The Hope Hotline - Being Addicted To Being Busy

Episode Date: May 20, 2026

The Hope Hotline | S04-E30 | 05-20-2026Subscribe to my podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/thehopehotline/FOLLOW ME: Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/thh Website: https://hopehotline.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.hope.hotline/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088757500434

Hello, I'm welcome to the Hope Hotline. Thank you for joining us on this hot, sticky Wednesday. I'm always here for the weather. Always. It's Florida. It is. We're here. Somebody told me it's going to be at the end of the week, or wait a minute, is it next week?

The index is going to be like 103. Crazy. I believe it. I'm burping. Can you believe that? 103. I don't know who that was, but. Oh, yeah. Yeah, it says 95 on Saturday, so I'm sure that, because that's hot for May.

Yeah, it is. Yeah, it is. Feels like. We were spoiled. I know, we were. We were, I mean, extremely cold winter. Yeah. To our day, a very hot summer. That's like August weather. That is.

Correct. Yeah. For sure. Like, every article of clothing that you can possibly think that I'm wearing right now is sticking to me some help. Yeah. Like, it's ridiculous. Yeah. I mean, I don't want to live anywhere else. Don't get me wrong. But we have to complain about it because we're here. Of course. And it's begun.

Of course. It's begun. But, oh my gosh, I could not believe that. 103 next week. Okay. Well, everybody prepare to stay inside. That's what we do. Yep. Pull your hair back in a nice little scrunchy and sit in your pool. That's the great thing. That's the difference.

between being up north and the freezing cold temperatures. Totally agree. To being down here. At least. At least. Up there. Like, I'll complain about it being hot,

but I'm not going to die. You can't go outside in those temperatures and expect to live. You'll literally die. Hypothermia. Hypotermia. Turn purple. Like, who wants to go out in that? At least in the heat,

we can go out. We can sit in the water. We can experience. And you have to, like, get so much clothes on, too. Like, you have to, like, you have kids. And you have more than one kid. Oh my gosh.

And then as soon as everything's on, then they're like, I got to pee. Oh, my gosh. I remember those days. I know. And not because I had a child, but because it was me. I once peed in my snow suit. I believe that. Because I didn't want to go outside.

Or you did? I did. Oh, my gosh. Because I didn't want to go inside because I have all this. It was like one of our blizzards. I don't know. And there was like just snow everywhere. And we were having so much fun.

I was like, I'm wearing this. I have layers on. I have this huge snowsuit on. And I'm like, I'm just going to pee in and nobody's going to know. How old were you? 10? Then it got really cold. 10 or 15?

And I, how old were you? I don't know, maybe like 10. Yeah. 8.10. That's like a 7 year old maybe might think that. A 10 year old is rationalizing. And I ended up having to go inside because it got cold. It got cold.

It does get cold. It was very wet at that point and now colds. And disgusting. And smelly. Oh my gosh. Yeah, that's the one thing I don't get when people complain about how hot it is down here. I'm like, we can go inside to the air condition and then still go back outside. Go wait in the pool. Go in the pool. That's exactly what I'm thinking. There's ways to cool off here. There's no ways if you're outside in the freezing cold temps to warm up unless you have layers upon layers. And who wants that?

Not me. Not me. I'll live down here for the rest of the, of my life and be happy and content. True. And like there's lots of people I see it all the time, like TikTokers and stuff like that, either they absolutely are all coming down here and living or they all hate it. Right. Just a love-hate relationship down here. It is. Especially hurricane season. Once that it passes, people get too stressed out and they're like, I'm out. I love it. If you're not committed, you can't stay here. Yeah. I mean, I can't see myself anywhere else. I love Florida. After that one, what was the name? Hurricane Ian.

No, not Ian. Charlie, Helene, Milton. Irene, no. Yeah, there wasn't Irene. The one that we evacuated. Arma? Irma. And all of us left.

I didn't. It was our first storm. We evacuated. It was supposed to be the size of Florida. I was like, heck no, I'm leaving. I stayed. I should have stayed. That was a nightmare for people.

After that, I was like, I'm never, I'm never evacuated. Evacuated into a store. Are you serious? Oh, my word. Are you kidding me? No. I went to Orlando. And got blasted. I know because. But it wasn't as bad as they said because we prayed and it died. We got back to our house that we were renting. We never even lost power. Yeah, exactly. I know. I hated you so much for that. Exactly. I know. I hated myself. Because we didn't have power. Literally. But I have a thunderstorm at my house and we have no power. That's true.

It takes nothing. Oh, my guys. Yeah. It's so funny because the other morning, I think it was Monday. It was like 8.30 in the morning. And Heather was already here working at the church. And she, or no, I was at the gym. And I think she was still at her house who were about to leave.

And she was asking me, she's like, or I wasn't at the gym. I was walking the dog from, I just came back from the gym. She's like, is your lights flickering? Do you have, is your power going on and off? And I'm like, are you kidding me? There's not even rain. I know. It was when D.

Norma said. It's ridiculous. That is ridiculous. No. I love where I live too. Like, you'll have to pluck me out of that place. Yeah, it's scary over there. It's like Amazon.

It is not scary. You hear that. Like, as you go through. That's why you make those noises for Pastor Tom. You drive down. it's like you're like looking over your shoulder it is not scary out there are you kidding me yes it is so scary i'm scared to walk you go with annie and time yeah Heather i mean uh Hannah went over and she's like where the heck do they live

she's like I don't know she won't even walk from my house to her that's crazy her house that's great at night it's like two houses scary no we might have a fear problem in our church maybe we need to work i know exactly I might have to lead that one so I can overcome it myself. Are you supposed to preach the thing? You're not supposed to lead the very thing that you're afraid of. That's what you're supposed to do. I will lead you.

Okay, fine. Hope leads us. We all have. I'll beat the fear out of you. I believe it. My gosh. That's ridiculous. We'll have it at your house in the woods.

