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Speaker 1: Life Audio.

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Speaker 2: Welcome to the Love Offering Podcast. I'm your host, Rachel Adams,

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Speaker 2: author of Everyday Prayers for Love, Learning to Love God, others,

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Speaker 2: and even yourself. Each week we dive into meaningful conversations

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Speaker 2: about how to live out the greatest commandment, loving God

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Speaker 2: with all of your heart's soul, mind and strength, and

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Speaker 2: loving our neighbors as ourselves, Whether through inspiring stories, practical tips,

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Speaker 2: or biblical truths. I hope to encourage you to love boldly,

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Speaker 2: live faithfully, and reflect God's love in your everyday life. Today,

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Speaker 2: I'm excited to welcome Cynthia yan Off to the show.

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Speaker 2: Cynthia is a wife, mama of three, writer, and the

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Speaker 2: host of the Mesmerized and Sidetracked podcasts. She's known for

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Speaker 2: her quick wit on a storytelling and her ability to

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Speaker 2: speak biblical truths straight into the middle of everyday chaos

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Speaker 2: with equal parts of humor and heart. In her new book,

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Speaker 2: How Did I Miss That Gas Pump Confessions Drive through

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Speaker 2: obsessions and figuring out what really matters, Cynthia pulls back

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Speaker 2: the curtain on the gloriously imperfect moments of modern life

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Speaker 2: reminds us that small, faithful pivots can have that significant

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Speaker 2: kingdom impact when we live with compassion, generosity, and a

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Speaker 2: willingness to be interrupted. Cynthia, Welcome to The Love Offering Podcast.

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Speaker 2: I'm so happy to have you again, Rachel. Thanks for

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Speaker 2: having me back. It's great to be here.

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Speaker 3: So your title is super unique.

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Speaker 2: I mean it's a mouthful, but it's so eye catching

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Speaker 2: and something that we can all relate to. So I've

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Speaker 2: got to kind of know, like the backstory of this

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Speaker 2: title in this book tell us the inspiration.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, and so if you see the cover of this book,

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Speaker 1: it's like a mouth looking in a mirror and there's

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Speaker 1: like spinach in the teeth, And it's that whole concept

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Speaker 1: of like how to miss that? Like was I not

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Speaker 1: paying attention? And I think, just as a girl who

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Speaker 1: grew up in a Christian home my entire life, I

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Speaker 1: feel like I've always known the Lord. I've always known

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Speaker 1: the Bible, like not in a way of like pat

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Speaker 1: my back, but just kind of that's my normal. And

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Speaker 1: then I at some point I kind of looked back

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Speaker 1: on some things, like in my forties, and I'm like, wait,

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Speaker 1: how did I miss it? Like generosity matters, kindness matters,

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Speaker 1: Like not that I wasn't kind, but I could have

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Speaker 1: done better. This is the way I love people matters.

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Speaker 1: The way I speak of people matters. Like these things

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Speaker 1: that are day in and day out practicalities. I feel like,

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Speaker 1: over and over again, I missed it. And so that

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Speaker 1: was kind of the play on that is, you know, like,

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Speaker 1: how did I miss that? And that we drive through

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Speaker 1: confessions and gas pump, you know, all of it was

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Speaker 1: just kind of some of the stories. I love a

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Speaker 1: good story because I feel like I could just say

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Speaker 1: to you, like, hey, you guys, we need to be generous,

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Speaker 1: and you'd be like, yeah, we do. But then I

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Speaker 1: could tell you a story of generosity and it's gonna

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Speaker 1: stick with you probably and we're both gonna laugh about it.

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Speaker 1: And I think if we can laugh about something and

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Speaker 1: we can tell a story around it and we can

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Speaker 1: even like dare I say, admit our deficits, that it

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Speaker 1: really opens up a world of being able to speak

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Speaker 1: truth over each other. And I think that matters. And

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Speaker 1: so that's kind of the background of it. Just hopefully

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Speaker 1: a book that's really funny and very real and also

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Speaker 1: points out the things that you probably already know but

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Speaker 1: you just miss it sometimes.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, Well, I can't wait to hear some of these

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Speaker 2: stories and laugh a little bit with you today. But

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Speaker 2: we're going to take a brief break to hear from

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Speaker 2: today's sponsor, and when we come back, we're going to

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Speaker 2: talk about some of the things that we might be missing.

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Speaker 3: Welcome back.

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Speaker 2: I'm talking with Cynthia yan Off about her book how

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Speaker 2: Did I Miss That gas pump confessions drive their obsessions

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Speaker 2: and figuring out what really matters. So give us one

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Speaker 2: of these gas pump confessions. Share that story with us today.

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Speaker 1: Yeah. Well, literally, I was going to speak at an event.

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Speaker 1: That's where this came from. And I a lot of

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Speaker 1: times when I go and speak at different parts of

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Speaker 1: the country or whatever, my friends will go with me.

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Speaker 1: And I used to be naive enough to think my

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Speaker 1: friends would love to hear me speak, but it turns

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Speaker 1: out they just think I'm incompetent when it comes to travel.

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Speaker 1: And so it was. It was one of these pigular trips.

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Speaker 1: I was going to Houston and I live in Dallas,

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Speaker 1: so it's just a couple hours away, and so I

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Speaker 1: told my friends, I'm like you, guys, I'm fine. I

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Speaker 1: do not need like an escort to get there, and

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Speaker 1: so I stopped at BUCkies. Now, Rachel, do you know

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Speaker 1: what BUCkies is? Y'all have BUCkies?

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Speaker 3: We have a BUCkies.

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Speaker 1: Yes, okay, guys, this is not just a gas station, right,

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Speaker 1: Like this is the mecca of all things like I

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Speaker 1: don't know, bacon grease that you can give apparently as

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Speaker 1: a Christmas gift. It says to jams, to barbecue sandwiches. Anyway,

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Speaker 1: so I was so excited. I stopped at the BUCkies

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Speaker 1: and so I was putting gas in my car and

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Speaker 1: this woman came up to me with her daughter and

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Speaker 1: asked for help. And I was like, I don't have

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Speaker 1: any cash on me, like literally I never do. And

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Speaker 1: They're like, no, we just need food, and so I'm

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Speaker 1: like okay. So I go inside and I'm thinking the

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Speaker 1: normal things like is this a scam? Are they gonna

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Speaker 1: take my kidney? Like what is this gonna look like?

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Speaker 1: And so finally I'm like whatever, I've got to get

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Speaker 1: to this event. So I just load up some food

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Speaker 1: and I go and I hand it to them and

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Speaker 1: they thank me, and so I get in the car.

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Speaker 1: I'm like I gotta go, like this is a big

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Speaker 1: speaking event. And I pull off and I hear the

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Speaker 1: loudest crashing noise, and I didn't like kind of pull off,

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Speaker 1: like I mean, I really really pulled off, Like I

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Speaker 1: was all the way down the way and I look

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Speaker 1: back and realized I never took the pump out, the

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Speaker 1: little hose out, and I dismembered it from the entire

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Speaker 1: like pump the hose was hanging out, and so I'm horrified,

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Speaker 1: and I have one of these moments. I don't know

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Speaker 1: if y'all have had these, where it's like junior high,

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Speaker 1: where you fall down and you're like I can either

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Speaker 1: jump up and act like nothing happened, or like I'm

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Speaker 1: gonna lay there in whale. And I was like, I'm

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Speaker 1: going to back like nothing happened. So I park my car.

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Speaker 1: I don't know why I didn't dry back, and I

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Speaker 1: take the pump out and I walk all the way

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Speaker 1: back and I put it back in there. And this

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Speaker 1: is where it gets really weird, you guys. Then I

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Speaker 1: start typing on the screen. I don't know what I'm typing, Like,

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Speaker 1: am I doing some international business over here? Like I

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Speaker 1: don't know what I'm doing. I'm so I ended up

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Speaker 1: getting in the car and I made it to the event.

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Speaker 1: But I realized like that day that sometimes like we're

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Speaker 1: so focused on what's going on in a platform, and

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Speaker 1: I realized, not everyone that's listening. It's probably most people

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Speaker 1: aren't speaking on a platform, but we all have our

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Speaker 1: platform things, and we get so focused on the platform

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Speaker 1: that we miss that God's working at the pump and

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Speaker 1: like there was a need that needed to be met there,

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Speaker 1: and I half heartedly met that need for that woman,

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Speaker 1: but I probably could have slowed down and really appreciated

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Speaker 1: that God's in that just as much as he's in

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Speaker 1: the platform, and sometimes more than that. And so that

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Speaker 1: was kind of the gist behind that is that there's

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Speaker 1: so many times that we're racing after those platform moments,

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Speaker 1: those big moments that we think are the things, and

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Speaker 1: we miss these little places where God's saying, like step

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Speaker 1: into this, this matters, this is significant.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, Yeah, I have so many moments like that. And

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Speaker 2: a real quick plug for BUCkies. Have you ever tried

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Speaker 2: the beaver Nuggets?

