Woman Evolve with Sarah Jakes Roberts - God's in the Details w/ Grow with Jo

Episode Date: November 20, 2024

We’re getting into a form of surrender that takes place from the inside out. And hanging with us today is Grow with Jo — a woman who's reshaped how so many approach their fitness and wellness goals! It all started in a college dorm room when Jo created an at-home workout plan for a friend, then the rest was history! In today's episode, she talks to SJR about facing doubts, finding confidence, safeguarding self, and stewarding God’s anointing in a restorative manner. Let's get into it!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What you're looking for in peace and wholeness and safety, it's never going to come from a human. Your safety has to rest in this reality that I can get to well, just me and God. We are all beginners multiple times in our life journey. It's not just fitness. Sometimes that's changing your priorities to what's going on in your life right now. And it's okay to begin again.

Well, well, well, hello, family. How are you? And welcome back to another episode of the WOM and EVOLVE podcast. I am your host, Sarah Jakes Roberts, and this is my first time recording a podcast since I election, like recording it live. I recorded two in advance because I was supposed to go on my vacation. But when we got the election results, we decided to postpone our trip. And my husband went to Los Angeles

to talk to our community there. And he delivered a message on Sunday as well. Now, some of you may be like, oh my gosh, why? I think that one of the things that we immediately noticed is our timeline, first of all, as Christian, as I'm going to just speak freely as a black Christian, our timeline was literally kind of split down the middle, not to say that all blacks voted for Kamala Harris or that all of our white friends voted for Donald Trump, but there was some stark contrast in the response to the election results. And I think that we saw as many people with their red hats on celebrating as we did people

really dealing with a lot of despair and frustration. I think a lot of people just feeling really disheartened and we didn't feel comfortable leaving while the community was in such grief. And so we stayed back and my husband delivered a message, you know, in an attempt to create unity. One of the things that I really love and if you haven't heard it, you know, in an attempt to create unity. One of the things that I really love, and if you haven't heard it, you could listen to the message that was in Los Angeles or the one in Dallas. But I think one of the things that I found really courageous is that in a world where you really can't say anything right, you know, no matter what quote unquote side you're on, no matter what your beliefs are, someone's going to

find something wrong, something myopic, something blind about the perspective that you bring. And that can be really intimidating for me. I'll say it's intimidating for me because I believe that most of the things that we debate about are actually quite nuanced and social media is not the place for nuance. It's quick thoughts, headlines, one-liners that we build thought pieces around or we make judgments through and so trying to figure out a way to connect with people while also recognizing that there's the potential for being misunderstood.

There's the potential for people misconstruing what it is that you're saying can be, it can be difficult. And so I thought it was really courageous, his message on Friday and Sunday, and I think that it was a call to unity. I will tell you that it feels impossible sometimes for us to even discover what unity looks like. There are Christians on, and I'm speaking to Christians whose faith really thrives off of unity, thrives off of us being able to fellowship with one another, be empowered with one another, and yet we enter into seasons and climates like this,

not just elections, but I think things happen in the news and there's so much fracture, so much disconnect within our faith that it's difficult to think about what does unity look like when we don't share the same beliefs, when we don't share the same opinions, how do we find unity? And the unity really is in our spirituality, is in our belief that Jesus saves. And I think that if any of us are truly honest, we'll say that neither party fully represents the fruit of the Spirit. I don't think that Jesus is like, oh my gosh, this party is exactly bar for bar everything that I ever want to see in a party.

I think that there's so much room for growth on both sides and yet we have to choose between the lesser of two evils. And I think in the process of doing that, that it creates division amongst us. And so anyways, I felt like my husband did a really good job at speaking in a way that no one's speaking right now. I think most of the time on platforms, we see someone choosing one side over the other or saying nothing at all because it is so nuanced. And yet he stood in the gap and really shared a message

that I felt like called me higher, called me out and called me higher. And also gave me something to sit within my own prayer and worship time about how I can be creating division, how I could be making judgments about people. And it was humbling because at the end of the day, I know that we're going to need one another in order to wage war against powers and principalities. And we can't blame one another for who left the gate open when

we need everyone to be on the wall praying. So beautiful message. I enjoyed it. Highly suggest you listening to it. If you're here and you're one of those people who feel very hopeful, feel like things are turning, the challenge would be to consider why so many people are feeling such deep grief and how can you stay true to the hope that you experience and yet compassionate and patient with people while they may or may not come to the revelation of what you know.

And if you're one of those people who are experiencing deep grief and fear because you feel uncertainty about the future, I pray that we really lean into people who are seekers of hope, people who are committed to loving and caring for us, even in seasons of uncertainty. And my prayer is that God catches us all by surprise. Wouldn't that be amazing if God just catches us all by surprise, no matter whether you're hopeful or in despair,

maybe those who are hopeful are caught by surprise by the revelation and the understanding of why people were feeling despair. Maybe the people who feel despair are caught by surprise because they experience hope and maybe that's where we find unity. Yeah, child, it's been an interesting week. Oh my goodness. Okay, so on a personal level though, I got the opportunity to... First of all, a lot of you all know I've been doing this running app.

It's like training for a 5K. I have no plans to run a 5K. I just want to learn how to run. I was going through this season of my life, and by season I mean all 36 years of my life, in which I could not run. Like yes my legs do it but my lungs don't, you understand? And so I had to choose like am I going to be a runner or am I going to breathe and I chose breath every single time.

But I have been hearing that there are people who can do both. They can run and breathe at the same time and I want to be people. So I found this app that basically through interval training helps you to build up your endurance for running. It starts off like one minute on, two minutes off, one minute on, a minute and a half on, and it keeps building one and a half minutes, one minute off until you just are running blocks straight through. I am on week seven and today I ran 27 minutes straight.

You may be asking yourself, how fast did you run? Why would you be minding my business? Why would you be minding my business? Why would you be minding my business? Like, did I just invite you into my business and give you permission to mind it? I didn't, okay, or I did possibly. It doesn't matter how fast I was running because I've been watching TikTok coaches

and they say that what's most important is that you get your breath and your rhythm and the cadence down. Don't worry about speed. You got to get your body trained. And once you get your breath and your rhythm and the cadence down. Don't worry about speed. You got to get your body trained. Once you get your body trained for it, then you can increase the speed. I'm in training mode right now, not speed mode. Don't worry about it.

Is my run your power walk? Possibly. Is my run your cool down? Probably, but don't worry about my... At least I'm running. My body's doing the things and my lungs are doing the things. So I did 25 minutes a day. I tried it on Friday and I had to get off the machine. I woke up tired.

