WEBVTT - Do It Anyway w/Tasha Cobbs Leonard 0:00:00.240 --> 0:00:04.240 Coming up. Keep your positive, sweetie. Sometimes your heart will 0:00:04.280 --> 0:00:06.920 be broken and you don't understand the season that you're in, 0:00:07.200 --> 0:00:08.960 but I want you to dig deep within yourself and 0:00:09.000 --> 0:00:11.520 do it anyway. And so I got up seven days 0:00:11.560 --> 0:00:13.920 after my dad went to be with the Lord, and 0:00:14.160 --> 0:00:17.120 I won my first Grammy. Sitting there, they called my name, 0:00:17.160 --> 0:00:18.799 and I was like, there's no way to just be. 0:00:18.960 --> 0:00:22.040 Your calling my name, you know, And so I got up. 0:00:22.280 --> 0:00:24.439 And the first thing I said, is, seven days ago, 0:00:24.520 --> 0:00:26.240 the greatest man who ever walked the face of this 0:00:26.360 --> 0:00:28.880 earth went to be with Jesus. And I would love 0:00:29.480 --> 0:00:32.239 for you guys to honor my father. And so the 0:00:32.360 --> 0:00:34.600 entire academy stood up and gave my dad a round 0:00:34.600 --> 0:01:00.120 of applause. R. 0:01:00.400 --> 0:01:03.760 Hi, I'm Christopher Nae Hazel, and this is keep it positive, sweetie, 0:01:03.880 --> 0:01:07.560 a safe space to heal, laugh, grow and love. I 0:01:07.560 --> 0:01:10.080 can't wait to ring today's guest to the couch. Her 0:01:10.160 --> 0:01:13.800 musical ministry has definitely brought me through. I'm talking about 0:01:13.800 --> 0:01:17.919 the Goddess of Gospel, Tasha Cobb's Leonard with the voice 0:01:17.920 --> 0:01:20.759 that carries the essence of praise and worship. A musical 0:01:20.800 --> 0:01:24.360 ministry that has blessed millions around the world. Tasha Cobb's 0:01:24.440 --> 0:01:28.039 Leonard is one of gospel's most grounded torch bearers. In 0:01:28.120 --> 0:01:30.400 recent years, she's child with the world, carry her gift 0:01:30.440 --> 0:01:32.040 of song and surrender with her. 0:01:32.600 --> 0:01:34.720 These days she's on in Optururse. 0:01:34.200 --> 0:01:38.000 Stages, managing a ministry with her husband, mother and her children, 0:01:38.280 --> 0:01:41.360 and enjoying the release of her new devotional Do It Anyway. 0:01:42.000 --> 0:01:43.920 And in the midst of all that, guys, we got 0:01:43.959 --> 0:01:45.840 her on the couch to talk to me. 0:01:46.640 --> 0:01:48.960 Tasha, thank you so much for coming. 0:01:49.360 --> 0:01:52.880 Seriously, nowther heirs of all you came in here, you 0:01:52.960 --> 0:01:56.720 got the caulswife in Gorswain. 0:01:57.320 --> 0:01:59.080 What made you even decide to cut it off? Who 0:01:59.160 --> 0:02:00.000 talked about the big child? 0:02:00.240 --> 0:02:03.160 That's such a It can be a spirituals regular you 0:02:03.200 --> 0:02:04.600 chop your hair off or emotional. 0:02:04.800 --> 0:02:07.080 Yes, what made you chop your hair off? I love it, 0:02:07.160 --> 0:02:09.200 and I love that you mentioned that, because I don't 0:02:09.200 --> 0:02:12.040 think my expectation was for it to be so spiritual. 0:02:13.160 --> 0:02:15.840 Originally I was like, hey, I'm gonna cut it because 0:02:16.240 --> 0:02:18.800 a lot of people don't know. I don't do weeks, 0:02:19.160 --> 0:02:22.120 so I had so ends all the years, and so 0:02:22.160 --> 0:02:24.400 it was just pulling, pulling, pulling damage in my hair. 0:02:24.639 --> 0:02:26.079 And then when I don't have the soul ends you're 0:02:26.120 --> 0:02:27.760 doing braids, it's the same thing. It's kind of I know, 0:02:27.760 --> 0:02:30.600 we call it protective styles, but it's not so protective. 