Joel Osteen Podcast - Part 1: Your Greater Is Coming Special

Episode Date: October 8, 2022

Joel, Victoria, and friends discuss Joel’s new book Your Greater Is Coming. Start making plans for what’s in your heart.  Let’s get our hopes up, let’s believe our greater is coming.   God is setting you up for something magnificent. Request your copy of Your Greater is Coming today. https://www.JoelOsteen.com/greater?sourcecode=2210JWBP&utm_campaign=2210&utm_medium=web&utm_source=podcast&utm_term=onsale     Your best days are still ahead, and together we can make a difference in this world with the message of God's hope and love. To give visit JoelOsteen.com/GiveHope Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of the Joel Osteen Podcast ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Right now, God is arranging things in your favor. He is lining up the brakes you need. He is pushing back forces of darkness. If you will keep moving forward in faith, you are going to come in to unusual favor. Breakthroughs, healing, victories, things that you couldn't make happen on your own. You have to stir up your praise.

Stir up your faith. Start speaking victory over your. your life. Start thanking God that he's fighting your battles, that this too shall pass, that greater is coming. Hey, everyone, great to have you with us today. Got a great hour lined up today. Got some of my friends and Mr. Nick Nielsen with us hosting the program, but guys, I got a new book out. What about me? Well, got beautiful Victoria by my son. You can't miss you in the beautiful yellow match in my book. So my new book, y'all, is called Your Greater is Coming. Discover the path to your bigger, better and brighter future. I'm excited about the book because I know, you know, we go through tough times.

We think we kind of get stuck there, but no, you wouldn't be alive unless God had something amazing in front of you. So hope you'll stay tuned in with us. You can pick up a copy as well. But Pastor Nick Nelson, thanks for always hosting and be a part of our Flakewood family. Yeah, I'm excited to talk about the idea of this book and how relevant and how necessary it is. I know we have some of our team here where we've explored the book. We're excited to discuss it. But I mean, in general, I feel like it's a relevant book and it's timely. But what main thought, what spurred you, inspired you to write it? What's the main idea of the book?

You know, Nick, the main thought is there's, we all go through disappointments. Negative things happen. Man, the pandemic hit. And, you know, just life happens. And it seems like at times we can kind of just put our faith on hold and let me just make it through. And okay, I'll just survive. but there's a scripture that I based the book off on in Psalm 71. It says, God allowed you to suffer much hardship, but he will restore you to greater honor.

I think the principle is God doesn't say that we won't go through things, you know, some suffering, some hardships, some bad breaks, some disappointments, but we can't stop there. The promise is I'm going to bring you out better. I've got greater honor coming, greater health, greater friendships, greater, you know, just greater in general. And so the thought is that we're not going to see the greater if our mind's not in the right position. If we're thinking, well, why me? Why did this happen? Why did this person leave? Or, you know, why did this door close? Well, that's what causes us to get

stuck. But I don't believe that God will let a problem, a difficulty, a circumstances come into your life unless he knows how to turn it around to greater, unless he's going to bring it out greater. The scripture talks about that God will make the enemy pay for bringing the trouble. So my thought with this book is let's get our hopes up. Let's believe that greater is coming. Yeah, I went through the pandemic. Yeah, maybe it slowed me down. Maybe some of these other things have happened.

But how do we know that God's not using that to launch us into new levels? And so I talk about them reading here in the back, start believing again, start dreaming again, start making plans for what's in your heart. Because I really believe that our mindset, I was going to say our lack of faith. and everybody has faith, but sometimes we just living in a defeated mentality or even just a maintaining mentality. And I believe in being content. Every season's not a growing season, but I don't believe that you have to be satisfied and maybe just accept where you are, where you're always going to be because maybe I didn't have a good childhood. I had a bad break at work. Or I talked to somebody