We've been up in the middle of the night talking about different things, just coming to a place of reasoning and understanding for ourselves. And then so I woke up Friday, I was tired. I got on there, I did 15 minutes. I couldn't see those next 10 that I got off the treadmill. And you know, I'm courageous. I almost felt like Saturday, I'm gonna get up and do it again, I ain't gonna let them whoop me. But Saturday I decided to make bread instead because priorities.

And so I did it today, today is Monday, November 11th, my 10 year wedding anniversary. I'm so excited, I'm leaving soon as I record this. And so yeah, I ran for 25 minutes and I really wanted to be, my goal was to reach 170. Right now I'm sitting at 168. My goal was to get a little bit below my goal weight so that when I was on vacation, if I wanted to cut up a little bit, I could cut up. I did pack workout clothes. We'll see how much weight I gain.

I'm going to tell you because discretion doesn't seem to be my thing, but I will tell you how much weight I gain. I'll tell you if I manage to work out. I packed four things of workout clothes, so I'm praying that I work out. So that's my body, that's the world. Kids are good. That we're doing a family dinner before we go out of town.

And yeah, that's on period. This week, we have a Mind Your Business question. Part of my favorite part of the podcast is being able to hear from you. You've minded my business, so I get to mind yours. I feel like I should also, I shared a little bit about communion last time. I just want to randomly, what is one thing that I am like this? I ask myself this question all the time because sometimes I get so caught up in autopilot

with my life and so I'm going to give you a nugget that I give myself. You know, I'm praying, I'm reading, but every now and then I have to bring myself into the present moment of my reality. And one of the things I've been asking myself is what is one thing that I'm learning about God right now? And what is my response or what should be my response to that? And so ask yourself that question. When I ask myself that question and I'm asking it on the spot,

one thing I'm learning about God right now, and this hit me Sunday when I was in service, is that God, I want to say this properly, but I want to just say it the way that it dropped in my spirit. But I feel like while I am murmuring and complaining about uncertainty, that my obedience is still moving me

in the direction of God's plan for my life. And there was a moment on Sunday when I was standing in church and I just realized that I was standing in one phase of the manifestation of what God said. And as I was standing in that one phase of manifestation, I thought about how I have complained all of the world complained. I've been worried.

I've been worried all along the way. And when I was in worship on Sunday, I felt like God was like, I want you to zoom out of the pictures, zoom out of your doubts, zoom out of your fears. And I want you to take in what's happening at this moment in your life. And I want you to see that it's moving in the direction of what I told you it was going to be. It's moving in, things are changing. And one of the things that we need to learn about evolving, one of the things we need

to know about growing is that it need to learn about evolving, one of the things we need to know about growing is that it's like watching a baby, right? Can anyone pinpoint the exact moment when a baby went from seven pounds, 10 ounces, to, in the case of my baby, who's not my baby anymore, six, four, and 200-some pounds? Like, I can't tell you that it happened overnight. I can just tell you that it happened overnight. I can just tell you that

there was this gradual, slow evolving that was happening so subtly that it just looked up. I just looked up and it seemed like I was standing in it. And I felt like I was in one of the, I am right now spiritually as it relates to the development of the word that God has given me about a particular season of my life, that God awakened me to the reality that it's growing, that it's developing, that it's changing, and that I may miss it if I don't take the time to really look at what the Lord has done. So ask yourself that question. And what should my response be to that?

Gratitude. I should stop complaining. I should be more thankful. It should increase my trust. It should make surrender easier. And so yeah, that's me. Okay. Let's get into this week's Mind Your Business question. Hi girl. Hey, how are you? Hi girl. Hey, how are you? I was like for a few, it's been a whole week. I guess before you hear this, I was just looking through your podcast today. My name is Jasmine and I just want to start off by saying your vulnerability is like breathtaking. Like I want to live in that space where I can be so vulnerable and open and just like digress my emotional trauma in a sense where I can just be okay with where I've been and where I came from. Despite all that I just want to just kind of touch

basis on the whole subject and matter today of like, infidelity and cheating and saying and leaving and how you work through those concepts of going through, you know, the acceptance and going through the are we staying or are we going part of the situation I've been in a situation for about six years now. And when I say God has been dealing with me with growing and learning to trust again and challenging me to overcome those insecurities I have, it's so crazy because this morning before I even listened to the podcast,

I was in deep thought and my sensual prayer would die and just trying to figure out how and when did I become so insecure with self and life that every little thing triggers me and I just get so overwhelmed and I get to, like you said, Miss Ever, you say, I was about to go to jail. I be wanting to murder somebody.

Like you about to go because I feel like my feelings are too deep and I get to this sense of maybe This is idolized and then maybe I'm loving him too hard and maybe this is my idol and just kind of trying to find a balance between Where did I get to this point that I'm really like? whether I get to this point that I'm really like insecure and all myself and I know when I was growing up I was molested at a young age like as a little girl like from men and women so like my whole mindset was like did nobody love me if nobody was touching me and like I was just like in a in a household where like a bruise was a thing like screaming yelling whoopings it was just like in a in a household where like a Bruce was a thing like screaming, yelling,

whoopin. It was just that so the most love and tenderness I felt was when it was coming from somebody taking something from me and it's like that's I don't know I think that's where my mind kind of shifted and structured in a way that if somebody loved me, like you touching me, I need you to love me. I need you to love me in the fullness of everything because that's the only way I know that love is reciprocated, I guess kind of played out. I'm not sure. Hey girl, I super love this question.

So I'm going to be transparent. When I was listening to it, it cut off at three minutes. And because I'm recording this before I go on the plane, if they are able to find if you're listening to this and it cut off, it cut off for me too. If you're listening to this and it didn't cut off, it means that they found the other part of it and was able to take it in. So I am answering get based off of the first three minutes and let's see what happens. So first of all, I am so, so sorry for... I'm going to go directly for the little girl inside of you, not just for the woman you have become.

Because sometimes when we grow and mature and we're no longer in an experience anymore, it can be difficult for us to feel the pain and grief or to tap into it easily. And so I'm not just apologizing to you for as in who you are now, but I want to apologize to the little girl who experienced abuse, who was afraid and angry. I wanna apologize to the little girl who should have been protected, who should have been loved and cared for in the most purest form.

I wanna apologize to the little girl who bears the scars of another person's brokenness. I'm so, so sorry that you experienced that. And what is unfortunate about molestation, about abuse, is that it can become so prevalent, so common in so many of our stories that it's normalized and there's nothing normal about what you have gone through. When you talk about the rage that you experience as an adult woman in a relationship,

a rage that you know that I know very well, I want you to recognize that part of what I had to learn about me and where I was at that time is that it really wasn't even about the person I was in a relationship with. It was about me trying to hang on to what little value I thought I could have in making a relationship work. It was about me hanging on to those moments of worth and value that came from feeling like I had been chosen, even if that person didn't choose me consistently. When I look at it in hindsight, it really wasn't about him.