0:02:30.680 --> 0:02:31.440 You're right, you know. 0:02:31.800 --> 0:02:33.239 So it was just kind of pulling my hair and 0:02:33.280 --> 0:02:35.160 I noticed that it was just damage. So I told 0:02:35.160 --> 0:02:37.480 my stylars, I said, after this, so I did the 0:02:37.480 --> 0:02:38.400 big curls for a. 0:02:38.320 --> 0:02:42.840 Woman involved Oh beautiful, Oh my god, yeah, I love it. 0:02:43.280 --> 0:02:45.760 After this, I'm gonna chop it. And she was like, 0:02:45.800 --> 0:02:47.560 all right, let's go for it, because I wanted it 0:02:47.560 --> 0:02:49.680 to be healthy. So that was really the original thought 0:02:49.720 --> 0:02:52.960 behind it. But after cutting it, I was just telling 0:02:52.960 --> 0:02:56.359 some of my friends, like, I feel exposed, but it's 0:02:56.400 --> 0:02:59.000 in a great way, like you see me, yes, like 0:02:59.120 --> 0:03:02.320 almost like I been hiding. I was talking to Priscilla 0:03:02.480 --> 0:03:04.560 Shired call me and she was like, girl, your hair 0:03:04.600 --> 0:03:06.359 is amazing, and I was like, you know, just pray 0:03:06.400 --> 0:03:08.760 for him in this place where I feel like something 0:03:08.840 --> 0:03:11.000 is being revealed. And it may not be for everybody, 0:03:11.000 --> 0:03:12.600 but I feel like, you know, all the years of 0:03:12.639 --> 0:03:15.720 hiding behind the hair, hiding behind this, and that now 0:03:15.760 --> 0:03:17.880 I'm in this space where Hey, this is me taking 0:03:17.919 --> 0:03:20.919 a leaving. So that's it. It's been a really good 0:03:20.960 --> 0:03:24.160 spiritual journey. Yes, I love my husband, lady, So that's 0:03:24.200 --> 0:03:27.480 all the patterns. So that's all the letters. 0:03:27.600 --> 0:03:28.440 I love it. 0:03:28.760 --> 0:03:30.720 But I love how I can see your beautiful face. 0:03:31.360 --> 0:03:32.920 And I asked, I was like having a complimence. Tell 0:03:32.919 --> 0:03:35.960 you got any ladder because all the times we don't 0:03:35.960 --> 0:03:39.320 realize how we hide. We do not intentionally, but we 0:03:39.440 --> 0:03:42.720 hide behind our hair and we don't realize when we 0:03:42.840 --> 0:03:45.320 reveal all that, it's like, Wow, people really can see 0:03:45.360 --> 0:03:47.520 your true beauty and I can see me. 0:03:48.560 --> 0:03:51.520 Yeah, that's powerful. That's powerful. I love it. 0:03:51.760 --> 0:03:53.880 And you have parties that you like to use, you 0:03:53.960 --> 0:03:54.240 know what. 0:03:54.400 --> 0:03:57.000 I've tried a few and I like that. It's different 0:03:57.040 --> 0:03:59.880 things for different people. Yes, and so for me it's 0:04:00.080 --> 0:04:03.400 been right now the Soft Curls by missus Jesse East shoutouts, 0:04:03.840 --> 0:04:06.080 but it's been working really good. I love it. That's 0:04:06.160 --> 0:04:08.400 pop a bit. I know that's right. I'm here for it. 0:04:08.480 --> 0:04:09.520 I'm here for it now. 0:04:09.600 --> 0:04:12.680 You recently just dropped a new devotional called do It Anyway, 0:04:13.440 --> 0:04:15.680 and I feel like that is a testament of just. 0:04:15.720 --> 0:04:16.280 Who you are. 0:04:16.880 --> 0:04:20.279 There's things that you've done the Christian of guys whoever 0:04:20.320 --> 0:04:22.440 may look a like, but you do it anyway and 0:04:22.560 --> 0:04:25.839 it works, you know, will actually inspire your devotional. 0:04:26.279 --> 0:04:31.400 So the devotional is actually the second portion, i'll say, 0:04:31.560 --> 0:04:33.600 of off of the main books. Of the main book, 0:04:33.600 --> 0:04:37.760 it's called doing Anyway. And the story behind that is 0:04:39.120 --> 0:04:41.760 when I released my album Grace. So that's the album 0:04:41.880 --> 0:04:45.880 has break every chain, confidence, happy, you know, smile. All 0:04:45.960 --> 0:04:49.120 those songs are on there. That album was nominated for 0:04:49.800 --> 0:04:52.160 UH seven awards that year, so it was Stellar Awards, 0:04:52.240 --> 0:04:54.159 double Awards and two Grammys. 