1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:12,680 Welcome to the God's Goodness podcast, where our mission is to encourage as well as highlight 2 00:00:12,680 --> 00:00:15,140 God's goodness and modern-day miracles. 3 00:00:15,140 --> 00:00:17,480 We are your hosts, Josh and Shelley Hengins. 4 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:22,280 Oh, Father God, we thank you so much for this time that we have to spend with you and to 5 00:00:22,280 --> 00:00:24,200 share you with others. 6 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:31,560 You are the great God of all creation, and we are so blessed to have you as our King. 7 00:00:31,560 --> 00:00:36,040 Jesus, we ask that you would touch the hearts and our minds to help us to grow in you and 8 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:41,160 that you would help reach someone with this message, that they would lean into you and 9 00:00:41,160 --> 00:00:47,080 seek to understand you and that you would give them that wisdom as you freely give. 10 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:49,080 In Jesus' mighty name, amen. 11 00:00:49,080 --> 00:00:54,920 So, today's episode, we'll be sharing a little bit about my background, my history. 12 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:55,920 I had two parents. 13 00:00:55,920 --> 00:00:57,560 I have a sister and... 14 00:00:57,560 --> 00:00:59,920 Most of us have the two parents. 15 00:00:59,920 --> 00:01:02,640 It usually works like that. 16 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:07,800 And when I was younger, my dad and I used to do everything together, and I was Daddy's 17 00:01:07,800 --> 00:01:08,800 girl. 18 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:14,580 And when I was in fourth grade, I think it was fourth grade, my biological mom left, 19 00:01:14,580 --> 00:01:19,720 and I came home and she had taken some stuff out of the house, and it was just me and my 20 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:25,440 dad, and she didn't bring my sister back from daycare that day. 21 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:28,960 So my dad, he said, where do you want to live? 22 00:01:28,960 --> 00:01:33,080 And I said, well, that's a dumb question because, of course, I want to live with you. 23 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:35,520 He's like, I just wanted to make sure. 24 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:39,920 So I lived with my dad, and he and I had always gone to church together. 25 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:45,960 It was a Presbyterian church, but church nonetheless, and they taught us about God's love and His 26 00:01:45,960 --> 00:01:47,120 goodness. 27 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:52,920 But one of the sermons that he and I went to when I was younger was about... They had 28 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:59,400 all the kids in the main service, and the sermon was about, ask and you shall receive. 29 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:04,200 And they said, at the end of this service, you go to that back table and ask for a bag 30 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:05,200 of candy. 31 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:06,200 They'll give you a bag of candy. 32 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:07,800 And I was like, oh, that's cool. 33 00:02:07,800 --> 00:02:09,360 I'd like that. 34 00:02:09,360 --> 00:02:12,640 So I'm thinking the whole time, how am I going to ask for a bag of candy? 35 00:02:12,640 --> 00:02:15,000 Can I have a bag of candy? 36 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:16,640 May I have some candy, please? 37 00:02:16,640 --> 00:02:20,840 They said, if I gave you a bag of candy, I'm thinking of all these different ways that 38 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:23,920 I can ask for a bag of candy. 39 00:02:23,920 --> 00:02:28,880 And so we finally get to the back table at the end, and I don't even get all the way 40 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:29,880 to the table. 41 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:33,400 And this lady, she saw me coming, and she reached out her hand and gave me a bag of 42 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:34,400 candy. 43 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:36,120 And I didn't even ask for it. 44 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:40,680 So that whole time, I was all worried about, what am I going to say? 45 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:42,680 All those worries were unfounded. 46 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:46,520 I didn't need to worry about anything because God had it. 47 00:02:46,520 --> 00:02:53,040 And that was one of the first times that, that was a great seed, that Bible verse was 48 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:56,560 amazing because I've used that all my life. 49 00:02:56,560 --> 00:02:59,720 Ask for many, many weird things. 50 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:02,520 But if you don't ask, then nothing changes. 51 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:06,200 So that's one of the things that have carried all of my life. 52 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:08,200 Do you have something you want to share with us? 53 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:09,200 Oh, yeah. 54 00:03:09,200 --> 00:03:13,760 No, I just pulled up the passage for Matthew 7.7 as you were speaking, and I just, I'd 55 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:15,200 like to read it. 56 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:18,440 So everyone's on the same page that this is a biblical principle to ask and you shall 57 00:03:18,440 --> 00:03:19,940 receive. 