0:00

because we think I've got so

0:02

much to work on. I've got so many

0:04

things to conquer. I'm not ready

0:06

to celebrate yet. Instead,

0:08

God is saying no. Think about

0:10

right now what you do have to celebrate.

0:12

Celebrate those things. Hi

0:15

friends. Welcome to Smeyers talk it

0:17

out podcast, where my friends

0:19

and I talk about God's Word and

0:21

the real stuff of life and we hold

0:24

nothing back. I'm Ginger doggy

0:26

with Aaron Clouley, Jay, and

0:28

of course, Joyce Meyer. We're all

0:30

in different stages of life. A

0:32

young career woman and mom to two

0:34

sweet kiddo. an accomplished songwriter

0:37

facing an unexpected new life's

0:39

journey, a leader creative and

0:41

author with a heart for adventure. and

0:44

a world renowned bible teacher whose

0:46

personal story has impacted millions

0:49

and there's you. Because sometimes

0:52

you just need to talk about life with your girlfriends.

0:55

So consider yourself one of us

0:57

and let's talk it out.

0:59

While we are so grateful and thankful

1:02

for all of you that have enjoyed

1:04

watching, talk it out. You're part

1:06

of our team and we

1:07

hope we're part of your

1:09

family and we talk about so many good

1:11

things and so many different things and come

1:13

at it from a lot of different angles. And I

1:15

believe that a lot of you are really

1:17

learning things that are helping you big time.

1:19

Today, you

1:20

get to be part of a huge celebration because

1:23

today, we are showing our

1:25

one hundredth episode

1:28

of Talkitout. And

1:29

so we hope that you will

1:31

Joyce it. Tell

1:32

your friends about it. Get

1:34

everybody on board. It's good to have girlfriends

1:37

to sit and

1:38

talk with about things that are going on in

1:40

our life that we don't Maybe don't know how

1:42

to talk about just by ourselves. So

1:44

we

1:44

love you. Please join us,

1:46

and we look forward to seeing

1:49

you

1:49

every time. Thank you,

1:51

Joyce. It's so exciting. It's our

1:53

one hundredth episode.

1:54

Welcome, Betty.

1:57

Oh, try again.

1:58

Yeah. I'm gonna check that. It was a really

1:59

little party atmosphere. Don't

2:02

do my face. We're

2:04

gonna

2:04

talk about the fact that it is so important

2:07

to celebrate. We have a lot to Celebration

2:09

you, all of you who have been listening,

2:12

who have been part of this whole conversation.

2:15

Yeah. for over three years now. Yeah.

2:17

Wow. We're so grateful to you and

2:19

and celebrating what God has done, and

2:21

we're really bringing it back around to

2:23

the importance of celebration. Yeah. And

2:25

what we're gonna do today is we're gonna give you

2:27

a new tool in your arsenal

2:30

because celebration is huge.

2:32

It's just such a wonderful

2:34

way to fight back against everything

2:37

that the world and the enemy throws at you.

2:39

Yeah. Yeah. So that's what we're gonna be talking

2:41

about today. We're so glad that you're with us. I

2:43

wanna tell both of you thank you so much, honestly.

2:46

I'm just so happy to do this

2:48

with you guys. Love you guys. Thank you very

2:50

much. Thank you. It's very special

2:52

get to see God do stuff

2:54

with your friends. It is. Yeah. It's it's

2:56

not what we even expected it to be.

2:59

Like, we were just like, let's just see. you

3:01

know, what it would be like for us to just talk

3:03

and talk about Joyce's teachings

3:05

and just Joyce. You

3:06

like, we were as nice to call him. We

3:08

just call him down

3:09

and then uses, like, wait a minute. Let's

3:12

let me join you guys more. So it's just

3:14

been fun to watch to see how it's all Yeah.

3:16

So now it's, like, Do you guys have one

3:18

without me?

3:19

He likes

3:21

to be here as much as he possibly had.

3:24

She she doesn't wanna be called anymore. Well,

3:26

no one wants to be left out. And when I came

3:28

in, you guys came in. I I was like,

3:30

wait a minute. It's hot day. And

3:32

no one told me they both came

3:34

in and these wonderful hats You guys are both

3:36

looking so good. Well, thank you. I just

3:38

have to go bad hair day. So And, you

3:40

know, ran out and got this one for me.

3:43

You are a vision. So to the whole series

3:45

of stylists. Yeah. But it just really

3:47

goes with the camo and the and the

3:49

sneakers. The Celebration. patented.

3:52

It's

3:52

her birthday badge. I can't even I

3:54

can't say anything

3:55

serious to you. Actually,

3:56

I can't say something serious. And

3:59

I'll I'll listen. Like, I can't even you

4:01

would think of it. Like, I went through

4:03

this really hard time, this one time, and

4:05

I Joyce, I just can't. You have horns.

4:08

Yes. get get to the point. Get

4:10

to the point. Point. Oh,

4:12

can you there? I'll

4:17

tell you one of my favorite things about

4:21

the

4:21

podcast is the fact

4:23

that We found

4:25

a place. God has given us a place

4:28

that we can all just so be

4:30

ourselves. It could be totally

4:32

open and talk about all kinds of

4:34

things. Whether it's funny

4:36

things and laughing or things that

4:38

are hard and hurt, Things

4:41

that you often feel like you're alone, but

4:43

this gives that platform where all of

4:45

our friends together are realizing, hey,

4:47

None of us are alone in this. And we hear

4:49

that from so many people. Yeah. Like,

4:51

I I used to not have a friend group.

4:53

I used to feel very alone. Yeah. And

4:55

I'm so grateful to God that he is

4:58

creating this safe place for

5:00

friends to come together, to talk about

5:02

his word, to listen, to think

5:04

about what he's doing and but

5:07

we hear so many wonderful things like that.

5:09

I am so grateful for

5:10

this this group is because

5:12

we we tackled this with really

5:14

saying, okay. Mhmm. People are

5:16

going through stuff. I know I'm going

5:18

through stuff And yes, I still have faith

5:20

even if it's just the mustard seed. Like, I

5:22

still have it. But I need to talk about this

5:24

because sometimes I feel like I'm by myself.

5:26

Am I the only one that feels like this? Am

5:28

I the only one that feels insecure? Am I the

5:30

only one that doesn't -- Right. -- you know, like certain things

5:32

about myself? Am I the only one going through

5:34

something in in my life grant you. I do

5:36

believe that God's gonna take wherever I'm

5:38

at and make it something beautiful.

5:40

Mhmm. But right now it feels ugly. And so

5:42

I've I have really been,

5:44

especially with the things that I've faced, you

5:46

know, in my life. I'm super grateful

5:48

that during that time and even through

5:50

quarantine, you know, we were in our

5:52

closets. Right. Yeah. I didn't talk

5:54

to you. We were in our

5:56

closets like talking and doing

5:59

videos of this and that was such a great

6:01

way for us to still connect during such a

6:03

tough time. So I think it's super helpful in the

6:05

Christian community and the body of Christ to

6:07

have those outlets where you can be human.

6:09

Absolutely. It's cool to see

6:11

and hear from actual

6:14

women. Like, right there. Like, you're

6:16

sitting wherever you are right now. Mhmm.