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Speaker 1: Yes, we've had the beaver nuggets. Think we that's can

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Speaker 1: take another astra break for BUCkies. I mean they have

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Speaker 1: a sponsor, but we need to Yeah, the beaver Nuggets

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Speaker 1: and what are they they're kind of like, what do

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Speaker 1: you like in them? Too?

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Speaker 2: I mean it's almost like a caramel popcorn, but like

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Speaker 2: lighter Fluffyer, do you.

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Speaker 1: Think what's the hint of cardboard?

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Speaker 3: That's not a good sales pitch.

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Speaker 1: They have a touch of a cardboard. They taste in

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Speaker 1: my very humble opinion, But my kids eat them up.

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Speaker 3: So yes, they're addictive. Maybe don't. Maybe this is to

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Speaker 3: tell you don't get them because you eat it all.

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Speaker 3: It's just so addictive.

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Speaker 2: But okay, we'll talk about since we're on the food topic,

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Speaker 2: talk about your drive through obsessions.

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Speaker 3: Where did this? Where does this fall into the lime story?

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Speaker 1: Well? Yeah, and I don't even know that there's a

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Speaker 1: huge spirit. She'll point to this, you guys, other than

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Speaker 1: I kind of make the joke about how you know.

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Speaker 1: I'm not trying to be controversial. I'm not trying to

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Speaker 1: stir up trouble. But I want to be honest with

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Speaker 1: you guys, as people who read my books and listen

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Speaker 1: to me. I want to be honest and let you

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Speaker 1: know that I like Arby's. Okay, and that's very controversial

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Speaker 1: because who in the world likes Arby's. No offense if

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Speaker 1: you're the owner of Arby's, and you happen to be listening.

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Speaker 1: But I always talk about how I don't go very often,

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Speaker 1: but like twice a year, and you know, I go,

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Speaker 1: like to a dark alley and a part of town

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Speaker 1: I've never been in and eat my curly fries and

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Speaker 1: my beef and cheddar, and then I throw away the

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Speaker 1: trash as if I have committed a heinous crime. And

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Speaker 1: so I kind of joke just about how I like Arby's.

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Speaker 1: But the gist of it is is that we all

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Speaker 1: have those things that you know, that we do that

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Speaker 1: don't see the light of day. And my Arby's habit

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Speaker 1: truly is just a Cynthia Arby's habit. But there's so

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Speaker 1: many things that we do that are similar in nature

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Speaker 1: that we kind of blow off. Not a big deal,

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Speaker 1: nobody needs to know. But when it comes to the

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Speaker 1: things that are sin like, right like, when the things

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Speaker 1: that we're high, the way that we think about people,

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Speaker 1: talk about people, maybe what we're watching on TV, the

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Speaker 1: things like, they're not just a Cynthia thing like. Our

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Speaker 1: sin impacts the people around us first and foremost it

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Speaker 1: impacts our relationship with the Lord. And I'm not coming

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Speaker 1: from a place of like, let's all feel horrible and guilty.

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Speaker 1: But I'm coming from a place of thinking and as

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Speaker 1: a girl who's missed it, hence the title how do

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Speaker 1: I miss?

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Speaker 2: That?

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Speaker 1: Is that my sin impacts a lot of people around me,

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Speaker 1: especially when I think it doesn't. And I've had a

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Speaker 1: long history of thinking like the really bad things out

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Speaker 1: there that other people are doing, like ooh, that's bad.

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Speaker 1: Thank goodness, I don't do that. Well, Listen, I got

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Speaker 1: a little things I'm doing myself that every day that

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Speaker 1: I think are impacting. I know are impacting. It has

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Speaker 1: this ripple effect, and I would just say, like, let's

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Speaker 1: be honest, Like the Lord wants us to be holy,

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Speaker 1: and we fall short, and that's why we have his

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Speaker 1: grace and righteousness, right, Like there's not guilt in that,

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Speaker 1: but we have this gift and we've got to hone

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Speaker 1: in on it, and we've got to be honest about it,

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Speaker 1: Like you can't change a behavior unless you're honest about

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Speaker 1: the fact that behavior is a problem. And so I

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Speaker 1: just encourage you, and I encourage myself every day to

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Speaker 1: be like, how am I talking about people? What am

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Speaker 1: I filling my mind with? What are the things every

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Speaker 1: day that I've gotten accustomed to that I've decided aren't

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Speaker 1: that big of a deal. This is Cynthia thing, then

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Speaker 1: are actually impacting my family, my spouse, my community, and

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Speaker 1: obviously my relationship with the Lord. And so that's kind

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Speaker 1: of the joke, is like I sneak through Arby's, and

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Speaker 1: Arby's really is probably pretty inocuous, but many of the

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Speaker 1: things I sneak around are not inocuous. So that was

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Speaker 1: kind of the gist of that chapter.

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Speaker 2: So I actually do like Arby's, and I love the

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Speaker 2: curly fries, and I actually love the Monterrelli sticks never

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Speaker 2: happen for those that haven't tried those, they're pretty delicious too.

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Speaker 2: So obviously I'm a foodie. But Gi'es and Arby's, we're

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Speaker 2: not thinking of not super classy over hearing classy. Yeah,

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Speaker 2: the Arby's, it's fine, it's fine, keeping.

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Speaker 3: It real, that's true.

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Speaker 2: Well, you know, but I know, on a deeper level,

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Speaker 2: I think that you're so right. We often are tempted

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Speaker 2: to had things that matter to God, and thank goodness,

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Speaker 2: the Holy Spirit will softly and gently convict us to

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Speaker 2: make different decisions. And so I love that you're bringing

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Speaker 2: this subject to light because I think in our society

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Speaker 2: and in our culture today, oftentimes it's the big, shiny.

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Speaker 3: Things, the numbers, the can.

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Speaker 2: Distract us and tempt us to find our value and

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Speaker 2: our significance. But truly, I think that God is saying, look,

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Speaker 2: you're totally missing it, Like these are the things that

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Speaker 2: I really value and that really matter for eternity. So

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Speaker 2: talk to us a little bit about like how you've

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Speaker 2: seen God use something really small, like the gas station example,

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Speaker 2: in really bigger ways than you even realized at the time.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, well, here's the deal. I mean, Jesus talks about

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Speaker 1: the mustard seed, right, and that doesn't really translate for us,

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Speaker 1: but he talks about the power of mustard seed, and

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Speaker 1: that's the kingdom of God. The smallest of things become

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Speaker 1: huge and plentiful and bountiful. And the times of the Bible,

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Speaker 1: the Jewish people would understood that because there's tiny mustard

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Speaker 1: seeds all over the path where they walked, and Jesus

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Speaker 1: would be pointing these fields just filled with these enormous

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Speaker 1: mustard seeds that looked like trees basically. And I think

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Speaker 1: that's it with us. Is I think that Jesus is saying,

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Speaker 1: like there's mustard seed moments all around you. We have

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Speaker 1: these opportunities and these small things, and in Kingdom impact

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Speaker 1: they are big things. And it's so hard to see

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Speaker 1: because we have this limited view and we're impacted by culture,

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Speaker 1: and we're impacted by our own aspirations and dreams. And

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Speaker 1: I think about I'll give you an example. I think

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Speaker 1: about this woman. Her name is Peggy Powell, and she

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Speaker 1: passed away just recently. But Mike and I'm my husband

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Speaker 1: and I we had some very dear friends, very strong believers,

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Speaker 1: some of our very best friends, and the husband got

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Speaker 1: caught up in white collar crime. Talk about an example

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Speaker 1: of thinking something was not going to get caught, it

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Speaker 1: wasn't going to impact anyone else. Well, he did get caught,

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Speaker 1: and he spent ten years in federal prison, and he

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Speaker 1: had two small children and wife, and so it was

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Speaker 1: just a horrible sity. But I had asked some people

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Speaker 1: our church to pray. Obviously is devastating. And this woman,

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Speaker 1: Peggy Powell, I find out that I don't really even

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Speaker 1: know know the name, but don't really know her from

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Speaker 1: our church. Well, she apparently started writing a letter every

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Speaker 1: single day to our friend in prison, never missed a day. Okay,

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Speaker 1: he's served nine of the ten years, and every single

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Speaker 1: day she wrote him a letter. And sometimes it was

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Speaker 1: just like a quick little note, sometimes on newspaper clipping.

