Woman Evolve with Sarah Jakes Roberts - Surrender to Becoming w/ Ella & MaKenzie

Episode Date: February 28, 2024

This week, you’ll get some one-on-one time with SJR as she answers some HOT TOPIC advice questions! Covering everything from how to stay grounded, rest, and join the team, plus, spilling tea on her morning routine, leisure activities, and start in ministry — y’all better press PLAY and get some of these! Our little besties Ella & MaKenzie share their concerns of “becoming”, and their humanity has the potential to ground you for today. Prepare for a fun and intimate episode, Sis! If you gotta rescue or need advice, shoot your shot at [e-mail]. W.E. are waiting to hear from you!  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

When George Floyd got killed, I started reading a book called The History of the United States. And that's when I saw that Christopher Columbus was just as racist as Hitler. And I didn't know. Maybe you didn't either. Here we are, season three of I Didn't Know, Maybe You Didn't Neither. Every day in February, starting February 1st, make sure you listen. So I didn't know. Maybe you didn't either.

On the Black Effect Podcast Network, our hard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to your podcast. The second season of El Fló is here. Step into the ever-evolving world of Réaetón and get up close with both legendary figures and emerging talents in the industry. Part of the enormous significance of Réadon is really the way in which personal narratives connect to larger things going on historically and socially. Listen to El Fló on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your

podcasts. Everyone in our country has a voice. It's something that says not just where you come from, but who you are. Welcome to NPR's Black Stories, Black Truths, a collection of podcasts and a celebration of the hosts in journalism who've always spoken truth to power. Our voices are as varied, nuanced, and dynamic as the Black experience, and stories should never be about us without us.

Find NPR Black Stories Black Truths on the iHeart Radio app or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Vanessa Bayer and this is my brother Jonah. And we are so excited to have you here the latest season of our Nostalgia Theme podcast, How Did We Get Weird? Not only do you get to know me and my brother, you get to know the stories that made us the absolutely rad people we are today.

Like you, Jonah, who's a music person and also a mental health counselor. And you, Vanessa, who is an actress, comedian, and I think you even wrote a children's book, wow. I sure did. Check out our episodes where we've welcomed hilarious guests like our friend, Andy Sandberg. That's it, that's really it!

And Queen, Casey Wilson. I really went cart before the horse. I said, I think I have an opportunity to interview Linda Caprio. Oh my God. As a high school student. Plus legendary sisters Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar. You would pull the bag out and then we would eat all the

leftover chocolate chips, which was a lot. Then you'd roll the barrel up to the hill, and then one of us would get inside the barrel and they'd push you down. And we've also had an amazing guest like Mike the Miz, Jason Isbell, Kerry Brownstein and Corin Tucker of Slater Kinney, and many more. And you do not want to miss out on our funny segments like Change.Dork. Change.Dork. And congratulations, you played yourself.Dork. And congratulations.

You played yourself. Congratulations. You played yourself. Listen to our podcast. How did we get weird on the I Heart Radio app Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast? It's Rachel Leviss, host of the new

podcast Rachel goes rogue. This podcast is about choosing my own path and standing in my power. I have been involved with one of the biggest scandals in reality television history. We're gonna get into all of it. The good, the bad, the ugly.

I've been keeping secrets for far too long and I just wanna come clean. Listen to Rachel Goes Rogue on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. I hate to be a cornball, but in my leisure time I like to go to sleep. At some point I'm gonna have to give up dolls and give a bunch of things. If God is allowing this and it is meant to humble you, you gotta eat that. Like you gotta find a way to eat that.

That is so adamant that he's right and I'm very stubborn, so I'm like, you are not right. You ask, I answer. I am going through some of the questions that have come in from Mind Your Business. I'm gonna try and get through as many of them as possible, but I have to tell you, um, I still have a lot to work through.

So we may have to run this back. If you want me to answer your questions, send me your question to podcast at woman evolved dot com. You can write it up or you can send me a video like these ladies did and we will answer your question. Some of these are from HAYU. We had a lot of women at HAYU who sent me their questions and so I'm going to try and get through some of the ones that came through HAYU.