0:04:54.279 --> 0:04:54.559 Wow. 0:04:54.760 --> 0:04:58.640 And literally a Freshman Artist is my first album with 0:04:58.720 --> 0:05:02.320 a label. And my dad was a down home I'm 0:05:02.360 --> 0:05:07.080 from Jessin, Georgia, so country pastor, and he didn't leave 0:05:07.120 --> 0:05:09.839 our church for anything. So literally we would do vacations 0:05:09.880 --> 0:05:13.440 from Sunday evening to Saturday morning because we're back on Sundays, right, 0:05:13.839 --> 0:05:16.680 and so all of the award shows literally are on weekends, 0:05:16.760 --> 0:05:20.320 so Saturday Sundays, and I'm thinking, oh my goodness, Daddy's 0:05:20.360 --> 0:05:22.440 not leaving Jessin. But they weren't that kind of parent. 0:05:22.480 --> 0:05:25.960 They were very, very supportive. So my dad was like, hey, 0:05:26.080 --> 0:05:28.520 Daddy's gonna be with you in Nashville. I'm coming to Nashville, 0:05:28.880 --> 0:05:30.240 but that he's not gonna be in LA. But I 0:05:30.320 --> 0:05:31.640 want you to go anywhere. He just kept saying that 0:05:31.680 --> 0:05:32.800 he's not gonna be in LA. I want you to 0:05:32.880 --> 0:05:34.920 go anyway. And I was like, nobody expects you to 0:05:34.960 --> 0:05:38.000 go to Nashville, La nowhere. You're not leaving Jessin. So 0:05:38.080 --> 0:05:41.040 I'm just excited that you're coming anywhere. And so the 0:05:41.160 --> 0:05:45.960 Stellar Awards happened in Nashville, and I had sixty seconds 0:05:46.000 --> 0:05:49.200 to sing break every change, So sixty sixty sixty seconds. 0:05:49.279 --> 0:05:51.280 It felt like two minutes, but it was sixty seconds. 0:05:51.600 --> 0:05:53.120 So I was like, I'm gonna give it all. I 0:05:53.240 --> 0:05:55.920 got here, I need sixty seconds. And to look out 0:05:56.000 --> 0:05:58.120 and see my parents in the audience because they had 0:05:58.160 --> 0:06:00.840 like the stage in the middle of the space, and 0:06:00.960 --> 0:06:03.640 so I could see everybody's faces. My dad, He's beaming 0:06:03.720 --> 0:06:07.520 with pride. And so that night I won three Stellar 0:06:07.600 --> 0:06:14.800 Awards and we were hanging out in my Mentors Hotel room, 0:06:15.040 --> 0:06:17.960 just hanging out, celebrating what happened that night. William Murphy 0:06:18.080 --> 0:06:20.200 and he was like, call dad and see if they 0:06:20.240 --> 0:06:21.440 want to come hang out. This is about two or 0:06:21.480 --> 0:06:23.400 three o'clock in the morning. So I was like, guys, 0:06:23.480 --> 0:06:26.080 we got Daddy to Nashville wherever they get church. He's 0:06:26.160 --> 0:06:28.119 not coming to your room at three o'clock in the morning. 0:06:28.160 --> 0:06:29.520 So I text him, was like, Dad, hey, we was 0:06:29.560 --> 0:06:32.160 just hanging out a little bit. He immediately responded it 0:06:32.240 --> 0:06:33.560 was like me and your mine were on the way, 0:06:33.760 --> 0:06:35.640 and I was like, you're okay here, you know. 0:06:37.000 --> 0:06:38.800 So they came and my dad. 0:06:38.839 --> 0:06:40.840 Was two things. He was a man of very few words, 0:06:40.880 --> 0:06:43.480 but if he spoke, it was either profound or he 0:06:43.600 --> 0:06:46.000 was gonna have you in the floor screaming, laughing. And 0:06:46.120 --> 0:06:49.039 so that night he pulled out his greatest comedy show. 0:06:49.080 --> 0:06:52.240 I mean, he has the floor just crime laughing. And 0:06:52.920 --> 0:06:55.280 I remember they were leaving at about four o'clock that morning. 0:06:55.320 --> 0:06:57.960 He was getting on the on the elevator and I said, hey, Dad, 0:06:58.040 --> 0:06:59.680 he had three awards in his hand because I told 0:06:59.720 --> 0:07:01.360 him I would give him those awards. 