The story behind that. And I had no idea that all the things in that specific moment in my life as a young girl, how that would come around full circle, and that somebody would confirm and affirm in me exactly what God was telling me back then. That's right. And it's I'm taking this with me wherever I go, ever since she drew it out. This napkin is right here. It goes with me to all of my appointments. And every time I meet someone, I shared a story with them. Because it's powerful. And it's so meaningful. And it's so meaningful to me. And she didn't even know that but God knew. God knew how he would speak to me once again, years later, as an adult, and how that all comes around full circle. So it's got the date on it exactly where we were the diagram and you can't see it on this podcast, but it literally is here is here. Wow. Yes. And so I just that kind of brought everything together as to even what this podcast would be called the ripple effect. Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. Amen. And ladies that are listening. Don't you doubt for a second, that God has a plan for you, your life. And what has happened within that life can have a ripple effect to others, if you would just step out in faith, and share, share what God's doing in your life, encourage others. It's not all about us and our stories. But those stories are there for a purpose and a plan. Like Candace said, that there are ripple effects happening by God's power, and he's going to reach others by His power. And using you just like Candice, she just became this amazing connector. And God was able to use her to reach others, to bring them in to use the talents that He's poured out on them to do mighty things in the world. And he's going to use you to be that connector, that ripple effect. God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan. He says this in his word. Listen to the Scripture, ladies, God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. God wants to use you ladies to fulfill his own good pleasure. And this is the plan. At the right time, he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ, everything in Heaven and Earth Ephesians, one nine to 10. In Kansas honey, you should be just smiling from ear to ear and glowing because all of those tears that dropped in that lake and you saw the rippling going out and out and out. They were for a purpose, honey, and God is now used your life to pour hope and joy, and you can do it into others which you aren't doing. That's exactly what we do here. At women, we're leaders and ladies, this includes you to that ripple effect of those he loves allows others to reach out with encouragement and hope, right? Are you one of those people that God can use? We believe you are, we believe you are, he has given you a place here to serve. Ladies, please reach out to us at women, world leaders, we want you to be part of it. In fact, we are now I am so excited about this. Every third Monday in women, world leaders ladies, something powerful is happening. We have a leadership meeting, you want to learn how to be a leader, where you are, wherever you are in the world. We're inviting you to connect in with us at women world leaders and be part of this team of women that are going out into the world wherever they are. So you can join us I'm gonna put a link on and then we just need your email and we'll send you the Zoom link. Because we all are coming together the third Monday of every month at 7pm Eastern time. So wherever you are in the world at that time 7pm Eastern time you can join in. If you just let us know what your email is and that you want to be part of it. We'll send you a link and invite you in and you can join us now and let us grow this community of women who we are raising up leaders ladies and you can be one of them. So Candace as we close out here, and we are just so grateful again, for what you do within this ministry, how you give your gifts and talents for the Lord Jesus Christ here is just beautiful, beautiful. Can you give our listener that one inspirational word that will just inspire her where she is? Candice Daniel   Wow, the biggest thing that comes to mind is there's purpose in your pain. So every single tear that you have ever shed, God sees them. He sees them, he collects them, he knows them. Yes, he knows you. And he has a purpose for every single pain that you have ever been through every single trauma, every single thing that you've ever been through in your life. Don't ever doubt that. And really just hold on to that truth. And I just encourage you to take all of that, and use it to make weights, make waves in the world, make those ripples, create those ripple effects, and reach out and touch the hearts of people because that's what God called us to do cause to love others, love others. And his love letter to you is through your testimony and how your testimony is going to absolutely reach others, and inspire them to listen to their love letters that God has for them. Not only listen to their love letters that God has for them, but to share their love letters with the rest of the world. Kimberly Hobbs    Amen. Amen. And ladies, as I was saying earlier, we believe in you we we know that God has a plan and you're listening right now and to sitting on the edge of your seat knowing that God, you can use me. Yes, he can ladies. And just as he brought Candace forward and she again that she just had to have that life breathed into her that yes, she can. And she became part of, as I said, the books that we do through women, we're a leaders that are amazing tools. And ladies, they are available to you on our website. And to the ones that have gone to best seller with Candice in it was courageous steps of faith and embrace the journey your path to spiritual growth. And ladies, right now, we still have some openings for the books that we're going to be doing in 2023 are pretty filled for our books that are going to be finalized for this year. But we have openings now that you can share your story here. We want to hear your story The world needs to hear your story. So come on and just come on board with us and reach out to us at women world leaders.com. All through our website. There are ways you can reach out to us. And just tell us you want to be part and maybe you have a story. And you can be a chapter in one of these books coming up. We need to hear from you. God wants to use you believe that and we will help you through it. You don't have to be a seasoned writer. You can become a bustling writer just by walking this journey with us. And we'll hold your hand through it all. It is amazing what God does when you surrender and give him your Yes. So Candace, thank you for that word. Honey, thank you so much for being our guest today. Ladies, we are so excited again, just what's going on and women world leaders and we want to invite you to be a part of it. We also have our voice of truth magazines that ladies, we have all of our editions all the way back to 2021. When we first came out, they are available to you digitally online for free. And you can read those. Also the new ones coming out ladies, if you choose to be a monthly donor to this ministry, we have a growing ministry there are needs in the ministry. If you believe and can support this ministry by being a monthly donor, we will send you the printed copies every addition to you in your mailbox. They are amazing. They become amazing tools to minister to hurting and broken women to. So please think about that. Please become a donor to women, world leaders and reach out to us. And even if you send in a one time gift, we will send you a copy of the current voice of truth. So we are so grateful to you and for you listening to our podcasts. We have them every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. And we invite you to listen in and join in with have us for the new ones that are coming up as well. Lots going on in this ministry. And we need you to jump in and say Yes, Lord, here I am. Send me and be part of this ministry as we are going out into the world for Jesus Christ. So ladies, all content is copyrighted by women were leaders and cannot be used without expressed written consent. We thank you for joining us today. Once again, thank you, Candice Daniel for being here and being part of this amazing one ministry. Amen. God bless you all have a beautiful and blessed day. Bye ladies.  

Rachel Dube is a busy mom of five, an author, editor, and Christ-follower. Be blessed today as we listen to a reading of one of Rachel's poems from Voice of Truth, "These Broken Bones Will Rejoice."   **** Become a monthly donor at www.womenworldleaders.com to receive a copy of Voice of Truth as our thank you!   These Broken Bones Will Rejoice by Rachel Dube  Crushed.Dreams are crushed.Paint the sky black and turn the flowers to dust.I don’t want to see the sky glimmer in gold at sunset.I don’t want even familiar faces, much less those I haven’t met. The laughter of my heart that sang and dancedLike the grass of the field when the wind sweeps byIs quiet, except when I have to fake it. And as soon as I’m alone, all I can do is cry. Make me the wind Without feeling or home or connections.Set me free in the world to run in all directions.I was once a fresh apple,But I rolled out into the sun.Days ago, I was lively, luscious red,Shouting, “Life is delicious!” But now I am dead.And because I am withered and my color is gone,I don’t want color in any part of the world.I want every hum to be my sad song.I have my black and white piles of paint And I mix them together furiously.I paint scores of life’s most beautiful things,But they all turn out as gray monotony.But somehow amidst the darkness,  Just when I’ve decided to lay down and let life beat me, Bright colors, full life and deep love,Though seemingly distant, still pursue and entreat me.Because Jesus himself, God who became manDied on a cross on the darkest of days,So that when I say I can’t wake up He tells me I can. He reminds me that He didn’t die And come up from the deadFor me, who has His power as my strength, To be a withered, hardened heart who won’t get out of bed. He tells me that when there isn’t a note Of music anywhere around,To listen to His promises, a symphony of hope, Sweeter than any sound.I feel Him in my heartBreaking down its walls, Building windows and doors, Letting light pour into its halls. My creator, who knows me, Knows every detail of my days.He holds me in His handAnd tells me to trust His ways.I am a jar of clayOn His spinning wheel.I sometimes ask Him to stop the molding,But He refuses to make that kind of deal. He tells me I am a special jarMade for a purpose very specific.He says that the things He’s working in meAre not projects that are quick. They often require the clay to be crushed.I tell Him, “That one sounds familiar.”He says He wants me to look like His perfect Son, And I am nowhere near there. So here I am in this worldOf dark grays and tears and pain, With light pouring in me from my SaviorWhose life and love are the hope for mineBecause He has no shadow due to change. His promises are for my soul: water, bread and blood. His life in me gives life colorAnd an ark above this flood. Lord, teach me in this very momentTo lean on Your grace and trust in Your love.Transform my hours of worry and tearsTo hours and days of time well spent.I need You to hold me togetherBecause I can’t stop falling apart.Show me that You can walk on waterAnd calm the storms raging in my heart. Put new life in me With every new day’s sunrise. Whether it peers through my blinds in the morning,Or hides behind cloudy skies.Satisfy me.Fill me up to the brim.So that every small joy Makes my cup spill over.And whether blessing or trial,These broken bones will rejoice in Him.  

As we continue on our journey with Jesus, we are reminded of our calling to be salt and light. Let’s discover what that means together as we study Matthew 5:13-16; Mark 9:49-50, 4:21; and Luke 14:34-35, 8:16. ************* Welcome to Walking in the Word. I'm your host, Julie Jenkins. Thank you for joining us as we walk through the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John chronologically. Our goal for these few minutes together is that we would take our eyes off ourselves in the busyness of our own lives, agendas to do lists and responsibilities. I know that here in South Florida, we are busy ramping up for the start of the school year. And with the start of school comes new schedules and time constraints, as well as other worldly pressures. I pray that as you take time out today to listen to God, that He will speak to your heart and guide you as only he can. If you need prayer support in this busy season, please reach out to us at women world leaders.com and post a prayer request on our prayer wall. We're here to hold you up. Before we begin our study, let's pause for prayer. Most Holy God, thank you, thank you for being our all in all our Abba Father, our provider, sustainer healer, and our salvation. God we come to you today from so many walks of life. And yet you intimately know where we each are in what we each need. God we rest in your presence. And thank you in advance for the care teaching and guidance that you will provide for us. God, I pray for any parent, student, teacher or school worker who is entering this new school year that you will cover her in your care and fill her with your strength and your wisdom that she may fulfill the role well, that you have called her to. We give you these next few minutes and we ask that you have your way with us and guide us into your truth. In Jesus name I pray. Amen. I'm going to read Matthew 5 verses 13 and 16. From the New Living Translation. You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it's lost its flavor. Can you make it salty again, it will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden, hidden. No one likes a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. We know that, from Matthew 5:2, that in this passage, Jesus was teaching the disciples, he had told them about the kingdom of heaven and the attributes and rewards God offers to his children as they walk in obedience to Him. Now Jesus gives the disciples two descriptions of who they are. And he tells us by extension who we are. And we know that what God says about us is true. Sometimes we think less of ourselves than God does. And it is in those moments that we have to listen especially hard to what God says. Because he knows us better than we know ourselves in what he says is true. So in today's reading, God calls you the salt of the earth, and the light of the world. Let's take this apart. First you are the salt of the earth. What do you suppose is the meaning behind this? While you're likely familiar with salt as a preservative, which would have been top of mind in a society void of refrigeration. Salt keeps food fresh and edible for a longer period of time than it would be without it. Salt accomplishes this feat by inhibiting the growth of bacteria, which in other words means salt allows food to remain as God made it to be and to be used As God created it to be used. When God says that we are the salt of the earth, He is saying that we have a job to do to preserve the world as God intended it. When God created the world, everything was perfect, peaceful, joyful, and meaningful. But sin entered into the world and sin was like a bacteria that began to grow and was infectious. God empowers us, his children, to stand against sin, and to inhibit sins growth, by our actions and reactions. By allowing God's power to operate in us, we are salt preserving life, the way God intended it to be. You are the salt of the earth, you have a responsibility to live life on behalf of God. Salt in the Bible was also a symbol of covenant. This also has to do with its attribute as a preservative. A covenant was not to be broken, God will never break his covenant with His children. Once we give our lives to Him, we are sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit and we belong to God forever. If you have given your life to Christ, you are the salt of the earth, carrying his covenant promises nothing and nobody can change that. Salt in biblical times was a symbol of friendship and loyalty. Salt is salt no matter what you do to it, you put it in your food and your food tastes salty. You put it in water and allow the water to evaporate, the salt remains behind. Our God is loyal. And as Christians we are called to carry on that loyalty. You are the salt of the earth. Though the world will test you, you have the power within to remain loyal to the one who saved you. Salt is a necessary source of nourishment. It's an important element in a person's diet. And as such salt is highly valuable. In the Old Testament when God required sacrifices he required that the offering be seasoned with salt. It was necessary and it was valuable. You are the salt of the earth. You are necessary and you are valuable. And let's face it, salt makes food worth eating. Who doesn't love a little salty sweet action and their taste buds. In my opinion, nothing beats chocolate chip cookies with a sprinkle of sea salt on top. Salt brings out the true flavor of the food and makes eating a joy and a pleasure. You are the salt of the earth You were created to bring joy and pleasure to God himself. But Matthew records that Jesus continues what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again, it will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. Salt can lose its flavor the era Baker's at the time used salt blocks to line their ovens. After a time the high and prolonged heat of the oven caused the salt to crystallize and become useless. It had to be thrown out. Luke says in 1435 flavorless salt is good neither for the soil, nor for the manure pile, it is thrown away. The heat of the world is intense, more intense at times than that of a baker's oven. But as Jesus disciples, you and I are called to stay under God's protection and to keep our saltiness intact so that we can stand against the spread of sin. Live the life that God intended for us to live out our lives in covenant with him. claim our high value in a world filled with imposters and bring joy and pleasure to God. Don't let the heat of the world claim the saltiness that God has gifted you. Mark 949 through 50 gives this guidance for every one will be tested with fire. Can I get an amen on that one? Salt is good for seasoning, but if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again, you must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other.   The next thing that Jesus tells His disciples is not only are they the salt of the earth, but in Matthew 514. You are the light of the world, like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. Have you ever flown into a city at night seeing the pinpoints of light from high above is one of my favorite sights. At night, the Earth is blanketed in darkness. But the lights of a city are unmistakable. There weren't airplanes in Jesus day and the world didn't move quite as fast as it does today. A traveler who saw the lights of the city in the distance, would see safety and protection at the end of a long journey. Or at the very least lodging and food in other words, rest and sustenance. Jesus is indeed our lighthouse in a dark harbor. Our protection and safety are rest and sustenance. And we as his followers reflect God's light into this dark world. And we too, are a light for others who are searching in the dark. Jesus says You are the light of the world and he continues, No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. The light we shine is to lead others to God to show them the way to get to the kingdom of heaven. God wants us to welcome everyone we know to his city. We can shine the light of God by sharing the gospel message with others and by encouraging others to walk in there God given purposes. That is our goal at women, world leaders to shine our lights that you might shine yours. One of my main jobs that women were leaders is editing, I edit the voice of truth magazine and I edit the books put out by the by World publishing and productions. We are currently working on two books that will be released in just a couple of months. These books are compilations of stories of victories and spiritual growth that women have walked through in their lives, and how they have allowed Jesus even through their turmoil, to keep their lamps lit, that they might hold them high to shine for His glory. These women are truly the light of the world. Even though they have walked through abuse, abandonment, shame and temptation. Their lights are shining brightly. If you feel your light dimming, know that God is guiding you even need only to follow his light. And he will purposefully use everything that you are going through to strengthen you and give you the honor of bringing others to him. Mark says in for 22 For everything that is hidden will eventually be brought into the open and every secret will be brought to light. The Bible tells us that anything the devil meant for evil in your world, God can use for good. When we allow God to shine his light on us. He gives us the honor and privilege of shining that light to beckon others into the kingdom. Luke concludes his account of this teaching in Luke 818. So pay attention to how you hear to those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given. But for those who are not listening, even what they think they understand, will be taken away from them. You were created to be salt and light. There is no doubt about that. But what you do with your salt and light is up to you. Jesus warns us to pay attention and not take his teaching lightly. The more we obediently walk in the wisdom that God guides us with, the more wisdom he will provide. Don't hold the Holy Spirit back in your life. unleash his presence by your our obedience and your light will shine brighter than you can possibly imagine. Let's pray.   Father, we thank you for making us who we are and forgiving us the experiences you have given us. God I thank you for the privilege of being salt in this sinful world and light in this dark world. God, I ask that you empower us by your presence and strength to shine so brightly on your behalf, that the whole world will see your work Laurie. In Jesus name I pray, Amen. Thanks for listening to women world leaders podcast. Join us each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. As we explore together God's extravagant love and your courageous purpose. Visit our website at WWW dot the women world leaders.com To submit a prayer request, register for an upcoming event and support the ministry from his heart to yours. We are women world leaders. All content is copyrighted by women world leaders and cannot be used without express written consent.

Guest Cindy Arevalo is a survivor. She is an "Ally and Advocate" for other survivors in her community.  She is an Author, Entrepreneur, Wife, and Mom.   Cindy speaks of living in silence, breaking free from her thoughts, and what redemption means to her as she walks in a new life since she's been redeemed.   WARNING: Graphic details when Cindy shares her story.    *****   Kimberly Hobbs   Welcome to Empowering Lives with Purpose. And I'm your host, Kimberly Hobbs. I am the founder of Women World Leaders. And ladies, we are glad to have you today and also our guest, who is Cindy Arevalo. From California. Cindy, thank you so much for being with us today.  Cindy Arevalo   Thank you so much for having me on Kimberly. It's my honor. Thank you. Kimberly Hobbs   Awesome. And today lady, we are going to talk about Cindy's story storey living in silence and a word she chose today that is special to her as redeemed. So we will be talking about that today. And it's our hope that through listening ladies that you will be inspired and encouraged to walk closer to Jesus when you hear some of these amazing life stories of how other women have overcome. It helps us to relate, to have compassion to spark ideas in our own life of how we can walk closer with our Lord and Savior. And so that again, the name of our podcast empowering lives with purpose. And God's word says they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb. And by the word of their testimony, that's revelation 1211. And that really is a scripture that's awesome to even Cindy because she testifies of her story, God's story that he has given her and she's going to share that today, but I want to share a little bit about who she is. And before we get into this story, Cindy Arevalo is an entrepreneur and works in financial services with her husband, she is also the author of living in silence where she shares her story of being a survivor. She reveals the torment and abuse that she battled in secret at the hands of one of her teachers. Cindy found her voice and claimed her freedom, and now works serving as an ally and an advocate for other survivors in her community. And through her book and breaking the silence, she has created a larger network of support and hope for survivors of sexual assault across the globe. Cindy and Juan live in California with their children, and she loves answers Jesus now passionately. And today, she wanted to come on to empower you ladies with purpose and share what God is now doing in her life since she has found Jesus. Amen to that. So Cindy, you chose the word redeemed today. And before we get into sharing about why that word is so important to you. Could you please share a little bit about your story about the tragedy of it? You were raped. And it caused you through the years to run away from God. So let's begin there. Cindy Arevalo   Yes, so I actually was 14 at the time when I met my abuser. He was a former substitute teacher of mine. And how he started grooming me was because he saw an insight of pretty much who I was at the time and at the time, I was very naive, very insecure. I was just very shy. And I was looking in him what I was not getting at home. I don't know if that makes sense. So my parents worked long hours. My dad worked great night shifts. My mother cleaned houses for a living. She didn't drive had to commute on the bus or on the train. So she leaves the house about 5am come home at 7pm She was tired. My dad was working. And my sister who is much older than me was busy in her own life. So I pretty much felt alone in the house. And anytime I tried talking to any of them, it felt like too much for them because they were just so exhausted from work. And here comes this man. And he gives me attention, which is something I was not getting at home he gives me attention he tells me I'm pretty that I'm smart that I'm more mature for my age that my jewelry looks nice. He started complimenting me on jewelry, just simple things. And he made me feel special. So I at the time felt so far behind from I'm the curveball when it came to boys. I liked boys, but I felt like they didn't like me. I had really bad acne on my forehead. My hair was super puffy, just unruly. It was going through its own phase, my teeth were crooked at the time. And I didn't feel beautiful. I was ashamed to show my arms because I thought they were funny looking, they were skinny. And how that ended up happening was because one time when I was 11, I was my first spaghetti structure. And they felt like I was like growing up wearing my first spaghetti strap and my, my dad saw me and one of my aunts, and they looked at me in horror and in disgust. And I felt ashamed. I felt like I did something bad. And the way that they looked at me, they even pretended to gag and they said, What are you wearing? You're not wearing any clothes, you're naked, you're disgusting, I felt that that I did something wrong. So since then, I used to wear even sweaters and the summer, anything was better I would I was more comfortable being sweaty, and hot during the summer then to show my arms and feel exposed. So he would compliment me on my arms, which is the opposite of what I was taught as a child. And I thought, well, you know, maybe he's right, my arms are pretty nice. So then I started wearing just my, my regular uniform shirt without a sweater over anymore. And he slowly started asking me more about who lives with me, who am I around? What are their work hours, like, and I thought, he really cares about me. But what I didn't know was that he was just figuring out my surroundings and my insights, to have more access to me. And he knew how insecure and shy I was, he knew that I had no experience with boys. He was aware that my parents were so busy that they were not around, let alone my sister. So he found it as the perfect opportunity to just take a hold over me. He started telling me that he liked me. And by like, I couldn't process like yet. I thought, okay, he likes me as a person. And then he meant no, romantically. So he's he started telling me that I was beautiful, that one day we were going to get married, and I was going to live with him on his boat. And he just painted this whole idea in my mind. And I believed it because I actually had a crush on him at the time, not knowing that it was unhealthy that it was not right, that it was a secret to begin with. Because he told me, you can't tell anybody about this. Because if you tell somebody, I'm gonna get in trouble. And so where are you? And you don't want that, do you? And I said, No, absolutely not. And let me just say you were little you were like 12 or 13. Right when this started, I was 14 when this started. Just very naive. My parents ever spoke to me about sex about boys, it was always a taboo subject and don't touch it. And if we don't touch it, it doesn't happen. It doesn't exist. And I wish my parents would have been a little more vocal, just so I would have been aware. And I would have avoided situations like that.  Kimberly Hobbs   Mm hmm. Wow. So how then did the start that was how he started to zone in on you? And then it actually became where he physically raped you?  Cindy Arevalo   Yes. So he first started, of course, grooming me complimenting me. And then he led it to bone sex. So he started in steps, he started gaining my trust, building a friendship with me, telling me that I'm beautiful, telling me that he likes me romantically. And now he's teaching me he's educating me on what it is to have a boyfriend and what do boyfriend and girlfriends do and what do people and love do with each other? So he starts teaching me about phone sex first, and then he starts moving on from that. So prior to moving on from that one of the conversations that I had with him, I had just hung up the phone with him, but my sister picked up the other line before we hung up the phone. It was a two story apartment. And she heard him just say bye. That's all she heard. And she comes up to me and she goes, who was that? And I said, oh a friend. She said no, that that did not sound like the boy that sounded like a man who was that? I said, Oh, it was a friend. She goes no, that sounded like a man. And I said no, it was friend, she didn't believe me. She went to my mother. She said, I don't know what she's up to. I don't know what she's doing. She's being gross and disgusting. She's talking to an older man, you need to discipline her, you need to talk to her. So my mom called me over, but instead of asking me, who are you talking to? Who is that? Why is it so wrong to be talking to an older man? She just, she just hit me in the face. She called me a slut. She said, I was wrong. I was disgusting. What was I up to? What was I doing? And that felt like she did enough to just discipline me. It was a subject that became untouched in the moment. And then my sister, dialed I believe was Star 69. Back then to call back the number. And he picked up thinking it was me. And she went off on the phone with him, she cussed him out. She told him that if he ever got near me again, if he ever contacted me again, if he ever was around me again, she would report him to the police. And she felt like that was that was enough. And she didn't explain to me why it was bad. Nobody explained to me why they were afraid in that moment, or why it seemed alarming. So she went off back to her room. My mom was watching a soap opera back like nothing happened. And I'm sitting there confused. of what's going on. Why is this bad? What did I do something bad? What's what's happening? I'm confused. So then my mother in the night, asked me who was that man? I said, He's the, he's a teacher. He got hired to teach Pe by then at a permanent capacity. And she goes, Oh, okay, a teacher. And what does he look like? And I said, Oh, he's white. He's tall. He's big. And she's like, Oh, okay, he's white. And does he drive a nice car? And like, I think so she's like, what is that? I said, I think it's a Land Rover. She goes, Oh, okay. Those are expensive cars. Then you said he's a teacher, right? I said, Yeah. She goes, so teachers make good money, right? And I said, I don't know. I mean, I'm 14. I don't know. And she goes, Okay. Well, I had a friend who actually married an older man when she was of age. And now they live happily ever after. So who knows? Maybe, maybe when you're older, and you're of age, you know, it might turn into something. She's like, Oh, my goodness, he must be so afraid. You know, just give him a call. He's probably scared. Give them a call and let them know that, that it's okay. So I'm thinking and my mom thinks there's nothing wrong. Okay, then it's fine. And nothing else came to my mind. So I called him. He's not answering the phone. I call him again, I leave on my voicemail saying My mom says it's okay to talk to you. And he doesn't believe me, but he does call me back. And he says, No, I can't talk to you anymore. Your sister threatened me and no, I'm not going to lose my my job over this. And I said, But my mom said it's okay. And you said what? I sent my mom said, It's okay for me to talk to you. And he said, I don't believe you. He's like, put her on the phone. I said she doesn't speak English. He said whatever he was, she knows that's basic enough for me to understand. I need to hear it from her. So I gave my mom the phone and I told her to just say whatever she could, letting him know that it was okay. And all she said was it's okay. That's all she said. And from there, that was the greenlight that was where he felt like he had more than a foot in through the door now. He felt my mom's aware mom's aware of who I am. What I do. I'm in school. I have a romantic interest in her daughter, and she's okay with it. And from that moment, he started planning. So he planned the first attack. After I came out of middle school, starting high school, I was in a summer break of two months. So he started the first attack there saying, I missed you so much, but we can be seen in public. Let's meet up in a hotel room, somewhere where you can walk because again, we can be seen in public. And I'm thinking we're gonna hang out, we're gonna watch movies. We're gonna order pizza, because he said he missed me. That's what I'm thinking. And it was the opposite of what I was found with in that moment. He pushed me against the wall. The room was dark. I was frightened. Everything was so new to me. He was like on this frenzy of just uncontrollable lust. He started undressing me he pushed me swimming against the bed. He starts pulling my pants down my underwear and he starts giving me oral sex and I tense up, I close my legs, I clenched, and he's upset because he said, If only you were to enjoy this, you would understand how good it feels. And I was crying, I'm scared. I said, I don't feel comfortable. He said, You just need to relax. If you relax, it's going to feel good. So he switched tactics trying to relax me. He started fingering me. And it just, it hurts so much. And I was crying even more letting him know, it just hurts. And he was frustrated, he was angry. He felt like he was not getting what he imagined in that moment. So he tried penetrating me there in that moment, and I was crying because I hurt so much. And he was unsuccessful of penetrating me in that moment. And I cried, I couldn't believe what was happening. I was confused. I knew something wasn't right. I was afraid to tell him something doesn't feel right, because I did not want to upset him more. And he said, Okay, I'm not leaving here. Like this. In other words, he's pretty much letting me know, I didn't come here to spend my time like this. So he says, I'm gonna teach you to give me a blow job. So he teaches me how to give him a blowjob. And once he finishes, I'm confused, I'm disgusted. And he is mad. He looks upset, because he didn't get what he wanted to get at the end of the day. But it was enough. And he cannot just dispose of me. He's like, okay, you can go now, type of thing. And as I'm walking home, I'm confused somewhat, what just happened? Did I upset him? I'm not ever thinking he did something wrong. I think I'm in the wrong. I'm like, Did I do something to upset him? But if this is what people do, when they're in love, why do I feel this way? Why, why am I being this way? Why does it not feel natural? I have a lot of questions.  Kimberly Hobbs   Yes. And that is why I believe that as you were sharing with me earlier, Cindy, that again, you started seeking, you started looking for things in all the wrong places because you didn't know what to do with this. And the cycle continued, right? Like you were just you were wandering and at this time, you didn't know Jesus, your family. I mean, it just was all of all of what happened in that place and forming you and in it was just horrific. You got involved in anything that you could find to help you heal from this, which was, again, you were left to your own. And so can you talk about right now, as we see all that happened, okay. And I don't want to take away from anything that you had experienced through that time. But dealing with going to all these different things to satisfy the healing that didn't work. Let's fast forward years ahead. To you meet this man. You meet another man. And let's talk about what happened there. Because that changed the direction of your life.  Cindy Arevalo   Yes, so actually, it was me and my husband, who met him. He's a good friend of ours now. And at the time, we it's the first time we meet him. He says, Hi, I'm and he says his name. And we introduce ourselves. He says, Hey, by any chance, have you accepted Christ in your life? And we said, No. And he said, Would you like to? I said, Sure. My husband also agreed. So in that moment, he prayed for us. And for so, so long, I ran away from Christ because I thought I was so unworthy. I thought I was so full of baggage and shame and guilt and anxiety and depression and suicide and so many, so many things, so much baggage, and I thought, Who am I to come to Christ as to ask him for help. When I've done all of this, who am I? I'm not worthy. And I thought I was going to face an angry Christ at me. And it was the opposite. And that moment when I accepted Christ, I started crying because I could not believe with what I was found with I was found in that moment with His grace with his love. Oh, just a beautiful, warm, letting me know, I'm here. I've been here, man. And in that moment, I couldn't believe it that somebody like him would want somebody as broken as me. But here he was letting me know that it was, it was not anything for him that it wasn't too heavy for him that it wasn't too dirty for him, that it wasn't too much of anything for him that he could redeem me that he could set me free.  Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. And I'm sure that there are ladies out there listening that can relate to finding Jesus and feeling that moment of release that now Jesus is here, you don't ever have to be alone again. And just knowing that you have now met your Creator, personally, and that you are free from all of the shame and guilt that you are carrying through these years. Because that incident and what happened in the in between and ladies, you can read Cindy's book, Keeping the Silence and are living in silence, to find out that in between but but now she has Jesus and your life was changing. Cindy, and you couldn't believe that God wanted someone like you, you said, you were forgiven. But you couldn't forgive your abuser. Even at this moment, even though you knew that you were forgiven. And you loved that, that moment in that time in your life with Jesus and you were learning. But you were still a judge. And you you told me about this and you wished you wished the best for this perpetrator as they sent him to prison, because you went through all of that too, and he did go to prison. But you're like you wish him the best. So long farewell. But God says that we're not to hold a grudge. And when you and this is a scripture verse, ladies, when you are praying first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too. That's Mark 1125. So can you share here, Cindy, about what you went through when you had to face? That? You're not a judge?  Cindy Arevalo   Yes, it actually took a movie. For me to have that moment. I don't know if you're familiar with the movie, the shack, it's a book also. And I was watching the shack and there's a scene in there, where it shows a father and his two children there, a son and a daughter, and he has to convict one and save one. And then that moment, he realizes he can't do that no matter what each of them has done. They've all done something. But he can't do that. Because he loves them so much. And in that moment, that was what hit me like a ton of bricks. I thought that's, that's our father, who am I to? to literally just say, Father, please forgive me. You know what I've done. But please forgive me. I'm so sorry for what I've done. But no, you know what he has done? And no, he's really bad, some mean person to not forgive him? Who am I to say that we are all his creations? At the end of the day, we are his creations we are His children. And who am I to tell him Lord, do not forgive him? I've been a really good judge and judging him for what he has done to me and the other girls. And I thought, No, I can't do that. And in that moment, I felt where I told myself, Lord, please soften up my heart because my heart was so hard towards them. So cold, so bitter, so dark towards him. And I thought, Lord, please soften up my heart. And I said, I give him to you. I lay him at your feet. I don't want to take it back. Because there was a lot of times where I thought, okay, forgive him, leave it at his feet, but then I would take it back and then I'm bitter again. I'm angry and all the emotions would just come up and that no, Lord, I'm leaving him to you. I'm giving him to you. And I felt freedom in that moment, where now I can talk about him. I can talk about the abuse and it doesn't hurt me anymore. I remember everything very vividly. But it doesn't hurt me anymore because I feel healed by God. And that's only something that Jesus Christ can do. Nobody else can do. knew that I was looking into the New Age stuff, the stones, the chakras, the meditation, the sound, bath, the stage, the palo santo all these things that they sell you on, and it was all just temporary peace and Christ gave me my everlasting peace, especially women from my abuser. Praise God. And you saw that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. God tells us that in his words. So, like you said, Who am I to be judge? I mean, God looks at all sin, and all sinners and praise God for movies in our life that can show us things like this that we can understand and get a clearer picture. So the word redeemed that you claimed as your word, Cindy, is found 147 times in God's word, and I love the Scripture Galatians 220 It says, I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me, and the life I now live in the flesh. I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me, and gave himself for me, and that is a beautiful picture of redemption. So Cindy, now you live in freedom since you've been redeemed and you've been forgiven yourself, and you forgave your perpetrator. And Psalm 1072 says, Let the redeemed of the Lord say so whom He has redeemed from trouble. And you could have gone the opposite way, honey, and you could have held on to all the anger and the bitterness which ladies listening some of us do we hang on to that ugliness when we've been wronged in our life. And so this redemption word, can you talk about this redemption word you did a little bit. But let's, before we close, because we only have a couple minutes, but talk about your redemption. Yes, I felt set free. I didn't have any more chains attached to any more bondage. I didn't have my abuser anymore attached to me in any shape way or form emotionally. Because that's where I had the attachment with him was emotionally in my heart, I could not forgive I couldn't not let go of the hurt because of what he said and did to me. And that was an attachment that I had with him even though I claimed I did not have any more attached to him. That was one that was really big that was keeping us binded together. And the moment that I forgave him, that attachment broke off of me, and I found my freedom. So it's not something that happened overnight. It didn't happen in a couple of months, it took years. But more than anything, it took a lot of intimacy with the Lord spending a lot of time with him, because they were moments that just felt really difficult and the idea of forgiving, was almost an impossible idea and in my flesh, yes, completely impossible but but by the grace and the strength of God, not impossible at all.  Kimberly Hobbs   Amen, honey, amen. That's so true. You had every right in the world's eyes, right to be furious with somebody who wrecked your life. But God right God showed up. He says Don't let sin are don't sin by letting anger control you, or give a foothold to the devil. That's Ephesians 626 to 27. Don't let anger control you ladies are the bitterness that comes because somebody else has sinned. Don't give into that. No more bondage, right? God freed you, Sunday and by God's grace, you can have redemption. Through the blood of Jesus, that word redeemed is so beautiful. God gave himself for us to redeem us all ladies. So I'm asking Cindy as we close right now, what is one piece of advice, honey that the listener who has identified to you with you as you have shared bit by bit that ugliness I know there's women out there that have been through what you have been through, and it brings up all these thoughts for them and they're hurting? What is that way that you can or give us something that you can leave with them that gives them hope? And something that they can take to their heart?  Cindy Arevalo   Yes. Well, first of all, I do want to tell the ladies that they are not alone, that they are believed they are heard, they are seen. They are loved. They are the daughters of the King. And I want to say that above all else, guard your heart for everything you do flows from it. That's proverbs 423. And, therefore if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come, the old has gone, the new is here. And I want to I want to just say that you're not too much, you're not too broken. You're not too dirty, you're not too full of sin and shame. You're not too much of anything for our Lord, He gave His life for us, he already took care of that price for you on the cross. And I want to tell you that he loves you. He wants to redeem you. He wants to set you free and make a new creation in you. But you need to be willing to just open up your heart and fully surrender it all. To him, Give it all to him, lay it all at his feet. And I like this verse from Ecclesiastes 311, that says he has made everything beautiful in its time. And I really do believe that I believe that what I went through was not something in vain. I believe that that is something that the Lord is now using for a testimony because, unfortunately, sexual abuse happens far too often and far more often than we would like to imagine, especially nowadays, and there are a lot of communities out there that offer a lot of help and resources. Kimberly Hobbs   Amen, there are and, ladies, one way is you can reach out to us at women world leaders [email protected]. And just let us know that you want to speak with us and and we can there are women that will just pray with you and listen. And also I know Cindy that you have made yourself available and your book available. And if you want to receive a copy of Cindy's book living in silence, can you tell the ladies how they can get that? Yes. So if you go on Amazon, you type in living in silence by Cindy Arevalo, it'll come right back up. And then I also have an audio version of it. For the ones that like to hear audible. There is an audible version of the book as well. Thank you. And then if they want to reach you personally, you have made yourself available as well. And how can they reach you personally? Cindy Arevalo   The best way for me it's actually through Instagram. So if you type in _Cindy_Arevalo. You're able to find me on Instagram to send me a message.  Kimberly Hobbs   And Arevalo is spelled Arevalo. And Cindy, we are just so grateful again that you would come on and you would just share with the listener and I just feel really compelled right now to close out praying over the listener that right now maybe processing because of that word picture that you started out with in your story. It may have brought up so much for that person that is listening right now. And I just want to pray a covering over them. So can we pray together for our sisters? Yes. Dear Lord Jesus, we just come before you right now God and we just pray over our listeners. Lord, we just pray that that one particular woman right now, that one particular girl right now that this has triggered some things in her past that she has not released to you God that she is holding on to so tightly that that hurt that brokenness, that anger that bitterness and and we understand that but God, please just open her heart to you right now and speak into her heart. And she knows who she is right now as she's listening God. And please just hear her heart, hear her brokenness, hear her need for you, Lord, and we ask that you would reach her where she is God that you would allow her to step out and find help Lord, whether it be through women world leaders.com And she reaches out to us or whether it be to Cindy and she reaches out to Cindy, God whoever let her find the resources she needs Lord, and only you know who that is and that each individual person that you would equip them, you would give them a word you would give them a confirmation at this very moment, Lord, that you are with her right now. And that you don't want her to hurt Lord and you never leave any of us alone. You tell us that in your word and your promises are true. And Lord you are near to the brokenhearted. So God as you are near to each of these ladies, we just pray again God that you would just pour into her through the power of your word there is healing in the word, there's restoration in the Word, and there is redemption, as Cindy has chosen the word redeemed, and she is proclaiming it God to the world. We pray that that person today that needs your redemption, we just trust in Jesus as her own personal Lord and Savior, Lord, and she would trust that that is the only way that she is going to be free from all of this bondage in her life. And we pray right now that she surrenders her knee to what Jesus did on the cross for her sins and says, Yes, Lord Jesus, I accept you in my heart. Yes, Jesus, I want to make you Lord of my life. Please forgive me, Lord. And please come into my heart and be my savior, guide me and direct me into the truths that you have from my life. So I can be set free from all the pain and suffering that I have been doing. Lord, we pray that over the woman listening right now that need you so desperately, God, speak to her heart in every way that only you can. And again, we thank you, I thank you for sending my sister who's come forward to share her story so that others can find healing. And God we know that you are going to do a mighty work through this podcast. We know right now that you are working in the hearts of women. And maybe it's the woman who's listening that knows a sister that is hurting and holding all this deep inside and she can't reach her but God maybe this podcast can, and she can share this podcast with her. And so we pray over that right now to or whatever way that you see getting this podcast into the world. We pray it be done and we just thank you God for who you are in our lives and that you love us so much as your perfect creation. Just as Cindy said she felt so ugly and so ashamed and carried guilt and carried so much for so long. But God you look at Cindy has beautiful God she is your creation created a new in Christ Jesus to do the very good things that you planned for her long ago, that your word and Ephesians 210 You created each of these beautiful women. God was a purpose and a plan and they are beautiful in your sight. So God we just pray that you pour into them right now however you will and we thank you again. Thank you for this podcast. Thank you for Cindy our valo card. Thank you for women, world leaders and the ability to be here today. And we love you and we praise you in Jesus name. Amen. Thank you Cindy. Thank you ladies we are going to close out because we are over our time but again, please reach out to us we have so many tools for you at women world leaders.com We have books we have voice of truth magazine that brings hope and healing to your to your soul. Please check us out you can read it for free on women world leaders.com That's voice of truth and just go through this this unbelievable magazine that is filled with the gospel message of Jesus scriptures that will touch your heart. Ladies, we are here for you. So as we close, God bless you remember all content is copyrighted and cannot be used without express written consent. Have a beautiful day. Thank you, Cindy. God bless you  

Join host Janet Berrong, an expert in the health and wellness industry, as she shares about being physically fit God's way. ***** Welcome to Celebrating God's Grace, a Women World Leaders podcast. I'm your host, Janet Berrong. Thank you for joining us today as we celebrate God's grace in our lives, in ministry, and around the world. It's an honor for me to be here sharing with you today. Some of the things that are near and dear to my heart, health, wellness beauty in Jesus. Wow, what a combo, right? While they really do go hand in hand. For many years, I've worked in the health and wellness industry. And I've witnessed the restoration, transformation in healings with the application of these principles, eating fresh living foods, getting enough physical exercise, and spiritually being in alignment with the Word of God. God made us to be healthy and whole, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Today I want to focus on the physical health. Have you ever heard this saying, If I knew I'd lived this long, I would have taken better care of myself? Well, in a sense, it's funny, but in reality, it's the truth. Physical health has three key elements, which include the physical activity, rest and nutrition. To have a good standing on physical health. We need a balance of these three elements. God teaches us that our bodies are the temple. In first Corinthians 316 through 17 says, Don't you know that yourselves are God's temple, and that God's Spirit dwells in your midst? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy that person. For God's temple is sacred. And you together are that temple. It is found once again in First Corinthians 619 through 20. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God, you are not your own. You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. Not only do we want to take care of our temples for our own physical well being, but we are physical representation of God. Recently, I attended some local American college football games, it reminded me of how much they have to train to be in and win the game. They have to be physically fit, and emotionally and mentally focused. I see that for my daily life as well. If I'm not fit for the day, I get tired and weary physically, then it starts to affect me mentally. Regular exercise has been proven to reduce stress, ward off anxiety and feelings of depression, boosts self esteem, improve sleep. Exercise also has the added benefits of strengthening your heart, increasing your energy level. It lowers the blood pressure. It improves muscle tone and strength. It strengthens and builds bones. It helps reduce body fat. It makes you look fit and healthy. If you're anything like me, you have to have a plan. And my plan is taking time for self care works best in the morning. And that means nothing else gets in the way that day. If it's meal, prep, exercise, and quiet time with the Lord. I know he wants only the best for you my beautiful sisters. Until next time, keep your shoulders back your eyes on him standing tall and confident. Philippians one six reads. I am certain that God who began a good work within you will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Father, so many things happen to end up intimidating women who have committed themselves to serve you. the busyness of life and the attacks from the enemy, cause many women to second guess themselves and some of them even give up on the desires to serve you in ministry. Father God, let your divine power be upon these women who are devoted to serving you in different capacities all over the world. Remind them to be encouraged when the storms of life are against them in the name of Jesus, I believe in pray. Amen. Thank you for listening to women world leaders podcast. Join us each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. As we explore together God's extravagant love in your courageous group. Visit our website www dot women world leaders.com. To submit a prayer requests or register for an upcoming event and support the ministry, from his heart to yours. We are women world leaders. Our content is copyrighted by women world leaders should not be used without expressed written consent.

A woman stands before Jesus in her sin. Accusers look on with condemnation. Then, the power of Jesus’ voice rings through the crowd, and the atmosphere changes. We, too, are invited to stand before Jesus – fully forgiven. (John 7:53-8:11) ***** Welcome to Walking in the Word, the biblical teaching arm of the Women World Leaders’ Podcast. My name is Julie Jenkins. I am honored to walk with you today as we open Scripture and ask God to teach us what He wants us to know today. If you are new to our podcast, this is one of three offerings we have for you each week. On Monday, founder Kimberly Hobbs hosts Empowering Lives with Purpose – a 30-minute interview with a different woman of faith who shares the story of her life, struggles, or ministry. But what is important about each of these interviews is that they are truly not about the woman who so bravely steps out and shares her story, but each one is about shining the light on the glory of God. That kind of makes me smile, even as I say it – because God’s glory is SO bright that He certainly doesn’t need US to shine a light on HIM. But you know what? We GET to!! God is so present in each of our lives, but that doesn’t stop the devil from trying to hide Him from us. So Kimberly’s podcast is about looking beyond the schemes of the devil so we can truly see God’s purpose. It’s kind of like a game of hide and seek – the devil is trying to hide God’s glory, and we are seeking to uncover it! And God always wins the game! On Fridays, we have a team of podcasters who host Celebrating God’s Grace. This is a short podcast full of nuggets and wisdom of the goodness of God that will launch you into the weekend! And today you’ve happened on Walking in the Word, where we take 20 minutes to open God’s Word and learn together from it – verse by verse. We are currently studying the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John as we mesh them together and look at the life of Jesus as chronologically and as fully as the Holy Spirit enables us. If you are new to Women World Leaders, you can find out more about the ministry at our website, womenworldleaders.com, where you post on our prayer wall, purchase resources, and get involved in our worldwide ministry. Today’s scripture comes from John 7:53-8:11. If you have your Bible opened to John chapter 7, verse 53, you likely see a notation that says that most ancient Greek manuscripts do not include this section of scripture. I do want to briefly address this. This text was passed down orally and discovered in written form as early as the third century AD, and is true to Christ’s nature of compassion, love, and forgiveness – so biblical theologians throughout the years have opted to include it as part of John’s writing. And I think you will see, as we study, that this narrative is truly inspired by the Holy Spirit and is a foreshadowing of Jesus’ saving grace given to us through His death on the cross. Some researchers believe that this story may have originally been included in John’s writings but was taken out along the way due to a discussion on paganism and a belief that this could be used to incorrectly substantiate Jesus’ dismissal of fornication and adultery. Despite the background of these particular verses, as part of the Bible, they are worthy of our study and learning. But, as with all things, we should ask for wisdom from the Holy Spirit. So, as always, before we begin our study, let’s pray… Dear Most Holy God, we thank you for meeting us where we are today and for giving us this particular scripture to study today. No matter its origins, we know you are a God of complete control, and you have made a way for us to read and study this narrative today – so we know you have a reason for it and something you want us each to learn. You know exactly what each of us is going through, when and where we are listening to this, and you are prepared to teach us what you want us to know. So Father, I personally give you free rein over my words and ask you to use me as you will. Please guide each listener’s heart and allow her to hear directly from you. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. As Jesus continues to walk toward the cross, we see his enemies, the Pharisees and the teachers of the religious law, ramp up their efforts against Him. Yet, because it is not yet God’s ordained time, Jesus continues teaching and preaching.  Let’s begin in chapter 7, verse 53 from the New Living Translation… 53 Then the meeting broke up, and everybody went home. 8 Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives, 2 but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. Where this story has been inserted, Jesus has been teaching in the temple courts during the Festival of the Tabernacles. I think it is telling that the scripture says, everybody went home, and Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives – only to return again in the morning. Have you ever been in a busy season of ministry? Maybe even the ministry of being a parent or being a caretaker for a loved one? If you have, you understand what it is like to sleep in an unusual and perhaps, uncomfortable spot, and then to wake up only to be faced with the reality of your mission again. When someone is counting on you, you have little choice but to respond. And yet, despite the difficulty of taking care of someone we love dearly, we find fulfillment in that calling – knowing that we are carrying out a purpose that God placed us on this earth to accomplish. And despite our flesh crying out and our emotions reeling, we wouldn’t have it any other way. This is how Jesus lived His life on earth. Caring for a loved one – times millions! Each of us is so valuable and loved by Jesus, that despite the persecution, the exhaustion, and the fore-knowledge of upcoming pain and suffering, Jesus wouldn’t have had it any other way. Because He loves YOU that much, and He knew that by getting up each morning to face the growing animosity of the people, He was accomplishing for YOU what He was sent to earth to do. So He slept on the Mount of Olives, and got up early the next morning to continue His purpose as He returned to the Temple. John 8:1 continues… A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them. 3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd. 4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?” Make no mistake, this situation was an elaborate trap set up for the sake of tripping up Jesus. It was planned and calculated – all with disregard for the woman. Verse 4 says that the woman was “caught” in the act of adultery, but the original Greek word means that she was seized or apprehended WHILE in the act of adultery. Let’s dissect this for a moment. Under Jewish law, it was necessary to have multiple witnesses before someone could be accused of adultery, and the witnesses had to agree to have seen the exact same event without question. I think we can all agree that sex, especially when it could get you in trouble with the law, would not be executed where several people could witness it. The other part of the story is that, in the case of adultery, Jewish law, according to Deuteronomy 22:22 called for the death of BOTH the man and the woman. So where was the man? Why was the woman seized and the man let go? Could the man, perhaps, have been in on the plan? It seems that that Pharisees and the teachers of the law were SO intent on trapping Jesus that they themselves had total disregard for the law AND for the nature of the woman as a human being. She was merely a pawn in their hands. Expendable, as long as they got what they wanted. So they took her to Jesus and stood her before the crowds at the Temple. This was nothing but a vain attempt to discredit Jesus in front of His listeners. Jesus preached compassion. In their minds, if He had compassion on the woman, they could accuse Him of going against the Law of Moses. And if He called for her death, He would not only be seen in a different light by His followers, but He could be reported to the Romans. And all the while, she stood there in humiliation. An object of wrath and convenience. Verse 6 continues… 6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. 7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust. Jesus spoke – and then He looked away. Can you imagine the power that Jesus’ words carried? It is simply unimaginable to me. I remember my dad stating a word of warning and then tilting his head down and looking at me over his glasses. You know, giving me “that look.” That look that made me feel about 2 inches tall, convicting me to my core. His eyes would lock with mine, and I could tell no lies. But Jesus? Jesus didn’t even have to look. His words alone were so powerful as they cut through the air that He simply went back to writing in the dust. And I bet you could’ve heard a pin drop in that dust. He wasn’t watching – any one of the men standing there could have cast a stone. In fact, law dictated that the witnesses of the sin should be the ones to throw the first stones. But it was not to be… Verse 9… 9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” 11 “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” Jesus spoke, and then He looked away. And each listener had a choice to make as conviction rang through the air. This is a picture of the cross that was to come. Jesus was about to bow His head in death, to say His last words as fully God and fully man, and to close His eyes, giving us each a choice. Do we focus on the sin of others, accuse them and hold them accountable as we throw stones at them? Do we acknowledge our own sin and guilt and simply slip away? Or do we stand in our sin, trusting Jesus, in His compassion and care, to offer us forgiveness as only He can? Who are you in the story? The woman was not in the right – although she was entrapped, she was in no way sinless. Yet she stood there, transfixed by the power of Jesus – ready to accept her punishment. But instead of punishment and death, she received Jesus’ grace and compassion. Her struggles were likely not over, Jesus told her to go and sin no more. I can understand that calling. And I can also understand that I mess that up every day. But Jesus told her, and He tells us, if you stand by me, if you give yourself to me, I will not condemn you. Despite their elaborate plan, the Pharisees and teachers of the law sure didn’t trick Jesus. And the woman’s day went maybe from her worst ever, to her best ever. That’s the power and compassion of the cross that only Jesus can give. Jesus fulfilled His purpose on earth – through the exhaustion and the pain of His calling – He gave His life so that you and I can stand transfixed by His power and receive His grace and enter eternity in the presence of God. Because He loves you that much. Let’s pray… Dear Jesus – thank you. Thank you for your never-ending love and grace and compassion. Thank you for giving it all – even to death – so that we can live. Jesus, we do stand transfixed in your presence, longing to serve you and live for you. We humble ourselves before you as we offer you our lives. Guide us and lead us, directly into your arms. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.  

Guest Speaker, Boy Mom, and Christian Mompreneaur, Beth Vazquez is the Founder of Recess and Results and shares how she teaches moms and kids how to be "Strong Not Shaken."   Beth is an "anxiety overcomer" and shares her story of strength and surrender in all God has called her to do. Beth has been featured in Oprah magazine, Entrepreneur and Authority magazine, and teaches strong-not-shaken wellness systems which allow moms and kids to step into God's power as they go after their God-sized dreams.   *****   Kimberly Hobbs   Welcome to Empowering Lives with Purpose. And I'm your host, Kimberly Hobbs. I'm the founder of Women World Leaders. And we are so happy ladies that you have joined us today for empowering lives with purpose. And I'd like to welcome our guest Beth Vazquez. Welcome, Beth. Beth Vazquez   Thank you. Hi, everyone. I'm so happy to be here. Kimberly Hobbs   Hey, hon, we are happy to have you. And today we're talking about strong, not shaken. And you are in for a real treat today to hear Beth and what God has called her to do in this world. Ladies, we know that you are here for a purpose. God called you here and you're listening until we are praying God today you are strengthened, encouraged and empowered to run after Jesus in your life. And God is working in you giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. That's Philippians 213. And we believe that God is working in and through you, if he led you here today, then you're in for a treat. And we just pray that God will speak to your heart the way he will, as he does through these podcasts. And these women, these amazing women of God that come on. So today I want to share a little bit about Beth before we start and she is an amazing woman. And she has written curriculum called strong and not shaken. And that's what we decided that we were going to title today's podcast is strong, not shaken. That there's a wife. She's a boy mom, a Christian mompreneur and founder of recess and results. Beth is on a mission to help shape moms and kids who are strong and help them chase their god sized dreams. Beth has been featured in Entrepreneur, Oprah Magazine, authority magazine, and a contestant on Season Five of entrepreneurs elevator pitch, as anxiety had overtaken her bath understands how important God's strength and surrender is to achieving all God has her to do she's an overcomer. Praise God. Her signature strong not shaken wellness system shapes, strong mompreneurs mentally, physically and spiritually allowing them to step into God's power as they go after their own god sized dreams. So I know so many listeners today are going to benefit from what Beth shares with us as she gives some examples later on. And how she teaches shares and shapes strong but not shaken activities. So Beth, before we begin, you grew up with anxiety and pressures in your life, and you had to overcome some of these. Can you share a little bit about your story and how you grew up? Strong? Independent? How it went to your head as well? Beth Vazquez   That yeah, yeah, so I grew up on a farm in Nebraska, I was one of six kids. Number five. And you know, farm life, I mean, maybe you know, maybe you don't know. But I grew up on a farm. My, my father struggled with alcohol. And so it just brought, it brought a lot of chaos, it could cause a lot of chaos in life. And when I was young, I didn't realize that I had so much anxiety, but I did. And it came out in various ways. I remember having stomach aches a lot of times just feeling that sort of uncertainty. And I think so many moms can relate today to that feeling of anxiety and how it can manifest differently and all of us. But I felt that even as a as a young child, although I learned to kind of push it away to become to kind of ignore it and to just be strong, you know, and very independent early on. Like I sort of learned to just take care of myself and to count on myself. And in some ways, I guess that can be helpful, but in a lot of ways it's detrimental to life, right? But I was praised for it. I was praised for it. I remember my mom specifically telling me like, Oh, you're super independent, you always have things under control. We never have to worry about you. And that I kind of just hung on to that and I was like, okay, so I guess it's a good thing. I'll just keep pushing this off. I'll do my best to take care of myself to rely on myself to not need anyone else because I don't want that to be a burden to people right And so, as you can imagine, you know, growing up and leaving home and going to college, that sort of mindset and mentality really played a big role in a lot of decisions that were made. And I lost my way I grew up as a Christian, we went to church every Sunday, I grew up learning the Bible, and abiding by, you know, Bible commandments. And I went to college and just really lost my way I was living for myself, I made a lot of bad decisions. I ended up living with a boyfriend at one point during grad school, who I thought, you know, was the one and we were gonna get married and have this wonderful life and all the things, all the while still believing that I didn't need a man, I didn't need anybody. I only relied on myself. And so clearly, this is a very unhealthy relationship from the start, but I always prided myself in that independence. And even in my friend groups, I felt like I was sort of ahead of the game. I prided myself in career I prided myself in taking only needing myself and, and, and those sorts of things. Well, there was a point that I came in, kind of to a breaking point, my anxiety got worse and worse. I was seeing a therapist, I was having panic attacks, I didn't really understand what was happening. And I was like, What is going on, I felt like I was sort of like losing control of everything. And I didn't know what to do about it. And one day, I did really lose everything I had lost my job, I was laid off from my job, the relationship, horrible relationship that I was in, fell apart, we broke up, he moved out the whole thing, I felt like I didn't really have a lot of friends. Because I had moved away, I was living with this, this guy. And you know that and myself were like, the my whole world. And so I felt like I had lost everything. And I was down to nothing. And I remember laying in my room one day, and just laying on the bed, and I was depressed. And I didn't really know what that was like, because I had never let myself really feel those things. Because I was strong, and independent and strong and independent. People don't get depressed, and they don't have anxiety, right. So like, I had never really let myself feel those things. And that day, it just all came crashing down. And it was overwhelming. And I was like, just so broken. And I remember just crying and just calling out to God and just saying, like, help me like, I don't know what to do. You know, I was scared. Because I've never felt these things before. And I remember through the window of my room that the sun kind of shown in through the window, and on the wall distinctly made the picture of the image of a cross. And I just remember like, like this sigh of relief, like a break in the sobs and just like, Okay, I'm not alone, you know, like, I'm not alone. God is still with me, thank God, because I had basically just pushed him away, you know, push them away all of these years. And it was that moment of my life that was the lowest, and also the absolute best because it started a relationship with Jesus that I didn't know that you needed. I knew the Bible. I knew what the Bible said. But I didn't understand the difference between believing in God and having a relationship with Jesus. And that was the start of it. And it changed my life. Kimberly Hobbs   Beth, amen. Amen. And praise God, how he reaches us at those defining moments, and we all can just hear what you're saying and think Have I ever had one of those defining moments where Jesus reached me right where I was. And, ladies, if any of you are identifying with that anxiety that builds up over time, you know, we all go through things in our life, that that shape and and start to define who we are. And God intervenes at just the right time. And he did with you that moment where he showed up on the wall, and that shape of a cross that there was no denying that he was getting your attention. Beth Vazquez   And the peace that came over me was just indescribable, a peace that passes all understanding. Kimberly Hobbs   Overwhelming peace came on you. Board gives his people strength. Ladies, when this is a scripture, the Lord gives his people strength and blesses them with peace. Psalm 2911. Remember that? And God also says he will keep you in perfect peace, all who trust in Him all those whose thoughts are fixed on you, God that psalm or no, that's Isaiah 26 worry. So God will keep you in perfect peace, ladies and that peace that came over you, Beth. So for the first time, God has this pivotal part in your life, and you decided to do this 40 Day Challenge. And you drew circle, a group of girls that you came together with. And in that time to you had wanted to get pregnant. Okay, now you're married? Yeah, yeah. Yeah. So it's time to talk about that. And how, how did God speak to you through this time in this dream that you had? Beth Vazquez   Yeah. So like I said, the relationship with Jesus really started in that moment, but in that moment alone in my room, but we know that a relationship builds and grows over time, right. And God has done such a work and just pulling me closer to him and letting me release myself. And so yes, he blessed me with my my greatest gift in life, my husband, who was amazing, and such a great supporter of me and a great leader, godly leader for our family. And we were praying about having a baby. And it was difficult for us for a lot of reasons, which is a whole nother podcast. We'll talk about that another time. But we were having struggles getting pregnant. And so we were praying about it together, you know, obviously, my husband and I was praying about it, I was doing all the things, the ovulation sticks to the stress. And I felt that anxiety coming up again, of me trying to control something. And so there was a few friends that I knew that were also moms are not mom mompreneurs yet at that point, but entrepreneurs, and we were Christian entrepreneurs. And we started to do a Bible study together. And one of the girls recommended the draw the circle prayer challenge. It's a prayer challenge written by Mark Patterson. And so we did this 40 Day prayer challenge together as a group, and there were many women in the group. But there were three of us specifically that were praying for healthy babies, as well as other things in this group. And this prayer challenge changed my life. It was the first time that I heard God speak to me clearly. And that I knew it was him. Like, without a doubt, this is God speaking to me, telling me, you know, basically, what's going to happen with my life. And when I say this, everyone, please know that when people would say before they heard God speak to them, I kind of questioned whether they were like, I had just never experienced it. So when people would say, Oh, yes, God told me this, I'd be like, did that really tell you that? Or is that like what you want to do kind of thing, you know, and I'm telling you now, for anyone that might be skeptical, God will speak to you, if you stop to listen, he will fake to you if you stop to listen. And when I heard God's voice the first time, it was through a dream. And it was not a profound dream. It was nothing crazy. It was a very simple dream that I was walking to the car, I had one baby on my hip, like I was holding a baby on my hip. And I was holding one by the hand. And we were just walking to the car. And I was putting them in the car, like putting them in car seats. And that was it. Oh, and I woke up it was at it was at a specific house, you know where we lived. It wasn't even the house that we lived in at the time. That's what's so crazy. It was the house that we ended up moving into in the stream. And so anyway, I had this dream, and I woke up and I was like, again, that overwhelming peace. That indescribable peace that passes all understanding that you were just certain, and you just know that everything is going to be fine in the midst of all the chaos and in the midst of what you feel like you can't control. But it's that peace that's like, Okay, I don't have to worry about this. This is already handled, you know. And so we stopped ovulation tests, we stopped all the things and I just told my husband, I'm like, we're gonna we're gonna have a baby, we're gonna have not just one but two babies. So we don't even have to worry about it, you know. And six months later, I was pregnant. And today we have two amazing baby boys. And I of course also have my bonus son who's away in college, but God fulfills those desires on your heart, and they're planted there for a purpose that is far bigger than you. Kimberly Hobbs   Oh, my heart's beating like that is so beautiful and so true. God's purpose and plan. You know, ladies, we are all a masterpiece. God tells us that and he's planned things for us long ago, and he wants to fulfill them through you. You are his masterpiece ladies. So and now, Beth, the Lord of Heaven's Armies has spoken, and he can change his plans. When his hand is raised, who can stop him? That's Isaiah. 1427 and leading scripture to heart, please, when the Lord of Heaven's Armies has spoken to you, who can change his plans, ladies, and when his hand is raised, as God's Word says, Who can stop him, and his hand was raised over you that getting your attention, he spoke to you, you heard his voice. And now the desires of your heart are moving towards serving Him. So it wasn't about yourself anymore. You got that pride out of the way, and you surrendered. And God developed a love for families in your heart, and faith, family fitness began. And God God, He called you to do this for him. So can you talk about that part of your life now and how God led you into this? Beth Vazquez   Yeah, so it was at that moment, you know, that I heard God speaking to me. And I realized that he cares. He doesn't just love the world, which he does. But he loves me, personally, he cares about me personally, you know, like, enough to be in the details of my life, enough to come to me in a dream and enough to continue to speak personally to me about things that I pray for. Uniquely, right, like me, my life, not just the world. And so that was another kind of profound understanding and short of sort of like, shift in the relationship. Because when you really realize that about someone, imagine when you, you know, you see that in your husband, you see that in your kids. And when you see it in God, that he's like, they're in the midst, and like, so powerful, and all knowing it changes the way that you live, it changes the way that you live. And so for me, he gave me the, the desire of my heart, we strongly desired kids, right? And he gave me that desire. But in that he also taught me that that desire was not just for me, that he had planted that desire in my heart, because he has big plans for my kids, because they're prophets of their time, because they will go and make disciples of all the nations, right, and that is a very strong call to be a mother. It's not just a desire of my heart, right? Like it is a strong desire that he placed in me for His glory. And so when I started to understand that, and again, take myself out of things, and really just look to Him for guidance and understanding, I learned that he placed other passions on my heart, too, that were not just about me. And I had always had a love for fitness and staying active. I had always had a love for kids. And now this newfound love, not just for kids, but for the family units. And I saw families just being torn apart, you know, and really broken in today's world. And there was just such a strong pole in my heart to help build strong bonds and strong families. And we know that many times moms really start that right, like moms are the center of that bond for families. Men are the leaders of our homes, but moms are the nurturers, right. Like, they're really powerful in their homes. And so God put this these passions showed me how those passions were meant for something so much bigger than myself, meant to serve other people for His glory. And in that he put recess and results and the program that we have to teach moms How to Start profitable faith and fitness clubs in their communities. He put that on my heart to help other people have a way to serve him to bless families to bring revivals to communities. And in that, he showed me that, again, many people are broken, many people are hurting, many families are hurting many kids are hurting the world is hard. You know, the world throws a lot of light bombards us with lies every day. And it's hard to be a Christian, right, like we will be persecuted for being Christian in today's world. And so in my stress and my anxiety and my overwhelm, I cried out to God and just asked him for something to help me stay strong and him and not shaken by the world and all these things that are being thrown at me and he gave me a very specific program that we now teach through recess and results both to moms and to kids, to help them stay strong and not shaken in the world that we live in today. Kimberly Hobbs   Wow, Beth, and it is phenomenal what you are doing and as we Beth and I were able to talk on the side and through phone conversations. Beth was sharing a little bit about what she pours in to, to children and also to the moms and how she teaches and it was God's perfect timing to use You have the way he has bath in such powerful ways. So. So let's talk about how you shape strong and not shaken. Leaders mom's for tomorrow. And this is going to be fun because I asked Beth, if she would give some examples. And the Bible, the Bible says, oh, Lord, I will honor you. And praise your name for you are my God, you do such wonderful things you plan them long ago, and now you accomplish them. Isaiah 25. One, and he uses you both to accomplish some of that within these kids and these young moms. So some of the ones I had asked Beth to share the examples of how she teaches and trains these kids to look at God and how they're playing in their activities. You play freeze tag with them. Can you talk about freeze tag and the talk some of these examples? Beth Vazquez   Yeah, we play with we teach kids through play and families through play, because it's this innate thing that God placed in us. And it's the best way for them to learn. And there's a Bible verse that says, this, the city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there. And it's in Zachariah, and God talking about this image of, of a prosperous city, right. And so when we think about bringing revival to cities and revival to families, we think about helping kids play and really using that spirit that God placed in them, to draw them closer to Him. And so one of the ways that we teach is through a game everybody loves to play tag, it's an age old game, right, timeless classic, that all kids love, and know how to play and always brings laughter and fun and of course, also helps us condition ourselves physically, as well as spiritually and mentally when we add our little spin to it. So freeze tag becomes cross tag at recess and results. And we teach kids that when they're tagged, right, when they're when they're touched in the tag game, instead of just being out or standing frozen. They freeze like a cross with their arms straight out, feet together, and they make the shape of a cross and we teach kids. You know, John 316, For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. And so they're frozen, and they're in the in the game. But if they say Jesus saves, and they're proclaiming that Jesus saved them died on the cross to save them from their sins, then they can be free. And they can run around and they can play again. And so in that we're embedding the foundation of truth, right? We're embedding the foundation of truth, through movement through play in a way that they're not going to forget. So when they go on about their life, you know, they remember that verse. They remember that, that Jesus, that's great. Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. Amen. That is so wonderful, so powerful. I loved that. And I'm sure that the listeners are never gonna forget that either the next time they go to play tag with their kids, and wow, what a teachable moment. Right. Can you also talk about the, the the talk? I think it was, yeah, right. Beth Vazquez   Yes. So in strong that shaken strong is actually, I think it's called acronym right, where every letter stands for something. So the T in strong, the it's it's six, habit formula for staying strong, not shaken in today's world for stepping into God's power, and moving closer towards what He has called you to do. And the T and that is taught, and the premises that the world is full of lies, the world will bombard you with lies or what we call trash. And a lot of us grow up with a lie on repeat inside of our mind. And the enemy loves this little lie, and he planted it there on purpose, to deter you from the plans that God has for you. The Bible tells us that the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy, right, but that Jesus came that we may have life and enjoy it abundantly. And so we need to take what the devil is doing to try to steal, kill and destroy by putting these trash thoughts in our mind and replace them with the truth of God, which gives us life and life abundance. Right? And so we we need to think about what we're thinking about. And we teach moms and we teach kids how to do that, how to think about what they're thinking about. What is a thought that maybe slowed you down today or made you feel bad about yourself or made you think that you couldn't do something? And even all of the listeners here today, you can probably identify a lie that has been on replay inside of your mind a common theme that has been a replay on set on replay inside of your mind, and I'll tell you what it was for me, and it was no matter how hard I try, it's never enough. No matter how hard I try, it's never enough and this life sprouted out of that, that reliance on Self, that independent attitude that I was praised for right? So I thought I had to keep trying harder and harder and harder when really, that's not what the Bible says, that's not the truth of God, the Word of God is that I am God's masterpiece, and that he has good works prepared for me in advance to do that I am far more precious than rubies, that I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength than the truth. And so when you can recognize that trash thought in your mind, and it's super powerful, when you can recognize that it's on replay, and then you can share that thought, or you can write it down in your journal and cross it out and replace it with the truth of God, it loses its power, and the enemy has to flee, where where we pour in truth, where Jesus is when Jesus is in us, right? When we rely on that Holy Spirit power, the enemy has to flee, it no longer has a hold on our life, or our decisions or the actions that we make. And this is a powerful truth that we need to teach our kids because the world is going to fill them with lies at every single turn through social media, through friends at school through society standards that they feel like they have to live up to. And so we need to pour truth into kids. And we do this little exercise with moms. And we also do it with kids in a game. So we will pull lies out of a hat, and we will just read them. Things that kids say to themselves all the time. This is too hard. I could never do this. They don't like me. Nobody loves me. I feel unimportant. You know, things like that. And we replaced it with the truth of God, I could do all things through Christ who gives me strength. I was born with a purpose. He has plans for me and they are good. I am strong and courageous. Right. And we teach them these truths. So that is what is on replay inside of their mind and not the trash. And we make a fun game of it when we pull out a trash talk. So it's a thought that's no good. They literally run and throw it away. And they like tumble on on a little tag on a on a mat and they love it. They're laughing. They're having the best time. And really what they're doing is battling the enemy. Right, they are fighting the enemy. And they are soaking up the truth of God and just like growing stronger and stronger and the power of the Holy Spirit. Kimberly Hobbs   I love it. I love it and wow.  Beth Vazquez   So hopefully no, no, but I get excited about this stuff. Kimberly Hobbs   this is what you just again, ladies, I hope you're gleaning from these things, these truths and how important and how important it is to pour into our children, you know, to be strong and not shaken by what the world is feeding them lies. It lies upon lies, and God's Word is truth. And we can stand strong on that truth and not be shaken. So no, Beth, I am so grateful that you poured into the ladies in this little bit of time that we have. But now we have to close. And so the Bible says the knowledge of the one result in good judgment. So this is all about good judgment, ladies, Proverbs, Proverbs 910. And also the Bible says, come and listen to my counsel, I'll share my heart with you and make you wise. And I appreciate both what you're doing. That's proverbs 123. By the way, I appreciate what you're doing, pouring into them, making them wise through the word of God through the truths of God's Word. You teach good judgment, bath and skills in tough situations, right. And these young kids, they're facing tough situations. So as you teach kids and moms how to be strong, not shaken. Ladies, there's a way that you can search out some of this curriculum. So Beth as we close right now, can you just tell them how they can find you, hon. Beth Vazquez   Yeah, of course, so you can learn more about recess and results in the strong not shaken program. Just go to recess and results.com You'll have all of the information there. You can follow me on instagram also and message me anytime I would love to pray with you for you here to support you any way that I can help. It's at Beth Vasquez. twosies Beth Vasquez 00 you'll find me on Instagram so I would love to get to know you and all that God's doing in your life. Kimberly Hobbs   Wow. We are so thankful thankful for you for being that woman or a leader that we all should be striving to be in our place and our community in our homes wherever God has called us ladies, we all have that purpose. Remember that he can use you where you are. And ladies that women world leaders we have tools for you. We have ways ladies that you can grow and walk in God's purpose just for you and one of those is voice of truth magazine and it comes out we have editions that are coming out quarterly now. Voice of truth, it's beautiful. And you can read those online digitally at women world leaders.com, we have all the editions for the previous years online available to you for free. And you can also receive voice of truth by becoming a monthly donor of any amount $5 $10, whatever it is, and we will send voice of truth to you every addition to your home. So we are so grateful what God is doing within this ministry, we also have other tools of books that are coming out. And we have meetings that you can be part of, in fact, we are opening up our leadership meetings now to zoom where the teachings can go, and you can become part of that. And our next one, if you would like to become part of our zoom meetings where we meet once a month, our next meeting is going to be September 19, at 7pm, Eastern Time on Zoom, where we connect with women from all over the world. And this is one going to be one of our first ones that we are opening up to ladies. So if you are interested, please reach out to me personally at Kimberly, at women world leaders.com. And I will be happy to send you the Zoom link. So you can join us in that meeting. And also Beth, I want to thank you for what you have poured into the hearts of women today. And ladies, I pray that you will share this podcast and share these truths that are within Beth, you are a blessing.  Beth Vazquez   Thank you. Can I just say one more thing, of course, I just want to encourage everyone because I think sometimes we can feel like we need to have it all together. Or we need to be perfect or we need to have this or that in order to do great things for God or to serve God in a big way. And I just want to encourage you and remind you that God does not call for you to be perfect. He just calls for you to be obedient. So if you're feeling God pull you in one direction, or maybe you had this idea on your heart and it just stays there. Even though you keep trying to push it away. I would encourage you to just really pray and ask God to help you take steps in obedience, because it will bless you in ways and it will bless others in ways far beyond what you could ask or imagine. So I just wanted to leave you with. Kimberly Hobbs   I love that powerful word powerful word. It's all about obedience. Ladies, you watch when you step out in faith and obedience to what God calls you to do, but just blessings that just pour out and that again Ephesians 320 are lifers, right? Yeah, God will do exceedingly, abundantly above what you can ask or imagined. So, thank you. Again, we appreciate you. Thank you, ladies for joining in with us today. And we just pray that God touched your heart in the way that he would and all content is copyrighted and cannot be used without expressed written consent. But please do share the podcast ladies, we ask you that. So until next time, every Monday, Wednesday and Fridays you could join us on these podcasts ladies and women world leaders podcast. Goodbye and have a great day. Thanks bye    