Hi, my name is Crystal. So, Pastor Sarah, I wanted to know what is your morning routine? This is such an interesting question because I, my morning routine child, these mornings don't, they're not even the same mornings as they usually are, okay? Every day is different, but on a regular morning, I wake up around 6am, I get up, I have a little time to myself, I, whether that's worshiping, praying, setting my intention for the day, looking at my calendar, determining whether or not I need to make any changes to what's on my calendar. If I have a chance, I do a little bit of scrolling. I'm not gonna lie. I check in on the socials. Most of

the time it's after I've checked all of those boxes because you know, it's a little time for me. I like to do something that gives me a little joy. I wake up my daughters, I drag them out of the bed. Um, well, really it's just Ella that I drag out of the bed and then, and then McKenzie, um, is usually up. I make them breakfast. We do school runs. We pray in the car.

We listen to music. After I get back from taking them to school, I work out. I begin whooped. After I work out, I shower, then I sit down at my desk and I go through meetings, I edit my books, I prepare for podcast content, I look at deals, I respond to emails. It all depends on what is happening any given day.

After I've gone through my work things, I pick the girls up. Most of the time they get out at different schedules, so PT and I will take turns. We pick them up, we come home, we have dinner, we do bad things, it's pretty regular. All of that to say, it's pretty normal. Then there are days that I'm up at 4 a.m.

when we shot the Woman Evolved campaign for 2024. I'm up at four, I'm in hair and makeup. We're taking a plane to go shoot in the middle of the desert. There are some mornings where I'm up doing my makeup because after I drop them off, I have to shoot some content. There are some days where my husband takes them to school and I'm in my bonnet until 12 o'clock

and so my morning routine can be different from day to day but that long answer is pretty much, and you said morning routine and here I am talking about dinner but anyways, that's usually my morning routine when I am in town and in a rhythm that is honestly good for me and good for the girls. My name is Guy Green. My question for you, Pastor Sarah, would be, how do you

manage to stay so grounded with everything that is going on around and in your world? How do you keep it together the way that you do? Let me just say this. I love you in the way that you do it. I appreciate the fact that you are so authentically you. And I thank God for having created and sent you to all of us.

We won't be selfish, but just to let you know, I've already made you my bestie. I hope you can accept that. Love you, thanks so much for being you. You know, it's really interesting, the way that my story has unfolded. It has made me so reliant upon God that staying grounded is a requirement. It's a requirement in order to show up.

First of all, thank you for making space for me in your heart and on your journey, for adopting me as your best friend. I did not know how much I would need or it's hard because people are like, you should need, you should need, you should need. I think that's true and I didn't start it because I needed something, but there's just such relief in knowing that there is

a space for my voice in the world that it just it never gets old to me to hear that you know is resonating with you all. But I guess I don't drink the Kool-Aid you know I try to be intentional no matter how much success or titles or accolades are added to my name that I remember that at the end of the day, I didn't really ask for any of this. God gave it to me as a gift

and so I don't want to feel entitled to it or that I some kind of way mastermind in my way into it. I am very clear on what my limitations are and where God picks up. And so I stay grounded by constantly showing up in a space of authenticity instead of showing up as someone who should act a certain way because they're a New York Times bestselling author or because they've, you know, been times 100 next or they've done tours or whatever. I didn't have a role in playing in any of that.

I just said yes. And I'm reminded of that and I feel like that's part of what I keep in the forefront of my mind. And I also try to be intentional, as jazazzy as I can get as fancy as I can get You know hair makeup bust down clothes all the things I got also try to show up like this on purpose too because Anyone with that much makeup and that much hair on their head ought to be able to look good so you know it's not remarkable that I can get jazzy but you know to hold space for

that I can get jazzy, but you know to hold space for what I look like when I'm running around with my kids and trying to get things done but also like hey I could show up and pop off right quick. Like I think that's the beauty of womanhood is that I don't have to pick one or the other. I can be all of those things at the same time because neither of them fully defined me. It takes the totality of who I am to even scratch the surface of how I should be defined. And so I am grateful for the skin that I'm in. I'm grateful for the opportunities God has given me and I try to honor these opportunities with my humility and authenticity. And I pray God never has to pull my

coat tail and just remind me to you know, sit down be humble. But I'm also prepared for that as well. It's funny, something happened recently. And I think that when I was, I was really worried, I had a lot of anxiety and I was trying to figure out like, what are you afraid of? What are you afraid of? And I think ultimately it was my pride trying to figure out like, what are you afraid of? What are you afraid of? And I think ultimately it was my pride trying to protect myself from failure,

from the idea of embarrassment and being humiliated. And at the end of the day, I had to say, if God allows this to happen, if God allows for this moment that could be embarrassing, could be humiliating to go viral on the internet. If God is allowing this and it is meant to humble you, you got to eat that. You got to find a way to eat that.