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Speaker 1: But then they got to know each other and he

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Speaker 1: could write back, and they started memorizing scripture back and forth.

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Speaker 1: And so he tells us he's out of prison, out

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Speaker 1: and his family's intact, and he says, like that changed

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Speaker 1: my life. And I got the opportunity to ask her

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Speaker 1: one time, like what motivates this Peggy, And she's like, well, practically,

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Speaker 1: I just know that inmates that get male like they

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Speaker 1: are treated better by the guards. But she said, more

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Speaker 1: important than that, I wanted him to know there's no

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Speaker 1: condemnation in Christ and his best days are ahead of him.

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Speaker 1: And so something as simple as grabbing a pen and

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Speaker 1: putting a stamp and doing something every single day faithfully,

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Speaker 1: it changed his life more than that. Now that she's

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Speaker 1: in heaven, I believe she fully can see what we

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Speaker 1: can't even see. But I believe there will be generations

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Speaker 1: upon generations that will be changed because of the simple

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Speaker 1: act of that woman. His family's intact. His family is

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Speaker 1: faith filled and there will be grandkids and great grandkids

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Speaker 1: and down the line. And I believe there's general there

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Speaker 1: will be generational impact by the faithfulness of one woman

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Speaker 1: who realized back to the original point, like, it isn't

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Speaker 1: the platform that matters, right, it's in that moment at

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Speaker 1: the pump writing the note. Those things are significant. And

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Speaker 1: here's the deal. We get caught up in thinking that

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Speaker 1: just because we don't see the results, it doesn't matter.

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Speaker 1: In the book, I talk about how we're bamboozled. You

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Speaker 1: think about the bamboo plan. You plan a seed, you

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Speaker 1: water it. It could be five years and there's no growth,

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Speaker 1: and then one day it can grow up to three feet. Well,

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Speaker 1: during that time, there's a whole root system that's formed, right,

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Speaker 1: and that's what is sustaining the growth that will come.

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Speaker 1: And I think that's what happens us. We get bamboozled

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Speaker 1: in thinking that I can't see anything. I'm watering something

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Speaker 1: every day, I didn't see any growth. Nothing's happening. And

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Speaker 1: God is laying a root system for things that have

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Speaker 1: eternal impact. But it happens at the speed of a

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Speaker 1: seed sometimes. And so that's my encouragement to us, is

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Speaker 1: like listen, every time that you see a stamper, you

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Speaker 1: receive a letter or I mean that is talk about antiquated.

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Speaker 1: When's the last time you wrote a letter. I don't

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Speaker 1: mean I don't write letters, but something as small as

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Speaker 1: that has significance for generations to come, and I believe

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Speaker 1: the Lord will honor that, and I think that is

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Speaker 1: the highest in the worthiest of things we can do.

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Speaker 1: But they just don't get you on Instagram posts. They're

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Speaker 1: not going to get some huge atta boy. Nobody's going

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Speaker 1: to carry you around on their shoulders and be like,

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Speaker 1: look at that. And so that's my encouragement is, Yeah,

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Speaker 1: these little, tiny places the Lord's offering us opportunities into.

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Speaker 1: They're significant and they matter even if they don't seem

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Speaker 1: like it in the moment. Yeah.

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Speaker 3: Well I told you this before we hit record.

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Speaker 2: But and this is not a shameless plug, but I

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Speaker 2: wrote a book called A Little Goes a Long Way,

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Speaker 2: and it's fifty two days to a Significant Life. And

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Speaker 2: so I just feel such a kinderness of heart with

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Speaker 2: you in the subject and exactly what you were just

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Speaker 2: talking about. I mean, Jesus walked everywhere that he went.

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Speaker 2: He talked to one woman beside the well. He let

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Speaker 2: a one woman like wash his feet with her hair,

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Speaker 2: and he praised her. He praised the one leper who

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Speaker 2: came back and said, thank you Jesus, Emmanuel God with us.

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Speaker 2: That's how he lived his life in greened He did

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Speaker 2: great miracles and did amazing things too. But if nothing

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Speaker 2: was too insignificant for the Savior of the world, there's

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Speaker 2: nothing that's too insignificant for me and for you. And

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Speaker 2: so I just love this topic so much and I

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Speaker 2: have a lot more to say on it.

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Speaker 3: But we're going to take another.

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Speaker 2: Brief break to hear a word from today's sponsor, and

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Speaker 2: when we come back, we are going to talk about

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Speaker 2: what really matters most.

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Speaker 3: Welcome back.

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Speaker 2: We are talking with Cynthia Yanoff about her book How

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Speaker 2: did I miss that?

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Speaker 3: And so you write.

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Speaker 2: Candidly about forgiveness and friendship and offense. So why do

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Speaker 2: you think that's staying insulted or unforgiving us so spiritually

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Speaker 2: dangerous even when it feels justify Well.

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Speaker 1: Because I think we all need deep community. We're looking

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Speaker 1: for deep community. Like I don't know, Rachel about you,

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Speaker 1: but I've never had someone like come up to me like,

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Speaker 1: especially a woman it's like, you know, I just have

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Speaker 1: too many friends, I have too deep a community, Like, no,

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Speaker 1: everybody wants friendship. And when I'm asked to speak, I

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Speaker 1: think I'm asked to speak the most on friendship. And

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Speaker 1: it used to be that I would have this like,

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Speaker 1: here's a how to on friendship, And I've decided we

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Speaker 1: don't need a how to, we need a why to

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Speaker 1: on friendship. Why does friendship matter? Why does deep community matter?

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Speaker 1: Why does it matter to show up authentic and real

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Speaker 1: biblically speaking? Why is this significant? And I could talk

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Speaker 1: for days about this, but let's just net it out

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Speaker 1: with the passage in the Bible of the paralytic that

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Speaker 1: had the four friends that carried them to Jesus. And right,

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Speaker 1: they get there and they can't get the door, so

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Speaker 1: they cut a hole in the roof. If you went

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Speaker 1: to vacation Bible school, you have acted this out or

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Speaker 1: felt boarded this like three thousand times. And they lower

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Speaker 1: him in and Jesus ends up healing him because of

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Speaker 1: the faith of his friends. Right, And if Jesus is

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Speaker 1: healing people because of the faith of their friends, then

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Speaker 1: your circle, your community matters. But let me just say

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Speaker 1: this listen. You may not be paralyzed. You probably aren't listener.

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Speaker 1: But if you were not physically paralyzed, that's great, But

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Speaker 1: you are spiritually paralyzed. Every single one of us is

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Speaker 1: on that mat. Every single one of us is spiritually

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Speaker 1: paralyzed in some regard when when we care more about

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Speaker 1: our comfort and our calling, and when we are not

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Speaker 1: willing to be loving, not willing to go in parts

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Speaker 1: of town that we're not used to, like all these places, like,

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Speaker 1: we have a spiritual paralysis and we need people that

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Speaker 1: are carrying the mat and they are setting us before

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Speaker 1: Jesus and like lives likewise, we need to be carrying

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Speaker 1: the mat for other people. And so this story, it's

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Speaker 1: easy to look at that and just kind of be like, Okay,

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Speaker 1: well I guess I would carry the mat. Well, no,

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Speaker 1: you're on the mat too. And so we've got to

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Speaker 1: have these tight relationships. But with tight relationships comes conflict, right,

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Speaker 1: And I think one of the ways that we set

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Speaker 1: down the mat early, Like, think about those guys, like

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Speaker 1: if they had gotten there and halfway to taking their

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Speaker 1: friend for Jesus, they're like, you know what, bro, Like,

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Speaker 1: I actually think the reason you're paralyzed. It's your fault.

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Speaker 1: I'm going to set this down for Like what if

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Speaker 1: they were like, Bro, you know what, you've been mouthy today.

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Speaker 1: I'm over it, Like I'm putting the mat down. Well,

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Speaker 1: it says in that passage that people knew Jesus, they

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Speaker 1: saw the miracle, like everyone was encouraged because of Jesus

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Speaker 1: healing this man. That doesn't happen if the mat gets

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Speaker 1: set down. And that's the same thing with us. We

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Speaker 1: need to have friendships that are pointing people back to Jesus,

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Speaker 1: that people are encouraged, that people want more of what

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Speaker 1: we've got because of these deep relationships. But we're setting

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Speaker 1: the mat down because we get offended, because we get

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Speaker 1: our feelings hurt because we don't assume the best. And

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Speaker 1: so I just believe that and I'm the worst offender.