Today's Podcast is "Gospel Grace" taken from Voice of Truth January 2022 edition 7, titled "Is This It?" by author Anita Setran.   May you know the meaning of Jesus in your life and that there is way more to life than what you see right now.   ****    I wonder what I am going to be when I grow up.   Did you ever think or say this when you were young? Or maybe, like me, you have continued to say it year after year, through your teens, twenties, thirties, forties, and now, for me, knocking on fifty’s door.   Jesus has always been the center of my world. At the age of 16, I dedicated my life to full-time ministry and have now served in full-time missions for 24 years. I brought up my children in full-time ministry.  Very similar to how I was raised. I’ve had the privilege of leading young men and women, training and sending people on outreaches, and investing in new ministries. I am grateful for the life I’ve lived, and yet through it all, I still found myself thinking, I wonder what I am going to be when I grow up. So, I prayed, God, have your way in my life.   It’s not that I haven’t lived a full life. I got married at 20 to my best friend, and we will celebrate our 30th anniversary in September. We have three beautiful children. Our eldest son is now married to a beautiful, Christian young lady. Our middle daughter has just graduated from college, making the Dean’s List every semester. And our youngest daughter, Kiersten, is our very special gift that we get to keep forever! Our precious baby girl just turned 18, and she has Down Syndrome.   In the depths of my heart, I always knew, yet also feared, that I would have a child with special needs. You see, I had three precious uncles who each had special needs and learning disabilities. They were not diagnosed during their childhood, but it was evident that they were different. However, they were special. And they were mine. They loved me unconditionally, and I loved them. I knew that my childhood years of living near them, caring for them, and protecting them had prepared me for this divine task of special needs motherhood.   Kiersten needed open-heart surgery at nine weeks old to repair a very large hole in her heart. Just days after the surgery, while still in the hospital, she split open her sternum bone due to severe vomiting, requiring a second surgery to open her chest and repair the sternum. In the months to come, her heart healed perfectly. Over the next eight years, however, Kiersten would require seven additional surgeries for her hearing and other needs. It felt like the doctor appointments, lab work, and hospital visits would never end. Eventually, however, things settled down, and life continued. I wondered, Is this it? Is this my calling, my purpose?? We prayed, God’s will be done.   Years later, we marched as a family in Washington DC at the March For Life with a group called KIDS, Keep Infants With Down Syndrome. It was wonderful and fulfilling. We participated in this event a few consecutive years, and I wondered, Is this it? Is this what I have been waiting for? We prayed and trusted God with each open door.   In 1992, my father, Nick Savoca, founded a new ministry called Prayer Stations. It is a profoundly simple concept. A red and white banner printed with the words “Prayer Station” is hung above a white table and displayed on a sidewalk so that pedestrians approaching from either direction can see it. We started this ministry in New York City to provide free prayer to anyone in need. It’s disarming - who doesn’t need prayer? After all, prayer and God’s faithfulness were the themes of our lives.   Immediately following the destruction of the World Trade Center in New York City by terrorists on 9/11/2001, Prayer Stations expanded its ministry to rally Christians from around the country and the world to come and pray for our fellow New Yorkers. We set up as many as 14 Prayer Stations around the perimeter of Ground Zero and had them available six days a week for a full year following the devastating events. As a ministry, we prayed for over 50,000 people in that year alone and saw more than 3,000 individuals give their lives to Christ. Miracles happened on the streets. Prayer really does change things.   In the years that followed, we continued to use this amazing tool of Prayer Stations in New York City, praying for the needs of people and witnessing salvations and other miracles that happened before our very own eyes. In addition, churches and ministries that had served with us during the year following 9/11 began to reach out and ask if they could purchase a Prayer Station for their own communities. At that point, we began to manufacture Prayer Stations to send around the country. We also had the banners translated into 12 different languages as requests came in from around the world.   As a leader in our ministry, I trained young people and sent them out on the mission field all over the globe. It was beautiful, yet often challenging. I was honored to mentor young men and women and see lives transformed. And I wondered, Is this it? Is this my life’s calling? So I prayed and asked the Lord, Is this the thing? Is this what I have been praying for?   Then this past summer, 2021, my husband and I almost lost our lives to Covid. People were praying for us all over the world. It’s a long and miraculous story, which you can read about by going to our website, www.sparknewlife.com. Through it, God opened more doors for ministry - only this time, instead of asking my usual question (Is this it?), I finally began to see how it was ALL IT! I saw how God had woven this beautiful pattern of lessons and experiences into my life. I had been fulfilling my purpose all along.   He carried me when I was weak. He opened new doors of opportunities when I least expected it. He healed our daughter’s heart. He challenged us to trust His faithfulness and step out into new avenues of ministry. He gave us back our lives, and in turn, we will spend every day to our last breath living for Him and doing whatever the next assignment happens to be. We have been living out His purposes every single day!   This is what I know: God has a purpose for your life. My favorite life scripture is Jeremiah 29:11 “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.’” (NIV)   The Bible also says in Jeremiah 1:5, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.” (NIV)   Wow! The God of the universe loves you so much and has a purpose for your life - whether you have been aware of Him throughout your life or have been running from Him for as long as you can remember. Deuteronomy 31:6 says, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you or forsake you.” (NIV)   Genesis 1:26-27 tells us that God created us in His image and likeness. Webster’s Dictionary says that an image is a duplicate of something else, and that to be made in the likeness of someone else means you possess many, but not all, the characteristics of that person. Only humans are created in God’s image and likeness. We are daughters of the creator of the universe, and we possess His characteristics. He has given us a soul, a spirit, the desire for relationship, free will, reign over the earth, wisdom, knowledge, and the ability to discern between right and wrong. He’s given us hearts of love and compassion.   It’s easy to look around our world today and wonder whether or not these giftings are really given to everyone. The truth is that they are, but unfortunately, people have chosen, with their God-given free will, to turn from God and His purpose for their life. We have an enemy, and his name is Satan. Jesus says in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” (NIV) Our enemy desires to destroy us, to take us off course from God’s beautiful purpose for our lives. But don’t forget about the end of that verse, which says that He came that we might have life - abundant life!!   I have good news! It’s never too late for you - whether you are young or have been around for a while - God is a loving and redemptive God. He loves His kids, and you are welcome into His family because of the gift of His perfect and precious son, Jesus, who laid down His life as a sacrifice for our sins. We are told in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (NIV) We only need to accept His love and forgiveness, and He will make us whole and set us on a path of true purpose, one where you will never have to ask again, Is this it? Isn’t our God awesome?!

If our world seems divided and in chaos, that’s because it is! But look closer, Jesus gives His peace to all who come to Him. He offers calming, living water to quench our thirst and soothe our souls, and then He gives us a job to do. Are you up for the mission? (John 7:32-52) **** Welcome to Walking in the Word, the biblical teaching arm of the Women World Leaders podcast. My name is Julie Jenkins, and I am so glad you have joined us as we walk through Scripture together, asking God to teach us what He wants us to know today. If you are new to the podcast, we hope you will join us at womenworldleaders.com and check out all we have going on. We are a group of women who are sold out to God and on a mission to share the gospel and empower you to live out your God-given calling. We believe that as followers of Christ, we each are called to lead with purpose, and we want to walk with you as you step out for Jesus. Besides our podcasts, magazine, books, and events, we are poised to offer you yet one more way to grow. Before Covid hit, we were meeting monthly in person, which God turned into a Facebook Live during the lock-down of the pandemic. As the world got back to normal, we stopped Facebook Live, as many began to crave interaction. We are pleased to announce that we are now opening our monthly leadership Zoom calls – which are full of leadership instruction and interaction, as well as Women World Leaders news and updates – to YOU. We meet on the third Monday of the month at 7 pm ET. If you would like to join us, drop us an email at [email protected], and we will make sure you get the Zoom link. Let’s jump into our study, shall we? We are currently walking through the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John chronologically. Today’s Scripture comes from John 7:32-52. Before we begin, let’s pray… Father God, we open our Bibles today with one goal – that is to hear your voice. We thank and praise you that you always have and always will speak through your scriptures. We know that when we quiet our spirits and open your Word, we WILL have an encounter with you, our sovereign Lord, Creator, Sustainer, and might King. We give you this time and we come to you with no preconceived ideas – simply trusting you Holy Spirit, to impart wisdom to each of us. Open our ears that we might hear, and open our hearts that we might be receptive to what you have to say. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. When we left Jesus last week, he was at the Feast of the Tabernacles, teaching in the temple courts. We heard Him say that His teaching was directly from God and give reasons that His healing of a man on the Sabbath was done by the will and power of God. We often think of Jesus as a conduit of peace, but that didn’t seem to be the case in this instance. At least not looking at the crowd from a bird’s eye view. Jesus’ words, in fact, were divisive. Causing an array of feelings and emotions to erupt from the festival-going crowd. Some stated outright that Jesus was a good man, others said, “No, he deceives people.” Some were amazed and wondered how He had acquired such wisdom without having been formally taught, some said He was demon-possessed. Then some recognized that this was the man that the authorities were trying to kill, and they wondered why He was being allowed to speak in public. From an onlooker’s perspective, there was certainly more disarray and division than peace that day. John 7:32 from the New Living Translation begins…. 32 When the Pharisees heard that the crowds were whispering such things, they and the leading priests sent Temple guards to arrest Jesus. 33 But Jesus told them, “I will be with you only a little longer. Then I will return to the one who sent me. 34 You will search for me but not find me. And you cannot go where I am going.” We have highlighted God’s perfect timing often  – that Jesus was aware of what would happen when. Now, the Pharisees, who had been after Jesus for a while but had not been successful at stopping or arresting Him, sent the Temple guards after Him. Although the Romans ruled the area politically, they gave the Jews much autonomy when it came to managing their own events and people. These temple guards were Levites who had been given the responsibility to keep order in the temple precincts. Remember God had chosen and appointed the Levites – those from the tribe of Levi -  from among the Jews to maintain the temple and perform priestly duties. So the temple guards, these so-called holy men, were dispatched to arrest Jesus, but they were stopped in their tracks by Jesus’ words. “I will be with you only a little longer. Then I will return to the one who sent me. 34 You will search for me but not find me. And you cannot go where I am going.” Again…let me bring up God’s perfect timing. Jesus announced to the guards, in essence, that it wasn’t yet His time. Jesus knew He still had six months before his crucifixion. And He intended to use every moment. Don’t you think we would please God to follow Jesus’ example here? How many times do we write off time? It’s 4:00…I can’t do much more before 5, I might as well call it a day. Or…it’s Friday…I’m done. Or maybe … there’s only a week left before my vacation, I’ll wait till after to start this project….or perhaps… It’s December – I know…I’ll start a New Year’s Resolution on January 1st. …Or even… I’m too old, my best days are behind me. One of my regular prayers is to offer God my time…my minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years. God has a plan and a purpose for each of us, and that includes many God-appointments along the way. Jesus only had six months left on earth. And if anyone was tired, He was! But He made use of each moment. Don’t ever wish away your time. Although I can’t imagine how difficult Jesus’ life was, knowing with each step he was walking closer to his painful death, it was also an amazing time that God granted Him to walk in the flesh among His own people! And Jesus clearly didn’t want to waste a minute – because He understood what a blessing it was to bring people to the Father for eternity. You and I also have that privilege and honor. Let’s not waste a moment! Verse 35… 35 The Jewish leaders were puzzled by this statement. “Where is he planning to go?” they asked. “Is he thinking of leaving the country and going to the Jews in other lands?[a] Maybe he will even teach the Greeks! 36 What does he mean when he says, ‘You will search for me but not find me,’ and ‘You cannot go where I am going’?” Not only did Jesus bring division. He also brought confusion! If you have been a follower of Christ for any length of time, you probably understand! The more I learn about the Bible, the more questions I have! God is so gracious to pull back the veil of His glory just one inch at a time. As painstaking as that can feel, I know it is by perfect design! If God were to suddenly pull back the curtain so that we could see Him in ALL His glory, we would fall to the ground, speechless and unable to move a single muscle or take a single breath. But God won’t do that, because He has work for us to do and words for us to share with others! Verse 37… 37 On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! 38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”[b] 39 (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. But the Spirit had not yet been given,[c] because Jesus had not yet entered into his glory.) The Scripture says that this was the last day of the festival – so let me give you a picture of what was happening in the background. Jewish traditions were chock full of ceremonies, and the ceremonies on this last day of the festival would have been impressive. The priests and worshippers would have paraded outside the city to the pool of Siloam where they would fill golden pitchers with water. Then they would return and march seven times around the altar before they poured the water on it – commemorating God’s provision of water to their ancestors who had wandered in the desert for 40 years. People need water to quench their thirst and live, and God provided water for the Israelites to live in the desert. Amid this commemorative ceremony, Jesus stood and SHOUTED to the crowds walking by…“Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! 38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.” God provided water in the desert, now God was providing the LIVING WATER to ANYONE who would come to Jesus. And not only would Jesus provide water, but He would perform a miracle in the life of anyone who came to Him, allowing RIVERS of LIVING WATER to flow FROM him. This is so incredible! Many years and Bible studies later, we understand that Jesus was talking about quenching our spiritual thirst - that emptiness inside us that can only be filled by God. That emptiness that, not filled by God, manifests itself in destruction, depression, and meaninglessness. Jesus ALONE can fill that thirst! If you are not a Christian, if you have not given God control of your life, if you are still thirsty, wandering and wanting – not even knowing WHAT you are wanting – then I encourage you, go to Jesus – give Him your heart and your life – your minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, and years. I guarantee you that if you do, you will feel a satisfaction that you have never felt before! And if you have already given your life to Christ, please don’t miss that now, RIVERS of LIVING WATER are flowing from you! And make no mistake, that water coming from you, is not FOR you! When God allows His water, His Spirit to flow FROM you – that is purely meant as a gift for someone else. He has a divine appointment for you to share Jesus with others! He has a calling and a purpose for your life. Don’t waste the water! Don’t waste the gift that He has given you to share with someone else! Verse 40… 40 When the crowds heard him say this, some of them declared, “Surely this man is the Prophet we’ve been expecting.”[d] 41 Others said, “He is the Messiah.” Still others said, “But he can’t be! Will the Messiah come from Galilee? 42 For the Scriptures clearly state that the Messiah will be born of the royal line of David, in Bethlehem, the village where King David was born.”[e] 43 So the crowd was divided about him. 44 Some even wanted him arrested, but no one laid a hand on him. Confusion and division remained in the air. But God’s perfect control and timing was even more prevalent. The guards, sent to arrest Jesus, simply couldn’t. Because it was not yet in God’s plan. If you are a follower of Christ, know that you can walk wherever God calls you completely surrounded by His plan. Oh it’s true that our God is our protector, but that doesn’t mean that He won’t allow us to be affected by evil. I guess that isn’t something you expect to hear in a Bible teaching, but the truth is, that sometimes we ARE hit by evil, by illness, by strife that comes our way. In those times, we may be tempted to ask, Where is God, now? I’ll tell you where He is…He is right with you!! He is allowing forces to come against you…but He is holding you and has a plan to see you through to glory. And likely, that plan involves using your attitude and love toward Him to get the attention of others, giving you the HONOR to lead others to Him. To share that Living Water. Verse 45… 45 When the Temple guards returned without having arrested Jesus, the leading priests and Pharisees demanded, “Why didn’t you bring him in?” 46 “We have never heard anyone speak like this!” the guards responded. Hallelujah! Our God SPOKE the universe into existence. His Word is more powerful than we can even imagine. No…there has never been, nor will ever be, one who speaks like our God. Verse 47… 47 “Have you been led astray, too?” the Pharisees mocked. 48 “Is there a single one of us rulers or Pharisees who believes in him? 49 This foolish crowd follows him, but they are ignorant of the law. God’s curse is on them!” 50 Then Nicodemus, the leader who had met with Jesus earlier, spoke up. 51 “Is it legal to convict a man before he is given a hearing?” he asked. 52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Search the Scriptures and see for yourself—no prophet ever comes[f] from Galilee!” In our Scripture today…there is division from beginning to end. We saw it in the crowd throughout, and now we see it in individuals. The Pharisees mocked the Temple guards, who were stopped in their tracks by the holiness of Jesus, and then Nicodemus stood strong, asking, “Is it legal to convict a man before he is given a hearing?” God calls his believers to stand strong for Him. No matter what the cost. I said at the beginning that, from a bird’s eye view, Jesus brought divisiveness and confusion. But if we look closer, we see that Jesus did indeed bring peace.   Take a look into the heart of Nicodemus. Oh…his heart may have been thumping as he stood his ground for Jesus, but I’m willing to bet that our God, the God of love, joy, and peace, filled Nicodemus’ heart with an overflowing peace as he stood for his Lord and Savior. And, we know that from the heart of Nicodemus came streams of living water, ready to quench the thirsty, as he pointed others to the glory of Jesus. Don’t ever let the divisiveness and the confusion of the crowd pull you from the plan and purpose God has for you. There will always be nay-sayers and grumblers who demean you or tell you your time, background, and knowledge are worthless. Your responsibility, Christian, is to answer to God alone. He has given you a calling and a purpose, When you seek Him, you will find Him. When you follow Him, He will grant you peace amid turmoil. When you ask for His wisdom, He will grant it. He IS the living water, and He wants His water to flow from you. Let’s pray. Dear Most Holy and Loving God, Thank you for calling us to come to you. Thank you for always being there to give us all we need. And thank you for letting us partner with you – to share your living water with others who are thirsty. God, you are our audience of one, and we give you our minutes,hours, days, weeks, months, and years to do with as you will. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Prostitute. Addict. Homeless. Criminal. Today's guest Christine C. MacDonald teaches about what she shares in her book, The Same Kind of Human.   Christine uses stories of her own lived experiences,  scripture, and practical resources to equip and teach people of faith how to serve others with the love of Jesus. Despite her blindness, Christine see's "who" the person is and loves them "where" they are as Jesus did. She helps us to see the humanity of those we often judge or shun with arms of love and a message of hope.   **** Kimberly Hobbs   Welcome to Empowering Lives with Purpose and I'm your host, Kimberly Hobbs. I am the founder of Women World Leaders. We are so glad that you joined in with us today and I would love to welcome our guest Christine McDonald. welcome Christine. Where are you from? Christine McDonald   Hi, Kimberly. It's thanks for having me. Um, I am from Oklahoma, but I consider Missouri home. Kimberly Hobbs   Missouri is your home. Okay, but you're from Oklahoma. Yes, great to have you and, and ladies, ha this woman is a bundle of joy. I if as you can see, by her beautiful smile, she is just precious. And we are so thrilled that God allowed us to connect for this purpose today to do this podcast. So it is our desire ladies at empowering lives with purpose to encourage you and empower you to a closer walk with our Savior. And we believe that each of you are a masterpiece. God says in Ephesians 210 that we are God's masterpiece created a new and Christ Jesus to do the very good things that he planned for us long ago. And we believe he has a plan for you. As you're listening today. Just listen and see what God may be speaking to your heart as we get to talk to Christine today and hear a little bit about her story and her life and what she's doing for Jesus. So I want to share a little bit about who Christine MacDonald is. Christine is a beautiful woman of God. She's sold out to serve him wholeheartedly. She was a prostitute addict, homeless and a criminal. And Christine clarity McDonald is a survivor of human trafficking. She is the author of the memoir cry purple, and the book which is now out and you can you can find this book. It's called the same kind of human which we are going to talk about today, which addresses the biases and assumptions that we commonly hold about exploited and marginalized populations. She is She shares her stories of her own life's experiences her scripture and thought provoking commentary and practical resources. And she equips and teaches people of faith, to encourage and serve others and connect them to Jesus with them, seeing who they are, and loving them where they are with the eyes of grace. She helps us see the humanity of those we often judge or Shawn, and Christina empowers us to instead reach out to those people with arms of love and a message of hope. And as you get to hear Christine's heart, you're going to see like how beautiful she truly is to care so much about the individual. So there's a scripture that I always ask God, God gives me something when I do these podcasts that's going to speak to the people. And we said that the title of this podcast is going to be the same kind of human and what does that mean? And Christine is going to expound on that. But the scripture God gave me to talk about was God makes everything beautiful for its own time. And he has planted eternity in the human heart. But even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. That's Ecclesiastes 311. And again, this scripture I felt just so goes with what Christina is going to teach on. But Christine, can you share a little bit about your story which led you today for what you're doing for God's Kingdom glory? Christine McDonald   Sure, it's it's actually God's story not mine. Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. Amen, sister. Right, right. Christine McDonald   I love the Scripture, that's beautiful. Um, so um, I. So we all have a story, right? And that is so amazing and taking our story and using it for His glory. And in you know, I kind of came from a messy past I grew up in the foster care system. I didn't have a father and mother didn't know who that was, you know, I kind of had that hole in my soul, if you will, longing for that. That father figure and that family unit, my mother struggled with mental illness and alcoholism. I was in and out of the foster care system. We moved around a lot. So it wasn't a lot of time for connection relationship. And then at 15, I ended up as a runaway, just 21 different tools 15 different foster care, you know, homes. Yeah. And so I, as a runaway, I have an abandoned house in the middle of winter just thinking as any 18 year old, those of you moms of teenagers know, everybody. Myself included as a kid, I thought I knew everything. And I've been through sexual abuse, you know, I've witnessed domestic violence into a lot of things, but you know, in my 15 years of life, right, and I had been in this abandoned house and a guy befriended me, offered me a place to stay and actually offered me a job, right? I thought my my individual survival skills are better than anything these grown ups got for me. And because you know, 15 and no everything and in that guy gave me a place to stay. He offered me a job, I gave him a fake name. I said I was AC car. I said, I was spacey because every school I went to everywhere Stacy was like that popular pretty girl. Everything I wasn't car because I was picked up in a car and I was fifth Catering and I couldn't think of anything better. Wow. And I said I was 19 I was growing up, right? And I was like, and and so kind of looking for work. And he said, Well, you're in luck. I got you. I'm like what he's like yeah, he's like, I own this business. I have the help wanted in the newspaper. You know? Yeah, I'll give you a job. I've been paying you cash for a couple of days for you make a covenant. And if you hate it that's a lost you have a few bucks in your pocket and I'll drop you back off for a pink jet. I'm like, okay, sure... Kimberly Hobbs   oh, boy, Christine McDonald   I was selling flowers and hockey tongs and and in the neighborhood and trinkets and things in, in adult entertainment, like strip clubs. Go Go Back then it was go go. You know, go go dancing was the thing because homos girl I'm old. Wow. And what he did is what we would call the grooming process. He befriended me. He gave me a place to stay. I had to catch my packet. I would go in and do this. And he didn't ask me any questions. And no, this was so much safer than anything I had experienced. He wasn't put his hands on me. You know, there was no violence. There was no sexual abuse. He wasn't trying to be sexual. There was none of that right. But what he ended up doing was selling me to a guy that yeah, for $2,500 he sold me to the man that owned those adult entertainment centers $2,500 I was sold. And then I was sold in the back rooms. That night, the exchange of the $2,500 medi had to test the goods the guy that he sold me to to test the goods the goods of course for me. Um, so we would call that breaking me in so the first guy would have been what we would call a groomer. The second person did what we call breaking them breaking new egg, right? The segregation, the humiliation, the violence, the fear, all of that. And I spent then they would, they were selling me in and out of the backroom, to these gentlemen clubs in Oklahoma City, Coffeyville, Kansas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma. And I was introduced into drugs. And in that drugs actually became like that coping mechanism, right, it became the thing I would do because I knew what they were fixing to do. And then it became the thing I would do after because I didn't have to think about what it just happened. All that minutia, I became a full blown addict. And eventually at 17, I was escorted off property at gunpoint. I mean, I had nobody to call I was wasn't even allowed to go the bathroom. I mean, what do you do? And I was escorted off property at gunpoint, didn't even know what city I was in. And I said, if we ever see you again, we'll kill you. Again. When I was escorted off the property. I'm walking down the street guy pulls up and says, hey, you need a lift. I said, I don't know where I'm going. And he's like, Well, I'm heading to Iowa. Like, I don't know about Iowa. He's like, Well, I'll stop in Kansas City to gas up and grab dinner. It's the halfway point. I said, Kansas City that's like Chicago. Can I go? And I did. I wrote all the way to Kansas City. I was about a five hour drive. I got off in Kansas City in downtown in the middle. He dropped me off in the heart of downtown where the games prostitution and the pimps and drug there's all of this mess is going on around me like oh my gosh, and I had basically been held captive for two and a half years and may made a decision on my own in two and a half years. Wow. Really traumatic and overwhelming. I didn't know what to do. I tried to get into the shelter. I didn't have an ID, right. I didn't know how to do these processes again. I mean, this was such a culture shock for me. They told me I had to come back at a certain time. And while I'm standing, these people are all around me. And all these things have guys like, hey, blondie. You don't look like you belong here. He's like, can I give you a list somewhere? And I'm like, I don't know where I'm going. And he's like, Girl, you're not safe down here. Let me let me help you out. Right? Why not know was he was a pimp. And that he would I would spend the next 17 years being bought and sold. Yeah. And then I finally, you know, got Brandon that there was a lot of arrest, a lot of violence, just a whole lot of things. Yeah. So that that was kind of my pathway. Until the last day I was on the streets when I almost took a life at gunpoint, and I said, I can't do this, I can't be a monster. And I know I have the capacity and me. I don't care if he finds me and kills me. I will not be responsible for taking her life. And that that started my pathway out. So that that was my freedom gate is what I call it. So wow, wow. Kimberly Hobbs   Oh, my goodness, like it's a little bit even much to take in listening to all that in a short amount of time. It's it's could be overwhelming and you lived it. Christine, you lived that life. And and I know the audience because we didn't even mention it yet. But Christine is blind. Christine, can you talk about that portion of your life as well? Christine McDonald   Yeah, that's actually where I found my faith. Right. So now I'm tell us about that, please. Yes. So my faith, and this is where God pierced my heart for my calling is like, it's funny. Everybody tells me I'll tell us a story about us. And I'm not there was a pivotal moment in my life that God utilizes to catapult my faith and to teach me how the body of Christ operates. Right. And so I've been out for a couple years, and I met a guy. And we were I had not really had had a really tainted understanding of Jesus. And God, I had pastors that had paid for me, right, I had gone to churches that said, you can't eat unless, unless you, you know, accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, and you're gonna burn in hell. And I just heard all these awful things. It was so Genji, if so, and I am the quarter that my pimp had me work, there were three churches, and he would make all these things right. And not once if any of these people have faith, right? They're supposed to be the good guys you think, come to my rescue or intervene, you know, you know, and so like, like, I have to say that the whole Jesus people that didn't feel so great set so well with me because of a lot of experiences I talked about. And same kind of human. And then I got pregnant, there were some complications in that pregnancy. And I was forced to choose between the life of my unborn child and my own eyesight, I went blind, in three days, wow, there was medication that would have saved my eyesight, and the inflammation in my brain that was causing the blindness, but it would have taken the life of my unborn child and, and I chose my baby. And when my baby was old, I had to have both of my eyes medically removed to so that's really where my faith really, really like that transformational piece, right? We can go to church and we can like, get into some Bible study and memorize some scripture, but that's not the same as having that moment where you are truly transformed by the Spirit. And this is where that part of my journey started. I had been going to church I'd been going to Bible study and I was Piven and go into church I was listening and learning right. And yet I had yet had that spiritual awakening that transformation until that blindness happened. Kimberly Hobbs   Wow, wow. Christine. And so your faith was solidified through that time because your walk began your trust and your your reliance on Jesus truly took form right and not not visible with what your eyes could see but the trust of what you could not see. And that's incredible. And so then, I am just amazed again, I I've been able to talk to Christine on on the side a lot which is beautiful. But Christine, you you develop this passion of serving God and your heart became pierced for people. And you wanted to understand people and love them in their humaneness and love them to Jesus. Right. So why why was that such a passion for you? Because you were on the other side of it. Right? Right knew what it was like and people were not.  Okay, so tell us about that. Tell us about that. Unknown Speaker   I remember my first started going to church to people would be like, Oh, she's like, dress like a prostitute. You can't do that. But I hadn't accepted Christ yet. Right? I had not yet. I was coming to church, and I was speaking, I was showing up but people were just like, really? judgy. And I dealt with a lot of that. Well, I was a prosecutor. I've been a prostitute for 21 years. So better God, I couldn't pierce my heart to do differently if he wasn't in my heart yet. So I was seeking and so they were pushing me away, right? And I was trying to find my place but yet I still have that yearning and that drawing and I felt odd and I was trying to learn I had been through the things well, you can't have a sandwich unless you accept Jesus in your heart and I think well, so you want me to lie to you and tell you I believe something I don't even understand. So I can have a sandwich Well, that's like asking me to commit perjury right. To in order to get food I want to get this he met the human needs in the moment right he'll blabber he met these people in those moments with in their mess, right. And those humanities were met a little off the bat God, Jesus. Um, but in that there was that spiritual transformation. And so how do we how do I use my experiences where I've gone to church, and they're talking about purity in the women's Bible study and purity events and things like that, and I'm like, Hold on, I was trafficked. I mean, I was sexually abused that at at eight, you know, um, how do how does somebody like me find period? Right? And because I did not yet have that biblical foundational understanding. And so thank you. Well, but the conversations were things that people like me would feel are unobtainable. I'm never going to Mass Spec patients, right. And so what do you do you go find another church, because you're still sick. And right. So I thought, Well, gosh, after I wrote my book, cried purple, which is for people that have experienced substance use disorders, people that have been in prison, people that have done these things, so they can have hope. God really pierced my heart. Well, you know, the Bible really tells us why Jesus example you know, he was hanging out with the leper who was hanging out with the prostitutes. He was finding equity for the homeless, right making sure hey, man, how do we use I don't know what the Bible tells us. It Real Life practical application. Kimberly Hobbs   And so can I can I say right here I was so moved Christine. When you told me how you put that into action? Yeah, reaching people where they were when you sat on that curb next to a prostitute can you share with the audience about how you did that you just because of where you were you were able to meet someone where they were and love them to Jesus?  Christine McDonald   Yeah so um, samples of things that I give in same kind of human when I come into churches are go to organizations and facilitate trainings with real life practical application is I too, I walk my walk, I don't just teach people how to do this and love like Jesus and break our own biases and help us on thread those so that they keep us from seeing these vulnerable people. But I live that out in my everyday life, man. One day, there was this gal and I heard her cry in from my apartment, and I'm like, open my door. Now. Like I said, I'm totally blind. But guys, when I hear somebody sobbing, and I go outside of my colo, is there somebody out there? And I still hear a cry. And so I just start walking towards the sound. I got my little cane. And I'm like, Can I sit here and she's like, you don't want to sit here. I'm a prostitute. And I'm like, I think it'll be okay darlin. And so I sit there and I'm like, What's your name? And she says, doesn't matter. You don't have to tell me right? Um, and I said, are you hungry? And I ran up and I grabbed some stuff out of my fridge and put some stuff together for to keep coke go bags handy because I can teach people and equip people to serve these people. But I've got to practice what I preach, if you will. So I live that out too, in my day to day, so I give her this food and I sit back down and at a car comes and she's like, I don't want to go and I'm like, It's okay. And she's like, she's like, so why are you here? And I said, well, there was a time If I worked this corner that I was paid for, that I was beaten up on this corner and cars passed me, I was hungry and I was cold. For years I've been arrested on this corner, I've been through some stuff on these corners. And nobody saw me. And nobody intervened. I was invisible my pain, all my longing for that rescuer. And I made a commitment to my heart to make sure that people can feel seen. And so that's why I teach people how to people. By my commitment, God pierced my heart and equip me to help people see those people in their own communities. And then how do you connect with people that their trust has been violated in so many ways? And how do you reach those people that are a little more challenging? Kimberly Hobbs   Oh, my goodness, exactly. And that, that same girl, you were able to develop a relationship because you invested time, Christine, you took time to know who she was, as God sees her? And not just try to push your agenda on her? Right? Yes. And that's what we have to learn, ladies says that. There, everybody's busy and you God provides moments in time for us to reach people where they are. And this is the beauty of Christine's life. That this is what she does now is she has the ability to teach people to love people where they are, and not just judge them or shun them for what they're doing. Christine McDonald   Right? Kimberly Hobbs   Exactly. Because they don't even know right? Oh my gosh, oh my gosh. So we all have so much busyness going on in our lives. So we need to look around at people and be still long enough to see them as God sees them and be wise to their surroundings and their life. You know, like you, you told me when you were a prostitute, you know, and, and you got into this truck and, and some guy was trying to push a tract on you and tell you about Jesus. But you're like, wait a minute, wait a minute, unless you give me money, I'm gonna be in big trouble. I gotta get out of here. And instead of being sensitive, he drove off pushing his agenda on you not hearing Christine McDonald   And I got beat you with broken bones, right?  Kimberly Hobbs   You got beat up for it when you got out of that truck without money to give to your pimp. And that man cause a lot of pain in your life. Of course, you were turned off to Jesus at that point, like how could this guy be so insensitive, right. But this is what this whole podcast is about ladies and why Christine is investing her time to be here today is to share. We have to take moments to look at the life that we are talking to about Jesus. God is not a God of disorder, but of peace. As an all the meetings of God's holy people. So ladies, right, we have to bring our life into order and look in the moment that God has put us in at the heart that he has put in front of us to share Jesus with. So So Christine, how do you teach people to be honorable to other people? Christine McDonald   Well, I think we have to examine our own motives. Sometimes we do it for our own hearts to feel good. Okay, that of the person that we're serving. And we feel like well, if I bring them to Jesus, that's a win for me. Well, you can't bring somebody I mean, we can even go on to to the psychology behind this, the people that have been impacted by trauma people that have this whole messy mess. Number one, we can't decide when they feel safe. And we can start building that trust relationship. So consistency and being okay, being a safe plan or what you might not see the reward. Look, we are supposed to surrender and submit. And that means that we become selfless. And that means that we're not doing this for our own rewards. And I see it happen a lot. Wait. So ask yourself, why are you doing this? This isn't because it makes you feel bad because you did something good for somebody? Are you really doing it to draw people into God's kingdom, right? It has to be that motivation. And that may mean you're just that seed cleaner to change the way if that guy would have just said, Hey, here's here's a track and I stuck it in my back pocket. He kept on going. Who knows? I might have read it one day. Amen. Right? He wanted to like, I want you to be saved, and I need you to do this. And that was all about his own agenda, right? Yeah, yeah. Yeah. And so when we can, we have these moments of time and you gotta be okay, like I use this analogy, like, a blind girl is going to try to get sighted people on analogy. Litter. If you have one little piece of glitter in the floor, you're not going to see it. But if there's several little pieces of glitter and the light shines on that shiny thing on the universe, oh, it's just a little pile of glitter. You can be okay. So think of your state planning as like are building that little bit of hope. Right? And, and build on that instead of looking for your own Marisa and and I've learned, you know I've been I've been I've been speaking and doing these kinds of things since about 2007 teaching people how to do effective outreach today to find new churches and communities, what's going to be the best population that you guys are really led to be in, and it's practical in your community, that's a need. But I've been you know, when we do this, I've been doing this for a really long time. But I think so often what I see is you have to examine your own heart and your own motive. I have seen people start up programs, and they'll ask me to come in and consult with them and how to strengthen how to do better because people aren't saying, I don't like you're making them sign a statement of faith in order to have a place to eat and sleep for the next 30 days. Oh, Kimberly Hobbs   my gosh, right.  Christine McDonald   a Bible study for six hours a day. And they don't even know who this is, you're asking to sign a statement of fact about for you to give him a place. Kimberly Hobbs   Christine, Christine, I have to read this verse again, that I read as we started off, because it's so appropriate here. God makes everything beautiful for its own time, he has planted eternity in the in the human heart. But even so people cannot see the whole scope of God's word from beginning to end. So again, we Christine McDonald   So again we love them like Jesus by giving him that bed. And those meals, and inviting them to church have been learn about God, big enough to be God and their heart on their own. You don't need say, in order for us to help you for the next six months, you sign the statement of faith, right, except Jesus in your heart and will take care of your ex. facilitate a safe space and being good people will take care of their humanity. Create the space for God to God. Kimberly Hobbs   Hey, man, let God be God. Right. God may be using you ladies to do his work. So he's put this life or person in front of you and their their life might be different than Christine's we don't know what their life is. But let God do the work. And you just love them. And you just spent the time and put them and serve be a servant. And have a servant's heart. And that takes time. It doesn't just happen quickly, right? People? You're exactly right. Yeah. So we have to wrap it up, Christine. And I just want to share with the ladies though that there is unbelievable, Christine. She teaches she's a she teaches at churches, she speaks all over and you can reach Christine and Christine dot cry [email protected]. She has her books available the same kind of human. She also has cried purple. She loves to speak at churches and events. She also has a movie out. And you tell them about the movie. Christine, like this is so exciting. Christine McDonald   I have a docu drama. So I called it a documentary. And I was corrected as Tokyo drama. And so it's all about trafficking and the intersection between pornography, and how that fuels sexual exploitation. It has snapshots of my story and some of my work and ministry. So but it really gives us a call to action. So it's in a festival run won a bunch of awards. It's so exciting. It'll be available this spring. But if you go to Christie speaks ministry, or if you find me on YouTube, or our Facebook, you know, you can kind of follow that journey and what is inspired from this whole thing, which I'm excited to start showing in churches and having conversations in communities is it's it's we've been, you know, we're in conversations now about like, a full episodic series that really like walks through the different chapters of my life. Wow, wow. It's just crazy. Kimberly Hobbs   So it is not out yet. It'll be out in the spring. It will. Okay, so fantastic. So ladies, please look for that. And look Christina up on her website. So you have that so when the movie does come out, you can watch it but you know, I heard Christine speak at the faith and Film Festival in Orlando, Florida. She spoke there and shared and it she was just such you can hear her heart just pour out to people and I just again, if you have any wants or inclination to bring Christine to your church or to call on her, please please go to her website again. She's also available on YouTube at Christine speaks ministry. Her website is Christine's beaks ministry.com or.org There's so many places you could find her and also, Christine C. McDonald on Facebook. I just want them to find you, Christine because what you're doing for God's Kingdom you are busy, busy, busy at work, and you could have taken all the adversity thrown your way and had a pity party the rest of your life because my gosh, or life, but God right, but God, and so you are an inspiration, my sister, I am so grateful that you came on. And I know that you would just reach out to anybody who tried to reach out to you. So thank you, thank you for being a guest today. We love you and appreciate you, Christine, and what you're doing for God's kingdom. You're beautiful. And, ladies, we are so grateful that you tuned in today. And this is what we do at women, world leaders. We empower women with purpose to walk in their beautiful plan that God has just for them. Remember, ladies, you're a masterpiece you're created anew in Christ Jesus, to do the things that he planned for you Long, long ago. So think about that. Pray with Jesus, and take those opportunities of that precious life that he puts in your path, to share His love with others and get to know them where they are. So as we close out our podcast today, remember that we have tools for you at women, we're leaders, we have books. We have podcasts available every Monday, Wednesday and Friday teaching podcasts we have encouraging podcasts, and we just want you to be part of all of it. So from his heart to yours, we are women world leaders. All content is copyrighted and cannot be used without expressed written consent. God bless you all and have a beautiful day.    

Have you ever been so wiped out that you feel you can't go on and you are hanging on by a thread? A thread that is about to break at any time. Please join Rusanne Carole in this week's podcast as we travel to visit the woman the Bible speaks of in the book of Luke. We chat about pressing in to touch His garment, allowing us to "press in" and "persevere" and get through the many challenges we face in life. ***** Welcome everyone to Celebrating God’s Grace, a Women World Leader’s weekly podcast. We welcome you and are so happy you’ve joined us. My name is Rusanne Carole and I’ll be your host today. Today we will chat about look how can we persevere, push through each day even when we may feel broken, exhausted, and barely hanging on! When you live enough life you realise that life has seasons where the sun shines, life seems like it couldn’t get any better. I think of times of falling in love, having a baby and holding them in your arms for the first time, accomplishing a long fought after goal to name a few. Then we have the hurricanes of life; a diagnosis and a fight to live, constant caring of a loved one and our exhaustion is overwhelming; our whole life given take care of another, the death of a loved one. The dichotomy of life itself. Seasons where it is warm and cozy and seasons where it is bitterly cold and you feel you are walking against the storm with icy water being thrown at your face over and over again. I recently heard someone say they felt like they were hanging on by a thread, not sure if they could go on anymore. Someone responded, well if you feel you are hanging on by a thread, let it be onto the thread of the hem of the garment of our Saviour Jesus Christ. It’s easy to love God and enter His presence when life is going well. Oh, worship comes easy. Singing at the top of your lungs, even jumping up and down a bit booging to the rhythm of the holy songs we sing. But have you ever tried to dance when your heart is hurting so badly it feels like its in such pain it may never beat again. And those around you are happy and you wonder, Lord, what’s happening to me. Why? I love you. I serve you. I want You and life is so terribly difficult. If we are honest I believe we have all felt like this. In our quietest moments all alone when the storm hits we have those thoughts of self pity. Why Lord? Why? We cry out and wait on a response, but there may be complete silence. Waiting. Trying to hear Him. The consistency of the earth’s seasons is a reflection of its Maker and the steadiness of His character. They come and go with each passing of time. But the seasons of life come with at times uncertainty. We don’t know what each day may bring. Wonderful or challenging. This is where we face the days either with God, seeking Him with all our heart or not. We have a daily choice. It’s not about surrendering, it’s about living surrendered. Every day. At times, every moment of a day where we find ourselves in raging waters. I’m reminded of the story in the Bible in Luke, Chapter 8, where there was a woman who had been suffering for twelve years. She had a medical issue and had spent all she had on trying to get help and no one could help her. Being her condition was one of haemorrhaging she would have been considered unclean, should have never been out in public. But she had heard of this Jesus and heard of the miracles He had performed. Someone had said he would be coming to Galiliee. But the crowds were huge and many had been waiting for him to arrive. Should I go and try to see Him? Could He, would He see me? I have heard of the huge crowds that come. I’m not even supposed to be out in public. But what if I could just get close to Him? What if I could make my way to get close to Him. I wonder where she was and who she was with when she learned this Jesus was on His way, on His way to her town. I wonder what the conversation might have been in her head. The thoughts tumbling around. Should I go? Or should I just stay at home? That would certainly be safer. What would people think? How silly of me to think that this Miracle Worker, this man they say is the Son of God would even notice me?  I wonder how she may of slept at night thinking He is on His way. Will I see Him? Will I be able to receive the healing like so many I have heard of? What was it she was feeling as she prepared and got dressed to go out in the streets to  try to see Him? Verse 44 in the Passion translation says “pressing in through the crowd, she came up behind Jesus and touched the fringe of his garment”. The fringe was the corner of the prayer shawl and the tassel was meant to symbolize all of the commandments and promises of God. This woman was laying hold of a promise of healing. Pressing in. Pressing in. What does this mean for us to press in? I believe it means for us to grab hold of the promises of God. They are for each of us. The work Jesus did on the Cross tells us of His love and sacrifice for us. We are healed by the stripes He took as He was beaten on our behalf. When we accept Him as our Saviour we are in Him. We may feel in life’s trials and tribulation, in the center of a storm, that we can’t pick ourselves up to press on and press in to Him. But we can. In His strength. In our minds eye, even when our body is weak. We can picture reaching out to Him and letting His healing balm flow over us. It is in His presence we find rest. I invite you to close your eyes if you are somewhere you can. Take a few breaths and breathe in His love He has just for you.     IN THE ARMS OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST In Your Arms Lord      The only place I am truly safe Your Arms, with scars in the palm of your hands from the nails that pierced them, held You on that Cross where You gave Your life just for me Your Arms hold me Lord Always, but especially tight When I feel alone When I feel confused When I am hurting from trouble and tribulation I continually face in this world Your Arms hold me Lord As the thorn adorned crown rest upon Your head Your head on my shoulder Leaving marks from the dried blood that flowed from the thorns that pierced Your Holy Head Your Arms hold me Lord And I hold onto You with all my might Your Arms hold me Lord Each day and especially at night Sometimes the days are easier with the busyness and sounds of the day It’s when the darkness comes and the moon suddenly appears in the night sky There is quietness, inwardness, introspectiveness  Sleep, slumber and stillness call us to rest and recharge Come and hold me Lord Wrap Your Arms around me Hold me close It’s only in Your Arms I want to be Rock your child to sleep Lord You are my Rock upon which I stand But it’s in Your mighty Arms Lord I find strength to go on I find the love to have for myself and for others and the security in this temporary world in which I now live In Your Arms Lord I always desire to be! So like the Galileen woman in Luke 8 may we press in and press on. And has she declared so humbly and I picture confidently and with overwhelming joy she declared, “I was desparate to touch you, Jesus, for I knew if I could just touch even the fringe of your garment I would be healed.” May we know the same. Jesus responded and He responds to us today, “Beloved daughter, your faith in me released your healing. You may go with my peace.” May we all press into Him, be in His Word daily and get to know Him more and more each day. Amen

At the Festival of the Tabernacles, Jesus teaches in the temple. His message is surprising, convicting, meaningful, infuriating to some, but most of all, life-giving. Will you listen with an open mind and an open heart, seeking God’s wisdom for the path He has for you today? (John 7:14-31) ***** Welcome to Walking in the Word – the biblical teaching arm of the Women World Leaders’ Podcast. My name is Julie Jenkins, and I am honored to walk with you as we open God’s Word and ask Him to teach us what He wants us to know today. In today’s passage, I believe that God is issuing a charge to each of us. There is SO much unfolding in our world and I believe this message to us is urgent and necessary. I also believe that He is bringing YOU this message at the exact moment that you need to hear it. So strap in – because we are diving right in! Our scripture today comes from John 7:14-31. Before we begin, let’s pray. Dear Most Holy God. Thank you for guiding us today as we study your Word. God, we know that each time we open your Scripture, there is something specific that you want us each to know – and we don’t want to miss it! So Father, we ask that you cleanse of our sins that we may be clean vessels, ready to hear directly from you. God, may the words that come out of my mouth not be my words, but may they come directly from you. As we gather today, we all have different things going on in our lives, but you know each of them, your care for us is astounding, and we trust you. So we give you this time and ask that you do with it as you will. We love you and we trust you. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.   As we join Jesus today in John chapter 7, He is in Judea at the Festival of the Tabernacles. You may recall that Jesus has been there in “secret” as it was not yet time, in God’s perfect timing, for Jesus to make known His presence. That didn’t keep people from talking about Jesus, however. He had quite the reputation. And, like the news we see on our phones and on television today, the news that people knew about Jesus was likely not the whole story – instead, MOST of the Jewish people relied on what they heard from others instead of seeking to experience and understand the truth. But now, as John records, the time came for more people to get that opportunity to experience Jesus for themselves and draw their own conclusions as to His identity. John 7:14 from the New Living Translation states..   14 Then, midway through the festival, Jesus went up to the Temple and began to teach. 15 The people[a] were surprised when they heard him. “How does he know so much when he hasn’t been trained?” they asked. I love that phrase, “the people were surprised when they heard him.” – Again, the verses before this clearly tell us that Jesus was the buzz around town. Everyone had an opinion. And yet…when they listened for themselves to Jesus, they were surprised. They wondered how He knew so much – this man who had not followed a Rabbi or been taught by one. For many, this was their first contact with the man about whom the rumors had flown. When we hear rumors, do we go to the source? Do we check out things for ourselves – seeking the truth – before we make a judgment? The people were surprised by Jesus, but Jesus was not surprised by the people. Verse 16…     16 So Jesus told them, “My message is not my own; it comes from God who sent me. 17 Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own.  Wow…there is so much in these few sentences! In a time of memorization and regurgitation, teaching, and especially scriptural teaching, was handed down word for word from the teacher to the student. Until the student became the teacher. But as time went by, God’s Word, passed on from flawed human to flawed human, became warped. But THIS teaching, Jesus’ teaching, was different. And Jesus tells the crowd, that’s because HIS teaching, came directly from God Himself. Today, we often hear people say, “I heard from God…” That hearing comes from the Holy Spirit who speaks directly to all of God’s children. But this was not the case before Jesus went to the cross. People could not, at that time, hear directly from God, as sin had created a barrier between God and His people. In fact, the Old Testament is chock full of rituals that had to be followed to the T in order for the people to hear from God at all. And yet this man, Jesus, is professing that HIS Words are God’s Words – and that God, in fact, sent Him to speak the Words. I imagine the murmurs…what did He say? This man is from God? How are we supposed to believe that? Jesus answers the murmurs, whether they were spoken audibly or just thought in the hearts of the listeners – because Jesus can hear and will answer what is in our hearts – we just need to listen. Anyone who wants to do the will of God will know whether my teaching is from God or is merely my own.  I want you to notice the order of this sentence… We must determine to do the will of God before we get the answers we are craving. There are many things that have changed since Jesus walked the earth, this is not one of them. God calls us to listen to Him in unbridled obedience before He imparts His understanding to us. That is called faith. And it can be difficult. Do you ever pray for wisdom from God? The Bible says we can, and we should, and when we do, God will lavish us with His wisdom. But, we have to resolve in our hearts that we WILL act in faith BEFORE we can experience God’s wisdom for our lives. Let me say that again… We have to resolve in our hearts that we WILL act in faith BEFORE we can experience God’s wisdom for our lives. Kimberly Hobbs started Women World Leaders 4 years ago on a word from God. And in God’s perfect timing, He continues to build this ministry step by step. I pursued my Masters of Biblical Exposition upon God’s call long before I knew what He intended me to do with it. Maybe you are seeking answers – should you start a family, begin that business, or make that move? Seek God’s wisdom, certainly. But seek it with a steadfast heart, poised and ready to be obedient to His call. If you are asking if it is time to start a family and you want God’s guidance, be ready to obey – whether that be to start a family the natural way, to adopt, foster, or wait on His timing. He will guide you – but only if you prepare yourself to be obedient no matter what He says! Jesus continues in vs 18, giving concrete guidance of whom they should follow and listen to… 18 Those who speak for themselves want glory only for themselves, but a person who seeks to honor the one who sent him speaks truth, not lies. 19 Moses gave you the law, but none of you obeys it! In fact, you are trying to kill me.” Have you ever played 20 questions? It’s a game where one person thinks of a person, place, or object and the other players try to guess what it is. The players ask 20 yes or no questions trying to narrow down the field. Is it a person? Is it a man? Is he living? The point is to listen carefully to the clues and thoughtfully consider the answer. Jesus teaches the crowd that if we want to know if someone is speaking the truth, we should ask questions and consider the answers. And the first questions should be – Is the speaker looking for his or her own glory? Is the speaker seeking to honor God? Jesus doesn’t tell the listeners to put their stock in Him or the Pharisees, but instead, Jesus asks them to discern wisely whom they will follow. And then Jesus gives them more to chew on – stating point blank that every person listening is flawed. He says that although they are well aware that they are to follow the law, none of them do. In fact, he states that many were targeting him for murder – and murder is clearly against the Ten Commandments. Today we would say that calling out someone’s sin isn’t a good way to Win Friends and Influence People. People want to be supported, to be honored, to hear how good they are. But sometimes, the truth hurts…and Jesus’ goal was to speak the truth, teaching his listeners, and us, to use their God-given wisdom to each take their own stand in God’s presence. Verse 28… 20 The crowd replied, “You’re demon possessed! Who’s trying to kill you?” 21 Jesus replied, “I did one miracle on the Sabbath, and you were amazed. 22 But you work on the Sabbath, too, when you obey Moses’ law of circumcision. (Actually, this tradition of circumcision began with the patriarchs, long before the law of Moses.) 23 For if the correct time for circumcising your son falls on the Sabbath, you go ahead and do it so as not to break the law of Moses. So why should you be angry with me for healing a man on the Sabbath? 24 Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly.” Jesus was referring back to his healing of the paralyzed man on the Sabbath a year before. Because of that miracle of healing, the Pharisees and the teachers of the religious law were still plotting Jesus’ death a whole year later. Jesus highlights the hypocrisy of the situation. It was considered lawful to “work” on the Sabbath if the work meant performing a circumcision, but it was UNlawful for Jesus to heal a man on the Sabbath. I love the sentence… Look beneath the surface so you can judge correctly. The murmurs and the speculations continued… 25 Some of the people who lived in Jerusalem started to ask each other, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? 26 But here he is, speaking in public, and they say nothing to him. Could our leaders possibly believe that he is the Messiah? 27 But how could he be? For we know where this man comes from. When the Messiah comes, he will simply appear; no one will know where he comes from.” Jesus GAVE the people exactly what they needed so they could know exactly who He was. He offered miraculous teachings, healings, and guidance on how to discern truth. But still, they murmured amongst themselves and relied on the speculation of the so-called authorities. What a lesson for us today! Our world is in peril! Divisions are growing in every sector of society every day. God made you individually. He spent time creating each of our brains, planning out our days, and He provides for each of us and gives us each a mission. Our job as individuals is to ask the questions, to listen for the answers, and to respond in obedience ONLY to God – no matter what He says. Sometimes, when we are standing for God, it will feel like we are standing alone. At those moments, check yourself. And check back in with God, making sure you are hearing Him correctly. He WILL guide you. And you can be assured that when you are following God, you will NEVER by standing alone, because He will always have your back. Say YES to God! Before you even know what you are saying yes to! He will NEVER lead you astray. People WILL lead you astray, that is for certain, but God will ALWAYS guide you. Verse 28… 28 While Jesus was teaching in the Temple, he called out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I come from. But I’m not here on my own. The one who sent me is true, and you don’t know him. 29 But I know him because I come from him, and he sent me to you.” 30 Then the leaders tried to arrest him; but no one laid a hand on him, because his time[b] had not yet come. 31 Many among the crowds at the Temple believed in him. “After all,” they said, “would you expect the Messiah to do more miraculous signs than this man has done?” Jesus determined to obediently follow God’s call, even when the chips seemed down. And “many” in the crowd finally got it. They realized, THIS IS the Messiah AFTER they asked the questions and considered the answers. God granted them His wisdom that pointed to the truth. We all have MANY choices to make in our lives – we make decisions many times a day. The most important choice is who you will follow. You can trust that Jesus IS God. But if you still don’t know, if you still aren’t there, try an experiment. Say a prayer to God – ask Him to show you if He is real, and determine in your heart that you will respond based on His answer. God doesn’t want you to believe in Him in a vacuum. Or just because I said to. Not at all. Jesus wants you to believe in Him based on the brains He put in your head and the evidence that He will give when you ask Him for it. And if you DO believe in Jesus, you already know what it is like to be obedient to Him. You know the joy and simplicity and power that comes with following His call. God is asking you to take that belief a step further – to intentionally obey Him, and only Him, with each decision you make. He’s asking you to go DIRECTLY to Him and ask who you should support, follow, or trust; what path you should pursue; and when you should speak out for a cause. When you do, Jesus will give you the wisdom to follow the path He has ordained for you. With each decision you are presented, God wants you to decide in advance to faithfully obey Him, then ask Him the questions and listen for His discerning and guiding answer. Oh…if I sound passionate about this, I am! God has created you to be strong and take a stance many times every day of your life. We are in the middle of a war of good versus evil. Satan is on the prowl, and he seeks to steal, kill, and destroy ANY good that God has accomplished in and through His people. He deceives, he tricks, and he positions even Christians against each other in an effort to get his way and thwart God’s plan. Let’s not let him! Let’s stand together, yes, but let’s EACH be accountable to GOD! THAT is the only way we can truly accomplish His plans! Let’s pray… Dear Most Holy God! You are righteous, perfect, and on the throne! We come to you this minute and we come to you every minute of every day, seeking your wisdom. We ask you to guide us and lead us to walk in your will and your way. God, we give you our lives to do with as you will – and we pledge our obedience, to walk and stand tall in obedience to you – no matter what that looks like. We ask for and trust that you will give us your strength and endurance to do ALL that you have called us to do – one, single step at a time! In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Would you consider yourself uncommon? God created you - you are unique and wonderfully made.   Today's guest, young and vibrant Coach Caitlyn Benedik, shares her story of how God created her to be different.  She stepped out of the "box" into a fun career and shares her 4 uncommon reasons to live by as Christ has led her.   **** Kimberly Hobbs   Welcome to Empowering Lives with Purpose. And I'm your host, Kimberly Hobbs. I'm the founder of Women World Leaders. It is our privilege to come to you today and ask you to join us as we welcome our guest today, which is Caitlyn Benedik. Welcome, Caitlin. Glad to have you. Caitlyn Benedik   I'm so excited to be here. Thanks for having me on. Kimberly Hobbs   Yes, and today we are talking to you ladies about uncommon and that's a word that is very special to Caitlyn. And as we talk a little bit about her story, you're gonna see why and hopefully that word will speak to you today. And it's our our hopes that in you listening today, ladies that this podcast will strengthen you and encourage you to walk in that beautiful purpose that God has just for you. We believe that all of us are created uniquely by our Creator, our Lord, our God. And every believer has received grace gifts, so use them to serve one another as the faithful stewards of the many colored tapestries of God's grace. That's First Peter 4:10. So as we go into our podcast today, I always love to share a little bit about our guests. So today I want to share a little bit about Caitlyn and who she is and where she came from, before we get into her story, so Caitlyn is a graduate of Pensacola Christian cap College where she was part of the Lady Eagles basketball team during her tenure there. And during her time at Pensacola, she discovered her passion for coaching men's basketball, which led her to Maryland. And that's where she's now an assistant coach for the Salisbury men's basketball program. She's also pursuing her master's degree in Health and Human Performance. And when she is in coaching, she loves to read, spend time outside and serve in her church. So today, as we go into this interview about being uncommon, it's something that really resonates with Caitlyn. And I usually ask some of the women who I have the privilege of interviewing what's a word that would describe you in your life and in what you want to share with the world. And in Caitlyn chose the word uncommon. And I said, Okay, that's really interesting. We've never talked about that before. So she's going to explain more on this as we get into today's podcast. But I wanted to start off with a scripture about being unique. And I just always, if any of you are following us, women, world leaders on these podcasts, scripture, scripture, scripture, it's so important because there's power in the Word of God. And I chose Psalm 139 14, which says, I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works, my soul knows it very well. And I love that because each of us are unique. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. That's what the Bible says about us. Caitlin, god, did you with a distinct purpose and a beautiful heart to walk out that purpose? So let's start here by sharing your story because you were sharing with me. As we were discussing, prior to this podcast, some of the struggles you had growing up and wanting to be an athlete. So can you talk about your growing up years? Caitlyn Benedik   Yep. So when I was a young kid, I was a gymnast. And that sport is very demanding, you have to be in the gym 24 hours a week, you know, and it's a year round sport. So there's never really any time off. And it's it was a perfectionist environment. So you're judged on how perfect you can do a skill or a routine and growing up also, my family was and they had their own struggles and my parents got divorced and they're both remarried and through that, like the environments weren't very, very loving for a while and I just never felt like I was valued or, or I was good enough. And to add that home situation to my gymnastics mentality and perfectionism. I struggled a lot with my worth and knowing who I was and who's I was and My value and I desire to be a college athlete. I you know, I did gymnastics for 12 years, and my Oh, was, I'm gonna do this in college, I'm gonna get a scholarship doing this. And then about my freshman year in high school, I started getting this feeling like, I'm not really sure if I want to do this anymore. And I didn't really vocalize that for a while it was about a year that I felt that way. And then I started getting scared to do skills I've been doing for a long time. And for all that I've seen gymnastics on TV or participate in the sport, you can't have fear in that sport. Because you're flipping around a bar or you're tumbling over a four inch beam, you have to be fearless. If you're if you have any type of scared feeling in you, then it's very dangerous. And so about my sophomore year in high school, early fall, so late July, early August, I decided for good, it was time for me to be done. And that was very challenging for me, because my whole life, I'd been a gymnast, all my friends knew it. Everybody that known me growing up knew it. That's kind of what they labeled me as was you are a gymnast, and you're really good at it. And so when I told people I was done, and I was gonna walk away from the sport, they, they couldn't believe it, and they couldn't comprehend it. But I knew that's what God was, was calling for me to do. It was time for me to let it go a time for me to move forward and, and experience something new. So I had these friends that lived down the street from me, we used to shoot hoops on the outside goal or walk over to to the park and play some games. And they convinced me to try out for the basketball team. They said have you try out and make it we'll come to every game. Well, they never showed up to one game, but I did make the team ever since then I fall in love with the sport. And so I had this crazy idea. Well, I'm not gonna be a college in this I might as well be a college basketball player. And so I just let somebody in my corner know that that was my goal and my dream and he necessarily didn't believe was going to happen, but he was willing to help me get there. And at least open the gym, provide the opportunity open the weight room, helped train me and helped me actually have not accomplished but work towards that goal and the Lord blessing with two opportunities to college programs and I ended up choosing to go to Pensacola Christian College. Kimberly Hobbs   Yay. Which brings us into our our next little bit about learning about you. Because this is just this young woman of God has truly captured my heart and talking to her outside of this podcast. And so just getting to know her I want you all to know her too, as as I was getting to know her and she went to college at a Christian College, which was Pensacola Christian College. So Caitlin, can you talk to us a little bit about that it was a strict college, you were saying? And you were not used to strict nor were you used to being surrounded by people of faith, such as that. So can you talk about what that meant being around strong believers? Caitlyn Benedik   Yeah, so PCC is a they call it independent fundamental Baptists. That's the conference that they're a part of. And so they're very conservative, extremely conservative, like I had to wear a skirt to class every day. And that was tough for me, because I'm a tomboy. So I never, you know, wear skirts or dress up and be super girly. And though my parents had had standards and rules that we were required to follow. This environment was extremely different from what I was used to growing up in. Like I grew up with three brothers and a sister. So I was used to being in the crowd of all men and at PCC there is very strict rules on when and where and how you can hang out with guys. So I was surrounded by a bunch of girls and I didn't really know how to, to navigate that as that wasn't really something that I had always been a part of. But through my time there it was the first time I'd been, you know, I grew up in church and I that was a big part of my life. And I always made sure that I was a youth on Wednesdays and church on Sundays and being mentored by some of the older women in my church. If I ever needed anything. I went to counseling there and stuff like that, but I never been surrounded by all Christian environment academically. So to go to a university where like, I have to take Bible class we have chapel attend every day. We have church on Sunday, Sunday school on Sunday evening church on Wednesday and Sunday night so like I'm constantly surrounded by the word. And not only that, I'm a part of a basketball program where all my teammates are Christian. All my teammates study that word. All my teammates profess to live my life on track change. Seeing God and so that was pretty cool because even though I felt very uncomfortable in that environment, the Lord used it to teach me discipline teach me how to respect authority that I didn't necessarily agree with, teach me how to the importance of having a good female community around me, like now that I moved to Maryland, My Dang, I really need some strong Christian women in my life, whether they're my age, whether they're a little bit older than me, because it's important to be able to have those you can relate to that are going through the same circumstances as you to be able to draw wisdom from there and be able to be turned back to the Lord. So that is, that is why I ended up going there. I didn't know the Lord's purpose. At first I just said, Okay, I'm, I'm gonna go there. That's where I feel weird because I went on to campus visits. I said, I feel peace and PGC. I don't know why. But that's how I know God is telling me that's where he needs me to be. So I just followed the peace and follow where he was leading me. And I can see now why he might. Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. Amen. And, boy, you know, some of the Navy, the moms listening in, that are at that have children that age, you know, trying to guide them into what colleges to look at. That was really, that was really inspiring to you, and a lot of fundamentals taught at that college for your faith life. So Christian colleges are very, very important. And we're just glad that that was a memorable time in your life. Caitlin, so you were on your way to focusing on playing basketball, but you had another struggle in your life. And this is where God had showed up in your life huge, because you had to have knee surgery. And unfortunately, for a whole year, you were kind of taken out. But while you were dealing with that, God called you to the inner city. And so if you can take this moment and describe to us that time, and how it actually, God had a plan and a purpose already set out and how that led you into what you are doing now as your profession, which is unbelievable. It's uncommon. Caitlyn Benedik   Yeah, so I had a feeling when I went to college that I was going to want to stay around athletics, and I thought I was going to be in a strength and conditioning standpoint, but then I fell in love with basketball. And so by my sophomore year in college, I had seen this AAU team play. And it was a traveling basketball team. And it was based out of Pensacola. And I'm like, Well, I'm going to school in Pensacola. So let me reach out and see if I can sit in some practices or, or learn from some people. And so I got connected with the community center in Pensacola, which is an inner city, and I volunteered my time for a year. And then by the time I had knee surgery, they offered me a job. So I was full time staff there. And because of my knee surgery, I was able to devote a lot of my time to the community center because I wasn't traveling for games. And then there are days like I wouldn't be able to practice so I could go to work instead. And so I really focus my time on that. And the inner city guy just cold call me there. Because like that's my heart is to help love people where they're broken. Because that's what God has done for me. Like no matter how broken I've always felt the Lord has always been right there to love me, right in my brokenness. And so that's kind of why I love the inner cities, I have ability to shine light in a dark place. And to the point of now I get to be transformational in lives of young men and women. And so I wanted to coach and because I grew up with three brothers, I was always around. I have one biological brother, and he's almost exactly your report. So I was grew up being in class with him. And I always watched him play football, he was a wrestler, he played baseball ran track. So I was always heavily involved in all of his sports. And because of that, you know, I was a part of the boys club. And that's kind of how I grew my passion for men's athletics, and then even more so working in the inner city. Those are very hard young men to reach. And a lot of people say there's not a good young man in the world anymore. Well, okay, if that's the problem, how can we present a solution and I want to be a solution. And he kind of gave me that heart for those that are tough to reach and even more so an ability to reach them. It's one thing like a passion but for God's we equip you with the tools you need. It was it's just been cool to see how it unfolded. And right in front of my eyes. Kimberly Hobbs   Absolutely honey, and here is where you're at uncommon part of why I've started I, it just seems like, you know what, what happened through that year of transition and your knee surgery and God giving you this heart and passion to do something out of the box that isn't the ordinary of what a young woman would be doing. And so he led you to your career right now, which is so beautiful. And the scripture says right here, but now Oh, Lord, You are our Father. We are the clay, and you are our Potter. We are all the work of your hands. That's Isaiah 64, eight. And that's exactly what he was doing. He was molding you. And he was making you the way he had purposed and planned for your life. And it was something along the desires of your heart already, which is so beautiful, Caitlin, so you belong, you started becoming molded in an uncommon way as a woman at a young age. So can you talk about the boundaries, because now all of a sudden, you're working in a man's world? You are coaching men's basketball at a college? So how did God set you up in that place? Each day, you had four uncommon points, you said that you want to share with the listeners today that were special to you. So can you talk about those uncommon points. Caitlyn Benedik   So for me, the reason why I chose the word uncommon is, you know, the scripture of like, we're supposed to be salt for the world, we're supposed to be set apart from the world and different. And so for me, like that, is summed up in the word uncommon. And, like, that means to me, I want to be uncommon in four areas in my life, and especially in my job in coaching. And the first one is leading people to accountability and coaching all the time, we have to tell kids, hey, you're not doing this right, need to get better at this. How are we working to grow here, and it's hard for them a lot of times to accept it, like they're always in a defensive standpoint. But if I build a relationship, and get them to paint for me a picture what they want it to look like, now I can lead them to accountability lead them to what they said they want it to be. And so it goes from a conflict driven state to now like an ownership driven state. And they're able to accept Oh, coach is telling me this because I said I wanted to be, let's say, an All American, but I'm not working hard enough to get there. And now she's just leading me to that to what I said I want it to be. So that's one way for me to be uncommon. The other one is loving others Well, for me, like loving my guys know that when I say I love you, it's not this romantic, crazy, awkward thing. It's like when I say I love you, they know I'm committed to your well being. So I love you, and I'll see you be successful, no matter what that looks like. And when I say love you, they know that, like I'm committed to their well being. And being able to walk that out through my actions, allows my words to hold a lot of weight in their life. And then I want to serve them like a waiter. We see a restaurant and and we have a waiter, but they don't expect anything in return. They're just here to get us the drink, get us our food, take our order, whatever else we might need for that meal to go well, and for us to have a great experience there. And so that's what I want my life to be like, That's what Jesus was he got down, he washed our feet, you never expect anything in return. And so I just want to serve like a waiter without expecting anything in return. And the last thing is gonna be an elite question asker in coaching, especially in sports, like our guys have to be able to make decisions, and then even raising kids like we want our children to be able to make decisions when they leave our care. But if we're always giving them the right answers, how are they going to ever be able to make their own decision? So I want to ask the questions, I want them the questions I asked to foster a learning environment, and an autonomy of learning. So now they can figure it out. I'm just sparking, thought I'm just sparking the wheels turning so they can come to the conclusion that they need to be successful. And when they do that, it gives them ownership of their learning. Instead of giving them the right directions, I'm asking them the right questions. So that's what I'm common means to me, it's leading them to accountability, serving like a waiter, loving them, well, then asking them only questions. Kimberly Hobbs   Wow, that is so beautiful, Coach Caitlin, that God has called you to be so unique in an environment that he set up just for you to serve in and it goes along with your personality. Its goes along with how God created you growing up all the experiences that you had experience. And again, all of us are uncommon in different ways, right? We're each created unique like the scripture I opened up, you know, we are fearfully and wonderfully made each and our own purpose. So the women that are listening in are thinking oh my goodness, you know, my daughter needs to listen to this and as we go into our are closing in this is where I kind of wanted to rest a little bit and you to take some time is that listener right now that is just kind of gleaning from what you've learned at a young age and how you've processed this. You value scripture, Caitlin and I asked you what is some of the scripture that God gave to you your favorite scriptures, and one you shared with me was proverbs three, five, and six, which a lot of us love and have claimed, which is trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding, in all your ways, acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. And then there was another scripture that is special to you. And that's in Jeremiah, where Jeremiah and the potter, there's a, there's a whole story there. So I just want you to take off and inspire these listeners about why this passage is an is so important and how it can help them in their life, too. Caitlyn Benedik   So one of the biggest struggles for me is just the value piece, like knowing my worth, and being confident in that I'm not looking for outside affirmation, finding it in the Lord. And so this summer, I really been kind of working on healing through that. And God gave me Jeremiah 18, which is, he has Jeremiah to go down to the potter's house, he said, I'll speak to you there. And so when Jeremiah got there, the Potter was working on a vessel. And when he was finished making it, the potter realized it was marred in his hand. So it wasn't made correctly. If he fired it, it probably would have broken so instead of throwing the clay away and getting new clay to make something different, he then crushed it down, remoulded it, reshaped it to where it was as good as him. And then God told Jeremiah like, this is what I can do for Israel, you know, and it really spoke to me because instead of tossing what he thought was broken, the what the potter thought was broken away, he then remoulded it, took it down, tore it down, built it back up, to make it something beautiful for him, and God does the same thing for us. He's really shown me through this scripture that our brokenness is not something to hide. The world wants us to put on this perfect mentality and like, we're fine. There's nothing wrong with us. Not to share our stories, because if we do and show where our imperfections lie, then we're not good enough. But that's not what this scripture is telling us. It's saying that even though we're broken, God will build us back up to where it is good in his eyes, you know, like were created beautifully and wonderfully in his eyes. And he also spoke to me and said, like, we're so busy comparing ourselves to others, that we're now going to be replicas of those people. Instead, why don't we allow the Lord to build us up to shape us to mold us and now we're going to be unique and marvelous, and a masterpiece for the Lord? Why would you want to be a replica when we can be a masterpiece, and we all need to be masterpieces. Because if I'm trying to be a rebel, I'm never going to be 100% When God needs me to be. And so this scripture is really been speaking to me and even more so to the fact that like, there's this ancient Japanese art, and they take broken pottery, and they piece it back together with gold, and it becomes more valuable, broken than it ever was whole. And that's kind of how we are, the more broken we are, the more the Lord can work in our lives, the more we can experience His grace and His strength. And it says in Scripture, where we are weak, then he is strong. So we have to find strength in our weakness, because even though we might be broken, even though we might feel down in the pit, like we have hope in the Lord, because he said that he's going to lift us up and bring us out of it. And even though we can't see the good right now, like eventually, we're going to understand that we needed to weather that storm. So now we can reach other people through that we have a newfound endurance in God. Kimberly Hobbs   Wow. Wow, I told you ladies like she is just what God has taught her at such a young age. And it's just valuable information and, and we are just so thankful, you know, that you would just come and share from your heart. And it just gives so many hope, you know, just hope of what God can do with a life When you surrender to Him. And you, coach Caitlin are uncommon for Jesus, and it's a beautiful thing. So the Bible tells us that as each of us have received a gift to us to serve one another, as stewards of God's varied grace. And again, that's first Peter 410 and a different version as I opened up with but ladies God has created you each unique and Different in Romans 12 Two says, Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that by testing, you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. And as we learned, just hearing Katelyn share her story, she was tested. And she had to discern about what is the will of God for my life, she had it planned out, she had it mapped out of what she wanted to do. But God gently guided her to where he wanted and what he prepared, which was so unique to who she is and who he created her to be. It's the beauty of God, ladies, when we surrender our hearts and open it up to him and his will for our life. He's never gonna steer you wrong. And Caitlin, if I asked you right now, can I offer you $200,000 to come and dig dirt in my backyard? Because I really need somebody, would you leave what you're doing? No, I don't think so. Because God called you to this, because he knew that he created you with this amazing purpose to pour into these men that are at this college, you know, and that are learning from you. So we are grateful for what you do. And ladies, each of you can do anything that God is calling you to anything, you just need to trust Him and step out of the box and do those uncommon things. With his strength, not yours, just like Caitlin had to rely on God every step through this. And he was giving her all the signs and strengthening her to prepare her for what she's doing. And Philippians 413 says I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, which is amazing, because all is all and that's all like we we can do anything and everything. That's powerful. So it was God who set you apart, Caitlin, before you were born to do this uncommon thing. And ladies, another scripture you can read on your own is Galatians 115. And again, nothing is impossible with God. So one more 32nd. Caitlin, what is that shot in the arm that you want to leave for the women listening in that will just empower her today to just walk out there and be uncommon for Jesus? What can you tell her? Caitlyn Benedik   My life motto is don't discount your value. So just like you buy a shirt, depending on what logo has on it depends its value, or your logo is the Lord and you your value is immense. He loves you so much. And never discount your value because you're the one who gets to set it and everybody else has to follow. So whatever you set it as that is what it is. So find it in the Lord and trust that He will be with you every step of the way. Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. And you didn't even know I was gonna ask you that question. And that's just huge, just huge. So thank you. Thank you so much Dream Big ladies, because you are extraordinary. And we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. So in closing, I just want to say thank you coach, Caitlin, for being with us today and just you are a breath of air as a young woman out of college coaching men's basketball at another college like yay, go coach Caitlin, and go team Salisbury, Salisbury, what are they called? What are their What's your seagulls, the seagulls, Salisbury seagulls? So go team and ladies, we are just glad you have made your way to women, world leaders to listen to these podcasts. And as we close out today, we want to invite you to be part of this amazing, amazing global ministry for women of all ages. And we believe with all our hearts, there is a place for you here if you want to serve Jesus. Come serve Him with us. There is so many opportunities for you to be part of this ministry. Just as when Caitlin and I were introduced. We didn't know what God had planned for us to meet. But this whole podcast unfolded as we got to know each other and her willing yes to God to say, I'll serve you however you want. Let us to be on this podcast together. So ladies, the same for you. Whatever God is stirring in your heart to serve Him. We have opportunity to do that. Here. You can write your story. We have voice of truth magazine, which is a quarter The publication it's beautiful. There's so many gifts and talents inside of that magazine that are used for Jesus Christ, you can be a part of that we have books that go out into the world with, oh my goodness, such amazing God stories. Maybe God gave you an incredible story that needs to be shared to give others hope, and inspiration, whatever it may be, ladies, we have a place for you. Please reach out to us. You can reach out to me personally at Kimberly at women world leaders.com Send me an email about how I can get in touch with you to see what you can possibly be a part of here in this ministry. And like I said, so many things. So please pray about it. Please join us please just be part of this amazing, amazing mission for God. Thank you, Caitlin Benedick for being our guest today. Thank you ladies for being here and empowering lives with purpose and from his heart to yours. We are women world leaders. Remember every Monday, Wednesday and Friday we bring to you these podcasts for your learning and inspiration and in growth in Jesus. All content is copyrighted by women world leaders and cannot be used without expressed written consent. God bless you all and have a beautiful day.  