And if it changes the way people look at you and people are making fun of you, you got to be okay with that because at the end of the day, I can survive what God allows if I can continue to stay connected to God. And I don't want my need to avoid failure, avoid embarrassment, avoid humility to keep me from staying connected to God. So I surrendered, come on, surrender.

I surrendered to what that moment was trying to teach me and ultimately the lesson I learned on the other side of that surrender is I can withstand not being able to defend myself and really trust that God will defend me. So I hope that helps. Evolve. I really trust that God will defend me. So I hope that helps evolve. When George Floyd got killed, I started reading a book called The History of the United States.

And that's when I saw that Christopher Columbus was just as racist as Hitler. And I didn't know. Maybe you didn't either. Here we are, season three. If I didn't know. Maybe you didn't either. Here we are season three. If I didn't know, maybe you didn't either. See season one, we talked Nat Turner, Gladys May West. In season two, we talked Brick Plantations and talked how powerful Black folk are.

We say Pepsi. In season three, we connect the dots from the enslavement periods to things happening today in no trespassing signs. Voter fraud, casual killing acts and of course powerful black men and women. And remember, it's a leap year. So we've got 29 episodes every day in February starting February 1st. Make sure you listen to I didn't know maybe you didn't either on the Black Effect podcast network, our hard radio app, Apple Podcast,

or wherever you listen to your podcast. I didn't know. This second season of El Fló is here, available with Guati de Uste in both English and Spanish. This season, we dive deeper into the vibrant world of reyetón, featuring interviews with both reyetón legends and exciting new talents. He's the undisputed king of reggaeton no doubt and he's

been cited as an inspiration by multiple Latin stars, including J Balvin Bad Bunny Osuna. Explore the evolution of this dynamic genre and what makes it resonate globally. How you consume Pregatón, how you share and distribute Pregatón, those are all an important part of the story. It's the way that the people are experiencing Pregatón

along with the musicians. Listen to El Flow as part of the Mike Ultura podcast network available on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Everyone in our country has a voice. It's something that says not just where you come from, but who you are. Welcome to NPR's Black Stories, Black Truths,

a collection of podcasts and a celebration of the hosts in journalism who've always spoken truth to power. Our voices are as varied, nuanced and dynamic as the Black experience, and stories should never be about us without us. Find NPR Black Stories, Black Truths on the iHeart radio app or wherever you get your podcasts. One of the best shows of the year according to Apple, Amazon and Time is back for another round. We have more insightful conversations between myself, Paul Muldoon

and Paul McCartney about his life and career. We had a big bearer of a land, it was called Malad, who's our logo. And I was coming back on the plane, and he said, will you pass the salt and pepper? And I miss her, then. I said, what? Sergeant Pepper. This season, we're diving deep into some of McCartney's most beloved songs.

Yesterday, Band on the Run, Hey Jude. And McCartney's favorite song in his entire catalogue, Here, There, and Everywhere. Listen to season two of McCartney, A Life in Lyrics on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. John Stewart is back in the host chair at the Daily Show, which means he's also back in our ears on the Daily Show Ears Edition podcast. The Daily Show podcast has everything you need to stay on top of today's news and pop culture.

You get hilarious satirical takes on entertainment, politics, sports, and more from John and the team of correspondents and contributors. The podcast also has content you can't get anywhere else like extended interviews and a roundup of the weekly headlines. Listen to the Daily Show, Ears Edition on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. My name is Karen DePau and my question is how do you rest? Because a lot of times in ministry and with women that can do it all, we are told to do

it all. But how do you actually rest and feel rested, rejuvenated enough to keep going? I wish I could tell you that I have this mastered, but the truth is I am learning. It's actually one of the things that I was studying for my message that I preached in Dallas. I was accosted by 2 Corinthians 3 where Paul talks about where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty.