We'll play Manhunt. Oh, yeah. We'll play Manhunt. That will get your cortisol levels up. We can play Hunger Games. Tommy will love. I like that. Tommy will love that.

He'll be all in. Me, Kristen and Norma won the last manhunt, right? We sat in a bush for three, literally like two hours straight. That's commitment. And Norma said Kristen had to pee. Of course he did.

So bad. She was scared. I get it. I get it. Yeah, you got to do what you got to do to win those games. Oh my gosh. Ridiculous. Power to the people.

Power to the girls. Absolutely. they didn't think we could win. They all told us that we're going to lose. Yeah. We were like, no, we're going to prove you guys. All the guys think you're going to lose. You can't hear a word Norma saying right now.

Sure. Norm is common. Norm is common. So you can hear what she has to say. This is very important information. All the boys said we were going to lose. So I said, watch this. I dove into some palmetto bushes.

And I, like, dug into the ground. No. And I stayed in that hole. We were literally in the woods. Isn't that where Cockro? Lynn? Yeah. Probably.

I don't know. Vanessa, don't you call them caca roaches? Cockroaches. Cacaroches? Ciceroches? Cicerocious?

Cicin hid in a, like, underneath a tree that fell. Talia was doing like a back bend for like two hours and I was in a hole. That's crazy. Oh my goodness. Absolutely not. How do you say it?

Cockroaches. Cockroaches. Cuccarachas. There's why it's caca rocha. Because it's the cucarachas. It's cucaracha. It's cucaracha. That's right, girl.

All righty. Okay. Do we have any announcements? Yes. Lay them on us, girl. Okay, real quick. Okay. Just real quick.

Okay. So if you're on Facebook, YouTube, and Rumble as you know, say hi to us in the chat. And a special announcement is no podcast next Wednesday. So if you try to come onto the podcast, we will not be here. So I've got my stepdaughter, Alexis, is graduating high school. So she's. She's such a big girl. And yeah, so just don't come on Wednesday.

But Friday, we'll be back. And then I think we're going to have a summer schedule. So we'll have that out too. You and I will confirm that and let you know what I found out. And we'll have a summer schedule. Which will be nice for some and not nice for others. True. It's kind of like we do abide summer schedule too.

And some people are like, okay. And then others are like, not okay. You know, like. I know what's really cool is when Vanessa and I started. of that. There is nothing at the church. You were doing your Sunday 756th week of Revelation Bible study. Oh yeah. That was a nightmare. And that was it. And that was it. So there wasn't a whole lot going on. Obviously we had like the random nights and stuff. But, but now we have so much going on. Yeah, because we were in the old building. Right. So the really wasn't. Yeah.

But when we moved here, man, it opened up so much for us to be able to do. There's so many opportunities. People love a buy. How many people on average do you have? This is a testament to... So our online presence, we have about 80 ladies in our group. And what do you mean online presence? We have a WhatsApp group that we stay connected. So we meet physically on Tuesday.

And then the conversation keeps going all week long online. Yeah. So some of those people oscillate out. Some of them have babies right now, so it's hard for them to attend. You know, just different seasons of life. But it keeps everybody connected. It does. Yeah, exactly.

And then in person, we can range from like, what, 20, 35, sometimes 40. Yeah. Okay. But how many kids? So we have implemented a new rule. So we have five plus outside. Yeah. So it's cut down on our kids a ton.

By how many? We used to have like 35 kids that would come. Yeah. But now it's much more minimal. And some of the kids are getting older too, so they'll stay home with their older siblings. So it has shifted a lot. Yeah. It's much different now.

That's kind of nice. Yeah. It is less interruptions. But I know it is kind of sad for the ones that have like little ones now. And we, I mean, yeah. Yeah. So it's. It is what it is.

I know. But we do have hubs and we have. Well, that's the thing. That's the thing. If people really want to come, then we offer child care here for Monday nights and Wednesdays and so. There's plenty of. we could probably move the location to the church,

but I think there's just something special about meeting and a home. I don't know. I know. Yes, there is. Yeah, God hasn't said that yet. Don't change. Don't change. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I mean, seriously. Yeah, and it's been so great. And it definitely was never something that us and I were like, we're doing this long term. We were just like, okay, there's no end. So we'll just do what God tells us to do. We're going on our fifth year. That's awesome.

I know. I don't, yeah, we have no idea. So, yeah. So far, so good. It's like ministry. Is there really ever a chance to retire? No, absolutely not. You may shift, but.

Yeah, right. And this may shift. Absolutely. Yep. And it has. Yes, that's true. It has. Yep.

But you never know. All right. So that was the most important, which is that nobody shows up on Wednesday. But other than that, there's nothing too new. So. Sounds good. You don't have to click yourself off. Okay.

You can stay. All right. I'll stay right here. Or what did you just do? I just put you up to. Oh, over there. I'm like, what the heck just happened? You know, I was sitting there.

I was like trying to think of what are topics that, you know, we really haven't hit on and that are things that people deal with or are. What I mean by are is that you actually, that's your lifestyle. And a lot of times you always stick to like, a lot of times people want to stick to the same topics which are like how to overcome anxiety how and i and i want to i do want to talk about those things and i want to talk about them on a regular basis because so many people live in them walk in them or someone knows that somebody knows somebody who is and oftentimes the more you it is addressed the more you can by the way that is

a great alani as far as that that is one a new oh my gosh it's limited I once grabbed the blue, but then I was like, it's this one today. What flavor is that? I didn't know, like, it's lemon lime and it is so good. I saw you drinking it, and it's, I'm always torn. I know, me too. I know that. It's so funny.

It's really good. Blue is good. It's like raspberry or something. It's good. But. Well, there's two different blues. The blue slush, which is, no, that's blue slush. That's the best one.

But the other blue one is not. You don't know what it is. I like them both, but I'm just saying, sorry about this, but Alani is kind of important to us. It's very important. But, so I do want to talk about those subjects, because I think that oftentimes you may have somebody new or maybe somebody is dealing with somebody.