yesterday and after 14 years, they lost their job. And it was a difficult time. It was six months, it was real, but you know what happened? God opened up a better door that was close to their work. It was on the radio program yesterday. And I thought, you know what, that's the way God is. And that's the message that your greater is coming. This book will help you get your mind going in the right direction so you can receive the greater. That's awesome. Why do you feel like this book's You know, I was thinking about this and I love the way this, I love this greater sign right here. Because in math, you're either greater than or less than. And greater than is really, it's an enlarging place. You know, someone may be saying,

well, I don't feel greater than, but if you go through difficulties the right way, you will come to a spacious place, a larger place, in who you are, and your experience and even how you can help other people. So I think that the difference between if we stay in discouragement or we rise above it is what we're expecting, what we're thinking about our life, what we're thinking about our God. And so I love this book because it gives you a mentality of my God is greater than this situation. I'm not going to the less than sign. I'm going to the greater than sign.

Yeah, it hurts. It's painful. You know, and sometimes we sit here and it's easier said than done. Right. But when we begin with this foundation, somehow we can get to that greater place more quickly and not get stuck.

And that's what I love about this book. And so I think that it would be nice to say that in life we'll never have challenges and never have problems. And we're not looking for challenges and problems. I mean, listen, I've been through some and I don't like it and I don't really want to go to those places. But through this book, I see that I can be pointed to the greater sign instead of the less than sign. I love that victory. It reminds me that scripture, it says that God brought the Israelites out of Egypt. They went through, not getting exactly right, but they went through great afflictions where he brought them to a place of great abundance. It's exactly what you're saying. You come through those difficulties, but, you know, on the other side is greater. It's greater abundance, greater victories, greater relationships.

So, you know, again, getting our mindset in that place is what allows God to bring it to past. Yes. Clayton, you have a question for Joel. Yeah, Joel. In your chapter, the shaking is for shifting. We talked about the COVID pandemic, which was obviously devastating and disruptive for all of our lives. I know that was a season where God began to shift some things in my own life. What would you say are some ways that through COVID, you know, we were able to positively look for greater steps in looking for God during that season? Yeah, that's a great question, Clayton. And I love that thought that the shaking is for shifting because, You're right, you know, COVID shook up the whole world. Would you ever thought the world would shut down like that? It's like, what is God doing? But you look in the scripture many times when there was a shaking, it was for God to position people to move forward into their destinies.

And so I think one thing just for me personally, for us personally, it helps to recognize what the right priorities are. It helps us to refocus. And I think that's what God does sometimes. Again, I don't think God sins all the storms, I do believe he can bring good out of it. And so it helped us to realize, I think in general, in just the world that, you know, it's not all about work. It's not all about just achieving. It is about our family and our purpose and what we're doing. So I think it's just important when you

go through shakings in your own life to recognize that God is up to something. Again, like we were talking about, it may not feel well. But again, I think about in the scripture, it was, the disciples were in, I believe it was in Jerusalem, but they were, there was so much persecution, it says they were pushed out to Samaria. Well, if you read it, it says in Samaria, that's when everything blossomed. But it took the shaking to get them out of where they were. And you know what? The shakings may not always be comfortable, but God, again, I believe it's leading to the greater. And so that's one of the points there is just, you know, these things that we go through in life, I know it's difficult, but you have to have that attitude of faith. God, you're still

in control. God, I trust you. God, there's some shaking going on in my life. Well, maybe like I mentioned earlier, that one lady, she lost her job. There was a shaking, but you know what? It opened up a better door. I believe that's the way God is. I think about it even says about Job. You know, we all know the story of Job and he went through all these difficulties and it was so unfair. But it said at the end, it says after this, Job came out with twice the cattle, twice the sheep, and it said he went on to live 140 years to see his children and grandchildren, great-grandchildren. And so after the shaking, there are many great years of joy and peace and victory. So keep your, you know, keep your heart from going to the self-pity, the depression, why did this happen? Nothing good's in my future. No,

God has something amazing in front of you. He's shaking. The shaking was to shift you into new levels, greater joy, greater peace, greater fulfillment. You know, I love those, I love those examples from the Bible. And I was also thinking about when Paul and Silas were in the prison and there was a great shaking. Yeah. And that great shaking was something that caused the jailer and all the people, the prisoners in there, to look within themselves.