It was really about me not wanting to lose any more than I had already lost. And so I fought for it and I was angry with him because of, not just because of what he did, but because of what he did, it was about how what he did stripped me of the little bit of worth that I had left. It was about leaving me more bankrupt than I already was before we came into this relationship. It was all of the anger and frustration that I never got to release to the people in my life who had hurt me or abandoned me or rejected me. It was the things that I couldn't say. It was the no talking back.

It was the be seen and not heard. It was the swallow the depression. It was the you're a dirty girl, you're a nasty girl. Like all of that was awakened and stirred up in those moments of intense rage. And it wasn't until I realized that my biggest issue wasn't how do I make this relationship work. It was how do I learn to love the parts of me

that make me cringe? How do I forgive myself? How do I no longer see myself as less than when I started asking myself questions about where my own bleeding was coming from. I didn't see change until then and I became fascinated by faith even though I started off rejected. I became fascinated by faith because I felt like one of the things that either wasn't loud or wasn't said is how much God's love can stand. Regardless of what we go through, how the love of God stands up in shame, how the love of God stands up in

pain, how the love of God stands up in rejection and abandonment, how the love of God stands up in pain, how the love of God stands up in rejection and abandonment, how the love of God is a life raft that is available to us whenever we're drowning and it's incomprehensible. There's a book called Love Beyond Reason that really helps me on my journey, but I want you to understand that what you're looking for in peace, what you're looking for in wholeness, what you're looking for in safety, it's never going to come from a human. Even the most perfect partner is going to have moments where they have a bad day, where their own issues spring up and your safety can't rest in another person. Your safety has to rest in this reality that I can get to well, just me and God, I can

get to well. And by faith, I started believing what God said about me. By faith, I started tapping into the revelation of what it meant to be fearfully and wonderfully made, recognizing that when those words are said that were fearfully and wonderfully made, that it's not because I did everything the right way. It's not because I didn't make bad choices. It's because that's just how God sees me and God hasn't changed his mind about me. And I feel like no matter how many times I'm like, but God look at this scar.

Oh, but God look at this thought. Oh, but God look at these actions. Like I don't love me. How could you love me? God's like, don't contain my love to what you can understand, but dare to believe that the love that I have for you has nothing to do with what you did and everything to do with who I am.

God is love. And when love extends itself to you, to say, if I am loved, how would that change things for me? There's a scripture, it's, I want to say 1 John 4 and 18, read your whole Bible, you'll find it as my husband would say, but I'm going to Google it. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear because fear has torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love. So whenever I begin to feel fear, whenever I begin to feel fear, oh my gosh, am I losing

you? All of those are fears. So recognizing that that's fear. Am I losing them? Are they upset with me? I'm asking, I have to ask myself, what are you afraid of? What are you afraid of in this moment? Oh my gosh, are they laughing at me?

Oh my gosh, are they talking about? What is the fear connected with those thoughts that are in your moment? Oh my gosh, are they laughing at me? Oh my gosh, are they talking about? What is the fear connected with those thoughts that are in your head? And what revelation of love would change the way that you're comprehending that fear? So for me, it comes down to, okay, am I losing them? Right? I'm afraid that I'm losing this person. What would a revelation of love look like for me? It would mean that I'll be okay if they're not here, that God will still take care of me. What would a revelation, not just love, but perfect love,

so love from God, what is it that I would need to know about God in order to no longer be afraid of this outcome that is tormenting me? I would need to know that even this would work out. I would need to know that what I don't know God will give me or fill me with knowledge as I move on. I would need to know that there's still a plan for me outside of this.

And I don't even mean just in the betrayals of infidelity, but when you think about grief, when you think about moving to a new city, when you think about having to make hard decisions about friendships and family, to be able to ask yourself, what would a revelation of God's perfect love do for me in this situation? What fear would it cast out? Wrestling with that scripture, believing that scripture is truth and really doing that work to allow my heart then to receive. So then when I pray, I'm like, God, don't, the prayer is not God make them stay.

The prayer is God don't, you know, it's not God please make them act right. The prayer is God, please give me a revelation of how loved I am outside of the existence or the tumultuous nature of this relationship. God please help me to experience your love in such a strong way right now in my worship, right now in my prayer at some point as I going throughout the day, that I am reminded that this person is not my only source of love, that you are the ultimate source of my love. And so I think being able to offer up those levels of prayer and sincerity helped me to move and heal. I left the relationship and I always say this to people, well I won't

say I don't say this to people because I think this is irresponsible to say as a whole back to nuance because social media is not the place for nuance and technically neither is this platform. But I figure if you listen to this podcast you got a little room for nuance. But when I'm talking to my friends and maybe they're in a toxic relationship I'm like I think you should stay. They're like, I should stay. Did you hear what he did to me? I'm like, but if you're asking me what you should do, I think you should stay. Because if you are not made up in your mind that you need to walk away, I am not going

to sit here and tell you what you already know. Like you already know that this behavior is inappropriate. You know that this behavior doesn't have integrity. You know this behavior is dragging you down and driving you crazy. Like you don't need me to tell you that because you're the one with the clown nose on. Okay. So I am just saying that you should stay until you decide that you need to leave. There's nuance in that right because I'm not telling anyone to stay in an abusive relationship. But these like back and forth dramatic emotional up and down relationships I'm like until you're at a place where you're really ready to do the work of reclaiming your heart of

dealing with loneliness of ignoring phone calls and not going back and forth like baby girl don't I want off the merry-go-round if you want to go around this thing over and over again that's on you you know what I mean I think you should stay until you get dizzy I think you should stay until you get sick of it. I think you should stay until you never get back on that thing again. And that moment comes, I will say nine out of 10 times I've had friends be like, you know what, I'm actually finished this time. And when they do, their life begins to move and progress and into a more healthy pattern. And so I am not one to focus on the relationship as much as I am who you are in the relationship. What does that relationship mean to you?

Is that meaning rooted in something healthy? And if not, how do we uproot your thoughts? How do we uproot your needs and place them into a spiritual environment, a spiritual development of ultimately holiness and sanctification that allows you to experience wholeness and whoever's in your life their job is to help to protect that holiness and not to add to your brokenness. That's not to say they won't have moments where they chip at you but they'll be convicted, they'll offer to the Lord in prayer, and they won't do it again. That's a long answer for a long question, and I pray that it helps you evolve.