And he talks about how the scribes at the time were viewing the law through veiled faces, I think it is. And that when they turn to the Lord, though the veil is removed. And I was thinking about that because I felt a lot of pressure to stay on top of all of my responsibilities and all of the things that God has entrusted me with and it was very much

So not giving freedom. It was very much so giving Stress and I wanted to tap into that freedom and so I turned to God, right? I turned intentionally to the presence of God just to experience the presence not to ask for anything Not to give a list of the things that are going wrong or my hopes or my dreams, but to just experience a glory to glory transaction where his glory is so captivating that it changes my spirit

and his image is imprinted onto my spirit. And now I possess glory. And so in a very deep spiritual way That brought me rest because it allowed me to as my husband would call elevate the plane and as I lifted the altitude Some of the things that were weighing me down and bogging me down I was able to look at from a place of peace and from a place of adequacy and a place of strength and fortitude. So that's one way that I find rest when I can't actually find rest, but I have made it my

mission starting this school year actually to really ask my husband for more help with the girls especially during the school year. When the school year first started, context is, you know, Ella started school during the pandemic and then they were both home schooled. And so when we first started sending them to a more traditional school environment, I was like, I'm going to make them breakfast every morning. I'm going to take them to breakfast every morning. I'm gonna take them to school every morning. I'm gonna pick them up every single day. And I was doing that. I was waking up at 5 AM so that I could still work out.

And that was fine, except for on the weekends, I don't have the weekends down. Maybe I'm speaking at a conference on a Saturday or I'm at church on Sunday or I'm doing both of those things in the weekend. And I would look up and there would be like 44 days of I'm up church on Sunday or I'm doing both of those things in a weekend and I would look up and there would be like, you know, 44 days of I'm up at seven and going down at 11 p.m. And I was tired and resentful. And yet I wasn't asking for any help.

And so I was robbing myself of the very thing that I needed. So on a practical level, I have been willing to let go of my, I don't wanna say my expectations, I have been willing to let go of my, I don't wanna say my expectations, but my vision for who I need to be as a mother, or a business owner, or a daughter, or a wife, and to lean into opportunities where I can get help and support from those who have asked

whether or not they can help or support me. And so that has been helpful for me in resting. I started getting my nails done after the pandemic, which, you know, I was not a get your nails done girly, but I do enjoy when my nails look pretty. And I used to say that if I have time to sit down and get my nails done, I would rather rest. And sometimes that is absolutely true.

But as of lately, I have found pockets of rest in enjoying how I am showing up in the world in a way that is a reflection of who I wanna be and not how I feel. Cause sometimes like right now you ought to be able to tell like the girl is in need of rest because I am showing up how I feel. Cause I'm like, right now you ought to be able to tell like the girl is in need of rest because I am showing up how I am. This is the way the good Lord made me.

And you know, if I do not get rest soon, it's been to get real, like it's been to get really, she don't care. Because when I need rest, I am the first person who's willing to sacrifice and suffer as opposed to, see, I am the first person who's willing to sacrifice and suffer as opposed to see, I can't even speak right. You know what I mean? She need a nap as opposed to letting the people in my world experience some disappointment. I would rather disappoint

myself be ran over, broke down, bitter and angry than telling someone, hey, I can't do it, or hey, can you get somebody else to do it. So I am learning to discover rest by uncommitting myself and allowing that, you know, new commitment to taking care of myself, to be communicated with love and intentionality. Like I tell my girls, like, I love taking you to school. Mommy also needs rest and letting two things live in the same, in the same space. Hi, I'm T'Lest. What is something that you like to do on your leisure time? Like, or places that you might like to travel?

Where's your favorite place to travel? I hate to be a cornball, but in my leisure time, I like to go to sleep. If I have enough time, I go to be a cornball, but in my leisure time, I like to go to sleep. If I have enough time, I go to sleep. Outside of that, I like to play in my wigs. I like to organize my wig closet. I like to read.

I am an avid reader. I love a good book. I love going to the movies. I know everyone's streaming things, but I like going to the movies. I like popcorn with peanut M&Ms and sitting up and watching literally anything. It could be a thriller. It could be a chick flick. It could be some shoot-em-ups like whatever it is. I enjoy going to the movies. I would say working out but that's not true but I do like how I feel after I work out and I could be liaising. What is it when you're leisureing? I could be leisureing instead, but I'm working out

and so I must enjoy something about working out. I like eating. Is that, can that be something that you do in your leisure time? I love a good snack. So nothing fun. If my time is for real, for real, kicked back, like I have no projects, no pressure,