And then you say something when you're talking about that topic that makes people be like, it helps them to minister to that person. person. There are common things. 100%. Yeah. No, and anxiety, because the thing is, like, you even just going through different seasons of life, like, you overcome anxiety about having babies and like, okay, now they're getting older. You don't have to, like, worry about, like, are they sleeping? And then all of a sudden something else comes. And now they're putting everything in their mouth. So you, like, even though

you overcome something, it's like the enemy wants to throw something. So if you don't, like, really get it, like, supplement it with the word. And you just are kind, like, you're just kind of like, okay, we're in a new season. So I know, I think it's always a conversation. It is. I really believe that because then there's financial. Yes. I mean, there's so, I know we talk about it a lot, but because, and I try and hit it on different, in different placements of where people might be in it, but it's because, I mean, Satan comes against us in our minds.

And in our minds is where anxiousness and depression and all these things, we have to take those thoughts captive, otherwise they plant seeds in our heart, and then it grows, and then it's like, holy moly. but at the same time there are so many other topics like the one we're going to talk about today like literally punches me right in the gut and when tom preaches this subject he's talking to me and I think that uh we I want to talk about other subjects and I was thinking about what are um like what are some things that I want to tackle because we oftentimes like flow from a week it'll go right into the that the from the Wednesday to the Friday and then sometimes

into the following week I don't have a problem with that it's just I want to make sure that we're hitting all things so what I what I want to address today or I want to just talk about a little bit which the girls can get because I think you're balanced in this for the most part Tracy you don't have a problem with this at all Vanessa maybe because there's people who there are people who are either one extreme or the other or somehow learn to be balanced in it I'm extreme on the one side so what I want to talk about so everybody's like what the crap are you talking about

but it's the addiction to being busy I love being busy I mean I love it I could be a workaholic and thrive in that what I purpose every single day and almost every day it happens but I purpose every day it happens but I purpose every single day to spend a certain amount of time in the word and a certain amount of time in prayer and we're not talking like five to ten minutes we're talking an hour with one an hour with another and sometimes more than that because if I do not I will work which is very very, very dangerous, where I think that, like, there's a healthy balance.

Like, I would say, Vanessa, it leans more to being a Mary than she does a Martha, which is a compliment. It's not an insult by any means. It's actually a huge compliment. It's not that you're lazy. You're not lazy. There are people who are extreme, procrastinators and lazy, right? then there are people who are solid in just not having to be busy but not having to be lazy

then there's people who are balanced in they can be a workaholic and they can also be a person that is a merry then there's people like me who don't they have to force themselves that's Tracy is more of a balance because you could absolutely be a workaholic and like you you can work. Like I can, I'm getting stuff from you at night. Do you know what I'm saying? I know. It's not that you don't have your ward time and your prayer time. Yeah. But your life right now, you have a business and like it's way different. Life is very, very different for you. You're kind of all over the place. With having a small child, being homeschooler. Like there's just a lot of work.

So for people like you, you have to learn to balance that. And I think you do balance it. You can be balanced in both. I have to force myself to be balanced. I don't think you're forcing yourself in that nature. I think my nature is to like just be more relaxed than it is. But because I've been in seasons where I wasn't doing as much, I felt like when I don't, when I'm not busy, I feel like I don't do anything.

And so like having a little bit of busyness and having a schedule, I actually do much better balancing it. Because I only know, I only have so much time. Like Monday, I have to do a certain amount of stuff. And Tuesday, I have to do certain amount of stuff. So it actually helps me stay organized when I'm busy, even though I'd rather just not do anything at all. Okay, because that's the lazy side then. A hundred percent. Gotcha.

And I've had to learn. Not to be lazy. And I don't enjoy it. Like when I sit too long, like it starts to like bother. And then I have to get up and clean. is yeah Tom can be absolutely lazy yes love it yes me too love it he even can be a procrastinator he's he's preached that he he can absolutely but he doesn't feel good right when he'll be like that for a while and he's like it's so like not comfortable for him

sir for any believer that's the way it is because we're not meant to be idle right yeah I know like so I think it's a a benchmark for everybody because I feel the same one Like if I'm not being purposeful, right. And like for me, no, I don't like busy myself a lot throughout the week, but I make myself available. Okay, but that's a difference though. Right. Keep going.

Yeah, because like on Monday before co-op, I was at the high school at 5.30 a.m. with one of our teenagers walking around the high school praying over the campus. Because I made myself available to that. Yeah, because you were looking for something to do. Not because I was looking for something to do, but it was like. Like, it was presented to me. And how do you, you know, say no to a teenager who wants to pray over their campus? Right.

Like, you don't. That's the thing, because here's the thing. I will tell you this. Culture tells you that busyness equals success. Yeah. Okay. That's what Cartel will tell you. 100%.

But here's the thing. There's a difference between me having a full life. Yeah. And then and having a fruits of the spirit. fruitful life. True. Yeah. There is a definitive difference, which is the difference between, yes, you made yourself

busy, but the busyness was about kingdom's work, which produced a fruit. Yeah. It did not produce like what I do, which is exhaustion. Yeah. And there is a difference. A lot of difference between fruit and exhaustion. Yeah. Yeah.

Are we digging into that today? Yes, we are. Yes. Yes, we are. Good. Because a lot of people, that's where they live. Even believers, they fill their schedules up so much. And listen, I am preaching to the choir right now.

Right. I have had to teach myself. You will not and are not going to live like this. You know why I had to teach myself? Because I was flipping tired at Tom preaching it to me on Sundays. Like calling me out, not just me, but calling me out and make me look at myself to challenge myself. Yeah. Like, that's you, girl.

Like, what he's talking about right now, that's you. What are you going to do about it? And you have some decisions to make. Like, everybody, like, not every service is the Holy Spirit going to drop something in your spirit and say, is that you? Not every service is, but a lot of them are. And when they are, do you kind of like whistle and go, and ignore that or do you go, okay, what part of me is that true about? And what am I going to do about it?

