Woman Evolve with Sarah Jakes Roberts - The Power of Ambiguity w/ Dr. Anita Phillips

Episode Date: April 3, 2024

Ladies, how y'all feel? Fellas, y'all alright? SJR says there's great power in emotional awareness, so W.E. begin this episode by dabbling with the feelings wheel. Followed by an intimate conversation... with Trauma Therapist, Life Coach, Minister, and New York Times Bestselling Author of “The Garden Within”, Dr. Anita Phillips! In a moment of vulnerability, SJR asked what God is teaching Dr. Anita as it relates to power, and let's just say that Sis is standing on business by cultivating uncertainty into excitement. The gag is...her testimony is the VERY reason why you should surrender to believing God's narrative for your life. 'Cause if your story ain't authored by Him, then W.E. suggest you snatch the pen back! Our advice question is for those of you living in the overflow, plus the Saints wanna know if the homie Judas deserves to be rescued. To reclaim your power, swing by ThePowerMovesBook.com + ThePowerMovesTour.com to join us this April for the book launch!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Bring a little optimism into your life with The Bright Side, a new kind of daily podcast from Hello Sunshine, hosted by me, Danielle Robay, and me, Simone Boyce. Every weekday, we're bringing you conversations about culture, the latest trends, inspiration, and so much more. I am so excited about this podcast, The Bright Side. You guys are giving people a chance to shine a light on their lives, shine a light on a little advice that they want to share. Listen to The Bright Side on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Open your free iHeart app and search The Bright Side. What's up, everybody? This is Stephen A. Smith,
Starting point is 00:00:33 host of The Stephen A. Smith Show podcast. Tune in every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at the very least as I bring you all new episodes that feature the biggest headlines in the world of sports, pop culture, business, and I answer your phone calls to respond to your tweets. You'll hear my unfiltered opinions in straight shooter interviews with top celebrities and game changers, all that and more.
Starting point is 00:00:51 So listen to the Stephen A. Smith Show podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Jonny B. Goode, the host of the podcast, Creating a Con, the story of Bitcoin. This podcast dives deep into the story of Ray Chappani and his company Centratec. I'll explore how 320-somethings built a company out of lies, deceit, and greed. I've been saying since a very young age that I was going to be a millionaire. If someone's like, oh, what's your best way of making money? I'm like, oh, we should start some sort of scheme.
Starting point is 00:01:23 Listen to Creating a Con, the story of Bitcoin on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine you're a fly on the wall at a dinner between the mafia, the CIA, and the KGB. That's where my new podcast begins. This is Neil Strauss, host of To Live and Die in LA. And I wanted to quickly tell you about an intense new series about a dangerous spy taught to seduce men for their secrets and sometimes their lives. From Tenderfoot TV, this is To Die For. To Die For is available now.
Starting point is 00:01:56 Listen for free on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi there, I'm Bob Pipman, chairman and CEO of iHeart Media. I'm excited to announce a new season of my podcast, Math and Magic, stories from the frontiers of marketing. Our guests this season show us big risk can yield big rewards, like Rob Riley, the creative head of one of the world's leading advertising firms. I try to create environments where anybody can say anything without any judgment. Listen to a brand new season of math and magic on
Starting point is 00:02:28 our very own iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. I am not of the belief that saying yes to God means a life full of nothing but heartbreak and pain. Thank God for Jesus. Are we going to say thank God for Judas? I don't know. I am learning to stand in power in ambiguity. I have the power to affect my perspective on the future that I don't know yet. And I choose to be excited. What's up delegation? It's your girl Sarah Jakes Roberts and I want to know how are you doing? What is going on in your world? Deep sigh. I know I'm asking like I can actually hear but let's just you answer it for yourself. How are you?
Starting point is 00:03:16 Do you need a feelings will? Are you feeling happy and excited? Are you being happy and excited? Are you overwhelmed? Are you nervous? Are you afraid? Are you concerned? I break out my feelings well whenever I'm trying to figure out exactly what it is I'm feeling and you would be surprised how powerful it is to be able to just answer the question for yourself to be able to say, man, I am actually concerned. I'm actually happy.