I enjoy crocheting. I have a blanket that I need to finish, but I ended up having a lot of other projects slammed on my plate. And so when I really get to kick back, I'm gonna finish crocheting my blanket. Hi, my name is Whitney, and I just wanna know Pastor Sarah Jakes Roberts,

how can I be a part of your team? I never thought I would see the day where someone was asking me how they could be a part of my team and I have actually gotten this question quite a bit. I don't know if it seems like we do a lot from the outside looking in, but I assure you from the inside looking out, we push out a lot of content. We also plan really large events. I, you know, create a lot of projects and as a result, those projects require slating

and marketing and intentionality. When it comes to organization of those projects and execution of how they get into the hands of people. We do a lot of on the production. Okay, so how can you into the hands of people. We do a lot on the production. Okay, so how can you be a part of my team? It depends on what your skills and talents are, and also what you need financially. If you are in a position where you need full-time work,

we do have some full-time positions, but they are more administrative and then high-level executive roles. So I am in the market, I guess you could say right now, for a high level director of content, executive director of content, someone who has experience in creating content for a company that has... This is, okay, I'm gonna speak it, a company that has,

I don't, this is, okay, I'm gonna speak it because faith, right? Like I want someone who is like Netflix level executive director of content, someone who has enough experience to help me navigate the gifts and talents that God has given me through these team members and to help blossom and grow them for wherever God's going to place

them, whether they're going to be with me through the wheels fall off or they are going to move on to another space. I want to be able to not have my team be capped out because I'm capped out with my experience. I don't know a lot about the best way to, you know, tap into the trends and how do we create things that continue to be relative and relatable and cost efficient. And so that's my high level goal right now. And then we have some entry level positions and some, I guess, mid level positions as for mid level positions for marketing and creatives primarily.

We need writers right now for the content that we currently create and for the content that we wanna continue to produce. So email info at womanyvolve.com and let me know, send me your resume and we will see what we can do. Or email POP at womanyvolve.com. That's people operations and let us know

what you're looking for. If you have a volunteer spirit on you, to the point that it does not get me in trouble legally because there are employment laws, we are also looking for people who just wanna serve cause we're trying to build a baby and we ain't got no crib, we ain't got no stroller or nothing. My just so you guys like you know our YouTube is monetized, I try to monetize things on social media as well. We're constantly given back and

God is creating pathways where people are constantly pouring back into what we do and obviously we are good stewards over the resources that we receive for conference to make sure that we are able to facilitate an experience where you have all of the information you need all of the support that you need and an experience that feels well executed and well thought out. So we're doing all that we can to generate the type of income that would allow us to make the strategic hires for Wombany Ball to continue to become all that God has decided she will be. So you don't have to work for free, but you may have to work for faith. You know what I'm saying?

When George Floyd got killed, I started reading a book called The History of the United States. And that's when I saw that Christopher Columbus was just as racist as Hitler. And I didn't know. Maybe you didn't either. Here we are season three. If I didn't know, maybe you didn't either. See season one we talked Nat Turner, Gladys May West. In season two we talked brick plantations and talked how powerful black folk are.

We saved Pepsi. In season three, we connect the dots from the enslavement period to things happening today in no trespassing signs. Voter fraud, casual killing acts, and of course powerful Black men and women. And remember, it's a leap year, so we've got 29 episodes every day in February starting February 1st. Make sure you listen. So I didn't know, maybe you didn't either, on the Black Effect Podcast Network, our hard radio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you listen to your podcast. This second season of El Fló is here, available with Matita y Uste in both English and Spanish.

is here, available in both English and Spanish. This season, we dive deeper into the vibrant world of Reggaeton, featuring interviews with both Reggaeton legends and exciting new talents. He's the undisputed king of Reggaeton, no doubt. And he's been cited as an inspiration by multiple Latin stars, including J Balvin, Bad Bunny, Osuna, Adina Pasha. Explore the evolution of this dynamic genre and what makes it resonate globally. How you consume Pryetong, how you share and distribute Pryetong, those are all an important part

of the story. It's the way that the people are experiencing Phaedon along with the musicians. Listen to El Fló as part of the Michael Dura podcast network, available on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Everyone in our country has a voice. It's something that says not just where you come from, but who you are. Welcome to NPR's Black Stories, Black Truths, a collection of podcasts and a celebration of the hosts in journalism who've always spoken truth to power. Our voices are as varied, nuanced, and dynamic