0:07:01.640 --> 0:07:02.719 That's a long story, we'll have. 0:07:02.720 --> 0:07:05.440 To revisit it. Because I did an independent project and 0:07:05.560 --> 0:07:08.520 I talked him into being the executive producer. And he 0:07:08.720 --> 0:07:11.040 was like, oh till he figured out what it was. 0:07:11.120 --> 0:07:12.440 He was like, wait a minute, I had to pay 0:07:12.480 --> 0:07:14.120 for all of this. So he would all the way 0:07:14.120 --> 0:07:16.120 to day, We'm daddy gonna get his money back. We're 0:07:16.160 --> 0:07:18.840 the executive, the producer, get paid. You always say that, 0:07:19.160 --> 0:07:20.680 And so I told him and said, this is what 0:07:20.760 --> 0:07:23.120 I'll do. If I win any awards, you can have 0:07:23.280 --> 0:07:25.600 them all. And so he took that thing to her. 0:07:25.760 --> 0:07:29.000 So I'm so red. Yeah, he built a carryo for 0:07:29.160 --> 0:07:31.320 all of the awards that he felt like I would win. 0:07:31.760 --> 0:07:34.280 And so that night he was getting on the elevator, 0:07:34.320 --> 0:07:35.960 he had the awards in his hands. I was like, day, 0:07:36.040 --> 0:07:37.800 take out one. I want to take a picture, And 0:07:37.920 --> 0:07:40.160 so he took out one of my Stellar Awards. I 0:07:40.280 --> 0:07:42.760 snapped a photo, and that would be the last time 0:07:42.800 --> 0:07:45.880 I saw my dad on the earth. Yes. The next 0:07:46.000 --> 0:07:47.960 morning they got in the car, he had a heart 0:07:47.960 --> 0:07:50.320 attack in the car and went to be with Jesus. 0:07:50.840 --> 0:07:53.840 And so of course it was devastating. You know, this 0:07:54.040 --> 0:07:58.000 is unexpected. And I could always hear his voice ringing 0:07:58.040 --> 0:08:00.520 in my ear. So the Grammys would be seven later 0:08:00.920 --> 0:08:02.640 and I can't hear him saying, Dad, he's not gonna 0:08:02.640 --> 0:08:03.960 be with you in LA but I want you to 0:08:04.040 --> 0:08:06.440 go anyway. I want you to go anyway. And so 0:08:07.080 --> 0:08:09.440 now I realized that he was leaving with me the 0:08:09.520 --> 0:08:11.480 last lesson that he would lead, that sometimes your heart 0:08:11.520 --> 0:08:13.920 will be broken and you don't understand the season that 0:08:14.000 --> 0:08:15.840 you're in, but I want you to dig deep within 0:08:15.880 --> 0:08:18.360 yourself and do it anyway. And so I got up 0:08:18.400 --> 0:08:20.640 seven days after my dad went to be with the Lord, 0:08:21.160 --> 0:08:24.240 and I won my first Grammy. Sitting there, they called 0:08:24.280 --> 0:08:25.920 my name, and I was like, there's no way to 0:08:26.040 --> 0:08:28.520 just be just all in my name, you know. So 0:08:28.640 --> 0:08:31.000 I got up and the first thing I said, is 0:08:31.120 --> 0:08:33.199 seven days ago, the greatest man who ever walked the 0:08:33.240 --> 0:08:35.640 face of this earth went to be with Jesus. And 0:08:35.679 --> 0:08:39.000 I would love for you guys to honor my father. 0:08:39.160 --> 0:08:41.360 And so the entire academy stood up and gave my 0:08:41.440 --> 0:08:45.760 dad a round of applause. So that lesson, I felt like, 0:08:46.000 --> 0:08:48.319 I need to give this to as many people as 0:08:48.400 --> 0:08:50.319 I can. So if I got to do it in 0:08:50.360 --> 0:08:52.880 a form of a book or a devotional or a song, 0:08:53.320 --> 0:08:56.240 I want people to know that whatever you need, it 0:08:56.280 --> 0:08:58.760 is within you. You just got to dig deep and 0:08:58.880 --> 0:08:59.840 do that thing anyway. 0:09:00.240 --> 0:09:03.320 Ooh you my eyes work. 0:09:03.480 --> 0:09:07.679 I'm like, oh my God, for sure, that's an incredible story. 