6:18

Maybe you're at your computer or you're on your phone

6:20

and you're at the gym or you're whatever

6:22

you're doing. You're at the same time they're in this

6:24

room with us. Exactly. Yeah. And and

6:26

I'm like, we're talking together because we're

6:28

just a community of women who need each other. Like,

6:30

There's some amazing things we've heard. One

6:34

of them, can I read one? Yeah.

6:36

Go forth. This is from t t on

6:38

YouTube. She said TIO

6:41

Right? I'd say hi to T0U2ATT0

6:44

Thank you so much for this beautiful open and honest

6:46

conversation. I've not only learned how communicate

6:49

better with my husband. Mhmm. But I've also

6:51

learned how to deal with not so local people

6:53

in my life, who are no longer in my

6:55

life. I needed to forgive

6:57

and she'd been hurt. So

7:00

that's something that I relate to. Yeah. I've

7:02

experienced some of the things she's talking

7:04

about. So, like, I'm not alone either. You

7:06

know? Yeah. It goes both ways. Yeah.

7:09

I think there's also so much to be

7:11

said about celebrating

7:14

the things that God is doing, celebrating

7:16

our progress, and and that's not natural

7:18

for us. It's not easy for us sometimes

7:21

because we think I've got so

7:23

much to work on. I've got so

7:25

many things to conquer. I'm not

7:27

ready to celebrate yet. But instead,

7:29

God is saying no. Think

7:32

about right now what you do have to celebrate.

7:34

Celebrate those things. So we're,

7:36

you know, we're having this party. We've got some cake.

7:39

and And and we have confetti. We

7:41

have confetti. Whoo. That's really

7:43

good. And it's beautiful. That's

7:46

right. We it it was

7:48

a sadder. Yeah.

7:49

I know. I think I got a pretty

7:51

cool accent. It was okay.

7:52

But anyway, just

7:54

just the fact that there is always

7:57

something to celebrate because

7:59

God is that kind of a god.

8:01

In fact, Erin has a really good plan

8:03

that you're gonna carry confetti all the

8:05

time? Do you did I you haven't heard my plan yet?

8:07

Okay. I must have developed it right before you walked in.

8:09

Okay. Hi. I'm going to get

8:11

a fanny pack of sorts. Like, you can't

8:13

talk to a good thing. You do. You would appreciate

8:15

it. Yes. I'm going to keep confetti

8:17

in there, and then Everyday. Yeah.

8:19

Everyday. I'll strap up my like my

8:21

belt of truth. Uh-huh. My

8:23

bill is a confetti. So this is now part

8:25

of the Joel Armor -- You got it.

8:27

-- yes. It's a Fetti pack of

8:29

confetti. That's so deep.

8:32

you could bring that message. But

8:34

I will just if I'm going to a

8:36

room of people and we talk about something and I

8:38

think someone said something great or I feel like

8:40

I wanna moment. I'm just gonna say, you know

8:42

what? That was a really

8:43

good idea. Who's a great idea

8:45

though?

8:45

I'm gonna get a Ruba. Oh.

8:47

I could just follow you guys. That

8:49

is what you know. There's aaron

8:51

and a magic pumba flinliness. But

8:54

how long would that be if

8:56

you just want Like, you just celebrate a

8:59

conversation with somebody. Yeah. Like, that

9:01

was really a great thing you just said.

9:03

We should celebrate that moment.

9:05

Confirm Hello? That was a really

9:06

great day. Thank you. You're

9:08

really hard. people like that time is

9:10

what they say. It's like, I thought you're

9:12

gonna go, I don't like

9:17

Well, we're gonna start today with

9:19

Joyce talking about why this

9:21

really matters? Yes. You know, we're having a lot of

9:23

fun here, and we love you all so much. But

9:25

this is not about celebrating us. This

9:27

is about celebrating what

9:29

God is doing in your life to you

9:31

and how important that is. So

9:33

let's start with Joyce talking about

9:35

why celebration matters.

9:37

And I really believe that God

9:39

is showing me this there is power

9:41

in celebrating.

9:44

It's powerful when we

9:47

celebrate. The

9:48

joy of the Lord is

9:51

our strength.

9:52

The

9:54

devil doesn't want your stuff. He wants

9:56

your joy.

9:57

If

9:59

he can

9:59

take our joy, then

10:02

he's got us right where he wants us. No wonder

10:05

Jesus said, in the world, there will

10:07

be tribulation, there will

10:09

be trouble, there will be

10:11

distress, And his answer

10:12

to the whole thing was cheer up.

10:18

I

10:18

kinda like I like to put John sixteen

10:20

thirty three together with John

10:23

fourteen twenty seven where Jesus

10:25

said my peace

10:27

I leave with you. So if

10:28

you wanna give the enemy a big black

10:31

eye, just calm down and cheer up and

10:33

you're a winner in

10:34

life. Amen?

10:36

You know, it takes a long time to get this,

10:39

and I guess I'm old enough now that I've got

10:41

it. And I can't tell you how many

10:42

times, sometimes in a week, I

10:45

just say, I am not

10:47

getting upset about that. I

10:50

just not

10:51

doing it. know

10:53

why you finally find out it doesn't

10:55

change anything. It

10:57

doesn't change anything

10:58

for you to be sad all day. It doesn't

11:00

change anything for you to be mad all

11:02

day. It doesn't change anything for you to

11:04

be sour all day and have a

11:06

bad attitude. It changes you,

11:09

but it does

11:09

not change your circumstance

11:11

but I can tell you what, there's power

11:13

in there's power

11:15

in being thankful when you're hurting and

11:17

there's power and celebrating

11:20

little tiny victories

11:22

in your life. Oh,

11:24

I've already planned my celebration for

11:26

Saturday when this is over.

11:28

You know

11:29

what? Because I'll be tired. You

11:32

will have gotten out of me everything

11:34

that I've got to give and I

11:36

will be tired. I know

11:38

where I'm gonna eat. I know what I'm gonna eat

11:40

when I get there.

11:43

And people who know me are not surprised by

11:45

that, but And

11:47

it's a place that has the

11:49

best chocolate

11:52

cake.

11:56

and the

11:56

most wonderful gelato.

11:59

And yes,

12:00

it's a restaurant that has pasta, lots

12:03

of pasta.

12:03

I'm not eating

12:06

spinach on Saturday afternoon.

12:11

and

12:11

I'm going with some of my most favorite

12:14

people.

12:15

Celebration can be anything

12:16

from a huge party and a feast.

12:20

to just

12:20

sit down with somebody that you really

12:22

enjoy, but

12:23

do it as a focus. I'm

12:25

doing this because I'm celebrating

12:28

a victory that God has given me. And

12:30

not only does it help you, but it gives

12:32

honor to God. You know what one of our

12:34

biggest problems are we're

12:36

constantly wanting God to do something

12:38

else for us and we don't bother

12:40

to

12:40

celebrate and be thankful for the things that he

12:42

has already done.

12:43

That

12:47

is so true. That is

12:50

absolutely true. And what she said about

12:52

we we all know the the verse, the joy of the

12:54

Lord is my strength. Yes. But

12:57

if we take it much more seriously,

12:59

I mean, you put those words together,

13:01

joy and strength. Yeah. And then

13:03

you realize that when you celebrate

13:05

something that stirs up your joy, it stirs

13:07

up your gratitude, and

13:09

you take the time purposefully to

13:11

do it. It's like it's like you were talking about

13:13

with your fanny pack of of confetti.