They became aware of what was going on within themselves. And the Bible said that they gave their hearts to Christ, you know, and things changed. jailer's family changed. And I think sometimes God is shifting and shaking because he wants us to change. He's always trying to get us to a better place. And as we know humans, we can get very comfortable and we can get very lackadaisical. And so the shifting can sometimes just cause us to be more aware and more aware of our family. And I think that's what you were saying, you know, more aware of what's going on in our life. So sometimes those shiftings are for our change. for us to change, and it's not easy to change.

But sometimes God will shift it so you will change. So I think even in my own life, you know, there's some things that I can look back and I can think I didn't like that shifting. I didn't like that. But, you know, if it wouldn't have happened, I wouldn't be ready for this next season. I wouldn't be aware of different things.

I wouldn't have changed some things. So I think that's important as well. I think that's great, Victoria, and I think as well, as you go through these difficulties, the scripture says God takes you from glory, to glory. And I believe, too, the challenges, this could sound negative, but I don't mean it to be. The challenges can get bigger and bigger, but every challenge you go through, that's fuel to go through the next challenge. That's how God's taking you higher. Let me give a better example.

So when I first started ministering, if I would face some of the challenges that I faced today, it would have defeated me. But I think, you know what, God, you brought me through the compact center. God, you helped me overcome this. God, I look back with my mother and how she overcame. So every challenge, it may get bigger, but it's because there's a bigger destiny in front of you, and that's fuel for your faith. You know, David, David defeating Goliath, and then, you know, he's got King Saul after him. Well, he's just kept, God just kept building him. There were bigger challenges, but that's how we reach our destiny. So know that God's working behind the challenges. He's working behind the scenes, things we don't understand. Sometimes it's the enemy

trying to stop us. Sometimes it's the hand of God, just using trouble as transportation to move us to where we're supposed to be. I think it all boils down. I know I've said it three times, but it boils down to keeping that attitude of faith. God, I trust you. I don't understand it. I don't like it, but God, I know you're working in me, you're working around me, and you're taking me to greater. Awesome. We're going to go to some of the questions from the Talk Shop Live crew. And these are general questions. Some of them are specific related to the book, but this was a question that came in from Janet from San Antonio, Texas. She asked, your father was a great minister.

Did you always feel you're going to be a minister in following your dad's footsteps? I really didn't, Nick. My dad was a great minister, and I admired him. He was my hero, you know, growing up with a little boy, seeing my dad speak in front of the church in front of thousands of people, and we'd travel across the United States during the summer, and I'd see my dad at these big conferences, and everybody loved my dad.

But I never thought this was in me. I thought that's my dad. He can do that. I was behind the scenes, doing all the production, but you know what? God's dream for our life is bigger than our own. When my dad suddenly passed in 1999, I'd only ministered one time before,

but I knew I was supposed to step up and pastor the church. And I didn't feel qualified. My mind told me there's no way. Nobody's going to listen to you. You shouldn't be up there. But you know what? I took that step of faith.

Sometimes you have to, well, not sometimes, probably a lot of times, you have to bypass what's up here and listen to what's down in here. You have to follow what God's put in your heart. And it didn't make sense to my mind, but I took that step of faith. And, you know, there I stepped into greater. I stepped into what I never dreamed. Never dreamed I would be doing this. Never dreamed I'd be here with all of you guys today

and be sitting in the, this is an extension of the compact center where we're in right now. And so, you know, it's part of our core message that you don't know where God's taken you. You know, you stay faithful. I'm not bragging on me, but during those 17 years, I was behind the scenes. I tried to make my dad look good. I tried to be my best in the production and living a life that honored God. Never dreaming that one day I would be here. But even going back and get a little off course, but those 17 years when my dad would speak a message,