0:09:08.400 --> 0:09:10.280 And I know a lot of people wouldn't have been 0:09:10.320 --> 0:09:13.840 able to get up seven days later after Yeah. 0:09:14.960 --> 0:09:17.640 Everything about it is so foggy right now. Yeah, you know, 0:09:17.679 --> 0:09:20.559 because you're smothered in grief at that time. It was unexpected, 0:09:21.120 --> 0:09:23.280 but I knew one thing that Daddy wanted me to 0:09:23.320 --> 0:09:27.080 be there he did. Yes, Oh that is beautiful. 0:09:27.840 --> 0:09:31.360 You are all over the place, You're doing music, you're touring, 0:09:31.679 --> 0:09:36.439 you just started your own church. That's so incredible. The purpose, 0:09:36.840 --> 0:09:40.120 the purpose, play heaviest place. Oh my goodness, what started 0:09:40.240 --> 0:09:42.120 and what inspire that? Because I know a lot of 0:09:42.160 --> 0:09:45.040 my Christian friends say that they have such a hard 0:09:45.120 --> 0:09:49.360 time finding a safe church home. I have friends who 0:09:49.360 --> 0:09:52.120 live in LA that are like ministers and people that 0:09:52.320 --> 0:09:55.439 really are seeking that, like we just cannot find a place. 0:09:56.040 --> 0:09:56.959 So what made you say? 0:09:57.040 --> 0:09:59.480 I want because I know you to do leave praise 0:09:59.480 --> 0:10:01.839 and works with the from places and you actually I 0:10:01.960 --> 0:10:04.520 used to go to Free Chapel. 0:10:04.800 --> 0:10:05.160 Uh huh. 0:10:05.240 --> 0:10:08.400 And what's the church here? Man? I just drew a 0:10:08.440 --> 0:10:11.800 blank Leui giglio passion Passion. 0:10:12.360 --> 0:10:16.079 Yeah, yeah, I love that live album that you did that. 0:10:16.520 --> 0:10:19.280 But so you've gone to all these different churches. What 0:10:19.400 --> 0:10:21.840 made you say, honey, we need to start our own church. 0:10:22.480 --> 0:10:28.880 Where was that? I didn't that, So my dad was 0:10:29.120 --> 0:10:31.559 I've been walking with pastors my entire life. My dad 0:10:31.679 --> 0:10:34.320 was a pastor. My husband tricked me. I tell everybody 0:10:34.360 --> 0:10:36.800 my husband tricked me because while we were dating, I 0:10:36.920 --> 0:10:40.000 asked him, are you a pastor? And he said adamantly no. 0:10:40.360 --> 0:10:45.079 So I was like, you know, I don't want nothing 0:10:45.160 --> 0:10:46.079 to do with that man. 0:10:46.400 --> 0:10:50.679 And so we're about two years into our marriage and 0:10:50.760 --> 0:10:52.959 here he comes sitting up in the middle of night crying, 0:10:53.280 --> 0:10:54.480 I feel the calling. 0:10:54.240 --> 0:10:59.800 Guy that you told me we gotta stick at the 0:11:01.520 --> 0:11:05.400 I don't world right now, but oh yeah, he had. 0:11:05.520 --> 0:11:08.800 He had this calling, and I think it was obvious, 0:11:09.000 --> 0:11:11.600 you know, the entire time, because of both of us 0:11:11.880 --> 0:11:14.960 just have a heart for kingdom, ministry and for people 0:11:15.000 --> 0:11:18.360 to fulfill purpose in the earth. So and it's what 0:11:18.480 --> 0:11:20.680 we've done, even with our team members, we push people. 0:11:20.880 --> 0:11:22.480 I don't want you here working for me forever. I 0:11:22.600 --> 0:11:23.920 want you to do what God calls you to do, 0:11:24.040 --> 0:11:26.280 because is to start a business, whatever it is. I 0:11:26.400 --> 0:11:28.800 want this to be a ground where it's like you're 0:11:28.920 --> 0:11:31.240 educating yourself, getting what you need so you can do 0:11:31.280 --> 0:11:33.240 what God has called you to do. And so I 0:11:33.280 --> 0:11:34.960 think it's just always been in the both of us 0:11:34.960 --> 0:11:37.599 because he's the same way. So my husband's actually the 0:11:37.640 --> 0:11:40.200 senior pastor and I'm just, you know, I'm just there. 0:11:41.880 --> 0:11:42.560 The co pastor. 