Today's Voice of Truth reading is titled: Gospel Grace by Best selling Author Lillian Cucuzza.   Please listen and be inspired to fully surrender your life to the Savior of this world and all mankind; Jesus Christ.   ****** Welcome to Celebrating God's Grace, a Women World Leaders Podcast. I'm Kimberly Hobbs, I'm the founder of Women World Leaders. And it is my honor to bring to you today, a reading from Voice of Truth magazine. God has called Women World Leaders to produce this publication throughout each year. And I'm excited to share that this is our second year of publishing. We work with artists and writers, authors and helpers to showcase God's glory. Please visit womenworldleaders.com where you can read every edition that has come out since day one, we are certain it will encourage you and empower you to a closer walk with Jesus Christ. Please register for a free digital subscription going forward. And if you become a monthly contributor of any size donation, we will make certain you receive a beautiful magazine coffee table quality sent to your mailbox. We are a 501 C three and all donations are tax-deductible. Maybe you'd like to pay it forward and provide the printed copies as gifts to someone who could use the encouragement and the word of God through messages and stories. Whatever way you choose, it is our heart that you will be blessed by hearing and reading Voice of Truth. Today's reading is from our fifth edition, September October of 2021. The article is gospel grace and it was written by Best Selling Author Lillian Cuzuzza. Lillian is a leader in women world leaders and she's the founder of his creations. She is a professional photographer, and some of her spectacular artistry work is found in every edition of voice of truth magazine with a story that goes with her work and it relates from God's Word. Lillian is an encourager, and lover of Jesus and His creations, and she uses her gifts and talents to serve him. Please enjoy today's message nestled in Gospel grace. I spell grace by Lillian Kusa. I grew up in a family that attended church regularly. I did the readings during church services when I was 14 years old. I was raised to believe there was a God and a heaven. But I did not know God personally. Even though I was involved in a church, I worried about dying, because I did not know if I would qualify for heaven. I felt a heavy weight on my shoulders, that all the activities I was doing are just never enough. Secretly, my big question was, how would I know if I had done enough or was good enough to get into heaven? I avoided conversations with others about religion and church. I did not own and had never read the Bible. So I did not have enough information to know whether someone was telling me the truth, or just giving me their opinion. I certainly did not want to come across as ignorant. So I just avoided those conversations as much as possible. Does this sound familiar? One day, I was sent a, an accompany business trip to Minnesota. Since my new brother in law, Tom and his family lived in Minnesota. I decided to go a few days early to get to know them better. He was a Bible teaching pastor. And I knew I would not be able to avoid that dreaded conversation much longer. However, I knew I could trust and learn from him. Tom picked me up at the airport. And it wasn't long before we got into the conversation, the conversation. He asked me two questions. If you were to die tonight, do you know for certain you are going to heaven? Well, my immediate response was No. His second question was, if you did die tonight, and you are standing before God at the gates of heaven, and he were to ask you, why should I let you into heaven? What would you say? And I answered, well, I've tried to be a good person. Do all the right things, go to church, be active in the church, but I don't know if that's good enough. Then Tom gave me a little checklist to find out what I thought was necessary to get into heaven. The list included things like obey God's laws. Try to do your best. Give money to the church, do good deeds. and receive water baptism and Holy Communion. Wow. After I checked off most of the list, he explained that none of these things can help you get to heaven. There is nothing you can do to earn eternal life. The Bible says there's only one way to enter heaven. Jesus answered, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14, six, Tom shared that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. That's Romans 323 in the NIV. And the payment for sin is death. Romans 623. feeling queasy? I told Tom, I always thought the death penalty was for the worst of criminal criminals. And I was not a criminal. I never broke the law. He asked me if I had ever lied to anyone. Sure, I answered. But they were just little white lies. He replied that it does not matter how big or small the lie or the sin. God counts it all is sin. He continued to explain that because heaven is a perfect place. Nothing impure or imperfect will ever enter it. Revelation 2127. If we sinned, just once in our life, no matter how small we think that sin is, it corrupts in defiles us making us impure and unable to enter heaven. So far, it sounded quite bad and hopeless. We are all sinners, and we deserve to go to hell. Heaven is a perfect place. And nothing we can do makes us perfect. I was getting depressed. All my life I heard how God is love. Now I was wondering how a loving God can be so cruel, and send us to hell for being a sinner. Then Tom shared the good news. God is love and he loves us. The Bible says For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that who so ever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. That's John 316. God sent His Son Jesus Christ, to shed his blood and die in the cross to pay for all of our sins. And three days later, he rose from the dead. He died for us. By trusting in Jesus Christ as the one who died for our sins, we can have eternal life. That is a loving God. Nothing we do can make us perfect or sinless. No deeds, charity, contribution, contribution to churches, going to church, being baptized, taking Holy Communion, trying to obey God's laws, nor any good work can take away our sins or save us. Heaven is a free gift, we do not deserve it, and we cannot earn it. For it is by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not from yourselves. It is the gift of God, not by works so that no one can boast Ephesians two, eight and nine in the NIV He saved us not because of the righteous things we have done. But because of His mercy. Titus three, five NIV mercy means not getting what we deserve death and separation from God for ever, as the penalty for our sins. Grace is getting what we do not deserve total forgiveness for our sins, making us perfect in God's eyes, and allowing us to spend eternity with Him in Heaven. Grace is an acronym for God's riches at Christ's expense. Because Jesus paid the ultimate price for our sins by shedding His blood and dying on the cross. We get to partake in God's riches for eternity. Wow. That is grace. Tom told me that moment I trust Jesus as my Lord and Savior, my sins would be forgiven, and I would receive God's righteousness perfection. As it says in Romans 10 Nine, if you declare with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. This righteousness allows me to enter into heaven. I finally had the answer to my big question. How would I know I did enough or was good enough to get into heaven? It was not because of anything I did. It was because of what Jesus did for me. I also learned that you can do nothing more to add to the finished work of Christ. It is not trust in Jesus Christ as your Savior. plus.dot.it is putting your trust only in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. And it is a one time decision in your life. You can never lose it, nor can you forfeit it. God's unconditional promise is that he will never take it away from you. Jesus said, I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand, John 1028 NIV. I was so excited to learn this good news. Then I made the decision right there to to trust Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. At that very moment, the burden was totally lifted off my shoulders, and whether I could do enough or be good enough to enter heaven. It was because of Jesus. And I knew that I now have eternal security. Friend, I cannot make you believe in heaven or hell. You may not believe in it because you cannot see it. But you cannot see the air you breathe either. Yet without it, you would die. Heaven and hell are real. If you have not yet trusted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. You can do it right now with a simple prayer, and he will save you from all eternity. The prayer is Dear God, thank you for loving me. I admit that I'm a sinner and in need of a Savior. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died on the cross as payment for all of my sins and was buried and raised from the dead, and is now in heaven. I understand that the good deeds I do will not help me get to heaven. Right now I confess that Jesus is Lord and I receive Him as my Savior. Thank you, Jesus for saving me so that I can live forever with you. Help me to live a life that is pleasing to You, Lord, in Jesus name, amen. If this is your prayer today, welcome to the family of God. Let us know about your decision so that we can encourage you and help you on your journey of faith and to Jesus Christ. You can contact us at voice of truth by reaching out to info at women world leaders.com You can find a list of churches in your area we will reach out to you. There are also many learning opportunities available at www dot women world leaders.com. To help you grow in your faith, knowledge and relationship with Jesus Christ. You can have the assurance that your sins are forgiven, past, present and future. God has said it and he cannot lie. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. First John 513 NIV. hallelujah and Amen. One final thought. As we remember the victims of 911 in 2001. I cannot help but think of what their last thoughts words, or even prayers were besides agonizing about their predicament. And if they would ever see their loved ones again. I wonder how many cried and prayed to God to save them in that very moment. I also wonder how many did not have the opportunity to pray. Because the end came with no warning. We cannot change what has happened to them. But we can change what happens to us and where we will spend eternity. If we pray for salvation now. Before we don't get another chance. The choice is spending eternity in heaven with God or in hell separated forever from God. The choice is yours. I say this with nothing but a heart full of love. Please choose widely As we close out today, I will reinstate what Lillian just wrote. The Bible teaches us that heaven and hell are real. If you'd like to pray right now, I can lead you in that same prayer that Lillian wrote. And all you have to do is just say this in your own heart to God. Just follow after what I say, and mean it with all of your being. Let's pray it again together. Dear God, thank you for loving me. I admit that I'm in sinner, and I'm in need of You as my Savior. I believe Jesus, that you are the Son of God, that You died on the cross as a payment for my sin. And I believe that you were buried and raised from the dead. And now you're in heaven, and I want to live in heaven with you. I understand that the good deeds that I do here on earth aren't what's going to get me to heaven. I believe it's you God in the blood that Jesus shed for my sins. So right now, I confess Jesus as Lord, and I receive Him as my own personal Savior. Thank you, Jesus for saving me so that I can live forever with you. Please help me to live a life that is pleasing to You, Lord, in Jesus name, I pray this. Amen. Dear ladies, dear listeners, we would love for you to contact us at women world leaders.com. If you have made a decision to follow Jesus today, we are here to help you with many ways we have daily devotions on the website. And we have many tools that can help you in your walk and coming closer to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Thank you for listening to women world leaders podcast. Please join us each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. As we explore together God's extravagant love and your courageous purpose. Visit our website at w w w. Dot women world leaders.com And submit a prayer request, read a devotion or make a donation in the name of Jesus. today's podcast is copyrighted and cannot be used without expressed written consent. Thank you for joining us and have a blessed day.  

Following Jesus is not for the faint of heart – but it is oh so glorious! Today’s teaching gives us guidance on what we can expect as we take those first steps into God’s calling for our lives. (Matthew 8:18-22, Luke 9:51-62) **** Welcome to Walking in the Word, the biblical teaching arm of the Women World Leaders’ podcast. My name is Julie Jenkins. It is August, 2022 as I record this podcast, and I am just bursting with excitement for all that God is doing in Women World Leaders. Our mission is to empower others to walk in their God-given purpose. We are named Women World Leaders because when God calls you as His child, He also sets you on a mission to lead for Him. So, whether you are in business, a servant in your church, a mom – or maybe all three – God has a unique calling for you to lead others, and we want to walk beside you as you do! Besides this podcast, which comes to you each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with a bit of a different flair each day, we also offer daily devotionals through email or FaceBook, community through Facebook and our Prayer Wall, encouragement through Voice of Truth magazine, fellowship and growth through events, and opportunities to grow and serve through writing, music, art, and utilizing leadership skills in finance, social media, organization, and coaching. Our God is endless and miraculous, and He has given us an endless and miraculous mission to reach and include you. I saw a meme the other day that said, “Be the girl who always tells another girl there is room for one more.” We are God’s girls – but in truth, we are fierce women on a mission directed by God to include, empower, and support one another. We have some AMAZING new opportunities for you, which we will be unveiling in the coming months, but one of our newest endeavors is being spearheaded by one of our Australian leaders, Rusanne Carole, who is coaching and authoring a book about being a caregiver. If you are or have been a caregiver, we want to invite you to share your story with the world as you shine the spotlight on God’s glory. To find out more about this opportunity or learn more about Women World Leaders, visit our website at womenworldleaders.com or drop us an email at [email protected]. On this, the Wednesday edition of the podcast, we take time to put down our pens, agendas, struggles, and strivings and simply rest in God’s presence as we learn from His Word. We are currently walking through the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John chronologically as we ask God to teach us all that He wants us to know today. Today’s teaching comes from Matthew 8:18-22 and Luke 9:51-62 from the New Living Translation. Before we begin, let’s pray… Dear Most Holy God, we come before you humbly, in awe of who you are and the fact that you speak directly to each of us – all you ask is that we quiet our hearts and listen. As we open your Word today, God, I ask that you be my mouthpiece. God, you know I have studied and prayed over this teaching, and now I give it all to you. You know what you want each listener to hear, and I ask that you allow those precise words to flow from my mouth. We thank you for your Word, your presence, and this teaching. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Let’s jump right in…beginning in Luke 9:51 from the New Living Translation 51 As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. We have been walking with Jesus for a while now – He was born, grew, began teaching, and called His disciples one by one. Last week in our study, Jesus was encouraged by His brothers to head to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Tabernacles, but He replied that it wasn’t yet His time. Now we read that His time has come…and He set out RESOLUTELY for Jerusalem. This word means that Jesus set His mind on his goal and walked steadfastly toward it, decisively, no doubt calling on God’s strength. Jesus knew what was coming. He had been attacked verbally, pursued, and was very aware of what lay ahead. He had told His disciples that He would be killed. Yet He stepped out faithfully into His future. I’m guessing you don’t know what it is like to step out to your death on God’s command, but you might have an inkling of what it feels like to walk toward something resolutely at God’s command. I can remember the first time I preached in a church for a Sunday service. I was prepared and knew I had been called, but someone should have shared that news with my flip-flopping stomach and my swimming head. I remember sitting there as the service began thinking, “I could just get up and leave right now. No one would stop me. Someone would figure out what to do. The service will go on.” That is, admittedly, a very horrible comparison of Jesus walking to His death, but the point is, we are ALL called to a unique role in the kingdom, and sometimes, we just have to overcome our fear and insecurities and focus on the greatness of God as we resolutely step forward into our callings. Listening and obeying God is not for the faint of heart. The good news is, when our hearts and resolve feel faint, that’s okay, because we can rely and call on God’s strength to get us through. As if to illustrate His peril, Jesus’ first stop on his three-day trip to Jerusalem was in Samaria, whose people were well known to be adversaries of the Jews. Verse 52…  52 He sent messengers ahead to a Samaritan village to prepare for his arrival. 53 But the people of the village did not welcome Jesus because he was on his way to Jerusalem. The hostility between the Jews and the Samaritans was long-running. We can read in the Old Testament about Assyrians settling in Samaria and the intermingling of the two cultures. Then, when the Jews returned from Babylon to rebuild the temple, they resisted the Samaritans’ help, so the Samaritans built their own temple and worshipped in their own way. As a result of this feud, many Jewish people took the long way to Jerusalem from Galilee, not wanting to travel through Samaria. But Jesus and His disciples when straight through this forbidden, even expecting to spend the night. But, as we read, they were not welcome. Now James and John, remember, had been with Jesus during the transfiguration and actually saw, with their own eyes, both Elijah and Moses. No doubt, both disciples thought a lot about those very important historical figures that had miraculously appeared before them. James and John knew Moses and Elijah’s stories. They knew that Elijah had called down fire from heaven on two occasions – once even to consume the troops sent against him by the king of Samaria. So their next statement is not truly unwarranted as the Samaritans were unwelcoming to them….verse 54…  54 When James and John saw this, they said to Jesus, “Lord, should we call down fire from heaven to burn them up[a]?” 55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them.[b]  You see, though it was time for Jesus to go to Jerusalem, the time of judgment had not yet come – and it still hasn’t. We are living in an era of God’s grace. A time when God is gathering His people, and giving us chance upon chance to come to Him. As individuals, we thank God for that. I am well aware that if it were not for God’s patience, care, and grace – I myself would be burned in a consuming fire. But, unfortunately, as humans, we don’t often exemplify the patience and care and grace of God toward others. When someone comes against US, we would rather call down the fire. Notice the next verse, though…instead of allowing the disciples to call down the fire, Jesus led his disciples … … on to another village. Wow! We could do a whole teaching around that!! When someone comes against us, in hostility and even vengeance, we are to move on. Go somewhere else. You see – the world is huge. The whole world needs to hear about Jesus. But some will turn away. Some will even become hostile and unwelcoming. Our job, in those instances, is to go on to another village. That’s what Jesus did. As we continue reading, we see Jesus come across three people who wish to follow Him. Jesus knows each of them intimately, and His response is tailored to each individual – and each response teaches us something about our own calling. Verse 57… 57 As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Matthew 8:19 identifies this man as a teacher of religious law. This is important, because students of religious law often studied for the purpose of scholarly learning rather than becoming a disciple. Normally a student in this vein would be trying to earn a degree of sorts, and with it, prestige. And as we know, Jesus taught that the first would be last and the last would be first. Verse 58… 58 But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.” In other words, Jesus knew that this man was looking for an easy entrance into leadership, he was not looking for a relationship with or a way to serve God. So what does this say to us? If you have followed Jesus for any length of time, you probably recognize that when we follow Him, we must trust HIS terms and conditions. We must go where He leads and trust His provision as we serve for His glory alone. The next person we see is one whom Jesus calls…verse 59… 59 He said to another person, “Come, follow me.” The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.” 60 But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead![c] Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.” This sounds harsh, and there are various interpretations. Some theologians say that the man’s father had surely not even died yet, or the burial would already be occurring. So the man was stalling – not knowing if his father would die next week or next year. Other theologians point out that the command, Honor your Father and Mother, had, like many Old Testament laws, gotten blown out of proportion as time went by. It had gotten to the point where a person’s mother and father took precedence OVER their allegiance to God Himself, and, with this response, Jesus was turning the tables back upright. So what can we learn today? Simply put, following Jesus requires putting Jesus first, and trusting God’s care. This also can be misconstrued. The ministry worker who serves others to the detriment of her personal family is not putting God first. Truth be told, God doesn’t need our help – He can run this world on His own. But He gives us the privilege and joy to work with Him, and, if we listen to Him and respond obediently, He WILL orchestrate your service to His glory in ALL areas. We must follow and serve God, but if that is leading to burn-out or stress-induced illness, there is a kink in our hearing, because that is not what God calls us to. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Verse 61… 61 Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.” 62 But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.” Again, it is not that Jesus wanted this man to neglect his family, but Jesus knew his heart, and that he was using his family as an excuse to delay following God’s call. So to us, Jesus, says, when I call you, keep your eyes forward and keep plowing! Woe…that can be difficult!! I don’t know about you, but for me, it sure is easy to get distracted by the world. I LOVE having my Bible app on my phone, but man, the temptation to play Wordle instead of reading the Word can be great!! When God calls us, He wants us to put our hands on the plow, focus on Him, and keep moving forward!   Wrapping this up, what does it take to follow Jesus? We are to walk resolutely as Jesus did to Jerusalem, trusting God’s guidance, care, and provision. We are to extend grace to those who come against us like Jesus did to the Samaritans, and instead of wishing ill on others, move on to those who are receptive to our call. And like the three who were called to follow Him, we are to prepare to give God the glory as we trust His guidance and enjoy our relationship with Him, we are not to put anything above Jesus, and we are not to delay as we keep our focus on what He has called us to do.   Following Jesus is not for the faint of heart. Jesus’ walk was not easy, and neither is ours. But, you, servant of God, ARE protected and each step is already provided for…and the outcome of your journey is more glorious than you can begin to imagine. Let’s pray… Dear Most Holy God – how incredibly honored we are to be called by you and to be given our marching orders step by step. God, we know we can trust you! I pray for each listener, light the path that you have ordained for her and give her the courage to take that next step, knowing that you are beside her. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Eating disorders and self harm are struggles of the flesh that many in this world deal with. Today's guest, our sister Woman World Leader Donna Clare from the UK, shares her personal testimony about battling a dependency, which God has so graciously freed her from.   May Donna's spoken testimony be an inspiration of hope and encouragement to others who face life's challenges and who are looking for a way to overcome. With God all things are possible!   ***   Kimberly Hobbs   Welcome to Empowering Lives with Purpose, and I am your host, Kimberly Hobbs. I'm the founder of Women World Leaders. Ladies, we are so happy that you decided to join us today. And I'd like to welcome our guest today. Donna Claire. Donna Clare   Hi. Good to be with you all. Kimberly Hobbs   Hi, Donna, we are so glad that you've joined us all the way from the UK, the United Kingdom. Ooh. So, ladies, what we like to do here and empowering lives with purpose is just that we are here to strengthen, inspire and encourage you and your walked with with the Lord Jesus Christ. And we are here to help with stories and different things that some of the guests come on and share. God says every believer has received grace gifts. So use them to serve one another as faithful stewards of the many color tapestry of God's grace. That's First Peter 4:10. And I thought that was such a beautiful verse to share that we all have different gifts, and we're encouraged by the Lord to share those grace gifts that he has so graciously given. So ladies, you have a purpose. God has a purpose and a plan for your life. We are glad you're here. And we're hoping that through sharing, sharing different stories from different women around the world, that you can be sparked into thinking about what it is that God has ordained for your life. So I want to share a little bit about our guest today, Donna, she's single, she works as a teaching and learning assistant in a primary school. And her degree is in theatre studies and writing performances, which is super exciting. Her passion is to write plays and scripts and bring glory to God. I admire that that's beautiful. We can do it for all other reasons. But you do it to bring glory to God, Donna, she sings in the worship team and is in Gospel Choir. She loves nature. And when she isn't singing, acting and dancing, she loves walking in nature. So ladies, before we begin, please remember that we're all women who are known by our Creator, God knows each of us in our own beautiful way because He created us or his masterpiece. And some of us have overcome tremendous challenges, heavy struggles, and some of us are still in the midst of pain and struggling and suffering. And then there are those of us who will speak life into others and empower them. We are all just ordinary women. And we are called by God to do extraordinary things. And each of us has the ability to do extraordinary things. So our guest today from the UK is a woman world leader. In fact, she is part of her women World Leaders Group. And God put a nudge in Donna's heart to share with us so she reached out to me and asking if it would be possible to share her story. So as I got to know Donna a little bit, I felt God's prompting to allow her to share her story today. And Donald's Dona has struggled with eating disorder with an eating disorder and also self harm. And God says Colin, me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory that song 5015 And you know what, as I got to know Donna, I thought wow, God, this verse is amazing because you rescue Donna from self harm you rescue Donna from this eating disorder. And now she wants to declare that she wants to give God the glory. And I said yes, please come on and share. Let's talk about this. So I'm Donna, can you share a bit about you and who you are and your story with the ladies? Donna Clare   Yes, of course. So I from a very young age, I was bullied at school and at primary school and then when I went to secondary school, I was also bullied. And then when I got to secondary school, it was more than one person. So I started to think well There's got to be something wrong with me. Because all these people can't be wrong. And there's something wrong with me there's got to be an I just started to really hate who I was, I hated everything about myself. I, I really just, I was feeling sad, I didn't share a lot of the time with anyone that I was being bullied, I kept it all inside. And I, I then it was, I think I was in about year eight, which is like 12 year olds 12 to 13 year olds, and my friend lent me a pair of her jeans to go to a disco with, but they didn't fit me. And in my head, that was I'm fat, I need to lose weight, not I'm a different body shape to her, which now in hindsight, I can see we were just different body shapes, I wasn't going to fit in those jeans. But in my head, it was I'm fat, I need to lose weight. So and at the roundabout at the same time, I had some family issues going on. And there was like family arguments. And I blame myself and I know that was one of the triggers to get in the eating disorder. So I then started to cut out things like chocolate crisps, chips, the things that you know, like with fattening and then gradually, I started to skip meals, so I became anorexic, I will try and avoid food as much as, excuse me as much as I could. I, I just I had this relationship with food that I didn't deserve it I didn't deserve to eat, I wasn't good enough, I was a waste of space, what was the point of me being on this planet, I, I had all these thoughts swirling around in my head that I shouldn't eat, I didn't deserve it, I was bad. And then some people started to see that I was not eating as much. So they decided that they would try and help me by force feeding me, which was one of the worst things they could have done because then I started to make myself sick. So because they were making me when I didn't want to because they were controlling me and my eating disorder, the eating disorder was about control. So I wanted to control something because everything, I couldn't control the bullies, I couldn't control what was happening in my family. I couldn't control anything else, but I could control what I ate. So I decided that I would control my food. So when these people they were trying to help. And I don't begrudge them that they were worried about me, but they sort of made it worse because they made I didn't have the control anymore. And I really couldn't handle having food. If I felt full I couldn't handle it. I just felt disgusting inside. So I then started to make myself sick. And then yeah, I just felt like I needed punishment that I was wrong. There's got to be something wrong with me if I lose weight, maybe people are like me more. And and also I did like not just the the the eating disorder it was I would cut myself I would pull my hair, I would hit myself, I would bite myself, I would take my nails and anything I could do to hurt me. And I would do like I really, I was hurting inside had so much pain inside. I didn't know how to express that. And the only thing I could do was to hurt myself. And when I hurt myself, like all the frustration and anger went away, he sort of helped me to Yeah, just helped me to get all the feelings inside because I just used to stuff all the feelings inside. And so that's why I used to hurt myself as well. And yeah, I just I tried to avoid food whenever I could, I'd say oh, I've eaten I don't need to have dinner, I've already had something to eat. I would go in even going out for me it was traumatic because I felt like everyone was looking at me. So I would think everyone was looking at me saying why is she eating she's big enough. She doesn't need to eat. And, and I wasn't I obviously wasn't big at all. But in my head I was so it's like a distorted image. What Pete other people would see and what is in the mirror is not what I see, or what I saw. I just saw this really massive person. So yeah, I just I really hated myself. That's all I can say. I just felt disgusting. I didn't feel like I was loved. I didn't feel like I felt like if I wasn't here nor there. It wouldn't matter to anyone. They wouldn't care if I wasn't here. And I just felt really like alone. And on my own and like I couldn't share it with only one and and like, like the voices in my head would tell me I wasn't good enough. And then they would say oh, you can't eat so like for an example it would be like oh, you can't eat that food if you eat that you need to get rid of it. And then when when I did if I did get rid of it by making myself sick, the voice would then say You're disgusting. You can't show anyone with that. Look at you now you're even worse than you were before. And it was just like these tormenting thoughts all the time that would like invade my mind and would really Yeah, just make me feel really horrible. I just hated everything about myself. Every single thing I couldn't give you a positive at that point in my life. Because it just felt I was so wrong and like I needed punishment. So yeah, Kimberly Hobbs   This was through your childhood years into your teen years. Donna Clare   Yeah, to and then to my early 20s. So when I was at university as well, so it was So, yeah, it was from about, I started with the eating disorder when I was about 13. And but the other sort of self harm stuff I'd been doing from probably the age of 910. Just because I just, I felt shame, I felt disgusting. And I was abused as a child by other children as well. So that's a factor. So I was I had, I didn't know it was shame at the time, as a child, I just had this just felt wrong. I just felt like, everything was everything was wrong about me, and I was hideous, is the way I can describe it. If I just hated everything about myself, I had no self worth, or anything, I just hated who I was. And I controlled everything by my food, because I wanted control because I felt everything. And everyone was controlling me. And I needed control. So I will say when I when I won't eat, and no one can take that control away from me. So that was yeah, that was that was that was my, my childhood. But in another sense, it sounds really, really bad. All of that. But in another sense, I had, like, I did have friends who were good friends. And then you know, there's some of my childhood was good in the sense. But inside, I just hated myself, I was good at wearing a mask. So a lot of people wouldn't know, there was anything wrong, because I could I could turn it on if that makes sense. I could. Yes, yeah. I'm fine. Nothing wrong with me. I'm fine. Kimberly Hobbs   The counterfeit Donna.  Yes, you're pleasing everyone else. And but inside, this was your way of controlling what what happened with you and what you did and what you allowed and not allowed in those quiet places. So, you know, I I know your story. And I just want you to share with the listeners how, as you developed into, you know, a teenager and then into your young 20s This had such a clench on you this this horrible addiction, you know, like, we're gonna call that that addiction where your mind you know, you you were controlled in your mind by something else other than the Spirit of the Lord, and letting our sinful nature control our mind leads to death, and you are on that path to death. But letting the spirit control your mind leads to life in peace. That's Romans eight, verse six. So let loose and let us know how God freed you. Because the Lord says, Who the sun sets free is free indeed, if you if the sun sets you free, you are truly free. That's John 836. Donna, I know dear that you are free. Let's hear how that happened. Donna Clare   So in my final year at university, I met a lady who was on a teacher training for the theater course. And I would choose to ask him to get poorly. So she got ill. And so she took over and invited me on a holiday. So I went to Italy with 30 people I didn't know. And I said yes, because I've never flown on a plane before at this point. And I just thought this would be my graduation presents for myself. And unbeknown to me at the time, probably about 70% of those people were Christians. And I didn't know. And so I was on the holiday, everything was fine. Then when we came back, we had a post holiday get together. And it was on a Sunday. And the couple he was driving, we said you don't have to come to church, you know, we're not gonna force you to come to church, you can sit in Barbara's house, if you like. And I was like, Barbara had a lot of animals at the time. So I said, No, I'll come to church. It's okay. So the only way I can describe it is the moment I walked through the doors of the church, I felt like I've gone home. And I, to this day, I don't know what the people just loved me. People were hugging me, which I was like, Who are these people? And they will they loved me and accepted me. So I went on a journey of asking questions. And then in the February 2003, I remember it very well. I decided that I believe this Jesus is real. So I took communion for the first time. And then in the June 2003, I got baptized, first of June 2003. That will be 18 years ago, in June this year, best decision I ever made in my whole life. So I was still struggling. And some of the people because on the holiday I'd actually collapsed twice. I'd collapsed on the holiday twice as some of them had an idea because one of them was a nurse and she was like you need to get help. And I was like, I'm fine. But then so I started my journey and God took me out of my church actually in the September and I got a job with a Christian Theatre Company. Wow. And I told primary schools around the country and I I remember this well, we will perform and part of the show in the church service. And they had to in the morning because it was a big church. And in the second in the first service, the agenda, the pastor said, there are people in this room with strongholds in their life. And God is saying to you that today, you need to give him those strongholds. And I just went back to me, I need to give the eating disorder to God and said, You need to clench your fist. And when you let go, you've given the stronghold to God. So I did. And I clench my fist, and I went, you can have it and I had, I was running up and down the aisles, because I just felt this weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Yeah, it was amazing. And then some of my church family have come to support me in the second one. So I was like, I've given the eating disorder to God, I've given the eating disorder to God, and they were like, hallelujah, we've been praying for this is so good. And then obviously, it was a journey. So it took, it was a long journey took probably about 655, or six years for me to be completely free. And maybe maybe less than that, actually. But I went on a journey. And I had to trust God. So one of the scriptures, one of one of the psalms that really helped me was Psalm 139. That wherever I go, whatever I'm doing, God is with me, that even when I go like into when I feel like I'm in the darkness, darkness isn't dark to God, it's still light. And I'm fearfully and wonderfully made. And God knows when I stand when I sit is fashion to me in my mother's womb, He knows every detail of my life. And it really helped me to know actually, God sees me, God knows me, I do matter. Because obviously, at that point, I felt like I was worthless. And these people in my church family are so loving and caring, I just felt so accepted by them, which was unknown to me before then, because I've been rejected so many times and bullied, I just, that's what drew me to the church because they loved me and accepting me for who I was. And then obviously, Jesus because He saved me, He died for me. Yeah, and I was journeying through, and I it was, it was difficult. It helped to actually been away from home because I was away from home initially, because I was with the theater company for a couple of months. And my church when they were praying for me at home, I, it was like, once, one step forward, two steps back, because I just started the journey. And there were good days and bad days, but I kept focusing on God, I kept crying out to him praying and spending time with him, you know, worshipping Him because there's power in worship because I felt bad and worship. And, and then I remember, I was just so struggling. And I had fear in my life as well, because I was afraid to eat, you know, I had all this fear. And I remember my one of my friends speaking down the phone to me, Joshua one, verse nine, have I not commanded you? Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged for the Lord, your God will be with you wherever you go. And I was like, okay, where I need to be. Unknown Speaker   So we do not need to fear. So yeah, I did. I did. It was it was it was crazy. It was like a crazy time, but it was a good time. And I was so like, on fire for God. So I wanted to share and I wanted to help everybody. But I wasn't at that point, I realized I wasn't ready. So I, I worked with another group in the theatre company the next year. So in 2004, and it was, there was another girl who was in my team, and she was actually struggling to she had an eating disorder. And she was talking to me and I was trying to help her. And the family I live with actually said to me, I don't know, I've never seen you so stressed before. And I went backwards. It was dragging me back because I was only on my recovery journey. Like knew it was only six months, so I wasn't ready to help someone else I needed to get me Well, first I needed to be healed work fully for like healed and restored before I could help someone else and that and that was hard. That was one of the hardest times it was like God, have you left? And he's like, No, I told you I would never leave you and one of the verses, a key verse that I still have uneasy, particularly in the Amplified Version I love it is Hebrews 13 Verse five, and it's the second part and I will not in any way fail, you know, give up on you know, I'll leave you without support I will not and he says this three times, I will not I will not in any degree leave you without help, or forsake, you know, let you down or release my hold on you. And that's been one of the key verses as well, like God is not going to fail me. It's okay that if I make mistakes, or something else I've learned it's okay to make mistakes. It's okay to have blips as long as I run to God, and not anybody else. I run away from him, but run to him and just calmly say, God, I'm sorry, please help me. Help me cope. I know. Oh, yeah. So that was a tough section. But then I just I just kept going. We've got I just I had to trust I had to learn to trust God and another verse that has come that has been a key was proverbs three verse five, trusting the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge Him, He will make your paths straight. I took I took deep into into God and I, yeah, he freed me freed me. You freed me from some of the self harm was straight away, like I stopped cutting myself straight away when I became a Christian because I felt like I was quoting Jesus. Yeah, the other stuff like that hurt to myself by hitting myself. I, because it was a habit, because I've done it for so long. It took it took years to like, become free from that. God did it in layers. And this is this is something God had to do it in layers. God couldn't take the eating disorder and the self harm away from me, just like that. He had to do it. Layer by layer, like an onion is a layer like layer by layer, because it was my whole identity was on centered around the anorexia and the self harm. So we had to do it layer by layer. So we do a layer, I'd become free and it was amazing. And then when I was ready, and strongly go right now we need to deal with this. It'll be like once I thought we've done everything. He's like, No, we've got you've got to go deeper. So we eat just he's been doing it layer by layer by layer, and I can honestly tell you today, I love who God's made me. I'm free, completely free. And God did it. Oh, it was nothing to do with me. He did it all. And I'm free. I love him. He's made me to be I'm not a people pleaser anymore. I please God and God alone, I've learned. I've learned to not be a perfectionist, because of part of the journey. I was a perfectionist. And if it wasn't the best, it was not good enough. And so God has taught me that actually, my best is good enough if I do my best for him. And if I give everything is good, you know, and it doesn't have to be perfect, because Jesus is the only one who's perfect. So I don't need Yeah, I don't. I don't need. Kimberly Hobbs   Then I love I love how you're testifying. And one of those verses that you when you were sharing, and Hebrews, I wanted to just tagline on that. Ladies, when you are afraid when you are struggling, and you're so intense in the midst of that struggle, and fear takes over. God says don't be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you, he will neither fail you or abandon you. And just like you said, Donna, and your scripture, he said it three times that he's never going to leave you. So ladies, you are never alone through your struggle, you have to understand that and the way that you will is by getting in the Word of God and reading his truth in that word. Donna, one thing that you shared with me in one of our other conversations prior to today was you said that, you know, when people think that they're trying to help you by trying to force you to eat, you know, like, they're, they want to help, they just want to help, but they don't necessarily know what the best help is. Can you talk about some of your feelings during that time when people were saying, you know, trying to force food on you? And what were you going through then? Donna Clare   What was happening was that what are you doing, you shouldn't be eating this is I've told you, it's better not to eat. Otherwise, you've got consequences that you'll have to pay. So I just I felt I felt disgusting. I felt like they were trying to hurt me in a way because they were taking the control away from me. So I felt like I felt like in despair like you, you don't understand what's going on. In my mind. You can't hear what's going on in my mind. If I if I eat, I'm gonna have to punish myself later. That's basically what was going to happen. So it was just a complete despair. It was complete. I was like, screaming inside. But for me, because I was before I was a Christian. I was quite shy and timid as well. So I wouldn't really speak up for myself in certain situations, I would just accept what was going on and be quiet because I felt that was better because if I spoke I didn't feel like my words. Were good enough. You know, I mean, so I so I just I just accepted, but I was screaming inside I tried to run away. And I couldn't do that. So the only way you think I could do was like, go off and make myself sick. Oh, like I probably wouldn't. I think I would have hurt myself later on. Like, because I had all the feelings inside. Like, I was angry because they were taking control away from me. I felt hurt because they didn't understand me. It was just really emphasizing that actually. Nobody gets me nobody understands me. I am on my own. I'm all alone, and no one's gonna help me. But that's what I was feeling. Right. Kimberly Hobbs   So those that are listening may you know that because they're they're feeling sympathetic right now. And of course, you know those that loved you, Donna, they just wanted to get you to eat because they they felt you needed that nutrition that would help you that you know, but they weren't being sensitive to what you were going through. But the Bible just tells us, you know what we need to do. When we sense there's a problem. You know, the apostle Paul says, I urge you, first of all, to pray, to pray for all people, and to ask God to help them and intercede on their behalf and give thanks for them. The power of prayer is huge. And so when we see these issues, yes, you know, we need to be aware of them. And we need to know that there are places to go for help. But start praying, asking God for wisdom to point them in the right direction for help. Don't necessarily try to take the bull by the horns and do it yourself, you know, do what God tells us to do, do our part and pray for that person, and start looking for places that they can get help. Donna Clare   Definitely power of prayer. People were praying for me even I didn't know at the time because I've just become a Christian, but people were praying for me. So yeah, it's something I just want to say as well. an eating disorder is not about food. That's a symptom. There's lots of root issues and causes why someone has an eating disorder. So trying to make the me interested, always eat that you only have to wait. And that's fine, because that's not the main issue. Really, there's other underlying issues that may be going on for you. Just to get them help and pray what they need, and you can't help someone with an eating disorder until they accept that they need help themselves as well. So that's where you need to pray. Because when you pray, finally, they will see that and God will help them to see that. That's right. Kimberly Hobbs   That's right. And if you are one that is struggling in this area, it is so important to stay in the presence of God because He tells us in His Word, he's never going to leave you or forsake you. We share those Scriptures with you. But he says that, remember, I will be your God throughout your lifetime. He's, he's there for you all the time. You want to keep him in your presence. You want to talk to him. And don't ever question His promises to you. Because God's ways are perfect. All the Lord's promises are true. And he is a shield for all who looked to him for protection. So when you are afraid, you look to the Lord for your protection and know that he's there searching the scriptures. Ask him for scriptures that's going to help you right just like you did, Donna, he gave you tremendous scriptures that you can, that you can rely on the Word of God is alive and powerful. It's sharper than any two edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit between joint and Morrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and dreams. That's Hebrews 412. The word of God is powerful ladies, it is so important. And I know that Donna through talking with her, she has relied on so many scriptures. And can you share your very special verse with us the one that you relied on most through your struggles? Donna? Donna Clare   I think well what I shared earlier, Hebrews 13, verse five is one. But then the other one is two Timothy one, verse seven, For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. And that was another one that was given to me. And I was like, Yes, God didn't give me a spirit of prayer. I can do this. Be confident in the Lord. Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. So ladies, God knows your name. He's never gonna abandon those who search for him. And he understands your pain. So just as Donna has expressed a desire to come on and share her story and bring it out in the open, a revelation 1211 says that they have defeated him, defeated him which is the enemy by the blood of the Lamb, and the word of their testimony. And so Donna is here to testify of what the Lord has done in her life and know that the enemy is defeated. He sent back to the pit of hell where he belongs. And she can share this and declare this by the word of her testimony and we are so grateful that you have decided to come on share today about your testimony Donna which is fabulous and God is using you exceedingly abundantly beyond And I know and what you're doing right now in you're acting, and you're writing, and you're performing. And I know you're doing some videos on, on Facebook. And you can find Donna and Donna Claire. And that's clear C L A. R E, and she talks about this on her Facebook page, she's creating awareness, and she's pushing people to the Lord Jesus Christ, you know, because that is where our true help is going to come from. And Don, I know you wanted to leave the ladies, just with that just shot in the arm, that encouragement of what they can do, you know? So what is that that one, as we close up here that one? Helpful, you know, leave them with this memory is going to be Donna Clare   That you're fearfully and wonderfully made. You're not a mistake, you were fashioned by God just to be who you are. So embrace who you are, love yourself for who God has made you. And know that he doesn't make mistakes that he's fashioned you perfectly of how he wanted to make you. So love yourself and know that you are not wrong, that you are right, and just embrace who you are, and go and glorify God and be who was created because Kimberly Hobbs   That's beautiful. Amen. And you are doing just that. And we are just so proud of you. We are so thankful that we have done a Claire's in this world that could share openly sometimes it's difficult, you know, to be transparent about the things that you deal with in your life. But there's others out there that will relate that well know that you know, wow, somebody else is going through something I'm going through or has been through something I've been through, and how important it is to verbalize God tells us to do that. You know that we defeat the enemy, by the blood of the lamb which Donna has accepted Jesus as her personal Lord and Savior. Amen. And by the word of her testimony, she is sharing loud and clear that it wasn't anything of her control that allowed her to get better. It was releasing and surrendering all to Jesus. And by doing that, and allowing him to come in, through all the ways that God will come to your rescue if we allow him if we allow him entrance, he comes in. So I am just feeling that at this moment that if there is anybody out there that's listening, that doesn't have a personal relationship with Jesus, Donna and I, we just encourage you to surrender it all to him. Give your your hearts give your pain, give it all to Jesus. And the way you can ask Him into your heart is through confessing with your mouth that says, confession is made unto salvation. So if you confess the Lord Jesus and believe in his heart, your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. So I'd like to just pray really quick. And if you would like to pray along with Donna and I, and accept Jesus into your heart, that would be wonderful. That's where it starts. And then you're gonna just start reading the Word of God because there is power, transforming power in the Word. So let's pray. Ladies, Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner. And I know that there is no other way to heaven, but by the blood of Jesus that was shed on the cross for my sins. Lord, I believe that I can't do anything by my own power God, but it's going to be by the power of the blood of the lamb that saves my soul. So right now, I confess my sins to you, Lord Jesus, and I know I'm not perfect and I know I fall short. Please, God, forgive my sins, cleanse me from all of my unrighteous behavior, Lord, come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. I trust you, God, I release all other control over my life. Any chains that have held me down God, anything that has bound me, I release it all by the blood of Jesus Christ who died for my sins. Please come into my heart. Please be my Lord and Savior. Please show me scriptures God that will help me that will put me on the right path to follow you and surrender my life. Thank you, Lord Jesus. I trust in you right now with all my heart in Jesus name. Amen. Amen. Amen. If you have prayed that prayer ladies along with us for the first time, we want to hear from you too. We want to encourage you and I know Donna is available her. Her Facebook page is Donna Claire CLA R E. Or you can go to our website, women world leaders.com. We have areas there where you can pray, submit a prayer request, and we'll pray with you. We have all kinds of helpful tools at women world leaders where we would love to share them with you. One of them is courageous steps of faith. Ladies, this book is phenomenal. It is so many women that have taken those courageous steps of faith, to walk away from something like addiction or unforgiveness or there's so many things in this book, and they have walked toward the Lord Jesus Christ by those courageous steps of faith similar to Diana's story. And so ladies, you can get this courageous steps of faith on our women world leaders website or on Amazon. It's available Barnes and Noble. Another tool that we have to encourage you, strengthen you and your walk is voice of truth magazine, ladies, it's a free magazine that comes out every other month. It's amazing what God is doing. Women are sharing their stories, women are encouraging you and empowering you to walk in the name of Jesus, walk with us ladies, if you want your free copy of voice of truth magazine, go to info at women world leaders info at women world leaders.com And leave us your name, your address and your email address because we send it out digitally. And we send it out printed copy in the United States. So if you're outside the US, it's going to be digital only. So be sure to leave us your email info at women world leaders.com. And ladies take advantage please have the the tools that we have at women world leaders visit our website women world leaders.com And just skim through that and see all that's available to you know that we have podcasts Monday, Wednesday and Fridays. And you can get those access them by women world leaders podcast, women world leaders podcast. So Donna, thank you so much honey for sharing, saying hello to the ladies and sharing your story. Ladies, we have to close right now. So from his heart to yours. We are women world leaders. All content is copyrighted and cannot be used without expressed written consent. God bless you all and have a wonderful day.  

Join us as host Janet Berrong shares summertime tips to keep you grounded in the Spirit amidst the business and chaos of the summer season.  **** Welcome to Celebrating God's Grace, a Women World Leaders podcast. I'm your host, Janet Berrong. Thank you for joining me today as we celebrate God's grace in our lives in this ministry and the world. Please join us every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for our podcast Monday with Kimberly Hobbs Empowering Lives with Purpose. Wednesday with Julie Jenkins Walking in the Word and Friday with a variety of different hosts Celebrating God's Grace. I am happy to be back with you. It is summertime here and it offers a great change of pace. Summer is crazy season of sunning and running right? We go from the beach to the pool if we're lucky. Or we're toting a winter coat to our freezing office space and dreaming about going to the beach to the pool. The kids are out of school, they're either loving all their homework free time, or you're crying over the piles of junk they leave and every room they occupy. But despite all the sunshine and the struggles that summer can bring, we still need to connect with God. But how can we get closer to God when our normal routine has already gone by the wayside? I'm going to give you five summertime soul care tips that you can help you tend to your inner being and keep you grounded in the spirit immense the busyness and the chaos of the summer season. 1) read and or memorize a psalm. 2) Spend time in God's word. 3) Open up your home to fellowship with others. 4) Go to a Christian concert. 5) Build a summertime worship playlist. As we spend our time caring for our souls and spiritual well-being through the contemplating or spending time with the Spirit. We are slowly transformed into His image resting, reflecting, and renewing. Resting in the Lord refers to the spiritual rest from confusion, worry, stress, useless human effort and break free from all the internal external mortal and spiritual enemies. As believers we are not granted immunity from the life storms. But we have a choice about how we react to the storms. Jesus said, Come to me all of you who are weary and carry burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you because I am humble and gentle at heart and you find rest in your souls. For my sake it is easy to bear and the burdens I give you is light. Matthew 11:28-30 personal reflection on my own life and sometimes I'm prompted by the Holy Spirit to take a look inside my heart and mind for the purpose of examining my recent actions and thoughts. Psalm 16:11 reads you make known to me the path of life. In the presence there is a fullness of joy at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Nature summer is a season of growth and production in the plant life cycle. flowers and fruits bring fragrance beauty and delicious sweetness. It is time of warmth, extended light slowing down, taking a breath from our usual schedules and the refreshment in our everyday lives. We also need rest in spiritual renewal day to day, just like our bodies need physical rest. This soul care can only happen when we focus on God and rely on his strength to sustain us. Surely God is my help and the Lord who sustains me. Psalm 54 for renewal is always available. When we sin we have we can receive forgiveness. First John one nine. When we lose joy we can pray and have it restored. Psalm 51:12 The joy of the Lord which is the gladness of the heart comes from knowing God abiding in Christ and being filled with the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 reads, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Pray these words with me. Search me O God and know my heart test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you and lead me along the path of everlasting life. Psalms 139 23 through 24. Ladies have a fun filled summer and joyful hearts. Until next time, bye.  

Today as we study John 7:1-13, ask yourself if you trust God’s perfect timing. Jesus did – and what a glorious outcome! ***** Welcome to Walking in the Word, the biblical teaching arm of the Women World Leaders podcast. My name is Julie Jenkins, and I am so happy that you have joined us today as we open God’s Word together and ask Him to teach us what He wants us to know today. It is August 2022 as I record this, and our 9th edition of Voice of Truth is making its way to mailboxes! If you are not yet familiar with Voice of Truth – I encourage you to visit our website – www.womenworldleaders.com, where you can check out our back issues digitally. Voice of Truth is truly a labor of love. It was birthed during the pandemic when God brought together writers, artists, and editors from around the world. For nearly two years now, these incredible women have worked together on a voluntary basis to produce a magazine that shines a light on and for God’s glory. We have had so much fun creating this publication, and we have rejoiced as God has made a way for it to be distributed worldwide! Voice of Truth has become in such great demand, however, that we need to change gears a bit regarding the distribution. In the future, although the digital version will still be free of charge to anyone who requests it, we will only be sending out a printed version as a thank you to each of our financial donors. So if you want to ensure that you will receive the NEXT edition of Voice of Truth, make sure you go to our website and register to give a recurring monthly donation of any amount. Women World Leaders is a 501c3 non-profit ministry, and our goal is to empower others to walk in their God-given purpose. We offer events, teachings, books, and leadership-growth opportunities, including a monthly Zoom meeting full of fellowship, empowerment, and fun. To find out how you can get involved, connect with us on our website – womenworldleaders.com, or send us an email at [email protected] On this, our Wednesday edition of the Women World Leaders podcast, we are currently walking through the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. So as we dive in, I invite you to open your Bibles, or, if you are driving or walking or even doing dishes, simply open your heart as we allow God to teach and guide us. Before we begin, let’s pray. Dear Most Holy God! We thank you for always meeting us where we are and teaching us exactly what we need to know. I pray for each listener today, that you will speak directly to her – as only you can. God, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Today’s reading comes from John 7:1-13 from the New Living Translation. 7 After this, Jesus traveled around Galilee. He wanted to stay out of Judea, where the Jewish leaders were plotting his death.  Scholars believe that at this time, Jesus had spent many months in Galilee. His opposition had grown feistier and more vocal. Jesus clearly knew WHY He had been sent to earth and HOW His life would end. He had told the disciples time and again that He would be killed and raised on the third day, and in today’s passage, we see it clearly delineated that Jesus was committed to following God’s perfect timeline – even knowing it would end in His fleshly demise. Jesus walked God’s timeline in faith. As we listen today, I want you and I to consider whether we walk God’s timeline in faith. Do I really trust that God is using all I am going through today for His purpose? Do I believe that my seemingly insignificant work is contributing to God’s perfect plan in a way I can’t quite comprehend? Can I put my faith completely in a God whose timing is beyond my scope of understanding? Do I walk God’s timeline in faith? My second daughter graduated from college yesterday. She is twenty years old, and as I took my morning walk before going to the ceremony yesterday, I reflected on the last twenty years. Emily began preschool when she was 2. We went to meet her teacher before the year began, and, let’s just say, I knew from the moment I walked in the door that her assigned teacher was NOT a good fit. When we left an hour later, I knew we wouldn’t be back, and I am NOT one to change plans easily. I had previously put my daughter’s name on several preschool wait lists, so I knew there were no openings anywhere. But God had a plan, and His timing was perfect. That afternoon, I received a call from a different school – a spot had opened up. We went right over and met Ms. Theresa – a beautiful woman who helped shape my two-year-old Emily into the twenty-year-old college graduate that God knew she would be. I cannot BEGIN to tell you the marvels of God’s perfect provision and timing that made a way for Emily to walk across that stage yesterday and receive her diploma. If you are a parent, I know you understand. But you don’t have to be a parent to see God at work. When significant milestones happen in your life, I encourage you to look back on God’s provision and timing. And you don’t even have to wait for a milestone. Simply think about how God brought you to where you are today. As you do, you will be amazed at how God orchestrated things to make sure they turned out EXACTLY as they were supposed to. We serve a faithful God whose timeline we can trust. We simply need to walk God’s timeline in faith. Jesus knew the Jewish leaders were plotting His death, but He trusted God’s timeline, and He walked in faith. Even when it wasn’t comfortable and He had little support around Him. Verse 2… 2 But soon it was time for the Jewish Festival of Shelters, 3 and Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, where your followers can see your miracles! 4 You can’t become famous if you hide like this! If you can do such wonderful things, show yourself to the world!” 5 For even his brothers didn’t believe in him. The Jewish Festival of Shelters – also called the Festival of the Tabernacles or Booths – was a time of joyous celebration! It occurred in October and was a time for Jewish people to travel to Jerusalem together in large family groups. They went for a week to give food offerings to God and to celebrate how God released their ancestors into freedom from slavery in Egypt. In Deuteronomy 16, the Jewish people are commanded to “Be joyful” at the festival, “For the Lord your God will bless you in all your harvest and in all the work of your hands, and your joy will be complete.” It was a festival of remembering the goodness of God and celebrating that which was to come in God’s perfect timing and provision. It was a festival where they received encouragement and resolve to walk God’s timeline in faith for the coming year. Jesus’ brothers, who after His death and resurrection, by the way, became some of His greatest advocates, at this time were kind of making fun of Jesus. They were following the world – saying, ‘Jesus – you think you’re all that. Come on with us to Jerusalem where people will see you and you can put your money where your mouth is!’ Verse 6… 6 Jesus replied, “Now is not the right time for me to go, but you can go anytime. 7 The world can’t hate you, but it does hate me because I accuse it of doing evil. 8 You go on. I’m not going[a] to this festival, because my time has not yet come.” 9 After saying these things, Jesus remained in Galilee. These verses make me sad for Jesus. These were His people from birth, His family, and yet they were belittling Him and laughing at Him. They didn’t understand who He was, nor did they want to. They were going to Jerusalem for a party, a Festival, to honor and praise God … but before they went they teased God Himself, their true Messiah. But Jesus didn’t let this stop Him from following God’s timeline in faith. “Now is not the right time for me to go…” – what He was really saying was, it was not in God’s timeline at that moment for Him to show Himself publicly in Jerusalem. Verse 10 continues… 10 But after his brothers left for the festival, Jesus also went, though secretly, staying out of public view.  It is ALWAYS time to honor God! And it is always the right time to declare our faith in His perfect timeline. So Jesus went to celebrate and honor God – while He put Himself in the background. God sees you, and He knows everything that you are going through. God created time for us so that our minds can understand sequences and see His glorious unfolding provision set before us. But God’s ways are higher than our ways and His vision is perfect. We see and experience things in a linear fashion, with the passing of time, but God already knows the ending and can see all of time in His single vision. I’ve heard it described that we are like a canoer going down a stream. We see the scenery as it passes by us. But God is like the airplane pilot flying above – able to look down and see the whole stream and all the river in one shot. God saw Jesus waiting, alone; and He saw His upcoming suffering and death on a cross; but God also saw Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and His payment for sins; AND God saw what WE have not yet experienced – our eternal joy as we live with God unhindered by sin, and in complete harmony with all His children. For us – that salvation is at the end of the stream, but in God’s sight, our salvation is NOW, because Jesus’ work is finished. Jesus’ life was hard! And sometimes lonely. But there was a purpose – God had the perfect plan. Jesus just had to walk God’s timeline in faith. Neither my daughter Emily nor I understood HOW God would perfectly piece together her many teachers and experiences over the years, but God had the perfect plan for her to end up walking across that stage and receiving her diploma yesterday. She just had to walk God’s timeline in faith. You may not be able to see the other side of the mountain you are up against. But God does! And He is faithfully leading you down each path full of accomplishments for His glory. Trust God, and walk His timeline for you in faith AND in joy! By faith, keep your eyes on the glorious outcome God has for you, even though it may likely get harder before it gets easier…Verse 11 continues… 11 The Jewish leaders tried to find him at the festival and kept asking if anyone had seen him. 12 There was a lot of grumbling about him among the crowds. Some argued, “He’s a good man,” but others said, “He’s nothing but a fraud who deceives the people.” 13 But no one had the courage to speak favorably about him in public, for they were afraid of getting in trouble with the Jewish leaders. That’s not a very happy ending to our reading today. But thankfully, that isn’t the end of the story. And whatever chapter you are in isn’t the end either. God’s ways ARE higher than our ways, His sight is crisper than our sight, and His love, provision, and guidance are perfect. You WILL walk across that stage. You WILL cross the finish line. You CAN trust in faith God’s perfect timing. Jesus did! And He did it for you! Let’s pray. Dear Most Holy God – thank you for your perfect timing and provision. We are awed that all we have to do is obediently trust you and take the next step. Father, we are so blessed that you love us so much. Yours is a love that we cannot begin to comprehend. And we are so grateful that you consider it your joy to lavish your love on us each and every day. Father – we hold out our arms, and we accept your shower of grace and love. And we walk your perfect timeline in perseverance and joy, knowing in our hearts that the ending is more glorious than we could possibly imagine. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.  