I would have to listen to it because we would edit it down from, he'd speak like 40 minutes, and I'd have to edit it to 30 minutes for a television program. Well, I realize now, you know, I had to hear those messages four or five times every week. Well, God was getting me prepared, but I didn't know it. And I think sometimes if God told us what we were going to do, I would have been afraid. I thought there's no way. But you know, sometimes God just pushes you into your destiny and you experience the favor and the grace for that season. But that's a long answer to a short question, but I never dreamed I would be here. And I guess the takeaway is you don't know where God's taken you.

stay faithful where you are. I think another good principle is be your best where you're at right now. Because sometimes we think, and I wouldn't necessarily this way, but sometimes we think, I know there's more in me. And I'm just at this certain job. I'm just at this certain level. But if you don't pass the test of being faithful, being your best where you are, I don't believe those new doors will open. So be your best where you are. You're not working under people. You're working under God. Promotion doesn't come from people. It says it comes from the Lord. When it's the right time, God will open the doors, you'll come into your greater. Awesome. What about you? I mean, I know stepping into pastoring and stepping into that was new. It was something that, you know, you had to take a step of faith into as well. How, I mean, what's your perspective of, did you ever imagine you'd be doing this and ministering how you're ministering?

No, no, no, because I didn't marry a preacher. He tricked me. No, I'm kidding. I'm kidding. You know, I didn't. I knew. what I was getting into as far as the ministry, and I loved ministry, and I loved helping people, and I helped Joel's father a lot. But, you know, there was, there's always something in you that there's a knowing in you that greater is coming. Yes. You just have to, and some people don't want to tap into that for several reasons. Maybe they feel like, you know, they did, they don't want to be egotistical. They don't want, but God has put something bigger in all of us. And so I didn't know what that was. I used to ask Joel. Now, Joel, you know, if something's coming down the pike,

you have to tell me. Make sure that you don't know things I don't know. And because I always felt like, not this, but I always felt like there was something else. And we did so many things. But I think the thing is here, people don't have to shy away from feeling like there is greater in their life. Because God's already put in you what you need. And if there's something that you don't have, he's going to make sure you get it. Great. Because God is the one who's calling. And I think sometimes, and I know I have so much and still do, put so much pressure on myself

to be what God wants me to be. But really, God just wants us to lean into him and let him bring the greater, you know. And so that's a lesson that we all have to learn is to not put so much pressure on ourselves. And I know that you have to put a fair amount of pressure on yourself, you know, because pressure is what forms a diamond. Pressure is what brings out the best in us. But there's a point from being under pressure to being under stress,

so much stress that we put on ourselves. So the pressure is good. I mean, I know that Joel faced a lot of pressure. And I know that you talk about it a lot, how he had to look in the mirror and he had to tell himself that he could do it. He had to, you know, talk himself into it. And I had to do the exact same thing.

But so pressure is one. thing, but stress and where you get really, I used to get so discouraged. I thought, man, Sunday comes around fast every single week, you know. Boy, it's a Sunday again. But I think there's a greater in you, and I think that if you'll just rest and lean into it, God will help you get to those places. Yeah, I think that's so good. And Nick, I believe the way I felt, you know, when my dad died, that I didn't feel qualified, but I discovered God gives you the grace for every season. So you may be thinking, well, I could never do this. I could never step into my grade or, well, you don't feel it right now, but when the time comes, God has already equipped you, empowered you, you're going to

feel things come out of you that you didn't know you had. I didn't think I would have this confidence, this boldness, these gifts, these talents, but God, God's put in you everything that you need. So you don't have to be worried, you know, when Victoria used to tell me, Joel, one day you're going to pastor the church. And I think, she is so off because I don't know, I didn't cook and get them to take the offering. I didn't know. But you know, there are things in me that I didn't know. That's what, it kind of, it really made me mad when she'd say that. I'd say, I'm not a preacher. She'd say, oh, yeah, Joel, just preach to them like you preached to me. But I thought, it kind of made me frustrated because I'd think, but what I didn't, what I understand now is when the time comes, you'll have the grace for it.