Starting point is 00:03:46 Sometimes we're so caught up just making our lives work and come together that we miss out on checking in with ourselves, annoyed, jubilant. I've got my feelings well up now. Amused, satisfied, pleased, speechless. Answer the question, how are you doing? I will answer myself. I am recording this on a Saturday,
Starting point is 00:04:08 this Saturday before he got up. He gets up on tomorrow, and I had to sign 3,000 book plates for Power Moves, which made me feel excited. I am coming off of a week of doing some press in Los Angeles, and this was my first time kind of like really being able to hear from some people who have read the book and to talk about the book myself.
Starting point is 00:04:34 What's interesting is that when you write a book, you have a revelation or a story that is so large that it takes 60,000 words to fully put it into language. And then you do the interview and you've got like, you gotta say in about 30 words, 40 words. And so trying to make this revelation bite size was an interesting exercise for me as I get ready to talk more and more about the book. I am feeling happy and nervous as it relates about the book. I am feeling
Starting point is 00:05:08 happy and nervous as it relates to the book. It's kind of like a presentation that you prepare for, that you're sure of, you're studying, and then it's time to release it. It's like now I'm about to release it into the world and we're gonna see what happens. So I'm happy and I'm nervous. Outside of the book, I am probably deeply just reflective right now. Lots going on in my world. And as a matter of fact, when I finished this podcast, I am shutting it down and going to have some worship time, but I wanted to plug in with you first. So I say all of that to say that I hope this finds you well.
Starting point is 00:05:45 It is April. It is officially April when you're listening to this podcast. And April for WOM and EVOLVE is when we begin talking about surrendering to God's narrative. Surrendering to God's narrative is not easy business. At the end of the day, there's our narrative. Well, actually, I wouldn't even say there's our narrative. To navigate life is to recognize that there are many different storytellers attempting to take center stage of our world, our shame, our fear, our parents' expectations, our grandparents'
Starting point is 00:06:22 expectations, statistics, all of these different roadmaps laid out before us attempting to be what is our guiding light. And yet to engage in one the journey of saying, I am seeking God's narrative is something that is not always easy. One, because most of those other narratives get to us before God's narrative, right? Your parents have an idea of what your life is not always easy. One, because most of those other narratives get to us before God's narrative, right? Your parents have an idea of what your life is gonna be. Your friends have an idea of who you are, your siblings.
Starting point is 00:06:52 We have all of these different narratives and it is not until we get to a place where we're like, you know what, I have been living up to everyone else's narrative, everyone else's idea, shame's idea, fear's idea, and I finally want to know God's narrative for my life. All of this changed for me when I began pursuing God's narrative, when I recognized that shame was writing my story.
Starting point is 00:07:16 I realized one day that every decision that I had made had been rooted in me no longer wanting to feel shame or me trying to recover from shame. And I wanted the pen back. I wanted to take the pen back from my life. And so I started seeking God because I wanted the pen back, but I didn't know what to write. And so I took the pen back by one, just, oh man, I'm just thinking that there's a scripture about writing God's tablets
Starting point is 00:07:46 on our hearts. Let me pull up the scripture while I'm talking. But I want to pull it up. Can you hear me clicking? Todd Delaney has an amazing song, but it says, do not let truth and mercy leave you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart, then you will find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and people.
Starting point is 00:08:10 And then we know this scripture, at least if you have been raised around church, you know it. If not, I'm about to introduce you to a scripture that will become a staple for you. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will make your paths straight." So when I started seeking God's narrative for my life, I had to lean into what was already ahead of me. And a lot of that was in scripture, this idea of you're fearfully and wonderfully made,
Starting point is 00:08:41 that God is a forgiving God, that grace and mercy is no respective person and it can meet you right where you are, that nothing can separate you from the love of God. Those are the stories that I wanted to believe but shame had convinced me that it didn't exist and so faith was asking myself if I trust that this narrative applies to me too, what choices would I make, who would I become? Who would I become? What would I believe? And that absolutely changed my life.
Starting point is 00:09:10 And so I don't know who you are or where you are in your journey, but I want to remind you of Proverbs 3, 3 through 6, which I just read the New English translation to you. Do not let truth and mercy leave you. Truth and mercy, man, be on the run. Truth is not always easy to digest. Sometimes truth is that you did something wrong and you need to smarten up. Sometimes truth is you did something wrong, you need to smarten up, and I want to walk you through it.