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Speaker 1: But we've got to reconcile well in our relationships. And

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Speaker 1: in the New Testament, Jesus says like, if you have

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Speaker 1: a problem with a friend, don't give your altar, your

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Speaker 1: your gift at the altar. He's talking like to people

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Speaker 1: that are believers, like, no, set down your gift and

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Speaker 1: go find the person and reconcile and I would just say, listen,

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Speaker 1: I've been the worst offender at being too busy and

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Speaker 1: doing all the God things and the church things, and

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Speaker 1: I needed to set down the gift and I needed

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Speaker 1: to go reconcile. And I've had a really hard relationship

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Speaker 1: where that happened recently. She actually was the one that

429
00:19:08,359 --> 00:19:10,320
Speaker 1: kind of reconciled with me. And I just think back,

430
00:19:10,359 --> 00:19:12,880
Speaker 1: and I'm like, gosh, why did I let something small

431
00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:16,520
Speaker 1: become something huge? And why didn't I make the phone

432
00:19:16,520 --> 00:19:20,639
Speaker 1: call or the text or make the apology, offer the apology.

433
00:19:20,680 --> 00:19:23,000
Speaker 1: And I just wish I was the person before she

434
00:19:23,080 --> 00:19:25,120
Speaker 1: came to me that I am after on the other

435
00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:27,159
Speaker 1: side of it. And so I just want to encourage you,

436
00:19:27,280 --> 00:19:29,359
Speaker 1: like maybe this is the word today for someone like

437
00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:32,160
Speaker 1: the enemy wins if we're divided, and that's what he's

438
00:19:32,200 --> 00:19:34,080
Speaker 1: going for. And so we've got to let some of

439
00:19:34,080 --> 00:19:36,399
Speaker 1: this stuff go. Are there some toxic friendships and some

440
00:19:36,480 --> 00:19:39,080
Speaker 1: places we need boundaries, of course, But I'm talking out

441
00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:40,760
Speaker 1: the day and the day out where we just get

442
00:19:40,760 --> 00:19:43,040
Speaker 1: a little passive aggressive, we don't respond to the text.

443
00:19:43,119 --> 00:19:45,440
Speaker 1: Oh they left me out of this all, Like you guys,

444
00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:47,119
Speaker 1: we just got to let some of that stuff go.

445
00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:49,760
Speaker 1: We've got to send the text, offer the apology, and

446
00:19:49,800 --> 00:19:53,840
Speaker 1: we've got to come together as a solid, unified group

447
00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:56,320
Speaker 1: of people that care about the things that are significant,

448
00:19:56,480 --> 00:19:57,680
Speaker 1: and we're going to do it in community.

449
00:19:57,880 --> 00:20:01,199
Speaker 2: Yeah. No, and absolutely I think and we are the

450
00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:03,840
Speaker 2: paralyzed friend, or we are the friend that needs to

451
00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:06,359
Speaker 2: make the extra effort to climb the roof and figure

452
00:20:06,359 --> 00:20:09,480
Speaker 2: out a way to bring our friend to Jesus. Absolutely,

453
00:20:09,560 --> 00:20:11,600
Speaker 2: I love that so much. And so we know that

454
00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:15,800
Speaker 2: community matters. Friendships matter. Talk to us about family. We've

455
00:20:15,800 --> 00:20:19,399
Speaker 2: got our If people are married, they are moms and

456
00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:22,280
Speaker 2: parenting children. You know, I think when I look up

457
00:20:22,480 --> 00:20:24,720
Speaker 2: on my life, and you've mentioned this and we kind

458
00:20:24,720 --> 00:20:26,919
Speaker 2: of alluded to it. It's one thing to have a

459
00:20:26,920 --> 00:20:29,600
Speaker 2: public ministry, but if my home life is a wreck

460
00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:32,520
Speaker 2: and a mess, then like that's our that's my number

461
00:20:32,560 --> 00:20:35,159
Speaker 2: one priority, apart from my relationship with Jesus. And so

462
00:20:35,280 --> 00:20:38,240
Speaker 2: talk to us about making sure that we're being intentional

463
00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:40,280
Speaker 2: with our family relationships.

464
00:20:40,520 --> 00:20:43,439
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's so easy to overlook them. I think it

465
00:20:43,480 --> 00:20:45,639
Speaker 1: can go either way. Actually, Rachel, if you've seen this,

466
00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:48,160
Speaker 1: I can either be hyper focused on my family and

467
00:20:48,320 --> 00:20:50,199
Speaker 1: everything is going to be about them, and I'm going

468
00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:51,760
Speaker 1: to run down to the school, or I'm gonna yell

469
00:20:51,760 --> 00:20:54,159
Speaker 1: at the coach, or I'm gonna like I'm so hyper

470
00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:56,840
Speaker 1: focused on my family that I miss the people around me,

471
00:20:56,880 --> 00:20:59,640
Speaker 1: the community, right, Or I can flip to the other extreme,

472
00:20:59,680 --> 00:21:03,440
Speaker 1: where I'm so service an action oriented that I'm missing

473
00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:06,520
Speaker 1: my family. And I think it's a delicate balance that

474
00:21:06,680 --> 00:21:09,600
Speaker 1: all of us struggle with. And I think sometimes there

475
00:21:09,720 --> 00:21:12,000
Speaker 1: is a balance that leans a little bit more calling

476
00:21:12,160 --> 00:21:14,480
Speaker 1: or outside of our home, and sometimes there's a balance

477
00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:16,440
Speaker 1: it's more in your home. I think it can ebb

478
00:21:16,480 --> 00:21:19,239
Speaker 1: and flow that way. I would just say, figure out

479
00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:22,000
Speaker 1: what you want your kids, especially to look like at thirty,

480
00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:24,240
Speaker 1: and decide what you're doing today to get them there,

481
00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:27,320
Speaker 1: Like what are you hoping for for your kids? And

482
00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:30,040
Speaker 1: so Mike and I decided pretty early on we wanted

483
00:21:30,119 --> 00:21:33,399
Speaker 1: kids that, I mean, obviously first and foremost that know

484
00:21:33,480 --> 00:21:35,879
Speaker 1: and love the Lord, right of course, but we wanted

485
00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:38,520
Speaker 1: kids that serve, and we wanted kids that would chase

486
00:21:38,560 --> 00:21:40,720
Speaker 1: after God's calling in their life to do the hard

487
00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:43,719
Speaker 1: things that other people won't do. And so we've prayed that.

488
00:21:43,880 --> 00:21:45,960
Speaker 1: And when you pray for your kids to do hard things,

489
00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:48,159
Speaker 1: my goodness, hard things come along for them. It's like

490
00:21:48,200 --> 00:21:49,920
Speaker 1: when I prayed for years for my kids to get

491
00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:51,719
Speaker 1: caught in their sin, and then I'm like, great, I'm

492
00:21:51,720 --> 00:21:54,200
Speaker 1: gonna stop for that. If we've been caught in our

493
00:21:54,240 --> 00:21:57,600
Speaker 1: sin over here a lot, But I really prayed hard

494
00:21:57,640 --> 00:22:00,920
Speaker 1: for our kids to do hard things, to chase after

495
00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:03,879
Speaker 1: the things that God has for them. And you know,

496
00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:06,120
Speaker 1: in the midst of that, the Lord put foster care

497
00:22:06,200 --> 00:22:08,320
Speaker 1: on our heart for me and Mike, and I was like,

498
00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:10,800
Speaker 1: foster care, Like that's got to be for like I

499
00:22:10,840 --> 00:22:13,320
Speaker 1: don't know missionaries or people that play in the handbill choir,

500
00:22:13,520 --> 00:22:17,639
Speaker 1: Like who does foster care, like really really really Christian people,

501
00:22:17,720 --> 00:22:21,080
Speaker 1: not like the anals And so that's really, by the way,

502
00:22:21,320 --> 00:22:25,080
Speaker 1: very doctrinally incorrect. And so the Lord just kept pursuing it.

503
00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:27,639
Speaker 1: So we did, and I'm gonna I'm gonna give you

504
00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:30,399
Speaker 1: one second version on a very long story, but we

505
00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:34,480
Speaker 1: ended up doing foster care and adopting our little boy

506
00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:37,240
Speaker 1: who that's why I'm in my guys, I'm in my

507
00:22:37,359 --> 00:22:40,920
Speaker 1: fifties with a twenty one, eighteen and a nine year old. Hello.

508
00:22:41,040 --> 00:22:44,040
Speaker 1: So it's like menopausem math facts over here all in one.