We can all use some happiness in our lives and a happy heart comes from inner joy.   Faith-based comedian, actress, and writer, DeAnn Alaine shares of her struggle along with a "Joyful Remedy" which has led her to a strong desire to serve Jesus. As a comedian, she helps others through their tough times in a cheerful way for God's Kingdom glory.    ***** Kimberly Hobbs   Welcome to empowering lives with purpose. And I'm your host, Kimberly Hobbs. I'm the founder of Women World Leaders. And we are so grateful to have you with us today. And I would like to welcome our guest today, Miss DeAnn Alaine, welcome, DeAnn. DeAnn Alaine   Woo-hoo! Thank you baby. I'm so glad to be here! Kimberly Hobbs   She is a bundle of joy. And we are so excited about what is going to be shared today. So be prepared ladies, this this woman is such a woman of God. And I am just so grateful to call her friend. And she is actually one of our leaders and women are leaders. So we are happy to do this broadcast today, this podcast. So ladies, it is our hope that through what you listen to today will inspire you and encourage you and just bring you closer to your walk with Jesus. And Ephesians 2:10 says that we are God's masterpiece we are created anew in Christ Jesus to do the very good things that he planned for us long ago. And we believe that each of us have a purpose on this planet. And that is to walk and glorify God in everything that we do. And our hope is that by listening today that you might be empowered to walk in your purpose, and serve God wherever it is that you are. The Bible also says that every believer has received grace gifts, so use them to serve one another as faithful stewards of the many colored cat tapestries of God's grace. That's First Peter 410 So today we're gonna share some of the gifting that this amazing woman of God has. And she is a comedian and I just again just love Deanne. So let me share a little bit about who she is. Deanna Elaine met the Lord as a child. She knew him as her healer before she knew him as her Savior. born with a rare disease that affected her mental and physical development, and made her unique from day one. She was called into the ministry as a young person, she eventually went to Bible college because the expectation of those around her was to be the pastor's wife and to play piano. That was going to be her testimony. Did the Colin her life change? No. Did the method of ministry Yes, not only is Deanna comedian, but she is also an award winning TV show host of Maude wash moments with Dan Elaine, and is the creator and director for fade away coming to TV and cell phones soon. So we are so again happy to have you and today we're going to hear about Dan's story a little bit of joyful remedy brought to you with a happy face from a happy heart. The Bible says you will show me the way of life granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasure of living with you forever that Psalm 1611. I love talking about joy. It just makes me happy. But first let's glance into Dan's younger years. Dan, you said that you were called at a young age and both parents instilled in you that the church should be the most joyful group of people on the planet, right? Your mom was a silly fun strong and and she had many enhance talents. So can you talk about your childhood with us a little bit and share a little bit about you growing up? DeAnn Alaine   Sure. Well, what a woman my mother, just a phenomenal chick. I remember before she met my dad and they got married, she would sew puppets called whosits. I mean, she was a single mom with three girls. And so we would go to different places and try and sell these puppets. She worked with a friend named Jackie like why do I remember that out of all these years and so even from a young age when you don't have money you get really creative and and she as it as it as a young person herself, really wanted to go into acting and she's just a beautiful charming human being it came to the Lord late in her 20s And so now that part of that excitement and and fun through hard work being a single mom until I was nine I got to see firsthand what joy looks like through great trial through great challenge and my older sisters they didn't quite get the picture of of her as a mom that I did because I was the youngest but then we had someone Just when she was teaching Sunday school and set up like this missions airplane and pretended fly us in different places, and we tried to recruit from different places, and, and then she met and married my dad, and what a guy and he's, he's the one that said the church should be the most joyful people on the planet like, and he's so right. And this is coming from a guy who, who became a husband and a dad all all at once. And we had never experienced the kind of life that he brought into the house. Like he would do try and taste what is in this. And he made eggs one time that looked like gray brain. Because he made him like licorice, like licorice flavored pancakes, it looks so awful. But we would gains and it would bring joy around the table with something that used to be a lot more common than it is today sitting at the table and enjoying each other having fellowship around food. I mean, my parents worked, my dad was in the Air Force. And my mom worked even after I married my dad work, work, work, work, work. And so to have two parents who love the Lord, who have that joy foundation really led me into into that season and finding joy around people who also loved Jesus. And when I was born, I was born with a terminal illness. And doctors would tell my mother, she's not going to live past this, this time. And this time, and this time, it happened several times. I was like, on this wing back then in the 70s. They didn't have this. They didn't have a decorum that they have today. I'm not PC, I'm a comic I'm not PC, but they didn't have decorum. And so they have this wing, they call the the, the the point of no return. And it was for terminally ill kids. And I was I was there a few different times in the state of Oregon, their university, and university Med Center. So all throughout that here's the enemy trying to take me out and having a mother who is now a believer praying, having elders of the church come over and pray. But still to have that joy like infused in into our life, we lived in a single wide trailer until I was nine. So I mean, we had frozen pipes. And I remember my mom getting my sister's like crawl under the trailer trying to fall pipes and stuff like that. It was like crazy. But then we'd come in and she would draw characters that she created on our lunch bags, because we didn't have like the 10 are really cool plastic lunchbox. So she would start drawing characters. And last year, she became a published author with her characters in a in a precious book. And so she's still living out what she started with me when I was little little. And she's still living that joyful testimony out. Kimberly Hobbs   Oh, that is so beautiful. So wow, that gives me a little bit of insight to and to your childhood with a mom that was creative and did things to just bring smiles to faces of her children. That's beautiful. So Dan, part of your joy you told me is to fix a problem. And the joy of the Lord was your strength, especially while school was extremely difficult for you. You also said church was the only place that you felt loved and accepted. So can you talk about school and why it was so difficult for you. DeAnn Alaine   So what I was mentioning with having this illness, the problem was my organs were growing, but my bones weren't. And like that's just there's nothing normal about that. And so what it lent itself to was developmental delays, physical delays and so academics I was six years academically behind my peers and oh my goodness, did that make it a struggle and I have this condition called seek amnesia. And what it means is mirrored image so all the muscles in my right from my shoulders all the way through my arms move exactly in mirrored image. So if I needed to write a paper, my right hand would right and my left hand and all the muscles in my left arm would move in the same exact Wow method but opposite. So everything with writing with school I academics was such a challenge I did terrible in school like, terrible. It's like, so going to church was like the place where I was accepted. I was surrounded by so many wonderful elderly people like the church, we went to Hood River Assembly of God in Hood River, Oregon. And I'm surrounded by a lot of elderly people that love to me would love holding me. And so from from being itty bitty, like I knew that my safe place was, was there because I didn't even expect to go to college. And the Lord delivered me from having feeling stupid, and having to overcome great challenges. Even through college. No one expected me to go to college. And so the fact that God really saw me through, and I have a degree in science and a degree in Biblical Studies and a degree it like, like, Who would have thought this, this, this stupid kid, like, would do this. And so, and the Lord, he saw me through, he saw me through and having that, again, that testimony from my mother really aided me in saying you can do this, you can do this. Through Christ, all things are possible. Kimberly Hobbs   Amen, amen. You are such a joy. And wow, I had no idea even some of these challenges you were saying that you went through Deann. And, and even knowing how you are and the beauty of your your soul that radiates the joy of Jesus, you can tell it's your strength, because I would never have guessed any of you know, the difficulties that you went through. So Deanne, Utah talked about when we were talking previously about a piece of chocolate. Hmm, you know, like, what, what about this piece of chocolate? You married your first husband, and you found yourself in harm's way you were talking about that too? Mental and physical? Abuse. And you called on the Lord in 2007, and started talking about a piece of chocolate. So can you share a little bit about this? This piece of chocolate? DeAnn Alaine   Oh, gosh, yeah, I listen, if you want to, if you want to find out who not to marry, or who to marry, have haven't listened, be willing to listen to the Lord. I didn't do that. I marry this sweet guy. He was a Christian going to church. And, and wow, after 18 months of marriage, things really started to take a turn for the worst and and so in the midst of that very challenging time. The Lord did speak to my heart, and He knows that I love chocolate. Like I know it's not for every chick, or for every person, but but for me, like chocolate scratches an itch. And he's like, What about a piece of chocolate? Like, what piece of like, where I started looking for wrappers? Like where's where he's like, no, no. Write, write about some of the joyful times you have when you were a kid. And growing up in these pieces of chocolate and, and like, oh my gosh, so I started writing blogging, like way back in 2007. And it started to grow and it started to change and more women started to like, come in, because our stories are funny. And even even through that very dark time. Here's the Lord saying, I am keeping you but I'm keeping you my way. I'm not keeping you away. I'm keeping you my way and a piece of chocolate kept, kept going and kept growing. Until until the Lord said, okay, that season is done. And then I was done. Like when he says done, I'm done. Yeah, wow. Kimberly Hobbs   So that definitely satisfied for a time you were blogging, and it all came from a piece of chocolate and God gave you that creative mind again to take from that piece of chocolate and bloom something there that was able to get you through a period of time and others to because others read your blogs and so Dan, you needed your joy restored. The Bible says the commandments of the Lord, I write bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for the living. Psalm 19 verse eight. Sadly, your marriage didn't last and it took strength to get through that time and the strength to do the right thing something right you needed the right source of strength and that's today what we want to pour in to these women that are listening, we all need our strength from the Lord at different times. And we may be all battling different things as you battled a lot of emotional difficulty in your life, you battled physical difficulty, and let loose Deanne. And let's talk to these ladies that are listening in about where your joy comes from, and how they can just harness that joy, the way that you did and the way that you do now in your life. DeAnn Alaine   Oh, This is my wheelhouse, like, I'm so happy to share this because I, okay, here's the thing. The Bible says that the joy of the Lord and I want to slow this down, the joy of the Lord is our strength. Amen. But listen, joy, or like any muscle that needs to be strengthened has to be worked out. It's, it's not like, oh, the joy of the Lord is my strength. And then you're grasping for straws, like desperately trying to like Where? Where is it? Where's the joy? Where's the joy? You we have to allow Jesus to, to, we need to give him space in our lives to strengthen us. So joy is a strength that has to be developed. So you may not have you may not go through, like everyone's lives gets touched with dramatic situations and horrible situations. So So can Jesus keep you during that time? Yes, if you will let Jesus keep you. Right, the Bible says that Jesus can keep your mind in perfect peace, your heart and perfect peace. So if you'll give him room to bring that peace factor in the midst of that those storms. And in the midst of what seems like drowning, like sometimes it's not just as nice as a storm. Sometimes it's a hurricane. And sometimes you you're under the water and debris is flowing past you. And it's it's it's there's nothing pretty like life is hard. However, if you if we can give Jesus the space, to keep our minds to get in the Word, to keep our minds as we are in Christ Jesus, then that will give him a chance to develop joy as a strength. Because joy has to be developed. It has to be a choice. It has to be a choice. Like I was looking in Psalm, chapter 100, verse two, which is serve the Lord with gladness, come before him with joyful songs. Now, I don't know about you, but sometimes the only song that I can get out of my mouth is like like, that's the all these song I have is it it doesn't even sound like a song. Like sometimes I just, I need to have like a song that sounds like a meltdown just to release that hot the harboring mental challenges and thought bonds that the enemy tries to throw my way. And sometimes I have to fake it. Because here's the thing, okay. I was also a nurse for a season, and I was an LPN. And I learned that even by saying, My joy is complete, well change the hormones that are released into your bloodstream and change the effect of how you actually feel a change to affect God knows how he made us he he's so he knows it all. He knows the hormones that he put in us crazy women like he knows. He's there with us in the story he understands. But in but in that, do you know that just smiling even when you're like, angry, if you'll smile, it releases a chemical in your bloodstream, that changes the effect of the hormones in your in your body it Amen to that change your mind. So but it has to be chosen. This way that I have, it didn't start today. It has been brewing and growing and strengthening for a long time. But the best test of where you know that your joy is getting strong is always in the Valley. It's never on the mountaintop. It's always in those challenges. So I also want to read from Psalm 51 Psalms 51 Verse 12, and that verse is Is restore the joy of your salvation to me and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit. That willingness to say, I'd rather wig out, I'd rather get my flesh. It's all way I'd rather do that. I want my own remedy. Rather than a joyful remedy. I want to, I want to tell my husband what I think of him. I want to tell it like, ah, you know, it's okay to scream. It's okay. Like, it's okay. Seriously, if you're listening to this right now and you feel like you're gonna first go into your closet, shut the door, if you don't have that golf suck, okay? Even if you like, whatever you need to do to scream, get, get that, that stress out of your body, and just start singing, just sing a song. joy of the Lord is my strength. Right? I learned that Sunday School is a little thing that today, like I could be having a meltdown and crying. And I sing, the joy of the Lord is my strength. But it changes my brain it changes I feel my body. But it has to be a decision much like how we choose Jesus. Right? He calls us by name he calling out to us. But we're the ones that take that step by faith. You know, to say, I believe you. I believe what you say is true. If you're if right, Jesus was the Word made flesh. So if he came to Earth, look what he endured. But look how he was so victorious, like Jesus is the remedy is the remedy of joy. Right? If Jesus wasn't in heaven, it wouldn't be heaven. Thing about right. So if Jesus wasn't in my life, and an active part and an active decision that I make every day, my joy would not be complete. Because he's the remedy. He's worse. He's the only one that I can say, Jesus, I got myself into this. But I need you to get me out of this what it looks like. And guess what he does. Every time I give him room and space. To my own conclusions is sort of jumping to my like, I just want to, like, I don't want to kill my husband. He is an amazing man of God, but the wife, I just want to go. Unknown Speaker   I have a 16 year old son. I don't have daughters. DeAnn Alaine   And so I think about that, I have to choose to give Jesus room to say, Okay, you beat you in this and then just trust that he's got me covered. Kimberly Hobbs   He does. He does. have you covered DeAnn. He has all of us covered. And I still wanted to jump in with a scripture but I'll read it now. If you weren't talking as you were talking, because it's just this is so good. Those who look to him for help. Ladies, when we look to Jesus for help, he doesn't leave us floundering around and flapping in our tears and crying about those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy. Just as Dan shared about the joy of the Lord is our strength it is and in the Bible says no shadow of shame will darken their faces Taste and see that the Lord is good. Oh the joys of those who take refuge in Him. Psalm 34, five and eight, Psalm 34, five and eight ladies. So take refuge right, Dan? Like you just gave your life to taking refuge in him under the shadow of his wings. And you have been in complete joy. In fact, Deanna has made a career out of that and just bringing joy to the hearts of women now and men and women. She has been a faith based comedian and just shares just the joy that exudes out of her soul because she does have Jesus residing there every single day, every single moment share about how and what you do for a living Diem because it's so fun. It's so interesting. And you get to be happy every day and what you do DeAnn Alaine   I think you overstated that a little bit. She's like, joy in every moment, every second. I'm like Oh, okay. You You can't see it if you're listening to the broadcast, but I have a cookie monster bubble machine that like my husband and I like we love SeaWorld. We live in the Orlando area and so like, so sometimes I need this guy to just like help me out. He blinks and he blows bubbles outside of his lid. And I'm like, what? I rather blow bubbles out of my lid or for heart like of course now he's not blowing bubbles right now, but he's cute. I is any cue? Of course, you know, cooking chocolate and all that good stuff. I do. I did not call myself into comedy. Like I really thought I was going to be a crazy worshiper. I mean, I am but like, as a leader, and write music and sing in church and stuff. And then it was only like two and a half years ago, the Lord's like, hey, silly. I want you to bring joy to the world. I want you to do comedy. I'm like, what? Oh my gosh, this sounds like so much fun. And so through 2020 I learned the skill of comedy. So I oh my gosh, he's blowing. He's blowing his bubbles like here. Here we are, ladies and gentlemen Kimberly Hobbs   See the bubbles going around. Most everybody's listening to podcasts, but those who are watching on YouTube. DeAnn Alaine   And check this out. You guys.. Kimberly Hobbs   see the bubbles all over?  DeAnn Alaine   Isn't it so much fun. I'm such a kid.  Kimberly Hobbs   Bubbles make you happy. Unknown Speaker   They do. That's why I have a comedy carwash show on Roku TV. Yes. We go through a carwash I have guests and we play games and and we sing songs and and it's just bananas. It's on creative motion network. So if you ever pay TV or the Roku stick, or you can go to the their site online and watch mouthwash moments with the analyte. And and we have the most fun going through a carwash and sometimes we'll go through two times and and sometimes we'll go through three times just because we're having so much fun. And the Lord is bringing that to the surface on like a carwash. Like this is so much fun.  Kimberly Hobbs   I know. Who would ever think about going through a carwash and making a comedy show out of it. But God gave you that vision to do it. And also Dan, talk about fade away as you are getting ready to film and share a little bit about that too. DeAnn Alaine   Well, Fade Away is a sitcom based off of the best third rate funeral in Polk County, which is the county where I live in Florida. And we start filming on August 5, so be praying for us in that. And then we finish the rest of the filming on September 3 and fourth, we've got our camera guys in place our actors in place and I'm like Jesus, what are you doing? He's like, it's still comedy, but I want you to do television. I'm calling you into a bigger a bigger place, I need more. I have had to I learned joy and and you know, everyone's life is touched with death, everyone. And so here's the Lord saying I need I need people to have permission to be able to laugh and have joy about some of the biggest heart aches they've experienced. And so it's really like his hand is on this and that it's all come together. It's a miracle because I've never done anything like this before. But the when the Lord says do this, I'm hits so I'm gonna say yes. So yes, adventure. Kimberly Hobbs   Yes, yes, you are on a huge adventure. And we are just so blessed Dan to be able to come alongside of you. And now that she is in women, world leaders, God is using her and amazing ways here as well. And she has spoke at our last event at Kaiser University and just brought joy to the audience of women that laughed and laughed and laughed and and you can tell again, the joy of the Lord is your strength and nobody would know what was happening in your life growing up and how God would use all of those situations to bring you to where you are today and how you're able to serve Him with that joy. So ladies, we just really we know all of us like Dan sided go through struggles day to day but we need to just look to the Lord for our strength. As Dan said, shout out loud you know, turn your screams into songs of praise to the Lord and just be joyful with a joyful heart and the joy of the Lord will be your strength. You can visit DeAnn at WWW dot DeAnn Alaine - Alaine is a l a i n e.com If you'd like to hear her speak or perform comedy at your next event And and the name of her show mod wash moments with Deanna lien can be seen on Roku TV. Just add creative motion network to your streaming channels and find comedy presentations. And you can like and follow fadeaway on the Facebook page and find Deanne on Instagram at Dianna lean three to seven. She is also ladies and this month voice of truth magazine through women world leaders where she shares some joy in the magazine and look for her in the future with some really exciting future things that she's going to be writing. And we are just so grateful to have her on our leadership team. And in just in future things with women, we're leaders, we're working on some fun things to bring joy into the ministry. And Deann Can you leave the ladies with a just a word to that they could carry with them through the day just maybe that shot in the arm? That would just give them some joy? DeAnn Alaine   Yeah, absolutely. The shot in the arm is just confess with your mouth, Jesus, I will give you room today to work. I will give you room. Because if you if you give him room to work things out instead of you work trying to work them out yourself. He will do such a better job I promise you. So just say I promise to give you room today. Kimberly Hobbs   Wow, that's powerful, powerful. Give him room. So Jesus, we give you room to work in our life today. And for everybody listening, let's just pray that together. Daniel, you just cover the the women in prayer, just a short prayer to cover them. DeAnn Alaine   In the name of Jesus become before you indeed whether struggling or, or with buckets of joy, we just come at your feet and we declare that you are Lord, we thank You Jesus that you truly are the source. You are the remedy. Yes, joy, like you are the remedy for a joyful lifestyle. And, and for any of the ladies for all of the ladies listening, I just speak joy in abundance. In that moment. Today. I speak joy, even just a tiny bit, just meet them where they're at with, with the joy that they are they can receive in this moment. Jesus, you know that some are listening and their kids are driving them bananas or or they make they you might be single, and you're a single rose, but just know that Jesus has you covered and give him room like Jesus, thank you for these beautiful women. Thank you that they'll say today what I give you room to to, to work. Instead of me trying to fix this. Your joy will be manifested by me watching what you do. So Laurie, thank you for giving the women courage to say I won't settle for my flesh. I just I just want Jesus and to sit back and give him room to do what you love to do. I honor these ladies and bless them in the name of Jesus. Amen. Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. And remember ladies, Jesus is the joy of our salvation. His banner over us is love. And that was a song that we used to sing growing up in Sunday school so we just know Jesus is the joy of our salvation carry him with you ladies give him room. Thank you Deanna lane, we love you so much. And ladies, please remember join us each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. As we bring you these podcasts and each and every week. Ladies, we have to close but from his heart to yours. We are women world leaders all content is copyrighted and cannot be used without expressed written consent. God bless you and have a beautiful fantastic day the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Sometimes, we all need to be “set right” with the Lord. Enjoy this beautiful Voice of Truth article, written by Kim Meeder, Tiny Bird. **** Welcome to celebrating God's grace, a women world leaders podcast. My name is Julie Jenkins and it is my honor today to bring you a greeting from Voice of Truth magazine. God has called women world leaders who produce and distribute voice of truth four times each year. We work with artists and writers from around the world to showcase God's glory. Visit women world leaders.com where you can see our back issues and register for a digital subscription. And if you live within the United States and become a monthly donor to women, world leaders, a 501c3 ministry. To thank you we will make sure you receive a physical copy of the upcoming editions delivered right to your mailbox. Today's reading is from our very first edition of Voice of Truth, which was published in January 2021. The article Tiny Bird was written by author Kim Meder. Kim Meder is the co-founder and CCO of crystal peaks youth ranch a unique ministry that rescues mistreated horses and pairs them with hurting children, encouraging all toward the healing hope of Jesus Christ. The ranch was founded in 1995 and serves 1000s of kids a year all free of charge. Kim's first book hope arising inspired the ranch to win the national Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis award and launch her inspirational speaking ministry. Kim remains passionate to share complete freedom and wholeness in Christ by following the leadership of the Holy Spirit. Together, Kim and her husband Troy have helped to establish over 200 other similar ranch ministries throughout the United States, Canada, and a dozen in foreign countries. She and her husband have been married since 1981 and live in Bendm Oregon. Together they enjoy deep wilderness adventuring. Enjoy my reading of Tiny Bird by Kim Meder. Those who know me well are aware of my passion for the outdoors. For the times when I must be inside I've strategically stationed bird feeders to draw the beautiful activity of the wild into my view. Not long ago, I nestled into my office with a hot cup of coffee and hand and an old beloved quilt across my lap. outside my window I had just scattered bird seed across a downy blanket of new fallen snow. Unable to access their usual fare through the frozen white. The birds showed their pure gratitude by gliding down into the yard in great numbers. Soon the entire scene was filled with the delightful chatter of happy birds enjoying breakfast. Suddenly, there was a worrying storm of wings as the panic flock took flight. a zillion birds darted a zillion different directions as a large Cooper's Hawk swooped through the yard. In the frenzy to escape, a small bird smashed into my office window only inches from my face. The impact knocked the bird unconscious and it fell upside down onto the woodpile below the window cell. Looking at it intently, I studied the tiny bird. It was a Junko known in this region as a snowbird. The slightly muted coloration told me it was a female. She was still on her back when her tiny legs began to move. She appeared to be searching for something to grasp to write herself. Finding nothing but cold. I watched the perfect legs struggle less and less, then, not at all. She was dying. "Lord! How can this be right? How can this be your will? This is a meaningless death. Why?" I searched. Then in the stillness I heard, "Look at her. Look at her." I did. The beautiful slender legs were slowly sliding apart as she was leaving this life. She has been knocked out of balance she was not created to live in this position set her right. The old quilt flew off my lap as I dashed out of the office toward the back door. When I reached the bird, a single thought crossed my mind, "How?" What followed was more image than phrase, but the words I sensed were, "Gentle, gentle, gentle." Using two fingers from my left hand and the index finger on my right eye, I carefully lifted the bird only high enough to rotate her back onto her feet. In doing so, I watched the tiny bird's head slide deeply to the side. Her neck appeared broken. The rescue attempt was futile. My "But God, this is hopeless" was crushed before I even finished the thought. "Do it. Don't trust what you think, you know, trust no one you know, trust me." In obedience, I gently propped the tiny bird against a piece of firewood and quietly made my way back into the office. Once the frayed quilt was replaced on my lap, I rotated my chair back toward the window and moved up as close as I could get cheeses I gasped at all. The little snowbirds head was now a top her shoulders right where it should be captured by this tiny miracle I watched completely transfixed. held fast within the power of this transformation. It occurred to me that horses are similar in reaction when cast on their back. They'll try to write themselves for a while but once they believe that they cannot rise, they stop trying. Left in this upside-down position. Death is Imminent. Soon the snowbird's beautiful black eyes began to blink her thought process was returning. After several long moments, she shook once and then flew away. "Wow,Lord! Speak!" Through the quiet of dawn, I could hear deep within, "Gentle, gentle, gentle this is what I am calling you to do for those around you. Help them regain their balance in my love. Some will accept being rebalanced and will immediately take flight soaring deeper into my presence. Others will not accept being rebalanced and will choose to return to an upside-down existence of self-imposed pain and bitterness. Beloved, yours is not to make such a call for them. Yours is to listen closely and simply do what I say. To secure those around you with my love. This is what I'm calling all my people to do." Recently, I traveled to northern California to visit some dear family friends. They were my childhood neighbors when I still lived with my parents. Katie, a woman of my mother's age was a new believer when she heard the tragic news of how my distraught father had murdered my mother and then taken his own life. Left behind were three orphaned girls. In her young faith, she did what mattered most she started to pray for the daughters. All Katie knew was that the girls had been taken away. She prayed for them for years decades, never knowing what happened. She just kept praying that somehow through the pain, they would meet Jesus. ...

Jesus teaches us in Matthew 18:15-35 how to respond when we are sinned against by a Christian brother or sister. We are taught the process for holding each other accountable and, through the Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor, to always offer forgiveness. **** Welcome to Walking in the Word – the biblical teaching arm of the Women World Leaders’ podcast. My name is Julie Jenkins, and I’m so glad that you have joined us for our Wednesday edition! I had the pleasure of spending this last weekend at the beach. I am a worker-bee, and to keep balance in my life, I have to intentionally step away from work periodically. It sounds crazy, but that is a really difficult thing for me to do. Some friends of ours graciously shared their 8th floor beach condo with us for the weekend, so we took off for three days with no agenda except to NOT work. My mornings were spent sitting in the surf, while my afternoons were spent sitting on the shaded balcony overlooking the water. Let me tell you, you can see a LONG way from an 8th floor balcony. And as I looked out over the water, it was striking to me how big God must be if He created an ocean that was so big it mesmerized me. Have you ever thought about that? And then, when I contemplated the beauty and majesty of the ocean even more deeply, I thought about God looking down – He said in Genesis that His creation was good, but He said that the children He created were VERY good. When God looks at the earth, despite His amazing view, which is far better than that from an 8th floor balcony, it isn’t the majesty of the ocean He focuses on – it is the majesty of you and me. His children. I want us to keep that in mind as we study today’s scripture: the majesty of God’s people. Today we are talking about holding our brothers and sisters in Christ accountable for their sin against us. Yet even as we hold them accountable, we are to forgive them and work purposefully to bring them into restoration with the community of Christ rather than to condemn them. Because they, like us, are God’s treasured creation. Together, WE are God’s treasured creation – His masterpiece – and we are here at this time in this space to hold each other up and love each other, even WHILE we hold each other accountable. With that in mind, let’s pray before we delve into today’s Scripture, Matthew 18:15-35… Dear Most Holy and Amazing Creator God! We come to you in awe of you as we think about your majestic creation. God – with the power of your voice, you created the universe and everything in it; and yet you are a personal God who cares for each of us with a depth and focus we can’t even begin to understand. You never give up teaching us and helping us grow into the people you have created us to be. Father, forgive us and cleanse us as we delve into your Word. Holy Spirit, enlighten us with understanding and wisdom as we read and study. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. We are currently walking through the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John chronologically, in an effort to not miss a single moment of Jesus’ teaching as He walked the earth. We recently heard Jesus teach the disciples that humility leads to greatness in the Kingdom of God and that we have a responsibility to newer believers. We can all attest to the fact that living in community can be difficult, and you’d better believe that the disciples knew this struggle well. Although they were all devout followers of Jesus, they all had very different backgrounds and personalities – and they were not without sin. Just as we are not without sin. And even as we soul-search and ask God to reveal our own sin AGAINST others, we each also experience being sinned against BY others. So it is in this vein that Jesus now teaches His community of believers what to do when a fellow Christian sins against us. Allow me to read Jesus’ words beginning in Matthew 18:15 from the New Living Translation… 15 “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.  What a great place to begin! Plain and simple – go to the individual who has wronged you – have a conversation. Tell him or her that you are hurt and why. We ALL mess up…and when we do…how beautiful it is to be spoken to and respected on an individual level! Jesus continues… 16 But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses.  Jesus instructs us to widen the circle when the first conversation doesn’t go well. While ganging up on someone is not the point, working together to uncover the root of sin is. When we are dealing with sin that could influence and spread in a Christian community, it is important to not let that sin fester and spread. We have a fruit bowl that we keep on our kitchen counter, and I am always so bummed when I pick up an apple with a rotten spot – because usually, that means that the rot has spread to the other fruit. It is the same within our communities. If you are wronged by an individual, chances are that you aren’t the only one who was wronged, and it is the responsibility of each of us to make sure that sin’s rottenness doesn’t spread throughout the Christian community. Verse 17... 17 If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector. This is a hard verse to digest – but just because it’s hard, doesn’t mean we should gloss over it. If a Christian brother or sister’s heart is so hard that he or she refuses to take guidance that was offered with prayer and biblical wisdom, it is time for tough love. For the good of the whole. Jesus continues… 18 “I tell you the truth, whatever you forbid[c] on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit[d] on earth will be permitted in heaven. 19 “I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. 20 For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” It’s important that we read these two verses in tandem with each other…Jesus is telling us that when we come to Him in communion with other believers, seeking His will and guidance, He will be there and will not lead us astray. And when we act with the wisdom that God alone can grant, we can trust that we are acting in accordance with the laws of heaven. Let me read verses 18 and 19 one more time…this time from the ERV… 18 “I can assure you that when you speak judgment here on earth, it will be God’s judgment. And when you promise forgiveness here on earth, it will be God’s forgiveness.[a] 19 To say it another way, if two of you on earth agree on anything you pray for, my Father in heaven will do what you ask. As Jesus taught about holding others accountable, Peter was listening and processing – he understood the need for personal forgiveness that would go along with holding a brother accountable, but he had questions…verse 21 from the NLT…  “Lord, how often should I forgive someone[f] who sins against me? Seven times?” Seven times was generous in Peter’s mind as the rabbis taught that an individual should forgive another person who sins against him three times. So, Jesus’ answer was probably a bit shocking… 22 “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven! Seven was the perfect number, so it is less about being able to do math and keep a tally of the number of times we forgive, and more about forgiving endlessly, to infinity, to perfection. As long as we live on earth and have given our lives to Christ, we can trust God’s infinite forgiveness. And as Christians, one to another, God expects us to forgive those who sin against us, as well. Jesus breaks it down to story form…often called the Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor… 23 “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. 24 In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars.[h] 25 He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt. It sounds harsh – for a human life, actually several human lives, to be sold to pay a debt. When we get deep into monetary debt, we just expect extra finance charges, not to pay with our freedom. But it was an accepted practice at that time. Not only would the man be punished for his debt, but so would the man’s family! It’s no wonder that the man begged for mercy before he and his family were whisked into slavery. Verse 27… 26 “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ 27  Then the unthinkable happened… … his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. This man was saved from a life of slavery – and so were his wife and children – all because of the generosity of another! You’d think he’d have run home in celebration and thanksgiving, but no. The story continues to unfold… 28 “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars.[i] He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. 29 “His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. 30 But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full. 31 “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. 32 Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. 33 Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ 34 Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. Jesus then gives the take away… 35 “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.” Wow! While we can see the undeniable lack of balance in the man’s life, it may take a leap for us to apply this story to ourselves. The man was forgiven his insurmountable debt – he and his family were let go scot-free. And then the man turned around and had another man thrown in prison for his much smaller debt. Let’s equate this to our own lives. We are all sinners, and the price for sin is death, removal from God’s Holy presence. And yet, when we come before our Lord asking for forgiveness for our sins, God grants us forgiveness – reconciling us to Himself and saving us from shame and guilt. And what is our response? We praise and thank God. But when another Christian, made in God’s image and DEARLY loved by God, sins against us and asks for forgiveness, we often turn away in pride. So is Jesus saying if we don’t forgive others, all bets are off the table and He won’t forgive us? Sort of…not forgiving is a sin, and when we have truly given our lives to Christ, He forgives us of ALL sin. Once you are sealed to Christ, nothing can rip you out of His arms or His presence. BUT…when we TRULY give our lives to Christ, we will, by virtue of the Holy Spirit residing in us, grow as we try to become more like Christ every day. God is like a magnet, pulling us toward Him! And while messing up is unavoidable for all of us in this lifetime, simply refusing to grow in our forgiveness of others is a sign that we never really gave ourselves over to Christ in the first place. And never giving our lives to Jesus in the first place will definitely result in eternity apart from our loving and Holy God. So let’s look back on this teaching on what to do if a Christian sins against us… First – go to them one on one with truth. Then, if necessary, widen the circle, and bring of few others to also offer truth to the offender. Then, if still necessary, involve the church. If the individual turns away, the body should also turn away from the individual, so the rot of sin doesn’t spread throughout the community. But, this must all be done with forgiveness and for the purpose of restoring the individual rather than condemning the individual. It is NEVER up to us to judge – our job is to love. God’s job is to judge. But it is up to us to not gloss over another’s sin that affects us, but to carefully bring it into the light with a heart that is full of forgiveness. Accountability and forgiveness are not mutually exclusive. When we follow Jesus’ teaching and the Holy Spirit’s guidance, accountability and forgiveness work in tandem with each other – pulling each of us to a higher level of service to our Lord. Remember the amazing awe with which God looks at each of us, His beautiful creations? His masterpieces? Let’s strive to look at each other with that same awe! We are all made in the image of God, and we have been placed here, in this place and time, together purposefully. To uphold each other and to grow together. Living in godly community isn’t always easy, but if we let Him, God will always be with us, guiding us through. Let’s pray… Dear Most Holy God – I am so thankful for the community that you have placed around me! Help me to treat each of your beautiful creations with the dignity, love, respect, and forgiveness that you offer each of us. Give us each wisdom to know when to speak and how to respond when we are spoken to. We confess that we are all sinners in need of grace, help us accept Your grace and offer that same grace to others. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

 How do you respond when difficult events happen in your life?   Today's guest, Lisa Hathaway, had multiple tragic events happen to her in a very short period of time in her life and she lives to tell of them. Where was God? She was faced with a choice and shares her miraculous story today: Wallow or worship?   ****** Kimberly Hobbs   Welcome to Empowering Lives with Purpose. And I'm your host, Kimberly Hobbs. I'm the founder of Women World Leaders. Ladies, we are so glad that you joined us today. And I would love to welcome our guest Lisa Hathaway. Welcome, Lisa, Lisa Hathaway   Thank you so much for having me, Kimberly. Kimberly Hobbs   It's our pleasure. And we are excited to introduce her to you is who she is. And like you get to know Lisa a little bit. And God says in His word that they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb. And by the word of their testimony, Revelation 12:11. And ladies, today, Lisa is going to share a little bit about her story, and the miracles that God did in her life to get her through. And we hope that through listening to these stories, ladies that you will be inspired, and encouraged to walk out your beautiful purpose that something you might hear today will spark something in your life that you will connect dots and see what God may be speaking to your heart today. So that is our prayer as well as we go into these podcasts that God would speak to you through these words that we share today and through Of course, His scriptures, because there's power in the Word and we know that the word is life changing. So I want to introduce Lisa with a little bit about who she is. Lisa is a lover of Jesus, and has passion for the least of these. Her heartbeat is to see those who need a second chance and help them experience the tangible love of Jesus. Lisa has learned to worship through suffering as a special needs mom. She's a recent breast cancer survivor and also a survivor of a tragic car accident within a two year span. Suffering has been intertwined in her story, and she wants others to experience the sweetness of God through some of the most difficult things in life. She resides in Lexington, North Carolina with her amazing husband and three precious children. She's a youth leader. And Lisa has an MBA and is currently attending Liberty University Graduate School where she's pursuing her master's degree in clinical and mental health counseling. So today we titled this podcast wallow, or worship, wallow or worship we all have choices to make. How do you respond when difficult events happen in your life? Think about that. You have a choice and how you respond? Have you questioned God during your suffering? Today, Lisa, you chose to come on and be real with us and be authentic and share about some of the suffering that you endured. You had some choices to make, which we're going to talk about those choices in a little bit. But Lisa, you stated you had a choice that you could choose to wall up, wallow, or worship. So Lisa, can you open up today by sharing some of the trauma and grief of your story and a place that you were at prior to making a choice? Lisa Hathaway   Yes, thank you so much, Kimberly, even hearing you talk through that. It's like, wow, you know, we all have, we all have stories, we all have testimonies, and we have to choose what to do with those stories, and choose what to do with suffering. And mine started back in the year of 2020. Obviously, the COVID year, everybody was you know, identifies that as COVID. And, you know, God gives me a word every year and my word for 2020 was rest. And I was like, you know, I'm a very active person. And so it was just like, okay, you know, we're gonna rest and then the end of February, I found out my mom had a genetic mutation of lung cancer. And a week later, I found out my dad had bladder cancer. And after those two, they're divorced, that you know, so they weren't live, you're not living together, obviously. But after those two diagnosis, I hit a low point just from that. And I was like, alright, God, you told me um, I heard this she was rest. So I'm like, a little stressful. And so I hit a really low point, just processing all that in my brain and then I was was a high school teacher teaching special education And our assistant principal and I, during COVID, we went virtual. So we had a little extra time. And so we decided we wanted to go hiking and mill the day at a local park. And it was the best day was just the best day. And she opened up to me and shared and on our way back was a ride around noon. I saw a car coming from a distance, and I was like, Wait, they're swerving all over the road. They're swerving all over the road. And the next thing I know, we were hit head on, and he was a drunk driver. And, um, she died right beside me. And, you know, I knew, in that moment that something wasn't right. Like, I could just steal it. In my spirit, I don't remember a lot about some details. But God has brought things back to memory, I think, for healing. And I saw her posture of saw the blood splattered all over me, I felt it. Um, I don't know, like how I got out of a car, I don't know any of that, like, I really shouldn't survive, he hit us about 65 miles an hour. Um, and so that, that day, I went to hospital. And from that point on, I didn't dry for two months, I suffered from, you know, PTSD, pretty severe in that timeframe. And I really started experiencing, I've been a Christian since I was eight years old, but I really start experiencing a whole new level of who God is. And and I say it was, but you know, he always has been. But when you are going through something, you start you are open to see we have a choice. Like we can get bitter and angry. And yes, I asked why, why, why, why, why, why, and then I stopped because I wasn't getting the answer that I wanted. And, um, you know, looking back on that, I'm now starting to understand the why. So I went to counseling immediately after the car accident because my brain couldn't process the trauma and grief. And then, you know, went through that I went back to teach in August, I had a pass for office every day, how to deal with all of that. And then we're coming up on 2021. And April 28 was the actual day it happened in 2020. And April 29 is my birthday. So I birthdays a little obviously bittersweet because I had to wake up the next day, knowing that she was not here. And you feel the feelings of guilt and all those things I've had to work through. And so April 28 of this of 2021, I, my mom, I took the day off work and we went and bought flowers. And I just love fresh flowers. And we went and so I could do it from my deck and I had my OB visit. So I did that and got my mammogram and all that good stuff. And we had lunch and then I get a call in May of 2021 May 24 And my doctor's like, um, I don't know what happened, but something just kind of got misplaced. And we found something on your mammogram that you're very sisty. So we probably just assume that it's that I'm like, okay, that's fine, whatever, I'm good. I don't take things real serious sometimes. And so we fast forward, and I went and got ultrasound. And after the sixth time of going in and out of the radiology room. I was like, huh, and God just started to prepare me. And I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma on June 11 of 2021. So, I was like, wow, God, like, what now? My word for 2021 was courage. And so I had risk for 2020 I had courage for 2021 Courage to to fight courage to walk through things i like how appropriate Lord, I'm and he has such a sense of humor. So I fast forward I had a double mastectomy on August 12 of 2021. And you know, going through everything happened so fast, like appointments and what treatment and all this stuff and you know, I was 44 when I was diagnosed. I'm 45 obviously now but um and so I was like oh my gosh, you got three kids or what? You know your mind can go and then because I I saw so much of God's faithfulness after the accident. I was like, Okay, God, like, I can't worry about this, like, you're gonna work this out because I saw his, his kindness and gentleness and the, how he never left me. And so did I think, does your mind go places? Absolutely. We're human. You know, my Armand goes like, oh, gosh, I'm just gonna die tomorrow. You know, I mean, I'm just, you know, that's the truth. And so I'm going through all of this, and, you know, we're going through the treatment and what to do, and I was like, double mastectomy, you know? Well, then yeah, I'm a very was a very large chested woman. And that to vary. I mean, we're all women here, suddenly, it's a very, it's a very physical part, it's a very sexual part, you know, all these things go through your mind, you're like, oh, my gosh, my whole entire body is gonna change. So when I had my double mastectomy, they propose things for you to have reconstruction. And so I decided to get implants. And in that process, they put tissue expanders in, and of course, my body rejects the tissue expanders. Um, and I had originally told my husband now I'm going to be before the mastectomy. So I'm going to be content with where I'm at. God spoke to me. And I'm going to be content with no reconstruction. Well, you know, then the flesh takes over, then people start talking to you, and you hear all these things. And so I was like, Oh, well, I've got to have implants and perky boobs, right. So I was like, Okay, I'm gonna do the tissue expanders, my body completely rejected him, I got a massive infection, heavy in the hospital for five days on T round to IV antibiotics, just because I wouldn't become septic. So I had three surgeries within six weeks. And then, um, you know, the healing process and the emotional process and all of that stuff. But I was able to go back to work October 25. So mad woman said to me was August 12, men back to work. And that's when it kind of started hitting me like, this has been real, you know, and then I'm in the middle, they forced me into menopause. So we all know about that. So hot flashes, all that so I wallowed. I mean, I'm gonna be honest, I went through very many, you know, many stages of wobbling, and many, like, my husband would come and say, Get off the couch. Come on, let's go, go on wall, get up, get up, you know, like you, you're not gonna stay in this place. And I realized through both of those that, you know, everything's a choice and that I had to I had to choose not to wallow. So... Kimberly Hobbs   In the world, the world would say you have every reason to wallow. I mean, look at what happened in your life. Right? You had, oh, you know, poorly saw. And wow, you went through a lot hunting, you went through a lot. So but there's more to this story. Because Lisa, you did see Beauty from Ashes, right? But how so? The Bible says, our present troubles are small, and they're not going to last very long, yet they produce for us, glory that vastly outweighs them, and will last forever. That's kind of like a capsule of your life. All of this time that you could have been wallowing and you had that choice, and you did wallow for a while. First Corinthians 417 Is that verse that God was producing a glory that is going to far outweigh what you went through. So you emphasize the choice because of the past two years of your life. You saw God's hand moving? How did you choose to follow God after the accident? What specifics? Can you share with the audience that allowed you to choose not to while into follow? God? Lisa Hathaway   I mean, yeah, that's a very it's a very good question. I, I think after the accident, my when you have nothing left, and when you hit that rock bottom, I mean, of course, I had my family and, you know, but there was so many times they had no idea what to do. They had no idea what to say. Because you don't know what to say. Sometimes when someone is at that place where you have nothing left like I couldn't even walk to get out to walk towards a vehicle. Like it was so traumatic. And I started I set on my deck, and it's so crazy how God works and moves because right before the accident literally two days before the accident, we had just like refinish our deck. And I got all these fresh flowers and all this stuff. God knew he sees the end from the beginning, he knew that was going to be my safe haven of healing. And I said on that deck, and I would I would wash it, because you can't wallow and worship at the same time. Right? So I had to sit there and go, I know my God is faithful. I don't understand this. But he is so faithful. I have to choose to see his faithfulness in the situation. So I would find worship songs. And I doubt I had I created my own playlist called Soul lifter. And because it all lived my soul, and it spoke to the deepest parts of my heart. And it was like, it was like, God's just like, I'm here. I haven't left you. And so I started just to build on that. And it's like the joy and sorrow dance together. I was it was this the joy of the Lord that's unexplainable to the human eye. Because I had such joy. My husband told me, we've been married 20 years and he goes in those two moments. I've never seen you at so much peace. And I thought, what, why, what after all this happened? Because I pressed in so hard to Jesus, like I've never done before. Amen. When you do that, it it's a sweetness that you can't even can't even describe. So my level with the Lord, my intimacy with the Lord got so deep that I could not wallow. Like I could not wallow, because I was like, God's like I'm taking you. I'm allowing that truth. Yes, I'm allowing you. And it reminds me of like one of my scriptures that have spoke so much to me Habakkuk 317 through 18, even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines, even though the all of crop fails, and the fields like empty and barren, even though the flop sat in the fields and the cattle barns are empty, Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in the God of my salvation, Yet I will rejoice. So, regardless of anything that happens when all the fields are gone, when everything is is just falling apart in your life. Yet I will rejoice. Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. Amen. I love that. I love that. And we pray that that Scripture speaks to you ladies as well, if you're in the midst of something right now, and when you're on that slippery slope, and you might fall off of it, oh, God instructs us in His Word, give your burdens to the Lord and he's going to take care of you ladies. He's he's going to and that's what Lisa chose to do. She gave everything over to the Lord and chose not to wallow, but to worship God. And Psalm 5522 says he will not permit the godly to slip and fall. So when you're on that slope, ladies, and you're you're just trying to balance everything because the pain is so intense, or the the trial that you're going through is so burdensome. God says right here in Psalm 5522, to give your burdens to him. So Lisa, you found your value in God and praise God, you did. You lived to through two things where realistically the arrows were pointing that your life should be over. But God, by God, he chose and you saw that. So you started worshiping Him and you started thanking him for the good and what you saw you lived. So when you found your value in God by choosing him, Lisa, you didn't allow yourself to wallow anymore you chose and you chose well, God opened the door to give you a passion to work for him, which is this is the exciting part of the story, ladies is because now Lisa turned her life around through this and she chose to work for Jesus and serve Him with all of her heart. She helps the homeless she is working with the youth at church and she showed a way to articulate to others about their suffering in the valley. So God allowed her to turn all this for good. And Lisa, can you explain in your own way about how God doesn't leave us ever? There's ladies listening right now that feels so alone. In their hurting world, please share with them how he never leaves us. Lisa Hathaway   Yes, I, you know, I think that you hit on a good point. I mean, we all, no matter how close you are to the Lord, or what our backgrounds are, there's times where we feel lonely as women. I mean, that's just, that's just human nature and the flesh part. And we're like, I'm lonely. I feel like I'm walking through whatever journey by myself. And, you know, God has spoke to me in a lot of ways. And I've journal a lot. And it was a visual that he gave me and I hold so tight to this. And I'm so thankful that he gave it to me that we're in a valley. And, you know, I've got kids and work in school. So he is I'm sitting on the bottom of the valley floor. It's like lay mud it but it is solid, that foundation, the bottom of the valley is solid. And I'm sitting, as I say, crisscross applesauce or Indian style. And Jesus is right beside me. crisscross applesauce. I'm like, Hey, Jesus, how you doing? He's like, I'm doing I'm doing good. I'm right here with you. Okay, well, you can go if you want to, because I'm gonna be here a while. It's been pretty dark the last couple of years. He's like, no, no, I'm not leaving you. But he's like, No, I'm not leaving you. I will sit with you, as long as I need to here to show you that I have never left you and I'm never going to forsake you. And he just sat there. And we're just carrying on conversation. And then all of a sudden, he looks over at me. And he goes, It's time. Let's go is Tom, you've been here long enough. You said grabbed my hand. I was like, Oh, we're gonna climb up that we're gonna climb to the top of that mountain, or the top of this humongous Valley? You said, yeah. So I grabbed his hand, he keeps looking at me and goes, I've got you, my daughter. I've got you, my daughter. I haven't left you. I haven't left you. I'm like, Jesus, this is tough. Come on. Because what I have for you, on the top of this is far greater than this valley floor. And so it is something that in our suffering, there is beauty. But you have to open your eyes to see it. We get so laser focused on what's wrong in our lives. And we got to open our eyes to see that God is in the smallest of things. You know, feathers are a big thing for me. I saw 91 for and it's a huge thing for me. And I would walk downtown where I live and feathers were just falling. And I'm like, Where are these coming from? And God's like, I see you. I've got you. And this is what when I wasn't driving and I was walking because I needed I had my worship music on. I'm sobbing my eyes out and working through the grief and trauma and like, why is this happening? And God just like his promises are so true. And he is so faithful, and the kindness and the gentleness. So whatever story you have whatever you're walking through, even when I was walking through the breast cancer, God has taken the scales off my eyes to even see myself differently. Because this is a battle and God chose to save me from this says stories are different. But I cannot like doorman not to worship Him. Because He faced he saved me twice. So God's like I have something so much greater for you. And so I have to speak I have to use it for His glory. And I'm just I'm so excited to challenge because suffering is beautiful. I know it sounds really weird. But suffering can be so beautiful because I wouldn't be where I'm at today. If I didn't have suffering. I wouldn't have the intimacy if I didn't have suffering. So yes, you can choose not to wallow, but you get up each day and go I'm gonna make a choice to worship the God in Jesus who died for me. Kimberly Hobbs   I love that. I love that and you did you chose to worship and you looked for God to show you to show you that way and he did and ladies, when you are wishing that someone would just be there to show you the way you know we all look for our help in different ways. You know, some look to Doctor some look to different people. Ladies look up and worship the Lord just as Lisa was sharing from her heart her life changed when she chose worship. So when you're looking for someone to show you the way A God's word is there to do so he will show you the way through His Word. The Lord says, I will give you along the best pathway for your life I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise and walk watch over you. He says that to us, ladies. So if you open the Word and you worship Him through the word, he's going to advise you through the word he's going to watch over you and tell you how to get out of the wallowing in the situation that you're in at Psalms 32 Eight, God is our God forever. And just like Lisa was sharing about crisscross applesauce, God was there and said, No, I'm never leaving you. I'm never leaving you as she sat there on the ground. He is our God forever, ladies, forever and ever. He will guide us until we die. That's Psalm 4814. All the scriptures are right there in his word for us to grab hold up. So are you going to allow him? Are you going to allow him access into your heart and not block him by wallowing in your pity? Will you choose him Ladies, don't choose pity choose to worship him as we were just praying for all of you ladies listening in today, Lisa and I both had that on our prayer heart that you are going to choose well. And when you want to recognize God's presence, ladies, worship Him, worship him. Come let us worship him out, bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our God our maker, because He is our God. And we are the people he watches over. We are the flock under his care that Psalm 9095, six and seven. I don't know about you, but I can't even contain the joy. And if you hear in Lisa's voice, she can contain the Joy because she chose correctly ladies. So come close to God and He is going to come close to you. That's James for eight. So I just asked Lisa. Lisa, do you have a word that you just want to share? In the last 30 seconds? With the ladies? What can you just give them to take away today as your final word to them? Lisa Hathaway   I think I would just have to say, you know, God is a God of redemption. He's a God of kindness, a God of love. And I just challenge you to just look to Him. And you will absolutely see the beauty coming from the ashes of whatever your story is. Because he is so good. Kimberly Hobbs   That is so wonderful. He is so good lady so good. One more verse to leave you with. I love just pouring scripture out. But God says Call me when you're in trouble. And I will rescue you. And you will give me glory that Psalm 55 Don't we all want to glorify God. And look at Lisa right now all of what she experienced in her life. And this verse is so true in her life too, because now she's given all the glory to God. She's here sharing her story of how God brought her through because she didn't choose to wallow, she chose to worship Him. And we just pray that you'll choose worship ladies worship God, and you will give Him the glory. He says that in his word. So as we close out, ladies, we are a ministry of women here. You may have a story that you want to share that God is just prompting you to share with the world. We have an opportunity here in so many ways for you to be used by the Lord. Or maybe you just need to be comforted around other women who would love you and encourage you to walk closer with Jesus. We want to be here for you. So reach out to us on our website, info at women world leaders.com. And we'll give you further information. We have social media, where we give daily devotions that you can plug in and comment we can interact with you in the comments. That's the Facebook group. It's called Women, world leaders. So go to your group groups on Facebook and just type in women world leaders, you'll see a little girl holding a tilted crown, please ladies request to come in. It's a private group. It's just growing unbelievable. And we would love you to be part of it. We have other tools like voice of truth. That is an encouraging magazine, and we put it out every quarter ladies, it's free. You can go on our website, you can flip through the pages. It's beautiful and every page is filled with encouragement from God's word, and women around the world who are right thing to encourage you through God's word. There's so many tools please check out our website at women world leaders.com. And, and Lisa, how can the ladies reach out to you if they would like to contact you? Lisa Hathaway   You could just email me at [email protected]. And I'll be happy to talk with anybody who emails me. Kimberly Hobbs   That's awesome. So ladies, you There you go. Lisa is willing to speak with you. And sometimes you just need that live person to pray with you or speak with you and she has a willing heart. And that's the beauty of the women and women world leaders is we are here for one another as God called us to be. So reach out as you feel, lad. We hope to see you and we hope for you to become part of women world leaders join us every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for these podcasts in many different ways. So ladies from his heart to yours, we are women world leaders. We thank you Lisa Hathaway for joining us today and sharing your God's story with us. All content is copyrighted and cannot be used without expressed written consent. Ladies, have a beautiful and blessed day. Remember, Don't wallow, worship the Lord and see your life change. God bless you.

Today’s message discusses faith, the course in faith we take when we radically love and trust God. No matter what circumstances we are surrounded by, no matter what obstacles come our way, no matter what happens, we can CHOOSE to love, trust and serve the founder and perfector of our FAITH. We must believe in Him and know great faith is shown as we wait for the ultimate fulfillment of His promises. **** Welcome to Celebrating God’s Grace, a Women World Leader’s Podcast. I am your host, Rusanne Carole, born in Louisiana, USA ,now living in Australia. This is a podcast that comes to you through a women’s global ministry, Women World Leaders. The WWL ministry began 4 years ago with people gathering in a home studying and discussing the Word of God. As followers of Jesus Christ we are commissioned with the call to go out into all the world, and share the gospel to the entire human race! We may be called to GO and influence our friends, families, our children. We may be called to GO into our communities. And we may be called to GO into other nations.  God’s power and desire to reach the ends of the earth is evident in what He has done through the beautiful women of God who serve in WWL and the supporters who give, whether in donations, love gifts and prayer.  We are privileged here at WWL that He has called us to be His army in sharing the love and grace message of our Lord Jesus Christ and we celebrate and are constantly amazed that He is allowing us to reach the globe. Thanks to all of you that listen and support us!   I hope you are well & blessed and enjoy this time we have together and if you believe this message will speak to someone you know and help support and encourage them we ask that you share it. We are called in the body of Christ to uplift and support our brothers and sisters.  Each week we bring you podcasts where we share women’s testimonies, have teaching in the Word and today in our segment of “Celebrating God’s Grace” I’d like to speak to you about FAITH. A big subject and so much could delve into but for today I want to look at:   How we are never alone and we have supernatural support. We must believe, even when we are walking through the most horrific trials. I didn’t say it’s easy, but it is possible… WITH GOD!   Hebrews 11:6 (TPT) tells us that “without faith living within us it would be impossible to please God. For we come to God in faith knowing that he is real and that he rewards the faith of those who passionately seek Him.” Verse 7 says “faith opened Noah’s heart to receive revelation and warnings from God about what was coming”. Even things that hadn’t been seen, for rain had not yet even come upon the earth. WOW! He worked diligently for several decades building what God had told him without really knowing what exactly for. How many people would have possibly ridiculed him or even made fun of him? “What in the world is this guy doing building this HUGE construction? What a waste of time and effort?”I’m sure he might have had moments he may of questioned, what am I doing? But he focused on God and was obedient to what God had asked of him. Will we be?   He was FAITHFUL. Genesis 6:22 says Noah did everything just as God commanded him.   Sometimes it may be difficult to hear what God is telling us to do. This is where it is important to be in God’s Word every day. He is always speaking to us. We must often take time to be still to hear and trust His timing to bring us what He wants to tell us.   The greatness of faith is not to be judged on how many of God’s promises you receive or great wealth or health you experience. The greatness of faith is shown in proportion to how long you can wait for the fulfillment of a promise. Greatness of faith is not proven in what is received, but in how long a person can wait without wavering to receive.   Many things in our lives have not come to pass that our heart so desperately desires! It may be healing for a loved one or for ourselves, it may be a healing for a broken relationship or marriage, or seeing those we love and care about being saved and living a life for Christ.     Waiting…. Wanting… Wishing.. things would happen!   How do we still passionately seek Him? How do we ride the COURSE OF FAITH, especially when “things” aren’t going as we would desire and life’s battles continue to come. How do we remain faithful servants?   Faith seems to come easy when “things” are going well. It’s when life gets tough and challenging and our faith is tested that can be really trying.   This year, 2022, it seems to me that for a lot of people I know things are “heavy”. Many I talk to are dealing with quite difficult things in their life and the lives of their loved ones, including myself.   As you get older and experience life as a follower of Christ I believe you start to see it’s about faith, yes, but it’s really about remaining FAITHFUL NO MATTER WHAT THE WORLD THROWS AT YOU!  Nothing in life remains the same and there are seasons of many highs and lows. It’s about:   Keeping our eyes on the FOUNDER AND PERFECTOR of our faith. It’s a COURSE IN FAITH we take every day.   Hebrews 12:1-3  (TPT) tells us:   1As for us, we have all of these great witnesses who encircle us like clouds. So we must let go of every wound that has pierced us and the sin we so easily fall into. Then we will be able to run life’s marathon race with passion and determination, for the path has been already marked out before us. 2We look away from the natural realm and we focus our attention and expectation  onto Jesus who birthed faith within us and who leads us forward into faith’s perfection. His example is this: Because his heart was focused on the joy of knowing that you would be his, he endured the agony of the cross and conquered its humiliation, and now sits exalted at the right hand of the throne of God! 3So consider carefully how Jesus faced such intense opposition from sinners who opposed their own souls, so that you won’t become worn down and cave in under life’s pressures.     God will NEVER abandon YOU! We are to be hopeful while waiting We are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses     I recently attended some biblical training, and the pastor/teacher (over 40 years in ministry) shared lots of stories. One story he shared has stuck with me and I continue to reflect on it.   He was in his office one early morning making last minute preparations to his notes for a wedding that he would perform later that day. A wedding, a glorious and happy celebration of two people very much in love. Not many things are more beautiful then celebrating the union of two people in love and embarking on life together!   The phone rang with the devasting news of the death of a young man, a member of the church he pastored. It was the young son of a dear friend. He was devasted but he knew he had to be the one to tell the family. He got in the car and drove to his friends’ home. His friends’ wife opened the door welcomed him in, “What are you doing here? You should be preparing your message? He smiled and received the invitation to take a seat and wait on her husband who would return any minute. When his friend walked in the door, he greeted the pastor, his friend, and said something similar that his wife said to him, “What are you doing here? You’ve got a wedding at the church tonight, right?”   He looked at him and said, “I have some very sad news, your son was in a car accident a few hours ago and died.” What happened next the pastor said would stay with him forever. His friend, the father of the son who had unexpectantly died that day, dropped to his knees and said, ‘You are a faithful God and I will choose to trust you and praise You through it all.”

In today’s scripture, Jesus teaches the Parable of the Lost Sheep and the Parable of the Lost Coin. As Julie Jenkins leads this teaching, ask God to share His heart with yours. (Matthew 18:10-14, Luke 15:1-10) **** Welcome to Walking in the Word – the biblical teaching arm of the Women World Leaders podcast. I’m your host, Julie Jenkins, and I am so glad that you have joined us. This is episode 305 of the Women World Leaders podcast. We are coming up on our 2-year anniversary of bringing you new episodes 3 times a week. And we want to thank you – for loyally listening and sharing and contributing to Women World Leaders! When God first called us to develop the Women World Leaders podcast in 2020, we did so without hesitation, and we believe and pray that God has blessed many through both our and your efforts. If you are new or have been listening for a while, we would love to hear how Women World Leaders has impacted you. Connect with us on Facebook or our website, womenworldleaders.com, or drop us an email at [email protected].  We want to connect with you! We believe that all of God’s children are called for a specific purpose, and together, we can help each other as we walk in the gifting that God has given each of us. On this, our Wednesday edition of the podcast, we take a few minutes to open God’s Word and study scripture verse by verse. We are currently walking through the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John chronologically. Our study today is from Matthew 18:1—14 and Luke 15:1-10. Before we begin, let’s pray. Father God – we thank you for this ministry and for this podcast. God, we love to come together to learn about you, encourage each other, and celebrate all that you are doing in our lives, in this ministry, and in our world. In the last two years, our world has continued to struggle, but you are clearly on the throne. Thank you for always giving us tools that lead and guide us into your presence – and Father, let us never take you or those tools for granted. We praise your name even as we work for you, give financially to further your reach in the world, and rely on you for everything we do. Be with us now as we open your Word together. Teach us what you want us to know and inspire us to live our lives to your glory. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.   As we study today, we see Jesus’ heart as it focuses on His search for His lost sons and daughters, as told in two different parables from two different gospel writers. In recent weeks, we have been witnesses as the disciples learned that it takes a servant’s heart to be the greatest in the kingdom of God. Through Jesus’ teachings and illustrations, we have come to better understand the importance of ministering to those whom the world would consider the “least” in the kingdom – that is, children and new believers. It is from this vantage that Matthew records Jesus’ launch into the parable of the lost sheep, warning the disciples in Matthew 18:10 from the New Living Translation:  10 “Beware that you don’t look down on any of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels are always in the presence of my heavenly Father Theologians disagree as to whether this verse means that each of God’s children has an individual guardian angel or whether it means that angels, in the general sense, look out after God’s children. Whatever your particular belief, it cannot be denied that God and His army of angels are constantly taking care of all of us. I often wonder what my day would look like without the unseen angels around me doing their job. Would the car that narrowly missed me have hit me? Would I have breathed in germs that were floating my way instead of turning my head? Would I have missed getting that important message? Thinking about the “what if’s” from this perspective can certainly anchor us in gratefulness for God’s care. Matthew goes on to share, in the parable of the lost sheep, just how much God DOES care for each of us.   Luke’s intro into the same parable is a bit different. Luke 15:15 says… 15 Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. 2 This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them! 3 So Jesus told them this story:  A different take – a different intro, isn’t it? Although the situation is a bit different, the teaching is the same. Luke tells us that Jesus is teaching the tax collectors, notorious sinners, AND the Pharisees and teachers of the religious law about His care and love for each individual.   I do want to take this opportunity to point out that someone who is intent on highlighting inconsistencies in the Bible could very well point to what we just looked at and say, the Bible is NOT without error. Two different gospel writers wrote about Jesus’ teaching of the same parable, giving two different scenarios in which the parable was shared. Does that mean that either Matthew or Luke was mistaken, and, therefore, the Bible is not infallible? Not without error? Or could a simple explanation be that Jesus told the same parable more than one time? I point this out because, as Christians, it is important to know what we believe. And stand for it. And as a Christian, I believe that the Bible IS without error. Anything that I don’t understand, or any error I think I see, comes from the limited understanding of my own mind. So, when I don’t understand a teaching or a seeming inconsistency in the Word, I ask God for wisdom to understand. Sometimes He whispers something simple, like “maybe I told the same story on two different occasions.” And sometimes, because I am not a great theologian, in fact, nine times out of ten, God’s answer to me is, “Don’t worry about it. Focus on the meaning of the scripture, not the minutiae.” But if you notice something that could be perceived as an error, you too should go to Him for guidance. He may actually be calling YOU to dig further…because we all have different giftings and purposes. My point is, don’t be afraid to ask God questions so that you can share with others where you stand.   Okay…all that is an aside…but an important aside. Let’s get back to the parable…which both gospel writers record very similarly! Luke writes… 4 “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. 6 When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away! In this day and age, most of us aren’t too familiar with sheep and shepherds, so let’s dig into this. Sheep are not the smartest animals. They like to wander. But they need to be taken care of – in fact, I’ve heard it said that sheep require more care than any other class of livestock. On top of care, a sheep, to live a full life, needs to be protected. And yet sheep are valuable. So if a shepherd were to lose a sheep, his reputation would be in danger. So Jesus’ listeners would have heartily agreed that the shepherd would do everything he could to go after that one, missing sheep. Picture a vast field full of rolling hills, and shepherds with hundreds of sheep – shepherds often worked in teams. Each shepherd knew each of his sheep, and an attentive and caring shepherd would notice one missing out of the 100 he is caring for. So he leaves his other 99 sheep in a safe place with his fellow shepherds, and heads out across the hills, looking for the one endangered, and stupid, lost sheep. And when at last he finds him, a celebration breaks out! The joyful shepherd doesn’t leave it to chance that the sheep will follow him back to the flock. Instead, he PICKS him up, puts him on his shoulders, and carries him home. In joy. When they arrive, the shepherd announces his find, calling together his friends and celebrating again. Jesus is our shepherd. We are the stupid sheep. Whether we are little children, new believers, or stubborn Pharisees, we are all sinners – just stupid sheep. We cannot exist on our own. We can’t take care of ourselves, we are in danger, and yet we, at different times in our journey, willingly wander from God – our shepherd. The only one who can guide us and protect us. But God doesn’t ever let us walk away. He knows when we’ve wandered, and He searches the hills and the valleys, looking under every bush and behind every rock until He finds us. And when He does, He rejoices – and picks us up and carries us home. On His shoulders. And when He arrives home with us in tow, He calls everyone together to rejoice with Him. And then the residents of heaven rejoice, too. Over one sheep. Because every sheep is valuable. Every sheep has a purpose. And every sheep is loved. Luke records a 2nd parable…verse 8… 8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins[a] and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels when even one sinner repents.” Who wouldn’t search for a coin? A silver coin was worth a day’s wages – certainly worth a good housecleaning to find. But the silver coin may have had even more significance. It was customary for a Jewish woman, when she married, to wear a headband or chain with ten silver coins. So the coin may have been one of those ten – with far deeper meaning than a simple, though valuable, coin would carry. I can remember one time losing a diamond out of my wedding ring. I was crushed! While I knew, in my head, that the diamond could be replaced, I held in my heart that the ring that symbolized the vows I made with my husband would never be the same. I searched high and low for that diamond! Whether the coin that the woman searched for was meant to pay for food or symbolized her marriage is less important than the understanding that the coin was important. So the woman searched, and she rejoiced when she found it! We have all been created on purpose for a purpose. And our most important purpose is to be loved and to love God and others within His family. God needs and wants you in His family! You belong! He will search every mountain and valley to find you and carry you home. He will light every lamp and clean every floor until He holds you in the palm of His hand. And then He will rejoice! And His whole family will rejoice! And the angels will rejoice! Matthew tells us that Jesus ended this particular teaching by saying in 18:14… It is not my heavenly Father’s will that even one of these little ones should perish. Are you feeling “little”? Unimportant? Or are you feeling unworthy because of your own sin or the fact that you willingly wandered away? Let me assure you, God still treasures you! He wants you to come home. And He will do anything to bring you to the celebration that He has prepared and waiting! Dear Most Holy God! Thank you for being our Good Shepherd! Thank you for never giving up on us – no matter how many times we stubbornly wander. God, forgive us for our sins and wandering hearts. Forgive us for the judgments we hold about others and keep at arm’s length. Help us to reach out and welcome EVERYONE into the family that you have so lovingly and painstakingly prepared for our enjoyment. Give us your tenacity to search high and low for any missing sheep. Give us your strength to carry each one into the flock on our shoulders. And give us unselfish hearts, that we may REJOICE at each one’s return. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.  