as the Black Experience, and stories should never be about us without us. Find NPR Black Stories, Black Truths on the iHeart Radio app or wherever you get your podcasts. One of the best shows of the year, according to Apple, Amazon and Time, is back for another round. We have more insightful conversations between myself, Paul Muldoon and Paul McCartney about his life and career. McCartney about his life and career. We had a big bearer of the land, it was called Maladens with our logo, and he was coming back on the plane and he said,

will you pass the salt and pepper? And I miss her. I said, what? So I should pass her. This season we're diving deep into some of McCartney's most beloved songs. Yesterday, Band on the Run, Hey Jude, and McCartney's favorite song in his entire catalogue, Here, There, and Everywhere. Listen to season two of McCartney, A Life in Lyrics, on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. John Stewart is back in the host chair at The Daily Show, which means he's also back in our ears

on The Daily Show, Ears Edition podcast. The Daily Show podcast has everything you need to stay on top of today's news and pop culture. You get hilarious satirical takes on entertainment, politics, sports, and more from John and the team of correspondents and contributors. The podcast also has content you can't get anywhere else like extended interviews and a roundup of the weekly headlines. Listen to The Daily Show, Ears Edition on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

My name is Alexis Anderson. My question is, Pastor Sarah, how did you begin the ministry of, you know, just encouraging women? I'm in the mental health field and I just want to know how you did it so I can help to encourage other women that are maybe struggling with things that they don't want to talk about. So I started my ministry of encouraging women by first serving someone else's vision. I wasn't sure the impact that one woman's yes could have on you know, multitudes of women until I started serving at the Women's Ministry at the Potter's House of Dallas. At the time I wasn't speaking, I was writing which is what I prefer to do and I was working behind the scenes and there was this program called God's

Leading Ladies and there were maybe a hundred women who would come every other Saturday, they would connect with other women and then they would basically learn like how do we position ourselves to become God's leading lady. So how do we position ourselves professionally, spiritually, emotionally, mentally, financially? And it was this course program that I was just responsible for facilitating

who was gonna be speaking, maybe working at the calendar, ordering the lunches, you know, reserving rooms, it was very much so administrative. And yet I could not deny that watching these women from week to week made me want to become one of them. And I thought like like if I can create an environment for them to do it then maybe I could have access to it as well. And so I will say

that my ministry began then because I was minister means to serve. So I was serving even then. And then when I began to kind of go on my own journey of trying to figure out what it meant for me to accept my past and maximize my present and invite God into my decision making. It started a blog and from that blog, I noticed that women were gravitating towards the message. They were feeling a little less alone, a lot more known, and I think they were growing, a lot more grown, and that was enough for me. I was speaking, I was telling my story, I was blogging, and then people kept telling me,

you should have a conference, people were leaving comments, you should have a conference, you should have conference. I'm like, I'm not gonna have a conference that's so people can come hear me speak. I will not just host a conference. I'm like, I'm not gonna have a conference that's so people can come hear me speak. Like I will not just host a conference because I was gaining a following or popularity. And so it wasn't until God gave me a revelation

about Eve, the very first woman, that I said, you know what, like to me, this is something worth building a conference on. So while many people felt like it was the natural next step for me, it took me a few years to come to a space where I really sought the Lord and asked the Lord to give me something worth speaking about. And I don't even know how I was, know that I was speaking at, oh, I know I was speaking at a woman's, you guys read most, maybe you didn't. What,

wow, many of you read Woman Evolved, some of you haven't. But I was at a women's conference and they had on these shirts with the women in the Bible and them Ruth Mary, Ruth Mary Esther and Sarah. And I was like, I know why they don't have Eve on that shirt. And I started this journey like, let me go look at her life. And the more I studied her, the more I saw her. And I felt like every woman could connect with the first woman in some way.