509
00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:46,439
Speaker 1: I went into foster care scared to death of what

510
00:22:46,480 --> 00:22:47,840
Speaker 1: it was going to do to our family, and I

511
00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:50,560
Speaker 1: came out scared of who our family would be if

512
00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:52,960
Speaker 1: we hadn't done it, because you were changed when you

513
00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:54,840
Speaker 1: do the things of God. And all this time, I'm

514
00:22:54,880 --> 00:22:57,800
Speaker 1: praying God put this emphasis on my kids mark their

515
00:22:57,800 --> 00:22:59,359
Speaker 1: hearts for you, and the Lord's like, how about we

516
00:22:59,359 --> 00:23:01,480
Speaker 1: just mark your art for me, and then the rest

517
00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:04,560
Speaker 1: of it will flow from that. And my kids, they

518
00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:07,239
Speaker 1: saw foster care on the front lines of it, right like,

519
00:23:07,320 --> 00:23:09,600
Speaker 1: they are different on the other side because we cried

520
00:23:09,600 --> 00:23:12,679
Speaker 1: over crib night after night, begging the Lord to do

521
00:23:12,720 --> 00:23:15,359
Speaker 1: something merciful for this little boy. We went to parts

522
00:23:15,359 --> 00:23:17,280
Speaker 1: of town that I had never been in, and I

523
00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:19,520
Speaker 1: surely wasn't going to take my kids to go to

524
00:23:19,560 --> 00:23:22,520
Speaker 1: CPS offices where kids had everything they owned in a

525
00:23:22,560 --> 00:23:26,000
Speaker 1: trash bag. And I mean, my kids experienced this day

526
00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:28,640
Speaker 1: in and day out for years until we adopted him.

527
00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:31,520
Speaker 1: And they're different now, and I'm so thankful. My daughter,

528
00:23:31,560 --> 00:23:34,160
Speaker 1: who just graduated from college, she's taking a gap year

529
00:23:34,160 --> 00:23:36,720
Speaker 1: before law school. She works for a foster care agency

530
00:23:36,760 --> 00:23:39,359
Speaker 1: and what she does is recruits foster families and talks

531
00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:41,800
Speaker 1: about what it does dor bio kids because she's a

532
00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:44,639
Speaker 1: biokid and just how the Lord will use that. And

533
00:23:44,680 --> 00:23:47,080
Speaker 1: so a long way back to answer your question is

534
00:23:47,200 --> 00:23:49,640
Speaker 1: if you want to put the focus on your family.

535
00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:52,359
Speaker 1: I think it's important and it matters, But focus on

536
00:23:52,400 --> 00:23:54,320
Speaker 1: what you want your family to look like. What do

537
00:23:54,359 --> 00:23:56,760
Speaker 1: you want your kids to look like when they're thirty,

538
00:23:56,840 --> 00:23:59,560
Speaker 1: And then start praying for it now and start doing

539
00:23:59,600 --> 00:24:01,840
Speaker 1: it now. Whatever that thing is, start living in and

540
00:24:01,880 --> 00:24:04,360
Speaker 1: the Lord will honor. It won't look like foster care

541
00:24:04,440 --> 00:24:06,760
Speaker 1: for all of you, but it will look like doing

542
00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:10,359
Speaker 1: some hard things, some meaningful things, some kingdom things that

543
00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:13,560
Speaker 1: will really change the look of your family. And I mean,

544
00:24:13,640 --> 00:24:15,160
Speaker 1: I wouldn't trade it for anything.

545
00:24:15,359 --> 00:24:17,359
Speaker 3: What a beautiful story, you know.

546
00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:20,800
Speaker 2: I'm just thinking about so many of us are very busy,

547
00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:22,879
Speaker 2: and I have been in a season of busy, but

548
00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:26,080
Speaker 2: now my son is driving and my kids are very

549
00:24:26,080 --> 00:24:28,359
Speaker 2: busy on their own way, and so I actually do

550
00:24:28,480 --> 00:24:30,679
Speaker 2: have a lot more time than I did have, and

551
00:24:30,720 --> 00:24:33,280
Speaker 2: so I'm thinking, how do I want to be intentional

552
00:24:33,400 --> 00:24:36,639
Speaker 2: with this time? Because our time does matter? And I

553
00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:39,360
Speaker 2: feel like God, what's to use us? And so talk

554
00:24:39,400 --> 00:24:43,240
Speaker 2: to us about how to listen to the Holy Spirit's leading,

555
00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:45,679
Speaker 2: because I think we can spend our energy and our

556
00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:49,600
Speaker 2: resources and our time doing maybe the exact opposite of

557
00:24:49,640 --> 00:24:51,160
Speaker 2: what he would want us to do, and so it's

558
00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:53,800
Speaker 2: just really important for us to listen to his voice

559
00:24:54,119 --> 00:24:57,679
Speaker 2: wells asked for his wisdom, listen and then actually obey.

560
00:24:57,920 --> 00:25:00,000
Speaker 1: Yeah. You know, Jenny Allen, I think, is one who

561
00:25:00,080 --> 00:25:01,879
Speaker 1: says that every day she prays, what do you want

562
00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:03,359
Speaker 1: me to know? God? And what do you want me

563
00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:06,119
Speaker 1: to do? And I've kind of adopted that too and

564
00:25:06,160 --> 00:25:08,119
Speaker 1: started in the morning what do you want me to know?

565
00:25:08,160 --> 00:25:09,680
Speaker 1: And what do you want me to do? But I

566
00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:12,880
Speaker 1: would just say this, don't overcomplicate it. The Lord is

567
00:25:13,359 --> 00:25:16,080
Speaker 1: very intentional and the Lord is not subtle when he

568
00:25:16,160 --> 00:25:18,000
Speaker 1: hasked something for you, if you have an open heart

569
00:25:18,040 --> 00:25:20,919
Speaker 1: to that. I mean, I remember praying for missional stuff,

570
00:25:20,960 --> 00:25:23,479
Speaker 1: not foster care, because, as I said earlier, I was

571
00:25:23,480 --> 00:25:26,840
Speaker 1: not looking for that journey. And I feel like the Lord,

572
00:25:27,040 --> 00:25:29,720
Speaker 1: I mean, you guys, we started getting male talking about

573
00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:32,440
Speaker 1: foster care. I'm like, what is this flyer? Every time

574
00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:35,280
Speaker 1: I'd flip on the TV, it would be something related

575
00:25:35,280 --> 00:25:38,000
Speaker 1: to foster care. I've never seen before or since I

576
00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:41,119
Speaker 1: would run into people like that have seen before since

577
00:25:41,280 --> 00:25:42,960
Speaker 1: they would be like, oh, yeah, we do foster care

578
00:25:43,000 --> 00:25:45,240
Speaker 1: to really great, this is an agency. I'm like, okay,

579
00:25:45,400 --> 00:25:48,239
Speaker 1: loud and clear, Lord, and so I would just say, like,

580
00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:50,800
Speaker 1: we spend a lot of time just trying to discern

581
00:25:50,920 --> 00:25:52,840
Speaker 1: these cos I feel like the Lord is very obvious

582
00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:54,520
Speaker 1: in a lot of ways. He puts something on your

583
00:25:54,520 --> 00:25:57,600
Speaker 1: heart that maybe wasn't otherwise on your heart, something that

584
00:25:57,680 --> 00:25:59,840
Speaker 1: keeps you up at night, maybe something keeps you from

585
00:26:00,240 --> 00:26:02,800
Speaker 1: being something, and you're like man, and so then you

586
00:26:02,840 --> 00:26:04,800
Speaker 1: can get caught in the paralysis of I can't solve

587
00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:06,960
Speaker 1: this whole problem, or I don't know exactly what this means,

588
00:26:07,080 --> 00:26:09,760
Speaker 1: or I don't have all the details. Well, God moves

589
00:26:09,880 --> 00:26:12,280
Speaker 1: at the pace of your next yes. That's why Pastoroay says,

590
00:26:12,280 --> 00:26:14,280
Speaker 1: he moves at the pace of your next yes. Say

591
00:26:14,359 --> 00:26:16,919
Speaker 1: yes to the next thing, this calling that you feel

592
00:26:17,080 --> 00:26:19,800
Speaker 1: like the Lord's speaking into And by the way, one

593
00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:21,879
Speaker 1: other thing on that, if it's in the Bible, you

594
00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:24,200
Speaker 1: don't have to think about it, Like if it says

595
00:26:24,440 --> 00:26:27,480
Speaker 1: care for orphans or widows and there's an orphan or

596
00:26:27,560 --> 00:26:29,760
Speaker 1: widow need, like this isn't a like, oh Lord, I

597
00:26:29,800 --> 00:26:32,119
Speaker 1: don't know you, and you're not being clear on that.