13:16

Right? You're arming

13:18

your I am. With with

13:20

that joy and that attitude of

13:22

celebration -- Yeah. -- tell me what you guys have

13:24

thought before about, like, an

13:26

attitude of celebration. Have you

13:28

ever even thought about that? I mean,

13:30

I've thought about it. Right?

13:33

But through this whole time

13:35

of being in on the you know, with

13:37

the podcast and on the podcast.

13:39

I started this and I've said this

13:41

before, like, really I thought I was

13:43

in a great marriage. My

13:46

family, we were in ministry. We were just about to

13:48

launch well, we were just launching our

13:50

new ministry that we had just started together.

13:52

My music was doing great. My

13:54

daughter was about to be in her almost

13:56

last year of high school.

13:59

Like, it was seeming

13:59

like everything was lining up. And so

14:01

a whole lot to celebrate. A whole lot to

14:04

celebrate. So I approach this really

14:06

excited to talk about god's

14:08

faithfulness of being a virgin

14:10

until marriage and seeing how God,

14:13

you know, has blessed us thus far

14:15

and and so excited into

14:17

anticipating what the future would be.

14:19

Mhmm. But then when I was hit with, you

14:21

know, my ex husband

14:23

now, you know, having an affair and

14:25

then serving me with divorce

14:27

papers, it seemed

14:29

almost impossible

14:31

for me to find joy. Mhmm.

14:33

Right? Mhmm.

14:35

Especially because My

14:37

my ex had an affair with someone

14:39

that was supposed to be my friend as well, a friend

14:41

of almost ten years. And so so there's

14:44

double Detroit. It was just layers and layers

14:46

of betrayal. And so

14:48

it was hard to find

14:50

joy. And so to to even

14:52

conceptualize, even now I still struggle

14:55

certain days, of course, when I think about,

14:57

you know, an anniversary or

15:00

a birthday that we shared

15:02

together or see my daughter even

15:04

graduate to get it was awkward. Everything was

15:06

weird and seeing him get

15:08

married again. Yeah. And that's a tip that

15:10

I would love to to help give someone. It's

15:12

like, when you're in that really, really

15:14

tough time, try to

15:16

find joy. Look

15:18

for joy because If you sit in

15:20

the house and just scroll,

15:23

there's news report after news report,

15:25

your life, it just it's a lot

15:27

of negative hitting us. You have to actually

15:29

go find joy. So That's what's really

15:31

interesting that you said, I think, is some

15:34

of the hardest times for you to find joy and

15:36

celebrate were when it was the times

15:38

where you would celebrate in the past. Yeah. So,

15:40

like, heart celebrations now will

15:42

become the most painful time.

15:44

Trigger points. Yeah. I think that's there's

15:46

something to that because now

15:48

you have to replace those

15:51

really dark times with a new form of a

15:53

celebration. Seriously? Like, you can't Joyce get

15:55

rid of it. Yeah. What what what Joyce was

15:57

you're saying, like, about, like, fight like,

15:59

finding reasons to have Joyce. Like,

16:02

those moments are trigger points. But

16:04

I've had to replace things with new

16:06

memories. Like, our anniversary, I've

16:08

had to, like, make new memories.

16:10

Like, even, like, save up to go

16:12

on a trip or go to the

16:14

spa. Y'all know how I love that. You know, like, do things

16:16

intentionally that can kinda

16:18

etch away the pain.

16:21

of what that, you know so, like,

16:23

Satan tried which that's what Joyce was saying. Like,

16:25

Satan wants to rob us of our joy. He

16:27

doesn't care about our stuff. didn't care

16:29

about my marriage. He didn't care about I mean,

16:31

he cared about what we were supposed to do

16:33

together, but he didn't really care about

16:35

us as a couple. He went like, oh, that's a

16:37

cute couple. Let's destroy a little bit. want to

16:39

stop what you were He wanted to stop the force on

16:41

it. Exactly. He wanted to stop the force that

16:43

we were supposed to do because that was God's

16:45

for us to do things together in the kingdom, but he

16:47

also wanted to just rob us of our joy.

16:49

Yeah. He wants us to be sad, and so we have to

16:51

say that steals your strength. Yeah. A

16:53

hundred percent. And so walking around with a fanny pack of

16:55

confetti I probably won't do that. I have a fanny

16:57

pack. But I will put your own

16:59

version. I have, like, a they have a app. There's,

17:01

like, a bullhorn. They're,

17:02

like, I'm just

17:07

gonna get back in. Okay. We're gonna be so fun

17:09

to be around together. I gotta love having this

17:11

around. one thing that I learned and it

17:13

was one of the first things in

17:15

when we started the podcast that I learned from

17:17

you was a j day. Yes. And I

17:19

think Fridays are the best. It's the best. I would like to

17:21

have them Everyone's have a great day.

17:24

Yes. But it is a form Celebration,

17:26

and it's doing what you love the most, so

17:28

for you. you can speak. It's for

17:30

yourself, but like going to the spa and just taking a

17:32

Joyce TIO celebrate where

17:34

you are and taking time for yourself. And I

17:36

think that's so important. Like, it's

17:38

not because we did it once with you. We had a j day

17:40

and it wasn't because we had something big

17:42

to celebrate. We just we're together and

17:45

that that was enough That

17:47

was enough. And and sometimes that's you

17:49

don't have to celebrate an

17:52

accomplishment per se even though I think celebrating

17:54

stuff like a hundred episodes is a great

17:56

deal, but just

17:58

celebrating that, man, I'm

17:59

still alive. Yeah. Yes. Like,

18:02

same tried to take me out.

18:04

He really tried to take me out. Like, the

18:06

thoughts that were going on in my mind,

18:08

I the fact that me and my daughter

18:11

are in a great place, like,

18:13

I I can take a day and just be like,

18:15

you know what? Let's just go to that and

18:17

relax. You know? Yeah. Let's just

18:19

go eat cake even though you're, you

18:21

know, on a diet and or maybe you've

18:23

eaten healthy for a whole

18:25

week and give yourself a

18:27

treat. Like, you know, like, it it doesn't have

18:29

to be a huge -- Yeah. -- like, I

18:31

lost fifty pounds. It's like, I

18:33

didn't eat fried chicken last night. So I

18:35

have fried chicken today.

18:36

diana

18:40

This is about celebrating

18:42

the progress, not the end result.

18:44

So it's celebrating along the way.

18:46

And I I love what you guys were saying

18:49

that Sometimes you have to reinvent celebration.

18:51

Yeah. When a celebration is

18:53

no longer celebratory, it

18:55

no longer brings up joy, it brings up

18:58

pain. Let that one go. Find a new

19:00

way even if it's Christmas. Okay?

19:02

Let's Christmas is so

19:04

hard for people who've lost someone they've

19:06

loved. So we get

19:08

to that point where we have to reinvent

19:11

how we spend that day. Think

19:13

about it differently. there's

19:15

still different things to celebrate, but

19:17

I'll tell you those those changes are hard.

