The Hope Hotline - Joy in the Holidays! Part Two

Episode Date: December 10, 2025

The Hope Hotline | S03-E76 | 12-10-2025

Real talk Hello and welcome. It is Wednesday and from, from what I've been told. From what I've been told, we are two weeks officially. from Christmas Eve today. Wow. Correct. That's crazy. Correct. Wait.

Christmas Eve. I have a lot to do. Oh my gosh. Listen, I've been making lists, checking them twice. You are so good. I'm almost done, but still not close enough. Same. So hopefully you guys are done.

Nope. Not even close. Not even. Kind of close. The pressure is on. That's how we do. That's how we roll. I think I need a level of pressure just to get it done.

of urgency. Yeah. I started in August. You were so good. I'm not really. No, you are. That is excellent. No, but I normally am not.

And this was all the easy stuff. Is anything easy? Well, some years no. Some years, yes. So was it something going on in August that made you, like, start? Are you just where like... Didn't you start your countdown in August? I feel like you started in January.

I did start my countdown in January. I think you did. 100%. Like the day after. Yeah. Literally New Year's Day. New Year's Day. I might have done it the day after Christmas.

I think because I thought that was funny. That is funny. It was like 365 more days. I think I did something like that because I thought that was so flipping funny. And I was like, let's just go with it the whole year through. I'm committed. And I did. That's so funny.

You're crazy. I did it enough just to be annoying. But not too much where people would cancel me. Right. No, you did. It was just, it was just, it was a perfect amount. Yeah. Oh, my God.

Super funny, though. Good last. I feel like every year, I'm like, I'm going to start early. I'm going to start early. Me too. And then it's like the week of. Now, that's normally when I'm wrapping. Oh, that's the week of.

Okay. Mine's Christmas Eve. After service. That used to be me back in the day. Yeah. Christmas Eve, up until about two or three years ago. Okay. It was Christmas Eve after Christmas Eve service.

because but your kids get older yeah yeah that helps true it does you're not putting together bikes and that's true that's all houses and i remember i i kind of miss it oh not me i miss having littles like during the holiday season not me easter and yeah and christmas i got my full my fill i got my fill i got my fill got my fail not me i love I mean, not up until about 10 minutes ago. Now are you going with this? When my child was trying to demand that the room be the Arctic. That's funny.

She said, I didn't demand anything, workers' comp. You're going to get a claim on Norma. No good working conditions. Sweat shops. Sweat shop. measures right now okay listen I'm not this is a child and I'm not kidding you has their own AC Tommy and Norma both have their own AC units in the room and they both keep them at 68 62 degrees that is insane I'm dying no way I'm dying she can't go to

Norma's room and not die right and she can't go and she hangs out in Tommy's room she's dying there's no reprie for this girl be too She chose this life, man. It's true. Norma she chose this life. I know. I bring, like, pants and a sweater. And I'm like, it's cold. It's cold. Like, for the winter up north. Oh, my gosh. It's cold. So her winning at this temperature. Okay, I get it. I'm not doing it. I keep my house at 74 degrees. No, no, no. It was 73 and it was frigid. I'm just saying, I'm not living in freezing. temperatures while I'm doing the podcast. I shiver. I'm not shivered. Were you shivering girls? They were shivering. Freezing. Normal on the other hand is a hot box. Come feel my fingers. Norma, come touch my hands. I have to put them under my butt right now. Yeah, it's cold. It was cold. So, but normally I would say up until 10 minutes ago that, like, I love my kids where the rat right now like I just I don't know life is so good and sweet and it's perfect like I have

enjoyed every single age yeah to its max you have to the capacity in which I have a max you have to when you wish it away then when it comes that that away comes you're like I wish I would have enjoyed that more yeah that is true I'm in this season of being an Uber right now for And I don't complain. I know. They want to go somewhere. All right, let's go. Oh, you mean like, I see what you're saying.

I thought you meant in that they were kind of like being like, take me here, take me that. But no, it's more like, let's, hey, can you help me? Can you do it? It's not like a. No, they want me to take them places. They want me to drop them off. They want me to make, they have social lives that are like.

Off the charts. Off the charts. That's awesome. Like, I am not complaining because I'm going to miss this season. of just like driving around because you have the best conversations in the car right right and you're actually with like physically with them when they have their own car you're not physically with them anymore when she's in like me and normal still go places together yeah when she wants my my uh my involvement or my company i make her sing to me pretty much the whole entire time i love that

i want to hear this song okay now i want you to sing this song i won't get it if i don't but there's some songs that i love that she sings can you make me a list oh my gosh i'm with norma i'm gonna make her do the same thing with me so i don't really talk to norma when we're in the car oh my gosh i make her sing to me you get another level i make her sing to me okay now can you sing this song i really love that i love that she does it such a good daughter just honoring her mother yeah so she can live along and prosperous life so you hey listen you touch that thermostat so you mess with the temperature She's saying that she's not going to honor me in the thermoset. Okay, you are because I'll literally get up out of this chair and tackle you.

To the ground. That could be good for the plot. We can get the video. Oh my gosh. Put it on paper view. Is there paper view anymore? I don't even know. I don't think there is paper review anymore.

I haven't heard that ever ever. Direct TV. If you have direct TV anymore. Does anybody really have direct TV anymore? I know. What is that? Exactly. Which was ridiculous.

because DirecTV turned into, no, they were bought out by somebody. Who would they bought out by? Because just before we left them, they were bought out. I can't remember, it starts with an A. Dish? No. It starts with an A, I think. AT&T, I think, bought them.

So, DirecTV was bought out by AT&T. And I'm not kidding you, like, we had the lowest package that you could get, like, because we don't, like, Tom doesn't, he can get. what he needs like what he watches or he's mostly on Twitter so he's like just get the lowest deal it's like two hundred and forty dollars or a hundred and forty dollars or some ridiculous it's almost two hundred dollars but no way I'm not kidding you I'm not kidding you what we paid no it's about 150 dollars a month and that's the lowest package deal oh my god when I told him I'm like I think we need to get rid of it because we don't even really watch

it he's like yeah let's do it because we got then we got fios out where we lived right right so I'm like, let's just do streaming. We got rid of everything, too. When you started streaming, you got rid of everything? I got rid of everything because it was getting, like, the cost for, we had Expendity, and the cost was in, I was paying like over $450 a month. On cable? For everything, cable, because you have to have a phone.

So it's a cable phone and internet. And I was like, this is insane. I have Exfinity and mine is $70 a month. I love Expendity. For internet? For everything. I don't have a phone. I have it.

I couldn't, like, it was cheaper to do cable or the, whatever, streaming. The bundle? The bundle? I don't know, but I get rid of it. And so now we just have Internet. Yeah. And then I have all those streaming packages. And I had all those, too, on top of what we had.