Yes. You'll have the desire to do what you're supposed to do. That's what you're saying, Victoria, you don't have to put so much pressure on yourself because God's going to give you the grace. Yes, you have to fight the good fight of faith. And you have to, you know, it's not going to, I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but it's going to be doable. The grace will be there to do it. And you're talking about the confidence you have now compared to the confidence you had then. That didn't come because it was easy.

That came because you were doing what you're saying in this book. It was an attitude with which you, you know, embrace those challenges that came at you. And so when you look back, you can say, yeah, there was some challenges, but those challenges enlarged me. They made me more confident. They made me see the world differently and how I could make a difference in the world. So I think that's, don't you think that's huge?

Like, think about every challenge you face. It prepared you for where you are today. Yeah, absolutely. 100%. Yeah. I'm going to go to another question. Christina in Las Vegas. She says, I'm purchasing a copy of the book for my daughter who's just starting college.

Can you speak some words for young people beginning this next stage of life? I know one of your chapters of the book is stepping into, you know, stepping into a new chapter, next is best, that kind of thing. Anything you'd want to encourage them with? Probably what I'd encourage my children as well, to keep God first place, honor him with your life. He's going to open the right doors. He's going to bring the right people. And I think, you know, it's difficult for young people to figure out who they are and what they're going to become and then all the options these days. but I would just, you know, live from a place of trust, knowing that God's in control. When you keep him first place, he's going to bring the right people.

It says, what does it say? Seek first the kingdom. All these things will be added. He'll get you to where you're supposed to be. And I believe, too, that God will, you know, give you the desires in your heart. My people ask, you know, how do I know what I'm supposed to do, especially young people? And again, I don't think, it's not always easy, but I believe God leads you by desires, desires that line up with his word. I don't mean crazy desires. But, you know, I always had a desire. Nick, from the time I was a little, well, 10 or 11, 12 years old to be involved in media in the production side of it. I love the cameras. We had some cameras down at the church when I was growing up. And I'd go down on the weekends and get the key and turn them all on and that stuff. But that was just in me. And that's the pursuit that I took. So I believe God puts things in you that are natural, that you gravitate toward. And I believe that's part of your destiny.

Doesn't mean it can't change, but I know this. God's going to get you to where you're supposed to be as you keep in first place. I believe you will. It doesn't mean you're not going to make mistakes. But if you choose to honor him and, you know, just walk in his ways, I believe you're going to see the goodness of God. And your life's going to be bigger and better and more rewarding than you've imagined. It's awesome. You've got good words big. Well, I was going to say, I love the story with Jonathan when you were praying for him when he was stepping in a college and he had met a friend. by chance. I mean, I think that's very encouraging that God's got divine relationships set up for. He does have divine relationships. And I believe that, you know, as a parent for sure that if you pray for your kids, I believe that, you know, that's a great thing that you can do. You can't always tell

them what to do, but you can certainly pray for them. And that moves the hand right there that rules the world. And I believe that also. And, you know, I would just say to the young person that's going to college, you know, it may be scary and it may seem big and you may think that you need to attach yourself to someone or something to make it through, but it's those attachments. It's those divine connections that make all the difference in the world because this is a real formative year and years. And so I think that you shouldn't just, you know, think I need somebody to, I need to, you know, I need to find people. I always pray, God, bring the bright people across my path. Let me see those like-minded people, people that I can really grow with. So as a young person,

that's what I would say. And God will do it. God, I mean, he did it for my son. He did it for my daughter, you know. And so I just, I think that's, I think you need to just start talking to God more than talking to your friends. That's good. That's good. So we have one of our, Sarah, you have a question for Joel. I do. Such a powerful book and a timely book. And, you know, I was reading in chapter six, something new is coming. You talk about forgetting the former things, the mistakes, the things in the past, and looking forward to what God is doing in our life. I know I believe that, but what are some practical ways that I can apply that to my life so that I can focus on hope instead of what happened in the past?