19:19

Yeah. So if we don't purposely decide

19:23

Okay? You know, I'm gonna celebrate what God has

19:25

done. I'm just gonna do it in a

19:27

different way, so it's not always just

19:29

evoking all these old memories. That

19:31

can really change something for people, I think, out

19:33

there right now. We're saying, celebrations are

19:35

not fun for me. Yeah. Yeah. Go ahead.

19:37

I'm sorry. I was gonna say, I think it part

19:39

of that exercise is, like,

19:42

you

19:42

have to search sometimes. Like, you have to hunt through

19:44

what is this new thing I'm gonna celebrate. Right. And

19:46

that requires you almost taking inventory

19:49

where are the good things have life

19:51

because it's so easy to to say,

19:53

this is bad and this is bad and this is

19:55

awful and sad and all those things.

19:57

There is zero good. But

19:59

if instead, I think, no, I need to replace that

20:01

now traumatic situation with something

20:03

good and celebratory.

20:05

You have to like, inventory your whole life has even if you

20:07

decide, I survived. I survived that thing.

20:09

I thought I could not. Yeah. And what it

20:11

does is it gives God

20:13

the opportunity to work in new ways

20:16

in our lives. Exactly. It's just like praise.

20:18

It's it's just it's worship and

20:20

it's changing our

20:22

focus from those dark things

20:25

to those things that are worth

20:27

celebrating as hard as they may be to

20:29

find. And so exactly what you're saying, Jay,

20:31

is what Joyce is gonna talk about next

20:33

is how sometimes we have to

20:35

look back

20:36

so

20:37

that we can see how the the past

20:39

can teach us how to celebrate

20:41

and give us reason. So let's

20:43

see what she means by that.

20:47

David said when

20:49

he

20:49

was facing the life and

20:52

nobody was encouraging him. Matter

20:54

of fact, everybody was telling him you can't do

20:56

it, You're too little, you're not, you know,

20:58

you're not you're not you're not. How many of you have

21:00

noticed that people

21:01

like to tell you what you're not? And

21:04

it's just the enemy using them.

21:06

He's just it's

21:08

amazing to me some

21:09

of the dumb stuff that people can say.

21:12

It's like, Why did

21:14

you say that to me? I

21:15

I don't need your I

21:17

don't need your discouragement. I

21:19

don't need you to tell me what's wrong with me today.

21:22

Can you just tell me something good? The

21:24

devil tells me enough about what's wrong

21:26

with me. I need other

21:27

people to cheer me up.

21:29

And then and a lot of times, people

21:31

wanna give

21:31

you your their opinion about it. Does it Why

21:33

do you even need to have an opinion? Nobody asked you for your

21:36

opinion? I don't want your

21:38

opinion.

21:38

You know?

21:41

Amen? And

21:43

so but David said

21:45

that, now listen, he encouraged himself

21:48

in the Lord. He's

21:51

facing

21:51

the lion and he said,

21:53

I remember the lion

21:55

that I

21:55

killed and I remember the

21:58

bear that I killed and this the lion,

21:59

this giant will be no

22:01

different because God is on

22:03

my side. So what I did when

22:05

I would be hurting and

22:07

had to go to work and to do something is, and you

22:09

know really when you're like that, you

22:12

know you want

22:13

somebody to understand, but you know they don't.

22:16

And then you

22:16

know really down deep, they just don't. And you can't

22:19

blame them, they just don't. Joyce so

22:22

kind of when you're going through

22:24

something really tough, how many of you feel like

22:26

you're just kind of Joyce? It's

22:28

just like, you

22:28

want somebody to get it, but you know

22:31

they really don't they do the best but

22:33

they really don't get it so you kind of

22:35

feel alone. And one of the things that

22:37

I would do is I would remember

22:40

other

22:40

things that God has done for me.

22:42

Something I have to celebrate is that twenty

22:45

seven years TIO, I had

22:47

breast cancer. and I had to have breast

22:49

removed, but for the last twenty

22:51

seven years every year when I go

22:53

get a mammogram, I get back

22:55

a report that says, totally

22:58

fine.

22:58

That's worth Amen?

23:01

That's such a great

23:03

example. Because that's one of those things

23:06

that that you can look at

23:08

and and so many women,

23:10

I'm sure, right now, are in this very same

23:12

situation. Mhmm. You know, I lost a

23:14

part of myself. Yeah. I I had to

23:16

go through cancer. What

23:18

is there to celebrate? Right.

23:20

And yet, what Joyce is

23:22

saying is each

23:24

good report that you get. Yeah.

23:26

And if you're not getting good

23:28

reports, celebrate the

23:30

fact that you woke up this morning. Yeah. And,

23:32

you know, maybe there's there's something

23:34

that that you can see a a

23:36

beautiful sunrise, something that God

23:38

gives you. And and I think

23:40

it's really important that we don't make this to

23:43

surface y -- Yeah. -- to just

23:45

celebrate, forget the bad things. We're

23:47

not saying that. we're

23:49

we're not saying celebrate

23:51

instead of feeling the pain. We have to feel the pain

23:53

of the stuff we go TIO. go

23:55

through. But I

23:57

think there's so much to be learned

23:59

by what God is saying. Like,

24:01

even in James. From the very beginning, James

24:03

chapter one counted all joy. Yeah.

24:05

when you go through these tests and

24:08

trials and terrible things -- Yeah. -- one of

24:10

my least liked

24:12

verses in the Bible because nobody

24:14

wants that. But when we

24:16

change our mindset and

24:18

we realize what those trials

24:20

bring in our life -- Yeah. -- that

24:22

it brings perseverance that

24:24

it that it brings strength, that

24:26

that it brings a better knowledge

24:28

of who God really is -- Yes. -- and the

24:30

fact that he's there all through it. Mhmm.

24:33

find he's something to celebrate in that is

24:35

is powerful. Yeah. I was reading something

24:37

this morning about celebrating and

24:40

some of the benefits of it. One of the things that I

24:42

hadn't even thought about was that when you celebrate, it

24:44

builds community. Mhmm. And

24:47

so I'm going through something

24:49

and I've experienced this, but I

24:51

am going to celebrate your

24:54

birthday or the fact maybe you

24:56

got a new job or whatever it is. You bring

24:58

people together to celebrate that thing. Suddenly,

25:00

whatever I'm walking through doesn't feel quite

25:02

so weighty. or I don't feel so alone. I

25:04

mean, I understand like Joyce just said,

25:06

but I think that community aspect,

25:08

even like us doing this on this

25:10

show, to celebrate something together

25:13

there's power in that. And it it

25:15

that's what God calls us to do is to

25:17

be there for each other and so you

25:19

can't Celebration some of that. And

25:21

it gives you hope Doing that

25:23

together is huge. It is. Yeah. It

25:25

really is. I I have AAA

25:29

comment from Carol Cooks from

25:31

YouTube. And she said, I'm thirty

25:33

six and a breast cancer fighter

25:35

since twenty

25:35

twenty. Mhmm. Keep fighting girl. My

25:37

mom's in remission.

25:38

She's been in remission for

25:40

fifteen years. So Congratulations.

25:42

She said, you guys have

25:44

been a godsend, a source of

25:46

comfort, strength, and a reminder of

25:48

god's love and support. You guys rock.