Oh, you know, I think I only have it for Internet. I don't have it. I don't have it for TV at all. I'm like, yeah, because I think it was, it was like $100 for the TV. And I'm like. kept going up and i was like no it was really i'm like why am i paying you for that i don't need i know i'm not even watching tv right there's so many cheaper options now and if you're just like we don't like we put things on for background noise pretty much like that's what it comes down to

oh yeah so and i love youtube i always have music going yeah same here travel channels i need i should get youtube without commercial that's what i should do it's premium yeah it's totally worth it how much is that not that you guys care this is a very personal conversation yeah like not it's not crazy i know i sometimes put to Tommy's account on so i don't have to for the dog dog tv oh yeah the dog doesn't have to have commercials oh my gosh yeah i'm doing it do it i'm doing it people doing it so good about this decision it's like 13 dollars a month 1399 a month there you go yeah for an individual yeah give yourself a christmas gift this year that's a great christmas gift for yourself is it monthly 13 or is a year yeah yeah that's what i thought 13 a month

I can do that. Yearly for $13. What is that? Great. If it was yearly for $15, $13, that'd be great. I know. Oh, my gosh. Put me in, coach.

I'm in there. Okay. Do the thing that we do. Okay. We're doing the thing that we do. All right. So, we are available on Facebook, Rumble, YouTube, and the podcast later. Those are our three main streaming that we're doing right now live.

Our audio podcast is available later. So that is the replay. and obviously Facebook, YouTube, and Rumble will have the replay there as well. If you're watching live, you can be watching live on the Hope Hotline Facebook or Foundation Church Facebook, so those will both live there later if you want to share it with somebody or whatever, do whatever you want to do with it, you know. If you are on Rumble, we are also in the chat, so come on over. If you're watching it live on Facebook or YouTube, come hang out with us, and Galena has

given us the lowdown on all of the costs. Okay, you might, Gleena might have the hookups. I'm to figure that out. Fifteen bucks for Xfinity. How? How? You got lucky. Okay, I might have to preen my way into that $15. So anyways, we've got Sharon in the chat, and we've got Amarie and Galena, and of course, me and Tal are in there. So we got a bunch of you watching today, so we would love to know where you're watching from, and just give us a thumbs up on the Rumble chat and then if you could repost that would be really awesome and we would love for you guys to send your questions in ask hope at hope hotline.com we got a whole new year coming so we would love to hear what is going on in your life and what questions you have um anything scriptural or biblical

or anything about your family we would love to be able to i'm going to go more topical next year i love that i love that it's very fun did tell you did you just say what does that what is that I want to hear what the topic was. Oh, no. I said, I'm going to go more topical next year. I mean, I'll take people's questions. But that could stream into a topic, too. So, yeah.

Mostly. Okay. I'm not going to do questions. All right. So listen, get your questions in now, or it's over. Yeah, I like the revamp. Okay, so I'm just saying this. 2025.

I've got a few more weeks. So send your questions in, and then we'll, maybe we'll have a special of questions. But yeah, I love the idea of doing the topics. And it's so cool because like even on Sunday, you know, there's a lot of things. Pastor Tom talks about when people are like, how is he reading my mail? Or like, we literally just talked about this at our hub. And so it's really cool when it like, it always if you're being spirit led, it's going to connect. And I love that.

Okay. Our friend, Natalie, as you guys all know, saved by grace, she will be coming in on Wednesday. So if you were here last week and you heard Friday, if you're. you remember it. Oh, I didn't change the date. Okay, Wednesday, and I got to update that, so I don't forget right now. She's going to be here Wednesday, not the 19th. I should put not in front of that. December 17th, she's going to be here. So she had a little schedule change, so we're going to change that out. And so it's going to be the 17th, and I'm going to do it right now, so I don't forget. So again, if you have, for Natalie, there will be questions,

and so please send those in, and she'll be happy to answer those questions. It's the same place as Cope at Hopeline.com. Send those in today. or any time up until Wednesday. If you send them in on on Wednesday, we will try to do it, but if you come in the Rumble chat and then ask them in there too,

that will help as well. But if you can send them in before that, that would be really helpful to us. Obviously, we have a merch available, your UBU T-shirt, hat, mug, and the spoon. We're on TikTok, but not live. So we got the Hope Hotline on here, and we've got Hope's page.

Of course, she's doing Name That Tune. We had a Christmas one edition. So if you caught that, make sure you're commenting on the chat, too, or in the comments too, so we can see you're in there. We've got Vanessa and me on as well, and we've got Sarah and Normaz today, and Talia got the shaft. So, sorry, tell. You had over a thousand followers. That one might have been an old one. Yeah, that was an old one.

Yeah, I'm like, yours is. These ones pulled. Oh, yeah, look at that. All those are probably the same. They're old. Yeah, those are old ones. Well, okay, I have more than that. But does anybody really care? Probably not. I do. I know. I know you do. Don't worry. I still have my 13116. 13, 1,316. They're hanging on tight. They're not going anywhere. Even with my absence. I think I'm going to do, I think we should do some New York TikToks. We should. Okay. Okay. Like, I have the one where it's like, should we go get a bagel? Yes. And that one. Yes. Yes. Yes. That's a great idea. Yeah. Because that'll be easy. And then I'm like, and then we're like every state, like, like, every state, like,

on the airplane and then all of a sudden we're in New York getting a bagel. Okay. That's cute. Yeah. Yeah. Super cute. That's really cute. You should do that.

Okay. We will. Maybe. Yeah, exactly. So Pastor Tom is on and we're just increasing and people, like, it's cool to have the people that really love him and are following. Every once in a while, obviously, we'll spark some, you know, silly feathers. Oh, my gosh.

We have one lady that just loves Pastor Tom. Really? Oh, yeah. and she's yeah i'll tell you about her later but um she's not i don't think she's found his tic talks yet um but she has found our live stream and she's she's fun um what does that mean just criticizes all christians yeah she's she doesn't love christians but she's found pastor tom and she really loves him really dislikes him yeah correct um yeah that's probably because she's a feminist 1,000 percent she has purple hair her dad's a pastor

and she's like but her like church her basically oh yes that's rough yeah i bet you i bet you i showed aaron and tommy and they're like this is awesome it is awesome they love it because you know what that god really can do a work in someone like that people don't realize what they meant no it's i i agree with you hope i agree like i think the same thing yeah like if it's purs her on yeah it makes her have to like really like why do you angry yeah like she and she is and i i only know that because that's how i was okay i mean like i was so angry and then there were things that made me angrier and angrier and angry you can only get to a certain place and then you have to sit there and go okay how far can i escalate this

anger and like at some point you has to stop and then you have to like cognitively evaluate like what is going on here right i totally agree and i like obviously she's been hurt and so that's like really sad but Tommy and and Aaron love it because it spurs her on and it causes her to make comments which causes the algorithm to go nuts yeah yeah I mean it's on her page yeah and she's she's got a decent following too um that's awesome I've seen some people that have definitely been hurt by their church and stuff that I follow on so that we're Christians and now they're not um and so they're following her too so it's like this group of people that are what is it deconstructing yes yeah deconstructing yeah deconstructing