I'm so excited about this week's podcast. We've talked about spiritual health, emotional health, about what we're learning about God and how things are changing for us. I want to talk about our physical health. So I guess I talked about physical health a little bit, but I want to talk about flipping the switch, right? Because I do believe that getting into an active lifestyle is more mental than physical. Like, yes, I don't want to be tired, but also my mind is not even a place to be letting

the treadmill whoop me when life is whooping me. Like, I've, all my life I had to fight. Why would I then get up and fight to not, you know, breathe? And yet, there are so many studies about the benefits of taking care of our bodies and what it does for our mental, what it does for our emotional, what it does for our life, our clarity, our mind. And I don't think that there's anyone who can deny that when you work out, you start to feel a little bit better.

I hate it. I wish it wasn't true. I wish they were lying. But the girls are telling the truth. When you work out, it changes the way that you show up in the world. Having said that, it's hard to get started,

but I found during the pandemic, Grow With Jo, she has a YouTube channel that has so many, so many subscribers, literally millions upon millions of views. People are watching her videos and they're watching them, listen, because they want to

get in an active lifestyle, but maybe time is not on their side. They don't have gym equipment. They're not at their optimal fitness level. They're looking for just a way to get started. When they get started with Grow with Joe, they learn very quickly that it doesn't take a whole lot to do a whole lot. It doesn't require a whole lot of experience, a whole lot of form, a whole lot of stress

in order to do something that gets your heart pumping and your body moving. What I love the most about Grow With Jo is that someone who maybe is a little bit more active would maybe look at the workouts and be like, oh my gosh, just walking, I don't see how that's really going to get my blood flowing and blood, sweat, and baby. I promise you, oh my gosh, just walking. I don't see how that's really gonna get my blood flowing and blood, sweat, and baby. I promise you, you do a grow with Jo. I don't care what your fitness level is. I'm not the most fit girly, but I've been,

I ran for 25 minutes. I am a track star, you know what I mean? I'm not the most fit girly, but I am a track star. And I did 10 minutes with Ms. Jo and my whole life was looking like OMG. And so I definitely want you all to get plugged in with her work, but I want you all to have an opportunity to know the woman behind the work. I think her story is especially important for those of you who are content creators

and you don't even know it or you're wondering how do I take something that seems, you know, seemingly inconsequential and really honor the fact that God is using it? How can I be a good steward over it? She's got so many tips about how her life has changed, how she came to a place of fitness, but also how she was able to be a good steward over what God's given her. So I'm so excited for you to enjoy this conversation. She came to want me to evolve.

She got the crowd moving. I love seeing the videos of us working out in place. And so now I am grateful for you all to get to know her. Introducing to some, presenting to others, Grow with Jo. I was looking at your social media. Obviously, like many people, I've been following you and it seems like this year has been, I mean, you guys just got back from China. Is that right?

Yeah, that's right. Yeah. It feels like I just got over the jet lag. Oh, really? How was it? It was amazing. It was a life changing experience. It was very cool to meet my community there because I have a community there and nobody

really knows about it because they're on a completely different platform, a whole different format. So just meeting them and hearing their stories and being able to hug each and every one of them was just, it was life changing. It was amazing. That's amazing. Okay. So I would love to know just more about like, who were you as a child? Like I want to grow with Joe today, literally, like, take me to the beginning. Like, what was your family life like? Where are you from? Like, I want to mind your business. Yeah, so I grew up in Canada, actually. I grew up in a very small town called Newtonville, even the people in surrounding

cities or towns don't even know where it is. That's how tiny it was. It's like four kilometers across or a couple miles across. And yeah, that was, I grew up in a Christian home. I grew up in a Christian household. I have 10 siblings all from the same parents, which is wild. Even during that time was like, what? 11 kids, there's 11 kids in your family.

Where do you fall in the 11? I'm the youngest girl. So I have two younger brothers, and then my mom was done. But I think after me, my mom was like, Oh, I'm done because I was her first C-section. Okay, and then she asked God to give her two more boys to help my dad as he gets older. And so she had the two boys. And yeah, so I grew up in a very God-fearing household. I went to a Christian school, elementary school and high school. And that was an amazing experience. I really grew there. And then I went off to university

and that was to a secular university that was like far away from home. I was only 16 when I went. Yeah, my parents were very like, I don't know if we should let you go. You should take a gap year. And I was like, no, I wanna go. My best friend's going, so I want to go.

And that's when I actually started to, I would say, test the grounds of where my faith was, who I was, because all this time I had grown up in, like, I'm not just saying like Christian family household. It was like, read the Bible every night, every morning. My parents would instill in us, we had to memorize Bible verses. I actually had a family band growing up. So we would sing gospel music, we would travel around Canada and our bus turned into an RV and we would minister to people all over Canada. And so I was very, very, very ingrained in Christian philosophy and knowing God,

but I didn't truly know God and come to God until university. So that was a whole experience in and of itself, going so young and learning a lot about myself. And I joined a church there, experienced church hurt for the first time. And realizing it took a good two, three years for me to realize that God isn't who people say they are, necessarily, or the actions of the people who follow Him

or actually do follow Him. God is God. And I had to separate who he was represented as and we actually is in the relationship that I can have with him. So that was a whole experience. I really grew during that phase. And from there, I started to work in fitness. I worked in a gym and realized I was

able to help other people reach their goals. And then I eventually started Grow with Joe. And then I met my husband. And the rest is history. I love that. There's like, OK, I love because I grew up in a Christian home as well. But I had to have my own faith

journey and I think sometimes when you grow up in a family of faith, people think that faith comes easy to you and I sometimes feel like people who were introduced to faith at a later point in life have maybe a deeper initial appreciation for it because they know life without it. Whereas when you're kind of always around it, I feel like, at least for me, that I may have taken it for granted a little bit. And it wasn't until I had my own experiences that I was like, okay, let's figure out what this God thing is and how does it apply to my life.

What do you think that you are doing differently as it relates to your spirituality being practiced in your home and in your children that may be just an evolution from what you experience growing up? I guess I'm going to make it balanced. What are you doing that's the same and what are you doing that is an evolution? Yeah. Yeah, so in terms of the same, I definitely am reading by myself and like practicing being diligent in the Word, something that I actually have been struggling with, not struggling with but fighting with is like, I've always felt like, oh, like it needs to come naturally.

If I love God, then I should be able to like get up early in the morning and study the Word. And, you know, I write in a prayer journal. That's something that I do. I sometimes I've struggled in the past with thinking that my prayers, just saying them out loud or even in my head were enough or substantial because then I would say it and then I would completely forget it. So I write things down every time I am praying and talking to God. And it also helps me reflect back on what I've asked for and what God has taught me. I'll write down the verses that I read and be like, this is the verse that I really felt the Holy Spirit talking to me through.