25:51

Whenever I need a circle of support,

25:53

positivity, girlfriends, and a reminder

25:55

of God's greatness through it all,

25:56

I turn to you guys It's been a

25:58

support especially on days. I feel like

25:59

I don't have the strength to remember

26:02

God's sovereignty on my own. Wow.

26:04

And that's what you were saying about the

26:06

community aspect of it all. It's

26:08

like, even there's a, you know, like,

26:10

people I know a lot of us have been alone

26:12

in this time, and so we've had

26:15

to have that paradigm shift

26:17

of of not being able to

26:19

always meet together and use

26:21

technology. So thank god for it

26:23

has a lot of negatives, but it's

26:26

also brought a lot of people together,

26:28

whether it be from TV, to podcast,

26:30

to YouTube, to social media,

26:32

whatever. But that's such a good something to

26:34

-- Yes. -- I feel My

26:36

family lives in all different states. Mhmm.

26:38

And that would be something that is like, I

26:40

miss them. I feel alone. I

26:43

would love to be closer to them. But instead

26:45

of focusing on that, exactly what you're

26:47

saying is celebrating the technology that

26:49

we can FaceTime. Yeah. You know, that

26:51

that we can have this

26:54

technology that connects us and I can see their

26:56

wonderful little faces and

26:58

they, you know, that we're connected in

27:00

that way that many years ago would not have happened. Yeah. Like even

27:02

with one of my girlfriends that

27:05

is going through cancer right now,

27:07

thankfully, because of technology and us thinking

27:09

out of the box Like, mentioned this on

27:11

the on the podcast before, like, we would

27:13

literally have Zoom parties during

27:16

her sessions, during her chemo

27:18

sessions. So we were able to

27:20

bring her laptop into her room, and we

27:22

were able to go to her appointments with her.

27:24

That's awesome. We would celebrate. We'd

27:26

have love that. You know, we'd

27:28

have snacks We play games and even

27:30

when she would start shivering because her fingers would

27:32

be so cold or hit, like, can we

27:34

just be would stop and pray? and then

27:36

we'd say a joke just to, you

27:38

know, to, like, get our mind off of

27:40

it. But like -- Yeah. -- you have those are the

27:42

things that, like, you have to

27:44

find. Yeah. you have to

27:46

find reasons to that wasn't we

27:48

wanted to cry. We've never

27:50

seen our friends so frail and so, you

27:52

know. Yeah. But instead

27:54

of that, we were like, no, let's celebrate.

27:56

We were all from Great. All of us

27:58

were from different. She's in Texas. Like,

28:00

we had friends in all

28:01

parts of California. We all all

28:03

around the

28:04

world. Even in the UK, like, we've had we've

28:06

all are, like, just able to be on those Zoom.

28:08

So, like, you gotta find it. It's not

28:11

easy, especially It's the in it like like, it's

28:13

in days. Like, it's dark

28:15

out here. Yeah. Like, life's

28:17

hard. but we have to find it. And

28:19

even if you have to find it alone, like,

28:21

you gotta look for it. What that says to me,

28:23

like, what I what I picture when

28:26

you are saying that you that's what you guys are

28:28

doing. You've gone to do whatever

28:30

you have to do, to moment, to

28:32

bring her Joyce, and that is

28:33

there's no greater kicking the

28:35

face to the devil -- Mhmm. -- then sure.

28:38

Mhmm. Fine. This is awful. This is cancer.

28:40

This is terrible. Mhmm. But

28:42

we're still gonna find joy and we're still gonna fight back. Yeah.

28:44

It's not gonna stop us. So -- Yeah.

28:46

-- that's amazing. She was having to cut her hair

28:48

off because she was losing her hair because of Kimo.

28:51

And we brought Wiggs to one. We were like, girl, what

28:53

about this one? And then, like, we

28:55

we were able to, like, play

28:57

games and, like, put on wigs

28:59

and send links and she'd laugh at them. You know,

29:02

it's like, you just have

29:04

to be creative. You've we've always

29:06

had to be creative when it comes like, find

29:08

enjoying tough times. But, like,

29:10

now, it's even harder because we're so

29:12

inundated with negativity. Yeah. It's, like,

29:14

we have negative stuff going on in our own

29:16

lives, but, like, you can't turn on the

29:18

TV or turn on your phone without

29:20

getting some type of negative news.

29:22

So you have to, like, be

29:24

intentional with celebrating the

29:26

small things and and finding fun

29:28

whenever you can. Yeah. I think that's so

29:30

important. It sometimes, Joyce

29:32

turn off the TV Yes. -- sometimes, put

29:34

your phone away -- Yep. -- let it let

29:36

it buzz. Just don't even look at it.

29:38

Don't pick it up because

29:41

we're going to have

29:42

plenty of reasons not

29:45

to be happy. Sure. I mean, there's all

29:47

kinds of stuff out there all

29:49

the time. But, like, it

29:51

right now, with it being fall, it's just so

29:53

beautiful outside. And

29:56

even even driving into work or

29:58

something like that, just find those little

30:00

moments when sun shines through

30:02

some really bright red leaves

30:04

and just say, Joyce, thank

30:06

you. You know, thank you for giving me

30:08

that. right now, this tiny moment, this

30:10

little visual, it's not the big world

30:12

thing -- Yeah. -- it's not everything that's

30:14

happening in my life.

30:17

it's this moment that I'm so

30:19

grateful for and I Celebration I

30:21

wanna remember it, you know. I I

30:23

always try to, like, capture

30:25

moments and hold on to them so

30:27

that when the leaves are gone, you

30:30

know, just like when things are hard in

30:32

our life, I can look back like

30:34

Joyce was saying, I can look back

30:36

like like all of

30:38

the bible tells the children of

30:40

Israel to do. Right? All of the festivals

30:42

that they had were about celebrating what

30:44

God has done in the past -- Mhmm. -- and trusting

30:46

that he'll do those good things in the

30:49

future. So when our current moment is not so

30:51

bright -- Yeah. -- we can look back at the

30:53

bright moments and we we have those

30:55

festivals where we celebrate what God has

30:57

done even if we're not seen happen right now.

31:00

One of my favorite things that Joyce talks

31:02

about is that remembering back what God has done.

31:04

And I think that the

31:06

power in that is something we don't talk

31:08

enough about. Mhmm. And as

31:11

as I've gotten older in my life, you

31:13

know, I'm very wise. Oh, yes.

31:16

Otherwise is You know what? That that's Thank

31:18

you. Betty. Thank you. That was

31:19

that was, like, like, a

31:22

really large pizza. That's the

31:24

only you're so old. You just that was the way you

31:26

could project. Okay.

31:29

But on that now, on my in my

31:31

window because paper, yes. This is in my eye,

31:33

but it's fine.

31:34

Even as recently, Mike and I have been

31:36

we've been trying to decide, like, a life

31:38

thing, like, moving even and it

31:40

felt confusing like, what do we do? And

31:43

to be able to

31:44

look back and remember how we've seen

31:46

God speak to us in the past,

31:49

that he god is faithful and he has shown up

31:51

when we've asked him questions before. And

31:53

he's not always quick

31:55

to answer you. but I have seen him

31:58

respond and we have given a situation to him.

32:00

Yeah. He will give you an answer.