Because the Holy Spirit is speaking through Tom to speak to you. And you don't disregard or ignore the Holy Spirit, even if it comes to a man. Amen. And I think a lot of people do because they go, that's just a guy. But the Holy Spirit gave him that message for you. Now, a lot of churches, they're piping off the Internet, so it might not be for you. but at the same time you should have a daily walk with the Lord where he is telling you those things and I'm telling you right now like I you guys will probably agree with me but a lot of times

when Tom has said stuff and I know he's speaking to me the Holy Spirit had already said it to me right I just didn't want to listen I just didn't want to do it or I was in the process of doing it it was more confirmation to do it right yeah and um you know what's funny about that is like a lot of people say to us like sometimes I wonder if somebody told pastor tom something because he was literally giving me the exact example i need and for you for you he actually is speaking probably to you you know what I mean like versus like people literally think like did you talk to pastor Tom about me where you're like oh no this is like literally for me oh yeah I will come home and I'm like I know who you're talking to and he'll be like what and I'm like I know you when you said that I know who

you talking to you're talking to me and he'll always smile at yes that's so funny what is that he like makes eye contact with you in the front row right when you're right when you're right when he's saying it no he would never no he would he would he would never do that he would he would he would never do that i know he never even when he's asking you a question he's like looking like hope i hope remember like i'm way over there i know exactly um i don't know i just So if you are a busy person, I didn't say busy body, that's a whole other subject. That's another episode. Yeah, exactly.

And we talk about that a lot too because that is a destroyer. Yeah. Like being a busy body in the Bible, holy, holy, you want to reap and sew that and find out what you reap from that. Oh my gosh. Yep. not good. Like just shut your mouth. For me, I'm like, no matter what it is or who it is, like, do you really want that coming back to you?

Right. And none of it is. Yep. Yeah, none of it is worthwhile. No. Being a busy body, is that what we're talking about? Oh, yes. It's one of the things that God hates.

I know. Like you're going to. You're going to. It's one of the seven things. things that God hates. I don't know. For me, there's nobody that's worth that. Yeah.

No, thank you. Talk about a peace dealer. I don't want to do something that God hates. Even if it's somebody that you loathe. Do you know what I'm saying? Oh, yeah. Like, there's nobody I loathe. So I really, but there have been times in my life that I have actually, like, had great

disdain for people. Yeah. And even with that great disdain, I probably didn't shut my mouth. I probably did run my mouth, you know. But now I think to myself. And I probably don't have disdain for anybody because of spiritual maturity and realizing how there's no value in any of that. And it's such a distraction.

He won't let you. There are many people where the Lord is like, now that has to go. And who wants it? Yeah. Not only that, you're going to invite them out to lunch. Oh, exactly. You're going to buy them a present actually. I'm like, okay.

Exactly. But let me tell you, after I, after I, I've recently had to do this. And once I did it, like, it broke. Right. Completely broke. Right. And I was just like, oh, okay. And it helps, though.

Yeah. Even though it's hard. It is. The initial, the initial, like, reach out. Yeah, for sure. But you know what's so funny is after you reach out and after you clear the man, first of all, you like have such a happiness and a joy and then it's kind of like a love for that person.

Yes. Do you know what I'm saying? Because I remember being so pissed off at different people. I'm thinking of one that the Lord made me take them to lunch. Oh, I was just like dreading it like there was no tomorrow. Made me take them to lunch. Made me tell them I was sorry. This was like 15 years ago, maybe a little bit more.

Tell them I'm sorry. They're the one that wronged me. Oh. Yeah, but I yapped about them. So even though they wronged me, I ran my smack. So I had to apologize for that. So I did owe them an apology. Don't get me wrong.

I absolutely owed them an apology. But, I ran my smack, had to apologize, tell them why I was apologizing. And then afterwards, it wasn't like we reconciled and had like this, like, a relationship or anything. Okay. That wasn't the case. But it made me love that person. Yes.

Because I couldn't harbor all of that anymore. because I had reconciled that. Yeah, it's good. Yep. So it really did help. I was like, thank you God, even though I did not want to do this. And they never even apologized. Wow.

But it didn't matter. It didn't matter. Yeah. That's good. Like, I didn't get an I'm sorry, but I was like, that's not my problem. That's their problem. I did what I was supposed to do. And like, it's okay.

But man, I felt great afterwards. I was like, who, I'm glad that's water under the bridge. Absolutely. It's not easy, though. No, it's not. It's very humbling. It's very embarrassing. And it's very humiliating.

Good character building. It is. Oh, yeah. You don't want to repeat that too many times. Let me tell you. No, you don't. No, you don't. No.

Because I have had to do that. I'm like you. I had to take somebody out that it's rough, man. It's rough. It's way easier to go the route of just. Denial. Not even letting anything bother you. Right.

Yeah. Man. Yeah. It's way easy. to live life like that. I did life like that and then the person was still mad at me. So then God made me buy them a present. Oh, I do remember. Okay, wait a minute. Okay, you weren't bothered by the person. They were bothered by you and then God made you pay by a present. Yes. Yes. And I was like, what? Why? That's flipping funny. I know.

How'd that work out for you? Not. No, not at all. I gave it to them and they were like, what? And I was like, I'm just, just blessing you with this. And they were like, and that was it. Oh, huh. Oh. Oh. I know. I know. I was like, okay, God, that was, but I felt great. Like, I literally was like, I did what I was supposed to do. I can stand before God one day and be like, you told me what to do. I don't care about the result of it. And it was heaping holes.

There is something sweet about loving God so much that you'll do for him over what you really want to do. It's been a lot lately. Man. Oh, yeah. It's been a lot later. Sorry about that. Yeah. I haven't really, like, that's not been the case for me.

Yeah. Not in this realm, but another realm. But it's good. Like, it's so, again, it's character building. And it's my true condition of my heart. But, like, when things are changing, you're kind of like, ugh, like, there's so much change. And you just have to remember, like, that's life. Like, it's good.