0:11:43.600 --> 0:11:45.880 But we were about two or three years into our 0:11:45.960 --> 0:11:48.480 marriage and he was like, you know, God has called 0:11:48.559 --> 0:11:51.200 me Tasha, and I and I know that you also 0:11:51.320 --> 0:11:53.160 have that calling on using First of all, you need 0:11:53.240 --> 0:11:58.679 to stop being rebel. But I felt like, you know, 0:11:58.800 --> 0:12:02.640 what does God neat with another church? So we have 0:12:02.800 --> 0:12:05.719 to be very very sure about the vision because it's 0:12:05.840 --> 0:12:07.679 just not a place where I want us to come 0:12:07.720 --> 0:12:10.839 sing some pretty songs. People have, you know, experience to 0:12:10.840 --> 0:12:12.559 give you cheers and all that kind of stuff that 0:12:12.640 --> 0:12:15.679 you leave and you're not changed or transformed, you know. 0:12:16.120 --> 0:12:18.440 And so that was we went to work just praying, 0:12:18.640 --> 0:12:20.720 and at the time, we were actually serving as worship 0:12:20.800 --> 0:12:24.080 pastors at a church in Greenville, Relentis Church with John 0:12:24.120 --> 0:12:28.040 and Abbas, and during that time we had conversations even 0:12:28.080 --> 0:12:31.040 with them like, hey, we feel this calling on our lives, 0:12:31.120 --> 0:12:32.800 but where we're serving at right now, we feel like 0:12:32.840 --> 0:12:35.319 it's a great place for us to get training together 0:12:35.360 --> 0:12:38.199 because both of us had done ministry a separate but 0:12:38.400 --> 0:12:40.320 were never together in our marriage, and so that gave 0:12:40.400 --> 0:12:43.439 us an opportunity to work together, plan together, grow together. 0:12:43.920 --> 0:12:46.280 And so we were there for two years and then 0:12:46.360 --> 0:12:48.800 after that, you know, we just felt like, hey, it's time. 0:12:49.400 --> 0:12:52.760 And this is the interesting part where God always thows 0:12:52.800 --> 0:12:53.520 these recumations. 0:12:54.040 --> 0:12:56.840 Why of it, He's like, what, He's a little. 0:12:56.640 --> 0:12:59.559 Twe And so we were planning to do like this 0:12:59.679 --> 0:13:01.640 pop up, like, Okay, we're gonna do a pop up 0:13:01.720 --> 0:13:05.120 in Spartanburg, South Calidt Line. We had never even really 0:13:05.200 --> 0:13:06.760 been to the city. We just knew it was forty 0:13:06.760 --> 0:13:09.199 five minutes outside of Greenville, and it's just where my 0:13:09.280 --> 0:13:11.880 husband's heart was like, hey, it's the city is Spartanburg. 0:13:12.120 --> 0:13:14.160 I feel like we were called to And so we 0:13:14.240 --> 0:13:16.480 were gonna do like this pop up service of people 0:13:16.600 --> 0:13:19.040 show up. And I mean as soon as we were 0:13:19.080 --> 0:13:22.679 about to do it, the pandemic hit. No, and we 0:13:22.800 --> 0:13:26.320 were gonna do it in June. A pandemic hit in March, right, 0:13:27.000 --> 0:13:29.360 and we were sitting at the house like everybody thought 0:13:29.400 --> 0:13:30.599 of the tower, it was gonna be two weeks. So 0:13:30.600 --> 0:13:32.319 it's like the two weeks gonna be going everybody. We 0:13:32.679 --> 0:13:37.440 railed and it wasn't so a month. About three weeks later, 0:13:38.040 --> 0:13:40.560 I was downstairs, my husband was upstairs. Both of us 0:13:40.640 --> 0:13:42.040 came together and was like, Hey, I feel like we 0:13:42.160 --> 0:13:44.719 need to do Bible studies right now. I feel like 0:13:44.760 --> 0:13:45.280 God is saying it. 0:13:45.400 --> 0:13:48.680 He was like, God told me that too. I was like, oh, okay. 0:13:49.120 --> 0:13:51.160 So when two church kids and were a plan, we 0:13:51.280 --> 0:13:52.719 know how to do this. You build these start a 0:13:52.760 --> 0:13:55.200 Bible study and pop ups. You know, we had a plan. 0:13:55.360 --> 0:13:57.319 But God was