32:02

So I could look back while we're trying

32:04

talk now. And remember, God is faithful

32:07

then, so he will show me now what to

32:09

do. So there is a celebration almost

32:11

in my like, internally my heart in that moment. because

32:13

I said, now I can have some peace. Yeah.

32:15

Because I don't need to worry because he's got

32:17

it. So I said things that remembering is

32:20

so important. Yeah. It stirs up stirs up our faith.

32:22

It does. Yeah. I think

32:24

remembering and also identifying

32:27

like, why we don't always celebrate

32:30

certain things. Mhmm. Like, this is what I've been

32:32

sitting here thinking. Right? Mhmm. I

32:34

mean, even though it's, like, we've all had our own

32:36

little accomplishment and things like it. We'd like to

32:38

what like, not water

32:40

it down. But I don't know. Like, it's a Christian thing

32:42

maybe. I don't know. Let's talk about it. I don't know.

32:45

No. I got you. I yeah.

32:47

Because, like, keep talking now. I I like this.

32:49

Okay. So you're there. Okay.

32:51

I know for me I

32:53

love seeing my friends win. Right? I love you guys,

32:55

and I love it. But sometimes when it comes

32:57

to my stuff, even when y'all ask me about music or

32:59

whatever, I'm like, you

33:01

know, y'all y'all try to do that early.

33:03

I was like, yeah, it's coming out, you know, and but

33:06

but I don't like that. I think because

33:08

one of my favorite parts of this podcast

33:10

is being able to see

33:13

the you you

33:14

bloom. Mhmm. And because I remember used to

33:17

be like, I don't know what to say. I'm nervous. I'm

33:19

not up. And now you're, like, you're

33:20

the producer of the show. Right?

33:23

Like,

33:23

you so you've you didn't

33:24

go on with it. You know? Just

33:27

keep talking. I'm just saying, like, you're so

33:29

wise. Yeah. But you are like, I

33:31

wanna why don't we celebrate

33:33

that stuff more. Like,

33:35

I just wanna take time to celebrate you.

33:37

I wanna take time to celebrate you. One of my

33:39

favorite parts

33:39

was when you wrote your book. Mhmm. That

33:42

was huge. like,

33:42

it's huge. Like,

33:45

you wrote you wrote a book, but I'm

33:47

not

33:47

in you, but I know for

33:48

but I know for me. Like, I don't necessarily

33:51

want because I don't think people will be as

33:53

excited as I am

33:54

about certain things or if they might not

33:56

understand, why I do things. And

33:58

I I think a lot of people probably

33:59

struggle with wanting to celebrate even

34:02

birthdays -- Yeah. -- or things like that

34:04

because of fear of rejection or rejection

34:06

is huge. Like, we were just sitting here before

34:08

we started asking Jay, just tell

34:10

us more about your new music, and she said,

34:12

what are you what part? You know what?

34:14

We just wanna know just was I didn't know how to I

34:17

didn't even know how to say I was

34:19

uncomfortable. But celebrating for

34:21

your friends. Mhmm. is

34:24

really important too. It's not just about celebrating for

34:28

huge accomplishments in your own life

34:30

or even just what God has done,

34:34

but celebrate for your friends because we can't always celebrate

34:36

for ourselves. Yeah. And it stirs

34:38

up all of our joy together

34:41

I I think that's a brilliant point. Yeah. I just think we need

34:43

to take the time, like, even with

34:46

birthdays and things like that. Maybe we don't have a

34:48

war rate

34:50

every time. but the fact that we made it another three hundred and sixty five

34:52

days is something more like, you know,

34:54

like, a a turn forty one in a little bit. So

34:56

I'm like, It's

34:58

just farting what? Like farting was last year. That was a big berry. You

35:00

know? But it's like, no. That big berry

35:02

was supposed to take me out. Like, through

35:05

a low life pivot. Yeah. And the fact that I've made it

35:08

to another year, that's something

35:10

worth Now maybe I

35:11

won't go all around the world like I did

35:13

last time, but I'm

35:14

saying, like, it's still worth --

35:16

No. -- celebrate

35:17

and your friends want and I think we'd

35:19

be surprised. Like, I think I was shocked, not

35:21

because I don't think you all love me, but I

35:23

think I was, like, shocked to

35:26

hear. Like, you guys just asked me

35:27

about it. Like, I was just

35:29

really shocked, you know. And

35:31

so,

35:31

like, you never know who

35:33

wants

35:34

to celebrate with you because

35:36

you don't

35:36

put it out there. So just throw

35:39

it out there.

35:39

Just say, hey, it's my birthday.

35:41

and everybody might not show up. Maybe one person shows up,

35:43

and that'll be the one person, but it's

35:46

okay to celebrate

35:46

those birthdays too. Even the ones that

35:48

you feel are insignificant, like,

35:50

fifty two random, you know, but it's like, yeah, you made it

35:52

another three hundred and sixty five days. Yeah. And

35:55

what you were saying is

35:58

that sometimes as

35:59

Christians,

35:59

we love to I don't know

36:01

if we think it's humble or because, you

36:04

know, humility is hugely important, but

36:06

humility isn't what we

36:08

think it is. It's not Oh,

36:10

no. It's no big deal. Please look away from

36:12

me. You know,

36:13

it's Deb, notice

36:15

anything about me. It really isn't

36:18

that.

36:18

It's it it is humble to celebrate

36:20

what God is doing in our life. It's

36:22

It's not me saying, I I've survived another year.

36:25

It's like, god brought me through some

36:27

really hard things. Mhmm. And I'm so

36:29

grateful to him. And

36:32

And, yeah, I'm part of that -- Mhmm. -- because I could have said

36:34

no, I'm I'm not gonna go. Yeah.

36:36

You know? Yeah. Then right

36:38

here for me. So

36:41

I I think you're right. As

36:43

Christians, we we tend to shy away

36:45

from celebration. Yeah. That's a huge mistake. And

36:47

I think it's something to do. Go ahead. You

36:49

have a fist full. I'm

36:52

nervous. celebrating you and your music.

36:54

I mean, that's all good. Thank

36:56

you. Thank you. And a lot of times, you

36:58

said, so I'm here with that. I think

37:00

of ginger. I didn't get into that. But you you said something

37:02

earlier about we tend to try to wait

37:04

until the

37:06

end. Yeah. And

37:08

that's something I've had to learn through these past

37:10

few years is -- Mhmm. --

37:12

and the end is not promised. Yeah.

37:15

You know, like, my end for my

37:17

marriage was us retiring together

37:20

and moving to California and having all this,

37:22

you Ministries, ministry

37:24

stuff. maybe I should have enjoyed some of the

37:26

other accomplishments in that marriage. Like,

37:28

we did a lot of great things

37:31

helped a lot of great people, but we

37:33

were so busy doing the work

37:35

of the lord and doing the work of the

37:37

ministry that we didn't even tend to a lot of

37:39

the human sides of taking moments to

37:41

celebrate -- Yeah. -- to say, like, wow. Like, we did this. And so I remember,

37:43

like, we didn't even go on our

37:45

honeymoon. Like, that that's tragic.