being Christians. That's so sad. It really is because I'm like, was it Jesus that hurt you? Or was it a man that made you sad? Like it's, it's super disappointing. It's, it's feelings based. Right. Literally. Right. Yeah. So if you don't hate Pastor Tom, even if you do, it was fine. You can just come on and follow us, so we'll get another number. And, you know, put some comments in and then I'll get the conversation started. But he has his church one, which is the pastor of foundation church, obviously. And then, and the TLP clips, which is just little clips that we put up that have to do with whatever was said, you know, the night before because he's doing his podcast Monday through Friday if you didn't know. I was looking at how, I was looking at, I was doing the numbers in my head last night while I was laying in bed on his and the TLP, which the TLP really took a long break because Tickok was

doing, there was just so many things. So you can really only use the Tom Leipley. you know, TikTok account. And then I looked at mine and I did the math on mine and the math on his. Like,

because what he's, he's so controversial and I've never been. If you think about that, like he's like grown really fast in such a short period of time. Right. Like,

and I was never controversial, but I was boring as I'll get out up until TikTok. And then it kind of like took off, but I'm not controversial at all. And I'm still slow. it's so hard to grow on TikTok people have no idea how hard it is it used to be so easy because I remember when I first started like I would get like thousands of views right away

like right away I would be like this is like some like a cheat code or something like how am I getting and I'm not even doing anything I was like working out and it wasn't even like on my bike and just transitions nothing crazy but yeah it's definitely different now it's crazy and so I was like sitting there doing the math and I'm like he's doing like killer and nothing like we've only had really one viral video the other two that I have up there just like kind of like ones that really show who he is it's like something that we talk about often but that 24,000 one was really the one that went viral and it was about marriage and so a lot of people wanted to comment about you know forgiveness and marriage and stuff but yeah he's he we're definitely

finding our people so yeah and his aren't even as long as everybody else is you guys keep them so short I know but yeah but like even yeah because that I'm not saying that's wrong right I'm just saying that ours isn't the same way as other people's that are it's just it's kind of crazy how it works if anybody's ever had to do a TikTok they know it's not it's not unless you're not controversial then you yeah if you're new and you're controversial it's going to take a while if you're if you're not controversial at all yeah and you're new and you have something that people are interested in you're probably going to grow faster but true but who wants to be like everybody else on us Not us.

Forget about it. But our worship page is doing great. Yeah, but music always. Animals, music, if it's good music. Yeah. Yeah. I know. So we're doing great over there.

And sometimes, yeah, if it's bad, you'll grow. That's true. It could be either way. Mocking. Yes, exactly. Yeah, so we'll be at 1,000 before you know it. And, yeah, we've got all of our worship. So those are all of our TikToks.

And I think that's pretty much it. Yeah. Yeah, that's it. We're going to put Foundation Church on the map. We're going to try. Yes, we are. Yes, we are. Because we're, like, we are literally one of the few. And it's so sad, but we're one of the few churches that preach the whole entire thing.

And then, and I just think, like, it stands out, but not always in a good way. It has to be the right people. Yeah. Yeah, that is true. I literally find myself in rooms where I am always diametrically. the differing thought process. That's just crazy to me how I feel like I'm always opposite of most of the people in the room.

Biblical are just social things, you know? Because a lot of times, even in social things, people are so, like, weak. They're always more like, I don't know how to explain myself, but... Passive? More passive, but they're just so not, like... Give an example.

Oh, I'll give you an example. Okay. Because, like, now when I give you this example, I'll preface it by saying the reason my sister did something was not for the same reason most people would do it. So I'll just say. So this is the most recent where I felt like, gosh, I'm always the one. Man, I hate it.

But my sister knows, like, she knows I'm always the salmon swimming upstream. And she's so used to it. Right. And she is a very sweet, sweet person as far as, like, most people will meet her. And they're like, man, she's a really great girl. And in my life, she's always been the nice one and I've always been the mean one. But we were at my mom's house, and we were talking about how at Christmas Eve service, her church last year was packed.

Packed. And I think they had two services, and people had to sit in the overflow room, which kudos for that. Like, hello. Thank God. Like, I love that. So, because we were talking about how we're doing two services, so she's going to try and make one.

But she was saying how last year, like she. gave up her seats they gave up their seats for people who brought people or so that they didn't have to be in the overflow room and somehow somebody asked what asked my opinion if I thought that was right or how I came about what my opinion on was of that was like like they're their people but I think it was my sister and her sister-in-law. My sister said that she felt like the Lord was prompting her. Give up your seats, right? I'm 100% behind that.

I'm like, and I told her, it's like, I totally agree with that. But I don't agree with. I said, I don't do it that way because she was like, you might. Oh, I think she was, she just said, you might feel differently about that. And I said, I do. I do definitely feel different about that because we at this church reserve, usually we try and reserve the first several front rows for the people who work or either do a hub or volunteer.

We try and make sure that people who do an enormous amount for the church get some really great seats. And I wouldn't give up those seats for somebody. And I told her, I said, I'm not giving up that. Somebody felt like you did and wanted to do that. That's one thing. But I'm not giving up those seats or like a seat. had an overflow room the people who don't come normally go in the overflow room like you only feel

the need to come to church two times a year and we're going to give you honor and and enable bad behavior now not happening go sit in the overflow room because that's what you've earned the seed that you sow is the one that you receive you don't come on a regular basis so you shouldn't give it a privilege on a special night. But I literally always feel like I'm always the freaking one. I mean, am I wrong about that? No, no. I'm not wrong. No, definitely not. I'll answer for you. No, you're not wrong. But most people will say, let the people who don't normally come so that they have an experience so that maybe the Lord will do a work in them. Yeah. No, they've had that every year. Yeah. Somebody has done that for them every year. Has it changed one thing

for them? Right. Nope. And that's probably people that have never worked in ministry. Because you do. Everybody wants to assume the best in people. But when you've seen patterns, you know that the people most likely that are showing up on Christmas are doing it for tradition. Yes, maybe one, but that person could get hit out in the overflow if it's the Holy Spirit. Yes. You know, and so I would, I, if I was in your position, I would have done the exact same thing. Obviously, if the Holy Spirit budges us to do something, we're going to do it. Do it. Obviously, if our people feel the Holy Spirit is bunching going to do something, we're going to be

okay with it. But the end of the day, like, I would do exactly what you do. I would honor my people that have done the work this year to give them a great seat, let them enjoy, let them actually, like, sit and enjoy the service and hope that people come back next week. And we talk about this with Charlie Kirk. Like, I'm like, that's great. Everybody's super excited.

Everybody's happy. Everybody's ready and ready to go to war. And then here we are. two months later and it's controversies and division and drama and is anybody going to church anymore you know probably not probably not there might be but there's probably a few and so and they're probably the ones that would be okay sitting in the overflow and would want to try church again the next week truth that is true yeah i don't know i just think to myself like i think we cater too many too often to the people who do not appreciate it that are very entitled but but do absolutely

nothing with it after you give it to them it's like no not not here no that's not how it's going to work and also when push comes to shove in situations for you like you've have great fruit you really do so when everybody shut their doors you did the opposite And most people aren't going to do that. So if everybody's going to do the thing where, okay, it's Christmas Eve, I'll give it my front seat because that would be the right thing to do that makes me feel good as a Christian. They're probably going to feel good as a Christian and keep their door shut when it's time again. So I don't know. I just.