Starting point is 00:09:39 That God's been merciful, that many of us did not get the punishments that we deserved. And to live in that consciousness, don't let it leave you. Bind them around your neck. Live every day connected to that truth. Allow your heart to experience that narrative so that your heart can be changed by God's truth and vision for who you are. So that's what you can expect to hear from me about all month long. I am going to be talking about surrendering to God's narrative, how we do it, why we don't
Starting point is 00:10:09 do it, why it gets complicated, but the rewards connected to the end of that. So first of all, I have to get into this week's question. And this week's question is someone who is trying to surrender to God's narrative and it's giving very much so confusion. So let's check it out. Hey, Pastor Sarah. Hey, girl. Hey, so I need you to mind my business just a little bit. Now before I hop into that, I just want to take a moment to say thank you and to give you your
Starting point is 00:10:40 flowers because you are an inspiration. You are shining light. And you have made a tangible difference in my life and you don't even know me, but I know you. So I just want to say thank you. I look forward to listening into the women of all podcasts every single week. Now I probably should introduce myself. Well, my name is Ayana. I am a rising entrepreneur from New Jersey. Now the term entrepreneur is quite new for me because I have a background in corporate America.
Starting point is 00:11:08 I spent my entire career there. I actually am also a recent graduate from a top executive MBA program. And when I entered my program, I had no idea that I was gonna be an entrepreneur, but God had other plans than what I had for my own life. So God honestly has just been stirring things up in my life since 2022.
Starting point is 00:11:26 And what he was doing was really just urging me to step into obedience. And when I finally decided to surrender and I gave God my yes, he started to unfold his plan for my life miraculously. And he's still doing it. But that started around June of last year. He just started revealing where he was leading me and now in 2024, I feel like I'm in overflow mode. Now, I have ideas, thoughts, plans, things are just pouring out of me faster than I can manage them. Now I am meticulously organizing everything. I have business plans, I have spreadsheets, diagrams, marketing plans, pitch decks, PowerPoint. If you think about it, I got it.
Starting point is 00:12:08 My computer is about to shut down. My folders are bursting out the seams. It is exhilarating. It is amazing. But at the same time, it's so overwhelming. And I need a little bit help. Now I know that I'm being led by the Holy Spirit in ways that I've never experienced before. And I don't want to lose this feeling because I asked for it. Now I know that I'm being led by the Holy Spirit in a way that I've never experienced before and I don't want to lose this feeling because I asked for it. Now I have been diligent with seeking God's guidance. I've been immersed in myself in his word, listening to podcasts. I've been reading books. I'm on
Starting point is 00:12:37 my fifth book for the year, which actually is woman evolve. I have been praying and fasting. Despite my efforts to really stay obedient, I seem to still be struggling amidst this creative surge. So my question's for you. Have you ever experienced a similar overflow of ideas? If so, how did you manage to organize them and maintain focus? My final question is,
Starting point is 00:13:03 did you ever find connections between your different ideas? Now that last question, that might just be me because sometimes I like to play connect the dots with God and I know I'm not supposed to. But I am currently grappling with mapping out my plans and really, I want to avoid the temptation to second guess God's intentions and think that I know what he's thinking. I really truly want to remain obedient and receptive, but I do find it challenging just amidst a sea of ideas that I have. Honestly, it feels like there's like a
Starting point is 00:13:34 million tabs open in my brain. And any guidance or techniques that you can offer would just be greatly appreciated. Now I thank you so much in advance for your time and your wisdom. I wish you a fantastic day and week filled with tremendous blessings. And PS, I just want to say that my sister and I we will be attending Women of All this year and we are so excited. I'm ready to be on fire in that room. And we do have general admission tickets. So if for any reason you decide to drop
Starting point is 00:14:05 more VIP tickets, please let us know because we would love to upgrade. Thank you again, Pastor Sarah. I hope you can take my question. Have an amazing day. Hey, Queen. Thank you so much for sending me this question and taking a minute to just uplift me and pour in my cup. It means more to me than you realize. So often people are like, I know you hear this all the time or you must hear this all the time, but I just want you to know that it really fills my cup when you guys take a minute to show me how God is using my surrender for your benefit. So thank you. To answer your question, yes ma'am, I have definitely been in a situation where God overwhelmed me with
Starting point is 00:14:45 so much vision, so much creativity that I literally did not know where to start. So I have to say that this probably happened to me in 2017. It was wild. So I had started telling my story in 2013 and by my story, I'm talking about my teen pregnancy, going through a divorce and then surrendering to God's narrative for my life. I thought I would just tell my story. People would tell me after that. I did some speaking, and by speaking I mean I preached sermons outside of my story, but I was by no means anybody's preacher girl.