If you're not a Eve, then maybe you know an Eve, someone who knows better but didn't do better. And if you aren't Eve in some way, can you please teach the rest of us? Cause we out here struggling. And so I took a step of faith and I said, I'm gonna host this event and we're gonna see what happens. And I'm gonna start a podcast and we're gonna see what happens. I started all of those things at the

same time. It's one thing to think about starting something, it's another to think about sustaining it. I know a lot more now than I did then and I don't know that I would have done anything differently but I've certainly got a lot of lessons from starting it that way but I say that at the end of the day God gave me something to say and I use what was available to me through my platform, through my skill set to create an environment for it to come out. So if you are feeling the tug of moving into ministry and helping other women then I say start with what you have. Start with what's in your hand right now and the women who are currently connected to you

recognize that ministry takes on many different forms that it doesn't necessarily have to look the way that you see it in order to be effective. Ministry is helping your friend with her project. It is showing up to support her or him. Oh no, it's not my women's ministry, but you know, help the fellas out too. But maybe it is preaching,

maybe it is getting on your Instagram live. Try all that you can to not make it about numbers because that hijacks the efficiency and effectiveness of just wanting to serve one person. And if you're just willing to serve that one, then that's all that matters. And from there, God will do whatever it is God has already ordained to do.

And be obedient to what you sense in the spirit and trust God with the rest. One of the things that I have learned about being in women's ministry is not only are we prefixed with whether or not our past will define us, whether or not we can navigate the shame and uncertainty of having to rebuild our lives after pain and trauma. When we are not consumed with worrying about our past, we are worried about the future, worried about whether or not we can live

up to whatever requirements the future has for us. And I was really struck, even when I was talking to my girls and I was interviewing them for the podcast and I asked them like, what is the thing that I think makes them maybe most nervous about the future? They both were talking about change and transition and ultimately what they may have to surrender in order to become. I wanna play a little bit of our conversation so that you can hear an eight year old

and a 14 year old echo the concerns that many of us have in our 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s. Hey, 20s. Ooh, the scariest thing is like knowing that I'm gonna grow up and I'm going to have changes. What kind of changes? Like, at some point, I'm going to have to give up dolls and give up a bunch of things,

give up my beautiful room and move to another room. It's just me growing up. And that makes you nervous. You're gonna be an amazing human. You already are. And God's always gonna make sure you have everything for every stage. So like even though you give things up,

whatever you give up, God's gonna add back to you in a different way. Maybe? Yeah, so like if you give up dolls, because dolls give you so much joy, like God will be like, oh, I'm so sorry you had to give those dolls up. But what I'm going to give you instead is deeper friendship. So I'm going to help you discover your gifts and talents. Like we never give anything up that God doesn't add back to us.

It just may not be the exact same thing, right? So like when you were a baby, like you gave up your crib, right? But you like your big girl bed, don't you? And okay, when you were a baby, maybe you gave up your bottles and pacifiers. But now you're able to do big girl things like you have sleepovers with your friends and you get to have play dates. Those are things you couldn't do as a baby. So like, no, you don't get to have a bottle and pacifier anymore.

But now you get to do something that you couldn't do because you were able to let that thing go. And if I won't be able to let my little girl doll go? Well, maybe you hang on to a couple. Like I have all my Barbies. Maybe you can still hang on to some. I'll hang on to them. The scariest thing about growing up is growing up. I know that sounds like weird, but me, I'm gonna overthink it, so I'm constantly thinking about my future like, oh my gosh, I have 10 assignments due tomorrow. Do I have time to finish them all tonight by 12 p.m. by the time my screen time goes

off, then my mom gonna hit submit on every single assignment. Not that I have 10 assignments due tomorrow. But, you know, I had to clarify that because I have a lot of missing assignments. But I'm telling my business, y'all. You are, I mean, telling your business. Spilling. And willingly, you know, I'm a teenager,

I go through a lot. But anyways, because me, I'm always constantly thinking about my future. If I'm not thinking about tomorrow, I'm thinking about two weeks from now, where am I gonna be in life. If I'm not thinking about tomorrow, I'm thinking about two weeks from now, where am I gonna be in life? If I'm not thinking about two weeks from now, I'm thinking about four years in the future,

what college am I going to? I'm thinking about, do I wanna get a PhD in psychology or do I wanna be a part of the CSI? I think, like I said, the scariest part about growing up is growing up. Just constantly worrying about the future. I think, like I said, the scariest part about growing up is growing up. Just constantly worrying about the future. Like, am I going to make it into NHS next year?

Is it going to look good on my college grades? Am I going to ace my pre-ACT? Am I going to ace my pre-SAT? Am I going to be ready to take the world thing next year? All right. Thank you. Appreciate that. That's a lot because that tells me what it's like to live in your head with all those things swirling.