58 00:03:19,940 --> 00:03:23,360 So Matthew 7.7, this is New King James Version. 59 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:25,320 Ask and it will be given to you. 60 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:27,280 Seek and you will find. 61 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:29,720 Knock and it will be open to you. 62 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:34,680 For everyone who asks receives and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will 63 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:36,160 be opened. 64 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:42,040 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone. 65 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:45,160 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 66 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:51,760 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more 67 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:56,480 will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him? 68 00:03:56,480 --> 00:04:03,080 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the law 69 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:05,080 and the prophets. 70 00:04:05,080 --> 00:04:06,080 So good. 71 00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:10,200 And that Matthew 7.7, 8 is at my Bible. 72 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:12,200 Those are my Bible verses of the year. 73 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:17,120 Everything I'm seeking, I'm finding, everything I ask for and receiving, everything, like 74 00:04:17,120 --> 00:04:18,840 God always gives us enough. 75 00:04:18,840 --> 00:04:20,560 He's always gave us enough. 76 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:25,520 But like this year, it's really standing out more so than other years. 77 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:29,960 And let me tell you, my life wasn't always as perfect as it is now. 78 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:34,800 I got the husband, the kids, the dog, well, three dogs. 79 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:35,960 I'm like a rich person. 80 00:04:35,960 --> 00:04:37,440 I got three dogs. 81 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:44,280 And I got great people in my life and I'm just blessed to, with so much goodness. 82 00:04:44,280 --> 00:04:50,920 And I hadn't realized at the time, before Jesus, well, before getting to know him better. 83 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:54,160 There was a time where I knew Jesus as the little girl. 84 00:04:54,160 --> 00:04:57,520 And I didn't seek that relationship with him. 85 00:04:57,520 --> 00:04:59,400 And he was there. 86 00:04:59,400 --> 00:05:01,800 I knew to pray and he was always there. 87 00:05:01,800 --> 00:05:06,560 But I didn't get to know him until after I met my husband. 88 00:05:06,560 --> 00:05:09,440 And we started going to church together. 89 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:17,240 And I got into this small group, Bible studies with the ladies and anything I could learn 90 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:20,640 about with other groups of people to help guide me. 91 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:25,400 That was like my discipleship without a direct, you know, person helping me. 92 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:31,000 And I hadn't realized at the time, but I had a whole A-J-O-L-E that I was trying to fill 93 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:34,360 with worldly things before I had met my husband. 94 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:38,160 And you know, no matter what I did, I was protected no matter what. 95 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:44,840 But like back in the day, like I'll admit, I smoked a lot of dope because I grew up in 96 00:05:44,840 --> 00:05:49,360 Jamestown and Pennsylvania and there's not a lot to do up there. 97 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:51,040 They have one red light. 98 00:05:51,040 --> 00:05:56,360 They'll shut down the whole school for a week so they can have a fair and on the school 99 00:05:56,360 --> 00:05:57,360 grounds. 100 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:03,840 So I wasn't really learning about Jesus and that relationship till after I actually had 101 00:06:03,840 --> 00:06:06,840 a man to like say, oh, I think this is what we should do. 102 00:06:06,840 --> 00:06:08,480 Like he saw things. 103 00:06:08,480 --> 00:06:10,840 So tell about your experience when you met me. 104 00:06:10,840 --> 00:06:11,840 Oh man. 105 00:06:11,840 --> 00:06:14,480 So I met her online and. 106 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:15,480 Yahoo! 107 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:16,480 Personals. 108 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:20,760 It's an incredible thing because I've already, I'd been married, you know, twice before. 109 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:21,760 She's my third. 110 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:23,720 I'm not encouraging you guys do that that way. 111 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:28,440 I encourage you guys to see it married one time and stay in a relationship with Jesus. 