Yeah, that's so good, Sarah. I think that's something, you know, we all have to do on a regular basis, letting go of the old. I love that scripture. I wrote the chapter off of. It's in Isaiah. We all know it. It says, God says, forget the former things. Behold, I'm doing a new thing. And then it asks a question. It says, can you not perceive it? And I think that's a part of the, I think as long as we can't perceive that something new is coming, as long as we're stuck in the past, you know, what happened and what didn't work out and why this person walked away, I think that keeps us from seeing the new things. And so practical ways to do it is, I don't know that it, when you say forget the past, I don't know that it means you don't

ever think about the herd or don't ever think about, you know, I lost my dad. It's not that you don't, but it's just not on the forefront of your mind. You're more grateful for what God has in front of you. You're focused on the future. I read that scripture the other day. I've never spoken on it, but it says, be glad for all the good things God has planned for you. And I think our mind has to be in the present and in the future. If it's in the past, I think it's stopping us. So I guess it's just for me, Sarah, I just get up every morning and say, Lord, I thank you for this day. I think it. She'll tell you, the first thing I say, when I get out of bed, today's going to be a great day. I think we just have to focus on the good. I think the more we focus on the good and thank God for what's right,

the more it pushes down the past. And some of these, you know, it's not as easy. I had a man on our series X-M program yesterday, and at 13 years old, his parents abandoned him. I mean, it's just like, you can't even fathom this kind of stuff. But yet today, he's a content. He's a music star and doing great things, but I, you know, I think, how did he do it? And I ask him that question. He said, you know, I just did it one day at a time. And he talked about how he said, man, Joel, I know I had a rough pass, but I was grateful that this family took me in. I was grateful that they paid me $20 to mow their lawn. I was grateful that, and I thought, man, you have an amazing attitude. But the fact is, he was grateful for what God was doing in his life. I think down deep,

like he said, Victoria, he had something in him that said, I'm made for more. than this. And I think it's, if the battle takes place in our mind, and I wish I could say you just snap your fingers and quote three things and it's done, but I think it's an ongoing battle. I really think it's this, I think forgetting the former things, I think it's an everyday process. Every day you're, every day you're letting go and every day you're reaching to the new. And so I think it's just to make it up our mind that, you know, when we give energy to the past, we're giving energy to the wrong direction. And so it's like, man, I need all my energy to go forward, to love my wife, to play with my children, to speak each weekend. I can't put

any energy on what somebody said about me on social media or the fact that my, you know, father went to be with the Lord, or the fact that's, you know, just disappointment. So, man, you've got a big, bright future in front of you. No reason to look back. What do you think, Dick? Yeah. I think that's true. What comes to my heart when I think about moving forward is the idle mind is the devil's workshop. And sometimes we idle. We just idle in these hurts. We idle in these things. We're just like simmering in those things. And I think that it's like the guy on the radio said yesterday, you take it one day at a time, but you stay busy. You realize you have purpose, that your purpose is, you know, sometimes there is, you know, pain, but you have a purpose. And I think when you look around

and you think of all the people that you can give to. I think that's purpose. I think when you look at your children, you know, that's purpose. I know when your father passed away, I remember it was so difficult. We were all at the hospital. It was so sad. I came home and I'm just so sad, so sad. And here comes my little kids running around the corner.

They were like, well, my daughter was two months old and my son was three, three and a half. They didn't know what was going on. But I looked and I thought, this is purpose right here. And, you know, it's like they kept me going forward, you know, kept moving forward. And I think it's just, it's like that. You know, I've talked to people who have lost a child. I can't think of anything worse than losing a child. And I can see how anybody can idle in that.

But if you have other children, there's purpose. There's purpose the people around you need you. And I think when we tell ourselves that, and we just don't idle in those, just in that hurt and pain, I believe it's easier to push forward. That's awesome. Got another question from some of our online family. Tyler from North Carolina. It's another personal question.

It's a good question. It's a question that's asked often to you. Joel, you look fit and in shape. Amen. These are easy. How do you keep up your energy each week? I take a lot of steroids. No, I'm kidding.