And I feel like that was the same because my mom used to do that. I used to look at her like, she's so devout. And one thing actually, the last couple of days that I've been asking God is like, why am I not able to do this naturally? Why does this not come naturally? And I felt the Holy Spirit saying, everybody thinks that love, like in a marriage

or a relationship comes naturally when they look from the outside. But in actuality, it's work. It sometimes comes naturally, and it sometimes requires work. And that's the same with our relationship with God. Sometimes it'll come naturally, and sometimes you have to force yourself to get up, to open that Bible, to find the words to say, or ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you. And it's not all going to be easy. And that's dedication, that's commitment, that's really truly loving God, not just expecting it to come easy

and only doing it when the motivation or the feelings of, oh oh I should do this happen. I love that analogy because I feel like whether it's faith or taking care of your body or choosing to forgive or showing up as the person you want to be instead of being defensive or being prideful, choosing vulnerability, like if you wait you feel like it, you may never do it. We have to constantly ask ourselves, but what is it that I know I need to do? What's going to make me better?

Because I can't always trust what I feel like doing. Sometimes I don't feel like talking to anybody. I don't feel like forgiving. I don't feel, Joe, I don't feel like working out. Can we talk about it? I, you know, I'm trying to learn how to run and I just, I don't feel like working out. Can we talk about it? I, you know, I'm trying to learn how to run and I just I don't feel like I am. I ran for 22 minutes today and I, you know, I wanted to quit it many times, but I pushed through. I did it.

Yeah. Yeah. And I'm going to try again. I want to talk a little bit about like, was fitness a part of your life growing up or like, did you stumble into it when you were in your college years? Is your whole family active? So no, that's actually an interesting question because I was always, I considered myself

that tomboy growing up, like I would always play soccer and I was really into, you know, I don't want to play soccer with the girls, I want to be with the boys and like, I'm really good. And like I was really into, you know, I don't want to play soccer with the girls. I want to be with the boys and like, I'm really good. And like, I was competitive growing up. And then when I went to university, I had, I tried out for the soccer team, the varsity soccer soccer team, thinking that my little recess time was enough to help me get into that team.

And sadly, I didn't make it. And so from there, I stopped activity altogether because that was my only means of exercise. And I had actually in my childhood growing up, I've since forgiven them, but my family, some of my family members would make fun of me because I'm chubby, chubby. I grew up chubby. And I was really hurt by that. And I was like, you know what? I went to school for kinesiology, which is about how the body moves, how it functions,

how to come back from injury, how athletes move, how athletes can maximize their performance. And so I would look around me in my class and be like, how are all these people so fit? What are they doing? And so I actually started working out in my dorm room. I followed Insanity. Do you know that program?

It's by Shanti. It's like a Beachbody program. Oh, yes. Okay, Beachbody, yes. Okay. Yeah, so I actually had my beginnings just working out in my dorm room, which became full circle because now I just work out in my dorm room, which is, it became full

circle because now I just work out in my living room or in my bedroom. And that's when I started to get exposed to fitness. And then I started in the gym, I became more confident, confident, confident, finished that challenge, moved on to the gym, started lifting weights, and then I got really competitive about it but starting out with my family, no it wasn't a thing. I was the one that kind of led the movement with my family and was like, okay we actually have to get active let's do this. Oh I love that, that gives, oh no go ahead. I came back from university my first year and everybody's like, whoa you must wait. Everybody's like, whoa, you must wait. And I was like. Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. She not chubby no more. Yeah. Exactly. I love that, because I do feel like there are a generation, there are generations who didn't really have the luxury of focusing on fitness and mental

and emotional wellness. And I feel like part of the restoration that we're able to experience is not just being able to maybe pursue education or to have mental and emotional balance, but I think there's a physical restoration and that's caring for bodies. I think especially for those of us who have histories of trauma within our generations,

like to really love and honor our bodies in this way, I think can be really restorative. And I feel like there are many people who are like first generation wellness advocates for their family. And what I love about your programs, and one of the reasons why I really felt like it would be unique to have you at WOM and EVOLVE is because it is something that you can do at any age, at any physical state. And it's like, if you are doing orange theory and CrossFit, Grow With Joe's still going to have you sweating.

But if you've just been sitting on the couch and all you can do is move your feet from the chair that you're sitting in, that's activity as well. And I just feel like God's really blessed you with an anointing to really charge the way forward for physical wellness and fitness for women and men. But I think there's something to be said about it being accessible to everyone. How did you know? Like, when was the moment when you were like, this feels special? I would say it was when I did my first walking workout because I had that background in lifting weights and training athletes and training even seniors at one point.

And I had that technical aspect and everything. But it was during the pandemic that my best friend from Canada, she was like, girl, like I need to work out in my apartment, I have downstairs neighbors, I can't bother them, I can't go outside, it's cold outside, I need something to do, can you make a walking workout for me in your house? And I was like, girl, of course.

And to me, I was like, this is not going to be helpful. I was the original doubter of home workouts, of working out and doing walking as your main form of exercise. I was the original doubter. And so once I did that and started to see that so many people of all different fitness levels were like, wow, I stopped working out and I came back to this,

I started this workout and it's completely changed the way I see movement. It's complete, your joy in your workouts, the way you do it so effortlessly, the way you show us the next move, this has completely changed the way that I'm, I don't feel like I have two left feet. I don't feel like I'm struggling through the workout. I feel like it's not even a workout.

And then I kept getting more and more feedback as I continued to do these workouts. And I realized, wow, this is actually something very special. And this is something that is so needed, not just for people my age, not just for moms, something very special. And this is something that is so needed, not just for people my age, not just for moms, because I had just gone through an emergency C-section. I went through a traumatic experience,

felt completely lost in my body, felt like I was wearing a body suit, felt just even shame and guilt for letting myself go that far. I realized, first of all, that it would help those women. But then also, like you said, the older women who are not able to necessarily get up and move, they feel more confident just doing something,

just doing something small. And that made me realize, wow, this is so much bigger than myself or even my past struggles that I've gone through. This is God showing me that, you know, so many people, their lives can be changed, not just their fitness lives, not just their bodies, not just, you know, their health necessarily, even though that's huge,

it's one of the biggest things that could change for them. Their confidence in showing up for their children and showing up for their husbands and their career. I will never forget this one woman who commented on YouTube and she told me that, you know, I've been working out with you for six months and I've been like so much more confident that I've been able to approach my boss and get a raise. I've been able to, you know, actually do things for myself.