I feel like that's, I really do feel a lot of times. And you know what? It's so funny to me too. It's like, no, I'm not going to even reach that topic because that will open a flipping can't arm. But I just, I don't know. I think we really, I think it's good for that woman to be up in arms, ticked off because, like, she would be ticked off if she came to a church service that didn't, like, treat her, made her sit in the overflow room, she'd be mad.

But that would be the best thing for that woman that's mad at, at, because, That's a mentality that is not healthy. And you need to be confronted with, you're wrong. It's people that did this to you, not Jesus. Right. And you need to look at yourself honestly. Are you the very thing that you're expecting everybody else to be? No, you're not.

So until you are, maybe you should shine and then you'll see the others around you, maybe have a differing. But no, nobody, everybody wants everybody else around. them to change and do everything for them and then maybe they'll change that's not how it works yeah and it's not that's how it works but most of the time in church that's what we do we cater enable yes and we bow yeah not here not today ever no it's not good it's not good it's good it's good for people to be confronted with the very thing that needs to change in their life Amen.

And most of the time, I mean, it's even as much as people dishonest, that are dishonest with you, right? Like, I'm big right now on, and I have been for a while, but I'm big on when I sense that there's something not right. And sometimes I've been wrong, but not very often, but it's been good for me to try and figure it out because then it explains things. I'm big on when somebody tells me something, if something doesn't sit right. right with me, I start asking questions. There's a reason I ask questions. And a lot of times people are like, why so many questions? Well, there's a reason. Because we're going to get to the truth. And a lot of times, what happens is when people feel like this instinct in them that goes, their gut is saying something's not right with what somebody's telling me right now.

They just continue on with the conversation. They let it go and they let it ride. But really what needs to happen is, is more questions need to be asked. And that person needs to be kind of backed into a corner to be honest and truthful so that they don't continue to be dishonest. Yeah. I love it. Yep. Like, it needs to be weeded out in their life.

Right. And we don't confront it because it makes us uncomfortable. For their benefit. For their benefit. But we don't ask the questions because we don't want to be uncomfortable asking them. True. Yeah, exactly. True.

Yes. But is that the greatest, is that the best thing to do? No. So now everybody's going to be, if I start asking a question. I know. Now I'm going to like now it's stuck in my brain. Yeah, which isn't always the case when I ask questions, but listen. I'm going to be like, hope asks me three questions in a row. There's reasons why I do ask. Sometimes it's because I don't understand it, but most of it, but to be perfectly honest with you, most of the time, if I start asking a series of questions, it's because

I'm going to get to the truth of the matter. Either I'm misunderstanding something or you're not being honest. I think I do that by default. I used to not. But it's, I know, because if I feel like something's off, I have a heart. I mean, it depends. Like, I can, I see, like, the comfort in letting a conversation go and you don't want to deal with it. But if it's, like, really uncomfortable to me, something's off. Like, I do tend to ask questions. I try not to, like, go to a place where I'm assuming anything, but, like, really trying to narrow down, like, what's going on.

Yeah. Well, you know what I find is it's a deceptive spirit. Yeah. And it's a manipulating one. well. And I don't want any of that around me and I don't want that person and this is a God's honest truth. The reason I do it now is for my benefit. First of all, one is don't come at me again like that. You'll think twice before you try and lie to me because we're going to do this again. Second of all, do not manipulate me. I don't manipulate people. Don't manipulate me.

It is so ungodly. It's wickedness as far as I'm concerned. Somebody who tries to manipulate other people to get what they want that is wicked that is like from the pit of hell and it's not gonna you're not doing it with me so I do it from my benefit more than I do it for anybody else's benefit do that with somebody else but don't bring that to my to my table I'm not doing it I'm not playing those games especially if I don't do it right I don't do that to people right so please don't do it to me just ask the question and be willing to hear yes or no don't manipulate it so you get what you want that's not right somebody is norm are you trying to air drop me oh it's all right i was like i i don't know how to accept it oh they are a decline or accept so it's

like i don't know joy in the holidays and in the spirit of the holidays i'm just joking no it's so true i yeah no these are and some people need like tools to deal with stuff because uh like galena said uh laugh about me i can be passive working on it so like when you galena's passive i'm And I think what she means is like she wants to avoid conversations, but once she doesn't avoid them, and Galena correct me if I'm wrong, but once she can't avoid them, she's going to go all the way in. Delina is, I think Lena is like very much cut from the same cloth as me. I think so too. I don't think you're passive.

I know. And I mean that as a compliment. I don't mean that as a negative. I don't think you're passive at all. I mean, you got to be willing to ask the hard questions. and that's a good like tool for her like if you do feel passive or anybody feels passive like next time you feel some things off ask some more questions and then obviously ask the holy spirit to show you like what's going on in this conversation but people that lie they like

their voice changes their eye every like there's ways to like literally see it overcome people I know when my kids are lying me too literally yeah I used to know too I don't really deal with that anymore right I'm just telling because when they get older yeah no like it's but kids Yeah. 100%. Your life. You're lying. This ain't right.

And they're like, how do you know? But the Holy Spirit's good because the Holy Spirit would always prick me too. Be like, that's not true. Yeah. That's not. He still does it with me. People like literally, like I'll be talking to somebody and I will feel it in my gut. And there would be no reason for me to feel it.

But I'll be like, something right. And literally it's because that pricking in my spirit is like, this isn't right. Yeah. Right. it's so fun to pair it with the Holy Spirit because I have those I've had those encounters with my kids and when it happens you can just see it on their face like there is a fear of the Lord it's like you have eyes in the back of their head yeah you're not human listen you're not human just so you know I tell them all the time just so you know me and the Holy Spirit I like this okay if I need to know something he will let me know yeah I made that very clear and it's so true though it is it is It's just like discernment. Right. That's the Holy Spirit giving you discernment.

I don't have great discernment, but my husband does. He's like. And sometimes the Holy Spirit will do the work and then bring it to my attention once it's already done for me. True. Yeah. And I'm like, thank you, Holy Spirit. Done and done. Like to be so close, like people don't realize like having that close connection

with the Lord the advantages that there are so many advantages to it and people just want to live life in a worldly way and they do without so many things spiritually speaking like the supernatural they live without it how yeah i don't know i don't want to live a life like how do you like a month without like just blindfolded yeah and and the thing is it's like me and normal we're talking about this i've gone through periods of my life Where, and I told her, I was telling her, Andrew Womack talks about it. There was periods in my life, I literally was like, are you even there, Lord? Like, I can't hear you or whatever.

But it's in those moments that I think he refined you even more to be like, I don't, I don't, it's like when he told doubting Thomas, he told Thomas, who needed to see the scars in his hands and his feet before he believed. And he said, better for those who believe. don't need to see. And I really believe it's in those moments where you feel like I can't hear you where the consistency and the commitment shows who you really are in that relationship that you have with him. Because sometimes, like when you're married even, sometimes like I was saying to her, it's like two ships passing. But you know at the end of the day, when you come back

together, nothing has changed. It could even be better than it was before. Yeah. So it's in those those times that you just you're like it doesn't matter that I don't hear you yeah doesn't matter that I don't feel you what I know is is that this connection in this relationship does not change it only grows and gets better the unique opportunity that Tracy and I have is that we gather every week on a Tuesday with our ladies and we have a time of praise reports and we see the supernatural on yeah on the weekly basis. Correct. Like, we, we've seen tumors shrink.