And change is good. If you want to grow, you're going to see change. And so you have to remind yourself. But there is a lot of times from, like, okay, refocus. Like, yeah. Yeah. It's all going to be okay. But it is.

Yeah. And it's great. But man, it takes to the next level. 100%. Like how you have. handle things and how you overcome things. Right. Like.

It's what unlocks the next level. It really is. You can't go into the next level without doing those things. I remind myself with that too. Yeah. It's such a beautiful thing. It is. And I think that's why a lot of believers get stuck.

It's because they refuse to do the thing that God is wanting them to do. And sometimes it's uncomfortable. Right. 100%. And then they like the same. with busyness like this if you are so busy then you're I'm so comfortable in being busy right and then and then but when you have everything going in your head like you like I know like I know people that always have music on always have a sermon on always are going to the next thing always looking

for the next opportunity and I'm like how do you hear God well that's exactly what I was going to say next yeah yeah it's but Tracy keep going because that's exactly the truth yeah yeah they I believe I believe that a lot of people stay busy so they can't hear God. Because if they did hear God, it would force them to change. Yeah, that makes sense. It would force them to, like, address being a fearful person. Yeah. That's true.

Yeah. Wow. It would force them to change certain things about their life. True. That they have grown very comfortable in, just like being busy makes them comfortable. Because most mornings I wake up and I go downstairs and I have to like tidy up because I do. I do go kind of all night long and I kind of get more energy at night than I do in the morning. So I'll all like tidy up and I don't turn on anything.

I don't listen anything for the most part. Yeah. And I just talk to God like all morning. Like I'm open to hearing from him like things will all think of somebody and then I'll go and like text them or pray for them. But like that's how I communicate with him. Like it's almost every single morning and it can be for hours. And I'm like how do you do that if you always have something. something going all.

Like, how do you know who to reach out to? And how do you, like, I don't know how you do it. Yeah. I don't know either because I made a list and I'm telling you the thing is, is, it's so funny. I'm telling you right now how God does this stuff is crazy because everything you just said is like literally flows into what my list, which is right here. Like, it's freaking crazy.

Like how God just, we, I purposely only tell them what the topic of what, like I texted that to you way last night. night. Yeah, yeah. I woke up to it. Me too. Because I was working on this, like I started working on it at like three o'clock yesterday because I felt like that's what the Lord told me. This is what you're going to talk about. Being, being addicted to being busy, which is, again, a punch to my gut because I love it. And I don't talk to you. I don't even show you my notes on purpose. The Holy Spirit is just so good, because oftentimes this is how it happens. This is forced. This is not. Probably just for me, this is for somebody because how would he design these things?

Yeah, absolutely. But when you're like, do you, because this is how it works for me. When I'm on my walk in the morning, I do an hour walk. And when I'm on my walk, there is, I'm not playing anything unless I feel like I need to listen to a teaching about something specific that I'm walking through. And then I'll turn that teaching on to like help me renew my mind. Okay. But on the average, I don't listen to teachings.

I talk to the Lord. I think begin with thanks and do the whole thing, right? But if you never take that time, like with what you're saying, here's the thing. When you're faced in silence with prayer and talking to the Lord, you have to address certain things. Like, I'm sure you're doing this, which is I'm doing. Because here's my list of the things that I talk to the Lord about.

when I am having my alone and quiet time with him. And everybody needs to have quiet time. Even if it's just not even praying, it's like renewing your mind. It's using your imagination. We have so much noise going on all the time that that quietness ruins our creativity. And like God made us to be creative. Right. Right.

So. 100%. But when I have this alone time, these are the things that I'll deal with. Because I say I don't deal with certain things, but I do, but I don't let them grow. And this is one of the ways that I don't let them grow. I'll address any fears, disappointment. Everybody gets disappointed. Disappointment will lead to depression.

If you address it with the Lord instead of allowing yourself to be busy or distracted, then you can make it so it doesn't grow. Seeds don't grow that aren't planted. Yeah, and that's like right there. Like if you just stop there, because people get really frustrated with themselves when they get angry. And they're like, I'm still getting angry

and I'm still getting disappointed. And I'm like, that's, so God gets angry. You know what I mean? So like, it's not that. It's what are you doing with it? Are you going to the next level with it? Are you letting it fester and grow? Right, exactly.

So the fact that you're saying, you acknowledge it and then you deal with it. You have to. It's like, is it. Nobody, what kills me, and I have said this to different people at different times, you understand you're not the only one that has these thoughts or has to go through these very same things. Like, you're an anomaly?

Like, you're special? No, we all do. It's what we do with it that makes us different. You're different because you don't do it the right way. That's the reason why. It's not because you're so special. You're not so special. you've just handled it wrong.

Right. That's the difference. People think, I just wish I was like everybody else. Well, then be like everybody else and don't allow a seed to grow. That shouldn't be planted. There's the difference. I'll address fear. I'll address disappointment.

I'll address anxiety. I literally just had to tell Tom like a couple nights ago. It was last week. I had to say to him, I, I don't know what it was, or I probably do if I thought about it, but I won't even think about it. But the other night, I was up all night. I'll be up all night and I'll pray sometimes over different things or different people.

This night I was up all night and I was so anxious, which is not me. Like so anxious, my arms were numb from here to my fingertips. I was that anxious. Like when Tommy fights, I'll get so anxious that. my whole arms will go numb. Have you ever had like your body be, you're so anxious? It's fight or flight that feeling. Oh my gosh.

I told him when I woke up that morning, I was like, did you sleep good? Because I had been praying over him. He was like, yeah, I slept great. I'm like, I did not. I said, I'm like shocked, but I was anxious all night long. And Tom was like, because I'm not anxious. Yeah, right. I said, I have got to get in the word today.

and I have got to address some specific scriptures over this. This is not. I'm not doing this again. This is not going to have room in my life. So what I did is that day, I went and downloaded a, like I don't even know how many scriptures about being anxious, about the renewing of the mind, about being stable in my thoughts. And I sat down and I read them over and I read them over until I had peace,

until I knew that if something came against me again, I would have peace. Amen. But I'm like, you have to address these things. And that's the warrior mentality. Right. Exactly. Because most people will be like, oh, I'm just anxious.