When tragedy happened, our guest Hope Tally - wife, mother, and Christ follower - made a choice. Please join us as Hope shares her surrender story. From a near-death experience, Hope allowed her thoughts and actions to become fluid with God as she fully depended on Him. Hope encourages us to walk in freedom by surrendering control to God and sharing the love of God with others.   ***** Kimberly Hobbs   Welcome to Empowering Lives with Purpose. And I'm your host, Kimberly Hobbs. I am the founder of Women World Leaders. Ladies, we are so grateful that you have joined in with us today. And I would love to welcome our guest, Miss Hope, Mrs. Hope, Tally, hope, welcome. Hope Tally   Thank you, Kimberly, I'm so blessed and excited to be here with you today. Kimberly Hobbs   And we're so excited to have you. And today, ladies, and we are just here to encourage you and empower you. We all have a beautiful purpose that God has just for us. And it is our hope that through hearing some of the stories of the women that we have on as guests, that you would be empowered to walk further into your beautiful purpose. And I want to share scripture with you I love to share some of these inspiring scriptures that show us that we have purpose. But God says in Philippians 213 That he is working in you giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him that should make all of his excited because he's putting that in you ladies giving you that desire, giving you that power and strength to do it. So just trust Him, just trust Him. And as you listen to some of these stories, and you hear some of the words, the focal words, like today, we're gonna focus on the word surrendered. You may start to think about your own life and how and what can you surrender to the Lord? How can you walk forward into that beautiful purpose. So today, our guests, I'd love to share a little bit about our guests before we get started. And today, our guest hope Talley she's from Asheboro, North Carolina. And she is I'm excited to say part of our women, world leaders team. And hope is coming on board with us to serve with her gifts and talents for the Lord. And we are just so just blessed to have you hope. So today's story, as I said is one of surrender. And hope was raised in a Christian home. She learned about God in church. And she was called at a very early age to serve Him. As Christians, we're all supposed to submit to the will of God and do what pleases Him pursuing truth and righteousness above everything else. Hope as we open up here with your story, you have shared with me about being married, you're happily married, you have two small children. And we got we get to talk ladies before we do these interviews, and I get to know the women and some of their story. And so she's hope is married. She has two children and her story is one of tragedy, something happened in her life. And that's where she's gonna start here with sharing a little bit about her story. So hope do you want to open up with your story? Hope Tally   Sure, Kimberly. And the the tragic part of the story starts on back in August of 2014. I was driving my children to their first day of school, when another driver made a decision that just in a few seconds time completely changed and altered our labs. I was air flighted to a local Trauma Center and our children followed by ambulance, I really don't remember a whole lot I remember bits and pieces and voices was kept fairly well sedated for a few days for a host of reasons. My skull had been fractured in six different places. My spine was fractured in five places, had an open wound fracture to my left femur and a whole host of other fractures and sprains. And basically, the the open fracture to my skull was concerning because the swelling that it was causing, if it continued would disrupt your my carotid artery. And the ER doctor told my husband that this is as bad as it gets without additional internal organ damage. And so in the beginning, no one knew if I would survive the brain trauma. And I know without a doubt that God performed a miracle or protection and healing in my body that they are while I was going through that in the beginning. But I think sometimes it's The aftermath of that, then, is the hard part. And he taught me so much about surrender during that time. It included physical, mental, mental, and emotional, hard stuff. And we all have that in our lives. That's the part that took the courage in the middle of the fear. And that's the part that took strength in the middle of what felt like overwhelming defeat. And that's the part that took endurance that I didn't have on my arm. And so it took, basically, about two and a half weeks in the hospital one week in intensive rehab and 24 hour care lined up to get me home. We had, basically, they were having to treat me as a stroke victim, because I was broken from head to toe, on the left side of my body. And when you can't do anything for yourself, it really changes your outlook on a lot of a lot of things. It took on three surgeries, and two different types of fitted braces. So once we got past, the, I guess, survived the brain trauma. And then it was while I walk again. And I was told by some of the medical professionals that even 10 years prior, I probably would have lost my leg altogether. So it took three surgeries, two fitted braces, but I'm now walking the Lord. So all of that is, you know, his healing? Absolutely. But he taught me so much. Through the aftermath of that it took two years just to heal my brain, basically. And in the beginning, I remember I knew people by their voices more than anything, I couldn't see very well, I'm just moving my head was very dizzying. for months on end, I don't even know how to describe what effort it took just to comprehend what people were saying to me. And my memory became almost non existent. And no multitasking had to relearn how to do things in a different perspective. And it took about two years sort of battling back what felt a little bit like a mental breakdown, because I really was broken. And, you know, it's, it was hard to even describe what I was going through. So that to even get help from another person. But I learned and the Lord taught me over and overthrow this whole thing that you know, her Jesus is more than fluent in brokenness. And he knows he's been there. He isn't just, you know, far off, he's right here with us. He was became a manual, so you could walk along and walk among us. He knows what it's like to be broken. And he just showed me so many ways to surrender to him and how he would just help me overcome in the middle of that battle. So that's the start of the tragic story. Kimberly Hobbs   Yes, yes, you went through so much in that period, as we talked earlier, and God taught you so much as well. And you were telling me, I think it was 1111 months after the surgery, there was this shard of glass that had to work its way out of your skin and you have a little story about that. But that last piece of glass you know, think about this lady's she was in a major car accident, you know, glass, everything flying all over the place, and her body was broken and all these pieces and all these places. It was broken. And through that period of time. You don't you didn't know it then but you know what now there was this teachable time as your body had to heal as you had to relearn things in your life. You had to learn to depend on God rather than yourself. You know, you were no longer in control you had to surrender. So Many things like we can't even comprehend. She couldn't walk. She couldn't even think she couldn't speak, right. She couldn't talk. I mean, she was like out, she was out of it. And when she came back to and the swelling of the brain started, all these things had to be relearned and reworked in her body. And she's still suffering, you know, from things. So the word surrender has stayed with you hope and back when, when I first met her, and I said, You know what, what word reverberates in you that, you know, you feel that this podcast would be talked about, and she said the word surrendered. And I laugh because I'm like, wow, God, this word just doesn't leave women world leaders this year. And there is no coincidence that our book being written this year is titled surrendered. So many women are writing and voice of truth, our magazine, talk about the word surrendered. And here we are, again, and another podcast talking about the word surrendered. So ladies out there, and must have a message for you today, because here we are on this word surrender, and again, so as I was saying that 11 months, that last chart of class was working its way out of your body, and, and this word surrendered, is being taught to you over and over and surrendered ladies means accepting the battle has been won, not on your terms, not on our terms, that you are willingly giving your life over to the authority of the winning side, you are taking the humble position and embracing what is over how you would have it right. So you're surrendering that to God, because God is the winning side. Galatians 220 says, I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live but Christ lives in me, the life I now live in the body. I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Hope, how did God teach you over this time that followed? Hope Tally   Oh, wow, so many ways can really the another verse that that is very similar to that that come always comes to mind during this time is Second Corinthians 515. And it says, And he died for all that those who live should know, should live no longer for themselves, but for him who died for them and rose again. And I think, you know, my pride was completely stripped from me because you can't do anything for yourself. And you either, I guess you could hold on to it, it just doesn't work very well. And so I had to learn to let that go. And allow God in so many humbling ways. But you know, I think if we get when we allow our pride to come to the forefront it erodes away that humility that he needs to further his kingdom, you know, and and it were so many times I did not in any way form or fashion walk this through the storm perfectly. I was so human through all of this. But um, you know, there were times when the weight was just felt in, just like it would never end. And there were times when the hard and the painful stuff just got to me. But I think one of the things that he taught me to surrender was in the middle of the weight and in the middle of the heart, and the pain and the suffering. I think a lot of times when we're walking in the middle of anything, but especially something hard. God wants him to be my answer first. Wow. Yeah, he taught me that. That, you know, do I crave him more than the pain. I crave him more this stuff more than the suffering enough to say, Lord, if this suffering fulfills your will in someone else's life, then don't take the suffering away. But let me overcome. Let me bear through it with you with your strength. And I think that's one of the things he taught me the most. And that's one of the things I tried to keep in mind. And I journaled a lot of stuff throughout this just so I can remember because we will I'm talking about myself here we we are very forgetful creatures, or I am at least and I think I always need so many reminders just to remember what he's done and what hMaene's taught us. So I can continue in that. But, Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. You did you had to survive. under so many things, and one of the things was, you know, physically, yeah, you had brain injuries, you suffered a lot. And you were used to doing things of your own accord, and on your own and just going because you know, that's how God created you and designed you, you, you did a lot of things. But now things are different, they look different. And so you have to write things down, you have to journal things to remember them, you have to just rely on God. So you'd surrendered things over to him. And you told me to the more you read the word that the more you saturated yourself in reading it over and over and over the power, God was able to work through you and you were able to release things to him that you couldn't control anymore. You just couldn't do it. And ladies listening, there are things in your life right now. That you you just can't control anymore. And you've tried to hold it all together, you've tried and tried and tried. But you know what God is saying? Give it to me, release it to me, surrender that word needs to. It's not on your terms anymore. You know what? God can do this. And you can do all things through Him who gives you the strength, but three surgeries later, my dear hope, every part of your body needed strengthening. And you talked about going through that period of time where you had to have surgery upon surgery. And you needed that strength. You asked God, God, how strong Do you want me to be? You know, like, you seriously just cried out to him? How strong Do you want me to be? You talk about that. Hope Tally   And, you know, he taught me through this time as well. He can handle what we throw at him. If was frustrated, if we're angry, and we're weary, and we're worn out, he can handle it. And he knows that, in fact, I think he'd rather just be honest about it and be upfront and him work on it with us then to just pretend like it's not going on. And that's one thing I did, I cried out. And I said just how strong Do you want me to be? It was after a day of grueling physical therapy, it didn't seem like anything was working. And I just didn't have much of a good outlook. And he whispered back to me through His scripture. And it was Second Corinthians 12 Nine, and it says, My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in your weakness. And he was heard back, and he pretty much just said, I don't my strength is made perfect in your weakness, not the other way around. And so um, and, you know, I've seen, I think it's through my weaknesses that I've seen, the Lord reveals his power and reveal his sufficiency to me. And he's taught me our savior is has always promised and promises to lead, strengthen and guide us. And sometimes when the disappointments and the hard stuff and the darkness closes in, and it sort of feels like you're suffocating. He says, Give it to me. And it's back to that surrender thing. Give it to me. And when I would surrender it to him, and put Him first, he always provided everything I needed to overcome right in the middle of that battle. You know, it might just be that battle. But that's all it needed to be. It doesn't have to be all the battles that I've got to fight for the next two years. It just needs to be this one step this one battle. And he always showed up and he always provided everything I needed right then Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. Amen. And that scripture James for 10 says, humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up. And think about that word surrendered. You surrendered yourself before the Lord. And He lifted you up hope. Absolutely. Ladies, think about that. Think about that scripture. That's again, James for 10 humbling yourself before the Lord and it's not easy to do. It's not easy to do when you're fighting against your flesh. Right, right. And we want to take all that control but that's why it's so important. Ladies, saturate yourself in the word keep words on index cards, if you can't remember them, you know, look up these words and scriptures that have to do with what you battle in the flesh. And put those scriptures around your house. They are so important. There's power in the Word, it will change your life. So hope again, in closing now. We want to just really pour into these women You said something to me. I want to give another scripture here before I share this, but James 122 says, Do not merely listen to the word. And so deceive yourselves, do what it says, right? Don't just listen to God's word, ladies, you have to do what it says you have to put action on your faith, your reading, hoping to find these nuggets of truth in there. You can't just what James 122 says, Do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves, right? The enemy wants to deceive you with everything going on around you. But do what the Word says put action on your faith. So you said to me hope as a wife and a mom, we often control because we women want to take that control you we often control the House, which becomes a trap. So can you talk about that? Can you talk about how it traps you? Hope Tally   For me, I think before the accident, and I'm going to I mean, just totally honest, I mean, I still battle this today, you know, this is not something I think, you know, we have to give it over every day. It's a surrender every day. It's not just a surrender once and we're done. But I think because we you know, a lot most of the time, a lot of times, as women, we control the schedules, we control what we eat, we control how everyone gets to where they need to go, we, you know, it's sort of like we were the master of the rail. Right, but not not exactly, but just just a little bit. And I think in a way that sometimes becomes a trap for wanting to control most things, instead of and I think, sometimes too, when we're fighting so hard, just to make it through the day, or fighting in the middle of something that's hard, that we ended up being chained by that control. And it's the surrender that brings freedom, he taught me that through that accident is that there's such freedom and surrendering because when we surrender, we handed the reins over to the one who has all the resources that we could never comprehend. And and I think it another verse that comes to mind, just like the one that you said, is Luke 646. And it says, Why do you call Me Lord, Lord, and not do what I tell you? Kimberly Hobbs   Yes. Hope Tally   And so he was so many times taught me through the aftermath of that accident, that he's also saying, you know, follow me just like he told the disciples lay down whatever it is lay down your nets, if it's the control, if that's the thing that you need to lay down, lay it down. If it's comfort, I mean, I had to get over that to comfort is not necessarily, you know, that can be something I need to lay down because I might need to get outside of my comfort zone to do what he's asked me to do. But lay it down and drop those nets and just surrender it to him. And he taught me to do this each day. And I think sometimes as mothers and women, we're so busy trying to juggle all the balls in the air, and things get crazy. And I've had some say to me before, you don't know how crazy my life is. I have a little bit of an idea. And I think whatever season you're in, though, however it looks you put him first. It may not mean that every morning you can do a full out Bible study, but pull up one or two scriptures and just meditate on those all day and do that, like you said, do them put them into practice during the day and you will see him show up in ways you never expected when you actually do what he says. And I think a lot of times our obedience is the key to us experience Him experiencing him here on earth. It is when he shows he he's always here, but it's when he really manifests and we see his work. We see him working when we obey Him and do what he's called us to do. And so he taught me to look at each day and just say with open hands, Lord, I'm here. I'm opening my hands. You fill it up with what you need to fill it up with instead of an Yes, there are very important things we need to get done during the day. But Lord of that means that I have to take a break in the middle of something because I see a need that needs to be met. Or I see someone who seems to be not having a great day and needs a word from you, then I stop and do it. Help me to listen to your voice. And just just to do that in a way that furthers your kingdom, you know, and I think that's part of being surrendered again, you know? And absolutely, it's just a daily step by step thing that we just, we commit to every day, every step, Kimberly Hobbs   Every day, every day. Yeah, beautiful, powerful words hope that you just shared. And ladies, there is surrendering. There's freedom and surrendering to the Lord and hope, just share that, you know, through really relinquishing our control, and it allowed you to be fluid with God instead of controlling, you know that. And now you can help others like you said throughout the day, and and you can help others in this world. And that's what it's all about ladies as just releasing our own control. It's all about Jesus. And Jeremiah 1023 says that Jeremiah speaks and says, Lord, I know that people's lives are not their own. He's confirming that it is not for them to direct their steps. Wow. That's powerful, right? Yes, not for them. Were to surrender to God. All. All of our health needs to come from him. When you can't do it on your own ladies, and you may be facing a problem right now, you may be going through something horrible in your life right now. And you can't do it on your own surrender to God. Matthew 633 says to seek first his kingdom, and His righteousness, just like hope was sharing in that and teachable moment. Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So we need to rest ladies in God's love. Surrender is such an important word in our life. Matthew 1128 I just love to share scriptures, you know, because again, I said, there's power in the Word ladies, power, power, power. Matthew 1128, come to me, all you who are weary and burdened. Do you think hope was a little weary and burdened in that time to follow those accident? You know, she had to take care of two small children, thank god who lived and survived this accident. Oh, my gosh. God says Come to me all you who are weary and heavy burden, and I will give you rest. Think about that ladies for your own life right now, as you're listening to this. God tells us to give him your whole heart surrender it to him, and let your eyes delight in his ways, ladies. That's proverbs 910. Like I said, Put the scriptures all around your house, all around your house because they speak life back into you, and the life that God has intended for you. Your life isn't your own Ladies, you're bought with a price, glorify God and what you're doing, glorify Him. Psalm 5015, call on Him in your day of trouble. Call on Him. And of course, we all love this scripture, Proverbs three, five, and six that says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart, ladies, lean not unto your own understanding. Don't take that control when you are tempted to take it over. Lean, not unto your own understanding, but in all your ways. God says, acknowledge Him, surrender to Him, and He will direct your path, he will. So hope to have a final word to say to the ladies before we close. Hope Tally   I think I just want to encourage anyone who's going through anything that you know, surrendering to His will, there's nothing that our God cannot handle, and there's nothing that he can't over help you overcome. And, you know, he taught me a whole lot to about choices, because we all have a choice to surrender or not to surrender. But he also told me that every time I chose my way, it was the harder way it was the way that didn't usually end up quite as quite as good. So I just want to encourage everyone to choose him and choose his way to focus on our Savior and gain his eternal view on whatever's going on around you whatever circumstance you might be facing. Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. Amen. Good word, hope. Good word. Thank you so much for sharing today for being our guest here. And you know what God is doing in hopes life is just incredible. And in she doesn't want any focus on herself. But it's amazing when you surrender to God, and he just takes over and he's doing amazing things in her life. And God says, when, when you're in trouble, call on me when you're in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory. Psalm 50, verse five, and that's what hope is doing with her life. God gets the glory for all this. She doesn't want glory for what she's doing. And let me tell you, she's doing some amazing things. And I'm not sharing because she didn't give me permission to share. But just what I know what she does in her job is pretty powerful. And she can do that if she didn't surrender everything to the Lord. What she does in her ministry is again, Glory to God. She gives all the glory to Him and ladies, that your life to That's what God wants, you will give me the glory, he said. So think about that. surrender it to him, surrender your life to Him. As we close, just know ladies that we are here for you every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, through these podcasts through teaching through encouraging you through sharing stories like we do every Monday. We are just wanting to help you and empower you to walk with the Lord. So please don't forget to tune in each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. We have other helpful tools through the website, please check out our website. Ladies. We have an amazing magazine that comes out that will encourage you. It's all about encouraging and scriptures it's called voice of truth. We also put out books every year through women world leaders. One of the books hope story reminded me of one of the you know a few of the stories here and courageous steps of faith which is one of the books that we put out by women world leaders. Do you need to take that courageous, courageous step of faith ladies, this book might be with for you with lots of helpful tools in it. So think about that. And go to our website and check out some of the tools that God has allowed us to share with you. So from his heart to yours, we are women world leaders, all content is copyrighted by women were leaders and cannot be used without expressed written consent. Hope. Thank you for joining us today. And God bless you and each of you that have tuned in to listen have a beautiful and surrendered day.

Today’s reading of “Lost and Found in Tinseltown,” an article from the First Edition of Voice of Truth, tells the story of Tina Gallo’s step into acting and showcases God’s glory in her life. ***** Welcome to Celebrating God's Grace, a Women World Leaders podcast. My name is Julie Jenkins and it's my honor today to share with you reading from Voice of Truth. Many of you know the name Tina Gallo. Tina is an award-winning actress, a best-selling author, speaker, and acting coach. She's best known for her role as DiDi on the soap opera General Hospital. She's the founder of the National Studio of Method Acting, and she traveled with Frank Sinatra, selling his merchandise for two and a half years. Tina is currently writing her next book, Unfiltered, and has made appearances in the Christian Broadcast Network and Daystar television, sharing her testimony of God's faithfulness. What you may not know about Tina is that she is currently battling an illness and she needs our prayers. Tina is fighting a yet unknown infection. And we are asking that you join us as we storm the heavens for God's healing and provision for her. Dear Heavenly Father, we love our sister Tina so much, but we know that you love her even more. We lift her to you today God give her strength and fuse her with your healing power as only you can. Father give her doctors wisdom as they treat her. We thank you in advance for your complete provision and protection of Tina and Jesus mighty name I pray. Amen. Well, Tina Gallo has been a huge part of Women World Leaders for several years and she's been a writer in Voice of Truth since the very first edition. Today I'd like to read her first article, “Lost and Found in Tinseltown.” This appeared in our January 2021 edition of Voice of Truth.   The Lord plants dreams in our hearts at a very early age fearfully and wonderfully creating every detail of our lives with plans for redemption in all things, in all our ways at all times, even if we don't profess faith in him just yet. These dreams are like fitted garments of clothing tailored uniquely to us carefully spun and wrapped upon us, dressing us in colorful visions for the future. The desires that the Lord birthed into my life as a young girl were promises he was already planning for my future. I just didn't know it yet. The early age of three years old, my whole hearts vast dream was a one-way ticket to Hollywood. My tiny blueish green eyes were set upon acting and Hollywood movies firmly fixed on an ambition that seemed unobtainable, yet written in my deemed a destiny. Although the shifting sands of family instability made it seem like an impossibility, deeply embedded in my heart was the will of determination. My heart was screaming an epic dialogue. I can do this. My mother was much younger than my dad and came from a very unstable childhood with a family of 12 brothers and sisters. Alcoholism was a vehicle of destruction that ran rampant in her family basked in constant affliction my mom and her siblings were responsible to care for one another. I have no idea if my mom knew that what ravaged her childhood would be what would ravage my own.   During my mother's child-rearing years, she carried that same generational alcoholism right into our very home. It seemed at least once a month routinely, my mom would binge on beer until she couldn't see straight, numbing her inner turmoil. She was running from her past into a sea of alcoholism. All the while my aching heart needed her Are the core of my childhood yearned for a mother's love. Stolen was my mother her absence in my life left me with words that cut deep. My tiny little heart could never comprehend why my brothers and I, her children, weren't important enough to care for and invest in. Gnarling from the ashes of addictions, seeded lies of abandonment grew wildly into my hungry heart. On the contrary, my dad was Italian and most of his family came from Calabria. They loved each other and were very close to one another, depicting what a stable family should look like. He did not drink alcohol except on special occasions and only then he might take a sip as a salute of goodwill. He was a good provider, a faithful dad, and I knew that he loved me. We were raised in a nice middle-class suburban neighborhood and a lovely home with an in-ground pool. In the 1960s and early 70s, divorce was an abnormality. There certainly weren't any families that I knew of who are divorced except mine. inwardly I longed to be cherished and nurtured the same way I saw all of the other little girls were by their moms who always seem to adore and fuss over them. My eyes peered into the lives of my friends with desires to grasp a mother's love such as this. The absence of my mother harbored feelings of inadequacy that had planted its deep, ugly roots deep within the filters that I saw myself through irradiated unprocessed pain, blurring the truth as my reality now framed with lies of distorted images that were marked upon my soul. In my teens, my dad decided to move us to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I was extremely upset because I didn't want to go, nor did I want to leave my friends. Even though they weren't the best crowd I was accepted and comfortable in friendships with them. Little that I know how that move would change my life and eventually put me on the path to fulfilling my Hollywood acting dream. Internally, I was a lost soul and very skilled at putting on the right mask to hide behind when I needed to. Or so I thought. The truth is, there was a war raging inside of me between God's truth in the devil's lies. The Bible teaches us that the thief the devil comes to kill, steal and destroy. But Jesus came that they may have life and have it in abundance John 1010. Daily I battled internally against the negatives that distorted my perception with an illusion of false truths. I desperately needed validation and affirmation. And mostly I was in search of simple, unconditional love. At 18 years of age, I took a job as a cocktail waitress in Sunrise musical theater in Sunrise, Florida. Just so happened that Frank Sinatra was performing there the same weekend, I began. I was extremely excited about that. You see, as a child, I was always compared to Shirley Temple, probably because I was always performing and my hair was blonde and curly just like hers. I loved adorable Shirley, but Nancy Sinatra is who I wanted to be. So I'd put a towel on my head and make believe my hair was long. Put on my little red shimmy dress and wait, go-go boots. Hold a hairbrush in my hand as my microphone and wallah, all jazzed up. singing these boots are made to walk in. I'd put on a show all day long for anyone who would endure and watch. Somehow as a gift for my sixth birthday. My dad arranged a phone call from Nancy Sinatra to sing happy birthday to me. I was elated. It was the most special present I've ever received. The new job of waiting tables revealed a distant dream that was waiting for me. In fact, I can remember the weekend that marked the momentum of the opportunity of bright and shining lights that was coming to fruition. I was given a private table of 20 to service that evening. I did my very best as I waited on them before and after the show Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and I was astonished at how large of a tip I received from my table. It was a great first night. When I came back to work the next night, I was given the same table with the same exact people. I thought this was strange because who comes to the same show a second night. My manager then called me to the side to inform me that I had been waiting on Mr. Sinatra's personal friends, and that they were so pleased with my service that they requested me as their server again, while fear and pure excitement rushed through my veins with anticipation. Later that evening, Bobby Marks, Mr. Sinatra’s stepson, and Lester Lewis approached me and asked me if I would like to travel on the road with a Sinatra entourage to sell his merchandise before and after his shows. Well, with no hesitation, of course, I said yes. I couldn't wait to tell my dad I knew I was about to embark on a big adventure. And maybe this was my answer to my big dream of making it as a Hollywood star. In my mind, I thought who I knew is all that it would take. Indeed, it was a fabulous two and a half years journeying on the road with some of the world's best, I traveled all over, first-class, and stayed in top-notch fancy hotels. Rapidly my new life consisted of lavish events and parties, meeting and entertaining with some of the world's finest in the entertainment industry. Even got to thank Nancy in person for that very wonderful birthday gift so many years before, yet I wasn't any closer to my own acting dream being fulfilled. Hungry for more I asked Mr. Sinatra's best friend, Julie Rizzo the big question, how do I become an actress? What do I need to do? I told him I thought getting to know all these famous people would be my ticket in. His response was, you need to go to school to study acting and find out if you have any talent kid Who you know can help open doors but only talent will sustain. At that time, I didn't even know that there were schools that concentrated on teaching acting. This was all new to me. I was excited to begin researching schools and finally decided to make my move to New York City to study with some of the best teachers in the industry. Now I had a solid plan. Lights Camera Action. I studied in acting school for years while waiting tables at night, pounding the pavement with a workload I'd been given. Avidly I began to get some acting gigs some under five work on soap operas and landed a few commercials. When I felt I had enough experience under my belt I decided it was time to head to Los Angeles with my sights on getting a role on the most popular soap opera at the time. General Hospital. I did just that when I was offered the role of DD So here I was, I had landed in the vision of my dreams. I had arrived despite the opposition that riddled and streamed through my life. Now I was living my dream on the mountaintop as an actress in Hollywood. I made decent money and lived in a cute little cottage right on the beach and Marina del Rey. Can't get any better than that right. Except the battle of unworthiness still raged inside of me, leaving an empty, gaping hole. unresolved pain still resting inwardly, and the absence of God in my life. Nothing was ever enough. My need to seek more success only led me into a state of anxiety that was utterly discouraging and exhausting. The more I achieved, the more peace I thought I would have. Boy was I wrong. All the glitz, Glamour, wealth and famous friends didn't have the power to change the inward war raging in my heart. I would find myself often in the acting role, carefully putting on my Hollywood mask, giving way to another cocktail drink until I felt the uncomfortable feelings in my heart fade away. I was escaping the reality of it all, I was becoming easily swept up in the Hollywood happenings. In the 1980s, cocaine was considered to be a glamorous drug, promising the movie industry that it would shed camera pounds and boost energy. My heart spiraled downward into the experimental claws of cocaine, believing it may help me, too. Shallow promises swarmed the sets and scenes of the Hollywood industry all buttoned up pretty on the outside, primped and ready for the best shot, yet dying and decaying on the inside. Everything was about outward appearances and Tinseltown and my identity was all wrapped up and what I did and what I had, if it were all taken away, I would have crumbled, glamour and glitz fashion wealth accolades, achievements, all were hidden in the masks we willingly wore to hide the prevailing laments internally. All those feelings of shame, guilt, fear and unworthiness that I buried deep inside were pushing through harder and faster than ever to the surface of my soul. The lens I was seeing through was marred by all the acting to muddle to see through any more, filtering the lies through the beauty of the world. My days were doomed to be derailed. Lies of constant approval and rejection flooded me continually igniting more and more downward spirals. In circling me the lies spoke over and over on the movie reel that I often listened to, you're only as good as your last show. You don't have the right look for the part. You're too heavy, too small, too short, too tall. You didn't get the audition, we need someone with more credits, and so on. I needed a new lens to focus through. One that wasn't distorted by the lies that caused me to have a constant need for approval from people. The Lord had a better plan for my life and he does for you too. God tells us in His Word, I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope, and a future. (Jeremiah 2911, NIV)   He was going to provide me with a new lens illuminated by truth and bring me out of confusion into clarity. Zooming into his heart, I had no knowledge that a few people were praying for me. I was raised Catholic and believed in God, but I never really had a true personal relationship with him. And honestly, didn't know that I could. There were intercessors crying out for my very life. I couldn't remember vividly when I was awakened to the fact that I was surrounded by Christians. Everywhere I turned God would place another one before me that one day I received a card from a distant aunt who mentioned that she saw me on TV and gave me a lovely compliment. She signed the card. God bless you. Aunt Frannie I've heard those words my whole life but this time, there was life in them. God bless you. It jumped right off the page and pierced into my heart. Those words ignited a spark of hope in me like never before. I was searching for something solid and I wanted answers. I dabbled in some new age and read Shirley MacLaine and the power of positive thinking books which always left me feeling just as empty and lost as I was before reading them. After all, if I'm a God with all this power in me, which is the basis of their teaching, then I'm really in trouble. The application of this teaching was draining self-centered and made no sense to me. Thankfully, it didn't bear witness to my spirit. I always knew that God was my Creator and He was so much more powerful and larger than I was. Depression was crushing me and I walked around with sadness wrapped inward. Grasping for newfound freedom. The tyranny of Tinseltown left me thinking I had everything that everyone else would want fame, fortune, acting and outward beauty. But none of it brought true joy. When my contract came to an end, I decided to head back home to my dad's to take a break and process some things. One night while I was wrestling to sleep, I turned on the TV. There was an actress talking on a show and sharing about her relationship with God and all that he had done in her life. There I was in the literal and spiritual dark, wrapped up in a throw blanket intently listening to every word hanging from this woman's testimony. I wanted what she had. When they put the number up on the screen to call for prayer. I started dialing, my fingers moved before I could even process what was happening. An hour passed, and I was about to hang up the phone when a gentleman answered. His trusting, soothing and compassionate voice led me into a prayer to accept Jesus into my heart as my Lord and Savior. I was now a born-again Christian, saved by grace and by making a phone call to the 700 Club hallelujah. What God did that night was a miracle. The next morning I woke up with an unexplained joy and renewed hope. I was on fire and hungry to learn about God, His teachings and all the things that the actress was talking about the night before. I was a new creature in Christ with a passionate desire to be deeply rooted in him. I knew I finally had the answer to what I so desperately was searching for. And I was ready for the journey. My dear sisters, God has a plan for each of us. He wants us to prosper, and he wants to give us an abundant life. We must come out of hiding behind our own masks that we cower under, we must come forward from our own acting and pretending to truly receive what He has for us, adjusting and repositioning our lenses to focus on Jesus, not ourselves. When we seek His plan for our lives and not ours, we will find real peace and true contentment. The Lord gives us the gifts and the talents we need to fulfill our purpose in him. We are called to serve and bring glory to Him. We learn in his word to delight ourselves in the Lord. And He will give us the desires of our hearts, Psalm 37:4 NIV. You see, through so much of my story, the Lord was pursuing me and leading me even when I wasn't following him. He allowed me to taste the riches of success. So I can see clearly the things of this world that will never satisfy my appetite When we wholeheartedly seek the Lord and His will for us. He cultivates our understanding and guides the way for us to see through a lens of truth that will provide us clarity and direction. Ultimately bringing us into a life of freedom, whom the sun sets free is free indeed. John 8:36, NIV My acting days are not over or wasted or lost. I now use all the preparatory gifts, talents and treasures for His glory. I get to act in love in purity, and in truth in the movies for him now. All is redeemed and his hope carries me forward into Victory. Join me in imitating Christ, the star of the show, the center stage of our lives.

We are all on Team Jesus! And though we each have a role to play, we are all equal in God’s eyes. Today’s teaching is full of hard truths AND the unimaginable glory of God’s goodness. (Matthew 18:6-9, Mark 9:38-50, Luke 9:49-50) ******* Welcome to Walking in the Word, the biblical teaching arm of the Women World Leaders’ podcast. If you are joining us for the first time, I’m so glad you are here. My name is Julie Jenkins and I am privileged to work with this amazing team of women who are striving together to empower everyone we can to walk in their God-given purpose. We all have a purpose that God designed specifically for us, and the devil would like nothing more than to sway each of us from that purpose. So we are fighting against that! When God calls us to walk by His side, He has a leadership job for each of us – we are here to help you find that leadership role, that purpose, that drive that gets you out of bed each morning. God continues to fashion this ministry, Women World Leaders, by the gifts of the women He brings to us – so we don’t know exactly what tomorrow will hold, because God holds the blueprint for Women World Leaders! What we do know is that we are centered on prayer and biblical teachings, and along the way, God has called us to present podcasts, write books, create and distribute a worldwide magazine, hold each other up in prayer, and join together in fellowship as we lead events. If you would like to join us on our mission, we would LOVE to have you. Send us an email at [email protected], visit our website (womenworldleaders.com), or find us on social media…you guessed it…at Women World Leaders. Part of our current mission is to present you with podcasts that, we pray, will enrich your week. On Mondays, founder Kimberly Hobbs hosts Empowering Lives with Purpose, a 30-minute interview with a different woman of faith who shares HER God-story, with the intention of inspiring you to live out your God-story. On Fridays, Celebrating God’s Grace is a time of joy, wisdom, and … well, celebration presented by various women in the ministry. And today, Wednesday, you have landed on Walking in the Word – a time when we open our Bibles together and ask God to teach us. We are currently walking through the gospels, looking at the life of Jesus and His disciples chronologically. Before we begin…let’s pray… Dear Most Holy God…we humbly come before you asking you to cleanse us of any impurities as we open your Word. Father, we want to hear directly from you, and we know that we can hear most clearly when we empty ourselves of sin and self-thoughts. So we ask for your help. Forgive us of our sins, allow your thoughts to become our thoughts, and help us be teachable – willing to listen to all that you have for us today. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen. Today’s study comes from Matthew 18:6-9, Mark 9:38-50, and Luke 9:49-50 Recently, we studied how Peter, James, and John had gone to the mountaintop to see Jesus transformed from His human body to His glorified body. That was a blessing that I’m sure those three disciples were still pondering in their minds. When they reunited with the other 9 disciples, we saw that those disciples were distraught because a man had brought his demon-possessed son to them to be healed, but the 9 could not rid the boy of the demon. When Jesus returned, however, HE was able to heal the boy, setting up a teaching opportunity for all 12 disciples on the necessity of using God’s power through prayer to do all that God has called us to do. Then, last week we saw the disciples arguing among themselves about who would be the greatest in the Kingdom of God – this likely stemmed from the fact that, while three disciples had seen Jesus’ transfiguration, the other 9 had been unable to successfully harness God’s power to heal the boy. To teach them, Jesus brought before them a small child, telling His disciples that to be the greatest, they must humble themselves like a small child. With this teaching, Jesus put all twelve disciples back on the same playing field. But even though they, hopefully, now understood the message that they were all equal partners on the same team, somehow the disciples got the idea that THEIR playing field was a little more high-brow than others who were playing the same game. And instead of going after each other, they started going after others, who were doing things a little differently. Mark 9:38 from the New Living Translation begins… 38 John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he wasn’t in our group.” I can almost see Jesus rolling His eyes, can’t you? What’s it that Proverbs 15:18 says? Pride goes before destruction,     and haughtiness before a fall. But how many times have I been reprimanded by God and proceeded to pick myself up and, in my own strength, stand a little taller? Only to get knocked off my high horse, as my mom would say? Thank goodness we serve a LOVING God who will NEVER give up on us – and never stop teaching us. Verse 39… 39 “Don’t stop him!” Jesus said. “No one who performs a miracle in my name will soon be able to speak evil of me. 40 Anyone who is not against us is for us. 41 If anyone gives you even a cup of water because you belong to the Messiah, I tell you the truth, that person will surely be rewarded. There are ONLY two teams on this earth! Those who are FOR Jesus and those who are AGAINST Him. And if you are on Team Jesus, there is no hierarchy! That is such a difficult concept for us to understand! In school, we are graded from A to F. In our jobs, we have bosses, and in our communities, we have political leaders. I even went to church one time and was told I couldn’t sit up front – that those seats were reserved for the big donors. We have rules about qualifications and degrees. Society in this world is segmented and organized and orchestrated. But in the Kingdom of God, on Team Jesus – we ALL count. And we ALL count equally! I’ve heard it said that God doesn’t have grandchildren – we are all His children.  New believers and trusted theologians alike are loved the same by God. As He teaches the disciples, Jesus underscores His message with an illustration. 42 “But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around your neck.  The words “little ones” here are not necessarily referring to children, but to those who are young in their faith. And a millstone was a large rounded stone used for crushing grain into flour or pressing olives into oil. It was moved in a circular fashion by a donkey and weighed dozens, if not hundreds, of pounds. if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around your neck.  Jesus teaches that as you and I grow in our faith, we have a RESPONSIBILITY to care for, lead, and guide the newer believers who come behind us. That’s our job! That’s our purpose! Not to judge them or to show them how great we are, but to wrap our arms around them in love, to grasp them by the shoulders and turn them toward the glory of God, and then be there to applaud when their faces glow and their lives shine with the glory of God! Matthew 18:7 records Jesus’ words… 7 “What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting.  When we, as believers, do not put our arms around those who are seeking God, we block them from seeing and reflecting God’s glory. When we turn a new believer away from being on the BEST TEAM EVER – Team Jesus - because they don’t measure up to the standards that WE put in place for God’s people, we are telling them to find somewhere else to fit in. Like the child who can’t find love at home turns to the acceptance of a gang, when we fail to embrace someone into God’s Kingdom, we point them in the devil’s direction. That’s a hard truth. But it is truth, none-the-less. So Jesus admonishes the body of Christ to be HIS body…continuing on with the words written beginning in Mark 9:43… 43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand than to go into the unquenchable fires of hell[a] with two hands.[b] 45 If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one foot than to be thrown into hell with two feet.[c] 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. It’s better to enter the Kingdom of God with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48 ‘where the maggots never die and the fire never goes out.’[d] This teaching is two-fold. First – to the body of Christ, Jesus teaches that we must welcome and not harm new believers, and we must protect the body from pride or malice toward others that can infiltrate our culture and cause others to stumble. Second – to the individual believer, we each must protect ourselves from the same infiltration of pride and malice that can cause us to act disobediently and take us out of the mainstream of the power of God. And though this is an illustration and God is not instructing us to physically maim ourselves, we must take this warning seriously and work relentlessly to cut out any individual heart problems that the world or the devil are trying to inflict on us. Simply put, we must destroy our wrong thinking before our wrong thinking destroys us. Mark 9:49 and 50 records… 49 “For everyone will be tested with fire.[e] 50 Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other.” Even as Christians, we WILL be tested with fire again and again. And just when we think we’ve got it going on, chances are we will get knocked right down again. Just ask the disciples! But praise God, He will always be there to lift us back to our feet! Salt brings to mind goodness and purity – it was used in the establishment of covenants. But salt, in Jesus’ day, could become flavorless if it was infiltrated by impurities. Jesus warns His disciples – don’t lose your goodness – you must hold tightly to all that God has called you to – to love and peace and equality of all in the body. We are Team Jesus! Remember, anyone who is not against us is for us. Don’t harm your teammates. It is better to be thrown into the depths of the sea with a millstone around your neck than to face the consequences of causing someone to stumble. And rid yourself of anything that threatens to infect you with that which is less than God’s instruction and for God’s glory. Today’s teaching is so deep, and am sure speaks to each of us on at least one level. I know it does to me! But we must not be afraid of these words of truth. Jesus said them for a reason, God made sure they were recorded for a reason, and I can guarantee that there is a reason that God is bringing them to light for you and me today. Let’s lean into Him, thanking Him for pruning us as He makes us stronger. Dear Most Holy God – we confess the times that we have hurt you by pitting ourselves against others or causing others to stumble. Father, we thank you for your grace. For picking us up, dusting us off, and helping us stand taller in your power. God, give us your guidance and wisdom and courage as we turn from our own desires for greatness and look to YOUR greatness. Help us always to turn our face to your glory and, in love, to help others do the same. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

We welcome back today's guest, Robin Kirby Gatto, who continues to encourage us about breaking free with deliverance from various shackles of strongholds that hold us captive.    Through The Power at work within us and the Word of God, Robin, a best-selling author, doctor, and social worker, shares about freedom. Robin serves in full-time ministry, teaching and sharing the Word of Truth to bring powerful healing to the soul.   *****   Kimberly Hobbs   Welcome to empowering lives with purpose. And I'm your host Kimberly have so I'm the founder of Women world leaders and today we are back for part two of deliverance with our guest, Robin Kirby Gatto. Welcome, Robin, glad to have you back. Robin Kirby Gatto   I am so excited to be here, Kimberly. Kimberly Hobbs   Well, we're excited to have you and ladies, if you didn't tune in to last week's podcast, please, please go back and listen. And you will hear as Robin shared her story about deliverance, and how she had been bound to chains that were binding her in many different ways in her life, which I think a lot of us can relate to. and empowering lives with purpose here. And why we do this podcast is because we can relate to each other through sharing stories through sharing wisdom that God pours into us over the years and how we come out of these things that God delivers us from victories in our lives that he shares with us are all part of God's plan that we help each other to empower each other, and support one another through these, these challenges that we are thrown all throughout our life. And Ephesians 210 says that we are God's masterpiece we are created and new and Christ Jesus to do that very good things that he has planned for us long ago. And ladies, we believe that he has a purpose and plan for your life. And as we talk about today, in part two, of this podcast about deliverance, that there may be some things that are holding you bound and shackled from being able to walk out that beautiful purpose that God has just for you. There could be those things just hidden in your life, that need to be brought out and exposed. And there's ways that God will do that in our life if we allow him to. And the beauty is that our sister here has gone through many things. She was an alcoholic, she was addicted. She had different things in her life that she needed to be freed from before God was able to use her in the beautiful calling that he has on her life, which is in ministry. So I want to share a little bit about our guest again, before we get back into part two. For those of you may just be tuning in for the first time. Robin is a prolific author with a Bachelor and Master's degree in social work and a Juris juris doctorate. She has been in full time ministry since February 2011, where God enlarged the curtains ever habitation, lengthened her steaks, and sent her out, not by man, by himself by God. She has written many teaching books, which include two series of Gods firewall School of the prophets, and also God's firewall healing of the soul, as well as some fictional series of the ancient language seekers. And her latest book is mindfulness of the mind of Christ, which many of you may want to look into after hearing this podcast. And that shows the Christian how to walk out their deliverance by the consecration of the body through the word of truth that sets them free. And as we were talking last week, it's all about the power in the Word of God that will set the captives free, it will set our hearts free, free in so many ways, ladies from the shackles that bind you. Robin has been married to rich got toe since 2001, and has two sons, a daughter and grace and twin grandchildren. She's from Birmingham, Alabama, and taught and preached in other nations including the Philippines and Nicaragua. So last week, I just want to bring some of the listeners up to where we are today. Robin was sharing how she had made some mistakes in her life and and she had walked in and out of some marriages and there was a lot there. And again, a powerful of what God showed her in those beginning stages. But God delivered her she had a defining moment one time in church as he spoke to her heart, and she felt that deliverance come upon her. And when I asked her to expound on that, well, she took off and she He knows her stuff. And I just want and pray and hope that she will pour into you. Just truths that God has given her about that word. And let's take up where we left off last week Robin, about this word deliverance. Robin Kirby Gatto   Yes, oh my goodness, it is my favorite subject. My heart is for the cell. And one of the things that God showed me my biggest go to scriptures for deliverance about what that means is John 832, you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. And that word truth in Greek is Allah Thea. And it means something's no longer hidden, it's uncovered. And the way to understand this better are the two Greek words that compose it, Kimberly, it's alpha, and lantana. A, whenever alpha is in front of another word, it negates it. So it's the opposite. So alpha is in front of lantana. And lantana, means that was just concealed, that was just hidden. And so we see in the core parable of mark four of the sower of seed, where afterward, Jesus goes immediately into another parable. And all of this is about the subject about the seed, and what the seed does, and the power of that, Steve. And so he talks about bringing a lamp into a room, verse 2325, we start seeing this transition, you bring a lamp into your room, not to hide it, but to put it on top of the table on the lamp stand, and that the light is to be brought on top of that lamp stand. And he talks about measuring measurements, and all of a sudden, we see, be careful what you hear, or whatever you hear will be what added. And he and then immediately we see another shift, and he talks about a seed being planted, and how it grows, it starts to sprout, and no one knows how it does that. And then all of a sudden, it is a standing grain harvest. So all of these concepts together, are showing you the power of the truth. And the way that God began to shift me into understanding this at a greater way in teaching it because I want to understand it's not sufficient enough just to hear a scripture, because it's not in the body. If you just hear it, you want a scripture to be experienced in your body. And what that means is, it's an experienced thought. So that is believed. Whatever you believe in, are experienced thoughts. So if you believe you're a failure, your experience experiencing failure in the body. And this is where the self image the soul is, this is where Holy Spirit and our spirit man are. And so God began to talk to me and he said, Robin, make it simple so people can understand. And so we see Scripture say, work out your own salvation, Philippians 212 it fear and trembling. And God said, robbing your soul is your self image. So what you're really working out is your self image. And what that means is the way that we think about ourselves, you can't love others, if you don't love yourself. And so God began to show me the power of the truth. And how light in Scripture is a metaphor for truth, that whenever you see light in Scripture, that is a metaphor for revealed truth. And so what Jesus is saying about bringing a lamp into your room bringing a light into a room, did they put on a lamp stand? Is that the truth of that seed that's been planted in the ground? The sower is Jesus, and he says, the seed in the cell in the self image, and it grows and it sprouts. And so as we are faithful and committed to the word, and to let God by the Holy Spirit, because see, I had a lot of seed in my body before but I didn't know the power. That's right. And so it was claimed in my members, but I hadn't tasted the power of her Holy Spirit of the Spirit of Truth of the Spirit of the Lord. And so God began to show me, John one, five, how the light pierces the darkness in our soul. And that just as I was fragmented from that first marriage, and my members, because what is what's the real issue is this pruning process of areas of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, all the way back to the garden. And as the enemy attacked Eve, by this suggestion, oh, come on, take a taste of this fruit. That power of suggestion was the first thought that was trying to reach to Eve's body to experience a desire for that fruit. And that's what Satan knows. All a stronghold is, is hypnosis, it is the power of a suggestion. And if that suggestion can get to your body, that's where unclean spirits attached to those areas of evil stored up, even if you didn't introduce it, right, if you were just put around it not because of your volunteer volition, your own volition, but it was in up around your person. We see this lot. I saw this a lot as a psychotherapist with children who were taken advantage of during a younger age and an evil way. And they did it the listening volitionally agree to it. But their body has knowledge of it. It's store. And so God is gracious. He's merciful, because I used to work with a lot of people that had areas of dissociative disorder, which used to be known as multiple personality disorder. And I was very much drawn to that as a young little girl when I watched Sybil, and the movie was Sally Fields in it. And I was drawn to that true story of how this woman as a child dissociated, and I had a lot of clients. And I wanted to understand what does the word say about that. And it Nehemiah one, we find that Nehemiah, he is the son of Nun, and he is the son of Hector Elia, the son of Pecola. Josh was the son of Nun. Nehemiah is the son of Hekla. And it's the time of Tesla, which is the time of light, it is Hanukkah. It is the time of Hanukkah is the time of light. And then all of a sudden, we see where God speaks to Nehemiah, and he brings to remembrance if you transgress me, I will scatter you abroad. But if you return to me, even though you have parts as far as outerspace, I will bring every part to that place where my name dwells. And what's interesting is Nehemiah is dad's name, Hakka. laga means y'all have darkness. And it means that God will not leave your darkness. He brings light to your darkness. Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. And then oh my goodness, that I know this is overwhelming. I know. It Well, it is and I just I'm praying as you're you're speaking that the women are following because ladies, this is powerful. This is so powerful. So yes, God is never going to leave you alone. You feel that you are shackled to all of these different things in your life that you just can't get rid of. You can't seem to get them out, because they're in all these parts of your life. Well, we have news for you you can and through the power of the of God, the Holy Spirit working in you, you can be delivered from these things. So yes, please continue. Robin Kirby Gatto   Oh, good, good, because I know sometimes it helps to just have that little pause and understand that these y'all who are watching this scripture says in first Corinthians 213 and 14 that the Word of God is spiritually discerned. It is not from the mind, it is not up here. And so what I tell a lot of people when I preach or teach or write, because we're so used to Kimberly going at it, like, let me understand this like that. When we go into school, when we go to college, we go into a subject or high school we're like, Okay, I got my pen and pencils, I got my notebooks. Let me take notes. You cannot do that with God in the place. It is From our mind, it is not about our power, it is by His spirit. Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. And one thing I want to add right here, ladies, and we talk, I've talked about this with you before Robin is that ladies? Well, there's different, there's different forms of knowledge here that we were talking about, okay? Because we can all have the worldly knowledge that we need filled with the sciences and all of the things that were taught all through school, okay. But when you become a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, you want to desire, the wisdom of the word, the wisdom that God wants you to have, which is completely different than the wisdom of the world. So pray for that wisdom right now that God would just deliver that wisdom into your heart. And there is a scripture that says, if you ask for it, ladies, he will give that to you. And that's why James one five is such an important scripture. And I have prayed that for years, because I constantly daily, ask God for his wisdom, if any of us lack wisdom, let us ask God, and He will give it to us generously to any of us who asked, Have that scripture memorized. And this is what Robin is talking about right now is the Godly wisdom coming out of scriptures that he has given her to share with you. Robin Kirby Gatto   Praise God. And so that's what helps because we've so been taught just about the mind in so many areas, and about Second Corinthians 10, four through eight, taking thought captive thoughts captive, but we've not really understood the concentration of the body, and the importance and the potency of that consecration. And so God began to show me areas of my deliverances and of my freedom, and maintaining that freedom, and in walking in that freedom, is the power of consecration, and that he pours his spider out of Holy Spirit on the consecrated altar on the consecrated place. And so God began to just deal with my members and tell me, Robin, your freedom of every one of those deliverances, it came from the body up to the mind, that as the body was consecrated unto me, as you sat at my word, and you ate of me, he said, I came, and I brought freedom in your soul in your self image. And so what we don't realize about this receptor, and this is what's blowing people away. And in my opinion, it is the greatest discovery since DNA, and it was discovered about in the 70s. And so it's still the new kid on the block. And there's a lot of studies and research that have been done. But it is like a universe, a cosmos unto itself, just like DNA is huge, this receptor called the G protein coupled receptor. And the abbreviation is GPCR, which in my book is God's power in Christ's resurrection, then I know, everything's always about God and Jesus and the spirit of it. And even the way that this receptor, causes the intracellular activity of your sales, literally shows you Jesus leaving glory coming to earth, as a man, son of God's done a man and bringing the message of covenant. I mean, it is just powerful, how intricately God has designed us. And so this receptor has so many different with different areas in our person in which things operate, such as the area of addictions, the area of addictions is at this receptor. Also, you have senses, not on your head, but as you're looking at this video right now are listening to it. And if you have some hot coffee or hot tea, that's or you're eating your lunch, and say you have that taste and that smell, literally all of that stimuli of your regular senses are going into your body and hitting this receptor of G protein coupled receptor in your body. And it is encoding memory. This receptor actually helps encode neurons and the memories stored in neurons. And so God began to show me he said, Robin, notice in the Garden of Eden, he said, Adam was perfect. I said, Oh, yes, he was perfect. You made it. And he said he had eyes. He had ears. I said, Yes, Lord. If he said, So, why does it say his the senses would be open? Recall that Hebrew word. And I said, Oh Lord, I don't know why he said, Because you have eyes in your body Ephesians 118, that the spirit of understanding calm and that the light of truth come upon the eyes of your heart. So you have understanding. And so this truth comes to the body, the consecration, this is the place of conviction, you're not up here, and victims were shins and when there's passion, and so for my deliverance, I was already experiencing it in my body. The gifts of faith just start up hope in me. And I was like the drop bones and God breeds that word is Ezekiel 37 1011. Say they still have a great army, but they said, our hope our Tikva is cut all. And that Tikva actually means a chord in Hebrew, and it means hope. And none of the words dawn, I need a connection in my body to you. I don't want to just know you go into church up here, I want to know you in this temple. And God began to show me he said, Robin, when Adam and Eve had a change in what the body in the Garden of Eden, when they ate the fruit, he said, the eyes of their body was opened up to the knowledge of evil. And it would be like opening up your computer and having the all of Wikipedia downloaded, then all of that information was added to their member. So just imagine, if all you've done is God, and all of a sudden, you've taken a body of this fruit, and something has changed. And you look at your body that used to be holy. And now you see it as this evil thing. It is because the senses of their body had been perverted by the enemy. And that's what the enemy does, is he perverts truth. And God by the word, brains, the light of truth, to our body. John 15, to where we are praying those that bear what fruit fruit, he prays to bear what more abundant fruit and right phrase, that word praying is Cathar raise. As soon as I saw that word, Kimberly, I went. That's catharsis. And sure enough, I looked up catharsis where Aristotle came up with catharsis. And it comes from the Greek word Cathar. Rose, the same word that Jesus uses. And it means to purge, it means to parkgate it means to cleanse. So every one of my deliverances I would feel this tangible, cleansing, like when I had pain, hurt in my members, that deliverance was so beautiful. And that release, were all of a sudden, I just went into this uncontrollable crying. Just I could not stop it. And I did not know what was wrong with me. And I just cried and cried and cried and it was uncontrollable. And it was a released, my members were purged a pain. Yes, were gone. It was cathartic. It was not seen enjoyable release of that emotion, where it could no longer stay in my body. Because it had been consecrated. Amen. Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. Amen. That is so powerful, so powerful. And ladies, if you have not had that moment with God that released that, you know, pray, God knows your heart, He will hear those words you pray and ask him for that deliverance. He's not going to hold it from you. You truly want that inner purging to come out. It will and I'm relating with you, Robin because I was at that moment to where I had that and I experienced that and that uncontrollable crying. Yes, because God allows your eyes to be opened and you see and it's like that deliverance is powerful, right? Powerful. So oh my gosh, here we are again, like Robin like I can't even believe this like Time just flies so fast. But I want to ask you right now there's that woman that is listening right now. I'm just on the tip edge of her seat, just hearing these words that God has provided today through your tongue. And I'm just asking Robin pour into that woman right now. walk her through what to do. She's addicted to alcoholism, like you were She's addicted to drugs, she's addicted to sex. She's addicted to anger, whatever it is that wells up inside of her that she's cannot seem to control. What is your word of truth to her from God's Word today? Robin Kirby Gatto   The word of truth is the power of the still small voice of God, that even Elijah the prophet had witnessed God's power, but he brought him back at Mount Horeb. To that still small voice to God. And I would tell you to shut off the voice of the enemy, to shut off the voice of the world. And that anything that is not in God's Word, you have to be committed, that if it's not in the word, that's not who you are, you have to be committed and eat the word. And some of the most profound scriptures I would tell you are Jeremiah 2911, did 13 John one one through 18 of Asians 117 through 23 seasons 316 through 21. Hey, man, those scriptures and you hold on and you wait for your deliverance because it draws NDI in Jesus name, amen. Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. Amen. And ladies, she gave those to you rewind this, write those down, and police police look them up. Because there is power in the Word. You have expectations on God to deliver you from these addictions that are binding you, oh, my goodness, you pray, pray the scripture that she just gave for you to read back to God, when you're praying, you watch what's going to happen ladies in your life. You watch it, I'm living proof God will deliver you from these things. I promise you in Jesus name, we claim it with you, Robin, I think of a great way for us to close. Just last week and this week, because you know, we came to an end so quickly last week and jumped right into this week. But I'm going to ask you to just pray over the sisters that are listening right now that are battling in their heart and the devil does not want them to hear this. He hasn't. And he wants him to just jump off. But no, we need to pray a prayer over them a covering for them that they are solidifying that they are going to go to God with us. And so can you pray over them, right? Robin Kirby Gatto   That's my favorite thing. I just pray that spirit of the Lord is upon you and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, every assignment of heaviness, cloak of heaviness, be lifted off in the name of Jesus Christ, the synagogue, and every line serpent be lifted all in Jesus name, and ash Bray, the Spirit of the Lord is upon you. And then you will come out of dungeons and the cat tivity, which has kept you it will fall off. It will be destroyed by the anointing by a young destroying anointing. And I pray that the garment of expressive praise is upon your members. I pray that you're on that highway of holiness, Isaiah 35 Eight, where no unclean day no BS can come on that highway. And I'll pray a hunger and thirst be in your soul for the righteousness of God, and it be made known to your members, and that God's light pierces your darkness. And it causes all the attacks of the enemy, to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed. And the power of the truth hallelujah John 1717, that you are consecrated by that word of truth and God's word, in Jesus name. And I pray that God is a wall of fire around about you, and the glory in the midst of you in Jesus name, amen. Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. Amen. What does God's Word say? Call me when you are in trouble? And I will rescue you that Psalm 55 And thank you. Thank you, Robin, as we call out to Jesus on behalf of these women, we pray for you ladies. We will continue to pray for you and we pray that we get to hear more from Robin Gatto. And Robin, can you tell the ladies how they can get your books because the amazing what you have done for God's great kingdom, please tell them. Thank you. Robin Kirby Gatto   I've got mindfulness the mind of Christ, which looks like this with the bee on it. And it's on Amazon and a journal that is 100 day journal that is called the self just be the self image journal. And you can find both of those on Amazon. And I am just so excited. I know I've got book coaching in there, I do book coaching, where I expand because it's so much. And so anybody that's interested, I have women that do it for free, because I can't afford it. And I'm not about people paying, I'm about people getting it. And so if they really want that book coaching and they can't afford it, just tell them to contact me. And I will get them hooked up with book coaching. Because of all the science that talked about and stuff in helps explain it and expound on it. Appreciate it, Kimberly. Oh, amen. Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. Well, you know what you my dear i, this was an anointing over these podcasts. God has used you in a powerful way. And of course, we want you to share, you know, the, the wisdom that He's poured out of you, Robin, and you put it into books so that we can all glean those truths that God has, thank you. We are so grateful. And then so grateful that you would come to women, world leaders and share with us and be part of this amazing ministry. Because we know that God is doing exceedingly abundantly beyond what we can imagine through this ministry. And he is bringing people as yourself, Robin, and maybe some of you listening, have these gifts that you need to share with the world. Please don't hold back. If God is gifting you in certain ways. Come to us, let us know and we will, again, give you the opportunity to serve God here in this place. It's amazing to serve together right and learn all this together. I love it. Love it. Love it. So God bless you, Robin, thank you again for coming on board with us. And ladies, we have these podcasts each Monday, Wednesday and Friday for you to be able to tune in so please utilize them every Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Share them with everybody that you know that can benefit from the truth that God brings through women around the world. So God bless each and every one of you, from his heart to yours. We are women world leaders. Remember all content is copyrighted and cannot be used without expressed written consent. God bless you all have a fabulous day. Thank you again, Robin. Thank you

Enjoy this live teaching from the Women World Leaders' Gathering - RENEW. Recorded in West Palm Beach, Florida on June 6th, Julie teaches a three-step method to being renewed in Christ. The full recording of the event can be viewed on our YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfi3NJAMicqo8AQtwxQ6RRw

Join Janet Berrong on today's episode of Celebrating God's Grace as she discusses the freedom through Christ which allows us to live in the fullness of love, joy, and peace. ******* Welcome to Celebrating God's grace, a women world leaders podcast. I'm your host, Janet Berrong. Thank you for joining us today as we celebrate God's grace, in ministry, and around the world. Please join us every Monday, Wednesday and Friday for our podcast series, Monday with Kimberly Hobbs and empowering lives with purpose. Wednesday with Julie Jenkins walking in the Word, and Friday we have a variety of women sharing and celebrating God's grace. I enjoy our time here together. And I am honored to share with you today the message of freedom in Christ. The definition of freedom is the power or the right to act, speak or think as one wants without hindrance or resistance. In life, we have freedom to choose a lot of things. And here in the United States, I am grateful for our freedoms. And today I want to expand on the freedom in Christ. The freedom we have in Christ is the freedom to live in faith, to put our hope and trust that God welcomes us through His son into His kingdom. freedom in Christ is not the right to do what we want. It's the ability to do what we ought. Without Christ, we are slaves to sin, unable to do what is right. Christ's death on the cross has set us free from the penalty and the power of sin. Galatians five one reads, it is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery. We are delivered from the bondage of sin and its punishment and have new life in Christ. Christian freedom is for enjoying what we are made for who we were made for, and that's God in Christ. Christ made us to live abundant full lives. In John 1010 reads, The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy. I came that you may have life and have it abundantly. God created humanity in the image of God and called them to partner with him expanding his creation. But partnership requires trust. So God gave humanity the freedom to make their own choices. Sadly, the first humans made a choice to trust your own wisdom over gods. This began a downward spiral of selfishness, violence and pain for humanity. But God intervened with a plan to restore humans to their place of true partnership. The consequences that humans face for neglecting God's warnings are difficult. But God's promises have hope. In Jeremiah 2911 reads, For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord their plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. The Holy Spirit longs to make us joyful people He longs to lead us away from which will steal our joy and guide us to green pastures and still waters. But a choice remains constant before us. Will we choose the stress, burdens and insecurities of this world? Or will we follow God into the more abundant life of his joy filled presents. We have a very real enemy tempting us every day to choose a world that will never fulfill us. Galatians 513 reads For we were called to freedom brothers only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. One of our reasons it's so important to understand that you are free from the bondage, penalty and guilt of sin is because now it increases your capacity through Jesus to love to have joy to experience peace and enjoy life. He wants us to increase our capacity to have the relationship with your heavenly Father. John 836 reads so if the sun set you free, you are free indeed. What is Christ freed you from? Can you identify a specific area in your life where you sent you need of redemption. With that in mind? How does this promise specifically impact you today? Dear sisters, if you're wanting more freedom today, I encourage you to get hungry for the Word, God's word the living word. Father, only your word can feed our deepest hunger for our souls. It is such a blessing today to have access to the Bible. Give us wisdom, humility, as we listen to you in Jesus name. Amen.  