I feel more independent. I feel more for myself. I feel more independent. I feel more like myself. I feel confident. And realizing that and putting the two and two together, realizing that God is putting me in a place where it's not just physical restoration, it's mental restoration, it's spiritual restoration. And that I don't even have to, I do, I speak about God, I speak about Jesus Christ, but I don't even have to utter those utter utter,

I don't even have to say God, I don't even have to say Jesus in order for people to see that light shining through and to be impacted by it. And so, yeah, your question was, when did I realize it was special? That I just over time and seeing all these transformations happening that, you know, the physical transformations amazing, but beyond that, going into their life and their lifestyle and how they feel about themselves.

That made me realize that, you know, God is really, it's so much deeper. God is really in the details. There's like, okay, like 4,000 things I want to talk about in what you said. I should have been taking notes because I think there's something to be said about kind of being the first doubter for the thing that would ultimately be what God used as a gateway for his love, his light, his heart for people to shine through you and how sometimes we're sleep on what we call normal or like maybe not special. And that's the thing that God wants to use.

I feel like that's just so special. But then I also feel like there's a progression that's worth examining where, you know, you kind of started doubting it, did it for a friend, maybe it'll be something that helps people, and okay, this is good for people's physical wellbeing. But then the revelation that like, this is actually an anointing, you know what I mean? Like there's a difference between like being good at something, being talented at something,

or just having this extra skill set. And then this recognition that like, wow, I'm really anointed to do this, so anointed that they feel the anointing before I even mention his name. Like they feel his presence even before I even tell them that that's, oh, that's his presence. Like you think it's just me and the music, but that's me and God showing up in the homes of millions of people through this way. Like I, that is God's work right there. Like some people will never listen to a sermon. They

may never make their way into church, but they are tapping into what they think is about one thing, but it's really about another. I love the progression there. I don't know if we should talk about doubting yourself and then becoming confident in the thing that God's given you or talk about that progression you choose. It's up to you, your podcast. No, it's yours. I think, yeah, doubt. Doubt is a huge one because so many of us women feel doubt so deeply in many aspects of our lives. What specifically would you like to talk about doubt?

I feel like my first... I'm sorry, I asked you a question. Go ahead, go for it. Go for it. What specifically would you like to talk about? Doubt. I feel like my first... I'm sorry. I asked you a question. Go ahead. Go for it. Go for it. I feel like my first moment...

Like I said, I had that upbringing and then I also had that scientific knowledge when I went to university. So I was like, oh, I know all these things. I know how to exercise. I know how to do all these things. But it took me to going through a traumatic experience, going through, well, my pregnancy with my first child, Kaizen, I gained 70 pounds.

I gained a lot of weight to a point where at my third trimester I was crying every single day because I was like, I just want this baby to be out. I'm so overweight. I'm so unhealthy. I feel horrible. Stretch marks were appearing on my belly and I was just like, my body is going to be changed forever.

And afterwards going through a birth experience that I didn't want for myself, having that emergency C-section, I was left at my very lowest and all that knowledge, all that experience, all those things that, you know, gave me confidence, they didn't matter anymore. And so I feel like doubt comes to make you feel alone. You know how in the Bible it says the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy.

And we think, oh, steal, steal. We think about stealing as like, yeah, stuff or even like family or things, but he comes to steal that sense of security. He comes to steal that feeling of you have other people around you that are going through the same thing. I felt so alone in that moment. And by that moment, I mean months of feeling alone. Like I was the only one going through an emergency C-section. Like I was the only one going through having gained that weight. I felt like there's not even words to put to the amount of despair and shame and guilt that I felt.

And that's what ultimately led me to doubt myself and doubt, you know, I've learned all this stuff. I have all the knowledge. How did I get to this place? And it catches us off guard. Doubt catches us off guard. It's not like we are like, oh yeah, I'm doubting myself. It's not like we're thinking about that. It's that feeling that creeps in and that we allow the enemy to, you know, speak into our ear and say, you're not, you're not good enough. You're alone. You, you did this to yourself. You know, there's no way out. You're stuck. And until we take that first step, physically, spiritually, emotionally, mentally, until we take that first step physically, spiritually, emotionally, mentally, until we take that first step, that doubt is going to cloud us and stay there. It's going to stick in our minds. And so there's that level of, yeah, I doubted the workouts that I was about to

present to the world and doubting that it could ever work. But there's also that deeper level of doubting yourself and doubting who you are and that you're the only person that has ever gone through this and you're the only person that will ever go through it. So yeah, I totally, when you started speaking about doubt in that way, it makes me think about why many of us don't get started, why many of us, you know, don't even obey maybe some of the things we know we should be doing. And I think there's a doubt of execution, not even like a doubt of getting started,

but like being so overwhelmed by how far off track we are. Maybe it's in our faith, maybe it's in our fitness, maybe our bodies are just not what they once were and we can become so discouraged that we doubt that we could ever live a life of mobility and joy. And so I just wonder, as you're working with women and one of the things I love is that even on your YouTube, I'm constantly seeing your transformation over and over. Every few months, I feel like you just remind us that like, Hey, I haven't always been here.

I started somewhere too. What is, what are some of the things that you think keep people from getting started? Well, the first thing I see often is that like, what if I get the first thing right, and I actually make progress, and then I come back to where I am again? That fear of failing again after trying so many times, that is one of the biggest things that stops us. Because we're like, that's going to make me doubt myself even more.

That's going to make me feel even deeper in this pit that I'm already in. And so that confidence to actually step out and do it doesn't come to us naturally because we're like, I've tried and tried and tried and tried. Or maybe you haven't tried and you're like, if I do try, what if I don't succeed? What if I don't reach my goal?

And then also in this society of everything comes quick, everything's convenient, everything's automatic, go get yourself surgery, go get yourself magic pills. People are always looking for that quick fix and they don't realize that the depth and the strength and the confidence comes through small steps. So the struggle is often like, I want it now, why am I not where I want to be?

And if I do start, how am I gonna keep going? I've been stuck all this time, how is what you have to offer me gonna change anything for me? And so that that's their first struggle. And then once they do get started, it's like, how do I keep going? How, how do I not let those days where I just don't want to do it, and then I just stop? How do I not let that turn back into a week or a month or a year again like I have done before? And the one thing I always try to remind my community is that we are all beginners multiple

times in our life journey. It's not just fitness. There's many times where we are encountered, like you said, with illness, with our bodies failing us, or what we think is our bodies failing us, with career changes, with changes in location where we are, and family changes. We are always going to, that's life, we are always going to be struggling with something. But knowing and having that comfort that everybody goes through this. Everybody is beginners multiple times. You know, there's there's things that happen to our bodies, there's things that happen to our circumstances,

there's things that happen to our family. And that's that's life. That's how life is life is not perfect. Until we go to heaven. It's not perfect here. And so I always tell them, you know, don't be afraid of failing. Don't be afraid of those days where you just don't feel like it and then you stop. And don't be afraid of that turning into a week, a month, a year. Think about how what you're prioritizing right now is the thing that you need to most prioritize.