I hope I sleep better tomorrow night. And they ignore it. And they kind of just go on with their day. Right. And that's the warrior mentality where you're just, you take this seriously. Literally. That what's coming against you isn't proper, isn't good.

Spiritual warfare. Correct. Like that is more real than anything we walk in. And I just, I go back to the last day I ever had a. panic attack. And I did exactly what you did. I, well, Jeff banished me outside. That's true. He did. He did get it together, a woman. He banished me. He sat outside of my lanai, and I played the goodness of God over and over and over, and I just sat with the Lord. I said, I'm not moving.

I'm not moving from this place until this breaks. And I didn't. And I don't know how many hours I was out there. time didn't exist. And then there was a moment where it broke. And I had my word. I was, and then for a whole year, he had me read Psalm 91 every single morning to set my thoughts, to renew my mind in the morning. I did it for a full year. Every single morning, Psalm 91. And that was the last time I ever had a panic attack.

I can't even remember the last time. Like, I guess that was it. Yeah. 2020, I think that 2019. Yeah, it was the last time. you know too is and i that is so so like that's what you hit it with first but then the other things are is like what you watch true yeah tom takes in so much crap for the podcast and stuff like that you know that the only thing he literally watches right now he's like he told me he's like

he watches andy griffith that's it yeah he told me he's like it i know it sounds crazy he's like but it puts me in a different place. It puts me in a different time, and it, like, brings me peace. Outside of, and the man is, like, I don't know, he has a set time. Like, for two hours, he does one thing, and for one hour he does his scripture cards.

And then it's like several hours a day he spends in the word. Then he has his own prayer time. Like, there's so much of God throughout the day, but then he's even careful, if he turns on the TV, he only watches that. you got to be or fights UFC fights yeah which hello but I'm that's like you've got to be diligent even in that like when you understand like the art of war is knowing who your enemy is

and knowing his tactics he goes after the mind right every single time he hates you he hates he hates everybody and so when you know that like you you guard your mind well and there are certain times like there's there's like right now since the fall like there are times where he doesn't watch Andy Griffith. I mean, he can watch the first 48, Hallmark, whatever. He can watch like 48 hours or whatever. Like, that's not a problem for him. But right now in the season we are in, there is so much spiritual warfare and there are so many things going on in the spiritual realm. And he feels it, he senses it. And like I was telling the girls, before we started the podcast. This is 2020 all over again right now.

what we're seeing in this country. Yeah. And people need to wake up. Like, they need to be diligent. They need to be mindful. They need to be watchful. They need to do some research and investigation and not just believe everything they hear and not everything they see.

It's not real what's going on. And so, and this is something Tom has since since, I think it was like October, November of last year. And there's been things like Satan has. pulled out all the stops for us. And even in our own family, pulled out all the stops to try and bring distractions. And which he did in COVID, he did in 2020.

Same thing to us in 2020. And lo and behold, look what happened. It's like a repeat of things. It's just crazy. You have to be on guard. Yeah. You have to be on guard. If you are not, then you are foolish.

Being busy about making sure you climb the ladder and your job is worthless. But being busy about kingdom business is totally different. And even that can be dangerous. If you're so busy doing church work that you're not about doing things that in the spiritual realm, so we're going to keep going. Grief is another. How many times have we seen people like deep, like something dramatic or traumatic or

major loss in their life or whatever, grief will send people just plummeting. Yeah. Yeah, that's sad. I have known people who have lost a family member and it plummets them to depths I couldn't even believe. I am. Mm-hmm. And I'm like, you know they're in heaven.

Right. You know you're going to see them again. Right. But do they know it? Apparently not. Yeah. So when you respond in that way. Right.

it's like do you evaluate yourself examine yourself do you even believe what you believe right it's when i'm struggling to this day like if i like i'm so over anxiousness and worry that when it tries to come in it's like ill right it almost like annoys me and i'm like wait what is that like where did that come from is there there is am i how did first of all how did it get in and it's like do I go, okay, so what is this fear associated? Am I afraid of something? Am I, I go back, like I examine myself. Am I afraid that God is not as good as he says he is over a situation?

And I have to be very honest with myself. Yeah, because if you are, you go in the right direction with it. Correct. If you deceive yourself. Right. You keep going in the wrong direction. Right. And that's how things break.

immediately and I don't I don't struggle I don't toil with anxiousness or worry like when it tries to come in because the the weapon will be formed against us like it will but when the thought comes in it's like that's how you take it captive and you make it obedient it's so true it's so true there's emptiness that that is like that is a right there yeah yeah way to go Vanessa Because it is so true. Just be honest. If you're anxious over a situation, do you fear that God is not as good as he is? And that he can't handle this situation, that you can't put your trust in him.

But the thing is, like, people would say to that, but you don't know my situation. And, like, mine is terminal. If you're going to heaven. We're all terminal. Yeah. I have an expiration date. Is there anybody? Outside, if somebody who doesn't believe, though,

if somebody doesn't not believe in the Lord, but if somebody doesn't believe in the promises, okay, just like you're having a problem with believing in the promises for the terminal person, like if a person doesn't believe in the promises and like a long life will I give you, well, they could get hit by a car the next day while you're sitting there fighting whatever's terminal. Right.

Like, it's all the same. It's all relative. We all have to, overcome something terminal. Yeah. There's an expiration date. So you've got to like believe. Yeah.

That there's a hedge of protection around you. That nothing will come near you. Right or left. You'll only see it with your eyes. Like you have to believe those things. Just as much as I mean, I literally have seen people healthy as healthy can be, not be here the next day because. Yeah, me too.