After the disciples get a little full of themselves and begin arguing over who would be the greatest in the Kingdom, Jesus gently teaches them. As you listen to and visualize this lesson from Matthew 18:1-5, Mark 9:33-37, and Luke 9:46-48, open your heart and ask God how this applies to your life. ****** Welcome to Walking in the Word, the biblical teaching arm of the Women World Leaders podcast. My name is Julie Jenkins – I hope that you consider me your walking partner as we take this stroll together through the Bible, uncovering all that God wants to teach us today. I appreciate YOU for holding ME accountable to spending time in the Word! As I study, write and record these podcasts, I am always amazed at how much God teaches ME through the process. I hope you feel the same as you listen! Let me wish you a Happy July! I’m always amazed at how fast the summer goes! With that in mind, I want to take a moment to remind you that if you are not a current subscriber to Voice of Truth, there is still time to sign up before our August edition comes out. Subscriptions are free – just visit our website at womenworldleaders.com. We are awed at God’s provision as we put together each edition, both from the contributor standpoint and from the donation side. If you are involved in writing, editing, producing, or giving financially for Voice of Truth, we want you to know how grateful we are! And if you are a recipient, we would love to hear how the magazine is ministering in your life. Please drop us a note at [email protected]! Today’s Scripture, as we go along our journey, is Matthew 18:1-5, Mark 9:33-37, and Luke 9:46-48. Before we begin, let’s pray… Dear Most Holy God, We come to you today with open hearts, ready to learn whatever you have for us. God, as we walk through your Word together, we recognize that bit by bit, we are getting a clearer picture of you and developing a closer walk with you. You promise us that if we ask for wisdom, you will grant it. And God, I know that you often give your wisdom through the reading and understanding of Scripture. So as we read and study today, will you shower us with your wisdom? We ask this in Jesus’ almighty name, Amen. As we walk with Jesus through the Bible, we do indeed see Him clearer with each step. And, as the disciples literally walked with Jesus, they saw Him clearer as well. Peter, James, and John had just seen Jesus in all His glory at the transfiguration, and Peter received a personal miracle when Jesus provided him a coin from a fish’s mouth meant to pay the temple tax. All of this personal attention, however, turned the disciples’ thoughts to themselves. They were recently filled with grief at the news that Jesus would be killed, but apparently, they quickly forgot that grief about Jesus’ upcoming pain as they each focused on themselves and began to wonder, “what’s in this for me?” Luke 9:46 from the New Living Translation sets the scene… 46 Then his disciples began arguing about which of them was the greatest.  This may be perplexing to us, but I bet, if we think about it, we can all personally relate. There were 12 men, after all, and our logical minds tell us that SOMEONE had to be the favorite. We don’t know who or exactly what instigated the argument, but one thing is certain: a lot of feelings likely played into the scenario. It is possible that Peter, James, and John were feeling prideful – because they were definitely emerging as Jesus’ inner circle. They saw it, and so did the other nine disciples. And let’s remember that in Jesus’ absence (while He was out gallivanting with Peter, James, and John), the other disciples had been unable to heal the demon-possessed boy – which may have led to a lack of self-esteem and feelings of inferiority. And then there was Judas, who we later learn wasn’t about following Jesus at all, but was likely in it only for himself anyway. In most situations, there is a web of feelings and circumstances that can lead us to sin. And this was no different. Their argument was about status – which the world honors. And it makes worldly sense that the more people who are below us – no matter how they got there – the higher we climb. The world teaches us to claim our place at the top of the heap, even if that means stepping on or over other people to get there. We may look down on the disciples for arguing their case about who was the greatest in words, but we often argue the case for our own superiority in actions. For example, it is all too common for us to amass ridiculous stores of riches rather than use what God has given us to serve others. We often use our time to get degrees for the purpose of putting a lot of letters after our name to impress others, rather than for gaining knowledge to serve others. And it is commonplace for us to look sideways … and down … at those who may be living a sinful lifestyle, instead of reaching out a loving hand to help them. Before we judge the disciples for foolishly arguing who was greater, we owe it to ourselves to look at ourselves and our own lifestyles and assess where we claim greatness over someone else. If you are feeling really brave, ask JESUS to show you where YOU are claiming greatness. But when you do, get ready, because Jesus knows…and you might be surprised as He takes off your blinders. Jesus knows. He knows our thoughts, our actions, and our words. But when we ask, we don’t have to be afraid, because we can trust Jesus’ gentle guidance to help us grow. In Mark 9:33, we see that gentle guidance… 33 After they arrived at Capernaum and settled in a house, Jesus asked his disciples, “What were you discussing out on the road?” 34 But they didn’t answer, because they had been arguing about which of them was the greatest.  As I read this, I had to ask myself, how often have I closed my ears to what Jesus was asking me? How many times have I refused to answer a question that I KNOW He already has the answer to? If you read through the Bible, you will begin to notice that Jesus’ style of teaching often involves questions. Lots of questions! There is a truth in teaching that says that when someone figures out something rather than being told it, they develop a deeper understanding. Jesus asked the disciples what they were discussing to make them think and to help them understand their sin of pridefully leapfrogging each other to greatness. Then Jesus answered the question THEY had…who IS the greatest in the Kingdom? Mark 9:35… 35 He sat down, called the twelve disciples over to him, and said, “Whoever wants to be first must take last place and be the servant of everyone else.” This is so different from the world’s teaching, and something we must each take to heart. While there is nothing wrong with ambition or success, Jesus teaches us that HIS WAY to success and authentic leadership is through personal humility and service to others. Jesus is a master at teaching through questions, and also through stories and illustrations. So next, He does something very memorable…Matthew 18:1… 2 Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. (Mark tells us He took the child in His arms…I love that visual) 3 Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. 4 So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. Let’s talk about a child’s place in the first century. We tend to elevate our children, to craft our family culture around the needs and desires of our children. But that was not the case in Jesus’ day, when children had no power, status, or rights. A child was often seen only in terms of adding to the family work structure and carrying on the family trade. Children were expected to be obedient and submissive and were completely dependent on their father’s goodwill. So Jesus welcomes this child into the conversation and holds him in His arms. A picture of love and protection and acceptance. And then He tells the disciples that even to ENTER the kingdom of heaven, they must become like this insignificant child, serving in humble submission and becoming completely dependent on the Father’s goodwill. And then He drops the bombshell, the MOST humble will become the greatest. What a paradigm shift – for the disciples AND for us! I read a devotion today by Rick Renner that I want to share the gist of – it is based on 1 Corinthians 4:1, in which the apostle Paul calls himself a “mere servant of Christ.” The word Paul uses in the original Greek is huperetas (hu pair EH tays), which means “the essential attitude necessary to get a job done.” Renner wrote that the original word hearkened back to the very lowest class of criminals who were often assigned to the galleys of the ship to row the ship – to keep it moving. Picture a ship powered by oars below, with the passengers and even workers up above in the sunlight moving swiftly across the sea. The reality is that the boat would not be moving at all without the power of the workers below, covered in sweat, working hard, hidden from glory. That’s the kind of minister Paul was. That is who we are called to be. To be great in the kingdom, and I can’t think of a better place to be great, we must humbly submit to our Father and depend on Him for wisdom, guidance, protection, and peace. We must serve those we are given the honor to serve. We must be the helping hands to pull others up when they fall. We must be the shoulders hoisting others to greatness. We must sit in the bottom of the ship and row our hearts out in the shadows, understanding that if we don’t do what we are called to do, the ship will become stagnant in the water. Luke 9:48 assures us… Whoever is the least among you is the greatest.” While that is an amazing thought, being the greatest should never be our focus, because God is the greatest! In my home growing up we had a hanging that said J.O.Y …joy…Jesus. Other. You. Our first duty as Christians is to Jesus. Our second duty as Christians is to others. When we raise up Jesus and Others, our status will automatically get upgraded! We are called to be like the children of the first century. Obedient. Submissive. Willing to listen in complete dependence to our Heavenly Father. THAT is being the greatest in the Kingdom. Let’s pray… Dear Loving Father! Your teaching is SO clear. We are to serve in humble obedience. We are honored to do so! For you are the best father ever. God, we give you our service, and we ask that you empower us to follow your call every step of every day. Show us who you would have us serve today. Give each listener a practical step to take, and remind her of your teaching today as she rows the boat. Always for your glory. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Robin Kirby Gatto holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Social Work and Juris Doctorate. She has many published teaching books and is a best-selling author. Today Robin shares her personal story of deliverance from many strongholds.    God has moved Robin into sharing His Truths on Freedom through Wisdom and the Power of His Word. Please join us today as Robin shares about this powerful word of DELIVERANCE coming alive in her life through Jesus Christ her Lord and Savior and the Word of God. Part One of Two.   *****   Kimberly Hobbs   Welcome to Empowering Lives with Purpose. And I'm your host, Kimberly Hobbs. I am the founder of Women World Leaders. We are so grateful that you've joined us today on empowering lives with purpose. And that is our hope today ladies that we get to empower you and encourage you to walk and that beautiful purpose that God has just for you. And one of our guests today that is wanting to just pour in some encouragement to you is our guest Robin Kirby Gatto. Welcome, Robin. Robin Kirby Gatto   Thank you. I am super excited, and I cannot wait to see what the Spirit of the Lord does. Kimberly, God bless you. Kimberly Hobbs   Oh, God bless you. Ladies. Today we are in for a great topic. Today we're talking about deliverance. And there are so many things as we think about our lives, whether God has delivered you from something already, something that has held you captive or shackled. That feeling of not being free. While today we want to talk about what that freedom feels like. And we want all of us to be able to be able to experience that true freedom that comes through Jesus Christ our Lord. So that's what we're going to talk about in our podcast today. And ladies, God tells us in His Word, that every believer has received grace gifts, so use them to serve one another as faithful stewards of the many color tapestries of God's grace. That's First Peter 410. So we've all received different gifts. And today's guest today Robin is so amazing, and I just being able to get to know her as a woman of God. God truly has entrusted her with beautiful gifts. And I believe as she starts to speak, you're gonna hear about what God has entrusted her with. So we believe each of you have a purpose, ladies. And it's our hope today that through listening to this podcast, you're going to hear a little bit about what your purpose might be. Ask God for that right now as we begin this podcast today, I want to share a little bit about who Robin Kirby Gatto is before we get going. She is a prolific author with a Bachelor and Master's degree in social work, and a juris doctorate. She has been in full time ministry since February 2011, where God in large the curtains of her habitations, he lengthened her steaks, and he sent her out, not by man, but by him, God sent her out. She has written many teaching books, which include two series of Gods firewall School of the prophets, and God's firewall, healing of the soul, as well as fictional series of the ancient language seekers. Her latest book, mindfulness of the mind of Christ shows the Christian how to walk out their deliverance by the consecration of the body through the word of truth that sets them free. The word of truth, we hear that ladies, that's God's word, is the word of truth. Robin has been married to rich Gatto since 2001, and has two sons, and a daughter and grace and two grandchildren. That's beautiful. You've got your surroundings of love. She's from Birmingham, Alabama, and has taught and preached in other nations including the Philippines and Nicaragua. Robin loves to minister wherever God calls her. And prior to finding her calling, Robin has had a pretty tumultuous life. Right, Robin, we got to share and talk about that a little bit. Until God delivered her ladies. Robin, can you take a few minutes and share with us some of the trials and struggles you went through prior to the time that God brought his power through his word into your life? Robin Kirby Gatto   Yes, and thank you for that intro. Kimberly, I am so blessed to be here and I'm super excited. Because I know that God has a plan and there's such a power in the testimony. There is a yoke destroying anointing, and I know that this is for someone out there specifically that's watching the day and said So, early on, God drew me to himself. When I was six years old, he would wake me up on Sunday mornings while everybody else was asleep. And he would tell me to get up and get that little handmade dress my grandmother made all the way to the floor. And he would say, go across the street and go to the church. And I sat on the third P on the inside, so I could see the pasture. And the only way that I can describe it, Kimberly is it was like this Amber, honey gold was coming down on this pasture. And my mouth was like this. And I just took in every word that this pastor preached, and taught in that particular service in every service thereafter. And so I asked them what to do. And they led me to get a Sunday school. And church was part of an escape for me, I actually have a brother that's a year older. And we were latchkey kids back in the late 60s, and 70s, early 70s. And he had met massive anger issues massive. And so I was there every day, all through school, all the way through high school dealing with that anger that he had, and I was the recipient of that anger every single day. And so charge was an escape for me and so many avenues. And I love the Lord, my family started going to church, my family started the Lord. But at the same time, nobody really wanted to deal with these anger issues. Because I was the only person that had to see them, mainly, while we were latchkey kids. And so one thing led to another, and I served the Lord through elementary served the Lord through middle school, I would get teased, or we get persecuted in high school in middle school, because I just really loved the Lord. And I would date a couple of guys. And because I wanted to protect my purity, they ended up leaving me with young ladies that would give them their desires and what they wanted. And so my senior year of high school, I just kind of went into rebellion. I was just so mad at God. And I was thinking, God, I'm doing all these things, right. And all of these bad things keep happening. And I just wanted to flat out rebel again, I was also very much in a protected zone by my parents, which is good. And so when I went to college, I just went party animal crazy, and that rebellion. And of course, I didn't do well in my first semester of college, because I hardly attended any classes. And the next thing I do is I find myself back home. And I go to a local junior college, and I get connected to the wrong man. And my mother warns me and she's a Baptist, but she has such a gift to discerning of spirits. And she warns me she said, Robin, he is demon possessed, do not marry him. But I was in rebellion. I was just angry with God angry with my parents, and that there was this undercurrent of anger is all I can tell you, and so on marry this man. And the next thing I know is he ends up being this drug dealer and he was actually from a narc pulling me aside on the road, right before I had a way of escape from that marriage. The narc told me that he was number two in the state of Mississippi on the entire narc list that he was number two in the state. And he warns me and God will always send you warnings. And he will, he will provide a written submission on web scape. And so, this man after we got married against obesity severely, He locked the door with deadbolt locks. He starts the and he beat me he would put guns to my head knives to mouth right. And so it was very intense. And I had been a cheerleader. I was overall girl I was class favorite. You would have never known this was me. But that undercurrent of anger I believe towards my brother. Growing up with constant, being the recipient of that anger and just having to tolerate it. It just really took me down a place that I didn't want to go. And after nine months of being married to this man and he was demon possessed. After nine months, God provided a way of escape and a ram in the bush and at 2pm to 8am in the morning. I was able to get the key out of his pocket because he kept it in his pocket. And I was able to grab that key and just hightail it up the street. And with him running behind me, I knew I was dead. And at this point I was about 82 pounds, I had been so starved and so beaten. And God had a policeman right at the top of that street. And I was able to leave that marriage. But the damage that that did to my self esteem was beyond measure. And it took over just a decade to be able to see it in a room without my stomach and knots and having panic attacks. Well, shortly after that, three years later, I married a doctor, a pre med student, and helped him get through med school. And at the same time was getting my bachelor's in social work. And my internship at the Baptist children's village with severe Lee hurt children. My supervisor called me in for what I thought was just going to be a regular meeting. And it wasn't just a regular meeting, she was confronting the fact that I was abused. And there I found out I disassociated. And it was at that point that God began to work on my person. Kimberly Hobbs   Wow. Wow. Wow. And he did. He did. And you went through that marriage as well. And you were telling me about how you went from not only? Well, there were some struggles within? Which Yes, you out of that marriage? Yes. into a place where alcoholism started taking over talk about that a little bit, you got into this unbelievably sad, depressed state, because you felt that you were making mistake after mistake is despite the time that you were learning all of this worldly knowledge that got you had your bachelor's, and then you got your masters. And then the things were happening in your life talk about that really quick? Robin Kirby Gatto   Yes. In fact, I married the doctor, I put him through medical school after going through residency, and it was my turn to go back and get my master's in social work. And I thought things were great. But how, how many times does God give you something in your network, that you just know that something's going to happen, and that you don't see yourself somewhere where someone else would see you. And so God showed me that I was not going to leave the house that I was in, and the doctor and I put a contract on my dream home. I put them through medical school, it was time for us to get our margerine home. And the next thing I know is I'm standing at that house with his family. And they asked me Are you excited about this house and I said, I don't see myself here. I don't see myself here. And Holy Spirit was speaking to me. And it was shortly after that, that I found out who was actually trying to move me out of the home with the two boys of one and six year old boys. Because he was having an affair, Kimberly and I had no clue. But God protected me and our house never sold. And he kept me in this house. And at that time, I was serving God, I was hungry, I would. I didn't have the power of Holy Spirit. I was hungry and thirsty for righteousness. But I did not know the power. I hadn't tasted the power at that time. And then the next thing I know is I'm a single mom, trying to pursue God, I've been going to church, I've been taking my voice to church, I'm always there. And the next thing on a thing shift. And I just happened to go to the divorce recovery group with two ladies. And it's in the church. But these two ladies were drinking wine. And all it took was one night with those ladies at their house. And I just drunk a sip of wine. And the next thing I know is it became my medication for my pain. Because I kept looking for my painting counselors to be resolved for my pain and friends to be resolved. And I kept looking to people to help me with my pain. But there was only one that could help me with my pain. Instead, God began to transition me and show me areas of my soul that were in such captivity. And this was right before I married my husband rich. I had actually been engaged. I was a single mother four and a half years, and I went into alcoholism. medomak medicated my pain through alcoholism. That was my medication. Antidepressants didn't work. So my only anti really depressant and which made me more depressed was alcohol. And so it was the most horrific thing that I could have ever done. But God knew that my lineage the family generations had alcoholism in it. And I didn't know that alcoholism was in my family, and that it just came up in my members. And it just became this Strong call that I could not find my way out of. And I began by the Holy Spirit, God began to speak to me, he brought me back to the simple place of the Word, and the power of the word, John 832, you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free. And God began to say, Robin, you are not a drunk, and I said, Hello, God, I'm drinking. He said, but were in my word, does it say your job. He said, You are the righteousness of Christ Jesus, you are seated in heavenly places, I have a plan to give you a hope and a future and not to harm me. And the gift of faith was deposited in me. And God began to speak to me. And he said, Robin, I want you to start speaking this word. Now this is as I'm still an alcoholic, I'm still in bondage. And then I meet my soon to be husband and I marry in 2001. Rich, who doesn't want anything to do with alcohol? Who doesn't want anything to do with someone in bondage, but God drew this man to me. And he watched this entire transformation, as the Holy Spirit's stirred me up in the day, to where I would just speak the word and only the word. And he would even mention sometimes will Robin, you just drank the night before? I said, but I'm not an alcoholic. Nowhere in the Word of God. Does it say that I'm an alcoholic, and Jesus wasn't a drunk. And so if Jesus wasn't a drawl, and nowhere in the war, does it say I got just started this day. And I just spoke it. And on Resurrection Sunday, 2001, my husband and was a 2002, Resurrection Sunday, my husband's there. I feel the power of Holy Spirit, and it is offertory that you're passing the offering around, wanting that offertory Tom, and my heart is beating 100 miles an hour. And I look down at my heart and I'm thinking what is going on with me. And that amber color honey that I saw was a six year old girl. It came on matar person. And I heard God say stand Oh, and a call see Mullins, my Redeemer lives was playing. And I stood up. And the power board came on me. And I'm shaking, and my mind is going what is going on with my body. And my knees are weak, and my husband stands behind me. And the power of God came on me and in one moment just broke chains off on 2002 Resurrection Day. Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. Amen. And you know, ladies are hearing that and sometimes we hear stories in various different ways. But that's the power of the Lord. He is a limitless God that can do the most amazing things in our life. And he delivered you that day. And John a 32, you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free. That's the scripture you use. And God used his word of truth as you were sitting there in church, and it's permeating you and he was preparing you. And he was doing a mighty work in you. And that day you were delivered, chains broke off. And you were free. You were delivered from alcoholism. you repented you taught you were talking to me about this Robin and ladies, this gets good. This woman is full of the wisdom of God because He has just poured into her. You had a heart change as you checked out that that sin and you repented that enslaved you and you were delivered that day. Then I said were you delivered from everything Robin, you know, and you started to tell me, you started getting deliverances from different things coming up in your life like the rage of anger. Can you talk about this with? Robin Kirby Gatto   Yes. And just to let you know, I've not shared much ever publicly or even privately except for my husband, about my brother. So a lot of people don't know that. But for some reason, Kimberly, there's someone that needs to hear this because you have lived this. And so I had the resurrection, Sendai. 2002 And just a few months later, and Holy Spirit accelerated me on the Isaiah 35 Eight Highway of Holiness. And God was Redeeming the time because he knew his schedule. I didn't know God's schedule. He knew his schedule. And so he was catching me up. And he put me on that as a 358 highway of holiness where there's no unclean thing. There's no beast, and he just started giving me this hunger and thirst for the word. And I just read the Word and the power of God was just bringing truth and joy just accelerating it in my members to where I could just know the power, the truth. And so God began to speak with me just a few months after the alcoholism that he said, Robin, you have got issues. And so I thought, this deliverance was all new to me. I've never say this. I've just grown up this Baptist girl. All I know is I love the Lord. And so all of this was very new to me. And so a few months later, after the alcoholism, deliverance, on, on the phone was rich a year he lives in, he lives in Connecticut, New York, working out his contract, he worked for non West corporate, which I really love because I like my wish. And I was down here at Alabama steel. So a year of our marriage, he was up there working, I was down here. And so my insecurity, I was jealous at the moment, and there was no reason to be jealous, but there was just insecurities. And it was just time. And so this anger came up in my person. And it just started rising up and God did some supernatural work in that deliverance. And he showed me he said Robin recant of your of the anger towards your brother. He said, You have been angry with him all of this time, repent of anything towards your parents. And that that was the lynch pin. Because if you would have asked, you know, the way that I am right now, I'm doubly that's how I've always been, okay, this is, this is my personality. My personality hasn't changed. It's just been amplified. Okay. So as Robin Kirby Gatto, steroids, after the Lord brings freedom. And so I if you would have told me I had raged, I would have told you, you are crazy. Because I didn't know as they are, but because of the supernatural encounter. And God had me on the floor. And it was like this big thumb on my back and my knees are under my belly, and my arms are out, like in prayer position. And I heard repent, and I began to repent. And it felt like chains broke off of me. And it felt like I was lifted up Kimberly and I could run a mess. That's what I tell everybody after every single one of these deliverances it feels like I was running on air, like the root word, Give us this day, our daily bread elrow It means to lift dog. And that's what happens when you get freedom, Kimberly Hobbs   freedom. Same time, that's the freedom and I have to just share the scripture really quick that God gave me Romans 612 to 14 says do not let sin control the way you live. Do not give into sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were but now you have new life. That's you. I mean, like that's why you're like lifted up on the air because you are so excited of the freedom that God gives. Yes. So use your whole body is an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the Freedom of God's grace. And now you're living in grace Robin. And this is so exciting because God delivered you from your fear of even going into full time ministry. But he had to break away all those chains that were holding you down, right? Because you've had all those things you needed to be delivered from his deliverance through the power of His Word. Yes, that's how we find our deliverance. We read the word it convicts our heart, we go to God and repentance and he delivers. So Robin now here you are he's given you and wait. I've just got to say let loose Robin, and to share what God has taught you about deliverance, and to just share with us. Robin Kirby Gatto   Praise God. Well, God began to take the ministry and the first thing I did was go to the Philippines when I was in full time ministry. And over there he said, Robin, I want you to start doing God's bible school the prophets which is nothing but the Navy Seals of discipleship. It is the word, the word the word, just like the old day school the prophets with Elijah and Samuel, because the only people that could do the word and study the Word and have it in there around amongst them. Were the priest or the school, the prophets, those that hung around this prophets. And so God said, Robin, I will do the study the word study the word just like law school, just like you studied every one of those subjects. And God began to bring the wisdom through law school to be able to know those subject matters. He said, I want you to go in every direction in your life, and it is about the word. And as First Corinthians two says, Holy Spirit combines different scriptures, and Holy Spirit shows us things that are fenced in and hidden by the mind of God, the Holy Spirit knows the mind of God and gives us that through the mind of Christ. And so, in those writings, I just began to bring in not my favorite subjects, it was what I resisted in it was the sciences, it was physiology, it was biology was chemistry, it was anatomy, it was astronomy, because God had me unpack the word, Romans 120, says, The God of the invisible shows himself through the visible nature he created. And he just began showing me himself through a flower or through a tree, through a through hit the galaxy, and I just was like, Oh, my goodness, this is absolutely, obviously my own fantastical place. And the next thing I know is I tell everybody, I'm VODs Jerry Rice, for those of y'all who are older out there, he's a wide receiver. And so he would say, Robin study this, and it was like I was going long on fake. And he would just give me subject matter to study with his word. And it would just blow my mind because it would bring understanding to my members. And that is where faith comes. It comes in understanding the word and hearing the Word and understanding the word. And so God began to have me teach the sciences, which were my weakest subject in school, I even though I got honors, and I graduated with honors in all of my schooling, and even college, it was still my weakest subject. I was not a fan of science. But God just gave me his grace. And he brought things together. And I've been doing that for about a decade, over a decade, Kimberly, and everything came together. And God didn't shed me. He said, Robin, the new book you're gonna write is mindfulness, the mind of Christ. And I said, Glory to God. I cannot write to write that book, hallelujah, Holy Spirit. And he said, and I'm going to show you how you were delivered at the receptor level of your body, to show you what printing looks like, and why you had the supernatural encounters. And I delivered to you and I was like, well, glory to God, it is about Tom because he wants to give us wisdom. If we ask, he wants to give us Kimberly Hobbs   James 1:5. Robin Kirby Gatto   Yep. And said these this whole decade as I was teaching all the different sciences, and even some doctors were some of the students at our schools would go to the doctor with a loved one like a parent, they would say, are you in nursing school? And she would say, No, I'm not in nursing school. But I'm in another school, I just happened in a, an ad, getting detailed anatomy of the heart, the anatomy of the lungs, the anatomy of the brain. I mean, it was just it amplifies when you take it and couple it with Scripture. And so God said, which is one of my favorite scriptures, Romans 12, one and two, he says in Romans 12, one, that we are to consecrate the body as holy as until gone, which is it's reasonable or reasonable worship to God or reasonable service. And then after that, it says, Romans 12, two, that we're not to be conformed to this world, but the world to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, to prove what is the acceptable of God, what is good and pleasing in His sight, by the Spirit of the Lord. And so, about two years ago, God began to speak to me about the mind and body connection, because every time I'd get delivered, my mind would say, what is going on? In this body, and the power of God would come on me by the Spirit of the Lord, because Romans 317 says, Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And so God began to show me that the body has its own language, which is the nations and the mind has its own language, which is thoughts, but it's mainly what is my condition? Am I good? Am I okay? Am I happy? Am I satisfied? Am I bad? The mind is always that's what order to take thoughts captive, and where not to let it get into the body. Because when it gets into the body, it becomes an experienced adult and every single one of our deliverances Kimberly, we're not from the brain down to the body. Just like in law school, having been in social work, and switched to law school, which there are many social workers who do that, but it's a whole different way to study. It's a whole different school. It's Socratic method. It's totally different and they Give me these textbooks that really don't have the answers in the textbooks. So you have to buy study aids to go along with the textbooks. And so it was just difficult for me to grasp law. But I just kept putting my members and when I say members I'm talking about, I allowed my mind to be present. But I wasn't trying to grab it by my mind, I was just allowing my entire presence to be in for that material. And after a month, Holy Spirit would bring me the spirit of understanding, and start connecting the dots. And it would just all of a sudden just come out just so incredible. And I would understand the law completely. And that is how it is with every subject matter of science. And I will be studying such high levels of science that I keep arguing with God, please God, don't let me study this. And then all of a sudden, the spirit of understanding connects everything, and I totally understand what's going on. And so he began to show me he said, Robin, your body has the language of emotion. And your mind has the language of thoughts, he said, but those two connect in the spirit realm and the language of fruit, and your fruit is seen in the spirit realm. And God began to have me and it's all this is all in mindfulness, the mind of Christ. And I write three chapters on the language of fruit and about the mind body connection. And God said, Robin, where does it say in my word to consecrate your mind first, he said, so many people are trying to get free from the mind down to the body, and the body is not consecrated, and they're not going to get free. He said, All you did is you put your entire person in front of the word, and you just kept reading the Word, and you weren't trying to understand it, you're trying to make anything out of it, you just did it on eBay. And as I was committed, I do it like a 401 K plan, you put so much in, and the company puts them at gym, but God puts above that, right, and he wants to know your commitment. And then his return is the power of Holy Spirit. And so God began to bring understanding about the concentration of the body at the receptor level, where particularly memories are stored in the body, not in neurons, but at this particular receptor, called the G protein coupled receptor, which scientists have articulated, is responsible for our behavior, and for our perception. And so we don't realize that we're perceiving through our emotions, and that your emotions are literally neuro peptides hitting this receptor, unpacking memories, and what God did in that first marriage without abuser. And even through the anger of my brother, as he brought in Exodus 1019, where he sins Holy Spirit, He sends a strong west wind to remove all the locusts, and cast them into the Red Sea. And this is the foundation of John Deere ting to which is pruning and it is pruning these memories in your body, that are stored up that are behind your perception behind your behavior. And then God brought in greater understanding as even as I mentioned to you the other day, as we see natural supplements that he says in His word like Isaiah 714 and 15, with a prophecy of a manual, where those natural supplements of a bitter thing, and honey, that sweet thing, and these two tastes, but it's happened to hit this receptor in your body. And I seen and heard praise reports left and right, where people with nicotine addiction, smoking three packs a day for years, they start doing the consecration of the body, and they start doing this bittersweet taste test that I talked about with scripture, and they're seeing deliverance. And so it's about seeing because unclean spirits what God showed me attached to the body, and they attached to the receptor, they're not going to attach to Holy. They're not attached to the clean. They're going to attach to the unclean, and the unclean, are those memories that are stored in the body. Oh, is that not powerful? Kimberly Hobbs   It is so powerful, so powerful. Like ladies, gee, I hope and pray that you are getting there. And I knew there was going to be so much here, but even like, it's crazy. So we're going to this is part one ladies. And I'm just encouraging you to tune into next week when we have part two where Robin will finish this because there is so much here. And this is so powerful. And there's so many of us that are holding on to these addictions, these things that are controlling us. And it's all going back to like Robin said, you know, like with, well, again, biblically, we got to go back to what God's Word says. And that's where we're gonna get the freedom. So she's gonna expound on this a little bit more next week. But we have to cut here. And I just want to thank you, but she is going to completely empower you next week at the end with those words, but let us just thank God for what you have brought to us today and sharing your story, Robin. And ladies, if you're feeling the Holy Spirit moving, and you've got to tune in next week, please do so because she's gonna bring it home with all of what God has given her. This was this woman is full of Godly wisdom. She's got all of the book smarts, as you know, by her degrees and everything God has given her but now you get a chance to hear the Godly wisdom that he has poured in because she asked her James one, five, if any of us lack wisdom, let us ask God and he'll give it to us generously to any of us who asked. So tune in next week and we're going to hear a little bit about that. Ladies, I pray you are blessed today from what you've received so far. And from his heart to yours. We are women, world leaders. All content is copyrighted and cannot be used without express written consent. Thank you ladies and Thank you Robin. We are so happy to have you. Have a great day.    

How is the rescue of a muddy puppy like God's grace? Enjoy this special reading of Lisa Morrison's article, Muddy Puppy. **** Welcome to Celebrating God's Grace, a Women World Leaders podcast. My name is Julie Jenkins and I am pleased to be with you as we celebrate God's grace in our lives in the ministry and in our world. If you've been around Women World Leaders for any length of time, you're no doubt familiar with our quarterly magazine, Voice of Truth. Voice of Truth is a compilation of stories and art presentations from writers and artists from around the world. All intended to point the reader to the Lord. You can check out any of our previous editions digitally at www.womenworldleaders.com. And while you're on our website, you can sign up to receive a physical copy of the magazine if you live within the United States, or a digital copy of the magazine no matter where you live. And the best news is subscriptions to Voice of Truth are currently free, and will remain that way for as long as funding is available. That's where we need your help. However, women world leaders is a 501c3 ministry which allows your donations to be tax-deductible within the United States. I bring up Voice of Truth today because on celebrating God's grace, we have a special treat for you. Going forward we are going to be sprinkling in articles from Voice of Truth for you to enjoy audibly. Today I have the pleasure of reading muddy puppy by Reverend Lisa Morrison. Muddy Puppy was originally written for the sixth edition of Voice of Truth, which was printed in November December of 2021. And let me tell you a little bit about Lisa Morrison. Reverend Lisa Morrison is an ordained minister who has served as pastor and staff pastor in several positions in the local church, as well as in District ministerial and educational leadership positions. Lisa also has been an adjunct instructor at various educational institutions of higher learning. She teaches in the religious religion department. She holds two master's degree and a postgraduate degree from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. She's also an editor in Voice of Truth magazine. I hope you enjoy my reading of Muddy Puppy by Reverend Lisa Morrison.  I went for a walk at a public park that meandered along the edge of what is called Billington Sea. I'm not sure why it is called a sea since it really is a pond. As the trail veered off the main road into the woods, I encountered a puppy running wild. He was having a grand old time not being tethered, running as fast as his little legs could carry him. I was concerned because I didn't see his owner. The woods were thick where we were and we were off the beaten path. His owner would never know where he was not being a dog lover. Don't hate me. I found myself in a quandary. Should I go after the pup or try to find the owner and let him know where he was. I thought it best to look for the owner since the puppy was never going to come to me. As I headed back to the main road, I hoped the pup would follow me that the owner would be at the trailhead, and they would be happily reunited, and I could continue my walk with no further interruption. But the Puppy didn't follow and no one not one person not even a car was at the trailhead. With no desperate owner in sight I realized I had to choose the path I did not want to travel. Catch the pup back down the trail I went and tried to reason with him to come to me he was not having it. Running Wild was much more exciting than coming to a non dog-lover who was He's going to take away his freedom.    His newfound freedom was costly though it led him down embankment entangled in pricker bushes and eventually plopped him into the murky waters of an inlet that led into the sea. Not only am I not a dog lover, but I also can't stand the getting muddy, especially from a wet, smelly, dirty dog. I know Please don't hate me. As I stared at his predicament, I knew I was going to have to sacrifice my feelings about dogs being clean, and my uninterrupted walk to rescue this puppy. He'd gotten himself so far in that no way out existed except to be saved. down the embankment and tangled in pricker bushes I went, struggling to make it to the edge of the water to complete the rescue. Like it or not. I had to trek into the murky water and pick him up. holding him tightly I battled my way back up the pricker Bush embankment. We then embarked on a search for the owner. We wandered down the main road for a span when a little boy jumped out of a car running as fast as he could toward us. His eyes filled with tears and joy exuded from his face. As he was reunited with his muddy puppy. He hugged him tight, not caring one bit, how wet, smelly and muddy his puppy was. As I saw the joy on the boy's face, I sense the Lord speak to my spirit. This is a picture of what Jesus has done for humanity. Jesus sacrificed himself for us when He died on the cross. He died for those who think running untethered in sin is the courageous thing. He died for those who have headed over the embankment becoming entangled in the pucker bushes and ending up in the depths of the muddy water with no way out. Only one way out of sin exists, it is to be rescued by the Savior. Unlike me, Jesus willingly comes to the rescue, not begrudging, the pricker bushes and the dirt from our sinful filth. He has also liked the little boy, happy to be reunited with his puppy. It doesn't matter how dirty and wet he has to get. Jesus represents both me the sacrificial rescuer and the boy, a happy owner being reunited with what was lost to him. If you find yourself today, like our muddy puppy, separated from your owner, our Savior because of your sin, Jesus is ready to rescue you and wants to welcome you back into his loving arms. No matter how entangled or murky your life has become. Will you be like the muddy puppy? Will you willingly accept the arms of the one who loves you? And who more than anything else wants to be reunited with you? Let's pray. To Heavenly Father, we thank you for being our Savior. We thank you for loving us even though we are filthy, filthy er than the muddy puppy. We give our lives to you and ask you to carry us to safety to our God and Father. In Jesus name I pray, Amen. Thanks for listening to women world leaders podcast. Join us each Monday, Wednesday and Friday. As we explore together God's extravagant love and your courageous purpose. Visit our website at WWW dot women world leaders.com. To submit a prayer request, register for an upcoming event and support the ministry from his heart to yours. We are women world leaders. All content is copyrighted by women world leaders and cannot be used without express written consent.

We can learn a lot from a fish! It’s not odd that Jesus provided for Peter, the fisherman, through a fish. But, come on! The details of the plan WERE a bit crazy! Together, let’s discover what God has to teach us today as we study Matthew 17:22-27, Mark 9:30-32, and Luke 9:43-45. ****** Welcome to Walking in the Word, the biblical teaching arm of the Women World Leaders’ podcast. My name is Julie Jenkins, and I am so happy you are with us! If you are new to the podcast, please know that we bring you a new edition of the podcast every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. You’ve happened on our Wednesday Edition, Walking in the Word, where we take time to study God’s Word together verse by verse, unpacking what it is that He has for us today. We are currently walking through the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. On Fridays, our team of leaders hosts Celebrating God’s Grace, where they showcase God’s glory in ministry, health, marriage, and everyday life! And on Mondays, Kimberly Hobbs hosts Empowering Lives with Purpose, a 30-minute interview with a different woman of faith who shares her story with the intent of inspiring you to walk in your God-given purpose. If you are new to the podcast, I encourage you to listen to some of our previous podcasts. You will be awed as you see that sometimes God calls us to climb a literal mountain, like Tina Rains, and other times He meets us when we are thrown into the literal fire, like Justina Page. Sometimes He calls us to do something unexpected for Him, like Tina Kadolph, and sometimes He pulls us out of unimaginable circumstances, like Dana Cryer. One thing the stories of these women all have in common is that our amazing God, who has dominion over even the birds of the air and the fish of the sea, will always provide all that His children need. We can trust Him! The world encourages us to compete with each other and even beat each other down as we climb toward our dreams. But we here at Women World Leaders follow God’s call to help raise each other up in His name. That’s why we exist – to meet you where you are and to empower you on your walk. Because we know that God calls us ALL to lead for HIS cause, we know that the more we can equip leaders, the more we can do together to bring others to Him. So we invite you to join us! You can find out more about the ministry at www.womenworldleaders.com. As we study today, we will be looking at Matthew 17:22-27, Mark 9:30-32, and Luke 9:43-45. Before we begin, let’s pray. Dear Most Holy God, we give you this precious time. Father, we thank you for your wisdom and guidance given us in black and white in your Word, and we thank you for sending your Holy Spirit to allow us to interpret and understand all that you want us to know. Holy Spirit, we lean into you, and trust you to teach us exactly what it is you want us to know today. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen As we have followed Jesus’ life, we have seen the disciples learn and grow, and we’ve also seen them fail. Despite this Jesus never stops loving and guiding them and He never stops revealing more and more about Himself. Sometimes they listen. Sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they learn and sometimes they mess up. Does that sound familiar to you? It sure does to me! We have already heard Jesus tell His disciples that He will be killed and then resurrected, and today we hear Him repeat that, because it seems the disciples didn’t get it the first time. Let’s begin by reading from Mark chapter 9, beginning in verse 30 from the New Living Translation, where it is emphasized that Jesus was not holding back this important information from His disciples…in fact, He was trying to block out all distractions so that they would really hear what He was saying… 30 Leaving that region, they traveled through Galilee. Jesus didn’t want anyone to know he was there, 31 for he wanted to spend more time with his disciples and teach them. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead.” Then Mark records… 32 They didn’t understand what he was saying, however, and they were afraid to ask him It seems each of the gospel writers remembering this event reports from His own personal point of view. Luke agrees that the disciples were afraid, but he records… …they didn’t know what he meant. Its significance was hidden from them, so they couldn’t understand it, and they were afraid to ask him about it. While Matthew records simply… …the disciples were filled with grief. We all have different reactions and emotions associated with truth and events, don’t we? Emotions aren’t wrong. Emotions just are. They are beautiful, devastating, painful, and exhilarating. Emotions are complex, and sometimes difficult to understand. Emotions aren’t righteous or sinful. Though what we do in response to our emotions CAN be righteous or sinful. So God calls us to process – to go to Him seeking wisdom. He wants us to step away from the noise and spend time with Him, just as He did with His disciples. Proverbs 3:5 tells us to trust in the LORD, and to not lean on our OWN understanding. Psalm 37:7-8 tells us to be still in the presence of the Lord and control our anger, which, uncontrolled can lead to harm. In this day filled with issues and strife – and social media – being still in God’s presence and trusting His control is something we should each do every day. We have the ability to choose our actions despite our emotions and what is happening around us. At times, God calls us to step out and speak with wisdom and care; and to do so we may need to push beyond our fear. Other times, God calls us to be silent; and to do that we may have to overcome our anger and trust God’s control of the situation. Just like the disciples, devout Christians will experience different emotions triggered by the same situation. This may be even more true when it comes to topics that are headlining the news today. Let’s not forget, even as our emotions rise, that God calls us first to be still in His presence, to ask for His wisdom, to listen to His words, and then, above all, to react in love. Matthew 17:22 continues… 24 On their arrival in Capernaum, the collectors of the Temple tax[a] came to Peter and asked him, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the Temple tax?” 25 “Yes, he does,” Peter replied. Then he went into the house. The temple tax was a bit controversial. Moses originally ordered this tax as is recorded in Exodus 30:11-16, but the controversy was whether this tax was to be paid every year or once during a man’s lifetime, and who was exempt from paying – namely the rabbis and the priests. Different groups followed different teachings on the matter. So the collector may have been not just trying to collect the tax, but trying to entrap Jesus, to see what He claimed about Himself and where His loyalties lied. Peter replied, ‘Yes, my teacher pays the tax.’ What Peter really knew to be true regarding Jesus and the tax is up for debate, but it seems he answered without thinking or without having complete knowledge or perhaps to keep Jesus from being entrapped. What I love here is that Jesus didn’t call out Peter. Although we don’t understand Peter’s heart, we can be sure that Jesus did – and Jesus COULD have called Peter out for not being truthful, whatever the reason. But instead, Jesus approached Peter with a question…verse 25… But before he had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him, “What do you think, Peter?[b] Do kings tax their own people or the people they have conquered?[c]” 26 “They tax the people they have conquered,” Peter replied. “Well, then,” Jesus said, “the citizens are free! Other translations record this question as “From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?” To which Peter replies, “From strangers.” And Jesus makes the point that sons do not pay taxes. Whether the analogy is about sons or citizens, it is clear that by this analogy, Jesus is proclaiming Himself as God, saying that the temple tax due to God, need not be paid by God Himself. But then Jesus says something we should all take to heart…verse 27…  27 However, we don’t want to offend them, Jesus…the Son of God…did something He was NOT required to do by any law, because He didn’t want to offend someone else, causing an issue that could detract from His purpose. My mom used to warn me to not make a mountain out of a molehill. There is a once-popular book titled, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff. The devil wants to put stumbling blocks in our way to keep us from walking in the purpose that God has for us. He wants us to fixate on things that are unimportant to keep us from getting to the important work that God has ordained for us. Sometimes, it can be difficult to distinguish between the mountain and the molehill – that is, again, where we need to be still in God’s presence, and ask Him for wisdom. And then we are to trust Him as He leads, guides, and provides, because He always will! Jesus gave Peter instructions… …go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin.[d] Take it and pay the tax for both of us.” Ok…let’s break this down... First…Jesus, the Son of God, who didn’t NEED to pay the temple tax, didn’t even have a half-shekel – equal to about 2 day’s wages – to pay the tax. BUT He didn’t want to take anyone’s focus off what He was there to do, so He provided for Peter, who spoke out of turn, to FIND a coin that would be the perfect amount to pay both their tax. So…Jesus tells Peter to use His gifting in a most unusual way. Remember, Peter was a fisherman. He knew that the best way to catch fish was with a net, which could bring in MANY fish at one time. But instead, Jesus tells Peter to use a line and a hook – cutting out Peter’s chances of catching many fish, and giving him the opportunity to catch just one, single fish. Then, Jesus tells Peter to take that fish, open it’s mouth, and there will be a silver coin. The perfect payment for the tax for both men. Now, we know that God is sovereign. He has complete control over all creation. So think about the plan that He had already been working on. Someone had to earn that coin. Then, he had to be walking by the water or fishing on the water when he lost that coin. He may have jumped after it – it was 4 days’ wages. But somehow, the silver coin sunk to the bottom where the light could no longer glisten off it. THEN, a fish had to come along – likely a bottom-feeder, hungry and looking for food, and scoop up the coin with its mouth, but not swallow it. Somehow it got stuck in his mouth. It wouldn’t go down and it wouldn’t come out. I wonder how long the fish swam around with the coin in it’s mouth. But then, this bottom-feeder saw a small morsel, a piece of bait in reality, floating in the water, and decided it would try a little something different. So the bottom-feeder goes after the floating delicacy, opening its mouth wide enough to be snagged by the hook, but not lose the coin. And then Peter pulls up the line, and wallah! Jesus made Peter’s unthinking response – Yes, my teacher pays the tax – truth. This is a short Bible story that teaches us so much! It teaches us that… Jesus loves us! He goes out of His way to make the absurd possible for our protection. Jesus guides us! He will always give us the direction we should go, if we are still in His presence and ask for His wisdom. Jesus provides for us! He supplies for our needs, sometimes in the most unexpected ways. But often, He asks us to use our gifts and abilities, just like He asked Peter, the fisherman, to fish. Jesus wants us to trust Him! We don’t need to make a scene with every grievance we encounter. We don’t need to worry and take control of all that is going on around us. Instead, we can rest in God’s presence, asking for His wisdom about what we are called to do, and then focusing on making intentional choices that will not offend others and inadvertently push THEM off the path that God has created for them. God has a plan and purpose for your life – and Jesus is with you every step of the way to ensure that you arrive safely. Your responsibility is to listen to Him, to trust His wisdom, protection, and provision, and to obey obediently. God doesn’t do things haphazardly – but He orchestrates all creation to degree that we can’t even begin to imagine! Let’s pray… Dear Heavenly Father – we submit our plans to you, knowing that YOUR plans are better. And God we thank you! Although we make mistakes along the way, you never stop leading us and instructing us in the way we should go. We thank you that you have been working since the beginning of time to bring all your children home, and we thank you that you are allowing us to partner with you in that endeavor. Give us the courage to obediently walk where you call us and do EXACTLY what you call us to do – trusting your care, provision, protection, wisdom, and guidance. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

"Even when I walk through the darkest valley,  I will not be afraid." (Psalm 23:4 NLT) Today's guest, Amanda Jackman, walked through one of the darkest valleys of a lifetime that anyone can face.    God's presence as she walked in the moments of death, fear, and fighting for life is why Amanda is now able to testify of victory in such a way that encourages others.   *******   Kimberly Hobbs   Welcome to empowering lives with purpose. And I'm your host, Kimberly Hobbs. I'm the founder of Women world leaders. Ladies, we are happy that you have joined with us today. And I would love to welcome our guests who is also joined with us. Amanda Jackman, from Michigan. Welcome, Amanda. Amanda Jackman   Hello, ladies. And Kimberly, thank you so much for having me. Kimberly Hobbs   I'm so happy that you decided to join with us today. And we're just excited with the content of today's podcast is going to be intense. But we pray that you feel God's presence in this podcast because that was one of the words that we prayed over today was presence, not not the presence that you're getting as a gift at Christmas, but the presence of our Lord. And Amanda's story is quite remarkable. And she has so willingly come on to share this miraculous story with you in hopes that it's going to help encourage you to add the words as they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb. And by the word of their testimony. That's revelation 1211. And home My goodness, by sharing the story in what God has done in Amanda's life through her story is a powerful God has worked exceedingly abundantly beyond I think what she has even ever imagined. So we are excited to share that with you ladies. And our hope and purpose is that through sharing these stories, that it helps you to overcome the enemy when you know other people are going through similar situations, trials, tragedies, that they need to overcome that you can relate that to your own life. And just understand that God never leaves us or forsakes us and He gives us each other so that we can encourage each other and empower each other to run after him during some of these times in our life that we just shouldn't be going through alone. So before I start into interviewing Amanda, I just want to tell you a little bit about this precious woman of God. She is a lifetime resident of a small town in MLA City, Michigan. Her and her husband have four children. And she is a proud mom of these four children. She is a paralegal and enjoys reading and writing. And today we're going to talk about God's presence, God's presence that he gave to Amanda at a time when she needed him the most. One of Amanda's favorite scriptures is Psalm 23. And that is even though it's Psalm 23, four, even though I walk through the darkest valleys, I will not be afraid of evil. You are always with me, your rod and staff, they comfort me. The scriptures means so much to you, Amanda and it is a reminder of God's presence when you needed him most. So today, I'm just going to ask if you can begin by sharing the tragedy that came upon you, yourself and the darkest valley of your life. Amanda Jackman   Well, thank you again, so much for allowing me to share. It was Labor Day weekend, this past Labor Day. So September 5 2021. We were at a family get together at my father in law's there were 10 children, including my four. And there were 11 adults. So there was a ton of people there. We had people inside the house outside the house. We had gone swimming, and then we stopped swimming. We ate dinner and had dessert together. And it was a really special day with our family. And I was inside with my my youngest, my baby and I was talking with my two sister in laws. And God told me to find Walter, my son. He said, Where's Walter? And I stood up mid conversation. And I walked outside and I looked at my husband I said babe, where's Walter? He's like, he's not in there with you. And I said, No, where is he? My my My Sorry, there was a scream. And everybody knew what that scream meant. My father in law's house has a pool. And so my son was at the bottom of the pool. My husband immediately dove in, pulled him out. And he, he was not there, and I will spare details. But he wasn't, he was no longer living at that point. Um, so my husband passed him off to Cindy. And she played them on the deck, and my brother and sister in law started CPR. And I'm CPR certified. But that was my baby. And I just stood there screaming, my husband said, You need to leave, walk away, please, please walk away. Don't, don't watch, just go. So I went to the end of the driveway, and I cried out and I prayed, I said, God, you can't do this. That's my baby like you, you don't get to take him from me. And I pray to the boldest prayer that I've ever prayed. And I said, Lord, You are bringing him back to me, you are restoring him fully, he will have no brain damage. And you're going to perform this miracle for us. And I'm going to tell the world about it, I'm going to get people to pray for him that have never prayed in their life, I'm going to get people to pray for him down on their knees, who haven't prayed in months or years. And I'm going to do that because you're bringing him back. And so it was it was totally unlike anything. I'm, I've been a Christian for many years. But this was very outside of the box, and very bold. And so the officer arrived, the paramedics arrived, and we loaded them up. My brother and sister in law had him breathing before the ambulance arrived, which was huge in his recovery. But then we were in the ambulance. And the paramedic, I asked him if there was anything I could do. And he said, No, Your presence is enough for your son. And I told them, I need to petition prayer, I need to call upon the people in my life who are going to pray fervently for my baby. And so that's that's what I did. I took a moment and I started texting people. And I said, I need you. This is what happened. And I I let go of the shame of the accident. And I just begged for prayer from people I knew were incredible Christ followers. Kimberly Hobbs   AMEN At that moment, and you said that you'd let go of the shame at that moment, which I think if you can just share with the listeners right away, because, again, you think about it, think about it. She's the mom, of course. So people are going to be like, Why weren't you watching your chick, your child? Why weren't you this way? You know, and there is shame involved. People might say What do you mean shame? Why did you have to let go of shame start telling people but can you describe that a little bit? Amanda Jackman   Yeah, absolutely. The the enemy likes to work against you. And I think he works the hardest with shame and guilt. And in the moment, he could tell me that I was a bad mom. And he could tell me Oh, my husband or Oh my family. And the reality of the situation is it was a tragic accident. There were a ton of people there. And when everybody's watching the pool, nobody's watching the pool. And it was just it was a lot of commotion. My son is a curious was a curious two year old and he he snuck over that side, he snuck over the side into the pool. I mean, it was not like the gate was open, it was very end even if it were it was an accident, there was no intention and and everybody experiences different trials and struggles and that was that was hard to to be the parent of a tragic accident like this that you feel like could have been prevented. And we you know, we it's not like we were negligent in the situation. We were all there and we were all very present but we all have lapses where we can't fully commit 100% of our time. We all have lapses and some kids right on the wall and and mine snuck into the pool. Kimberly Hobbs   Right? And that battle started right away with you Amanda because the enemy is telling you bad mom bad mom and you're hearing that but you're like, I need help. I need prayer I need people to and so you pushed through those voices in your head when you just described that shame and guilt and praise God you did because there's power in prayer there is power when people come in numbers and pray together. So remember that do not isolate the enemy wants to keep us isolated and alone when tragedy hits. And so he can poison our minds with lies in their lives from the pit of hell. So all my good so you push through and that ambulance and thank God you did Amanda and also some other things happened in that ambulance and on the way to the hospital and things that started showing you that God was there. His presence was with you. And I know you shared with me that the paramedic you know, you had gone to school with her. And she was comforting to you. She was putting her arms around you at a time when there was nobody else there to comfort you. God was showing you comfort in that moment. And ladies listening, when things are happening around us, we have to look for God in every situation. So Amanda has comfort she had comfort in the ER when she got to the hospital and I know the first hospital you went to, they intubated Walter there. And then they couldn't help him any further and they had to move him to another hospital or another transport. And more people were showing up that God put in your path that knew you that were substantial people in your life that all of a sudden they're they're helping you. And when your husband was Iraq and he was falling apart, you had some confidence because God wish had shown up there. So let's talk about right now, how you had that confidence. But then all of a sudden, something switched. You told me about that. Can you talk about those two weeks in the hospital? Amanda Jackman   Yes. So when we when we arrived to the hospital, actually, it was COVID. So you're only allowed mom and dad. And they actually made an exception and allowed our children's pastor who met us at the hospital because of praying and seeking out that. And he was able to lay his hands on Walter and he was able to pray for him when he was first intubated there, which was huge and so special. And it was a struggle at first the first 24 hours and they husband, he was a mess until they did an EEG I want to say is an EEG, and they determined he did not have any rain damage. And so my husband, okay, and because he felt he felt this huge burden of guilt because he was the one outside with Walter. And that released the guilt from him. And, and so we, we knew we were going to be there for a little while that he was going to be intubated. So he's sedated, fully sedated, there was nurse 24 hours in the room with him. So if we left it was okay. So I actually stopped home, to grab some fresh clothes, because we knew it was going to be a while and to say hi to my other children to let them know things were okay. And I just grabbed my mail, and I grabbed clothes, and I stopped up at the hospital. And we already had blessings pouring on us like gift cards for food, all of that just so I just brought everything with me to the hospital. And I sat down in the room, and I had my voice of Truth magazine. And my dear friend Jessica, she writes a column. She's actually the reason why I have the magazine. And so every day, I honor her every time I get the magazine, I honor her by opening up, and I look in the table of contents. And I find where she's at. And I read her first, because she's the reason that I have this magazine. So I honor her in that way. Kimberly Hobbs   And her her column is titled A Beautiful Mess in Voice of Truth in case anybody is wondering. Yeah, go ahead. Amanda Jackman   So Jessica's columns, she was her article, she was on the right side of the page. And when you look, we've trained our brains to read left to right. So I looked over to the left page, and there was this incredible drawing of a mama bear with her two cubs on her back. And it was titled carried. And underneath there was the verse that I had been leaning into for four days at that point, Isaiah 43 Two, when you pass through the waters, I will be with you. And when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. And that's not your everyday Bible verse. It's a very specific verse. And I had been praying that when I was in the end of the driveway, I knew it and my heart was praying it like God, you are with him. He wasn't alone in the water. You were with him. And you're gonna be with us now you're going to be with us through this trial. And there was this picture it right there on the other side of justice column and it was like, Okay, God, I see you. I see you, I feel you're here. You're here with us. And it was cached. It was just such a special moment. And one other really, really powerful moment that we had we had gone outside for the first time. And it was beautiful. It was September it was beautiful day we stand on a picnic table. and all of our pastors were on a retreat together. And they all took turns praying over our son and an over us. And my dear friend, Pastor Steve, he is very into looking up the meaning of words. And Walter means commander of the army. And so he said, we're going to wave this as a banner over Walters life. And I believe that in that moment, I was so full of hope, and understanding that my little two year old boy, he was going to come in armies for Jesus through this. And that if if a baby can flood the gates of heaven, what a remarkable way to use this tragedy. And any dead we had people telling us that they hadn't prayed in months, they showed up and said, we've been on our knees praying and, and, and how special that this little boy in this tragic story could could touch somebody in that way. Kimberly Hobbs   Wow, that's so beautiful. That's so beautiful. And the beauty too, is the confirmations that God was giving you in that hospital stay through different ways. And he again was showing his presence, Amanda to you. And, again, ladies, as you listen to what Amanda was just sharing in your may be going through something, it's again, look for God's presence and how he's showing up in your trial and tragedy. And he's always going to let you know in little whispers that he's the hair. And this gave, like Amanda said, the confidence to her heart, she knew there was no coincidence that that scripture and voice of truth was firmly planted there by the Lord Himself. For that moment that Amanda was going to pick it up from the mail, gather her mail, go to the hospital and sit down and read it. He already knew that he already had it planned. And he already has something planned for you, ladies, whatever you're going through that is going to be significant enough to get your attention and let you know that he is there, he will always let us know because he never leaves us or forsakes. Us. So Amanda, we know, you know that God works miracles, Walter is going to Command armies God has told you that he has shown you that. And he has a quip us to know the ways that he moves. And you as a mom are going to be watching this. I know for sure and encouraging him in that way. God works miracles, and we read about so many miracles throughout his word. But do you ladies do you really believe that God wants to work a miracle for you? I know, the Bible tells us God is the same yesterday, today and forever. And Amanda, God started showing you that He is God, and He is important in your life. So please take this time and just pour into how the different ways that he showed the importance of himself his presence in your life? Amanda Jackman   Yeah, I think that one of the most important things is that we restore our minds daily. Even if you don't memorize scripture, if you don't sit down and you go word by word, you still have it in your heart. And sitting in a hospital with my husband. And my two year old boy, I knew enough scripture in my heart to combat anything that the enemy came against me with. You know, that verse in Isaiah that I shared with you. The enemy tried to tell me that, that nobody was there with my son in the water, that he was all alone and that he was waiting for me and that is a lie. Because in Isaiah 43 To the Lord says, When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. So my son had had Jesus's arms wrapped around him, and what better place for him to be? What better place for him to be right. And the Lord, he shows us in so many different scriptures, his presence, you know, Isaiah 53, by his stripes we are healed. That was one that I leaned into also that that the Lord has the capacity to heal us of anything that we just have to have the power to believe that he can you know cast your worries onto him first Peter five seven, Joshua one nine The Lord is with you wherever you go in that I think the first part of that versus the be strong courageous that everybody talks about. But the second part, the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. If you're in the waters if you're in The valley if you're in the hospital, God didn't leave you. He's right there. The Lord is near to those who call on him Psalm 145 18, Psalm 3480, and the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for you are with me, Psalm 23:4 Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. Keep going, girl, this is beautiful! All this scripture. Amanda Jackman   It's all throughout Scripture, I don't know if there's a book you could open in the Bible that doesn't have God is with you. And his presence, he is for you. He, he will use anything that you go through for good, what the enemy meant for evil, he'll use it for good. And, and I just am blown away with his presence through every area of, of the tragedy that we had occur. And even afterwards, the the remarkable things that he's done in our son's lives and in our lives. Gosh, he still answers prayer, we just have to be bold enough to ask him, we just have to be bold enough to petition the throne, and just say, God, this is, this is your will. And I'm going to believe that it's your will. And even if it's not, you're still good. You know, I I remember sitting in the hospital saying, Lord, even if he doesn't come back, you're still good. Lord, even if he comes back and he has brain damage, you are still good, because he'd still be here. Who cares, you know? And then even if he restored and fully, he's still great. It didn't matter, the way that he worked in the situation for us, because we knew ultimately that he would it would be used for good. Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. Yeah. Beautiful. Oh, my gosh. And I just have to ask you, Amanda, you probably weren't knowing I was gonna say this. But just this morning, Amanda was texting back and forth with me and we were praying for each other and it was just so exciting what God was just filling with her but she had a huge prayer, prayer, praise report to share with me that blew me out of the water and brought me to tears. And I sat there reading it like God, you are so good. Even now even as we're preparing this podcast, you are showing your presence there with Amanda and as she steps out and obedience God you did this Amanda shear please with the ladies what he did just today. Amanda Jackman   So Walter, my son has been speech delayed for probably eight months prior to the accident was when we first started getting him help. COVID everybody wearing masks, it was hard for him to read lips. It was just a lot. He really struggled with developing speech. And so we've been trying, I've been trying, I should say, I've been trying to get him to say I love you. And I have been trying for a year and a half, maybe a year and three quarters of a year. Pretty much since we started giving him help. I've been going I love you every day, trying to get him to say it and he will not say it and he'll say sing Baa Baa Black Sheep, but he won't say I love you. And then this morning, I got out of the shower. And he looked at me and he said I love you. I love you. And I just stared at him. Like, did you just say that? Oh, yeah. It was amazing. Kimberly Hobbs   When you cried happy tears that you had said, you know, you said, God, if he ever tells me I love you, it will be the happiest day of my life. And so ladies, we get to share in this with Amanda today because God again. She kept saying God, I'm gonna serve you God, I'm gonna trust you, God, I'm gonna push through. And sometimes we know ladies, it's hard to serve the Lord. And they're, you know, it takes time to and then Amanda when I asked her would you be willing to do a podcast interview because she right away? She said she would write and voice of truth and share her testimony. That was like, right away. Yes. But so how would you feel about sharing a podcast about this? And she said, Yes, right away. And so again, an act of obedience. Until there's no coincidence today is Amanda stepped out in faith to share on this podcast with you today. She's never done a podcast before and it's like wow, you know, like she said, Yes, God, I'll do whatever you call me to do. And I just think that God is showing he's working. Look at the power of God at work. How long have you waited for your child to say I love you those three words that would be so easy to me. Buddy else right? But God waited for just the right time. Just the right time. That's so beautiful. Are you okay, Hon? Amanda Jackman   Yeah, I didn't I didn't prepare for you to say. So you're right. Kimberly Hobbs   Oh no, I know. And then when we rejoice with you, we So rejoice with you and how precious is that. And again, ladies, God knows what you're going through, look to Him in every situation, he's going to walk you through it, he's going to be right there with you. And he's giving you blessings along the way, as you honor him, and you are obedient to Him through life's challenges, because they're not easy. They're not easy. So in close, Amanda, you shared with me, a favorite scripture that God gave you, which is James 112, that says, Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him. And wow, you persevered, honey, even when people were saying you were doing this wrong, or doing that wrong through walking through it, you persevered, and you looked to God for your guidance in what he told you to do. And so now God is using you, Amanda, to speak life and love into others. His presence is ever encompassing us constantly surrounding us, he surrounded you and your family. So please, right now, there's the woman listening, that is struggling, oh, my goodness. And she is going through trial and tragedy right now. And it may be somebody listening to this podcast knows of somebody struggling and in need to just know God's presence is with them. And we pray that you'll share these podcasts ladies, Amanda, can you speak a word of hope to that person? Amanda Jackman   I, I fully felt even on my heart this morning, that God allows suffering, to radically change our lives for him. That to realize that the comfortable Christianity, that we can't do it without him, we get comfortable, and we, you know, we make moves for our lives, but we really can't do it without him. I think we get comfortable and complacent in that. And, and wow, the valley is the place for you to reach up. And to allow for the most intimate moments for you to petition our Lord, for blessing for requests. In these moments, where you're in the valley, the world slows. And sometimes it stops for us. We were in a hospital for two weeks away from our other three wild children. And it stopped for us so we could just be in prayer with the Lord and petition him and feel the closeness in the presence of him. And I just hope to encourage you that if you just pause in the valley, and in your struggle to just reach up and to just pray and to just pray, the Lord's will be done in your life and and the valley is there for a reason. Even though we don't see it. We know he's working. Even though sometimes we don't feel it. We know that he's working and he's working on things for His glory and for His goodness. Kimberly Hobbs   Oh, that is such a good word, sweetheart, such a good word. And I have another scripture and I I just love sharing Scripture. God says ladies call on me when you are in trouble and I will rescue you. And you will give me glory. Psalm 50 Verse five, and wow, Amanda, God rescued you when you were in trouble. And he let you know his presence was ever surrounding you. And you are now giving him glory. And Walter's giving him glory, through his life through how you're raising your children, you and your husband. There's been so much learning through this time. And ladies, our prayers that you will just turn to God's word. It's filled filled with promises for you. There's over 3000 promises in His Word, His Word is truth and you can count on His Word and if he led you to a scripture in His Word, you better be sure that his promises are true. And that you can hold on to that. Okay, so we just encourage you go back to his word and we are just so grateful that you tuned in today and Amanda, I just want to thank you for sharing and encouraging Seeing the listener and thank you for just again, the story that you have been so willing to process and put together. And now I know that God is putting other things on your heart to do, such as writing, and, oh, we're just gonna keep praying that through that God continues to use your life, your testimony of him in your life, to help pour into others. And ladies, we pray that for you to God is working in you, giving you the desire. Do you understand that? That's a scripture verse, ladies, he's working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. That's Philippians 213. So ladies, that's exactly what we do here. We want to encourage you, that we will come alongside of you, to help you to help you help others in the name of Jesus. And that's what we are called to do. All right, we need to show love, we need to show encouragement to one another. We need to come together as women running after Jesus's heart. So if you feel glad we asked you and invite you into women or leaders into this ministry, to be a deeper part of it, and use your gifting where God has placed you. God's using Amanda right where she is in Michigan. He is using other of our leaders in different parts of the world in different countries. But we're all coming together in the name of Jesus in a ministry that we're able to help others. So ladies, one of the ways we do that, and as Amanda and this is how I met her was because she opened the page as a voice of truth. And there is a beautiful, beautiful amount of encouragement for you in this magazine that contains scriptures that contains so much in the way that you can get this you can read it if you're outside of the United States, you can read it digitally for free. And you can go to www dot women world leaders.com. And if you are inside the United States, you can get the beautiful printed version for free mailed to your home to sign up on our website for that. And ladies, we also have other tools of writing. We have books available. And one of the books I thought that might be helpful to you would that women are sharing their stories this one is courageous steps of faith with God, all things are possible. Ladies, take that step of faith read some of these other stories of women that stepped out of their uncomfortable zone. And they stepped into being bold and faithful. Just like Amanda's spoke and prayed those bold prayers. Ladies, we encourage you to do so too. And here's a tool, courageous steps of faith. It's available on Amazon but we would prefer you get it through our women world leaders website as well. So many tools available for you here. So in close again, thank you Amanda for being our guest today. Thank you ladies for joining us. You're welcome on and we hope you come back again. So remember to register Lord ladies up on women moral leaders for our events. So check our website out for daily devotions. And all content today is copyrighted and cannot be used without express written consent. So we say goodbye to each of you. God bless you and have a wonderful week. Bye everybody.    