like, no, we want you to do 0:13:57.440 --> 0:14:00.320 this in the pandemic. So how do you start church 0:14:00.360 --> 0:14:02.360 in a pandemic. When we started in April, it was 0:14:02.400 --> 0:14:05.120 a month after the pandemic started. So for two years 0:14:05.160 --> 0:14:07.959 our church was virtual. We had never experienced in person 0:14:08.120 --> 0:14:11.040 church whatsoever. So even now to this day, like the 0:14:11.120 --> 0:14:13.480 mother of our church, she lives in Chicago, we have 0:14:13.720 --> 0:14:17.199 people that drive in from Atlanta, driving from Savannah because 0:14:17.200 --> 0:14:19.240 they connected to us in the middle of a pandemic. 0:14:19.360 --> 0:14:21.480 And right now they love their church so much that 0:14:21.520 --> 0:14:23.240 they're willing to get in their cars to get on 0:14:23.360 --> 0:14:25.840 planes to fly in. So I think that that's what 0:14:26.000 --> 0:14:28.360 makes our church so interesting that in the middle of 0:14:28.440 --> 0:14:32.200 this moment that feels like chaos. God brought this group 0:14:32.280 --> 0:14:34.560 of people together and he's like, we're gonna build a 0:14:34.600 --> 0:14:37.360 community of people who will restore hope to the community. 0:14:37.440 --> 0:14:38.360 So that's a vision. 0:14:38.640 --> 0:14:39.320 I love it. 0:14:39.840 --> 0:14:40.320 I love that. 0:14:40.360 --> 0:14:43.400 It's funny because I just did a podcast would be 0:14:43.480 --> 0:14:45.680 Simone and every I don't know, I guess since I 0:14:45.720 --> 0:14:47.080 started dressing more lady like. 0:14:47.920 --> 0:14:49.400 It was like even every time I go to church 0:14:49.400 --> 0:14:51.880 and like, because I will wear like first lady, I would. 0:14:51.720 --> 0:14:53.800 Literally I'm like first lady. I'm like, I am not 0:14:53.960 --> 0:14:55.680 gonna be the first lady. And they're like, don't ever 0:14:55.760 --> 0:14:56.440 say that. I don't. 0:15:00.520 --> 0:15:03.000 It's so funny, like you just turned to dressing so 0:15:03.200 --> 0:15:04.920 lady like that a this so and I was like, 0:15:04.960 --> 0:15:06.280 you know, I just got older, and I was like, 0:15:06.560 --> 0:15:08.320 let me switch it up because like, but I'm still 0:15:08.360 --> 0:15:10.960 a tomboy at heart. Yeah, yeah, I read like that's 0:15:10.960 --> 0:15:13.480 what I love myself. Yeah, ities, I'm like, pull over 0:15:13.560 --> 0:15:16.600 hoodie any day, even if it's ninety degrees outside. 0:15:16.760 --> 0:15:18.720 Yeah, I love hoodie. Like I just love hoodies. 0:15:20.080 --> 0:15:24.120 But she staid that, and I was like, I was like, Noah, 0:15:24.200 --> 0:15:27.240 you said, you're asking that question, Like wait, I wentify 0:15:27.680 --> 0:15:28.240 because that's. 0:15:28.680 --> 0:15:32.840 It's a beautiful experience. So just to watch people grow week. 0:15:32.920 --> 0:15:35.600 There are some that started started with us four years ago, 0:15:36.120 --> 0:15:37.920 and now I look at them and where they are 0:15:38.040 --> 0:15:41.400 and how they've grown as a person. It's just like, wow, 0:15:41.560 --> 0:15:44.680 this is it. To see the transformation is what keeps 0:15:44.760 --> 0:15:46.720 us going. Like if we were there and we show 0:15:46.800 --> 0:15:49.680 up and everybody steal a bunch of crazos, I mean like, 0:15:49.760 --> 0:15:51.960 now we ain't calling this because I ain't growing up. 0:15:52.120 --> 0:15:55.320 But to see every week that different people are just 0:15:55.480 --> 0:15:58.760 growing and fulfilling purpose, that's what keeps us going. 