Like, and so for me, the supernatural, the supernatural is the expectation. Right. That is, like, that's what I'm expecting every single time. Yeah. Because I live it. I've seen it. I've witnessed it with my own eyes. Yeah.

Yeah. And so. It's like even when everybody else is feeling it or seeing it, you have to be confident in knowing that if nothing changes. Yeah. Yeah. he'll do it for me he'll do it for me and that's the cool thing about you know sharing our our our wins with each other it's it's that it's that thought process like there there is no

favoritism in the kingdom of god if he's going to do that for them and i i also can believe for it he's going to do it for me yeah um it's just so cool it is very cool it's a beautiful thing it really is i'm going to do um sponsors really quick and then we're going to move into joy and i have this and we're going to briefly discuss catch everybody up that all my gosh, I found this crazy, like, connection with joy and an entitlement. Like, I got to, like, oh, my gosh. This is, this story is crazy, crazy cool. But it goes all to get, how it goes together, it's like so amazing.

But let's do our sponsors really quick, and then we'll move into Joy. Real Estate Appraisal Associates of Southwest Florida Inc. is owned by Laura Keller since 2005. Real Estate Appraisal Associates has delivered. some of the most accurate certified home appraisals in Southwest Florida. With clear upfront pricing, no hidden fees, and fast turnaround times, they make the appraisal process simple and stress-free. No more waiting, weeks for results. Your appraisal is typically completed within two to four days.

Why get an appraisal? There are several smart reasons to have a certified evaluation done, and that is selling your home. Ensure you are not underpricing your property. Inheriting a property is to avoid unnecessary estate taxes. Property tax concerns is confirm your home. assessed accurately so that you're not overpaying. Preparing to list.

Prevent overpricing and having your home linger on the market. Over 10,000 completed appraisals, locally owned and operated for more than 30 years. State certified, highly experienced appraisal team, 100% money back guarantee on their appraisal services and providing residential real estate services in Charlotte, Sarasota, Manatee, DeSoto, Hillsborough, Pinellas, and Lee counties. Mentioned that you heard about them from the Hope Hotline and you'll get a $50 discount. You can call them at 941-7-4-3-3-3-3-7-700. Hanson's Automotive Services has been serving Southwest Florida since 2017, backed by over 20 years of hands-on automotive experience, from routine oil changes and new tires to AC repair engine work and full engine replacements.

They handle it all with excellence and integrity. They're not only committed to do their best, they are automotivated to keep you safely on the road. Their guiding principle is Hansen's operates with Proverbs 163 at the core of everything they do, which is commit to the Lord, whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. You can reach out to them, which I was there today. 941, 4603962, 941, 4603962. He was actually fixing Tom's window and window washer. Wonderful.

What do you call that where the water squirts through to the wipers? your wipers? No, the hose. The hose. He's fixing the hose. Perfect. As if it's never ending with a vehicle. I know. So many of them, too. So what we were talking about, what we've been talking about is joy. And joy, joy for the holidays. And a lot of times people think that joy is actually an emotion. But joy is not an emotion. Joy is a supernatural, spiritual decision that you make. Joy is a fruit of the spirit. And if you choose to make it be like being happy, then you will be a twig on the river of life. Because wherever your happiness is, you'll be happy, then you'll be

sad. But joy is a decision. And you have to put on joy is what it says in the word. So it is not a mood at all. And some of the times joy is not a mood. Joy is not a mood. Joy is. is a, like I said, a fruit of the spirit. It is something that you decide to walk in. Ladies, two seconds. What do you say? Totally agree. Because when you have happiness, you make decisions. And when you don't have happiness, you make decisions. And so, and sometimes when you're very heightened and you're very excited and you just got saved and you're so excited and everything's great. And then all of a sudden you wake up the next morning and you're like, wait, I have to change everything.

I don't know if I'm ready for this. So then you make a new decision because the happiness went away, right? Yeah, a lot of times people don't know if they're saved anymore because they don't feel happy. Go ahead. Happiness is fickle. It's like you said, it comes and it goes.

And if you're making decisions based on a feeling, then that feeling is fading. Yeah. And you really got to commit. And joy, when you have joy, it's not determined by feeling. So you are able to commit regardless. Yeah, 100%.

And during the holidays, I made a list. I'm going to go through the list really quickly to get us to where I want to start, which is true, everything you said, which is, I love that. Happiness is fickle. Feelings are fickle. God bless it, that is so flipping true. That's such a great thing. The reason why people have a hard time with joy in the holidays is they overloads their schedules.

yeah that's why I decorated my house November 1st I started because I was going to enjoy Christmas I am not rushing I did a Vanessa Tomas I know smart yes smart don't overload your schedule I know go at a pace an even balanced pace family tension God bless it got to love family tension don't allow it to rule and have authority in your life grief loss of loneliness and we have we have a few people in our congregation that are experiencing this but i've also experienced it as i shared um right around the holidays and it doesn't have to take away your joy financial pressures like people feel like they have to buy buy buy buy or they don't have enough to buy like we all talked about how god came through for us yeah without us having to deal with

when we were we were having financial pressure i did a garage sale one year for my kid I went garage sale shopping Christmas shopping for my kids best one of the best Christmases they ever had they say Tracy did um how did yours go um well one of them I had my friend ordered that gallery that's right literally paid for all of Christmas from my family that's right and she had no idea she bought a major photo session with you and my mom doing the stockings was the other one like just it was one of those years I was like another thing I have to do and then she sent the box for all the stockings amazing for all and I like big family I have six people so it's a lot and then Vanessa was a was a dumpster diver a dumpster diver one of

our youth kids was watching and I was he's like hey I was watching you guys and I was like oh that's awesome what'd you learn he's like uh that Vanessa went in the dumpster I'm like that's good another one is comparing yourselves with your friends or family or just people that you admire from afar I mean I'm telling you right now there are so many like now that I've been exposed to TikTok, oh my gosh, people are always trying to show off. It's ridiculous. Don't be one of them and don't be chasing after what one of them has. Be content. Let's see. The next thing, I think I'm catching up. Let's go. We're going to start with, we are now caught up. Practical ways to cultivate joy is what we're going to talk about. And hopefully I get to,

I got 15 minutes. I'm going to get to that one place. But, One of the things that I wrote down, and I think it's talking about overloading your schedule. One of the things I think that we get so caught up is busyness. And I feel very busy. I would be lying to you if I said otherwise. It's like I was telling Tracy and Talia when I came in to the podcast, the first time I saw them in here, I came in to say, hey, but I'm like, You feel very, very busy, but I will tell you this, busyness will suffocate any chance you have of joy.