598
00:26:32,400 --> 00:26:34,720
Speaker 1: Pretty clear. If it's in the Bible, then it's meant

599
00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:36,840
Speaker 1: to be. And so some of those places that you're

600
00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:39,560
Speaker 1: maybe really anguishing, don't anguish as much. Just take the

601
00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:41,720
Speaker 1: next the next step. Yeah.

602
00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:45,840
Speaker 2: Well, and I'm just mindful of I don't always get

603
00:26:45,840 --> 00:26:47,600
Speaker 2: this right, and that's why I'm asking you so many

604
00:26:47,680 --> 00:26:49,280
Speaker 2: questions like how do I do this?

605
00:26:49,320 --> 00:26:50,160
Speaker 1: How do I do as well?

606
00:26:50,640 --> 00:26:52,200
Speaker 2: And I think that's what I love about what you're

607
00:26:52,240 --> 00:26:54,320
Speaker 2: sharing too, like I haven't always done this correctly, and

608
00:26:54,320 --> 00:26:57,280
Speaker 2: so there's a lot of grace and just thinking about

609
00:26:57,280 --> 00:26:59,399
Speaker 2: the woman listening, like gosh, I think I have missed it.

610
00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:05,439
Speaker 2: Talk to us about giving her grace and forgiveness. It's okay.

611
00:27:05,720 --> 00:27:08,280
Speaker 2: God has covered that, there is a way forward.

612
00:27:08,480 --> 00:27:12,000
Speaker 1: Listen. If anyone has missed it, it's me. And you

613
00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:13,520
Speaker 1: may wake up one day and be able to write

614
00:27:13,520 --> 00:27:15,200
Speaker 1: a whole book on how to miss it, like Cynthia

615
00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:18,080
Speaker 1: Yanoff just did, like literally, but I do believe his

616
00:27:18,160 --> 00:27:20,560
Speaker 1: mercies are new every day. Every morning, he has new

617
00:27:20,600 --> 00:27:23,439
Speaker 1: mercies and there is no condemnation in Christ. And so

618
00:27:23,680 --> 00:27:26,040
Speaker 1: I would just say this, like today if you have

619
00:27:26,080 --> 00:27:28,120
Speaker 1: breath in your line, today's the day. Today's the day

620
00:27:28,160 --> 00:27:30,080
Speaker 1: to do the things God's calling you to do. And

621
00:27:30,119 --> 00:27:32,440
Speaker 1: some of us have convinced ourselves when our kids it'll

622
00:27:32,440 --> 00:27:33,960
Speaker 1: be you know, I can do that, But my kids

623
00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:36,000
Speaker 1: need to be older, my finances are better, or my

624
00:27:36,080 --> 00:27:38,400
Speaker 1: husband doesn't travel as much, or or when I have

625
00:27:38,440 --> 00:27:41,119
Speaker 1: a husband, or when my career slows down or my

626
00:27:41,160 --> 00:27:43,919
Speaker 1: career speeds up. I mean, we have a thousand excuses.

627
00:27:44,119 --> 00:27:46,679
Speaker 1: And I'm just gonna say, like, we're not promised tomorrow,

628
00:27:46,800 --> 00:27:48,800
Speaker 1: right you guys, And so today's a day to step

629
00:27:48,840 --> 00:27:51,480
Speaker 1: into it. Not from a place of guilt. That's from

630
00:27:51,520 --> 00:27:54,040
Speaker 1: the enemy, the guilt that I already missed it. Now

631
00:27:54,080 --> 00:27:56,960
Speaker 1: it's need to miss anything. You're still here. You have breath.

632
00:27:57,000 --> 00:27:59,520
Speaker 1: And from the beginning of time until the end of time, Adam,

633
00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:02,760
Speaker 1: and even till second coming of Christ, at any point

634
00:28:03,040 --> 00:28:05,080
Speaker 1: the Lord could have placed you on this earth, and

635
00:28:05,119 --> 00:28:08,080
Speaker 1: it's now in this time, in the communities you're in,

636
00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:10,000
Speaker 1: in the families you're in, And so listen, man, you

637
00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:11,520
Speaker 1: don't want to miss it. I don't want to miss

638
00:28:11,520 --> 00:28:13,879
Speaker 1: what the Lord has And surely I have missed a

639
00:28:13,880 --> 00:28:15,560
Speaker 1: lot of small things along the way, I've been at

640
00:28:15,600 --> 00:28:17,400
Speaker 1: the gas pump and blown off the woman and thrown

641
00:28:17,440 --> 00:28:19,720
Speaker 1: some food because I was going to a bigger event.

642
00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:22,760
Speaker 1: But listen, I believe that the Lord, the God of

643
00:28:22,800 --> 00:28:26,920
Speaker 1: the universe, he could take my meager, insignificant, sincere efforts

644
00:28:26,960 --> 00:28:29,159
Speaker 1: along the way and use them for something mighty. And

645
00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:31,359
Speaker 1: going forward, I'm just going to take the next step

646
00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:33,959
Speaker 1: to do something well for the Lord, whatever that is.

647
00:28:34,280 --> 00:28:36,000
Speaker 1: And if it comes at the cost, and it will

648
00:28:36,119 --> 00:28:38,960
Speaker 1: at the cost of things that I'm prioritizing that don't

649
00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:42,040
Speaker 1: have eternal significance, then so be it. And so you

650
00:28:42,160 --> 00:28:44,800
Speaker 1: haven't missed it. There's time jump into the things that

651
00:28:44,880 --> 00:28:48,560
Speaker 1: the Lord has and just just know that that he,

652
00:28:48,560 --> 00:28:51,600
Speaker 1: he's the author and creator of all things. He can

653
00:28:51,640 --> 00:28:54,160
Speaker 1: bridge the gap where we miss it absolutely.

654
00:28:53,640 --> 00:28:56,280
Speaker 2: And I think the more we do partner with him

655
00:28:56,320 --> 00:28:59,320
Speaker 2: and see his faithfulness in our little acts and what

656
00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:02,120
Speaker 2: he can do with it just encourages you to continue

657
00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:07,120
Speaker 2: to do more faithful acts and partner with him. So yeah, well, okay,

658
00:29:07,160 --> 00:29:09,480
Speaker 2: So is there a biblical concept of love that you

659
00:29:09,480 --> 00:29:11,000
Speaker 2: think applies to this topic today?

660
00:29:11,320 --> 00:29:13,920
Speaker 1: Yeah, I would say, like I love First Corinthians thirteen,

661
00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:15,480
Speaker 1: And I know it's a love chapter, and everybody's like

662
00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:17,520
Speaker 1: I've heard it a thousand times and so have I

663
00:29:17,720 --> 00:29:20,360
Speaker 1: every wedding, right, okay, And we focus on the love

664
00:29:20,440 --> 00:29:22,920
Speaker 1: is patient, love is kind, love is all these things? Right?

665
00:29:23,200 --> 00:29:25,360
Speaker 1: But do you know that part of the passage that

666
00:29:25,440 --> 00:29:28,360
Speaker 1: says that anything we do without love it's like into

667
00:29:28,440 --> 00:29:31,680
Speaker 1: like a clanging gong. And I think about this, like literally,

668
00:29:31,720 --> 00:29:34,200
Speaker 1: like what if we walked around each day and every

669
00:29:34,320 --> 00:29:36,920
Speaker 1: time we did things, maybe even the things that are

670
00:29:36,920 --> 00:29:38,760
Speaker 1: like I'm air quoting this the church things are the

671
00:29:38,760 --> 00:29:41,040
Speaker 1: God things, but we do them without love? What if

672
00:29:41,080 --> 00:29:43,040
Speaker 1: there was a gong, like you know, I call to

673
00:29:43,040 --> 00:29:45,040
Speaker 1: say be sure and pray for so and so, and

674
00:29:45,080 --> 00:29:46,440
Speaker 1: I really just want to tell them that they're sun

675
00:29:46,520 --> 00:29:49,680
Speaker 1: derailed gong or the times that I'm gonna like correct

676
00:29:49,760 --> 00:29:51,520
Speaker 1: my husband in love, but I'm also gonna tell him

677
00:29:51,520 --> 00:29:53,920
Speaker 1: the last twenty five times he screwed up like gong?

678
00:29:54,360 --> 00:29:57,720
Speaker 1: Like what if a gong actually you know, like that happened.

679
00:29:58,080 --> 00:30:00,440
Speaker 1: I mean, wouldn't it change how we go about our days?