How do we live this abundant life God’s Word talks about in John 10:10 when we are, quite frankly, often so tired – on the verge of burnout.  We, as women, wear so many hats.  We desperately need time to rest, to rest in Him. To breathe and reset – to gather strength, His strength, and allow His power to work through us.  Just like our bodies need sleep and rest – our souls need rest too!  Rusanne Carole, our host, takes us on a Christian meditation to spend time with Jesus. Take a "Mini-Sabbath" and step into His presence to refresh and renew your soul.  *******  Welcome to Celebrating God’s Grace, a WWL’s podcast. I am your host, Rusanne Carole. Thank you for joining us today and we invite you join us each week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday where a variety of interviews, teachings and sharing of God’s grace helps uplift us and support us in our walk with God.  Today I thought we would look at how to live the abundant - a life of resting in God knowing He has all things under control. We can feel anything but abundance when we are exhausted, overwhelmed and the battles keep coming…how do we live this abundant life God’s Word talks about in John 10:10 when we are quite frankly often so tired – on the verge of burnout.  We, as women, wear so many hats. Some of us are carrying quite a bit – You may be: Caring for a loved one who is totally dependent on you Looking after an elderly parent Trying to juggle work and home duties – which may even include home schooling young children and many women are doing this alone without the support of family or a husband We may have health issues we are facing – financial problems to try to work through The list goes on. and we desperately need time out, to rest, to rest in Him. To breathe and reset – to gather strength, His strength and His power to work through us. Just like our bodies need sleep and rest – our souls need rest too! Matthew 11:28 Jesus says “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. And Psalm 23:1-2 tells us the Lord is our shepherd and we lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters. Our soul is defined as our mind, thoughts and feelings. How do we turn the unhealthy thoughts of the mind and unhelpful feelings felt in the heart over to Him – to be restored, refreshed, and renewed enabling us to move through each day with courage, strength and operate with the perseverance needed to persevere in this world! By being in His presence! By allowing Him to take us to lie our souls down in those green pastures, to lead us beside the quiet waters where all we see is His face, all we hear is His voice. I am presently going through one of the most difficult times in my life and what sustains me is Him. I cannot get through this tunnel I feel I am in without looking to Him and His Word constantly – knowing who He is and His promises are for me no matter what I am facing in the natural. The Bible talks of two women who were very close to Jesus. They and their brother, Lazurus, were friends with Jesus. Any of us who have studied the Word know that Martha is described as the “doer” and Mary as the women who sits at Jesus’ feet – some might say she is able to simply “be”. But we need a balance of both! We are called to pray on all things, do what we can and then leave everything else to God! I don’t know about you but I can pray, do what I can, give it to God then keep picking it back up! Worrying thoughts, the what ifs! The confusion! The fear! How do you sit? Sit still when there is so much to be done. Globally, women are now working outside the home & this is on the increase year after year. So there’s work to be done to pay the bills then work to be done to be there for our children or husband or family. I just love the Word of God. It really does have all the answers to life’s questions… and challenges we face.  One thing it tells us is in Hebrews 4 – we must MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ENTER REST! We were given a gift called the SABBATH. Mark 2:27 says the Sabbath was made for man, not man made for the Sabbath. Yes, God rested on the 7th day and looked at everything he had made and said, “It is good”. He didn’t need to rest! I think He was modeling what a good and abundant life looked like for His children – just as we are called to do the same. The little ones are watching us – how we live, what we say… So it is intentional – on purpose -that we take the time to rest. Rest our body and our soul to renew and reset with more strength and focus. It’s easy to seek the “other things” – the “worldy things”. God tells us these are the idols in our heart that need to be cleansed. Where do you go to get rest and comfort? I know I’ve turned first to the phone vs the throne. Girls like to chat it out! God wants us to bring it all to Him. Food, shopping, gambling, drugs, alcohol, a relationship– all kind of things we can turn to, to make us feel better when often we need to sit, be still and hear from God. I have found that when I need rest the most is when I cannot hear from my Father. The enemy will use busyness to keep us from the best God has for us. Satan is good at distracting us – and we keep going rather than spending that quality time that our Lord loves to have with us. I like to take a day to “spend with God”. Sometimes it’s a walk on the beach or sitting with my journal and writing to Him and with Him. I admit it is hard to simply sit and listen but that is what His heart desires. We often do all the talking and forget the waiting and listening part. Life can get busy. So I like to take what I call “mini Sabbaths”. Just little moments throughout the day to breath, rest, reset.. Have my mind, my heart, my thoughts, my focus on Him. We know the mind is the battlefield. “I don’t have time for this now.” “I can do it later.” “How much good can it really do?” All the lies and unhelpful thoughts come. I teach young people and one of the superpowers I teach is “the unhealthy thought zapper”. We zap the unhealthy thoughts and replace it with a helpful thought” “I will make the time to spend in God’s presence. He loves me and loves when I hang out with Him.” “I will do it right now, even if it’s for a few moments.” “I know it’s good for me for my Father tells me we lack nothing in Him” So I had an idea to take us for a Christian meditation. God gave us an imagination and I believe we can use it to close our eyes and be with Him, whether it’s for 5 mins or longer if you can carve out the time. Just to sit and be with Him. Go into His presence and imagine you are with Him. My hope and prayer is that it will refresh you and encourage you to take these mini-Sabbaths with Him daily. So hit pause if you can (or you can do at a later time)  grab a coffee or tea if you wish, find a comfortable place, put some instrumental worship music on and let’s together go to a quiet, peaceful place and be with our loving Jesus. Take a few deep breaths in through the nose. Pause for a moment and out slowly through the mouth. Even as you exhale imagine all the worry, the fears, the tiredness of your soul being released. Let your shoulders relax. Let your whole body relax. Keep taking slow, deep breaths. Keeping your eyes closed, imagine you are walking through a large green grassed pasture. You are barefoot and the grass feels like a soft carpet under your feet. You see every colour of flowers: purple ones, red ones, yellow and white ones. It is a spectacular sight. The hot sun beats down on your face and shoulders and you can feel the warmth on your face. You have been here before and you look for Him. He meets you here. You look up to the sky and it is the most beautiful blue with fluffy, white clouds dispersed amongst the blue background. You are so relaxed and all is calm and peaceful. You see the biggest oak tree by the still waters of the lake that is nearby so you walk toward the swing that is hanging by the large, sturdy trunk of the tree. You hop on and begin swinging like you did as a little girl. Your white cotton dress is swaying and flapping in the wind – just like the green leaves are in the tree. Then you see Him. Jesus is walking toward you up and over a big hill. He has the sweetest smile on His face and He is looking right into your eyes as if to say I am here, I have been waiting for you. I love when you come to spend time with me. I know you are tired. I know your heart is aching with the troubles of the world. But you are here with me now. So let’s make the most of the time we have. You jump off the swing and run through the grass to meet Him. To look closer in His face, to meet His glance and to look deeply into His eyes. And He says in the most tranquil, soft, loving voice: You are beautiful. You are loved. You are my masterpiece. My most beloved child. As you hold His hand you feel a peace only He can offer No words are even needed. His holy presence is all that is needed in the moment. You just know He can read your every thought. You just know He has caught and stored each tear that has travelled down your cheeks You know He cares so deeply for you and all that you go through each day, He sees it all. He sweeps you up and twirls you around and it’s as if the wind and the blades of grass are playing a magical tune that you’ve never heard before but it brings a joy and laughter from you both and you are dizzy with love, a love like no other. He places you to rest upon a soft blanket He has prepared for you by the still waters in the green pasture. He gently kisses you on your forehead and leaves you to rest and reflect on Him and your time with your Father. He begins His walk back over the hill, but you know you will see Him again when you take the time for He is always there, waiting just over the hill, waiting just for you!   Let us pray: Lord, I pray we can know the power of Your presence and take the time to spend with You. Alone with You. To bring all our concerns, burdens and worries to You. To visualize you holding our hand and our heart. And that all will be well. You are all we need, and You have us in the palm of Your Hand and shelter us under Your mighty wings. May we all be prompted to spend time getting to know You through Your Word as well as simply stopping through our busy days to sit with You so we can see You and hear You. We love you Jesus. Amen  

God’s power can indeed move mountains. But He uses it for so much more! As you listen to this podcast, ask God to speak to your heart, and then rest in submission as He guides you deeper into His presence – in His power. (Matthew 17:14-21, Mark 9:14-29, Luke 9:37-43) ****** Welcome to Walking in the Word, the biblical teaching arm of the Women World Leaders’ podcast. I’m your host, Julie Jenkins, and I’m so glad you have taken time out to spend with God in His Word today. This past week, members of my household have been struck with covid for the first time. Thankfully, no one’s symptoms are life-threatening, but it has changed the structure of our days. I have been living and sleeping in my office and sharing my daughter’s bathroom, while my husband and son – both infected – are staying in their parts of the house. But life has gone on – I continue to work via the internet, as does my husband – and I have been struck by just how much just the existence of covid in the world has changed how we live over the last couple of years. In Deuteronomy 11:11-12, God promises the Israelites that the land they will enter will be full of hills and valleys, and there will be plenty of rain, but God will care and watch over us in every season of the year. Doesn’t that hold so true for us today? Our lives are full of hills and valleys, and there IS plenty of rain – meant to keep us from being parched but sometimes causing distress. But most importantly, it is certain that God DOES watch over us in EVERY season of every year. I hope that you have experienced God’s care over the recent years. We at Women World Leaders continue to see God work through the hills and the valleys, opening for us doors of opportunities to serve others and shout His name even as the world continues to be attacked by illness, violence, and hate. In today’s Scripture reading, we see the disciples experience the hills and valleys of life, too, and we see Jesus’ constant care as He leads and instructs them. Today we will study Matthew 17:14-21, Mark 9:14-29, and Luke 9:37-43. Before we begin, let’s pray… Father God, We thank you for always being with us through the hills and the valleys – and for caring for and teaching us along the way. We give you this time as we open your Word and learn from you. Help us be teachable, willing to listen, and excited to walk even closer to you. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. Last week, we saw Peter, John, and James marvel at seeing the transfigured Jesus in His glory on the mountain top. They were awestruck and didn’t know how to react. God then covered them in a cloud, commanding them to listen to Jesus. They then descended to the valley to meet back up with the other nine disciples. As they did, Jesus instructed the trio not to share what they had seen until after His resurrection. Their thoughts of glory and awe were abruptly interrupted when they came upon a large crowd in chaos, including a man begging for help, a child in torment, and the teachers of the religious law arguing with the nine disciples. Mark 9:14, from the New Living Translation begins… 14 When they returned to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd surrounding them, and some teachers of religious law were arguing with them. 15 When the crowd saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with awe, and they ran to greet him. 16 “What is all this arguing about?” Jesus asked. 17 One of the men in the crowd spoke up and said, “Teacher, I brought my son so you could heal him. He is possessed by an evil spirit that won’t let him talk. 18 And whenever this spirit seizes him, it throws him violently to the ground. Then he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid.[a] So I asked your disciples to cast out the evil spirit, but they couldn’t do it.” The other gospels give us some additional details that we shouldn’t miss. Matthew tells us that that the man came to Jesus, kneeled before Him, and then begged Jesus to have mercy on his son. What a beautiful picture of humility. We can learn so much from this man who, simply put, was desperate for help. He sought out Jesus. He kneeled before Him. And He begged Jesus for mercy. We serve a merciful God who WANTS us to come to Him – when we are in the valley AND when we are on the mountaintop. No single act is more powerful than our own submission to Jesus. Jesus, remember, had just been talking with Elijah and Moses about what was to come – Jesus’ “exodus” as they called it – His upcoming death on a cross followed by the glory of His resurrection. Jesus knew that He was entering into very precarious times, and He knew that the disciples would soon become responsible for spreading the gospel and serving in His name…so we can understand His frustration that their attempts at overcoming the evil in this boy had failed. Mark 9:19 continues… 19 Jesus said to them,[b] “You faithless people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.” 20 So they brought the boy. But when the evil spirit saw Jesus, it threw the child into a violent convulsion, and he fell to the ground, writhing and foaming at the mouth. Can you picture the scene? Jesus then asked the boy’s father.. 21 “How long has this been happening?” to which he replies “Since he was a little boy. 22 The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Luke records that the father said that the spirit hardly ever left the boy alone. Can you imagine the heartbreak of this man? His son, Luke tells us his ONLY son, has been demon possessed since birth. The father has spent this boys’ WHOLE life caring for him and trying to keep him alive. He must’ve been exhausted – mentally, physically, and emotionally. Maybe you can relate. Have you ever been in a situation where you feel like you are beating your head against a wall and nothing helps? The man, obviously, was able to deal with the repercussions of the issue – he was able to muster the strength he needed to keep the boy alive. But he knew he was powerless against the source of the problem. And I do wonder where the mother was. Had she thrown in the towel? Perhaps you’ve been through something horribly trying in your life and can kinda, sorta understand if she had indeed given up. Recognizing the extent of the father’s torment helps us understand his next words to Jesus… Have mercy on us and help us, if you can.” Then Jesus used this distraught man’s words to teach us all something that we can hold in our hearts forever. Mark 19:23… 23 “What do you mean, ‘If I can’?” Jesus asked. “Anything is possible if a person believes.” Our God can do ANYTHING! His power is limitless! His reach unending! God, who spoke the world into existence and who knit us together out of nothing can do anything. And He will – if we believe. 24 The father instantly cried out, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” Can I be honest and say that, personally, this is my most often prayed prayer? That’s a bit embarrassing to admit. But I breathe this prayer several times a week if not more. You see, I study the Bible regularly. I go to church. I watch and am marveled by the signs of God. I thank Him nearly continuously as He works in my life. But deep within, I recognize that God is SO MUCH BIGGER than the picture of Him I have in my head. I had loving parents who spoke the Word of God to me. My children are growing up strong in the Lord. My husband is faithful both to me and to God. And I live in a sweet little house in a beautiful community. But, still. God is so much bigger than I can imagine! My own view is tainted by the world. I see evil. I see sickness. I see death. I see jealousy and greed and pain. And if I let them, those things can begin to diminish my view of our great big God. So I pray – Help my unbelief! Help me to remember, God, that you are for me and not against me. Help me see your glory in the mundane. Help me feel your power as I serve you. And what I’ve learned, is that when I pray this prayer, Jesus will NEVER let me down! He opens my heart a little wider, He helps me to see a little clearer, and He puts a spring in my step that can only come from Him. Jesus has always answered that prayer, and He always will. Beginning with the first time it was prayed. Verse 25… 25 When Jesus saw that the crowd of onlookers was growing, he rebuked the evil[c] spirit. “Listen, you spirit that makes this boy unable to hear and speak,” he said. “I command you to come out of this child and never enter him again!” 26 Then the spirit screamed and threw the boy into another violent convulsion and left him. After YEARS of striving to help his son, the father learned that he didn’t need to know the right words to say or the right thing to do, he only needed to know the right place to go. To our Lord and Savior. And then, with the demon released, we see the devastating effects of the boy who had never lived his life as a boy…verse 26… The boy appeared to be dead. A murmur ran through the crowd as people said, “He’s dead.” 27 BUT JESUS took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up. It can look like we have lost, like we are dead – BUT JESUS. Jesus WILL, if you let Him, take you by the hand and give you a new life. No matter how down and out you are. If you ask Him…Help my unbelief. As always, Jesus’ power impacted far more people than the recipient of the miracle, more than the boy and his father that day. Luke 9:43 says… 43 Awe gripped the people as they saw this majestic display of God’s power. When was the last time you allowed the majestic display of God’s power to grip you in awe? If that hasn’t happened recently, ask God to help your unbelief, and He might just take you from your valley to His mountaintop! Mark 9:28 continues… 28 Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, “Why couldn’t we cast out that evil spirit?” 29 Jesus replied, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer.[d]” In other words…it wasn’t about saying the right words or doing the right thing, it was about being connected to the right source. No matter what credentials or experience or background we have, our power is limited. But God’s power is endless. This is tricky, even for Christians. After a series of “wins” based in prayer and obedience to God, it can be tempting to start believing in ourselves rather than in God. We must always keep ourselves grounded in Christ. One of my favorite word pictures comes from Psalm 1 – we flourish and grow when we depend on God, just like a tree planted by a river bank. Matthew 17:20 gives a deeper explanation of why the disciples were powerless against the demon… 20 “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.[a]” For God – NOTHING is impossible. And our God is the same LOVING Father who wants to nurture you, protect you, and bring you and every single one of His children into His Kingdom forever. EVERYTHING He does is with that single purpose in mind. We can trust His goodness, His love, and His power. God’s power CAN move mountains, but He has a much better use for His resources. God will always use His power to bring each of us closer to Him. Indeed, helping our unbelief. Dear God…I love you even more at this moment than I did this morning. Thank you for opening our eyes to your care, protection, and power. Thank you for always using your power for our good. Thank you for helping our unbelief. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Dr. Jada Daves, best-selling author, motivational speaker, trainer, and mother of 5, shares her tragic, faith-over-fear story of her newborn son, which led her to a God-ordained reconciliation of a friendship that had been snuffed out for over 21 years.   Forgiveness and reconciliation were just the beginning of many miracles that came through the story that Jada shares from her heart.   ******   Kimberly Hobbs   Welcome to empowering lives with purpose. And I'm your host, Kimberly Hobbs. I'm the founder of Women world leaders. Ladies, we are so thankful that you decided to join us today. Today we're going to be talking about a special word reconciliation. And our guest today is Miss Jada Dave's Jada, Welcome, and thanks for coming on. Jada Daves   Hey, Kimberly, thank you so much. It's an honor to be here. I'm so excited about this interview. Kimberly Hobbs   I am too and you are lovely. And Jada has an amazing story. And I ensure that this is going to bless hearts of everybody listening today. So ladies, we know that God is working in each of you giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. That's Philippians 213. And so our hope is that by you tuning in today that we can help strengthen you and inspire you and encourage you to walk in the beautiful purpose that God has just for you. And sometimes when we I can identify with one another stories and no other people have the same struggles and different things that we have gone through in life. It helps to take away some of the burden and know that we can relate to people and also that God may be speaking through that story of how they overcame certain things in their life. So we know that there is a purpose for you being on here today and you listening and Ephesians 210 says that we are God's masterpiece created a new and Christ Jesus to do the very good things that he planned for us long ago. So we believe that God has a plan for your life. And we just pray that as you act upon the things you hear and the scriptures you hear that God will move in your heart today. I want to tell you a little bit about Dr. J to Dave's before we get into our podcast. Today. She is a motivational speaker, a trainer and a coach based in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She's dedicated to improve the lives of others by professionally and personally share sharing her inspirational messages. She shares them to corporations, churches, educational systems and other nonprofit organizations. Jada earned her doctorate from Vanderbilt University and human resource development and she has 30 years of experience in training and education. She has served as a missionary in several countries teaching children and adults in the local church. And she's directed family youth and women's ministries. Wow. Dr. Jada, Dr. J to Dave's is also an author and a former talk show radio host. Jada loves being a mom to her five children, uninterrupted quiet time with God don't we all offer that and long for that. She loves unlimited shopping at TJ Maxx. And she likes to have lunch and her favorite tea room. She likes to surprise strangers with acts of kindness. And she also loves playing some competitive games of cornhole with her husband she sounds like a very well rounded fun, loving person and Jada and I are getting to know each other and I am just so blessed to have her on. Jada wrote a film and said the theme of it was reconciliation, what she felt about it. And the story is about the miracle of God's saving her son Schaefer, Jada, you said that your story is only valid when it moves someone else in their story. I love that because that's why we're here to share stories and encourage each other. So May your story, sweetie today, pray in the hearts of those that are in a struggle. The Bible says even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid for you are close beside me and your rod and staff protect and comfort me with Psalm 23 for faith over fear. You teach Jada. But hearing your story about Schaefer. You were not walking what you taught. So can you tell us about that story with Schaefer? Jada Daves   Well, yes, Kimberly. Every time I reminisce about this, I'm just brought to such a place in my heart where I think you know, it's easier to teach this stuff than it is to live it as a motivational speaker. I do a lot of women's conferences and I you know, as I was writing the script for this film that has yet to be done, but as I look back over that script, I think about, you know, in one of the opening scenes on like faith over fear, you know, we've got to trust the Lord. work when the bottom falls out of our dreams or, you know, when that job we thought we were gonna get doesn't happen or that relationship crumbles. And we had had four children and we had suffered a miscarriage and, and that was a really hard place for me in my life. But I felt like wow, if I can get through that I can get through anything. And then we have this very tumultuous situation happened with our son, fifth child, we went into an emergency situation, they lost all vitals, they rushed us to the emergency room, it's that scene in the film where everybody's going, you know, holding your breath, not knowing if mom's gonna make if baby's gonna make it, believe it or not, miraculously, I hear that cry. And we survive. And we think that's the story so many times in our life, we think that's the story. And we took him home and at day 10, he began to have labored breathing and could not latch on to a nurse, and we got him back into the emergency room. And through a series of testing and hours later, we realized that our our son was dying. And we were critical situation and and all of a sudden, all of my faith over fear and trust the Lord when the boats rocking, you know, I put myself in the boat with the disciples when they're like, you know, your asleep, do you not care about us? You know, like, wake up? Where are you, Lord? You know, I'm in trauma here. And I think, you know, regardless of what you're going through if it's a divorce, or if it's financial ruin, or if it's your children or estranged, or drug and alcohol addiction, or anxiety and depression, or whatever you may be feeling. You think, God, where are you? And so there I was, in complete tears going, God, have you forsaken me? Kimberly Hobbs   Hmm. I, I can't say I can relate to that. But the pain that you must have felt just giving birth to a son, and knowing having four other children, and how beautiful and loving that bond is with that child when you're pregnant. And then all of a sudden here you deliver a child alive, and it's dying. So you clung to every morsel of faith that you could grab. And you told me that you did ask God, God, where are you? And you also told me that your husband started singing you know it as well with my soul over your son, but this mom has broken heart wasn't having it. And you couldn't join in with him. Can you talk about this time because that was like very crucial. Jada Daves   Yeah, it was a time that I'm I really felt like that I had failed the Lord during this time. He's singing sweetly over Schaefer and for those of you that have been in ICU and you're on life support with a baby you understand there's literally millions it looks like of tubes, it's really a few dozen, probably. And he's just huddled over him. You know, when when peace like a river and he starts this alarm thing and peace, like a river, there's no peace, there's no river, there's no anything. I mean, I am crushed, shattered. And they had provided a rocking chair, Kimberly in the room, and I'm literally in the fetal position, just kind of doing this number, and he's going data, could you join me? And I'm like, No, I thought join you. It is not well with my soul. And I'm not going to sing something that is the furthest thing from my heart right now. And in that moment of anger and rage, I'm thinking, how can you? How can you? And it was broken beyond words to think here I'm in a rage. And I teach this stuff, Kimberly, faith over fear. And I'm thinking, I've been put to the ultimate test. And I just received an F. And as the team began to flow and my husband kept Sanjay to get it. It's not that you're failing God, I was so broken us that I can't believe these these reactions and interactions and you're, you're over here praying. And he said, Jada. It's really like you said, Kimberly, it's a mama's broken heart. It's a unique time, give yourself time, give yourself space. And I want to encourage listeners out there, Kimberly, we think that we just kind of a microwave reaction to death or divorce, or our kids being estranged or going through something like anxiety or depression or all those things that I talked about earlier. It takes time. And the time that we need, but women is as women, you know, you're here with women, world leaders, and women across the country, I think could agree that as women, we were caretakers, and we take the world on our hearts and we think we can hold it all and do it all in the Lord says no, you know, he brought to me Psalm 4610 and said, you know, JD, you've got To Be still and know that I'm god, you're and it's really hard for Type A women like myself that are in control. I want to have kids we have them, we want to build a business, we build it, we want to build a house, we build it, go get graduate degrees, you do it. You know, you just kind of feel like you are this meanie God, and you're not. And we do have to strong to lead our families. But he took me on a journey of your need to see striving Jada. B instead of do. And boy chamberlayne. That was a hard journey, a rope head that I struggled with and still do to this day. But he began a beautiful journey for me. Kimberly Hobbs   And I do know that because I know how the story plays out. And ladies, that faith over fear that Jade is talking about you know, I believe that God was teaching you to about faith. And the Bible says that faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen if he was building your faith. It gives us assurance about things we cannot see. That's Hebrews 11 One. Though Jaden, that complete surrender. The medical team came in. And they were starting to say they are done with all that they can do and they were unplugging your son from the life support that he was on and saying now that he has to go into hospice, and they tell you that you have like three days to plan a funeral, like I can't even comprehend what you were going through at that time. And you needed to call your pastor. So when you were pushed to the limit Jada and you needed God, to take it from here. I just got to share this verse really quick. The Bible says that each one of you will put up to put to flight 1000 of the enemy, for the Lord your God fights for you, just as He promised. That's Joshua 2310. And as you were calling on your pastor, some things happened in that time. Can you talk about that period of time when all this was going on? Jada Daves   Oh, wow. Yes. And I wrote down some scriptures here that really came to me, James, one, two and three states counted all joy, when you fall in various trials, know that the testing of your faith produces patience and jump to 10 also says shall we accept good from God, but not adversity. And so instead of questioning God in this time, because I couldn't believe it, the doctors are plugging him. And they said, God gives special babies to special families. And I'm thinking but you're unplugging him like you're finished, but we're not. So we went to work. We started we call people we got on prayer chains. We were like in 40 countries. We had people lining the halls of the hospital. I got on the phone and I said you know we're going to find a hospital that will take him had gone to graduate school at Vanderbilt. We had a hospitalist that went to battle for us and we got Vandy to receive Shaffer. So instead of going on to hospice, we were waiting on the ambulance to go to Vandy. So in this period of time, they said it could be you know, a couple of hours, eight hours, I'm trying to eat the kind of rubber eggs that they bring you and take a bite at the bacon and the Lord's clearly had laid on my heart that, you know, even though I'm Baptists, and I really haven't seen this done a lot, that we should anoint him with oil, and pray for halen. And James 514. And 15 says, is anyone among you sick, let him call the elders of the church to pray over them, anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well. The Lord will raise them up. If they have sin, they will be forgiven. And in this moment where I said we need to do this, of course, I didn't have any holy oil. I didn't know that bit of the holy lands. I thought I've got this vitamin E oil for a C section. I guess that's good enough. Um, I don't know if our pastor wants to do this or not. In the minutes. My husband gets a text while I'm sharing this with him. I'm getting ready to share this. I've got my Bible open. I'm getting ready to tell him that this is what God's laid on my heart. And he goes, Wait, I mean, I've got to take us again. I don't care who this text is from. We've got to do this. We've got to we got to make this happen because the ambulance could be here any moment. And he said Wait, wait, and his he scans the text. I knew something really weird was happening. Kimberly. He read the words from a lady in my life. That was a 21 year friend that had turned to be a thorn in my side. We had tried to get it right over and over and it was ugly. And this happens among women even in the church, sometimes it's horrible. And this text was from this individual. And she said, I don't know if this is a good time. I have begged God, I have tried to avoid this. And he has said, No, you are to go. She is a director at our church and at a church in town, not at the church we were at but at our church, and said, You are to go and see if you can anoint baby Shaffer with oil. Wow. God could have chosen anyone, Kimberly. But he chose the person that would break and shatter my heart in a million pieces, because there was unforgiveness embedded right here. Oh, I have goosebumps. Kevin reads this to me. And I went. This can't be right. And I knew the Lord was doing incredible work. And I said, how fast can she get here? She contacts her pastor, she's on the road. And he had just been to the holy lands and he had a bottle of oil and it's not in the oil. Please don't misunderstand me. But when I wanted to tell you that because we did not use my volume and the Lord provided. And she intercepted and got this all rushed in and when she walked into the room, I can't explain it. But the years of bitterness, the ugliness melted off of me. My heart was transformed. Forgiveness came and as I handed baby Schaefer into her arms. The miracles started happening. Wow. We all gathered she brought her husband and we gathered in prayer and prayed in faith. As she anointed she said, Can I touch him? And I said, Yes, ma'am. Is she know wanted him with oil. We prayed over him. And the minute we finished here rushed in the paramedics or whatever you call those guys that transport you by ambulance was just in time. Kimberly, it was a god wink it was my friend writes a series of books calls when God winks at you. It's when those things that are too coincidental to be coincidences, it's Lord. You know, it was God divinely orchestrating this beautiful story. In the midst of our son dying in the midst of us fighting for him, we had no idea that the real healing and the real reconciliation, or a huge part of that, that would be intertwined into the story of this baby dying, was that Mama was going to be healed. Mother field. And so get that moment we load to that ambulance, and we go, and God begins to he went from wincon to Blinken. I mean, the god winks are going so fast. We get loaded up our pastors behind us traveling in the ambulance, and he's a JD, could you see out that back window and as I was praying over Schaefer the whole way, and he's gonna let you know what happened about 2025 miles into the trip, we almost got ran off the road by when a transfer comes quickly on you. And I looked over and it was a Shaffer truck. And I went, there's no way and he goes, Oh, it gets bad. He didn't pass. He just kind of hung up about, I don't know, five or six miles later, we kind of whoosh on the other side. And we look over and it's another Shaffer truck. I didn't know there were Shaffer Trucking trucks. But looking out there out there. We see them all the time. So they didn't pass they find the ambulance. To Vandy, like to angelic wings, taking baby Shaffer safely to the research hospital to the experts that we're going to be his next leg of the journey. Kimberly Hobbs   Conformation from God, wow. Jada Daves   It was crazy. His just keeps going. He goes and goes and goes about the doctor comes in the next morning and goes, this doesn't look like the baby we thought we were going to receive and then we go for weeks and weeks and we get transplant eligible. With 20 pounds he had to be 20 pounds. So we go on and on and on in the story, the miracles. The doctor that put my kidney I became the kidney donor perfect six antigen match mama millions, 1 million chances was that put my kidney in Schaefer Dave's was Dave Schaefer was the surgeon. You didn't even tell me that part. There's so much there's so much the miracles, the miracles in it, you know, the Lord doesn't have to show us those beautiful pieces. He doesn't have to, but he didn't lie. You He did it. And you know that bitterness and forgiveness. He said, Jada I want to put a cherry on top now you've you've come into this forgiveness and I've wanted to see for so long. I'm gonna blow your mind with what's next. And so the story continues there's so much more that I don't have time to share. But it's an encouragement to all of us that we have to press in we have to believe God you know, the Scriptures say ask believing. And I think many times Camberley, we kind of just go, Well, God, this and that. And we have this big laundry list of asking, but we don't really believe it. In it's almost like II and no, come boldly to the throne, amen. People that say, you know, what can we really do? You know, like, all we can do is pray. And I'm like, What, oh, you can do is pray we say it in the wrong way. Oh, we need to be doing is praise. God, believing and seeing what the Lord has for us. And you know, it has been a marvelous journey. I'm telling you, so hard to believe he is now 12 years old. Amen. His diagnosis and his prognosis hasn't changed. We are living in a miracle story. They Andy told us we don't use the the N word here. And I say we don't use the what the miracle is referred to as the M word. As it well we use it. We're a family of faith. And about I guess it was our surgery was in June, what six June of 2011. August of 2011. They did a seven page feature story. And the editor said, are you ready for the title of this? I said I'm ready. Days of Miracle and Wonder. And Schaefer was the cover. And she said in 30 years, we've never been able to use the word miracle in a story. Wow. Kimberly Hobbs   And you know, again, I just want to emphasize going back because this is so powerful, and I pray that you listeners really get this that you Jada. At that moment. You had a defining moment of obedience to God. You had to humble yourself, when your friend of having you hadn't talked to her, you'd been in a 21 year battle. Think about that lady's 21 years to be at a battle of your best friend and you're not talking to them. And all of a sudden they want to show up and anoint your child with oil. And you had a decision to make. Do you allow that bitterness to continue? But yet you expect God to answer your prayers, when he clear tells us to forgive? How many times do we forgive what the Bible says, in so Jada. In that moment, you allowed God to step in and restore that relationship. And that's the point of reconciliation, powerful, powerful, important word. And that is what we want to emphasize that Ephesians 432 says, Be kind to one another tender hearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you. Do you think reconciliation is important? I would say. So. God says it's important. So Jada, you allowed God to step in and allow this act of kindness and your obedience and your forgiveness allowed God, you had that complete line of communication with God because of your obedient heart. Now God's here in you, when we have sinned in between us, ladies. And that sin is harboring us from communicating with God yet we're asking God to do all the stuff but yet you're not obedient to what His Word says. You need to be careful and reexamine your life. So make sure that you know God's gonna bring these things to your mind just like he did to Jada. That was probably the furthest thing from her mind when her son was dying about a friend she hadn't reconciled with. But God brought it to her attention because he said, You are going to deal with this Jada. I'm so thankful that you did and you are walking in the blessing. So in close and close some of the women out there that are listening, I believe are battling something inside and things like we're talking about right now are triggering in their own mind. They have somebody in their life that they need reconciliation with they need that complete reconciliation, Jada, how can you encourage her so that she can walk I can the blessing that you did after experiencing such trauma. Right? Jada Daves   Well, I think in general, we have to accept the life that God's given us is what He has for us. I think in the the age that we're in, in culture, with comparisons. With social media, and even at church, we can easily look to the left or to the right, and I'm gonna tell you ladies comparisons kill, you think their kids are smarter, their kids are cuter, or they have more money, and they're in a different financial state. You know, she's smarter, she has more education, her business is doing better, you know, we can get tangled up. Also, in the past mistakes, you know, this situation with this person, we had tried to get it right, there had been so much ugly, and I could not, I'm going to encourage you don't focus on the ugly, really believe God for the beautiful that can come. Because we all have a past, we all have stories, we all have ugly things that we wish we would have responded differently to things. You can't make somebody come to the table. So I will say that we had tried a few times to have conversations and it just was like oil and water. It was like sandpaper equal responsibility on each side, to not be able to work this out. And the Lord did it in his timing, but boy, did we lose some beautiful years together. And, and not that friendships, you know, the whole thing. Sometimes friendships are for a reason for a season or sometimes for a lifetime. Not that you have to be very close to people all the time, or there's different seasons, but really press in and ask God to give you the ability to approach this person, it may be softly through a card in the mail a text, but try to think of, you know, if tonight, this person was no longer here, would I have complete peace in my heart? Have I done everything possible to try to reconcile? Because what happens in reconciliation, Kimberly is it it opens up a beautiful world for you. So even if the other person is still not there yet, it's okay. It might be your mother in law, it might be one of your children, it might be a neighbor, or it might be someone in the church that you serve with. But I will say in closing, Kimberly, that true contentment is truly when you don't want to switch lives with anyone. You don't look to the left or the right, you say you know what, God, my young, my mess, my baggage has been a part of your divine plan. And I know as a believer, you promise that you're going to work it all for my good. And sometimes we didn't have to be patient, it goes back to we have to have time to grieve. We have to have time sometimes to grow. We're in a different season in life. And I just want to encourage you that we get to live this beautiful life. And I have a say and change your o 20. A lot of times it's like, oh, we've got to do this, or oh, I've got to go try to talk to her. No, you get, you have this marvelous chance to go and share the love of Christ. And it will make you better and hopefully will reconcile with someone that could be a beautiful part of your life that you would not otherwise have known. So I'm going to be praying Kimberly, as we close that women will see that it's just not worth it. Most of the petty things that we've gone through and that build walls, let that open a door and see what beautiful things God may have for both of you. Kimberly Hobbs   Oh amen. In fact, why don't you close us in prayer and pray over the woman right now that you have in your heart and on your mind? Let's pray for her. Jada Daves   Dear God, I just thank you right now for this beautiful opportunity, Lord, to share this story of Shaffer and how his beautiful life in this extension through almost losing him, brought healing to my heart. And I pray now that this testimony goes forth, Lord, that the woman listening today that still struggling with that angst in her heart over something petty or if it's something really big and severe and ugly, God that you would begin to work on her right now that you would let her know God that it's just not worth it. Lay it at the altar God leave it let you crumble that ugliness. Help her to walk in forgiveness Lord and knowing that she only has partial responsibility that she reaches out to see if there would be a welcoming spirit because many times there is we're just not willing to take that first step. I pray that you would cleanse any woman out here of unforgiveness that you would help her come to the table, Lord, that You would help her to be bold and to be brave, that You would help her to remember Lord than in Proverbs, you say in Proverbs three, five and six to two trusting you with all of our heart and lean not into our own understanding of all of our ways, let you direct and guide our steps God. And I pray for anyone listening today. If they're unsure just to claim to that promise in Proverbs, and to know that you're going to take them on a beautiful journey of newness God, and I can't wait to hear. Hopefully that through Kimberly, there will be testimonies of people that have used my testimony and my ugliness to bring beauty into their lives. Lord, we love you. We praise You and thank You for women, world leaders. And for this message to go for today. In your divine name we pray, Amen. Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. Praise God, and I trust that he has reaching the hearts of women today and that is how we're going to close this out. Thank you Jada. From our heart. We are just so blessed that you would come on and share this powerful story of reconciliation with us today. Ladies, thank you for joining us. God bless you. From his heart to yours. We are women world leaders. All content is copyrighted and cannot be used without express written consent. God bless you have a beautiful day. Thank you Jada.

In this four-part series, Cindy Jacob Southworth, an AACC Certified Relationship Coach with Breakwater Ministries, explores the positive impact that self-care can have on a marriage relationship.  In Part 1 she focuses on the things that promote healthy physical self-care, and ways that couples can support one another in exercising those healthy habits. ******* Welcome to Celebrating God’s Grace, a Women World Leaders Podcast. I am your host Cindy Jacob Southworth, an AACC certified relationship coach with Breakwater Ministries, and part of the Women World Leaders leadership team, and I am coming to you from Cindy’s Porch. Today I want to talk to you about why self-care is so important in marriage, but first let’s go to God in prayer. Heavenly Father, your word tells us that you care about every hair on our head and every movement we make, that you will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.Give us your wisdom as we seek to find ways to improve our own self- care, and help us to see the impact that will have on our marriage relationship. We love you Lord and we want to fulfill the purpose that you have for us here on earth. In Jesus’s precious name we pray, Amen. Why is Self-Care so important in marriage?  In this series, we will explore the different aspects of self-care and see the impact it can have on your marriage. But first, let’s go to God in prayer: Self-Care is a very important aspect of the marriage relationship, and is often overlooked until it gets waaaaayyyy out of balance. When each spouse is healthier and has a balance in the four areas of self-care, they will have a healthier relationship because they will be more fully present and able to invest more into the relationship. Many people share that when their health gets better, their marriage improves. Why is this? Well, let’s take a look at the different aspects of self-care. I have broken them down into four categories:  Physical, Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual. First, let’s take a look at the physical aspects of self-care. Taking care of ourselves physically means to make healthy food choices, exercise, have healthy sleep patterns, and maintain a balance in work and personal life. Making decisions about our food choices can sometimes be a source of trouble for the couple who isn’t on the same page. When one spouse is committed to a healthy eating lifestyle, and the other spouse wants to frequent the fast-food drive-ins, this can be a conflict both physically and financially. If we fuel our bodies with junk, eventually our bodies will start operating like junk. In a year, the average American may eat roughly 3 pounds of sugar each week, totaling around 130 pounds annually. Americans also rely heavily on processed foods, to the point that these make up nearly 70% of their diet. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 35.7% of Americans are obese. In 2008, it was estimated that $147 billion dollars were spent on medical costs due to diseases caused by obesity, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.  So food choices are important to keep ourselves physically healthy. It can be beneficial to your marriage for the two of you to plan your meals and spend time in food preparation together. You can have fun in the kitchen and take turns with clean-up or even do it together. Exercise is also an important aspect of self-care. Many couples enjoy time at the gym together, taking walks, finding sports activities they can do together. You are taking care of your own body and doing something fun with your spouse at the same time. Developing a healthy sleep pattern is also important for your self-care.  There is a reason why God designed our bodies to spend 1/3 of our life in an unconscious state. It’s during this state that our bodies recover from the daily activity and our immune systems recharge. When people do not have healthy sleep patterns, the result is physical sickness, overweight, forgetfulness, and depression. Your smartphone begins the day with 5 bars and 100% battery, but throughout the day, that battery starts to get depleted and by the end of the day it’s two bars and 8% battery. It’s time for a recharge. It’s the same with our bodies. Eventually, our batteries are depleted and can only be recharged with sleep and relaxation. Talk with your spouse about how you can develop better sleep habits so that you can optimize your personal health and have more energy and focus for your marriage. A fourth aspect of physical self-care is to maintain a balance between your work life and your personal life. Many couples complain that there isn’t enough time for each other because their spouse is constantly on their phone, tablet, or computer. Long after the work day has ended, they are still working. There is a belief that their value comes from their work, and this negatively affects the marriage relationship. The other spouse complains about feeling lonely in the relationship, and resents the amount of attention their spouse is giving to the company, the organization, or the church. Make sure you evaluate the amount of time you are working and allocate time for self-care and your marriage. To sum it up, spend some time making a list of changes that you need to personally make to improve your physical self-care in the areas of food choices, exercise, rest, sleep, and a balance of work and personal life. Then sit down with your spouse and discuss how you can support and encourage one another as you make these changes. On my next podcast, I will discuss the importance of mental self-care and how it impacts your marriage relationship. I would love to hear from you, so drop me an email at [email protected]   Send me your ideas for relationship advice. What would you like to hear about on this podcast that has to do with marriage? Send me your questions.  Thank you so much for joining us today—as we celebrate God’s grace in our lives, in this ministry, and the world! Join us each Monday, Wednesday and Friday as we explore together God’s extravagant love and your courageous purpose. Visit our website at www.womenworldleaders.com to submit a prayer request,  and support the ministry. Don’t forget to sign up for a free subscription to our Voice Of Truth Magazine. Check out upcoming events in south Florida. From His heart to yours, we are Women World Leaders. All content is copyrighted by Women World Leaders and cannot be used without express written consent.

Peter had proclaimed Jesus as Lord, but it seems He still didn’t fully understand. Today, let’s travel up to the mountaintop with Jesus and see His glory is revealed, discovering what God wants us to learn as we study from Matthew 17:1-13, Mark 9:2-13, and Luke 9:28-36. ****** On this, our Wednesday edition of the Women World Leaders’ podcast, we are currently walking through the Gospels, studying the life of Jesus’ systematically and chronologically, combining the teachings of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Recently, we’ve seen the religious authorities come against Jesus even as crowds’ gathered from all around to hear Him teach and to receive His miraculous healings. Then the eyes of the disciples were slowly opened as they began to realize that their Rabbi was more than they even imagined, until Peter recognized and voiced that Jesus is the Messiah that the Jewish people had been waiting for. And then, as we studied last week, Jesus shared that His destiny was death on a cross, but that it would be followed up by His own resurrection. The disciples have now had a week to contemplate this – to let it sink in. But little did Peter, John and James know that they were about see something that would completely blow their minds – something they would contemplate for the rest of their lives. Something we still contemplate today. Today’s teaching comes from Matthew 17:1-13, Mark 9:2-13, and Luke 9:28-36 Let’s begin with Matthew 17:1 from the New Living Translation… Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone.  This had the foreshadowing of being a special time. Jesus, alone with His inner circle of disciples, went up a mountain to pray. We read often about Jesus heading off alone to pray, but this time, He clearly wanted Peter, James and John with Him. Hindsight is always 20/20 though, because Luke tells us that when they got to the top of the mountain, the three disciples fell asleep. And they woke up to a glorious sight! Matthew 17:2 continues… As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light.  Mark expands on this, saying that Jesus’ clothes became dazzling white, far whiter than any earthly bleach could ever make them. Put yourself in the disciples’ place for a moment. It’s nearly impossible to imagine the scene, isn’t it? They woke up, and Jesus was glowing. He was as bright as the sun – I’m guessing it was hard to look at him with their sleepy eyes. Maybe they thought they were dreaming. But what they were seeing was the glory of God Himself. They disciples had gotten used to see Jesus as a man – but now His physical being was unveiled before their eyes as they saw Jesus as God. The word used here is often translated as transfiguration. It is the same description used in Revelation 1 that tells of Jesus in all His glory, standing triumphant in the end days. And, it is the same word used in Romans 12:2, that describes how WE are transformed when we offer ourselves to God.  Using the description of light for God is nothing new – we contrast the light and the darkness, we know that God met Moses in a burning bush and that a pillar of light led the Israelites out of Egypt. But I don’t think we can fully comprehend this scene. And I don’t think the disciples could either. Verse 3 continues… Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus. Luke adds… They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about Jesus’ exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem. Moses and Elijah. First, I want to know HOW the disciples knew that this was Moses and Elijah! Oh my goodness, this event is so far out of my realm of understanding – I feel almost silly doing a “teaching” on it! I highly doubt that Moses and Elijah introduced themselves to Jesus! So…maybe the disciples pulled out their smartphones and asked google to pull up a picture of Moses. That’s what I would do! I jest, but the reasonable Christian in me says that when God wants us to know something, He gives us wisdom via the Holy Spirit. We only need to listen to that still small voice that speaks inside us! And what’s more, we can request wisdom and information FROM the Holy Spirit whenever we want! We don’t need google! So why were Moses and Elijah there? Talking to Jesus? Here’s my own take – Jesus was entering into a rough patch of His journey, and He knew it. And Jesus as man needed a community to psych Him up. Jesus had revealed His destiny to His disciples, given them a week to contemplate this, and then He took them up a mountain to pray with Him. And they fell asleep. And God loved Jesus SO MUCH that He sent Moses and Elijah to be with Him. To discuss what was coming and give Jesus, the man, a pep talk. And as they spoke together, Jesus as God was revealed and unleashed on that mountaintop. Theologians have much to say about why Moses and Elijah were there, including that Moses represented the Law and Elijah represented the prophets. Additionally, both had suffered because of their obedience to God, were rejected by many but given honor by God, and experienced unorthodox endings to their lives on earth. All that is certainly true and worthy of further study – but I personally believe that God knew that Jesus needed community at that moment, and God always provides what we need. One thing is certain, the disciples didn’t know what to think. Luke tells us… Peter, not even knowing what he was saying, blurted out, “Master, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials[a]—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”  Original translations state Peter’s exclamation stating that it is wonderful to be here more as a question asking, Jesus – should we be here? This was indeed a holy moment, and they weren’t sure they were qualified to witness it. But Peter offers to make shelters for each, putting Jesus, Moses, and Elijah on equal footing. Which seems odd to us today, but remember, Moses and Elijah were HIGHLY revered and looked up to. Jesus was, seemingly to many, a mere Rabbi. But Peter should have known better. And instead of being reprimanded by Jesus, Peter is reprimanded by God Himself. Matthew 17, verse 5… 5 But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.” 6 The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground. God is serious! God sent His SON to earth to DIE a painful death for our sins. Jesus is our Lord and Savior. There is NO ONE above Him. God implores Peter, and He implores us to LISTEN TO JESUS! This is like a father coming behind a mom who is reprimanding their children – saying, Listen to your Mother! Every child knows they better abide by THAT voice! Do we fully realize that GOD commands us to listen to Jesus? Verse 7… 7 Then Jesus came over and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 And when they looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus. The moment was over – but it certainly wasn’t one the disciples would ever forget. The glory of God shining through Jesus. The appearance of Moses and Elijah as confirmed to them via the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. The voice of God proclaiming Jesus’ true identity as God’s dearly loved son, and commanding them to listen to Him. And Jesus’ gentle touch – bidding them to get up and not be afraid.   Verse 9… 9 As they went back down the mountain, Jesus commanded them “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man[b] has been raised from the dead.” The world was not yet ready to know. Heck, the disciples weren’t yet ready to know, as proven by their next question… “Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes?[c]” 11 Jesus replied, “Elijah is indeed coming first to get everything ready. 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, but he wasn’t recognized, and they chose to abuse him. And in the same way they will also make the Son of Man suffer.” 13 Then the disciples realized he was talking about John the Baptist. We see in this passage that the disciples still had a long way to go in their understanding of what was happening. Jesus took them to the mountain, and they fell asleep. When they woke up, they tried to put Jesus on an even playing field with Moses and Elijah. And then they showed that they didn’t understand that John the Baptist HAD come to prepare the way for GOD, JESUS, the TRUE MESSIAH. We can sit in judgement, but the truth is, we have a long way to go to understand what is happening in our world and in the heavenlies, too. Instead, let’s take away from this passage what God wanted the disciples to know – because I believe it is what He wants us to know today: Jesus IS God, and we are called to listen to Him. The Holy Spirit is always there to teach and guide us. No matter how much we think we know, God will always amaze and astound us. And despite how much we misunderstand and blurt out the wrong thing, Jesus’ gentle hand will always be there to guide and instruct us, and His steady voice will always remind us to not be afraid. God’s got this. Let’s pray… Oh most amazing God! We can’t even begin to imagine the sight that day. We can’t even begin to imagine the wonder of you, that we as your children will one day witness with our very eyes. Thank you for always counting us as your inner circle, for never shying away from commanding us and reprimanding us, and for always being there with your gentle touch – pulling us closer to you. God we give you this day, and ask you to use us as you will. For your glory alone. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

Speaker, Author, and Podcast Host of the "Connection Show," Jill Reynolds, shares 4 parts of her story with us in today's Podcast.   From a traumatic upbringing, which led her into a tumultuous lifestyle of drugs and alcohol, God never let her go. He brought her into the saving arms of Jesus. Through resilience and not letting go or giving up on living, God is now using her life for His glory.   ******* Kimberly Hobbs   Welcome to empowering lives with purpose. And I'm your host, Kimberly Hobbs. I'm the founder of Women world leaders. And we are so happy that you decided to join in with us today. And I would like to welcome our guest, Jill Reynolds. Jill, thank you for coming on with us today. Jill Reynolds   Oh, it's my privilege. I'm so grateful to be here with you, Kimberly. Kimberly Hobbs   Jill is an awesome woman of God. And I had the privilege of being interviewed on her show. And so we are so happy to have you. And what you're gonna share with us today are our word is resilience, ladies. So God says in His Word that every believer has received grace gifts, so use them to serve one another as faithful stewards of the many color tapestries of God's grace. First Peter 410. And one of the things we like to do here at empowering lives with purpose is use the gifts that God has given us. And we all have different gifts and different ways to share and encourage one another. And Jill is going to share with one to share with the stories in her life that have allowed her to have victory in Jesus and hoping that this will inspire you as well, if you can relate to some of the things in her story that that have helped her overcome. Jill, I want to share a little bit about our guest, Jill Reynolds is the host of the connection show, where she is known for inspiring hope, health and healing and moving guest stories from victim to victory. Jill also uses her background in meeting and event planning to create amazing conferences, weaving authentic up close stories. She's a number one best selling author, and fiercely faithful, where she shares her story called The essence of humility. And at 28 Joe's life was a train wreck. She was addicted to crack cocaine and alcohol. And she was down to 97 pounds. She knew her life was hopeless. Her health was a disaster. Everything felt impossible to her. And she prayed and asked God to give her the resiliency to recover. Believing doing the hard work and connecting the dots is what helped her get through her traumatic childhood. And it brought her hope, health and healing her hard work had paid off. Never give up ladies, connect the dots in your story that will move you from being a victim to having victory in your life through Jesus. And that's one of the things that Joe would like to share with you today. She's from Branson, Missouri. She is a survivor with multiple spiritual awakenings. And today she has decided to share four of those with you in hopes that it is going to encourage you and inspire you as well. So some of those four stories that she's going to share. One of them is called her wanted story. And I just want to share a Scripture before we start out. And that says for you created my inmost Being You knit me together in my mother's womb, Psalm 139 13. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Jill, can you share your wanted story with us today? Jill Reynolds   I'd be grateful to do that. Thank you so much for the introduction. And so I want to begin because I really truly believe that when God created us, He created us in His image. And so my story begins I have to share first on my mom. My mother was raised in a really sad environment. Her parents divorced when she was little. And she went to visit her mom at the home she lived at that had an elevator building. And as my mom was there she was in the elevator kicking her foot at the elevator and her toes got caught in the gate and got cut off. So she was in a wheelchair at only seven years old. And my grandfather owned a restaurant so they hurt my mom lived in a boarding home with my uncle. And the man in the boarding home picked her up out of the wheelchair. And he raped her at seven and told her never to tell anyone. So my mom grew up with very much disassociation, PTSD, and borderline personality disorder. And so she went off and married my dad had my sister right away, and within six months was pregnant with me. It was just too much for her to bear and so from the moment of conception, my mother did not want me she did not want this baby. And so from the moment I was born, I have memories of her never picking me up, even holding the bottle out on the bed just to feed me, and being in the crib for hours crying that ever been held, or picked up or loved or unwanted. And so as I continued to grow up, my mom and I ended, it caused me Kimberly to be nonverbal. And I was really shy and quiet. And my mom would yell at me and say, Would you talk and I look at her petrified. And she would just say, There's nothing good about you who would ever want you, you're so ugly. The only thing good about you is you ever cute nose. And that's all she would say. And so I grew up with this horrific feeling that I just should never ever have been born. And so that permeated through most of my childhood, all of my childhood and into my adult life. And so after becoming a Christian, and I would go to get some body work, occasionally I was getting a massage. And I'd always pray that the hands of the massage therapist would be the hands of guide. So as she she was working on me in this room that just was It was dark, who was candles in the room, she was not a Christian, she even had a Buddha in the room. As she worked on me, all of a sudden my body turned to the left. And I got into a fetal position and started to suck my thumb. And all of a sudden, in my mind's eye, Kimberly, I could see the sperm and the egg going to meet. And at that moment, the entire room turned bright white is white as you can imagine. And then the corner of the room I could see the essence of God. And he put his hands out. And as he put his hands out, he picked up the sperm, he picked up the egg, and he began forming it. And he said I am the great I Am I am forming you in your mother's womb. And I'm breathing life into you because you are wanted and all of a sudden he just went like this. And the biggest breath of air permeate permeated the massage room. And I could just feel him forming the in my mother's womb in this divine light coming in. Well, the amazing part of the story is again, the massage therapist was not a Christian. And at that moment, she turned on the light saying that the therapy session was over. And she looked at me and said, What just happened in here. I've never seen anything like this. And then the guy that worked in her building, he was getting on the elevator. And he looked at me and said, Jill, you must have had the best session ever. You look divine. And it was amazing. It was just so amazing. And so from that moment on, I could really feel in my heart that I was wanted. And another piece of the story that I never knew is that when a baby is born, the moment it comes out of the womb, the doctors have to cut the umbilical cord. Because if they don't, a baby living on the outside of the womb with the umbilical cord will die because it needs to take its first breath of life. So if you envision cutting an umbilical cord away from your mother, it's because at that moment, you need your own breath of life. Kimberly Hobbs   Wow. And so God gave you in that massage room, a breath of life. And maybe in your life you had heard that Scripture somewhere for you created me and my inmost being and you knit me together in my mother's womb. God was allowing you to get a vision in that room that he was your daddy, he was your father. He wanted you and he loved you. And he totally breathed that life into you that new life that breath of fresh air that he was your dad and he was never going to leave you. Jill Reynolds   And for the audience to if you've ever experienced a feeling of napping wanted you know sit quietly and envision Jesus or God breathing life into you, informing you and telling you how much you're loved and wanted because everyone that's listening could do this exercise themselves and just envision guide breathing life into you. Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. And I know that there's a lot of people that struggle with issues of feeling unwanted and and all triggers from childhood when they feel you know that they have been left alone. They weren't a One two child. There's all different kinds of stories of why we feel that. But remember, please remember that our Father in Heaven loves you, and He will never leave you or forsake you and he will, he will get to you some way or another. And we'd like to know it's through the power of His word, just like he reached you that day in that massage room with that message, that you are fearfully and wonderfully, wonderfully made, and he knit you together, you will always be wanted in his eyes. And ladies, when you feel that God has left you alone, there's another scripture those who know your name trust in you for you, oh, Lord, do not abandon those who search for you. That's Psalm 910. Which brings us into our next story that you're going to share part of your life. Gel is your train Wilson's story can you share about that? And how the Scripture might come into the play there? Jill Reynolds   Yes, the train whistle story is a story that permeate it just fills my heart to this day. And so as I said, you know, my mother did not want me and so by the time my mom got pregnant, the third time with my brother, who's three years younger than me, she began having marital affairs. And she fell in love with a man who was married. And one day when my my lovely father, who was just the love of my life, who took me to church every Sunday, and he gave me hugs and tucked me in bed and read to me. One day, while my poor dad was at work, she packed up our stuff. And she abandoned my father and deserted him and moved us to in a little apartment, close to this man, she was having the affair with. Well, the apartment was next to the metro train. And so as I went to bed every night, as a little five year old, I'd lay in bed and she was crying because my dad's the one who typed me in bed and prayed with me, and I missed him so much. And at night, I hear that train go by and the whistle would blow and I'd be so mad, I'd say, I just want to go home to my daddy, I just want to go home to my daddy. And so you know, we eventually the funny part of the story, that funny part, but weird how the Lord works. The man she was cheating with my dad, he died of a heart attack five weeks later. And so the court ordered us to move back home, but my parents divorced. So I got to see my dad just on Sunday. And as I said, early, I was nonverbal. And the only day I would talk would be on Sundays when I'd be with my dad. So he had a big impact in my life. So fast forward the story. And what then developed is years later, I had to go into treatment for codependency. And I was at a codependent treatment center at a little Baptist Hospital in Oklahoma. And every day, I'd go to the prayer chapel and do my prayer and meditation before the day began. So this one day, I was in the prayer chapel praying. And at that moment, a train goes by and I hear a whistle. And I got really angry. And I, I put my hands up to the heavens, and I just said, God, I am so sick of feeling deserted and abandon, and I just can't handle those train whistles. And so it's so at that moment, right in the middle of the chapel, I could feel God's saying, you know, Jill, I know you invited me into your heart. But you, it's hard for you to turn your will over to me because you just don't trust that I'll stay with you. And so I kept struggling. And he said, By the way, I have never left you, I never will leave you and your dad never left you in he never will. He just couldn't be there because your mother left him. And so at that moment, right in the middle of the chapel, I put up my hands and said, I surrender all I'm turning my will over to you because I had invited in my heart. But I still wanted. I wanted the control. I needed the control. And so at that moment, I surrendered my will. And so from that point of my life, all the way to today, every step along the way when I've had to deal with trauma, or connecting the dots of my story in Christian therapy, a train has gone by so the first one was a treatment center from eating disorders in Arizona was in the desert, right in the middle of trauma therapy. The train would go by and here it's I'm in the desert in the middle of nowhere we're with this train come from and Then another treatment center I went to for an eating disorder was on 500 acres in the castle wood. Forest of St. Louis, right in the middle of trauma therapy, a train went by with the whistle. Then coming home from treatment, I went to a see a therapist I pulled up to her office is right on the corner of the metro train. Every time we press this trauma, the train would go by. And so then my husband and I needed to retire and we went and looked for homes in different cities couldn't find anything. So we decided to look for lots. We came to Branson, and we stepped onto this one lap, and the minute we stepped down to it and be at a sin like it's in a subdivision with 600, homes, condos, villas, lakes pools, we stepped foot and the minute we did a train whistle went by. And so we built our home here. And now, between one and 3am every day, the train goes by, and I smile. Now instead of getting angry, I says, I know you're trying to tell me something that you're here, what message do you want me to know? And believe it or not, that's the by when God gave me the vision, to tag by podcast show hope, health and healing. So he tells me prophetic things. That night when the train whistle goes by, Kimberly Hobbs   I love that. I will say to me, those are confirmations. You know, God speaks to all of us in different ways. And you took that as something that God was telling you to trust in Him, and that he was never going to leave you he was not going to abandon you. You searched for him and he was there. And that verse that scripture, Psalm 910, comes alive. And I think some women out there can relate to this when you know we have things in our life that we know are not a coincidence, that show up over and over. And God's trying to get our attention. He's speaking to us in different ways. Jill Reynolds   And if you and I want to share it for anyone out there who's ever felt abandoned by God, to remember that he's never abandon us, or left us we may have shifted and moved away from him. And sometimes if you can just connect the dots, many people don't realize that any issues around their dad, generally that are dealing with feeling abandoned, then permeate where you think that Gods abandon you too, because they're so closely aligned. And and I'm going to just help you out. Kimberly got this horrible cold. So I'm talking more than her even though she's the host, because this tickle keeps happening in her throat. So I don't want to cause you to Yeah, go ahead. Kimberly Hobbs   Thank you. No, I appreciate that. Thank you. And I'm so sorry. And we did try to start the podcast and stopped it one time because I had a coughing fit. So this is very unusual. So I do appreciate that. And I don't want to I don't want to stop. I just want to keep going and I feel like we just pushed through it. But I want you to take us into your your next part of your story, which is the lost innocence story. And when you have been harmed and I think a lot of women will be able to relate to this too. So you've been harmed at different times in our life, right? And God's Word says that we're hunted down but never abandoned by God. We're knocked down but we are not destroyed. And you're going to see this in that second Corinthians four nine and you're gonna see that in Jill's lost innocence part of her story. Jill Reynolds   Yeah, so again, I so again, when my mom divorced my dad, she ended up remarrying again, twice. The first stepfather She remarried, ended up being a bisexual, bigamous married to several different women, and then alcoholic. And so there was a lot of physical emotional sexual abuse going on in our home. And then they of course, and then I witness him trying to actually murder my mom. So he went to jail. And when she married the third time, this man turned out to be a passive aggressive alcoholic, and I got a pop up, I'll turn it off there and, and alcoholic, and he he would have rage fits. So anyway, our house was pretty insane. And so again, as I had mentioned earlier, as a result of my feelings of not being unwanted, and being nonverbal and being so quiet If I was the one who never got invited to prams or homecomings where my sister was homecoming queen, and she was really popular, and so I just didn't have boyfriends. So I had met a boy at a at a dance club, and he was 17. And I was 14. And they invited me one Saturday to his home, I was really excited. I don't remember how I got there. But I remember walking in and he had hardwood floors and a floor of floral couch that was under a window, we sat down, and we began to talk. And I was really excited. And as we began to talk, the next thing I knew, is he kind of pushed me down and started to kiss me. And it was like one of my first kisses from a boy. And as he did, and I laid there, and he laid on top of me, and he was pretty muscular. And I was only like, very little, like 97, 98 pounds, I didn't weigh much at all. He pulled my pants down, and he penetrated me and he raped me. And as he did this, afterwards, he pulled his pants up. And he said, I broke your cherry, I made you a woman, you can now leave. And I remember getting up completely and just totally traumatized. But I remember walking back home five miles on the side of the road, crying and bleeding. And it seems like it took forever to get home. And as I as I continue taking those steps, I remember turning on that last block to my home and the moment I got home running into my house, taking a shower and hiding. And I remembered after that sometimes I would sit on the couch with my legs up, and my mother would pull them down and say sit like a lady. And I remember just being so freaked out Kimberly because I needed to protect myself. But I never told a soul because I felt my mom would tell me if it was your fault. And I thought my dad would kill him. So I kept it a secret until I got into my 40s. So that was my lost innocence. And it really affected me and i i would say within within a month or so of that I started to take white and feta means so that I wouldn't eat. And I kept taking those by the handful. So I would starve because I thought the more I starved, I wouldn't form my body. And so I started to wear flannel shirts, blue jeans and chick kicker boots. And I tried to look as on feminine as I possibly could. And after that I kind of lost my body. I didn't even know it was part of me anymore. I felt like I was outside of it. And at 18 I had an opportunity to get an interview at the Chicago Playboy Club, I put on the bunny outfit get hired, took it home. And two days later, I returned it. Because I wasn't ready to be that feminine. I could wear the outfit, it was weird. But what I couldn't do is wear fake eyelashes or nails or stiletto heels, because it made me feel too much like a woman. And so I kept trying to mask my femininity. And later on in life when I was in treatment for my eating disorder. I asked the therapist I said I don't understand why all these girls have all these body image issues, what's with their body image issues. And the therapist looked at me and said, I said I have a problem with body image, I could put a bathing suit on and go swimming, and I'm overweight and it doesn't bother me at all. And the therapist goes, chill, that's because you don't even know you have a body. It's so severe. And I was like, really. And so that's where I started my healing of my body image issues. If any of you out there struggle from it, I was able to start doing work and healing from that lost image and the loss of my body. Kimberly Hobbs   So let's talk about that for a moment because there are women that are identifying with you that have been through similar situations. So in order to heal from that place of severe image issues. How did God come into the picture at that time? What was he doing that allowed you to know that he was trying to move you on a certain path? Jill Reynolds   Well, it took a while before that came in because I still I still and so I wouldn't say from the time I got raped, but when I started to go into treatment by that time when I got into treatment, I had already invited Jesus into my life so he was doing so work in me. So I would say the healing he started to do in me was to put me into the finest treatment centers in the country. And some of the exercises that we did in treatment was we'd say, we would sit in front of a mirror. And we'd look into and stare at ourselves and say, I love your eyes, because they help you to see, you know, and I could say, help me to see God's glory. They helped me to see God's beauty. They helped me to see others. I love my arms, because God's given me these amazing arms, so that I can touch things and hug others. And I love my legs, because God's given me these amazing legs, the legs that helped me to get from place to place, and I love my torso, because it holds my vital organs that keep me alive and give me the breath of life, my lungs and all these things. So he started to show me how I can manifest and see my body in a different light. Kimberly Hobbs   That's beautiful. That's beautiful, back to that verse at the beginning that you created me and my inmost beings and You knit me together in my mother's wombs with excellence, God created you in a beautiful way, and you had a thankful heart, to, to give back to him. And you said, how you loved all these different parts that God created. That was giving him that acknowledgement of how he created you and seeing you for his beautiful creation. God's Word says that, you know, we are our masterpiece, he created a masterpiece and all of us. And we are created in the new in Christ Jesus to do the very good things he planned for us long ago. And so that was part of your healing was to acknowledge, Jill Reynolds   One verse is He who began a good work and you will be faithful to completed until the return of Christ. And so he began this great work in me. And then, you know, I guess we'll lead it to my last story, because that kind of brings it home, which was in my book, fiercely faithful that I wrote, and that was the essence of humility. And so the spiritual awakening then that took place as I, as I progressed into heaven, from the time I got raped, and then left home at 18, I ended up becoming a crack cocaine addict and alcoholic, I became a sex addict sleeping with everyone that gave me cocaine. I, my eating disorder got crazy, I would just live on one bowl of cereal for seven years, I should have been dead. And so God took ahold of me in 1980, where I found him in San Diego, and invited him into my heart and I hit a spiritual awakening where he completely delivered me if my crack cocaine and alcoholism told me to move back to Chicago, I began going to a large church in Chicago. And I was involved in the single's ministry, and the desire to use drugs completely left me. The desire to sleep around completely left me I became celibate. And I was very active in my church, and then one day, but right before that I had had met a one guy slept with him one time. And one day, seven months later, he called me and said, Joe, I have some good coke. Can I come over? And I says, Well, Joey, I don't do drugs anymore. And I'm not sleeping around. He said, why? And I said, Because I found God. And so he said, Well, can I come over so you can tell me about God? So I let him come over that snowing it was Satan coming over. And within five minutes, he pulled out a violent Coke, and I got high. And my background was when people turned to me and I thought I had to give them sex. And so I said, Well, I can't have sex because I'm not on birth control. He said, Oh, don't worry, I've had a vasectomy. So I slept with them. And four weeks later was pregnant. And before I became a Christian, Kimberly, while I was very active in my addictions, I got pregnant with my boyfriend twice and had two abortions. So I tried to reason with God and said, God, there's only one sin that none of us can hide behind. And that's the sin of fornicating and getting pregnant outside of marriage, and then, and then the pregnancy the whole world knows because you're pregnant. And so I felt very embarrassed and very humiliated and ashamed that all my Christian friends would know. And I couldn't hide behind my sin. So I said to Catholic well help me just have one more abortion, just one more. And so I planned to have the abortion and three days before I felt God was telling me to take a hot bath. I always took showers so I I went into the bathroom, turned off the lights, put on some candles and I cried out to God, God, please forgive me. I gotta have this abortion. And as I did, I could see Jesus walking down the path here. During the cross, and as he was falling to the ground as he was being beaten, mocked, spat out and ridiculed. He looked at me and he said, looked up and said, Jill, why do you care what BAM thinks of you, when I suffered more embarrassment, humiliation and shame than any anyone in the world will ever face. And for that moment, he shared that with me, Kimberly, this feeling came over me that I shouldn't care what my friends at church thought about me, or with anyone ever thought about me there, that moment forward, and I cancelled my abortion. And my son, Jeremy is 39. And I have three grandkids and and that became my essence of humility. And so for the listeners, if any of you have ever felt embarrassed, humiliated, or shamed and felt like you couldn't face another day of what people would think of you, just close your eyes and see Jesus falling to the ground on the cross bleeding and suffering for you. Kimberly Hobbs   Amen, amen. We need to be aware that God is always moving. He's always moving in our life and moving us along the path. And I know, Jill, that you talked about resiliency when we talked about your life, in our conversation prior to this. And resiliency is important in recovering in the challenges that life throws our way. So another word for resilience in the Bible could be perseverance. And we need to develop that core of beliefs that nothing can shake us. It's so very important, the Bible says, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove that which is good and acceptable in the perfect will of God. That's Romans 12 to two and know that God has a plan for your life. Ladies, he has a plan, he had a plan for Jill's life. It's amazing how he brought her through all of these traumatic experiences in her life. And she was able to overcome and he was with her every step of the way. Can you leave a final word with the women that may be identifying with the four stories of you know, just what is your your word of encouragement when it comes to the word resiliency? Because you told me that was an important word for you? Jill Reynolds   Yeah, well, one of my life verses is no condemnation has seized you except with his common demand. And God is faithful, He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will provide a way out. And so that life first has to do with perseverance and resiliency, because temptation, and he says, In this world, there will be trouble. And so those people listening today in your life, there's going to be trouble, there's going to be temptation, and there's going to be testing. And so I pray that she'll turn to God, and have him hold you up, and give you the strength to persevere, and to have resiliency in your life. So that you can see the glory of God and what he's got for you ahead. When you just turned to him, instead of feeling like it's hopeless and that there's nothing and that life's not worth living. He's got a plan for you. Kimberly Hobbs   He does have a plan for each and every one of us that says, Call me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory. Psalm 50, verse five, and I know that is true of your life, Jill, and that God rescued you from each of those situations in your life. And now you are giving him glory and what you are doing with your life. And I am just so grateful to call you a sister in Christ. I'm grateful for what you're doing, sharing the stories and connecting the god dots with other women so that they can relate. Romans 828 says God causes everything to work together for good. So ladies, God gives us these stories. And, and he does work everything together for good. Jill Reynolds   I want to I want to leave this audience to if I could, if you don't mind, with two songs, two songs. The one song is by the Christian artist, Dara McLean, MC L E A N and she's got a song called wanted. Listen to that. It's amazing. The other one was Tommy Walker. He had a song years ago called he's turned my morning, M O U RN into dancing. And when I finally met my husband we dated seven years got married 21 years ago, that was the song I played as they pronounced as husband and wife, and we danced down the aisle, he's turned my mourning into dancing again. And it's like, you know, you can go through all this trauma. But he turns that morning into joy and dancing. So I'm the, the low note of all my pain and struggles, I had to end with a high note of turning your mourning into dancing. And I also wanted to end with letting the ladies know that we're going to be doing an Esther's rising conference in Branson, October 27, to 29. And for all of you to come and hear amazing stories of Esther's rising. Kimberly Hobbs   Oh, thank you for that invitation. So he, Jill and you can listen to Jill and her podcasts. How can they find you, Jill? Jill Reynolds   Well, the best way to find me is to go to my website, which is braveheartworkshops.com. And I'm there you can click on all my icons that have my links to my YouTube channel, my rumble channel, my tic tac, my Facebook, and it also has the event page. So you can register for the Esther's rising conference in Branson, and come be with us in Branson. Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. Amen. Well, thank you for that invitation again. And thank you for carrying some of the weight because my voice has gone and I didn't want to start coughing again. But I do appreciate you, Jill, and that you took some time to come on with us. And ladies, thank you for the time that you gave to share with us today. And I pray that God blesses each and every one of you through the stories that are shared, and that you can find something to take to heart that God would have just for you. So remember, ladies hat. We have so many things available women, world leaders. If you are looking to get involved in ministry or serve God where He has called you, we have a place for you here where you can use your gifts and talents for him. Or maybe you want to share your story so that others can be inspired with hope and healing and identify with what you've gone through. So just remember, we are here for you every Monday, Wednesday and Fridays with these podcasts. From his heart to yours. We are women world leaders. Thank you to our guests Joel Reynolds for joining us today. And remember all content is copyrighted and cannot be used without expressed written consent. God bless each and every one of you and have a wonderful day.  