37:47

Okay? Church people don't

37:50

do that. because I went to church. III was

37:52

serving. So those are things that started our marriage

37:54

off wrong. We didn't even take the time

37:56

to really and

37:58

say, like, we're married. It was like, we're married. Back

37:59

to work. you know, and it's

38:02

like,

38:02

that doesn't make God

38:03

happy. You know, that that's something

38:05

we need to slow down

38:08

and not wait for the ending because the

38:10

we don't know when the end is. Yeah. We have

38:12

to celebrate. Does make God happy when we Celebration

38:15

wants to see us joyful and

38:17

happy and and there's something really

38:19

important spiritually that happens when we

38:21

celebrate. So we're

38:24

we're gonna have Joyce tell us a little bit more about what God's word

38:26

says about that, about it's

38:28

not just all those things

38:30

around us or our circumstances,

38:33

but it's what's happening inside of

38:35

us, the spiritual accomplishments

38:38

that God is working in our lives that we need

38:40

to sell great. So let's see what she has to say about

38:42

that. I am

38:44

not thinking

38:44

about what I didn't get

38:48

what

38:48

I had to go through that I didn't want to go through, let

38:50

me tell you something victory is in

38:52

your attitude. It's not in having

38:56

perfect circumstances. Come

38:58

on. This screen is in your attitude because

39:00

I can't promise you that you're I

39:02

can't promise you that you'll go home next week and

39:04

not have a problem. I don't know.

39:08

might.

39:08

But I can

39:09

tell you, we need to be

39:11

like Paul. He said,

39:13

I am determined My

39:16

determined purpose, Philippians three

39:18

can, is to know him and the

39:20

power of his resurrection that

39:22

lifts me out from among the dead

39:23

even while I'm in

39:25

the body. So he said, here's what I'm

39:27

gonna do. I'm not looking for a life

39:29

with no problems, but I'm

39:31

living above it. There's a place in Christ where

39:33

I could live above it. And you know what? I

39:36

believe that a lot of that has to do

39:38

with focusing more on what God has

39:40

done for

39:42

spiritually and letting that soak into your attitude

39:44

so you're not so concerned about everything

39:46

in your daily life that's going

39:48

wrong. listen even if

39:50

you live to be a hundred, which

39:52

I'm not even sure

39:53

now that I would want to. I used to think

39:55

maybe I'd like to be a hundred, but I, you

39:57

know, I don't know. I'm

39:59

like, Yeah.

39:59

Things are getting

40:00

pretty messed up here, but, you

40:02

know,

40:07

but The

40:08

thing is is even if we all live to be a hundred, that's

40:11

like one

40:12

half of one grain

40:16

of sand from all the beaches in the whole world all

40:18

the whole ocean floor for the sand.

40:20

That is nothing compared to

40:24

eternity. That's

40:24

nothing compared to how long we're gonna

40:25

live in God's presence. And you know what?

40:28

We talk about heaven sometimes

40:30

not enough

40:32

We talk about it sometimes, but I honestly really believe

40:34

if we really believe it's gonna

40:36

be as good as the Bible says it is,

40:39

because if we did, I don't know how very much

40:41

could keep us down for

40:44

very long.

40:54

No

40:54

more sorrow, no more crying, no more tears.

40:58

Street's made of gold, a sea

41:00

full of crystal,

41:02

one gate.

41:02

twelve,

41:04

fifteen feet high,

41:05

made out of one pearl

41:07

living in his presence. Perfect

41:09

love, perfect peace.

41:11

I mean,

41:12

and a mansion.

41:17

A mansion. And

41:20

I have

41:21

told Jesus, I want my

41:24

mansion decorated really. I

41:26

mean,

41:28

blend out. That's

41:31

something to

41:34

celebrate.

41:34

Absolutely.

41:38

And the pearl the

41:40

gate was one pearl. It's so big. It's

41:42

so big. It's big. It's not big like that. It

41:44

only had one pearl that's, like, Joyce. Just

41:47

kinda lame. No. So just It

41:49

really looks like a moon. Right. This planet is so big that

41:52

it is is

41:54

a gate. Like,

41:55

that's incredible. It's one big pearl.

41:58

Yeah. I think

41:59

if we if we

42:02

really look at this point

42:04

of celebration. And I hope people are kinda getting this

42:06

as we're talking about it, that we

42:09

we aren't just celebrating a

42:12

fact that it's been a hundred episodes. We're celebrating

42:14

the fact that God has done so

42:16

much in our lives through these years. Yeah.

42:19

He really has. And Jay,

42:21

you've talked so much about what you've been through, and and

42:24

you've helped other people get

42:26

through really hard

42:28

times. And I was

42:30

just in the restroom earlier

42:32

today. And why is

42:34

that? I don't know why I got that

42:36

about two reasons, but there was a woman in there, and she was just

42:38

talking about Aaron. And what a

42:41

joy Aaron has been on

42:44

the podcast to her and what an encouragement you've been and

42:46

how she always has to keep Kleenexes there

42:48

with her because you just really touch

42:52

her heart. so nice. I I know. And so I just I see

42:54

God working in wonderful ways. I was in

42:56

the restroom because I wear a jumpsuit

42:58

today. So we know what they tell you

43:00

about this. So to

43:02

another episode.

43:03

very boy mics to just be

43:05

in the ladies room at least twenty

43:07

minutes before I think

43:09

I need to. because that's how it works. She had to be proactive. You

43:11

know, I actually told someone to do they were looking for you, just

43:13

on a side note. They were looking for you, and I

43:16

said, she's she's not here. If you need to

43:18

find her

43:20

today, check the bathroom because I know she's gotta build and breaks because of her

43:22

outfit. I'll see my finder there.

43:24

You don't wanna waste time.

43:26

No. Sorry. You wanna celebrate

43:30

the fact that you had a successful

43:32

you didn't see your pants. You know what?

43:34

Okay. While we're just on this Joyce talk,

43:38

Well, let me tell you this.

43:40

This is so bizarre. But it this is

43:42

just honesty. This is TIO just

43:44

down. I'm just really

43:46

here for. you guys know my dad had had colon

43:48

rectal cancer. Yeah. And I'm so

43:50

grateful. I'm grateful every day that I have with

43:52

him because he is just a

43:54

walking miracle. that he's still here

43:56

with us. Also through that

43:58

experience, every time I

44:00

go to the bathroom, I'm grateful.

44:02

Give us, like, god. Thank

44:05

you that things are working. Yeah. Thank

44:07

you for health. Yeah. Yeah. Thank

44:10

you for, you know, a colon that's

44:12

doing the job.

44:12

Yeah. I mean, those Joyce things doesn't matter.

44:15

It doesn't matter.

44:15

that we're pulling back just to say, like,

44:17

finding those things where you can be grateful for. Yeah. I

44:19

mean, and that's

44:22

something that kinda laughing about, but it's so serious. It's like when you've

44:24

seen a loved one go through something -- Uh-huh. --

44:26

really hard or maybe we've gone

44:28

through something really

44:30

hard in that we're not necessarily going through that right now. That's something

44:32

to to I think as

44:34

we're ending, I would love to talk

44:36

about flipping those things that are

44:38

so painful. into

44:40

what we can celebrate. Like I think about how

44:43

we are concerned about our

44:45

children. We all couldn't

44:47

worry about our children and there are always things

44:50

in their lives that we're praying about

44:52

and and feel

44:54

heavy and And I I try so often to flip

44:56

that and to celebrate what God is

44:58

doing, what I see in them, and

45:00

what God will do in them. If it's not

45:02

something that

45:04

I'm seen right now. And to turn worry

45:06

into a Celebration Mhmm. --

45:08

is is a wonderful thing. Mhmm. Yeah. A hundred

45:10

percent I've seen that with my daughter.