So even in the midst of busyness, you can make the decision whether or not it controls you or you control it. And that is super, super important because you have got to be intentional about your businessiness. Yes, true. Yes. And delegate where you can. Yep. That's for me. word for me you're preaching to yourself over there okay so like when you're a mom and you work a job

yeah so you're a mom at night wife for some yeah for most some of them are single moms which that adds a whole new mix so your mom at night worker by day and then you got to get all of this stuff done by yourself in the holidays like that would be I'd I would be remiss in saying that that would not be overwhelming and how you do it. But what I would say to you is that's where comparing yourself among yourselves. You can do things that look very Christmassy and make things very holiday-ish without having to go to the extremes that maybe those around you are doing. Because life is maybe in a different place for them. maybe their kids are older and they can maybe financially they're in a different position than

you you look at where you're at be content and where you're at and don't put things on your plate that don't need to be there like there have been some Christmases I've not barely decorated at all yeah and guess what life went on and nobody died and everybody was okay were they as happy as they might have been no because it was different but yes what sometimes don't let things steal your peace and and people will have to like when your kids are younger they they do want to see all this stuff and they do want the Christmas spirit but you know what you can also have conversation and say you know what I don't have time to do it maybe you can depending on their age and if they want to take on

the task and help you out with it like maybe the tree doesn't have to be perfect and maybe Maybe you just let them decorate the tree that year. 100%. I'm just saying it's one task off your plate. And maybe if you look at it instead of going, but it won't be perfect, but it'll be perfectly great because they did it. I mean, and you'll look at it in a whole different way of like, oh my gosh. Like look, they did it different, but it's precious.

It's all in perspective. True. Things don't have to be the same every single year. True. and fall in place but go ahead what go ahead and say what you got to say so um Allison knows that Vanessa puts up her tree right away and I don't typically do that I don't know if I'm like against it or if I'm just like it's just early procrastinating well it's like it's my birthday is in November I like Thanksgiving and I feel like are we skipping it oh you sound like my family right

I never skipped Thanksgiving but like Thanksgiving and I like my fall decorations so that means they have to all come down well Allison knew and Allison doesn't do like she's the the most obedient child in the entire world. Like, she's just easy. She just is. And she knows if she asks, and I say, no, she's not going to do it. But if she doesn't ask, I didn't say no. And she knows most of the time I don't care.

So, oh, you're right there. Hey, girl. So on December 31st, she had this big smile on her face when she went to bed. And then November 1st came. And it was Sunday morning. And she never wakes up early, ever. And she woke up early. And I hear noise everywhere downstairs.

But I'm getting ready for church. We've got to go. I come downstairs and she's running around laughing so hard, grabbing all the fall decorations to put up the Christmas decorations and she had everything out, but she was organizing it. So like it was going to be, she was making my life easier. She knew what I was going to say. So she like was already a step ahead of me. And did she put up the decorations exactly where I would put them?

No. Did I care? No. Because it was just sweet. Like she just was ready for Christmas time. So like it really is. Like it's, that's the heart posture, guys. Oh, I'm going to be sick.

If your kids just want to get stuff up, I'm like, I did. I was like, what are you doing? But really, like, I don't even think like that. Like, I don't know, it's just different personalities, but like to think like somebody needs their tree perfectly. For who? Like, who doesn't need to be perfect? It's your family. Like, it's your family tree.

I know, but there are some people, including myself at one time in life, I'm like, it has to be the way it has to be. I know. Which is not perfect. But to me it was. But to you it is, right. And I just don't think like that. So it wasn't even a thought in my head. But you're right, that could add stress.

You won't even just do it because it has to be perfect. But, like, why be extreme? There might be somebody like your 11-year-old who can run down here at November 1st and start it early for you. Yes. But you have to like just have to let things go sometimes. You have to be okay with it. Protect your peace. Don't be married to anything.

Because of it. So much joy. Yeah, exactly. Don't be married to too many things in life. True. And I say that all the time now because one of the things, I'm not married to it. I'm learning not to be married to things. That means when you're married to them, you're committed to them.

It's a commitment. Okay? I'm not committed to anything, hardly anymore. You have to be, you have to fluctuate. You have to be flexible. There has to be room. And that's what just biggest thing, or maybe it's yours too, is just like what hill are you? Right.

What hell are you willing to die on? There should be many. your hill. Right. Identify it. Yeah. And if it's not the hill that you've identified, then let it go. Yeah.

Like Pastor Thompson is about people being upset with each other. Like is that, is it worth it? Or can you just let, do you have to tell them that you're upset about something? Or you just let it go? Right. Just let it go. Yeah. So.

I mean, you can be bothered by things. A hundred percent. But you don't have to like make sure that, how do I say it? Like, I get bothered by things, but I am not going to. torture those that have bothered me about it like a lot of times people like um i'll give me an example if tracy does something i don't like like she creates things for me all the time like the song like yeah it bothers me yeah but and i'll be like oh god that song's terrible why did she pick that but when i communicate with her it's not like why did you pick that what were we thinking it's not and

there are people who literally be ugly like that but but you but you come to me and you give me a chance to do it you know like that's the other thing and some people just get so mad at something and then they fester on it and then they're mad about it forever and then they never even like obviously with us it's a working situation we have to like deal with stuff but a lot of people get like offended because somebody looked at them or didn't say hi to them at church and then they hold on to it and and sit either go to the person or just let it go yeah a lot of people in this church work together with each other on different things and they get so and then other people like they'll work with people on their jobs and you don't have to like what they

did but they're what was the heart behind it where are they trying or like you don't have to be ugly to them about it you can be honest right but not ugly but not ugly like if i say to her i'm like i hate that song i just like and i'm always honest like i'll be like i hate that song like that song stinks and then she'll be like let me try and find another one okay you can do that but you don't have to be nasty to the person and because you want to want to be treated that way. No way. Right.

So, and isn't that big of a deal? Yeah, you don't like it. So what? Life's not coming to an end. We'll fix it. But I think of like, because Vanessa and I obviously lead like, well, in our what's up group, it's like 81 people. I can't say hi to every single person on a Sunday morning.

And so I know there's times where I've missed somebody and I know there's times where people have probably gotten upset because I didn't say hi to them or they think I'm looking at them and I'm not. And like in those scenarios, like assume the best in the person. like most of us are working on a Sunday morning and most of us have worked the whole week and so just have like a level of grace for people or go to them and be like hey is everything okay between us yeah like give somebody a chance you know especially if you're on staff here because because and if you like run a hub or something you may not be on staff but here's the

thing for most of us Sunday is our work day I don't Sunday is not my day off right I actually get up early and then I don't leave here until usually around 2.33 o'clock. Then I still go home and I work. Right. After I get Tommy's food. Same. So it's like we're working on Sundays.

We're not like a day off. And I think people think that it's a day off. But it's not one of our day off. I'm not on staff. Yeah. And I am the designated driver in the morning.

My Jeep is full of kids. Praise the Lord. I need a school bus is what I need. My friend. I need to get a school bus and pick up all the neighborhood kids. But I have, I just, I have, like, kids texting me right now, actually. Can I get a ride? Can I get a ride?