112 00:06:28,440 --> 00:06:31,720 But I didn't know God for the first marriage and I'd learned who he was in the second. 113 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:34,600 So I was, and I'd come from a blended home. 114 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:38,320 So it's, the odds were stacked against me without Jesus in the beginning. 115 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:41,840 Anyway, she came into my store to, I was not my store. 116 00:06:41,840 --> 00:06:43,920 I worked in a bed, bathroom, beyond when I met her. 117 00:06:43,920 --> 00:06:45,440 Also in the Army Reserve. 118 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:51,280 And she came in and to meet me and I didn't like what I saw. 119 00:06:51,280 --> 00:06:52,840 But it was the same. 120 00:06:52,840 --> 00:06:56,600 Like she wore like some blue eyeshadow that was like something that you would saw from 121 00:06:56,600 --> 00:06:58,360 early 80s. 122 00:06:58,360 --> 00:06:59,360 And like Mimi. 123 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:00,360 Yeah. 124 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:01,360 Yeah. 125 00:07:01,360 --> 00:07:02,360 Yeah. 126 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:03,360 Oh man. 127 00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:04,360 Yes. 128 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:05,360 And it just looked out of place for you. 129 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:08,520 But I couldn't shake the feeling that I knew you. 130 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:13,240 Like you had such a familiarity about you and it bothered me and it drew me to you. 131 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:14,240 Yeah. 132 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:17,520 Like really, you would study me like where do I know her? 133 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:18,520 Yeah. 134 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:19,520 And I never forget a face. 135 00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:20,680 I may forget a name. 136 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:24,520 I mean, I may, I always forget a name, but I never forget a face. 137 00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:28,160 I can always place where I've seen somebody and I was a loss. 138 00:07:28,160 --> 00:07:29,960 And then the first date that we had. 139 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:30,960 It was lunch date. 140 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:31,960 It was lunch date. 141 00:07:31,960 --> 00:07:33,120 And I did all the talking. 142 00:07:33,120 --> 00:07:36,560 Miss talk at the time over here was just quiet. 143 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:38,120 I didn't even think she did talk a lot. 144 00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:41,120 And I thought that was a winning personality trait too. 145 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:44,400 And I was let down later and she opened up. 146 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:45,400 Yeah. 147 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:46,400 I was misdiagnosed. 148 00:07:46,400 --> 00:07:48,200 I was on pills for being bipolar. 149 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:49,200 Yeah. 150 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:52,480 Whereas I, no one ever taught me how to deal with my emotions. 151 00:07:52,480 --> 00:07:56,360 You know, I had my dad growing up who's going to teach me about emotions. 152 00:07:56,360 --> 00:07:59,400 So I got diagnosed as bipolar in high school. 153 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:02,520 Of course, every teenager could be classified as bipolar. 154 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:03,520 They're all over the place. 155 00:08:03,520 --> 00:08:08,600 But like I didn't have any coping techniques and no one thought to teach me any coping techniques. 156 00:08:08,600 --> 00:08:10,600 They're like, we'll just put her on some pills. 157 00:08:10,600 --> 00:08:14,320 So I was on, I was taking a whole handful of pills at one time. 158 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:15,320 Yeah. 159 00:08:15,320 --> 00:08:17,320 That one that you're on made you real quiet. 160 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:18,840 And then the slow talking too. 161 00:08:18,840 --> 00:08:19,840 Oh yes. 162 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:20,840 Yeah. 163 00:08:20,840 --> 00:08:23,360 I thought you were drinking. 164 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:27,160 And it's not until I actually started learning you were that it was that certain pill that 165 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:29,040 you were on that did it to you. 166 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:33,080 And then when you got switched off with that to another one, I was stunned because you 167 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:34,760 were a different person. 168 00:08:34,760 --> 00:08:39,560 Not like you were, you're not a slow talker, but you were also not a stop talker. 169 00:08:39,560 --> 00:08:41,480 And I thought, oh man, I've been hoodwinked. 170 00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:44,000 I have to be tricked. 