Starting point is 00:15:21 People would tell me, hey, you all need to, you need to have a conference. You should host an event for women. And I was just kind of like, I don't want to do that just because people like my story. Like it feels like there should be more than my story in order for me to start anything. And then I got this revelation about Eve and I was like, oh my gosh, this is the first woman and her story is my story. And then so many people connected to my story. What if we all have the same story?
Starting point is 00:15:46 And what if God's grace is sufficient to me? And I was like, woman evolve. And so literally I launched the podcast, the conference, the store all at the same time. Maybe those three things don't sound like a lot. Maybe they do, but I, it was wild. I built the womanOM and EVOLVE website myself. I went and found a registration system
Starting point is 00:16:10 that would allow me to run the registration myself. I started the social media channel myself and that was literally just for the conference. And then I got like a podcast starter kit and I started the podcast. A lot of people think I started the podcast in my closet. That's not true. I started the podcast in an office space in my house in Denver.
Starting point is 00:16:27 But then when we moved from Denver to LA, I didn't have an office. So I did it in my closet from there. But I mean, bought the microphone, use the logic. I'm using logic right now, even as I recorded this like and I send it to my brother, my brother mixed it. I got the platform to like it. I started it on myself, the store, I got my wholesale license.
Starting point is 00:16:46 I started buying wholesale stuff online. I got Shopify, I built the shop, like all of this at the same time. So mama, I know exactly what it feels like to be in a situation where you are starting or it feel like you have a lot of creativity. What I know now that I didn't know then is that I should have really tried to master
Starting point is 00:17:07 one thing before adding another thing. Even in a new initiative now, one of the things that I'm understanding is like the thing that is the most successful for any of us is the thing that we are willing to commit a lot of time, resources, and just, I mean time too. You have to be willing to put in the time for anything to pop off. It is very difficult to launch several businesses and initiatives all at the same time without one of them suffering. Conference did very well.
Starting point is 00:17:40 The store did okay, but I realized that I like clothes, but I don't necessarily like the business part of the clothing side of things. And so the store doesn't really exist, but we still do merch connected with our events. So I think I really learned that at the end of the day, I really liked merch. I really enjoy the podcast. I like listening to podcasts and I like creating the podcast. I was doing it on Facebook. You did not ask
Starting point is 00:18:05 for my history. I was doing it on Facebook Live, but I had to transition, but I still I enjoyed the touch point of it. And so I've had to find a way to modify it to be more realistic with the way that my life has changed. So these are all things that I learned by launching everything at the same time. What I would say to you is to write a vision for each and every last one of the things that God has given you. I am torn between telling you to start off with the easiest thing or starting off with the hardest thing. And so I'm going to leave this up to you, but I will say that if you start with the
Starting point is 00:18:37 easiest thing that you get your confidence going in the direction of whatever God has for you, you begin to understand the nuances, the complications, and it's just low-hanging fruit, and so it's easy for you to start feeling more sure-footed as you move into the direction of other things. On the contrary, if you start with the hardest thing, which for me was probably confidence. Confidence was the hardest thing.
Starting point is 00:19:00 I had never had to manage that much money before. I had created a separate entity, the tax implications like that was the biggest undertaking for me. But what was beautiful about that is it was such a large net that it allowed me to see how all of the other ideas could fit within it. And so if I would have just started with the conference, like, I probably would have been more intentional about like using the podcast to market the conference, having guests for the conference, like helping people to be excited about the content towards the conference, but I was doing it all at the same time. So I didn't have really good strategy.
Starting point is 00:19:36 And so I will leave it up to you which one you start first. But yes, there has been so much synergy and all of the things that God has given me. So, Women Evolve has a book club, we have a subscription on demand channel for content that help women evolve spiritually, practically, physically, like there's literally everything on there from stretching, budgeting, sermons, girl talk conversations, cookbooks, like everything is on there. So the subscription on demand, the podcast, the book club, we have our social media channel.