I'm, like, picking kids up for youth tonight. But, yeah, like, my brain on a Sunday, especially, even on a Wednesday, like, it's going on like it's all it's like literally in three different paths and so like yeah and then the enemy loves division love oh did you see that they didn't they just walked right by you they didn't say hi how rude was that I know and then it festers and it grows and if you don't like cut it off it's not good it will it then there's a wedge between us that I didn't even know there was a wedge no clue and no clue and you know what happens is too with this is which is not good and And I think people should really think about this.

Like when you get offended and when you get mad and now you no longer want to be friends with that person that offended you, that oftentimes it's just not the two parties. What happens is it involves other parties. Whoever you're closest to that all the parties might know, whoever you're closest to, now you're involving them. Because oftentimes you don't leave it just between you and the person you're bothered by. You start involving other people or other people notice. So other people start talking. You could pray for us because we're having a really big problem right now with this person.

I mean, you involve God and them in it. It's a whole thing. So just remember, when you're offended, it's not just the person you're offended with that you have the issue with. And now it usually goes beyond that and affects other people. And now I have seen relationships crumble. Yeah, me too. With groups of people that may or may not have known each other, that have nothing, no one, they don't want anything to do with each other anymore.

And it all became a problem because two people decided to be bothered over something that just really wasn't that big of a deal. And that's the sad part. it usually is it's not like an affair or somebody or misunderstanding yeah yes right and sometimes they're not even true to it right i know that's the worst yeah that one like makes my stomach hurt yes i for me i'm like literally there have been times that tom and i have done business with people that we've been friends with whether it be in the church or outside of the church and we know for a fact that we've either paid the amount because I have record of it or paid too much, okay?

I do not ruin my relationship with these people. It's money, guys. Not a human life. And sometimes people make mistakes. So you know what you chalk it up to? God will get it back for me. They didn't mean to do it. and it's okay because they're really a good person.

If you chose them to do business with, the odds are, they're good people. There's just a misunderstanding somewhere, like you said. It's like as if those, whatever the dollar amount is never going, you're never going to get it back. It's going to be a loss forever. Right. I mean, come on. I know. I know.

Like, this is a relationship that you're willing to throw away over money. Ill. Right. And that's why the love of money is the root of all evil. Yes. Can't serve too. It blows me away that people will throw things, relationships away over one accident or one misunderstanding.

If it's a series of things and a person shows a character flaw over a period of time with you and not your friends, because a lot of times people go, oh, I know, you wouldn't believe. Well, I would believe that maybe even. and all those people got it wrong. Yep. But I've seen it in the church. That's good too.

Like is there a character flaw that you recognize in your own person? Like you, this other person, like did you see it and you see it consistently? Then you can make judgment from that. But yeah. Not because everybody else is telling you. Right. And then now you're looking for it. Because I am telling you right now, personal experience.

I have known. I have known of situations where people have lied as a group have lied. Had Bible studies about their lie. And I'm not kidding you. Lied. Had Bible studies about their lies, twisted their lies, and groups of people have not like, it was like this was years and years and years ago. This is in the old building. These people got together, lied.

about a lie, made it be the truth, they all left, they're all not friends anymore, some of them don't even serve God anymore because of a lie that was never true to begin with. And it wasn't about me or Tom. It was about people that they didn't like and they were wrong. And the whole time the enemy is laughing. Right. Yes, because he got exactly what he wanted. So easy.

Even if the person sounds like it could be true, trust me. Don't believe it unless you see it for yourself. True. True. Because I know for a fact, I don't believe anything that anybody tells me anymore. Because either I've been lied about and I'm like, that never happened. Right. I'm like not even close has it ever happened.

Two, I've seen it for other people. And it sounds so real. and then you find out they are a good liar or are they like master manipulator right there's two sides to every story too so just because you're hearing that one side you're hearing it through the way they filter it through their mind through how they heard it how they wanted to hear it or their friends and them have talked about so now all of them speak the same truth that isn't the truth now it's a whole conspiracy right yeah just because a multiple a whole bunch of people are saying all the same thing still doesn't mean that it's true.

And that's why it's important to have the Holy Spirit. Because then you'll know, like something, even when there's a whole group of people saying the same thing, like if you still have that, like, check in your spirit, then, you know, you need to, like, trust that. I'll give you a great example. This is super funny. But there was, when we used to do vacation Bible school, Tom has told this story maybe a couple times.

When we used to do vacation Bible school, we would pass out at the very end, loads and loads and loads of candy right to like all the kids right you're talking we had between four four and five hundred kids in a room like that's a lot of kids am i right about that between four and five hundred kids so we had to have lots of candy well there were people that thought that we were spending money frivolously and so they were spreading that we were spending money frivolously and so what And Tom, and I'll use an example about ourselves, so it doesn't involve somebody else. So Tom went and said, like, you're saying these things, but where are we spending money frivolously? Like, where do you have an expenditure that we've actually, like, we've spent money on something that should not have been spent?

The church has never been in debt. We have never, up until, like, pretty much before we moved into this building, the church never had a credit card in which I pay off, like, every other week. Like we've not, we're not in debt except for this building. And at that time, not in debt at all and had never been in debt, really to speak of. So like, where are we spending this money frivolously? And the only thing the person could come up with is that we were buying all that candy at the end of Vacation Bible School to give to the kids. And we were spending money frivolously. What this person didn't know is that somebody had volunteered and had been buying the candy.

Oh, my gosh. for us to give away. Oh my gosh. Yeah. They and their friends were going around and we were spending money frivolously. Never once. Another time, we didn't have a lot of money at the church, but we had this really beautiful in the entrance in one of another locations, a beautiful, like, seating area.

And so because we didn't have a lot of money, how dare we go? out and we buy this very nice set for us to have in the entryway and so everybody is like yeah we have no money but we certainly have money to buy that and all this other stuff that was given to us by a professional football player from boca grand oh my gosh but they were running their mouths and a bunch of them so i'm just telling you unless you see it unless you know it don't believe it because people lie they see things through their lens and And that lens might be a very deceptive one because it's made up and how they've conjured in in their mind.

It's not always the way you think. And when people are lying about people, it's very dangerous. Yeah. Very dangerous. Yeah. I like what you said. But that's not about joy. Yeah, no.

But I like what you said, Tracy. Like, think the best out of people, like preserve people, you know, until the Holy Spirit tells you otherwise. do the opposite. Yeah, because God's going to protect you. I mean, I think a Pastor Rodney, and I'm sure there's been plenty of opportunities that people have taken advantage of him,

and he just continues to love people and serve people and show up for people. And, I mean, even just during COVID, we know of those times where people turn their back, even Chronister. And he just keeps on loving people. And, yeah, he probably does get bit in the butt every once in a while.

But you know what? He's doing just fine. you know oh yeah and here's the thing uh um you just have to know like it's like what you said like if somebody is somebody vengeance is his he will redeem he will vindicate and you don't have to worry about that and then i'll bring it back to that's when you put on joy that's when you decide they're not going to rob me of my joy and of my peace but you'll be surprised hope there's so many people that think venges is theirs. I know. And they need to be the one to correct. And there need, there need to be the one to do the, you know, you'll be vindicated. Trust me on this.