171 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:45,000 He was a scam. 172 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:50,920 It was totally a God thing that we are together because he, I didn't want any kids. 173 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:51,920 I quit. 174 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:57,080 I dropped out of college three weeks before graduation because I went to be a teacher 175 00:08:57,080 --> 00:09:01,280 and then I got to the student teaching part and I learned I don't like to be around kids 176 00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:03,200 a lot like that much. 177 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:05,840 And I had no idea until the end. 178 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:09,920 And he had a kid on his shoulders in his profile on the Yahoo! 179 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:10,920 Personals. 180 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:13,440 And like, and it wasn't even that good of a picture. 181 00:09:13,440 --> 00:09:15,440 I'm like, oh, I bet it maybe he's cute. 182 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:20,240 Like it wasn't like even zoomed in that much, but like I was just drawn to him. 183 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:23,040 So it was totally a God thing. 184 00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:24,680 You still don't like kids. 185 00:09:24,680 --> 00:09:25,680 But there were some. 186 00:09:25,680 --> 00:09:28,880 I was doing stuff that you're like, oh, I don't like that. 187 00:09:28,880 --> 00:09:30,720 Oh, you're doing a lot of stuff I didn't like. 188 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:34,340 So she had friends that influenced her poorly. 189 00:09:34,340 --> 00:09:39,560 She would drink, she would crush pills and snort them and not even knowing what they 190 00:09:39,560 --> 00:09:40,560 were. 191 00:09:40,560 --> 00:09:41,560 Yeah. 192 00:09:41,560 --> 00:09:42,560 It was ridiculous. 193 00:09:42,560 --> 00:09:43,560 Like they would tell me, but then I'd forget. 194 00:09:43,560 --> 00:09:44,560 And then I'd be like, what is this again? 195 00:09:44,560 --> 00:09:45,560 It was not good. 196 00:09:45,560 --> 00:09:46,720 Any other kind of being on earth. 197 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:50,240 If I'd been kind that there wouldn't have been a I'm gone by. 198 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:51,240 See ya. 199 00:09:51,240 --> 00:09:52,240 I wouldn't even go to ghost. 200 00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:55,440 He wouldn't even a vapor trail, like in a cartoon like gone. 201 00:09:55,440 --> 00:09:57,400 And I don't know why I stayed. 202 00:09:57,400 --> 00:10:02,760 I don't know what compelled me that familiarity of you really rooted me. 203 00:10:02,760 --> 00:10:06,520 And I was very vocal about, I was like, I don't, I don't like that. 204 00:10:06,520 --> 00:10:07,520 This bothers me. 205 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:08,520 I don't like that. 206 00:10:08,520 --> 00:10:10,400 And you responded to it. 207 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:12,280 Cause you quit. 208 00:10:12,280 --> 00:10:14,520 And I don't know why she listened into me. 209 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:15,600 Right. 210 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:20,400 This is a person who has these habits that does this certain thing. 211 00:10:20,400 --> 00:10:22,200 And the minute I tell her, I don't like it. 212 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:23,200 She stops. 213 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:25,080 And that just blew my mind. 214 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:30,560 And it's been really kind of us feeding off each other like that for 13 years now. 215 00:10:30,560 --> 00:10:31,560 Well, 216 00:10:31,560 --> 00:10:36,760 I think it's been a journey for us to say the least. 217 00:10:36,760 --> 00:10:40,760 And I wish I could, I could sit here and talk about another friend of mine at church 218 00:10:40,760 --> 00:10:43,600 who has been with his wife, I think 25 years or so. 219 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:44,600 And they don't even argue. 220 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:45,840 They've never argued in their life. 221 00:10:45,840 --> 00:10:49,120 I wish I could say that's the same because it's not. 222 00:10:49,120 --> 00:10:54,240 I remember I remember mentioning that I like conflict. 223 00:10:54,240 --> 00:10:56,040 And so I do not. 224 00:10:56,040 --> 00:10:58,760 And no, and that would bother me because you would, you would leave. 225 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:01,640 And I'm like in the middle like, where are you going? 226 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:03,520 Yeah, no, I was still learning coping techniques. 227 00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:04,520 Yeah. 228 00:11:04,520 --> 00:11:05,520 I was like, this is how we do this. 229 00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:06,520 You gotta be head on and then you'd leave. 230 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:09,200 And I'm like, oh, and you'd come back fine. 231 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:12,680 Like whatever it is you did when you were gone and like you got yourself right and you 232 00:11:12,680 --> 00:11:14,120 came out like nothing bothered you. 233 00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:15,640 And that made me more mad. 234 00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:18,880 It was like, oh, it was so frustrating. 235 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:19,880 It still is. 236 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:23,480 I have learned to try to look on the front, the, you know, the bright side of things. 