Sometimes that's fitness, your wellness, your health, and sometimes that's family. Sometimes that's changing your priorities to what's going on in your life right now. And it's okay to begin again. And so that kind of relieves that pressure of, I have to be perfect. If I show up and do a week worth of workouts, like I don't have to stress over the fact that I may not be able to sustain this. I'm just gonna do the best that I can right now

and show up in the way that I can. And from that, usually once they actually do that, realize that, then take a step towards it, that keeps snowballing and it keeps going and the confidence grows and then your willingness to change different things in your life like how you're eating, how much you're drinking water, that starts to snowball. And all the time there's always times where you're going to fall off or there's times where you're gonna feel like you know you're prioritizing other things and that's okay. I am so appreciative of that explanation. I have been guilty of making my wellness journey about

like reaching a certain weight or reaching a certain goal. And I think that what I am doing now that is a little bit different than what I've done in the past, I do definitely think that I started giving myself permission. Like you don't have to do, I need to give myself less permission. Like my permission slip was just fine for too long. And so it's like, okay, now you need to give yourself

permission to get up and do something different. But I think that what I have noticed is that as I have focused more on just learning new things about my body, like that I can do things that I thought was hard that I can, I mean that running for 20 minutes like that is groundbreaking for me because I never played sports like the idea that I could get on there and I could actually move for that length of time. Like it's I'm discovering more about my body the more I take care of my body. And there are just so many things

that we'll never know about our body's capacity, about our mind, about our resiliency, about our endurance, unless we embark on a journey of not just losing weight, but getting to know all of the dimensions of who I am and all of the capacity that God has given me. And I feel like to your point that that strength translates into everything, where it's like I do feel more confident and strong and able to play with the kids and to go throughout

the day without being winded. And so one of my prayers is that women, especially this is coming out, it's the holiday season, which I know we're all dreading, like, oh my goodness, I don't want to gain weight over the holidays, or I already know I'm going to gain weight, but maybe there's an opportunity in the midst of all the busyness and chaos to just say, I'm going to take 15 minutes, 20 minutes,

do a Grow with Joe class, and just learn something about my body, about my ability to show up for myself that I may not have recognized before. And I feel like your programs offer that. So many people told me that when they left woman evolve that they were like, Oh my gosh, I didn't realize how easy it is to just get up and move.

Can you tell me a little bit about like what your experience was like at woman evolve? What were you expecting? And then like, what did you experience? I didn't know what to expect. I actually expected to be very, very nervous because at first, to be honest with you, I hadn't heard about Women Evolve. And once you reached out to me and we announced it, so many women were like, congratulations. Wow. This is huge. that so many women were like, congratulations.

This is huge. Wow, this is amazing. And I was like, oh, it is. Yeah, it is. Yeah, you're right. Yeah. And I was like, wow. Even people I would meet in person,

they'd be like, I saw that you're doing woman of all. This is amazing. This is, wow. And I was like, oh, so that you're doing Women Evolve. This is amazing. This is, wow. And I was like, oh, so I guess I should be really nervous. And so I was in the weeks leading up to Women Evolve, I had a lot going on. Probably, you were probably super busy, so you probably didn't see it on my social media.

But there were things that were happening in my business that were shifting and changing and anger and resentment and things that were happening with partners that we worked with. And I was struggling with that, but then I was also like, I gotta prepare. I gotta be in the word. I need God's light to shine his brightest through me

in this moment, in this opportunity that he's giving me. I gotta be in the word. I need God's light to shine his brightest through me in this moment, in this opportunity that he's giving me. And I have for years been asking God for an opportunity to speak into the lives of women. And I do that online, I do that all the time. I do it to my community, I share it, but it's different when you're in person and actually there physically,

and you see the women there and all the lives and all the different things that women are going through. You don't see it, but you understand that all these women are here for a reason, to be renewed, to be restored, to get encouragement, to grow deeper in their love for God. And being there was like, like,

like, God, I asked you to speak maybe in front of like 20 people or like 50 people, 40,000 people, okay. And I was reading in my word before, in the word before I, before I stepped on stage and in the days leading up to it, I was like, God, I'm so scared. Like I'm so stressed out, I'm so nervous. And I was reading, was it Paul? He was saying that, and this is somebody who has gone

and spoken to groups and to the Gentiles and the Jews, and he was saying, you know, my knees, they're weak, and like describing that he is scared and he's nervous, and he's like, but God, your grace has made perfect in my weakness. Yeah, thank you Jesus. made perfect in my weakness. And that yes, that was like, okay, God, I hear you loud and clear. I don't need to be worried. I don't need to be scared. I don't need to be like, nervous. And I realized that, you know, it's not going to be the power of my words, but the power of the Holy Spirit working through me.

And not necessarily the words that I say will be the ones that I don't get to choose. God gets to choose what's done through me. And so when I got on stage for the first time, I was able to really feel that happening. I felt no fear. I felt no, no emotion of, oh, I don't feel qualified to be here. I felt none of those emotions that the enemy tries to whisper in your ear. I felt none of that.

I felt right where I needed to be. I felt right in my anointing. I felt ready and prepared and that all these years of God pouring into me and allowing me to touch women on a different level, just in their homes. Yeah. I felt that right there. And watching the footage back, I have tears in my eyes because I'm like, God, you did that.

Yeah. You did that. That's how, man, that's how I feel all the time, every day, all the things that I feel like God allows me to do, to partner with Him, that God would work through me, use me. It's beyond me. I'm sure there's someone more qualified, someone who's got more charisma, more this, more that. And so I'm just grateful that you'll use me. And to me, I don't feel like anyone deserves

a platform unless they know it's God who built the stage. You know what I mean? And they honor that in all that they do. And to truly see it as an honor. I'm very particular about who we have at WOMEN Evolve. I don't just hand it over to someone else to plan. Like there's a certain spirit, there's a certain heart and passion that I know has to exist in order for the presence of God to just kind of flow, right? Because we're, it's a flow. We're not just like interchanging different voices and superstars. Like I want a Holy Spirit flow throughout the whole program. And watching those women of all ages, all shapes and sizes, like moving their body, worshiping, giving glory to God.