0:15:58.880 --> 0:16:02.640 I love it when your husband told you, I feel 0:16:02.760 --> 0:16:05.240 like God has called me to do this. Was there 0:16:05.320 --> 0:16:07.720 any moment where you felt like, Okay, I need to 0:16:07.760 --> 0:16:10.600 submit to this because we talk about submission when it 0:16:10.680 --> 0:16:12.880 comes to marriages. But even though you were having a 0:16:12.920 --> 0:16:15.680 little hesitance and reluctancy, was there any anyone we're like, 0:16:15.720 --> 0:16:17.800 you know what, Okay, God, let me just submit to this. 0:16:17.960 --> 0:16:20.440 If this is where his vision is, how does how 0:16:20.480 --> 0:16:23.200 do you navigate submission in your marriage? 0:16:23.800 --> 0:16:26.600 I trust the God and my husband like if he 0:16:26.720 --> 0:16:30.000 says God says something, no matter how I feel like 0:16:30.280 --> 0:16:33.640 I'm submitted to it wholeheartedly. There's there's not There's not 0:16:33.840 --> 0:16:36.920 been a time where I've said, Okay, God, I trust 0:16:37.000 --> 0:16:39.520 what you've said to him that it's let me down, 0:16:39.920 --> 0:16:41.760 you know. And I know he's human and he's flawed 0:16:41.800 --> 0:16:44.000 and all of that, but I believe that he's assigned 0:16:44.080 --> 0:16:46.840 to lead our family. So when I said yes to him, 0:16:46.880 --> 0:16:49.880 I said yes to everything that God instructs him for us. 0:16:50.320 --> 0:16:54.640 You know, that's that's my dude. They even if he's 0:16:54.640 --> 0:16:58.960 going down, I'm gonna let you. But yes, yeah, yeah. 0:16:58.960 --> 0:17:01.120 I felt like, if you know, God said that's this 0:17:01.240 --> 0:17:04.440 to him, that he's not gonna remember one. He's not 0:17:04.480 --> 0:17:07.239 gonna say God said something, he didn't say that kind 0:17:07.240 --> 0:17:09.600 of you'd be like, I feel like, well, I think, 0:17:09.920 --> 0:17:13.159 but when he says, God says, you know, yeah, I 0:17:13.359 --> 0:17:13.680 love that. 0:17:13.880 --> 0:17:14.359 I love that. 0:17:14.760 --> 0:17:16.280 So you all have a blended family. 0:17:16.960 --> 0:17:20.040 You recently adopted, and you've been very open about your 0:17:20.119 --> 0:17:21.080 fertility journey. 0:17:21.920 --> 0:17:24.240 I recently went to my gnocagists and. 0:17:24.680 --> 0:17:28.160 Got it all my labs done blood work testing and everything, 0:17:28.840 --> 0:17:31.639 and she said, you know, it's too late to freeze 0:17:31.640 --> 0:17:32.080 your eggs. 0:17:33.200 --> 0:17:35.120 And it was like a gut punch. Wow. 0:17:35.200 --> 0:17:37.320 I was like, and I had this friend and I 0:17:37.400 --> 0:17:40.120 used to get so frustrated with her because every time 0:17:40.200 --> 0:17:41.360 we would talk, it would. 0:17:41.160 --> 0:17:43.280 Come up, fres your eggs? Did you freeze your eggs yet? 0:17:43.600 --> 0:17:47.080 I'm like, get out of my unis, leave me alone, 0:17:47.359 --> 0:17:50.120 you know. And I've been so my career took off 0:17:50.200 --> 0:17:53.280 very late in life, so the time that I should 0:17:53.320 --> 0:17:53.640 have been. 0:17:53.600 --> 0:17:57.440 A full career. Thank you. You're such an inspiration. Thank 0:17:57.480 --> 0:17:57.840 you son. 0:17:57.880 --> 0:17:59.159 I want to be that for people because a lot 0:17:59.160 --> 0:18:01.200 of times we feel like it's too late to get 0:18:01.280 --> 0:18:03.399 started or to get going. I hope that I'm a 0:18:03.520 --> 0:18:06.600 source of inspiration for people who are still searching even. 0:18:06.480 --> 0:18:07.359 Later on their life. 0:18:07.440 --> 0:18:10.920 Yeah, it's never too late. That's how I feel. But 0:18:11.080 --> 0:18:13.200 in this moment when she told me that, I was like, 0:18:13.560 --> 0:18:15.760 oh my gosh. And she said yeah. She's like, I 0:18:15.800 --> 0:18:18.200 don't even want you to go through IVF because. 0:18:18.320 --> 0:18:20.119 If they go in, they pull the eggs that you 0:18:20.240 --> 0:18:22.880