237 00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:27,120 Like what is the positive part of this that I can learn for sure? 238 00:11:27,120 --> 00:11:28,760 Well, I'm still trying to learn. 239 00:11:28,760 --> 00:11:30,320 I have a hard time with a lot of things. 240 00:11:30,320 --> 00:11:32,960 And apparently it's because I learned things the hard way. 241 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:34,680 That's the only way I learn is the hard way. 242 00:11:34,680 --> 00:11:36,280 I think I did it the same way. 243 00:11:36,280 --> 00:11:37,600 But this is how God made me. 244 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:39,040 So hey, I'm glad you're here. 245 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:41,280 We're on the same adventure now. 246 00:11:41,280 --> 00:11:46,320 So I hadn't realized back then, but I had a whole H-O-L-E that I was trying to fill with 247 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:47,360 worldly things. 248 00:11:47,360 --> 00:11:53,560 But Jesus healed me and made me H whole as in W-H-O-L-E. 249 00:11:53,560 --> 00:11:57,320 So I am not the person I once was. 250 00:11:57,320 --> 00:11:58,320 Not the least. 251 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:00,360 I'm still trying to get better. 252 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:05,640 But you know, there's little things that add up, such as in the compound effect, one of 253 00:12:05,640 --> 00:12:07,960 the books I've read this year. 254 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:14,680 And well, last month, I did nine audiobooks last month, the one paperback book. 255 00:12:14,680 --> 00:12:16,960 I love, love, love books. 256 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:22,520 And they actually say there's this, this one thing I got my friend gave to me yesterday. 257 00:12:22,520 --> 00:12:24,280 I want to share it with you. 258 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:28,080 But what's really interesting is, I don't know what this is. 259 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:31,440 It's like a page in a devotional or something. 260 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:34,560 And it says, let me read this. 261 00:12:34,560 --> 00:12:41,880 From Proverbs 8, 11, Wisdom is so priceless that it exceeds the value of any jewel. 262 00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:44,360 Nothing you could wish for can equal her. 263 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:49,320 And it says, according to Scripture, wisdom is the principal thing and is to be sought 264 00:12:49,320 --> 00:12:51,240 after as a priority. 265 00:12:51,240 --> 00:12:55,680 Everything we could desire is better than or equal to the value of wisdom. 266 00:12:55,680 --> 00:13:00,880 Interestingly, pursuing wisdom is prioritized much like seeking first the kingdom of God 267 00:13:00,880 --> 00:13:02,920 is in the New Testament. 268 00:13:02,920 --> 00:13:08,160 Throughout Proverbs, seeking wisdom is what releases the blessing of God in all the areas 269 00:13:08,160 --> 00:13:09,520 of life. 270 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:15,520 Whether health, finances, position and title, or the beauty of meaningful relationships, 271 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:20,520 all are enhanced and enabled through our prioritized pursuit of wisdom. 272 00:13:20,520 --> 00:13:25,800 This journey brings us to the wonderful discovery that wisdom is also a person. 273 00:13:25,800 --> 00:13:27,400 Jesus is our wisdom. 274 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:31,040 It says, C 1 Corinthians 1.30. 275 00:13:31,040 --> 00:13:35,000 It says, Jesus, you are the person of wisdom. 276 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:36,760 I don't know if this is Bible verse. 277 00:13:36,760 --> 00:13:40,000 You are the person of wisdom and you live inside of me. 278 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:42,880 I am so aware of my need for more of you. 279 00:13:42,880 --> 00:13:46,360 Help me to tap into your presence and the wisdom found there. 280 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:50,440 And then it has this, the second part, wisdom rest. 281 00:13:50,440 --> 00:13:51,920 Wisdom is a person. 282 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:57,920 So living in wisdom is a relationship where we learn to truly see through his eyes, gaining 283 00:13:57,920 --> 00:14:00,920 his perspective, as in Jesus. 284 00:14:00,920 --> 00:14:03,800 And it is that perspective that enables faith. 285 00:14:03,800 --> 00:14:08,800 It could be said that wisdom gives faith a context in which to function in the same way 286 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:12,040 that the banks of a river give direction to the water. 287 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:14,760 So wisdom gives faith a direction, a target. 288 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:19,960 It says, I created you to dream so big that you need to rely on my wisdom. 289 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:24,000 My presence and my perspective to see your dreams fulfilled. 290 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:27,840 And don't limit yourself to what you can do on your own. 291 00:14:27,840 --> 00:14:31,520 I am here waiting to pour out my presence on you. 292 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:33,120 Mm, good stuff. 293 00:14:33,120 --> 00:14:36,760 So maybe that's why I'm drawn to wisdom, because Jesus is inside me and He just draws 294 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:38,480 me to the right things. 