What makes you come back to the present moment? Like when you're having, I'm tired, everything's fine. But when you're having these moments where you're all over the place thinking about the future and stuff, what, if anything, brings you back to the present? I think there's certain people,

and then there's also certain playlists. Okay. And then I also think there's God. Because if I'm not thinking about my assignment that's due two weeks from now, I think I need to think about the assignment that's due tomorrow. That's my problem. I'm always procrastinating. I'm like, Oh, I got two weeks until that two weeks turns into it's due tomorrow. I'm always like, I don't know, I'm focusing. But anyways, certain playlists I have my worship playlist. I got my all my other playlists and, you know, what, what would you call

all your other playlists? All my other playlists. I listen, I have like several different genres of music that I listen to. So it's like all my other playlists, my 90s, R&B playlists, my 90s hip hop playlists, Swrap playlists, you know what I'm saying? That you say I know nothing about because I wasn't born in the 90s, but maybe just consider that I was raised right.

You know, there's Evelyn, my best friend. I love her so, so, so, so much. That's my bestie. And then you, Pookie Bear. Pookie, wookie, dookie bear. That's my bestie. And then you, Pookie Bear. Pookie, wookie, bookie bear, that's my bestie. And then there's also Dad. That really revealed to me that we struggle with being present and in the moment.

And so as we bring this special edition of the podcast to a close, I want to challenge you to be present in this moment, to exhale your worry, exhale your fear, to shake shame and anxiety out of your body, and to ask God to ground you in this moment, ground you in today,

that the Holy Spirit would open your eyes to the joy that is buried in this moment, the lessons that await you, the hope that is yet to be found, that you would not straddle only between the past and the future, but that you would plant both feet firmly in this moment. And as you seek to do that, I believe that you are going to learn firsthand what it means to be a tree planted by the rivers of living water. Gone are the days where you are a leaf blowing in the wind of whatever misfortune or excitement has come your way. It's time for us to be planted and so in order for us to plant we have to

surrender and in the process of surrendering we surrender time, path, expectations, relationships and we say God help me to be planted wherever it is you want me to be and to not miss the moment. The moment in which you tell me I see you, I got you, I love you, you're known. I have a plan for you, just trust me. Don't worry about yesterday, don't worry about tomorrow. Trust me right now in this moment with all that you have.

And that's the only way forward. Surrender is not giving up. It is giving in to his will, his way, his dream, his vision, his grace, his anointing, his power showing up in you with strength. So take a moment and give in today and allow yourself to be human. Allow yourself to be a kid.

Allow yourself to be stressed and tired. Allow yourself grace, because we're all trying to figure this thing called life out. But with Jesus, we got the cheat code, the ultimate cheat code. Trust Jesus, trust the spirit. He's not done with you yet. I didn't know. When George Floyd got killed, I started reading a book called The History of the United States. And that's when I saw that Christopher Columbus was just as racist as Hitler.

And I didn't know. Maybe you didn't either. Here we are, season three of I Didn't Know, Maybe You Didn't Neither. Every day in February, starting February 1st, make sure you listen. So I didn't know. maybe you didn't either, on the Black Effect Podcast Network, our hard radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you listen to your podcast. The second season of El Fló is here. Step into the ever-evolving world of Réadón and get up close with both legendary figures

and emerging talents in the industry. Part of the enormous significance of Réadón is really the way in which personal narratives connect to larger things going on historically and socially. Listen to El Fló on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your podcasts. Everyone in our country has a voice. It's something that says not just where you come from, but who you are.

Welcome to NPR's Black Stories, Black Truths, a collection of podcasts and a celebration of the hosts in journalism who've always spoken truth to power. Our voices are as varied, nuanced, and dynamic as the Black experience, and stories should never be about us without us. Find NPR Black Stories, Black Truths on the iHeart Radio app, or wherever you get your podcasts. It's Rachel Leviss, host of the new podcast, Rachel Goes Rogue.

This podcast is about choosing my own path and standing in my power. I have been involved with one of the biggest scandals in reality television history. We're going to get into all of it. The good, the bad, the ugly. I've been keeping secrets for far too long and I just want to come clean. Listen to Rachel goes rogue on the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever actually answer those questions. Anyone can just start screaming about microchips and Jewish space lasers, but it's our mission to remove the bull and get down to what's real. This is the mission implausible on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.