Oh, how we long for our father's love. Our Heavenly Father's love for us is unconditional and not based on our lovability. He longs to have a personal relationship with you.   ****** Welcome to celebrating God's grace, a Women World Leaders podcast. I'm your host, Janet Berrong. Thank you for joining us today as we celebrate God's grace in our lives, in ministry and around the world. I enjoy our time here together sharing health, beauty and Jesus.  Today I want to share about knowing the Father's love. The Father's love, oh how we desire to have our Father's love. No matter what road we walked with our earthly father, we desire that connection, love and affection and validation.  I remember as a child growing up, I could freely play, laugh and receive love from my father. I have a beautiful memory of me as a very small girl, dancing with my father, I would place my very small feet on his very large feet as he held my arms, and we danced around the living room. I loved I felt loved and nurtured in that special moment in time. The safety of being in the arms of my father was a place I love to be. At home, I felt free to play, talk, laugh and authentically be myself. I had wonderful memories growing up in my younger years, our family going to church and being in the community with fellow believers. It seemed our family was there at church every time the doors were open. My mother was a church organist, and my dad was a deacon in the church. And me and my brother were off about our business, playing with our friends and learning about Jesus. This is just the way our life was. Little did I know how important that this foundation was going to be for the rest of my life. The father's role in the child's life is to establish that unconditional love for their children to provide safety protection, and that they learn to trust their own earthly father, so that they also would honor their Heavenly Father. Well, my story didn't end there. years later, the enemy crept into our family and ultimately tore us apart. Divorced separated us 600 miles from each other. Our lives were filled with disappointment, fear, hurt, pain and feeling abandoned. In our pain. God was always by our side. I could feel his presence even as a 10-year-old little girl. God loves us and hears our cries. God says He is near to the brokenhearted. In Psalms 46. One through two reads, God is our refuge in our strength, always ready there to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear when the earthquakes come in the mountains crumble into the sea. I would like to say that life got easier. But that wasn't how it went. It was a rough road for all of us for many, many years.  Each one of our lives has crazy twists and turns, more pain, fear, disappointment and brokenness. Our paths, even as Christians are not promised to be perfect and pain-free. Maybe you can relate to my story. John 16:33 reads, I have told you all this, that you may have peace in me. Here on Earth, you will have many trials and sorrows, but take heart because I have overcome the world.  Our relationship breakdowns are nothing new. It may have traveled down from generation to generation. The Bible says that our battle is not against the flesh and blood. It's against the enemy of our souls. In Ephesians 6:12 reads, For we wrestle not with the flesh and blood, but is it against principalities, against the powers against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.  This is why we need to keep our eyes focused on our Heavenly Father. I am forever grateful for that foundation of salvation through Jesus Christ that was offered to me long ago. In any situation, God can use our brokenness, what the enemy meant for evil, God will use it for good. And Genesis 50:20 reads, You intended to harm me but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save lives of many people. John 10:10 reads, A thief's purpose is to steal, kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.   God loves you. His love no way is conditioned on our love ability, which means there is nothing we can do to earn his love. He loves you because of who He is. Our Heavenly Father's heart is that you know how precious you are to Him. And that He longs to have that personal relationship with you. If you want to have that personal relationship with your heavenly Father, that unconditional love that only He gives, I invite you to make this decision today. It will change your destiny forever. Will you pray this with me? Dear Heavenly Father, I know that I'm a sinner, and I ask for your forgiveness. I believe you died for my sins and rose from the dead. You turn from my sins. I repent for my sins, I invite you to come into my heart and in my life. I want to trust and follow you as my personal Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name. Amen. Now, if you sincerely prayed this prayer, I welcome you into the body of Christ. We here at Women World Leaders would love to rejoice with you. If you would, please send us an email at [email protected]. I encourage you to get plugged into a Bible-teaching church, join the community of federal fellow believers and get baptized in the Holy Spirit. We always welcome you here at women, world leaders to join our community. We help you walk through your God-given purpose, finding a place for you to serve here within the Ministry to use your God-given gifts and talents. Ephesians 3:20 reads now All Glory to God who is able through the mighty power at work within us to accomplish infinitely more than we can think or imagine. God Bless you dear sisters. It's my honor and privilege to share with you today. Go and be beacons of light into this world. Until next time.

Following Jesus can be difficult. Even heartbreaking. In one sitting, the disciples learned of Jesus’ upcoming death and that to follow Him, they, too, must endure a cross. What does carrying our cross entail? And how can such a task lead to glory? Today we will study Matthew 16:21-28, Mark 8:31-9:1, and Luke 9:22-27. ******* Welcome to Walking in the Word, the biblical teaching arm of the Women World Leaders’ podcast. My name is Julie Jenkins, and we are so thrilled that you have joined us! If you are new to the podcast, we have three offerings for you each week. On Mondays, founder Kimberly Hobbs hosts Empowering Lives with Purpose: a 30-minute interview with a different woman of faith who shares her God story in hopes of giving you courage and excitement to walk out the purpose that God has ordained for you. On Fridays, our team of leaders hosts Celebrating God’s Grace. This is a time of joy, reflection, and teaching – focusing on God’s continuous blessings that He pours out on our lives. And today, Wednesdays, we take time to open the Bible and walk through scripture, verse by verse, asking God to speak His truth with us. We are currently studying the gospels -  Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I sure hope you were able to join us last week for our in-person event titled Renew! We had such a great time. There was a tropical storm dropping buckets of rain here in South Florida on the day of the event, but God provided, as He always does – and together, we enjoyed awesome worship, fellowship, teaching, and a whole lot of laughs and in-person hugs! If you missed it, stay tuned! We will be posting segments on YouTube and uploading them as episodes to this podcast. You can also visit our Facebook page, Women World Leaders, where you can watch what was the live feed! And we will be planning our next event soon, so go to our website, womenworldleaders.com, and be sure to connect with us so you don’t miss out! Before we jump into our study, let’s go to the Lord in prayer… Dear Most Holy God – you are SO good. And we love you SO much. God, thank you for giving us your Word, so that we can open it to find courage when we are scared, strength when we are tired, encouragement when we are feeling low, and joy and peace every single day. Most importantly, thank you that we find YOU in the pages and that, as we read, you speak to each of us so clearly, revealing yourself in the most mysterious and magnificent ways. Father, I ask you to be with me as I speak, and be with each listener. Allow your Word to fall afresh on each of us. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. We have been following Jesus and His disciples in recent months. If you have been with us, you have likely noticed Jesus’ gentle way of teaching His disciples, one nugget at a time – never giving them more than they are ready to handle. Today, we reach a turning point. The truth that Jesus proclaims today is a bit tough to comprehend and lays out the rocky journey that was ahead. But because of His previous teachings, miracles, and gentle leading, and the disciples own recognition of Jesus as the Messiah, Jesus now trusts that his disciples and followers are ready to face two very difficult truths: following Jesus involves recognizing HIS submission to death and releasing our OWN hold on life as we know it. Today’s scripture lesson comes from Matthew 16:21-28, Mark 8:31-9:1, and Luke 9:22-27. Allow me to begin reading from the New Living Translation. Mark 8:31… 31 Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man[a] must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later he would rise from the dead. Jesus called Himself the Son of Man – a name that came from the prophet Daniel’s description of the heavenly figure who holds all power and authority in the end times. Peter had rightly stated that Jesus was the Messiah the Jews had been waiting for. And Jesus is confirming that He is God, born as a son of man, come to earth to live among humanity. And now He reveals the real reason for His birth here on earth – a shocking revelation of what was to come. Their beloved Messiah, Rabbi, and friend was destined to suffer, be rejected, and be killed. It seems the disciples stopped listening at the word “killed,” unable to comprehend the ending – that Jesus would rise from the dead. It was too much information. Matthew begins this section by saying that Jesus explained these things “from then on” – this was not an easy pill to swallow and would take time to digest. I think we can all relate on some level. Hearing horrifying news can put us in a state of shock and unbelief, causing us to question if we really heard what we thought we heard, and causing us to miss some of the facts. Peter had heard the disturbing news, and his own reaction was unthinkable insubordination as he took Jesus, his respected Rabbi, aside and reprimanded Him, saying, in Matthew 16:22…“Heaven forbid, Lord,… This will never happen to you!” 23 Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” Satan had come against Jesus at the beginning of His ministry by offering Jesus the whole world for only the cost of bowing to evil, attempting to keep Him from fulfilling His mission on earth. But Jesus knew that the rightful cost for the world was His own life. Jesus knew that He must follow His Father’s will, which was to live a perfect, sinless life, and then freely offer that perfect life in payment for the sins of all of humanity. By His death and resurrection, Jesus would overcome death once for all, allowing a divine restoration between God and sinful man. THIS was why Jesus came to earth. THIS was His mission. Peter, although out of pure love, was trying to keep Jesus from completing His mission as well. He simply didn’t want Jesus to suffer. As humans – we crave the easy way. We look for loopholes. We want to skip the vegetables and get to the dessert! But our God is a God of order. His way is perfect, and there are no shortcuts. Jesus knew that only His own atrocious death could overcome our egregious sin. And He would not let the devil or Peter keep Him from enduring this painful process that would lead to glory beyond our imaginations. Having spoken to the disciples and reprimanded Peter for his words, Jesus was now ready to unveil this hard lesson to His other followers. Mark 8:34… 34 Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, (Jesus) said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. Today, we bat the phrase “take up your cross” around freely, without recognizing the true weight of its meaning. The people of Jesus’ day were acutely aware of what the cross was. Carrying your cross meant being sentenced to death – it meant being beaten, scorned, humiliated, tortured, and killed. It was the worst death imaginable. Jesus announced that He was headed that way – and then He announced that His followers must, well, follow. God has a calling for you. And Christian, it will not always be easy. That’s why Jesus says we must take up our cross. If you are a parent – you know the pain of giving up yourself for another. It begins with a woman literally sharing her body, nutrients, and energy with a growing fetus. And it continues in the pain of childbirth. Then, the newborn is entirely dependent on others for his survival. And if you are a parent of teens, you know what it is like to pour out yourself, even while being unappreciated and disappointed…wondering if all the work is worth it. If you are Christian, you are called to give yourself for others in the kingdom of God. That is your cross. To use your giftings for the good of others, that they might grow and become who God called them to be. It’s a responsibility that, though rewarding, is not always easy. Can you walk away from your cross? Can you walk away from caring for your children and caring for others in the world and in your community? Yes. It is your choice to pick up and carry your cross, or to let others carry the load. But if you do walk away from the work God has entrusted to you – you will lose out on a spectacular happening that God is orchestrating and is allowing you to be part of! And what you will gain will be fleeting, insubstantial, and unimportant. Verse 35…  35 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. Jesus gave up His life, He willingly carried His cross, so that we can live a resurrected, glorious life with God. All we have to do is accept that gift. But Jesus goes a step further and invites us to join Him on this earth – to willingly carry our own cross. To give up what we THINK the world has to offer us – to let go of the glitz and glamour and control that Satan offers, and intentionally carry the responsibility that God has given each of us, doing our part to guide OTHERS to salvation. Verse 36…  36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?[c] 37 Is anything worth more than your soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” Luke tells us that carrying our cross is a daily responsibility. When we truly recognize who Jesus is, we will long to please Him daily! We will consider it our honor and privilege to serve the mighty King. I once had the opportunity to set up a banquet for a former president of the United States. I went early and worked outside in my tennis shoes and jeans, and then I went home and put on my fanciest clothes to go back and to do my part to make sure the evening went smoothly. It was a lot of work – but what a joy and honor that I was chosen to serve at the pleasure of the president! You are called to serve at the pleasure of our Lord and Savior. And He has given you specific gifts and talents to do just what He has prepared for you! How has God gifted you? What is He counting on you to do? If you are a parent of young children, your call is obvious. Love those children! Protect them, guide them, lead them, provide for them, and then…yes…let them go when the time is right. Because that is your job, too. Are you called to serve in your church? Our church leaders cannot take care of the whole flock themselves! We are all given the privilege of helping take care of the whole. Are you called into missions or ministry? That is not an easy lifestyle, but as you give up the lifestyle the world tells you is best, God will show you an even better one. In a family, everyone has a position. In the family of God, we all have a call to serve each other. It takes intentionality and perseverance to carry our cross, but don’t let the devil rob you of its glory! Verse 9… 9 Jesus went on to say, “I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Kingdom of God arrive in great power!” What a great word that is! It is debated what Jesus meant exactly by this. Most theologians believe that it points to the transfiguration or Pentecost, when the glory of the Lord was on display. But we can be assured that when we give our lives to Christ, recognizing HIS submission to death and releasing our OWN hold on life as we know it, choosing to carry our cross for the good of God’s people, we, too, will see the Kingdom of God arrive in great power! Dear Most Holy God! Jesus, we turn the corner with you as we look toward the cross. We have relished in your teaching and the miracles you have shown us in your Word, and we mourn with the disciples as we think of the pain you endured. Thank you doesn’t seem enough for all you have done, yet it is all you require. Jesus, we recognize that although our gift of salvation is free, you do long for us to take up the cross – to use the gifting that you have given us to shout your name on this earth as we care for others. We praise you for the opportunity to work with and for you, and we humbly submit our lives in service to you. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.      

Once crippled by a spirit of fear, Dr. Dana Cameron shares her story of what hindered her from walking into her God-given calling over her life.   By overcoming what the enemy tried to immobilize her with, FEAR, Dr. Dana, Senior Pastor and life and business coach, now empowers you with what helped her. May scripture and prayer within this podcast help you to move beyond your limitations into a life of purpose.   ****** Kimberly Hobbs   Welcome to Empowering Lives with Purpose. And I'm your host, Kimberly Hobbs. I am the founder of Women World Leaders. And it's my privilege today to welcome you to this podcast and also our guest today, which is Dr. Dana Cameron from Suffolk Virginia. Welcome, Dana, Dr. Dana   How are you? Kimberly Hobbs   We are great, we are great. And we're just happy that you are here. And ladies, we are going to be talking about the spirit of fear today. So you are in for an awesome podcast. And it's our desire ladies that by sharing these personal stories of women who have walked through these different adversities in their life, that it will encourage you and empower you and strengthen you in your walk with the Lord. We all face things and when we can come together and just unite together and know that we can overcome the enemy. Oh my goodness, it is with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is just the best feeling just to group together and just share, share these stories. So ladies, this is for you. Scripture verse I love to share is they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb. And by the words of their testimony, that's a revelation 12 812 11 I'm sorry. So ladies, again, we are hoping that you will just join in feel at home and be blessed. As Dr. Dana shares a little bit about her story. Let me tell you a little bit about our guest, Dr. Dana, and she is just an amazing woman of God. I've known her for several years. She is a Christian visionary leader who is passionate about empowering others to positive change. She's married with children and grandchildren, and she's the senior pastor of the life changing ministry in Suffolk, Virginia. She's also a radio host of the five minute word of empowerment, and praise the ultimate experience 92.5 FM. Dr. Dana is the CEO of Dr. Dana coaching, which she started to help business minded individuals overcome fears, launch their businesses and create financial wealth. Dr. Dana and her team provide business coaching as well as facilitating conferences, seminars and workshops. This woman is a busy woman of God. And today is Dr. Dana coaches, other people about something she is passionate about. Because this woman is passionate about overcoming fears. There are so many different kinds of fears that we face in life, right on a day to day basis. And so she was moved, we were both moved to say let's talk about this very topic that just seems to prison, so many of our precious women. So God did not give us a spirit of fear. He didn't. We all battle fear at moments in our lives. But when fear immobilizes you ladies, God's word tells us don't be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you, he will neither fail you nor abandon you. And that's Deuteronomy 31, eight. So ladies, God never leaves us and we can hold on to that truth. So whenever we're fearful, we look to the Lord right away and cast down those fears. Dana, you never wanted to do ministry because of limitations in your life. Fear was a mobilizing new and you told me that the spirit of fear came over you and the closer you came to your calling God had a calling on your life and you knew that. So the more that you came closer to that calling to figure it out, like God, what do you want? Me too? Do that fear began to creep up inside of you. Can you share about that in your personal story? Dr. Dana   Yes, yes. Thank you so much, Kimberly. I want everyone to know that when I began to face fear, I noticed that it came when the Lord had began to call me into ministry, and I had to step out of something called my comfort zone. I felt that when when he called me out of ministry I was a person Like anyone else in the church, I was a musician. I enjoyed playing music. I was comfortable playing music. I didn't want to move from that position. And then I heard Kimberly, the voice of the Lord began to move me and call me into a greater calling. And as he began to do that, I begin to feel this feeling. And I just was like, Oh, God, I don't know why me. Are you sure you're calling me? Are you sure that this is what you want me to do? You know, almost had like a Moses moment. Kimberly Hobbs   Of course. Dr. Dana   I can relate me out of all the people you want meat? What is so great about me? What about my neighbor? God, can you choose somebody else? I didn't want to do that many people are in things that they rejected, they don't want to do. And that's what ended up happening for me. God began to call me in the ministry. I was surrounded sister Kim live with a bunch of Prophets, people begin to prophesy to me about God taking me to another level. And I was so comfortable in where I was, because of fear. I didn't quite know what it was initially. But then I begin to feel that feeling. I said, What is this and and that's when I begin to know that I'm battling with fear. Fear that's causing me that's blocking me. It's fear that prompting me it's fear that is, and I believe you said something in prison in me. Yes. immobilizing. You? Yes. And mobilizing me, and just stopping me from getting to that next level. And so then I had to realize that me and fear gonna have to wrestle. And so that's what ended up happening. I had to wrestle with something. And that was called. Wow. Kimberly Hobbs   And that's what I was just going to ask you, you know, to share with the lady. So, how did you know that fear was crippling you, you You began, or you've been in fearful places before we talked about that. And so why was this different, and maybe identify for all of us the type of fear it was. Dr. Dana   I believe, for me personally, first of all, I want to say that fear does have a feeling to it. Just like happiness has a feeling to it, there's a feeling of fear, there's a presence to fear. I stated this before you can be in a room by yourself. And when fear comes in, there's something different about that room. And so the fear for me was the fear of rejection, which can feel different than the fear of abandonment, which can feel different than the fear of failure. But I as a woman, I was like, God, I'm going to be rejected by people. Wow, that it would be a fear of rejection was on me. And so what I ended up doing, I had to begin the process. What what feared was because initially, I knew it was a feeling to fear because I felt that before, I didn't know what type of fear it was, why am I fearful for going into ministry? What is it about me going into ministry that causes me to stop and not want to go forward? And so for me, it was a fear of rejection, I had to label that thing to figure out exactly what it was. And I believe a lot of women know it's something there, but they haven't really pinpoint exactly why they keep getting to a certain point, and then stopping. Kimberly Hobbs   Right, right. Wow. And do you think it's important to label that fear like to, but you gotta identify it, right? Dr. Dana   Yes, you have to know exactly what it is. You have to know exactly what type of fear it is. And the reason why you have to know that is and we're going to talk about that. It's because you need to know what to go to God and pray about. Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. Amen. That's right. That's right. Dr. Dana   Your prayer sister Kimberly, playing before the Lord and clear what the pray about if you don't know what you battling with, amen, amen. So at the label it Kimberly Hobbs   so you labeled your fear. The Bible tells us that God has not given us a spirit of fear in any in anything. That's good. But of power, and love, and self discipline, He's given us a spirit of power. Yes, Spirit of Love of self, discipline, sound mind. That's Second Timothy, one, seven. Dana, let's talk about some of the great women of the Bible here because we were just talking about different types of fear and just putting, you know, identify what kind of fear you had. We can relate ladies listening right now that we've all experienced different types of fears in our life. So let's identify with some of the women of the Bible and what kind of fears that they faced. Dr. Dana   You know, you find people in the Bible you find like Esther, you know Esther had before, you know a king, you think about she had the battle with the fear of possibly death. You're going in before a king and before you're cold back then could cost you your life. It's been you find people maybe like Abigail. You know, Abigail also could have had that fear of death as well, because she came and ran down Dave. And I said, Wait a minute, David. I know what you're planning on doing because of my husband's ignorance. I know what you're planning on doing. But can you just not do this? Here's the offering. He didn't know he didn't know any better. Can you not kill every all of our sons? She cheated. She felt that fear of death. She could have been with you. At that point. Then you also find in the Bible people like Mary, being pregnant. Yes. She didn't need I mean, just think about carrying a baby and the father that the person you're gonna marry a saying that's not my baby. So I want to put you aside secretly, because I will set you aside secretly because I love you. And I don't want what usually happens when this happens to you because of the culture we're in. And the fear of that, of people looking at her being abandoned by him. The fear of the shame in that issue, experience. Yes, carrying Jesus, you know, as one now we experienced certain fears ourselves. We many of us in relationships are rejected. Many of us when we're going have fear success. That's the reason why are we not going to the next level fear of failure. So it's a lot of people. And not just the people in the Bible, but women today, that fear has become a barrier to getting to the next level. Candidly, level, just stopping them there. Kimberly Hobbs   That's right. That's right. So the different women of the Bible have been able to overcome that. And that's why we have such amazing stories that God gave us in the Bible to look to these women of faith. How did some of them overcome their fears? Dr. Dana   You know, the Bible tells you that Esther prayed. You know, sometimes, and these people fast it when you have what I call a stronghold. What God was a stronghold, that's what it's called. You got something on you that won't let you go. Almost like a bulldog. When it bites onto a piece of meat, that Bulldog has a strong grip on the need. We have demonic influences that have a stronghold over our lives. And the only person who can break that stronghold is the Lord, His anointing destroys the yoke. So we got to go to God's fasted and prayed Kimberly Hobbs   and seek sister. Amen. That's right. Dr. Dana   We go to God with that thing. You know, and what else can you do? But go to the Lord, when you've identified that fear? What else can you do? What are you recognize that fear? Then you pray about that fear, then you have to speak the word over that fear. And the last thing you have to do is move out and faith. Amen. You have to do once you know what it is, you pray about it, you have to move out in faith and believe that the Lord is going to be with you and he'll never leave you. And He will help you overcome as you go and faith believing that he's already going to do it, and it's already done. Kimberly Hobbs   That is so good. That is so good. And you take that first step of faith, because that's what it is. It's an action. Faith is an action word. So you have to put feet on your faith like Danna just said, step out, step out on that action. Action word, action word. Remember that ladies? So we don't want to be immobilized in that fear that we are faced with whatever it be you know, jobless situation you just got a bad report from the doctor that oh my goodness, your your earth is shattering that it's a doctor's prognosis. Okay? We have a God. Don't you be immobilized in fear that you're on your deathbed? Because you got you got a bad report from the doctor? Absolutely not. Just like you said, Dana, you step out and you pray you give it to God. And you put feet on those prayers and you walk forward by faith. And you don't look back and you trust God. Oh my god loves that's a good word. That's a good word. Yeah. So Gina, as you you allow God to rule in your life rather than fear. You. You you chose victory victory. I You didn't stay stagnant in that that situation but that our victory we know our victory comes from God. So listen to this verse I thought, oh my gosh, this verse is so good. You can claim victory when you say we have. We can say this with confidence. The Lord is my helper. So I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? Right? That's Hebrews 13. Six, what are you fearing? Ladies? What are we fearing? What can mere people do to us? Okay, we, we are daughters of the Most High King. He's our father, he's not going to let our foot stumble and hit against a rock. No, he's going to take care of us. So didn't factor Deanna before I because I'm going to ask you to pray over these women before we close out but I just asked you to just pour into them right now and let loose on them. And take five minutes here and just give them those you know, just just be Dr. Danna, Dr. Dana, Dr. Dana, in their life right now saying God can do this. Dr. Dana   Yes, thank you. I want to tell you anyone that's listening to the sound of my voice right now. If you know you battling with fear, I'm gonna call it a booger man. Can I call it that? My mom was she will call it a fear little booger bear, you know, you battling with fear. You know, it's fear. You're not mistaking what it is, I want to encourage you as a woman that has faced fear. When you make one foot and step out in faith, I promise you, God will make away just like he did for the children of Israel at the Red Sea. You may have to go out and step out and not know how he's gonna do it. But faith will always open the door, you be encouraged. Don't stand there and allow fear to intimidate you. When the Lord has spoken a word over your life. Don't look at people's faces. Don't worry about their opinions. Nobody opinion, opinion matters. But God, if He tells you to do something, and you know that you feel like fear has you all tied up, and you recognize it begin to speak that word over your life. She says, wonderful scriptures today. God has not given us the spirit of fear. That means that don't come from God. But it says power. We have power overcoming love, and a sound mind. And as you speak the word of God of your life, I promise you, oh, if I be a woman of God, and I know who I am, I promise you, the word is gonna do it. It's gonna do it don't need no help. And God will allow you to do and step out in faith and do what he's called you to do. So I just wanted to speak that I feel excited about everyone that's gonna hear this message. It's all ready done. Kimberly Hobbs   As you've done, ladies, is done. Dr. Dana   Thank you so much. Yeah, all right. Kimberly Hobbs   Yes, no matter, ladies, whatever it is you're facing. And I love this. The verse that we have in women world leaders is Ephesians 320. That says unto Him, who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all we can ask or imagine, if you're fearful? Would God put that scripture in his word that he is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all we can ask her imagine, know, if he wants you to be crippled and fear because it's not going to happen? Or somebody's telling you something that's false evidence appearing real. That's what fear stands for, right? It's a lie from the pit of hell. It's a lie unto Him who is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all we could ask or imagine, according to the power that's at work within us. All right, Danna. Dana, I keep saying, Dana, Dana just talked about that power, that power that is at work within us, ladies is the power of the Holy Spirit. God, if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, that you believe that he came and died on the cross for your sins alone. And you have accepted Him and confessed by faith, that he is the Son of God. And you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you are saved, you have the power of the Holy Spirit that works within you that no fear can come against. So as soon as you start to feel those things come up from whatever it is you're walking through. You just remember, you have the power at work within you. Ephesians 320, write it down, underline it, whatever you're walking through right now, God does not want you to walk it alone. He will never leave you or forsake you. Dear sister, Dana, I just again, I thank you for just even sharing that testimony that you walked through it. You you felt a calling on your life. The Devil was trying to hold you back and immobilize you. And he did not want you to move into that calling that God had over you. And there's ladies out there listening to this right now whether they lost their job and they are crippled and feel they can't move on. Whether they have that bad report from the doctor and they said, I'm done. I'm done. He told me I have eight weeks to live. What what are you going to believe that God has an appointed time over all our lives? God says in Ephesians 210 We are His masterpiece we are created a new in Christ Jesus to do the very good things that he planned for us long ago. So ladies, when that fear hits you in the face, he planned to do good things for you long ago. You keep going because that he's not done with you yet. He has not done Deena Will you please pray over the woman listening right now that is just starting to feel that encouragement I can do this I can get through this I can I can look to God I can pray to Him I can release it pray right now over this sister. Please. Dr. Dana   Oh Heavenly Father God I just thank you for everyone God that's going to tune in God to this god podcast God in the future God I pray that you would got anoint them God, as they hear the sounds of the word that have been released from there, our mouths today God but they will fill in divine freedom, god, oh god from anything to do with fear God made they will boldly into their future God knowing that you are with them. God, oh, Heavenly Father, we thank you for doing it acts according to the power that working within them God, you've already given them what they need to succeed God, we decree it today. We declare it today over their livestock. We speak it today God's and it is already sold, and no greater name than the name of Jesus. I pray and we pray, or I feel a freedom from a woman on this desk. Listen to this in Jesus name. I pray again a man and a man says to Kimberly, we believe as all. Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. That sounds right. We do. We claim it we claim freedom from fear right this moment, ladies. And if you're listening, you claim that freedom over your life. You have freedom from fear, you are not trapped in a prison of fear. Give it to God. Give it to Jesus, release it to him, surrender it to him, and stop being held back by that fear. And you walk forward. Put those shoes on, run to Jesus, you are free from fear, claim it claim it claim it in Jesus name. I just want you to just take this verse to and hold it. Don't be afraid for I am with you. Don't be discouraged. For I am your God, I will strengthen you and help you I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. That's Isaiah 4110. Wow, what more can we ask for God, the Creator of the universe of you of me. He's gonna withhold us with his victorious right hand, right? It's not us holding us up. It's not anybody else holding us up. It's God. It's God. Go to him. Ladies, get these scriptures memorized. Get them under your belt so that when when these things hit you because we're hit with them every day, we're faced with all different kinds of fears. Just remember that we are approved by our Holy Father, to get us through anything, hold tight, and reread all these scriptures because honestly, ladies, they're going to be the strength to get you through. There is power in the Word of God. Right? Dina, you turn to the Word of God. And I know you read those scriptures over your life when when fear was holding you down. Dr. Dana   Do you have a closing word? Walk go and walk by faith and pursue the things that God has called you to do because he's with you. God is with all of them and he's with us. And we know that with him there is no failure in God. So we know we're going to succeed I'm so excited about that. They got Kimberly Hobbs   excited, all excited to remember Victory. Victory and Jesus ladies okay, you keep going if you are called out by God, and we believe if you are on this podcast and you are watching this podcast right now there is no coincidence. By God he had you here to listen in, to hear this word, to claim victory over your life over the fears that fail you over The fears that keep you captive, claim it claim victory and Jesus ladies, and we're here to just encourage you and empower you to do so. So as we close, which is always I feel so sad because me and when God just starts going and giving us words and helping us just empower you, there's there's no wanting to stop. But we always do have to come to an end, and I get to share some of the things about this amazing ministry with you ladies, we want all of you to be part of it. And if you're feeling this calling on your life, and you want to serve here with us and women, world leaders, we have a place for everybody. Reach out to me personally at Kimberly at women world leaders.com. I would love to hear from you. I would love to know that you feel that calling on your life and you want to step out in faith. And you don't want fear to hold you back. And you want to say yes, God, I can serve you somehow, some way. Oh, my goodness, we have places for you. Here we have so many things we have opportunities. With right within this voice of Truth magazine. Maybe you write and share your story, and a voice of truth story. This magazine is an amazing publication that's free to the world. Outside of the United States, you have the digital copy, which is available on our website, women world leaders.com. Or if you are in the United States, you can get this amazing beautiful copy 100 pages, we come out with it every quarter sent to your home ladies. And you just go on to our website and request it. Ladies, this will bless you, this will encourage you and it's a way that you can get involved in women, world leaders. We need prayer warriors, if you want to come on board as part of the prayer team. We invite you to contact us and say I want to serve in praying. You can pray wherever you are in the world. But you can be connected to part of our prayer team. We have a prayer group me where we have so many women I can't even tell you in different countries that come together. And we put the specific requests on there. And we pray, we pray it is an active group, let me tell you, but not only that, there's so many other ways ladies that you can be used here. Don't let fear mobilize you and mobilize you step out. And ladies, we also want to invite you to our other podcasts, which will you have podcasts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at women world leaders. And on Wednesday, we have our beautiful co CEO of women world leaders, Julie Jenkins, and she takes you through the teaching podcasts of the Gospels and it's wonderful. So please don't miss out on Wednesdays. And then on Fridays we have celebrating God's grace for different women of the ministry. Just pour into you joy and happiness and different things to talk about going into your weekend. And we know that it is a blessing because we we listen to them and we don't miss any of the podcasts. Ladies, we love you. And we thank you for being here. And we asked you to share these podcasts with anybody that would need them need to hear the content. Dr. Dana, I thank you for being on today. You're a blessing You're a sweetheart. And Dr. Dina is coming into the women world leaders ministry and we are so blessed to have her. So we pray as God moves in her life that you will see more of Dr. Dana in women world leaders. So ladies from his heart to yours. We are women world leaders all content is copyrighted and cannot be used without expressed written consent. Ladies, we love you be blessed and have a glorious day

Is your marriage on autopilot? In today's podcast, Cindy Jacob Southworth addresses the things that cause us to put our marriage on the “back burner” and ways to reconnect so that we can keep our marriage the priority that God intended it to be. ****** Jacob Southworth, an AACC certified relationship coach with Breakwater Ministries, and part of the Women World Leaders leadership team, and I am coming to you from Cindy’s Porch. Today I want to talk to you about getting your marriage out of auto-pilot, but first let’s go to God in prayer.   Father God, we all have busy seasons in our lives, and your word reminds us of the different seasons. You also have much to share with us about the value of our marriage, and how you desire that marriage to glorify you. Speak to our hearts today, and guide us in a new direction that will bring glory and honor to you, Heavenly Father. In Jesus’s precious name we pray, Amen.   Is Your Marriage on Auto-Pilot?     Sometimes we find ourselves in a busy season. People become entrepreneurs, and there is a lot of focus on building their business. Some get that dream job and devote hours and hours to climbing the corporate ladder of success. Many have service jobs, and their passion for serving goes above and beyond the regular call of duty, even taking them away from their spouses for extended periods of time.  Some enter the ministry, and their love for spreading God’s love and serving others takes a front seat in their lives. Many people find when they have kids, the kids take a lot of priority, especially in the early years. Many adjustments take place to go from being a couple to being a family of three, four, five, or more.   And then we wake up and realize our marriage has been on auto-pilot. We can’t remember the last time we had a kid-free date night. Staying up late just to look at the stars and snuggle or staying in bed and spending time having pillow talk seems like a distant memory. We realize that time we packed an overnight bag and jumped in the car for an romantic getaway was ……. Oh my so many years ago, I can’t remember the year. We wake up and look at that person sleeping next to us, and ask ourselves, who is this person? How did we get so disconnected from each other?   If your marriage is on auto-pilot, you need a pause. What’s so sad is that we would quickly take a day off work if we had a medical appointment, our child had a sports event, or mom needed help, but rarely do we take a day because our marriage needs attention. Sometimes we have to decide to put the marriage on the front burner and take a pause from everything else.   What are some ways you can reconnect? You can begin by praying for your marriage. God created marriages to reflect His unconditional love for His people. Your marriage is a beautiful reminder of the love that God has for a lost world. Pray that God will help you find a way to bring oneness, or unity of purpose, back into your marriage.   Clear the calendar and spend some quality time together, disconnecting from all the technology that keeps you connected to everyone else, yes! I’m talking about that smartphone! and decide to connect with each other. Do something together you both enjoy. Find some common ground that will bring you together.   Have a heart to heart rtalk. Start by affirming each other in the things that you appreciate. Build each other up in love, and apologize to each other for not making the marriage the relationship priority that it deserves. If there is unresolved conflict between you, take the time to talk it through and wipe the slate clean with each other.    Many times we say, “I just don’t have time.” Everyone has 168 hours a week, and you get to decide how you are going to use those 168 hours. Determine how much of those 168 hours you are going to give to your most important relationship – your marriage. Discuss your other priorities, and talk about how your marriage can take more precedence in your lives.   If one of you is experiencing a difficult time, take the time to listen with empathy and ask if your spouse needs something from you to make the journey easier. Remind your spouse that you are a team, and two are better than one. Ecclesiastes 4 reminds us that we can work so hard, giving up so much pleasure that it becomes meaningless and depressing. Two people together can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help, but someone who falls alone is in real trouble. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ask the Lord to knit the two of you together to fight whatever battle you might be facing.   If you find that you can’t reconnect on your own, reach out for professional help. Sometimes an objective third party can help you discover the blind spots, and help you see the problem from another perspective. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Psalms 37:30 reminds us that the Godly offer good counsel; they teach right from wrong. We all need help from others from time to time, and God puts people in our path who can help us shed light on the darkness in our lives.   Remember that love covers a multitude of sins, and God’s unconditional love will keep you together. Sometimes we just have to take our marriages off auto-pilot and let God steer us in a new direction.   Reach out and build a web of resources.  Find people who will support you. We at Women World Leaders have an amazing team who would love to help you, and you can go to www.womenworldleaders.com for prayer support and other resources.   You can also drop me an email at [email protected]     Thank you so much for joining us today—as we celebrate God’s grace in our lives, in this ministry, and the world! Join us each Monday, Wednesday and Friday as we explore together God’s extravagant love and your courageous purpose. Visit our website at www.womenworldleaders.com to submit a prayer request,  and support the ministry. Don’t forget to sign up for a free subscription to our Voice Of Truth Magazine. From His heart to yours, we are Women World Leaders. All content is copyrighted by Women World Leaders and cannot be used without express written consent.

We can be aware of deception by holding close to Jesus, who doesn’t give up on us! Hear Jesus’ heart for His followers today as we study Matthew 16:1-12 and Mark 8:11-25. ***** Welcome to Walking in the Word, the biblical teaching arm of the Women World Leaders’ podcast. I’m your host Julie Jenkins. June 2022 is upon us, which means that our June event is happening this Saturday, June 4th! I hope that you are planning on joining us for a morning of worship, teaching, fellowship, and just plain fun. This free event is at Keiser University in West Palm Beach and will begin at 9:00am. If you are coming to the event, make sure you bring some cash, because have some great raffle items. And if you can’t make it in person, you can join us on Facebook Live at 9:30am! As we all learned during covid, community CAN be built via technology. We have leaders from around the world who will be joining you on chat during the event. To find out more or register to attend in person, please visit our website – womenworldleaders.com Today, on Walking in the Word, we will continue our systematic walk through the gospels as we ask God to reveal what He wants us to know and put into practice. Today’s scripture includes Matthew 16:1-12 and Mark 8:11-25. Let’s pray before we begin… Dear Most Gracious and Loving God – as we come before you today, we ask that you cleanse our hearts and our minds that we might hear directly from you as we study and share. God, may the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you. I thank you for always reaching each of us where we are, and it is with anticipation that we will hear from you that we delve into this study. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. As we have been traveling with Jesus and His disciples, we have most recently seen Jesus’ ministry to the Gentile world. We pick up today on their travels back into Jewish territory when they are met with BOTH the Pharisees and the Sadducees – working together to come against Jesus’ and His ministry. I don’t think we, in this modern era, can fully grasp what it meant to have these two groups team up, who under ordinary circumstances were rivals. The name Pharisee actually means “separated” and was appropriate because the Pharisees separated themselves from the ordinary Jewish person by strictly observing laws and manmade traditions. We often think of the Jewish people as spiritual – the Pharisees were ultra-spiritual. They set themselves on a pedestal. They clung to the teachings of the God, believing in the Old Testament, miracles, the coming of the Messiah, the resurrection of the dead, and God’s final judgement – and their error was in making the pathway to God full of legal ramifications. The Sadducees, on the other hand, were the modernists of the day. The did not believe in miracles or resurrections. They did believe in a Messiah to come, but only as a political giant, not a spiritual manifestation of God. We’ve all seen groups of people with completely different motives and beliefs side together against a common enemy throughout history, and this was a perfect example. The Pharisees and the Sadducees joined forces to confront Jesus. With that in mind, let’s begin in Matthew 16, verse 1, from the New Living Translation… 16 One day the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, demanding that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority. If you’ve read the Bible, been to Sunday School, or have been listening to this podcast, you know that Jesus had already performed MANY miracles. You also know that this is not the first time these leaders demanded a sign. The wording here says that they demanded a “miraculous sign from heaven.” They were looking for an apocalyptic sign – a blessing from heaven on Jesus signaling that He was the answer to Israel for their political deliverance. One theologian equated this demand with the devil’s temptation in the desert before Jesus began His ministry. Could Jesus have taken over right then and there? Finally and completely delivering the Jewish people and destroying their enemies. Of course He could have! But that was not the plan. And Jesus knew that if anyone was truly sold out to God, they would not need this “proof” of who He was, but they would see all the unmistakable miraculous events that had already occurred and would have realized their significance. These individuals had CHOSEN not to believe, and they were trying to set a trap for Jesus. Verse 2… 2 Jesus replied, “You know the saying, ‘Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow; 3 red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.’ You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times![a] 4 Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign, but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.[b]” Then Jesus left them and went away. Jesus promised a sign to come…that of the prophet Jonah. Jonah was in the belly of a whale for three days. Left for dead. But God had work for Jonah to do, and after three days, he emerged. This was foreshadowing THE biggest miracle – Jesus’ resurrection from the dead by which He would conquer the power of death for all those who believed in Him – once and forever more. Mark 8:12 tells us that as Jesus answered, “he sighed deeply in his spirit.” If you are a parent who has watched your children make poor decisions, you may understand the heartbreak behind Jesus’ sigh. The fact that Jesus turned from them and went away is, to me, the scariest part of this whole interaction. God has bent over backwards to reveal Himself to EVERY human on earth. He has dotted every I and crossed every T. He has left no stone unturned. When we call to God, He is there. Wherever we go, He is there. In all of creation, He is there. But there can come a point when we have chosen over and over again NOT to see Jesus, that we will be unable to see Him. When we have hardened our hearts so strongly against Him, that our hearts can no longer receive Him. If you want to hear from Jesus, let me encourage you to PRACTICE hearing from Him. Practice listening and obeying! I was lying in bed at 4:30 this morning, and I heard God tell me to get up and write. I questioned Him. God do you really want me to get up and write now? He said, yes, I really want you to get up and write now. And so I did. Not because I wanted to write…I actually REALLY wanted to sleep. But I also really do want to hear from God – and I don’t EVER want to put up a barrier that stops me from hearing Him. I don’t ever want to intentionally not listen, causing my hearing to no longer acute. So when God says jump – I jump. Even if that means to jump out of bed when I am really tired. “Jesus left them and went away.” – There will come a time when Jesus will turn away from unbelievers. If you have given your life to Christ, you can be assured that Jesus will NEVER turn away from you – the best is yet to come! But if you haven’t yet given your life to Christ, please do so, because we never know when Jesus WILL turn away and it will be too late. Giving your life to Christ is as easy as admitting that you are a sinner, accepting God’s gift of forgiveness, and following Him to the best of your ability in His power. If you would like someone to walk through this process with you, please email us at [email protected] As we continue reading Matthew 16, verse 5 is an aside that sets the scene. 5 Later, after they crossed to the other side of the lake, the disciples discovered they had forgotten to bring any bread.  But while the disciples are discussing their hunger, Jesus is still focused on the interaction with the Pharisees and the Sadducees…and He warns the disciples… 6 “Watch out!” … “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” The disciples, still entrenched in their own conversation about bread, think Jesus’ mention of yeast is referring to their lack of food…verse 7… 7 At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. 8 Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “You have so little faith! Why are you arguing with each other about having no bread? 9 Don’t you understand even yet? Don’t you remember the 5,000 I fed with five loaves, and the baskets of leftovers you picked up? 10 Or the 4,000 I fed with seven loaves, and the large baskets of leftovers you picked up? 11 Why can’t you understand that I’m not talking about bread? So again I say, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’” You may know that yeast in the Bible is often a symbol of evil or wrong teaching, signifying that a little bit of evil or wrong teaching can take root and spread among many. But until my preparations for today’s teaching, I didn’t understand this fully. I’ve made bread…I’ve ripped open the tiny yeast packet and put a bit into the dough and then watched the dough rise nice and fluffy, ready for baking. So I recognized the correlation that a little bit of yeast can effect a whole loaf of bread. But I didn’t realize the significance of the yeasts ability to spread from a cultural and historical perspective. You may not be surprised to learn that in Jesus’ time, they didn’t have little packets of yeast in their kitchen cabinet. I honestly had never considered this. Instead, this necessary ingredient was grown by holding back a portion of the dough before they baked it. The piece of dough would be stored appropriately and treated with juices to enhance fermentation, and then used as a base to prepare dough for the following week. Then the process would continue…a small part of THAT dough would be reserved to grow the leaven for the next week. This process was full of opportunities to spread illness. If the dough EVER got tainted, it would infect much more than a single loaf of bread. The effects of evil and wrong teaching extend far beyond ourselves and our families, and they extend beyond today. We all can point back to an incident of wrongdoing in our lives that changed us forever. Such is the danger of evil.   Mark records Jesus’ words to the disciples in chapter 8:17-18 … “Don’t you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? 18 ‘You have eyes—can’t you see? You have ears—can’t you hear?’[a] Don’t you remember anything at all? In our Christian walk, Jesus implores us to seek understanding, to watch for what God is doing, to look for His miracles, to listen for His wonders, and to remember His blessings. As if to underscore this, although Jesus would not perform a miracle for the Pharisees and Sadducees who had hardened their hearts against Him, Jesus’ love and care continued to exude to those who came to Him with an open heart. Mark continues in verse 22… 22 When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and they begged him to touch the man and heal him. 23 Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then, spitting on the man’s eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, “Can you see anything now?” 24 The man looked around. “Yes,” he said, “I see people, but I can’t see them very clearly. They look like trees walking around.” 25 Then Jesus placed his hands on the man’s eyes again, and his eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly. Sometimes it takes awhile for us to see Jesus clearly! At first healing, the blind man could see only figures. But as he held close to Jesus, his sight was completely restored. Even after Jesus fed thousands in front of their eyes, the disciples still argued about who forgot the bread in a panic that they might not have food to eat on their journey. But as they held close to Jesus, he showed them that He IS our complete sustenance who will provide for us in all ways. If you are having a difficult time understanding all that Jesus is, that is ok. Keep seeking Him, and He will overwhelm you with His character and love. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you, to give you wisdom, to open your eyes and your heart and to make you teachable. Respond to His call, and His voice will get louder and clearer as He calls you away from evil and wrong teaching and calls you to embrace Him, God’s only Son, our pure source of truth and strength. Let’s pray… Dear Most Holy God – we thank you for your warnings, your wisdom, and your love. As we walk through our day, meet us where we are. Make your voice loud and give us eyes to see, ears to hear, and courage to respond. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.

God is the source of our comfort.    Today's guest, life coach, marriage coach, and mental health coach Christina Hjort shares her story about living in a world of discomfort.   What does it take to release shame and guilt from your past, allowing the true source of comfort that only God gives to enter your life? Please join us for today's podcast to find out.   ******* Welcome to empowering lives with purpose. And I'm your host, Kimberly Hobbs. I am the founder of Women world leaders. Ladies, we are so grateful for every time you join with us on our podcast. Today, I have the privilege to introduce you to our guest today. Christina Hjort. Christina is from Winter Haven, Florida. Thank you, Christina, for joining us. Christina Hjort   Thank you, Kimberly. It's an honor to be here. I'm excited about the word that God is bringing through this message today. Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. And we're excited to hear. Ladies, God is working in you. He's working in me, Christina, he's lurking in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him. That's Philippians 2:13. So today, ladies, we believe that God will strengthen and encourage each of us as we walk through this podcast together. And just listen to the story shared by Christina. We're going to talk about comfort today. So our it's our hopes that we can encourage you to be comforted in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, because that is where our ultimate comfort comes from. I want to share a little bit about our guests Christina York today. Christina served honorably as a veteran of the United States Marine Corps for five years. Thank you so much, Christina for your service. God bless you. Thanks. She served in Operation Desert Storm and I am sure you have stories to share with that. But Chris has a bachelor's degree in business administration from Warner University in Lake Wales, Florida. And she has been a small business owner for seven years and she is an AA certified professional life coach. She's a break water professional ministry, marriage coach, and currently studying to be a Board Certified Master mental health coach. Wow. Chris has a passion for serving in this part of the welcome team at High Point church and Lake Wales. She's been married to Matt since 2015, and has a blended family with four children and three grandchildren. And together they believe that the Christ Church relationship provides us with a model for our own marriage. And through the husband wife relationship, we have the opportunity to mirror God's love and His will for mankind and the world. We believe that today ladies, as we talk about comfort, the word comfort, I want to start off with sharing some scripture that I believe is going to carry us into Christina's story. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, I'm reading from the Passion Translation says that all praises belong to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he is the father of tender mercy and the God of endless comfort. He always comes alongside us to comfort us in every suffering so that we can come alongside those who are in any painful trial, we can bring them the same comfort that God has poured out upon us. And ladies, those of you that walk with Jesus know, the beautiful comfort that we come that we can have that only comes from Him. And it's here that I want to have Christina, introduce her story to you that starts off with growing up with a very abusive father. Good times from a mother with love. But she was not comfortable in her home life. And Christina, can you share a little bit about the brokenness? Christina Hjort   Yes, so the only memory I have of my father Jerry and mother Peggy together with them arguing. Remember one time in the kitchen they were arguing fiercely and my father threw my mother against the refrigerator out of anger. My father had been severely abused as a child, and now he had become the abuser. My mother left that relationship at five years old. My mother and my father were divorced. I don't remember a lot from those days that I do remember some good times with my mom and I do remember some weekends with my father. My father he, he called me his princess. I mean, when I was at my father's house, he would take me for doughnuts and ice cream. He liked the finer things of life. But for my brother, life was just how on earth it was filled with abuse and pain. He was physically abused by my father. So when I was eight years old and my mother, she met Ronnie Ashley's, the master sergeant of the United States Marine Corps, he was being reassigned to a military base in Virginia Beach, Virginia, which is a long way from San Diego, California, where I was born and raised. My mom and Ron, they had a whirlwind romance. They got married in January of 1980, and relocated to Virginia. Rod was a good man, he was willing to take responsibility for a single mom, two children. He had a wonderful sense of humor and a very strong protective way about him. But over the years, I found out that he suffered with PTSD from being a Vietnam veteran, excuse me and suffered and struggled with alcoholism. He could be a very hard man to please. That summer in 1980, after they were wed, my brother was flown out to visit us. One evening, shortly after my brother had arrived, we were sitting at the dinner table. So sorry, my mother, my mother, she had handed my brother a plate of food, which she just commenced to shoveling down as fast as he could. My mom said to Jeremy, you don't have to eat so fast. No one's going to take your plate from you. Apparently, I pulled my mom aside and politely advised her that Jeremy regularly had his food taken from him as a form of punishment at my father's house. My mother, she was shocked and heartbroken. She contacted our father and informed him that their son was not leaving Virginia, and that she would be assuming full parental custody. After that day, I did not hear from my father for another 21 years. Wow. Yeah. Even at the early age of 10 years old. It was just it was too late for my brother and he was so broken from the abuse of our father. As years passed, he was in and out of counseling. He struggled in school, he used marijuana to ease the pain from the past. He was broken and manic depressive. I was not aware of any of this at the time to me, my brother was the most amazing person. I knew he was funny. He was popular. He was athletic. He was a brilliant artist. He did everything right in my eyes. He used to wake me up in the morning tickling me until I couldn't breathe. He was the first person to tell me about Jesus. So for a while, I thought things were gonna be okay. You know, we were trying to make it work as a family. After high school, Jeremy went into the Army and I went to the Marine Corps. Of course, I was trying to live up to my stepdads standard. I'll never forget getting a phone call from my brother Jeremy. For Thanksgiving, it was 1990 I was on duty. He called me and he told me to resolve any issues or disputes that I had with my mom and my stepdad and to take care of them. He told me that he loved me something that he rarely said. And then on December 6 of 1990, I got the news that would change my life forever. My brother was dead from suicide. My world just came crashing down. I'm so sorry. Kimberly Hobbs   I'm so sorry. And I know you're even struggling in this moment to share, to share but your pain started right there. Like you said it changed your life. And because of that pain, you act it out. And you are even sharing with me, Christina and I'm sure ladies you can relate to this pain. If you've lost somebody so dear to you and you don't understand why and then all of the things that created this perfect storm in her life for her to act out. She was uncomfortable. She wasn't comfortable in her life. There was no comfort around her know where to turn. So Christina, you You told me that you started acting out in different ways alcoholism, men in your life divorce, different things started happening. You said at one time that you the woman in the well, at the Bible, we are in the Bible. We know that story about the woman in the well. You said that she looked like a saint compared to your life. So we know that there was acting out in this pain, this horrible pain and understandably that you were going through rough times rough years. But you told me that you experienced shame and guilt. And I'm thinking, Okay, you experience shame and guilt. Why is that? Can you explain the shame and guilt that you felt? Christina Hjort   Yeah, I think that the the abandonment from my, my father, and then the inadequacy that I felt for my stepdad. And then, you know, the loss of my brother, it just broke me. I had so many questions. I was wondering, Was it my fault and lied and blame? What can I do differently to be worthy of love? I just had so many questions and no answers. I spent the next 20 years going from relationship to relationship and religion to religion trying to fill that hole in my heart I was I was in relationship with the alcoholic and the addict, the abuser. The adults are trying to fill the emptiness that only God can fill each relationship ending in disaster. I was baptized three times in three different denominations trying to just wash off. The shame and guilt of my life only did come up out of those baptismal waters just feeling dirty than dirtier than before. I went to counseling for five years trying to put the puzzle pieces of self destruction and shattered heart back together. I just I didn't believe that I deserve goodness and peace. I just wanted to read out of limitations. Chapter one lamentation Chapter One Two says she leaves bed early in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks. She has no one to comfort her among all of her lovers. All her friends have dealt treacherously with her they have become her enemies. And lamentation is when nine says her uncleanness was in her skirts, and she did not consider her future. Therefore she has fallen in Astonishingly, she has no comforter, see, oh Lord, my affliction for the enemy as the enemy this magnified himself. I just love this because Jeremiah was calling God's people to repentance. After this, but years ago of disobedience. We see God's compassion and comfort. In this, you know, and how he experiences people. I mean, no matter how bad or how devastating our sin is, our father invites us to repent, and to be healed by the blood of Jesus. So somewhere through all of this, even deep down, I knew that God was always there. He was watching over me. He was walking before me and he would make a way I love in Jeremiah 2911, where he says that vein is the status works for I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD plans to prosper you and not to harm you plans to give you a hope and future. Kimberly Hobbs   That is so good. Oh my goodness, that is so good and so powerful. And yes, those words. God doesn't want to leave you where you are ladies, none of you. He doesn't want you in that uncomfortable. Self Destruction feeling like, like Christina was experiencing. It's a horrible place to be. And especially when we're struggling there with shame and guilt. It's like the enemy just heaps it on us more and more and more. So, Christina, again, as you described, you know, there was no comfort around you, you are all alone. By God key had a plan. But the enemy was trying to keep you from being comforted, right because he knew you were going to be this powerful force for the Lord Jesus Christ because look at your life now But God kept trying to get your attention while the enemy kept pounding, the discomfort, the misery everything that you were experiencing, which made you go to alcoholism and all of this. It's not an excuse, ladies. It's just it's that reality. When you don't know where to turn, you turn to these things hoping to find comfort. Bert, there. So ladies, please, please listen closely right now is we're going to share, don't find your comfort in other things, men. Alcoholism, yep, blaming it on everything else. But look to God, He is the only source of your comfort. So God kept trying to get your attention, Christina, and he wanted to comfort you. So he used your daughter in the car, which you're going to share about and he also used your friend Lisa. So tell the ladies just how God loved you where you were. He loves you in your guilt and shame. And he used these two incidents powerfully. Christina Hjort   He did. He absolutely did. So in 2012, I had just bought a house in Winter Haven, Florida. I was divorced yet again. And I had three children Austin, was 13 Ryan, who's 10 and Maggie who's nine. I, I was trying to fresh start, even though I was still stuck in my ways and and blind to God's will for my life. One day while driving to school, my daughter said, Well, why don't why don't you stop listening to this kind of music on the radio and turn on the joy of them, which is our local Christian station. Jesus tells us in Matthew I love this out of the mouths of babes you have perfected praise. And how true is that? He used my daughter to to, to change the direction of my life. So she reached over at that moment, she changed the station and she started saying... Kimberly Hobbs   Amen, amen daughter. Yeah, you go girl. Christina Hjort   She started singing the next Christian song. I just remember that morning being so amazing. Just filled with just words of hope and joy and love. I vowed to leave that station on in my car. Psalms 118 14 says the Lord is my strength And my song in victory. So that was a life changing moment for me. But in my life, I always struggled with right versus wrong, good versus evil. I love when Paul says in Romans four, I do not do the good I want but the evil I do not is what I keep doing. I mean, how do we relate to that? I know I do. I wanted to be holy, but I didn't understand how to get there. I still imagine the God of the universe in heaven ready and waiting for me to screw up again. So he could rain down as rats like something that I certainly felt like I believed I had such a wretched life. I mean, I love Jesus. But did I really believe that I deserved the gift of His death, His burial in his resurrection? I didn't. Oh goodness. How could How could a good God love a person like me? It was just a struggle until 2013. I had a dear friend Lisa. Oh, I love her. She pulled me aside and told me something I just needed to hear my soul needed to hear. She told me that God is not like my earthly father, who fell short. And at the end of me. She told me that God is the best father a girl can ask for a daddy was his daughter more than words, consenting. He's the Papa who will never leave me. He will never abandon me. He will always take care of me. I mean, he's the father I can trust. I can have a personal and intimate relationship with him. And the light bulb came on that day. It's, it's a day I'll never forget that. My father was not condemning me. I was condemning me. And then Isaiah 4110 This is my life. Verse. God says, so do not fear for I am with you. Do not be dismayed for I am your God, I will see you and I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. So from that day, little by little things started to change. I remember when they in 2015 I found myself just spaced down weeping on the floor of my bedroom. I was just I was alone, worn out from years of self abandoned innocent and I cried out to God and I told him that I fully surrendered my life to him. I had been, you know, a religious Christian for many years, but now I wanted a relationship with him. And I felt like he wanted to relationship with me. Yes, yes. I made a commitment to him that day to get to know him better. I made a commitment to wait on Him and to obey him i That verse in John three, He must increase but I must decrease I would say less of me and more of you God. I believe in that omit that I felt his arms wrapped around me while I was laying there just completely broken. And I ultimate comfort, the ultimate comforter. And somehow I just knew that day that things were going to be different. So it Nehemiah he says, Do not greed for the Lord, or for the joy of the Lord is your strength. And then Paul, he writes in Corinthians and says, our hope for you is firm because we know that just as you share our suffering, so also you share in our comfort. Yes, yes, ladies, all of us have difficult days where we are struggling, and we're stressed, but do not lose hope. Share your stories, sharing your suffering, and ask your father in heaven to be the god of comfort for you today. Kimberly Hobbs   What a good word, what a good word, Christina, God loved you where you were, in that guilt and shame. Ladies, if you are there, if you can relate to anything this precious woman of God is saying, you know what it's like to be in that discomfort, and hurt and pain. But God says when the eight when the enemy is aiming his arrows at you, ladies, when you are feeling that, and you're feeling right now that oh my gosh, I hurts so bad, and nothing, nothing is making me feel better. The Lord is my strength and shield, I trust him with all my heart, he helps me and my heart is filled with joy. I burst in songs of Thanksgiving, Psalm 28, seven, God knew what He was doing when he provided your daughter Christina, to turn that radio station to worship music, which you never changed again. And you started changing through that music. God was comforting you with his words with his love. And that was only the beginning until Lisa came into your life and introduced you to the loving father that was going to comfort you permanently. And again, your heart burst into joy of song and thanksgiving. It's a total new way to walk in freedom, right? Because God wasn't condemning you, Christina, you were condemning you, ladies, God doesn't condemn you. Don't be stuck in that guilt and shame. We bring that upon ourselves. So just like some of you are carrying that, know that in his love in his grace, He brings you out of that life and into everything that He has for you. And that's what we're here trying to comfort you with, is that God loves you, He will never abandon you. He will never leave you or forsake you. Christina, there's a listener out there who's hurting, and she's full of discomfort from a wound that just won't heal. And we all know those wounds that just won't stop. So what can you offer her in the form of hope, honey, Christina Hjort   I'm going to encourage her to step out in victory, that there's a God who loves us in, in everything that we are, all the past hurts all the sense. Everything that we've been through, there's a guide, a daddy in heaven, who, who loves us and wants us to be victorious. And he's bigger, with his arms wide open, ready to comfort us and to give us a joy and a peace that does pass all all understanding. It's true. It's true. And I encourage you if you don't know, if you don't know that Jesus, I would be happy to introduce you to him. Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. Amen. And I know you had some scripture that was so important to you about comfort in 2 Corinthians. Can you share that scripture? I have it right here actually I do. Because it was so when when we talked about it in our conversation, Christina, it just got me right in the heart. And ladies, listen to this. It is just beautiful. If trouble weighs us down. That just means that we will receive even more comfort to pass on to you for your deliverance for the comfort pouring into us empowers us to bring comfort to you. You can endure victoriously the same suffering that we experienced Now, our hope for you is unshakable, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings you will also share in God's comforting strength. And again, that's Second Corinthians 1627. That's the passion translation. And I'm sorry, Christina, I didn't mean to put you on the spot. But you know what, thankfully God said, Kimberly, prepare that that Scripture because I wanted to emphasize it again, hoping that you would share it. That yes, Christina Hjort   That when we were talking about this upcoming event, God had brought those to my attention, and how, you know, he really does want to come for us and how He wants us to live victorious. And I love that I love that he's there for us, and he's ready to receive us. We just have to surrender our will. And I love it. I love it so much. I love our Father God. Kimberly Hobbs   Amen. And you know, ladies, beauty of how he has changed her life, Christina and this woman is such a joy and we are so grateful that you are part of women world leaders and and as we were sharing and preparing for this podcast, wow, God came in powerfully did he not Christina. And through her sharing the story, my heart was pounding. We at women were leaders are putting together a book this year called surrendered, yielded with purpose. And her story was a beautiful story of surrendered. And so I get to share with you that Christina York is going to be one of the authors in surrendered, yielded with purpose, and you're going to hear her full story or read her full story when that book comes out, hopefully by the end of 2022. So please be praying, ladies as we do these writings with amazing women of God that he brings. And you may be one of those women that are listening in right now that have a story that you want to share. And through coming on these podcasts, ladies, you're just helping others to relate to you and identify with you. On the internet. Let them have compassion and hope through your story of finding Jesus that they could to and all of our stories are different, right? Yours doesn't look like Christina's nor does it look like mine. But God gave you a story. So I pray that as you've listened to today, and you have found comfort, even if you are in that uncomfortable place, we pray that Christina sharing her story has allowed God to bring comfort into your heart through the scriptures that she shared. Oh my goodness, ladies, you each carry powerful testimonies, and you may not even know it. And God wants to use you an incredibly powerful ways to serve and glorify Him. That's what we do here at women. We're leaders, we're here to come together and help each other and encourage each other to Jesus, right? So please, if you're listening ladies, jot down women world leaders.com Go to our website, search us out, you can email me like Christina said, if you want to know Jesus, and you don't please contact Christina. Christina how do they contact you? Christina Hjort   You can email me at CHJORT15@Gmail. I'd love to hear from you. If you want to write I'd be happy to be your pen pal. Kimberly Hobbs   That's so beautiful sweetie. And you can always reach Christina through womenworldleaders.com as well. And ladies if you want to. Christina Hjort   Also I'm so sorry Kimberly but through Breakwater Ministries, we I can be reached through Breakwater Ministries as well where my husband and I are serving, you know, a mission marriage for or other marriages. Kimberly Hobbs   That's right. She is healed. She's comforted. She's serving in a ministry ladies if you need marriage coaching if you need life coaching, that's why she is so open to have you contact her reach out to her. She's a beautiful woman of God and she's here to help to help. That's what we're all here to do. So ladies, we love you. We pray that you were encouraged today, strengthened by this podcast and you can tune in each Monday, Wednesday and Friday to our podcasts and be uplifted in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and ladies, we also want to invite you to receive voice of truth publication that's the magazine that comes out every quarter. And ladies, it's available digitally on our website, as well as if you are in the United States, you can get your free copy every quarter and it's beautiful table top quality. And you can be uplifted and encouraged by other women in the ministry that right from their heart and share scripture that God has laid on their hearts to share with you. I also would love to invite you ladies we have a an event coming up. And it's coming up this week. So please, please, you don't have to live in Palm Beach County, but we June 4, at nine o'clock at Kaiser University, the flagship campus. We are having our first Renu event where we are gathering together with women that can come and just be blessed. And listen for three and a half hours to praise and worship prayer, encouragement, speakers fun, we've got everything and ladies that are listening from other countries because we've got you listening and over 70 countries now. We are not leaving you out because you are women, world leaders. And you know what, we are live streaming. So the live streaming will start after the praise and worship because of copyright. But we want to include each and every one of you into this event. And let you know that you can join right in with us from wherever you are, get a party together, have a watch party, whenever you can watch, we just pray that you'll join in. Because we know that God has called us to gather again for a purpose and we're including all of our listeners from around the world. Ladies, catch us on Facebook, that's where it's going to be live streamed to the women world leaders Facebook group. And if you're not already on it, please ask or request to come in women world leaders. It's a private group. So you have to request to come in and we will see you on Saturday June 4 at 9am. Eastern in person or 930 if you're joining us for live stream. thank our guests today Christina hort. We are so grateful that you came on to share your story today. God bless you all. Unknown Speaker   God bless you. Kimberly Hobbs   God bless you all and have a beautiful and blessed day.