295 00:14:38,480 --> 00:14:39,480 The Holy Spirit. 296 00:14:39,480 --> 00:14:40,480 Yeah. 297 00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:41,480 Power of God. 298 00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:42,480 The Holy Spirit is my favorite. 299 00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:43,480 Oh my goodness. 300 00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:45,480 What did I do without Him? 301 00:14:45,480 --> 00:14:47,040 Oh my gosh. 302 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:50,320 I could tell you that you wouldn't have been healed of that neck pain. 303 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:51,320 That's true. 304 00:14:51,320 --> 00:14:55,360 I could tell you that the things that I have seen and experienced could not have been done 305 00:14:55,360 --> 00:14:57,400 without it. 306 00:14:57,400 --> 00:15:01,280 I don't care what anybody says and I don't care what memes people put out there. 307 00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:03,440 I will never doubt. 308 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:05,080 My people will never be shaken on that. 309 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:08,680 I am absolutely beyond reproach on that. 310 00:15:08,680 --> 00:15:12,480 Once you have that experience with God, there's nobody that can tell you anything different. 311 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:13,480 No. 312 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:14,480 And it's not like I had that one experience. 313 00:15:14,480 --> 00:15:15,880 I've had so many. 314 00:15:15,880 --> 00:15:16,880 Yeah. 315 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:20,280 I could get some and I could tell God, you know, it doesn't matter if I can remember 316 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:25,000 them, because I know there's so many that I remember that there's so many that this 317 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:27,080 isn't going to shake me. 318 00:15:27,080 --> 00:15:28,720 Yeah. 319 00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:35,560 And then, you know, we had, so we met and I was healed and then, well, I filled that 320 00:15:35,560 --> 00:15:37,000 hole with Jesus. 321 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:40,400 But then our lives just keep getting better and better. 322 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:41,400 Oh yeah. 323 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:42,880 We have different challenges. 324 00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:43,880 It's cool. 325 00:15:43,880 --> 00:15:50,400 In the first episode, we give a brief synopsis of our 27 months of unemployment and there's 326 00:15:50,400 --> 00:15:54,480 a lot to say about how God sustained us in that and He had given us wisdom and we grew 327 00:15:54,480 --> 00:15:57,320 in Him in those 27 months, right? 328 00:15:57,320 --> 00:16:01,800 When I didn't have, when I wasn't getting up for gold, I was getting up for God and 329 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:04,920 that was a really big game changer, right? 330 00:16:04,920 --> 00:16:08,320 It was a concept I hadn't understood until that moment. 331 00:16:08,320 --> 00:16:10,640 So like, you know, when you sit your alarm, you say, well, I got to give it a six o'clock 332 00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:12,200 so I can get ready for work. 333 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:15,720 At that point, you have to realize that you're getting up for gold. 334 00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:19,680 You're getting up for that job to earn money to have a wage when really you should set 335 00:16:19,680 --> 00:16:23,880 your alarm with the sole purpose in mind, say, I get to talk to God. 336 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:27,840 I get to experience Jesus bursting in the morning, right? 337 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:30,200 Everything after that is tertiary because God will provide. 338 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:32,080 Yeah, you have a job. 339 00:16:32,080 --> 00:16:33,080 Focus on God first. 340 00:16:33,080 --> 00:16:35,280 Oh yeah, you got a vet appointment. 341 00:16:35,280 --> 00:16:36,800 Focus on Jesus first, right? 342 00:16:36,800 --> 00:16:39,400 Oh yeah, you got to get the kids ready for school. 343 00:16:39,400 --> 00:16:43,600 It doesn't mean you can't negate the time that you have to allow. 344 00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:47,960 It's not just because he wants to hear from us, but because it is good for us to grow. 345 00:16:47,960 --> 00:16:50,120 It's like watering your plants outside. 346 00:16:50,120 --> 00:16:55,240 You can't expect them to go through these hot days and water it when you notice it's 347 00:16:55,240 --> 00:16:56,240 bad. 348 00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:59,240 You have to nurture it and tend it and take care of it. 349 00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:02,360 And it's not really work if you enjoy it, right? 350 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:06,920 So if you enjoy talking to God and it doesn't have to be something that you've seen an internet 351 00:17:06,920 --> 00:17:11,560 preacher do, it doesn't have to be something that you saw in a movie. 