45:13

a hundred percent -- Yeah. -- when we have our tough times

45:15

and when you're in it, like,

45:17

when you're in the trial, when you're

45:19

in that moment where you're worried

45:21

about kid or you're worried about your relationship with your kid or

45:23

-- Yeah. --

45:23

you're worried about their mental health or

45:26

anything like that. It's hard to find those

45:28

things to celebrate, but I stayed

45:30

consistent with and this isn't a

45:32

pat on my back because it was not easy, but I would

45:34

always text her and, like, you

45:36

know, say something nice to

45:38

her or tell her I love her and just even if I was worried, I don't I

45:40

didn't put that on her, but seeing

45:42

things. And I know we'll go through, you

45:44

know, hills and valleys, but, like, right

45:46

now, seeing that even

45:48

though we were in a tough spot just a little bit

45:50

ago, like seeing her full circle

45:52

now in college and, you

45:54

know, getting a's and b's and pursuing

45:56

her dreams. So it's exciting to see, you know, but it also

45:58

is one of those times that I'm writing it

46:00

down. So

46:02

I can remember it. Yeah. If there are times where I'm worried again,

46:04

I'm like, god, you came through. Mhmm. That time. I

46:07

know you're gonna do it again.

46:09

So shifting that perspective is always

46:11

helpful. Yeah. That's good. Yeah. Anything you think, Erin, what what's

46:14

been important for you Celebration?

46:17

I think sinking

46:20

back over the past few years, I think

46:22

one thing that I have really

46:24

learned to celebrate is

46:28

progress. So, like, we've talked about a lot of hard things. And like

46:30

you said, we've we didn't know when

46:32

we sign up to do this that we would walk through some of

46:34

the hardest years of all of our lives.

46:36

and I believe you started it off for all of us. So thank you. Thank

46:39

you. You're welcome. Have a beer with

46:41

you? You can't hear you. But

46:43

you can't offer

46:46

us. I love

46:48

you. But so we

46:51

like, all these hard things and we're figuring

46:53

out more about ourselves and No.

46:55

I still have habits that aren't great. I still

46:58

pick up my phone when I shouldn't and I said three years

47:00

ago, I wasn't gonna do that. But

47:02

what I've

47:04

seen is I'm recognizing things that I've never recognized before.

47:06

Mhmm. And I'm I'm growing as a

47:08

person. I'm learning more

47:10

about who who I am and

47:12

-- Yeah. -- that confidence that comes only in

47:14

Christ that I thought I have.

47:16

But as I learn more and I walk through

47:18

hard things, I am

47:20

progressing more towards what God God

47:22

has for me. So I'm

47:24

not at the end, but I can look

47:26

back and see I've made some really great progress and that's

47:28

we're celebrating today. My marriage is

47:30

not where it was, and I'm celebrating that

47:32

today. So to me, that's the most

47:34

important thing. Yeah. Yeah. It's about the

47:36

journey. it's just about It's

47:38

just about I keep thinking about that end. What is the

47:40

end? Like, what is the

47:42

end? The end is the end. So then

47:44

we we can

47:46

celebrate it the end

47:48

because

47:48

you know, you

47:50

know. Why don't we I gotta

47:52

start celebrating celebrating now

47:54

because -- Yeah. I probably won't

47:56

be there at the end because it'll be the end.

47:58

Yeah. I

47:58

mean, it's Dean. So

47:59

but that's true. Yeah. It's sound like it

48:02

that's really deep. What really That's what

48:04

I like wherever you go there you are. There you are. Whatever,

48:06

you

48:06

know, that you are. And wherever you'll

48:08

be, you'll be.

48:09

Yeah. But in the end, you won't be. You

48:11

won't be.

48:12

So you can't you'll

48:14

be having a

48:15

big party in heaven. heaven. We're gonna be

48:17

pearls. You you don't wanna waste the

48:19

party time now. TIO. I'm

48:22

just saying, like, we don't we all we know right now is there's a

48:24

gate with pearl with a pearl that hopefully Joyce's

48:26

mansion is gonna be blinged out. We we

48:29

know have something to look forward to in eternity. But while

48:31

we're on

48:32

Earth -- Yeah. -- it's

48:33

we have to like, I just am

48:36

sticking with that. Like, I have been a

48:38

firm believer of going through your journey.

48:40

Like, I am big on going through my journey when I'm

48:42

not feeling good. That's why I agreeing

48:44

TIO, like, the psalms. of David talking

48:46

about his real situations, his real life. God,

48:48

where are you? I feel like you've forsaken me.

48:50

Mhmm. But then before that chapter,

48:52

before that complete body of work

48:55

is done, he's still saying, but God, I trust you. I love

48:57

you and I rejoice in blah blah blah all

48:59

the good celebration stuff. So I'm saying, go

49:01

through your journey. and don't

49:04

spiritually bypass where you're --

49:06

Right.

49:06

-- faking when you're not, you know,

49:08

like, if you're not okay, say you're not

49:10

okay. Yeah. But but at some point find

49:12

a way to pivot. Like, I I think that

49:14

is super

49:15

important with the journey. So many days

49:17

we feel alone. Yeah.

49:19

So find those things and it's

49:21

so scriptural and like you were

49:23

saying dig into the word of God because there

49:25

is so much to celebrate in

49:28

there about how much he loves us, how he created us for

49:30

good, the good plane he has for

49:32

us. So if you can't find anything to

49:34

celebrate, that's a really good place

49:36

to start.

49:38

is dig into his word and find those things that are truth

49:41

about yourself. So we also were so

49:43

grateful for all of you. We

49:46

we cannot have this celebration without

49:48

telling all of you friends and you

49:50

are friends to us how much we

49:52

appreciate you, how much we love you.

49:55

how much we are so grateful that you've been a

49:57

part of this, like, ten million

49:59

plus interactions over over the years that

50:01

we've been doing this podcast. So We're

50:03

so grateful for you. Thank you. We do have a

50:05

free resource for you. If you wanna

50:08

dig more into the bible and see what

50:10

it says about this, It's called

50:12

the small adjustment that makes

50:14

a big difference. So you can get

50:16

this absolutely free. It's a free audio

50:19

download go to joyce meyer dot org slash

50:21

talk it out. And maybe you're kinda

50:23

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50:25

You can go there also

50:27

and check up all of our old podcasts kinda get

50:29

caught up so you know everything that's been

50:32

happening in all of our lives that we've been

50:34

studying the word of God

50:36

together and We love to see how

50:38

you grow through all of it too. So

50:40

subscribe. Send us some

50:42

notes. Let us know. We'd love to read your

50:44

comments. It's great to hear from you. And

50:46

we have to be so grateful to God for what he has done through

50:48

all of this. Yeah. So great, Neville. We

50:51

will see you all next

50:53

time and we love

50:56

you. Wait a minute.

50:57

Confetti. Okay. Bye.

51:00

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