Starting point is 00:20:11 Obviously, we're doing conferences and events. And I've done one course. I'm still learning the course world and how that works and what's the best way to engage with people for the course. We have the WOMENVolf app which is a space where women can connect and we've got ambassadors on there now and we're becoming more intentional about how we're putting content on the WomanyVolf app. And so all of these tentacles exist and they could be standalone on their own but there is a flow and so even the books that we put for the pick for the book club very much so align with the
Starting point is 00:20:44 themes that we have for our devotional. Our weekly devotional goes out on womanyvolve.com slash connect if you want to sign up for that. And so there's synergy for everything. So I will let you decide how to do it. But most important is that you get started. It doesn't matter what you start with. Just get started so that you can start getting the bumps, the bruises, the lessons and the confidence connected in the direction of what God has for you.
Starting point is 00:21:08 That was a long answer. I hope it helps you evolve. Bring a little optimism into your life with The Bright Side, a new kind of daily podcast from Hello Sunshine, hosted by me, Danielle Robay. And me, Simone Boyce. Every weekday, we're bringing you conversations about culture, the latest trends, inspiration, and so much more.
Starting point is 00:21:32 Thank you for taking the light and you're gonna shine it all over the world and it makes me really happy. I never imagined that I would get the chance to carry this honor and help be a part of this legacy. Listen to The Bright Side on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Open your free iHeart app and search the Bright Side.
Starting point is 00:21:49 What's up everybody? This is Stephen A. Smith. When I'm not at my day job, first tape. You can find me in my studio hosting the Stephen A. Smith Show podcast. Tune in every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the very least, as I bring you all new episodes that feature the biggest headlines
Starting point is 00:22:08 in the world of sports, pop culture, business, and politics. You'll hear my unfiltered opinions on those nauseating cowboy fans, the chaos in Washington DC, and trending topics on social media, as well as my straight shooter interviews with top celebrities and game changers and I occasionally give out love advice yes it's true if you want to know my true feelings about something I'll give it to you straight so listen to the Stephen A Smith Smith Show podcast, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
Starting point is 00:22:49 My name is Johnny B. Goode, and I'm the host of the new podcast, Creating a Con, the story of VidCon. Over this nine part series, I'll explore the life and crimes of my best friend, Ray Trapani. I always wanted to be a criminal. If someone's like, oh, what's your best way of making money?
Starting point is 00:23:05 I'm like, oh, we should start some sort of scheme. You see, Ray has this unique ability to find loopholes and exploit them. They collected $30 million. There were headlines about it. His company, Sentra Tech, was one of the hottest crypto startups in 2017. It was going to change the world until it didn't.
Starting point is 00:23:25 I came into my office, opened my email, and the subject heading was FBI request. It was only a matter of time before the truth came out. You can only fake it till you make it for so long before they find out that your Harvard degree is not so crimson. How could you sit there and do something that you know will objectively cause more harm in the world?
Starting point is 00:23:50 Listen to Creating a Con, the story of Bitcoin on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is Neil Strauss, host of the Tenderfoot TV True Crime Podcast, To Live and Die in LA. I'm here to tell you about the new podcast I've been undercover investigating for the last year and a half. It's called To Die For. Here's a clip.
Starting point is 00:24:15 All these girls were sent out into the world and they were told, try to meet important men, try to attach yourself to important men. The voice you're hearing is a Russian model agent telling me about spies sent out to seduce men with political power. The war in Ukraine is also being fought by all these girls that are all over important cities. For the first time, a military-trained seduction spy reveals how the Russian government turned sex and love into a deadly weapon.
Starting point is 00:24:49 If you want to kill your target, it's easy. You just seduce him, take him somewhere, start having sex, and then he's very vulnerable, so you can kill him easily. To Die For is available now. Listen for free on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm John O'Brien, host of Money and Wealth on the Black Effect Podcast Network.
Starting point is 00:25:16 I'm an entrepreneur and a businessman. Some would call a thought leader. Now, every Thursday, my newest venture is educating you on how to win financially. Even better, I'm going to teach it in a way that, well, you can understand. No unexplained theories, no mundane lessons, no using 20 words when two will do. I'm going to meet you where you are and take you where you need to be. I'm giving you straight talk, relatable stories, and life lessons through my own experiences and the lens of others.
Starting point is 00:25:46 We're not just talking about why financial freedom is important. We're focusing on how you can achieve it too. We all might have different starting points and end goals, but as long as we have the desire to acquire financial freedom, it can be done from the streets to the suites. Listen to Money and Wealth with John Hope Bryant every Thursday on the Black Effect Podcast Network, iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So many of you know that Dr. Anita Phillips and I
Starting point is 00:26:19 are a bit of a power duo. I'm going to own it. We're a bit of a power duo. I'm going to own it. We're a bit of a power duo. I have toured with her. We've gone from city to city combining our gifts and our talents with the hopes that women will have encounters with God that allows them to confront their trauma, experience His grace, and be released into their destiny with courage and the fullness of their potential within reach.