352 00:17:11,560 --> 00:17:16,560 It doesn't have to be anything but you and your authentic words talking to the creator 353 00:17:16,560 --> 00:17:19,440 of the universe because he wants to hear from us. 354 00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:20,440 Isn't that neat? 355 00:17:20,440 --> 00:17:21,440 It is. 356 00:17:21,440 --> 00:17:22,440 It is the coolest thing I've ever done. 357 00:17:22,440 --> 00:17:23,440 It blows my mind. 358 00:17:23,440 --> 00:17:25,160 He created everything, but he wants to talk to me. 359 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:26,920 Who am I that he would consider me? 360 00:17:26,920 --> 00:17:27,920 Yeah. 361 00:17:27,920 --> 00:17:28,920 Right? 362 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:31,480 I am so insignificant among, amongst men, right? 363 00:17:31,480 --> 00:17:36,720 I'm no greater than some, but I'm least amongst many men, right? 364 00:17:36,720 --> 00:17:41,040 I was in tears, overwhelmed that the creator of the universe wanted me to make something 365 00:17:41,040 --> 00:17:42,040 like this. 366 00:17:42,040 --> 00:17:45,800 And I'm like, oh, he thinks that much of me. 367 00:17:45,800 --> 00:17:46,800 How cool is that? 368 00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:47,800 Yeah. 369 00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:52,080 You know, and you look at all the laws that he has gotten, all the confusion about whether 370 00:17:52,080 --> 00:17:56,640 he's fulfilled them or if we still have to do this, because clearly every single person 371 00:17:56,640 --> 00:17:58,520 is broken a law. 372 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:02,880 Because you know, if a woman is on a period and she shakes hands with somebody, she's 373 00:18:02,880 --> 00:18:03,880 broken a law. 374 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:06,360 Well, what woman hasn't, right? 375 00:18:06,360 --> 00:18:11,160 And if you're a dude, if you've ever shaved ever, you've broken a law. 376 00:18:11,160 --> 00:18:12,840 So you know, we can't live by the law. 377 00:18:12,840 --> 00:18:16,360 The law is there to show us that we're sinners and that we need to save her. 378 00:18:16,360 --> 00:18:19,840 So Jesus fulfilled the law and that's a wonderful thing. 379 00:18:19,840 --> 00:18:22,720 And then we have the 10 Commandments which are the moral law and it teaches us like a 380 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:26,880 principle of how to be and how to act and how to treat each other. 381 00:18:26,880 --> 00:18:29,080 That's a wonderful thing as well. 382 00:18:29,080 --> 00:18:35,440 When you consider that without a moral law, we would be considering our good what's best 383 00:18:35,440 --> 00:18:39,560 for Josh as good and what's best for Shelley is good. 384 00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:42,160 And what's best for Shelley isn't always what's good for Josh. 385 00:18:42,160 --> 00:18:45,440 And so it would be a conflict while thinking that we're the good guys. 386 00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:51,520 That reminds me when someone says, I'm just gonna, I know about Jesus, but I'm just gonna 387 00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:56,160 do what I think is good and then they think they're gonna get into heaven without knowing 388 00:18:56,160 --> 00:18:57,160 him. 389 00:18:57,160 --> 00:19:01,400 But then, you know, that one comedian, he talked about wanting to go to someone's house 390 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:03,240 and live there forever. 391 00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:05,600 But if you don't know them, why would they let you in? 392 00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:07,760 Yeah, I wonder if it was a comedian or if it was another... 393 00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:09,480 It was on social media somewhere. 394 00:19:09,480 --> 00:19:10,480 Yeah, it was on social. 395 00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:11,480 I remember it. 396 00:19:11,480 --> 00:19:15,520 He was on a radio show, a hardcore atheist, he said. 397 00:19:15,520 --> 00:19:16,520 And this atheist was challenging. 398 00:19:16,520 --> 00:19:20,560 He was like, all right, you know, God boy or Christian or whatever insulting thing he 399 00:19:20,560 --> 00:19:23,320 tried to get him on, which obviously rolled off the galley. 400 00:19:23,320 --> 00:19:24,320 It was nothing. 401 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:26,320 If I'm a good person, why can't they go to heaven? 402 00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:28,040 Why does your God refuse to have me? 403 00:19:28,040 --> 00:19:32,760 And so if you came over to my house and you said, I'm a good person, let me live here, 404 00:19:32,760 --> 00:19:34,600 why would I let you live here if you don't know me? 405 00:19:34,600 --> 00:19:37,520 I don't have a relationship with you. 406 00:19:37,520 --> 00:19:41,480 And I think that's the key word is you need to have that relationship with him. 407 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:44,120 Just like the people that say, hey, there's many roads to heaven. 408 00:19:44,120 --> 00:19:45,560 This guy had something on that too. 409 00:19:45,560 --> 00:19:46,560 And I wish I remembered his name. 410 00:19:46,560 --> 00:19:49,880 I'd love to give him credit because it's not my idea. 411 00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:53,080 But I'm sure if you've heard of him, you know who it is and you know, email us, you know, 412 00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:54,080 let us know. 413 00:19:54,080 --> 00:19:55,080 We'll say it, we'll imagine it. 414 00:19:55,080 --> 00:19:57,520 God's Goodest Podcast at gmail.com. 415 00:19:57,520 --> 00:19:58,520 This guy totally needs credit for it. 416 00:19:58,520 --> 00:20:00,680 It's a wonderful, phenomenal idea. 417 00:20:00,680 --> 00:20:03,760 And he said, you know, if I tell you to get to my house and I say, hey, you've got to 418 00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:07,360 go north on 79 and then you've got to get off exit 43. 