680
00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:02,560
Speaker 1: And so I would just say, like when you think

681
00:30:02,600 --> 00:30:04,760
Speaker 1: about love's patient, love is kind, like these aren't just

682
00:30:04,760 --> 00:30:07,040
Speaker 1: like who could live up to that? Those all sound

683
00:30:07,120 --> 00:30:10,040
Speaker 1: like it's a real it's a real ask to consider

684
00:30:10,080 --> 00:30:12,320
Speaker 1: how we do things. When I was in law school,

685
00:30:12,440 --> 00:30:14,840
Speaker 1: I know everyone I used to be a lawyer. It's real,

686
00:30:14,880 --> 00:30:17,560
Speaker 1: sad situation now that haven't done it in a long time.

687
00:30:17,600 --> 00:30:21,200
Speaker 1: I was terrible, but I my first class was contracts,

688
00:30:21,240 --> 00:30:23,800
Speaker 1: and I took the contract I was a good student

689
00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:25,440
Speaker 1: and I went to this class and it's the first

690
00:30:25,440 --> 00:30:28,160
Speaker 1: time i'd taken a class where there's one test. And

691
00:30:28,240 --> 00:30:31,160
Speaker 1: so I went to class and I participated, and I

692
00:30:31,200 --> 00:30:33,239
Speaker 1: did the study groups and the test came around, and

693
00:30:33,560 --> 00:30:36,000
Speaker 1: I saw it front and back, two essays, scribbled it

694
00:30:36,040 --> 00:30:38,440
Speaker 1: out back when I used pencils and paper everybody and

695
00:30:38,640 --> 00:30:40,680
Speaker 1: I turned it and I'm like, nailed it. And I

696
00:30:40,720 --> 00:30:43,000
Speaker 1: went checked my grade and I got an F. You

697
00:30:43,040 --> 00:30:45,200
Speaker 1: guys in law school never gotten an F. And I

698
00:30:45,240 --> 00:30:46,560
Speaker 1: was the only F in the class. And I was like,

699
00:30:46,600 --> 00:30:48,200
Speaker 1: oh my gosh. And so I go to talk to

700
00:30:48,240 --> 00:30:50,960
Speaker 1: professor and it was graded anonymously. And the professor like,

701
00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:53,040
Speaker 1: I can't believe that you were the F. Like you

702
00:30:53,080 --> 00:30:55,280
Speaker 1: came to class, you knew the material, And he said,

703
00:30:55,320 --> 00:30:58,240
Speaker 1: but listen when you answered the question, like you must

704
00:30:58,280 --> 00:31:01,200
Speaker 1: have read it wrong. You answered what we weren't asking.

705
00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:03,400
Speaker 1: And if that was what we were asking, by the way,

706
00:31:03,440 --> 00:31:05,840
Speaker 1: that's an a that's an a answer, but that's not

707
00:31:05,880 --> 00:31:08,240
Speaker 1: what we were asking. And that's kind of I think

708
00:31:08,280 --> 00:31:10,560
Speaker 1: what's going on when it comes to love in our culture,

709
00:31:10,680 --> 00:31:13,760
Speaker 1: Like our brand as Christian is love. That is our brand,

710
00:31:13,960 --> 00:31:16,280
Speaker 1: and our culture is asking questions about their identity and

711
00:31:16,320 --> 00:31:18,200
Speaker 1: if they're good enough and if God can love them.

712
00:31:18,440 --> 00:31:20,760
Speaker 1: This is asking all these questions about faith and looking

713
00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:23,960
Speaker 1: at us. And if we are answering with anything but love,

714
00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:27,160
Speaker 1: we've answered the wrong question. And that's what happened in contracts,

715
00:31:27,160 --> 00:31:29,520
Speaker 1: and that's what happens in life. Like you have one

716
00:31:29,680 --> 00:31:33,520
Speaker 1: chance encounters with people every day, one chance encounters at

717
00:31:33,520 --> 00:31:36,280
Speaker 1: the gas pump, you have one chance encounters at the office,

718
00:31:36,320 --> 00:31:38,480
Speaker 1: and usually in a lot of times it's with people

719
00:31:38,520 --> 00:31:40,680
Speaker 1: that are not pleasant and not enjoyable. But you have

720
00:31:40,760 --> 00:31:44,160
Speaker 1: one chance encounters to show them the brand of love.

721
00:31:44,440 --> 00:31:47,080
Speaker 1: And if we're answering the questions our culture is asking

722
00:31:47,120 --> 00:31:49,760
Speaker 1: with anything else, then we've answered the wrong question.

723
00:31:49,920 --> 00:31:50,840
Speaker 3: Oh that's so good.

724
00:31:50,960 --> 00:31:53,080
Speaker 2: I mean, I wrote a whole book on everyday prayers

725
00:31:53,080 --> 00:31:55,680
Speaker 2: for love and use. First Corinthians thirteen as the basis

726
00:31:55,960 --> 00:31:59,000
Speaker 2: that I love how you're saying the gong. I mean,

727
00:31:59,120 --> 00:32:02,760
Speaker 2: it was just it's such a great illustration. And you're right,

728
00:32:02,800 --> 00:32:06,120
Speaker 2: it's the heart motivation behind now we do and it's

729
00:32:06,160 --> 00:32:08,080
Speaker 2: empty if we don't do it with the right heart.

730
00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:10,800
Speaker 2: So tell us something you are loving right now.

731
00:32:11,040 --> 00:32:13,920
Speaker 1: Well, let's get as shallow as we can. Everyone. If

732
00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:16,239
Speaker 1: you thought I was going to blow through something spiritual, hair,

733
00:32:16,280 --> 00:32:18,480
Speaker 1: I give you a commentary. I am not, but I'm

734
00:32:18,480 --> 00:32:21,080
Speaker 1: not going to go as bad as Arby's. Okay, here

735
00:32:21,320 --> 00:32:24,760
Speaker 1: is what I'm loving you, guys, Majong. Does anybody play

736
00:32:24,800 --> 00:32:28,440
Speaker 1: maj On Rachel? Have you played Majen? Have you heard of? No? What?

737
00:32:29,200 --> 00:32:32,680
Speaker 1: Okay you guys. It's a tile game and it's very old,

738
00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:36,120
Speaker 1: very old. It used to be like well, I believe

739
00:32:36,160 --> 00:32:39,560
Speaker 1: Asian women have played many, many, like forever hundreds of years.

740
00:32:39,640 --> 00:32:42,120
Speaker 1: But it became very popular and it's very popular in

741
00:32:42,160 --> 00:32:44,880
Speaker 1: the South right now. And it's kind of hard to play.

742
00:32:44,920 --> 00:32:46,840
Speaker 1: But once you get it, you get it. And it's tiles,

743
00:32:46,840 --> 00:32:50,479
Speaker 1: and they make the prettiest tiles, like ridiculously expensive pretty tiles.

744
00:32:50,720 --> 00:32:53,040
Speaker 1: I have Majon tiles like three sets. I have a

745
00:32:53,120 --> 00:32:56,840
Speaker 1: maje On table. Brace yourself. Everyone a maaje On table

746
00:32:57,240 --> 00:32:59,840
Speaker 1: that is so cute and custom painted and you can

747
00:32:59,840 --> 00:33:03,080
Speaker 1: buy little mats and racks and all the things. It's

748
00:33:03,120 --> 00:33:05,400
Speaker 1: a little I mean, I might need to confess some

749
00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:07,760
Speaker 1: sin about this idol. I don't know. We can talk

750
00:33:07,800 --> 00:33:09,960
Speaker 1: about that when we stop recording Rachel. But if you

751
00:33:10,040 --> 00:33:11,680
Speaker 1: haven't played maj On, check it out.

752
00:33:11,720 --> 00:33:14,960
Speaker 2: Okay, So would this be something that men and women

753
00:33:15,000 --> 00:33:16,800
Speaker 2: would enjoy or is it more of a women game?

754
00:33:16,960 --> 00:33:19,880
Speaker 1: Okay? Well, women gather Okay, so a lot. Like people

755
00:33:19,880 --> 00:33:22,000
Speaker 1: in my neighborhood. They play almost every other night. You

756
00:33:22,040 --> 00:33:23,840
Speaker 1: can go somewhere and play. I have friends that play

757
00:33:23,920 --> 00:33:26,360
Speaker 1: during the day, so a lot of women. But I

758
00:33:26,440 --> 00:33:28,760
Speaker 1: taught my husband and he loves it because he has

759
00:33:28,760 --> 00:33:30,960
Speaker 1: a very analytical mind. He's an attorney too, and he's

760
00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:33,360
Speaker 1: better at it than I am, actually, And then we

761
00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:35,960
Speaker 1: taught some of our other husbands, and the ones we've

762
00:33:35,960 --> 00:33:38,280
Speaker 1: taught they really like it. But you've got it like

763
00:33:38,320 --> 00:33:39,920
Speaker 1: you have to play it, like you play it once,

764
00:33:39,920 --> 00:33:41,640
Speaker 1: you're like, I'm never gonna learn this is too hard.