And you're just up there. You're owning that. I couldn't believe that that was like your first time, I think, doing something like that, which was crazy, because I'm like, this is the sweet spot. I feel like this is just the perfect space. Spaces like this for women to just have an opportunity to worship God with the fullness of their bodies, to treat their bodies

like temples. And so I was really honored and privileged that you were able to come and that God's light not just shone through you, but that it moved those who were around you. Like you literally were sunlight onto seeds of wellness, generational wellness. Like I'm going to prophesy just generational wellness and movement for so many of the women there. So thank you so much for accepting my DM and my random invitation.

I was so honored, so honored. And even in hindsight, even more so. So thank you. Just witnessing what you have done and more so. So thank you. Just witnessing what you have done and what God has done through you and you allowing God to use you as his vessel. And like you said, being very specific about who was there

and what kind of messages were, I don't know if you had control over that, but the messages that were spoken, I felt it. I felt it so deeply on so many different levels. I can't even begin to explain. You spoke and I realized so many things about the business situation I was going through. My best friend was actually there with me, the one that had told me to do that walking workout and she was touched deeply as well. And so thank you.

Thank you. I don't need anything. I want to ask you one more thing before we go. Because okay, we talked about overcoming maybe some doubt or some skepticism, stepping into the flow of what God is doing in our life, recognizing it as anointing. But then there's also this dynamic of stewarding anointing within systems and structures and businesses

and organizations that I think, this is for me, like if I'm not careful that I will make it a business instead of it having to maneuver through businesses. And so I'm wondering like what is one of the things that you have had to learn or to protect maybe as it relates to the growth of your brand. I hate the word brand, but like of this gift, this anointing, like what's one of the things that you didn't expect to have to protect

and how do you continue to protect it? My mental health. Oh, that's so good. My mental health has, over the years of being online and sharing with other people my life and what I'm going through and my struggles and my triumphs is one thing to be an example of that, but that's always met with human opinion. It's always met with, oh, you're doing this wrong, you're doing this right. And that's one of the reasons why I actually kept my pregnancy with my daughter

a secret until I was 30 weeks. And realizing that, you know, I can't, I can't do it in my own strength either. I post, I had postpartum depression with my son when I had him, and I had to go to therapy. I had a Christian therapist who specialized in cognitive behavioral therapy, and she helped me reframe my thoughts and using the truths of the word to penetrate my mind. And that changed the way I show up, that changed the way that I interact with people. And there is so much pressure on us as public figures, as people that people look up to, that put on a pedestal for us to answer in a certain way, or be a certain way, or have a certain viewpoint,

or say something about what's going on in the world. And just safeguarding my heart and my mind has not only been a benefit to me, but a benefit to my husband and my family, because, you know, God is helping me live out my purpose and live in this anointing, but I also have to be a steward both of that and then of the blessings he's given me

in terms of my family. And so if I'm allowing my mental health to go off the rails, if I'm allowing my mental health to go off the rails, if I'm allowing people's words to penetrate my mind and make my days worse and make me feel bad about myself, then I don't show up as the mother, as the wife that I need to be as a daughter, I need to be as a sister. So I don't know if that was kind of what you were getting

at in that question, but safeguarding my mental health and safeguarding my identity as well, because it's so easy to get caught up and be like, yeah, I'm, I'm growing Joe, you know, I'm, I'm that girl, I'm that fitness coach. But realizing that no, my identity, my identity isn't that, it's not in that. My identity is in Christ. My identity is my eternal being, my spirit. And if you, I could go into all of this, but us as women, we put so, I know the theme is forgiveness. We put so much value on what we can do for others and so much value on whether we're able to take care

of our family members, whether we're able to take care of our friends, whether we're able to do what we can. We have that nurturing spirit, that nurturing mindset where we wanna do it all. And if we allow that to become our identity, and we allow that to be our focus, our mind is not set on how God can pour into us so that we can be the best for them.

And so when we really safeguard that identity and be in God's word and develop that relationship with Christ, that is where that's the sweet spot that's going to allow you to function properly as a brand or an influencer or a public figure, or for at least for me personally, and also as That person who's giving and also receiving from God and receiving in self-care and receiving and taking care of myself So yeah You know I have Have to tell you I think that of all of the names that you may have gone through Or maybe you didn't go through anything and grow with Joe just was it.

I think that it is one of the smartest, most summarizing opportunities for people who engage with your brand to recognize what they're going to get when they get you. And I think that part of your superpower, part of your secret sauce, is that you are aspirational in the way that you lead us, but compassionate in meeting us where we are. And it literally does feel like we're growing with you, not being taught at or told what we're doing wrong. And I just want to honor you for the relationship that you're building with your community,

those of us who are connected to you and watching you online, whether we've gotten up to walk yet or we're just like eyeing it out to see if we got what it takes. You make space for us to be there. And so I love you. I'm grateful for your time. Thank you so much for combining your anointing with mine to create the woman evolve experience this year. It was absolutely powerful every second of it. And I'm grateful that we got to serve what God's doing in the lives of women

together. So thank you. Thank you for your time and thank you for who you are. Thank you. It was an honor and pleasure to be here and to speak with you, Pastor Sarah. Thank you. My pleasure. And just like that, we out of this thing. I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve what God's doing in your life and to introduce you to people who I believe could be just incredible resources. Oh, not professional, whatever.

People who can be incredible resources for you no matter where you are on your journey. One of the things that I enjoyed about my conversation with Jo is when I asked her the question about what was one of the most surprising things that she's had to navigate, and she said her mental health, it resonated with me.

I feel like a lot of times we spend so much time focusing on maybe the structure, the business, the presentation, even the haters that we don't take the time to really say just like taking care of my mental so that I can have a mind like Christ so that my mind isn't convoluted with all of the different narratives that people may have about me or the fears and insecurities that exist within myself. So I loved her answer to that. I love what God is doing in her life. I'm really grateful for what God is doing in my life.

I suspect that God's doing something amazing in your life. Whether it's in seed form or full harvest, I want you to take the time to really recognize that you can forgive yourself for who you once were and fall in love with who you are becoming. That is the woman involved journey. Thank you guys so much for your consistency, for your faithfulness. Thank you for giving us chance after chance after chance. Lord, help us to have a real humility as we love and engage with one another. Help us to have a real humility as we handle ourselves, as we look at our bodies, as we look at our past.

May we look at it with love and compassion, not hate, not shame, not doubt, not worry, but help us to look at our lives the way that you see us, that we may embrace your truth over our own, that we may embrace your healing over our wounds. I thank you God for restoration coming to these, your daughters and some sons who are tuned in. God cover them in ways that they know

and ways that they don't know. Breathe your life inside of them. Give them strength. Give them courage Dispatch angels and place a hedge of protection around them that they may run their race and not grow weary in Jesus name I pray Amen evolve