I'm kidding. No, I'm joking, y'all. You're too little to take steroids. No, I love, I'm joking y'all. I love to exercise. I love to, I grew up playing sports. So did you, Nick. Nick was a great football player, but I grew up playing sports. So I love being outdoors. I love exercising, working out, playing basketball. Jonathan, I play a lot of tennis now. But I think it's all about balance. It's easy to work all the time. And I can go long and hard, but it's not healthy to work all the time. I'm going to be better on my weekends. I'm going to write better books and do better messages if I'm balanced physically, spiritually, and emotionally. And so I take out of the question, you know, take care of yourself, you know, take time for yourself. It's not selfish to say, you know what, I'm going to have, I've got a, I've got a couple more meetings today. I've got to shoot some things. And then, you know what, I'm going to play a couple hours of tennis. And you know

what, there's a lot of work to be done, but that's important to take care of yourself, to have time to laugh with your family. We take walks. We ride bikes. We, when we can, we travel together, but we don't live, this may sound funny, but we don't live a pressured stress life. We live an enjoyable life. We, even a real well-known minister came around me, this was years ago, and she says, you're so, you're so calm. You're so, and she was so, you know, she was uptight.

But you know what? I thought, you know what, I have good people around me that help me run the ministry. And I just think life is short, the scripture says a relaxed life, relaxed attitude lengthens life. I want to be around here a long time. So anyway, you know, try to eat healthy as it can be. I eat a lot of Mexican food though, but I like chocolate cake. I eat a piece of chocolate cake. But I think a lot of it too, okay, and I'll get off of this,

but a lot of it is hereditary, y'all. My, I can eat anything I want and I'll never gain a pound. It's just, some of it is just, God bless me with the DNA from skinny people. So here I am. You know, too, you are what you eat. No, I'm just kidding. You know, it's not only, he's a very active person, but I think not just what he's taken in, you know, food-wise, but I really think it's what he's taking in the environment-wise. Yes.

What environment he's allowing to get in him. And I think Joel is extremely disciplined. Incredible. To be able to set boundaries up of what gets in his psyche. what gets in his heart, what gets in his mind. And I think that's so important because it doesn't push out, it's not taking room for other things that are really important. And that's not an easy thing to do.

It's really not. But I think that's something that we could all benefit from, is like what are we allowing from the environment, from the news, from other people to go in us? Because that can be really toxic. And yeah, you have to know what's going on. But you don't have to know every detail. You don't have to watch every show.

It's the same thing just being said differently, right? Right. And so I think that's one of his really big strengths is to be able to set up boundaries and just say, no, I'm not taking that in. I know enough. I don't want to do that right now. And so I think that's really important.

And not everybody, it probably comes easier to you, don't you think? Yeah, I think so. It does. But we can all manage that. We can all learn to manage that. It's such a great point because your emotional affects your physical. Really, it's all intertwined, but you know, if you're emotionally drained, you don't, it affects your physical body. And so

you're exactly right. I'm good at letting things go and, you know, not letting it get down. I've done a message called The Secret Place. A lot of things may come to your head, come to your mind, come to your, you know, stress during the day, but it shouldn't get down into your spirit. You shouldn't let things get down in here. Even an offense, that's going to drain. you and take your energy. So I'm real good at, like you said, Victoria, just keeping things out. And part of that is just, you know, I like to, if I'm listening to something, I want to listen to something uplifting. I want to listen to something encouraging. It's a great minister on 128, Sirius X-F. No, I'm kidding, but sometimes Victoria, I laugh so hard.

Okay, don't say anything about me. I say good things about you. She got the, she got the news on at night. And I think, Victoria, turn the news off because she comes out so upset, so irritable. So would you turn that off? She started turning it off. That's so much better. You're so much easier to live life with now. You know what? She's passionate about it. One time I said, hey, I've quit watching so much news. And he looked at me and he goes, I thought you were happier. And it's good to know what's going on. But see, I have to keep up with everything going on. I have to do all the hard work in the family.