419 00:20:07,360 --> 00:20:10,800 You've got to travel 2.6 miles, make a left down this little road here and then make a 420 00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:14,360 right on the street stump and that's where I live. 421 00:20:14,360 --> 00:20:17,160 And you say, well, I'm going to go south on 79 because there's many ways to get to your 422 00:20:17,160 --> 00:20:18,160 house. 423 00:20:18,160 --> 00:20:19,560 I'm here never going to get to my house. 424 00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:20,560 No. 425 00:20:20,560 --> 00:20:22,920 You know, there's only one way to get to my house and I told you what it was. 426 00:20:22,920 --> 00:20:26,400 If you go any other way, you'll never make it to my house. 427 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:28,840 So that is a little bit about our story. 428 00:20:28,840 --> 00:20:32,520 Can you think of anything else we want to put in this little episode? 429 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:36,160 How about I do have something put you on a spot a little bit and it's, I just want to 430 00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:41,920 let you know that I'm very proud of you and I love to see where you are now compared to 431 00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:45,320 that person I wanted to walk away from in the very beginning. 432 00:20:45,320 --> 00:20:49,080 And I thank God that he stayed me. 433 00:20:49,080 --> 00:20:53,600 I thank God that he rooted me in place and I thank God that he had shared enough of him 434 00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:59,640 with me at that point that I was able to share with you that you re-found a desire to be 435 00:20:59,640 --> 00:21:00,840 with him. 436 00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:04,600 And I'm so grateful that you responded to him and I'm so grateful that I responded to 437 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:09,280 him and I'm just so grateful for our son and our three dogs because we live like a rich 438 00:21:09,280 --> 00:21:10,280 people. 439 00:21:10,280 --> 00:21:12,720 That's a pause. 440 00:21:12,720 --> 00:21:17,440 And I'm very, very, very pleased with the life that God has given me and I can say that 441 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:21,840 that hasn't always been the case for either one of us, that there have been times in our 442 00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:27,120 lives where we have struggled, where we have thought that we're worthless or we've thought 443 00:21:27,120 --> 00:21:29,120 that it was hopeless. 444 00:21:29,120 --> 00:21:32,640 We thought that it can't get any better than this and I just want to encourage anyone listening 445 00:21:32,640 --> 00:21:35,960 right now that there will be another sunrise. 446 00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:37,440 There will be another smile. 447 00:21:37,440 --> 00:21:42,920 There will be another moment to breathe and to breathe clearly and that whatever you could 448 00:21:42,920 --> 00:21:48,800 be going through is inconsequential to the goodness that God has stored for you. 449 00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:53,240 And just bear through and I know that saying, hey, all our hopes and prayers are with you 450 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:56,360 isn't always going to help someone feel better. 451 00:21:56,360 --> 00:22:00,520 I would encourage you to reach out to someone you trust, including email us if you've got 452 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:04,200 questions and if I don't have the answer, I promise I'll find someone who does. 453 00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:10,040 I won't let you hang and we'll partner with you and help you through whatever hardship 454 00:22:10,040 --> 00:22:14,360 you could be going through because in the end you're worth it and so worth it that 455 00:22:14,360 --> 00:22:19,320 God sent His only Son to die for you and I want you to know that we should treat each 456 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:23,880 other with that same reverence and that we love you and we want the best for you. 457 00:22:23,880 --> 00:22:28,000 Well said and I didn't fully cry. 458 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:29,000 I almost did. 459 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:32,160 But thank you so much for joining us on this podcast. 460 00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:36,560 I want to remind you that maybe you haven't heard about it yet, but we do have a campaign 461 00:22:36,560 --> 00:22:41,560 on Gifts and Go if you want to support us with any prayers or perhaps financially. 462 00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:47,320 It does cost money to be hosting, to having the podcast hosting site and to get these 463 00:22:47,320 --> 00:22:53,240 out each time and that would be a blessing even if everyone gave $5 that would be so 464 00:22:53,240 --> 00:22:59,120 much and we'd be able to keep this thing going and you just book up GiftsandGo.com 465 00:22:59,120 --> 00:23:01,680 and then we're under God's goodness podcast. 466 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:11,720 So thank you so much for being with us and we'll talk to you next time.