I can't tell you how, I mean, how often Tom and I have been talked about, accused of, or spoken ill of. And I don't chase those things down anymore. I just know because God has shown over and over and over again that he writes the wrong. Yes, and he does it better than we could ever dream of handling it. It's how you handle, how you handle it while it's being done.

Right, right. And that's one thing, like I had to learn, like in the midst of all of it, I, it's not that sometimes I have to fake it until I make it, and that's God's honest truth. But most of the time, especially now, Back in the day, I really had to fake it until I made it. But now I'm just, I'm like, eh, I don't care.

They don't pay my bills. And it's not going to change anything. God's going to just take us higher. Yep. And I've told this to Tom many, many times. How we respond to this will show how much faith we have and how much right-ter we are, then we are wrong by how we respond to it. Yeah.

It's true. And so it's very, very true. Yeah. It really is. If you let God do it, the more right you are. Yep. And the more reward you receive and the place, how much higher he takes you. Yeah.

And things. Because he who is faithful, little will be faithful in much. So if you learn to be faithful in knowing that he will take care of everything for you, he'll trust you with more people who will do more wrong to you. but you'll know that it doesn't matter. Right. You can be entrusted with more people because you're not trying to put out all the fires

that they're starting. You're just about kingdom business. Yeah. That's good. That's really all that matters. But I will say this. Business suffocates joy, right? So what I would tell you to do and how to do this is,

I'm going to finish this up, create stillness and intentional moments with God. If you want to make sure that in the midst of busyness, you can keep your peace, you can keep your joy, is the way to do that is be intentional. There are mornings that I can't get up, or I can, but I'm so tired from being at the podcast the night before or whatever, or staying up and working.

What I do is, if I can't get up early in the morning, what I do is I am intentional. I will make sure that I spend time in the word before I go to sleep. It's like last night when I was, because I didn't get up early yesterday morning, I spent some really good time in the word and the Lord illuminated so much to me just in Luke 1 like that's good

like I was just telling Rachel just one of the things that the Lord showed me that showed me more about how if we use our faith and our trust in things will be very different if we take prior situations

in life and we apply it for example I'll just tell you this really quick Zachariah, Zachariah took, had his speech taken from him because of his doubt and unbelief and what Gabriel was saying to him, correct? Yeah. But he was a priest and he knew the word. He knew that Abraham and Sarai had a child very old and he should have not looked at his wife Elizabeth being so old and doubted what God could do because he saw it with Abraham

and Sarai and because he didn't apply the, knowledge that he already had, he allowed that faith moment that he could say, well, when he did it for Abraham, so in Sarai, so he'll do it for me and Elizabeth, he didn't do that. And because of that, his speech was taken. But his joy returned. Because when he decided to say, no, my son's not going to be named Sakurai. He's going to be named John. He followed through on what the angel told him. So like all of those things, you sit there and go, man, I need to really make sure that I'm using the word in every situation so that if doubt and unbelief want to come in, like I don't suffer the repercussions of that. I use the word

and apply what I already know has come to past. You know what I'm saying? It's just like all these different things. That will keep you and give you joy. If you are intentional with your time and the word, build yourself up to over. come. I'm going to tell you, Philippians 4-8. Stop focusing on what is missing and start focusing on what you have. Philippians 4-8 says, and now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right, impure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. And if you praise, you will be joyful. And that's all there is to meditate on what is true not the pressures that you're walking in in that moment

because they don't matter pressures will disappoint you but praise will bring you joy peace and comfort let's focus on those things because in this time even if you've lost a loved one or you're walking through the and that's like one of the hardest things you'll ever have to go through i think is losing a loved one you can look at that or you can praise and worship that and be grateful and that's tough but i know because i've had to do it yep i've had to like and i've see my mom do it and it is possible it's not impossible so um i'm gonna can i tell this one story do it yes do it plenty of time this is about gratitude and entitlement i'm gonna read it really fast so i can go get this is about 50 cent the rapper oh my gosh this is so good oh my gosh i know

It's like so flipping good. And this is what gets people in trouble because they're not thankful for where God has them at. They're not fixing their thoughts on what is honorable, what is true, what is lovely, what is pure. They are always unsatisfied. So here's the story. I'm going to read it because I could tell it to you, but it might take too long if I tell it to you. So I'm going to read it to you. Okay.

Oh. And always journal. let me just say that before I move on always journal because if you can't remember what to be thankful for go back to your journal that'll help you yeah yeah we say that all the same okay so for years 50 cent was dropping around 40,000 dollars a month to its baby's mama oh okay that's almost a half a million dollars a year oh my gosh oh my god man okay we're all an occupation yeah it was a nice she was living a luxurious life to say the least right but she got very greedy okay and greed is dangerous and we all know this so understand like be greedy if you want to but

it might not work out for you okay she felt she deserved more and she took him to court thinking that the system was going to work in her behalf and she'd become more of a millionaire okay because if you're making half a million can you spend half a million every year holy molly that's hard that's good that's good that's Well, not half, yeah, half a million of you here. Okay, so she took him to court, and she played her hand, and she lost. So the judge looked at the real numbers and didn't just deny the raise for her. He slashed the payments down to the legal minimum, which is $6,700.

She went from making $40,000 a year to $6,700. She went from a guaranteed half million dollars to 90K a year. Wow. Simply because she didn't value what she already had. Remember this. Here's the, and this is what it says, here's the brutal, here is the brutal lesson. Okay, and that is a brutal lesson. But I would say half of us really need to think about our own lives and where they're at.

You can find joy in every situation, quit being greeting, quit being entitled. No matter where you're at, be content. That's what Paul said, because we have more than most in this world. When you have a good deal, don't force your hand. Gratitude keeps you at the table. Greed gets you kicked out of the game. Yep. I love that.

That's really good. So true. You've seen it happen too. So everybody can think of somebody that got too greedy, too quick. Didn't work out for them. Be content. and your joy will be there. A lot of times we're just too busy

and we're always looking at what somebody else has or what somebody else has or what somebody else has done to us and there's no joy in that. But you have authority over that. Yes. You have authority over that. So make sure that you control your life.

You allow the Holy Spirit to rule and reign. You make sure you have a committed, solid relationship with the Lord and His Word. and there is absolutely positively no way none whatsoever that you can't walk enjoy this holiday season no matter the circumstance no matter the situation i promise you that we'll finish up on with this on friday with sarah because Vanessa and tracy will be in new york are taking over new york freezing our butts off yes but having the time of their lives 100% and Sarah will be in here and Tal you'll be gone.

Tell you, you'll be gone? No? Oh, yay, I got Tal. And what about your son? I don't think he, because I found out he still has to go to Tampa on Friday. I was thinking he wasn't, but I asked him. I didn't ask him to do the podcast. I said, do you still go up on Friday?

He's like, yeah. I'm like, oh, all right. Maybe a Wednesday. So it'll be me, Tal, and Sarah. It's going to be a good time. It's going to be a good time. Join in. We will see you then.

Bye. Real talk. Real talk. Real talk. Real talk.