An aneurism or something. Well, yeah. Yeah. That's happened to us before. went to school one day and then the next day she added a brain aneurysm and she's gone. Yeah. Well, I've known young people that that's happened to as well, but I've also known people who've gone to the dentist had dental work that are Christians have dental work and like

it kills them. You know, it's like you, what is your faith in? I'm not trying to scare anybody. I'm just saying the facts are if you have cancer or you have something in your body that you believe is going to take you out. Just understand anything can take you out. Literally. Where's your faith?

I know. So true. True. I mean, you got to have the faith to know that the word of God is true. Long life will he give you? And like healing. I mean, you've got a better covenant than a lot of people believe because at least it says on the cross by his stripes who you are healed.

Correct. Correct. Whereas somebody who's worried about being killed in a car. they're not standing on that same thing, although they should be, because the Ten Commandments clearly says, if you honor your mother and your father, long life will he give you?

We all have a promise that we can pull from, no matter what we're believing, can do something to us, but you at least have it purchased on the cross for you. Right. Which is even a more like stamp. Yeah, I agree. So there's emptiness.

I mean, lots of people face emptiness. Like even at me in different times, I've been like, I'm kind of lonely. Yeah. I don't feel it very often. I've had to like counteract this one lately because my kids are getting older. And I, your imagination is great, but sometimes it's not so great. So I'm like, one day I'm going to be an empty nester.

Am I okay with that? And I get this like feeling like, oh, like sadness. Yeah. And so I'm like, no, no, no. I'm going to stay present. I'm going to stay in today. Right. I'm going to worry.

Tomorrow will worry about itself. Right now I'm going to, I'm going to stay present. And that's why, and it's made me a better mom. Right. It's made me a better mom because when they come to me and they, you know, they're like, can we go to Target? Yes. I say yes as much as I can.

Yeah. It's true. Because you know there's a time where they won't. Yeah. I mean, I'm in that season too. But my brain always just goes to, these kids are going to have like a million kids. And then I'm going to have a billion grand grandkids. So it's like, you know what I mean?

So like my brain just knows. And I'm like, please. Hold up on that as long as possible. I know. Sorry, tell you. She says. I can wait. I can definitely wait.

Well, I don't get a choice. Don't worry. We don't want one of the time soon. So you're good. Well, you're not married. So that helps. You got to get married first. I mean, when we get married.

Thank you, Lord. I'm not ready. I'm not ready. I got pregnant on my honeymoon. Exactly. You did nothing to make that from not happen. Well, that's right. Truth.

There's ways to make that happen. It's innocent. It's not happen. You what? I was very innocent. very naive. She was just a baby. I was just a baby.

Oh my gosh. You didn't know about the birds and the bees and what it took to have kids. No. She was sleeping with her mom the night before. I don't care. Same bed. She loved a little precious baby life. She knew about the birds and the bees.

Because she knew how to get busy. Yeah. I actually cried the night before my wedding. You didn't want to do it. I didn't want to do it. I don't want to be with him. Can I marry you? I mean, can I be married mom and still sleep with you?

Yeah, exactly. That's so funny. And Jeff's like, get in here. And then I walked into our apartment that he decorated with Barry White singing in the background. Let's get it on. Are you kidding me? No, I'm not kidding you. Were you scared?

I was petrified. Oh, my gosh. He was not. He was not. No, he like stole you out of your wedding. He's like, we're, On the dance floor, he has a taxi waiting for us outside and like drags me out. He's like, come on, woman.

Are you kidding? How long were you at your wedding? Reception. A couple hours. But I was on, we had a live salsa band. And I was on, I was on the dance floor with my girls. He's like, we're out. That sounds about right for him.

100%. I've waited long enough. And you were scared? Yeah, I was. Yeah. Yes, I 100% won. That is so, so funny. Yeah.

That is so funny. It is. I don't remember about me. Probably I was not. I was to say hope. Probably not. 100% not. Nah.

So funny. I should have been, but I wasn't. But I wasn't. You're ready to go. Were you scared? No. I'm like Forking

No, my kids Mine was a little bit different I had kids already Like, it's my second round I'm not talking I'm talking about the first time Oh, I was already pregnant So, remember?

No, we're talking about your very first time Were you ever nervous or scared? Oh, ever? I thought they were still in like No, we're not talking about purity No Were you scared at all? No, uh-uh, neither was I

but I didn't do it right you did I know you're such a sweet girl what I'm saying she's the baby she didn't know she could get pregnant she did know she knew how that happened come on yeah he did

but you knew about I just didn't think I had a slight advantage now because I could look at my kids eyeballs and say you need to wait I know because I'm not going to ask you to do something that I couldn't do and I'm like I'm asking you to do something And I didn't do.

Although, I mean, I did with Tom three years. Yeah. Share hell. Yeah. No, I'm just kidding. Oh my gosh. Actually, it wasn't that bad. It really, really wasn't that.

No, it wasn't. Three years. Three years. It wasn't, you know what? It really wasn't that bad because I love God so much. I know. It's true. I was like, I can remember saying to the Lord.

I'm like, I will never do that because I don't want to break your heart, which would break my heart. It's a good revelation. Because of everything, when I came back, I realized what I had walked away from and what I had gained when I came back. I was like, it ain't worth it. That makes it a fair. It ain't worth it. Yeah.

Like, that's momentary. What I had with the Lord at that time and still do long lasting. And that's, that's Jeff's same story. Like, he was celibate for me too for, you know, a whole year. Yeah. And he promised the Lord. He's like, as hard as I chase women in drugs, I'm going to chase after you. And that's what helps keep him on the straight and narrow.

Yeah, for sure. Oh, yeah. Die to yourself. Amen. And you'll be very pleased with when you get married, you'll know, like, the extremes that you'll go for that spouse. Because you know the extremes you'll go for him. It's really powerful and way different. But, okay, five minutes, six minutes.

Okay. This is what I pray. Okay. If I feel any sadness, which is grief, emptiness, which I used to think like you did, what would life be like when my kids, but my kids haven't left. It's pretty great. I mean, I know they want to, right, but it is what it is. And we give them their own personal freedom.