765
00:33:41,760 --> 00:33:44,120
Speaker 1: Play it five or six times in a row, like

766
00:33:44,360 --> 00:33:46,840
Speaker 1: day after day, and then it'll click. But I think

767
00:33:46,840 --> 00:33:49,560
Speaker 1: your husbands would like it. It's so much fun. You

768
00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:52,160
Speaker 1: can have your friends over. It's a good community builder,

769
00:33:52,280 --> 00:33:52,880
Speaker 1: all the things.

770
00:33:53,040 --> 00:33:55,400
Speaker 3: Okay, well, I'm gonna look into this. I can't believe.

771
00:33:55,440 --> 00:33:57,360
Speaker 2: I mean, I live in the South and I didn't

772
00:33:57,400 --> 00:33:58,600
Speaker 2: know that this was the thing.

773
00:33:58,720 --> 00:34:00,480
Speaker 3: That's a really great suggestion. I love it.

774
00:34:00,600 --> 00:34:02,040
Speaker 1: Yeah, look it up. It's so fun.

775
00:34:02,160 --> 00:34:04,239
Speaker 2: Okay, Well, I know I want to stay connected with you.

776
00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:06,120
Speaker 2: I'm sure listeners are going to want to, so tell

777
00:34:06,200 --> 00:34:07,120
Speaker 2: us how we can best do that.

778
00:34:07,320 --> 00:34:09,280
Speaker 1: Yeah, I would love for you to follow me on Instagram,

779
00:34:09,320 --> 00:34:11,799
Speaker 1: just Cynthia yan off y a n of kind of

780
00:34:11,800 --> 00:34:13,239
Speaker 1: a weird last name. But when you find me, you

781
00:34:13,280 --> 00:34:16,600
Speaker 1: find me and then you can find everything else from there.

782
00:34:16,600 --> 00:34:19,399
Speaker 1: Basically I have a website cynthiayanoff dot com. But yeah,

783
00:34:19,480 --> 00:34:22,600
Speaker 1: follow me on social and lots of stuff coming out

784
00:34:22,680 --> 00:34:24,880
Speaker 1: about my book. And would just love for you guys

785
00:34:24,920 --> 00:34:27,480
Speaker 1: to connect anyway. I can be there, DM me. I'll

786
00:34:27,520 --> 00:34:29,240
Speaker 1: pray over you whatever you need. I'm around.

787
00:34:29,360 --> 00:34:31,560
Speaker 3: Well, speaking of praying over us, would you do that

788
00:34:31,640 --> 00:34:32,200
Speaker 3: for us now?

789
00:34:32,360 --> 00:34:35,200
Speaker 1: Absolutely? Dear Heavenly Father, I just thank you so much

790
00:34:35,239 --> 00:34:38,799
Speaker 1: for Rachel and this calling to do this for so

791
00:34:38,880 --> 00:34:41,120
Speaker 1: many people that listen and love you and love her,

792
00:34:41,160 --> 00:34:42,360
Speaker 1: and I just thank you, and I pray that you

793
00:34:42,360 --> 00:34:45,239
Speaker 1: continue to bless this podcast and her writing. Lord, and

794
00:34:45,280 --> 00:34:47,640
Speaker 1: I pray for each woman and man that is listening

795
00:34:47,640 --> 00:34:48,920
Speaker 1: to this. And I just pray right now in this

796
00:34:48,960 --> 00:34:51,759
Speaker 1: moment that Lord, you will lay on their heart what

797
00:34:51,920 --> 00:34:53,440
Speaker 1: you want to say, what you want them to know,

798
00:34:53,480 --> 00:34:55,680
Speaker 1: what you want them to do. That Yes, I hope

799
00:34:55,680 --> 00:34:58,759
Speaker 1: that we've laughed and we've been entertaining, but really that's

800
00:34:58,760 --> 00:35:00,319
Speaker 1: a miss. At the end of the day, we have

801
00:35:00,480 --> 00:35:03,279
Speaker 1: pointed back to you and what you have for each

802
00:35:03,280 --> 00:35:05,440
Speaker 1: of us individually, and so Lord, just don't let us

803
00:35:05,480 --> 00:35:08,319
Speaker 1: miss it. Life is short, life is hard. There's so

804
00:35:08,400 --> 00:35:11,560
Speaker 1: many hurts and needs around us, Lord, and even within

805
00:35:11,600 --> 00:35:13,560
Speaker 1: our home, and don't let us miss what you have

806
00:35:13,719 --> 00:35:15,840
Speaker 1: and what you want to use us for and do

807
00:35:16,120 --> 00:35:19,000
Speaker 1: through us, Because Lord, one day and eternity, we will

808
00:35:19,040 --> 00:35:21,360
Speaker 1: see what you've done and what you had planned for us,

809
00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:24,120
Speaker 1: and Lord, how we had impact when we didn't really

810
00:35:24,200 --> 00:35:26,640
Speaker 1: even understand what it meant. And so Lord, just give

811
00:35:26,719 --> 00:35:30,279
Speaker 1: us eyes for Kingdom impact today and take away the

812
00:35:30,320 --> 00:35:32,920
Speaker 1: condemnation and the fear and all that goes along with

813
00:35:32,920 --> 00:35:35,279
Speaker 1: that and did the enemy plants on us? Lord, I

814
00:35:35,320 --> 00:35:37,160
Speaker 1: thank you, We love you, Lord, and your name. We

815
00:35:37,200 --> 00:35:37,760
Speaker 1: pray Amen.

816
00:35:37,880 --> 00:35:38,320
Speaker 3: Amen.

817
00:35:38,560 --> 00:35:41,479
Speaker 2: Cynthia, thank you you are fun and such a joy

818
00:35:41,480 --> 00:35:44,040
Speaker 2: to have on. But I really just appreciate the heart

819
00:35:44,080 --> 00:35:46,360
Speaker 2: behind what you shared and helping us to focus on

820
00:35:46,400 --> 00:35:47,120
Speaker 2: what really matters.

821
00:35:47,160 --> 00:35:48,080
Speaker 3: Thanks for joining us.

822
00:35:48,360 --> 00:35:50,640
Speaker 1: Thanks Rachel's great, great, great being here.

823
00:35:50,680 --> 00:35:53,160
Speaker 2: Thank you so much for listening to The Love Offering Podcast.

824
00:35:53,200 --> 00:35:56,120
Speaker 2: I hope today's conversation encouraged and inspired you to love God,

825
00:35:56,280 --> 00:35:58,799
Speaker 2: love others, and even love yourself a little more. If

826
00:35:58,800 --> 00:36:00,719
Speaker 2: you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend

827
00:36:00,800 --> 00:36:02,880
Speaker 2: and leave review. It helps others find the show and

828
00:36:02,920 --> 00:36:05,719
Speaker 2: spreads the message of love even further. To connect with me,

829
00:36:05,840 --> 00:36:08,640
Speaker 2: visit me on my website at Rachelkadams dot com. While

830
00:36:08,640 --> 00:36:10,920
Speaker 2: you're there, be sure to download the Love Offering Calendar,

831
00:36:10,960 --> 00:36:12,640
Speaker 2: a free resource filled with simple.

832
00:36:12,440 --> 00:36:14,319
Speaker 3: Daily ways to love those around you.

833
00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:16,479
Speaker 2: Don't forget to pick up a copy of my book,

834
00:36:16,520 --> 00:36:19,080
Speaker 2: Every Day Prayers for Love, as well as Cynthia's new

835
00:36:19,160 --> 00:36:22,480
Speaker 2: book How to Miss That Gas Pump, Confessions, Drive through

836
00:36:22,520 --> 00:36:26,160
Speaker 2: Obsessions and figuring out what really matters especial thank you

837
00:36:26,200 --> 00:36:29,200
Speaker 2: to Live Audio for supporting this podcast and making it possible.

838
00:36:29,400 --> 00:36:32,400
Speaker 2: To find more great podcast visitlifeaudio dot com.

839
00:36:32,440 --> 00:36:33,920
Speaker 3: Thanks again for joining us today.

840
00:36:34,040 --> 00:36:37,560
Speaker 2: Until next time, let's make our lives an offering of love.