So it's not that hard. But I do know now, because they're older, I do know, like, what life will look like for me and Tom by ourselves. it's pretty sweet. Yeah. Like, we're such great friends. Right. That, I mean, it'll be pretty sweet. It won't be really any different than it is right now.

It's just like the door will be open if you know what to mean. Other than that. Better come knocking. All the doors will be locked. No one will have a key. You're out. Mommy's like running. What is that?

When we, like, come into the house and, like, either we're, like, usually not there or, like, Norma's not there. And we, like, get there and, like, you guys have the door closed. And it's, like, quiet. We look at each other and we're like, wise decision. Don't listen. It's not always the case, but wise decision. But just in case it is. He's terrified of it.

So when you're gone, when those doors are locked, the front doors, don't use a key. Don't use your key. Nobody has a key. Well, it doesn't even matter if they are there. Like, ain't no stopping us now. Yeah, no, no. But when you're empty nesters, the door will be open.

There you go. That's all I'm going to say. I think one of the biggest ones is when you stop and you slow down is where conviction comes in. Like, I feel like the Lord speaks to me more in those quiet times about things for myself and the things like especially when i've been fasting and then i stop fasting i think fasting has big been the biggest and most dramatic change in my life in how i am and how i operate and the person that i've become along with not working like

three jobs because when you are super busy you're not you're stretched super thupy then. And so your patience level is much shorter. You're overwhelmed almost all the time. Like if you keep a pace up for, and I did, I kept a pace up for a very long period of time because in some ways we had to. But in other ways, it was not healthy. And it takes away from you may be still spending time in the word, but are you applying it? Because you're still, you're all these things. but I feel like that alone time has been is more powerful for the conviction part of things than pretty much anything true yeah because the Lord really can speak to you one-on-one heart to heart right yeah oh yeah 100% like how do you get convicted when there's just

when you're learning and I mean maybe during worship music if you're because you can kind of be more like but when you're learning and putting stuff in and dumping stuff in and like how's God convicting you Like maybe through a person, you know. Or in the word, like there's times when I'm reading the word and I'm like, I go, Ouch, that's me. A hundred percent. Okay.

So in the word, yeah. But on the other, any other time, except for when you're hearing somebody preached and then you hear him say something like in a teaching or something like that, you go, wowsers, I'm missing that right there. But it's way more powerful to hear it straight from the horse's mouth. Right. When you're having a conversation with the Lord. Right.

It might be more specific to what, like, yeah, the pastor can say. something and it can be like, oh yeah, I see that. But like, what if God wanted you to work on this first? You know what I mean? And if you just sat with him in the morning, he would have told you that. Yeah. You could have dealt with that and then this at church. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly.

It's just being so still and so quiet. Insecurity, I don't deal with a lot of insecurity, but I have dealt with being insecure. I have other people that I know that are very close to me that have dealt with being insecure. And insecurity is very, very dangerous. Yeah. And I mean, I know I have been insecure in my life.

And it makes you question relationships with people. And that's not healthy. Right. And being insecure will make you question your relationship with the Lord and your identity with him. And a lot of people don't realize that. But if you take that insecurity, and you pray about it, the Lord will build you up.

And then he'll show you things in the Word because you'll have that conversation with him and he'll show you in the Word where you're wrong. And you need to be secure in who you are. Secure in your walk with Him. Secure in your salvation. Because there are so many people that are so insecure. I'm not an eternally secure believer,

but I am secure in knowing where my eternity is based on how I live and based my relationship with him. And that's where people who are eternally secure do not understand those of us that don't believe in it, how we can be secure in our salvation for eternity. They don't get that, which is very dangerous. I'm going to read you this scripture really quick because we addressed it and then we're going to close up and move on and finish this up on Friday. but Luke 1038 through 42 is about Mary and Martha. It says as Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home.

Her sister Mary sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he taught, but Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, Lord, doesn't it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me. So funny. Either she had already told Mary to come and help her, and she wasn't listening.

So she went, or she just went straight for the jugular and went. Right. And thought Jesus was going to mandate and dictate. And ouchy mama. Yeah. Because she's the one that got the pushback. She's the one that got the correction. It says, but the Lord said to her, my dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details.

Which is me right there. Like, this has been, like, I can't tell you. how many times I read the story and go, this is you, this is you, this is you. There's only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her. So the thing was, is for me, Martha,

she wasn't doing anything, like, bad. I mean, she really wasn't. Her heart was in the right place. She wanted to honor the Lord and give him a very good meal and do right by him. But what he preferred and what he wanted more was what was not what she was doing, which was serving him, working, preparing. That's all busy.

That's all busy and distraction. And what the Lord really preferred is for her to just come and like soak in his presence and take in all that he had to say. He was only on the earth for such a short period of time. And I don't know if how, I don't know if they realized how short it really was. And so he knew the value in the words that he was saying and his presence being there, the value of that. And she didn't. And I don't want that to be me.

I want to understand the value of who he is and who he is in my life all the time. And when I stay busy, I can't do both. Right. You can't do both. So I want to be a Mary because Mary did understand it. Vanessa has understood it. You understand it a lot more than me. And I am now understanding it, but for most of my life, I have not.

And man, as soon as I grabbed hold of it, I still have to fix myself. I have to check myself. I have to like make myself be purposed in doing this. But that's a sweet spot. Yeah. Very much. That's a sweet spot to stay in that place. So if it's not you today, start it.

Right. Because there's power in it. Obviously, look at Vanessa. Vanessa overcame anxiety by just being in his presence. Yeah. Yep. In a moment. Yeah.

There's hope. There's something that comes from it. very positive and very powerful. So, basically this doesn't get you anywhere, but we'll finish up on that with Friday. Do you guys want to add anything to any of that? I'll wait. Yeah. Come back Friday. Oh, my word.

Some groundbreaking. Truth. Oh, my gosh. I'm going to vomit. All right, people. We will see you on Friday. Thanks for joining us. Bye.

Real talk.