Starting point is 00:26:46 It's one of the things that I absolutely love the most. And I have to tell you, I experienced the gift of Dr. Anita Phillips before I experienced the friendship of Dr. Anita Phillips. We were on tour and we knew something special was happening in those rooms that felt very much so like, God, it really brought us together to serve this generation of women, but we weren't super close. And then there was one night at the end of tour, she texted me to check on me.
Starting point is 00:27:12 And, you know, it cost me a lot to show up in strength, to be spiritually strong when sometimes I'm navigating my own fears and insecurities. And I was having a particularly hard evening and I think that she sensed it and she texted me to check on me and I just kind of told her, you know, I just feel like a girl.
Starting point is 00:27:39 Like I just feel like a girl out here, trusting and believing that God's going to show up, but just feeling so insecure and inadequate in my own strength. And that moment of vulnerability was the beginning of what has become such a beautiful friendship. And we have had to walk one another through many moments of God's narrative becoming more clear and our agreement or fears of that narrative having to be wrestled within the context of friendship. I was able to sit down and have a conversation with her on her podcast last week. And I hope you all check it out.
Starting point is 00:28:22 I think it's out now. Her podcast is in the light and it is one that is sure to just help you continue to push back darkness in your world. But during our conversation, she took the time to be vulnerable, not just in the context of our friendship, but also with our listeners. She shared that she's recently gone through a transition that she didn't see coming. And she shares with us how she is learning to navigate that transition. And while she goes more in depth on her podcast, there was a moment in our conversation that
Starting point is 00:28:56 I wanted to share with you. I asked her a question about what God is teaching her as it relates to power. And I want you to hear her answers. I believe it's really going to bless you. What area of your life right now is God teaching you the most about power? Woo! That is so good. I think the area he's teaching me most about power and has to do with
Starting point is 00:29:27 what I don't know about the future. What I don't know about the future. Like I felt like I made a bunch of power moves, right? So when I got to the place where I accepted the reality, my marriage is ending. You know, you stand in faith on a thing, you're not sure which way God's doing, you wanna be open to God and realizing it was ending. And it was very hard for me and it was hard for him. It was hard for both of us. Nobody wants that.
Starting point is 00:29:56 I started moving. I'm like, okay, God, I trust you. Opening doors, I moved to a new state. I'm living dreams in so many ways, but there's a future that feels more unsure than it did before. And so I am learning to stand in power in ambiguity. I don't know if that's the right answer,
Starting point is 00:30:21 if that's the good answer, if that's the answer to the question. But power in the face of ambiguity, sometimes being okay with not knowing. And it's becoming a space where I'm learning to cultivate excitement. Instead of just saying like, okay, I'm looking in this area
Starting point is 00:30:43 and I don't know how this is gonna work out. I don't know what'll be going on in this area a year from now, two years from now. Instead of being like, okay, God, I'm gonna trust you until I know. I'm just like, I have the power to affect how I see this. And I am choosing to be excited instead of quietly waiting, quietly anticipating,
Starting point is 00:31:08 which is right on the border of anxiety. And so I'm choosing. Depending on the day. Depending on the day. And so I have the power to be excited about what I don't know is coming. And that has been, yeah, that's the area that I think I'm working in the most,
Starting point is 00:31:27 is recognizing that instead of enduring that uncomfortable feeling of ambiguity, I can actually cultivate excitement in that space because God has, His track record is impeccable. I mean, God has never dropped the ball. He has never failed at all. So if I'm really going to be this earthen vessel and the excellency of the power is him and not me, and I'm tapping into the power, he's been in the path. He has blown me away every single time.
Starting point is 00:31:55 And so I'm leaning into that space. I have the power to transform anxiety into excitement. That's Lord, I see what you're doing for others because at this point. But it's true. Like I swear I'm not giving y'all like some Christian foolishness. Like that is that is where I'm at. When I feel that shaky thing inside my body, that anxiety thing, that's like I've been satisfied in the past with being like God, I'm trusting you in this space.
Starting point is 00:32:23 I'm trusting you in this space even though I feel you in this space, even though I feel like this, but I have enough experience with God. I have enough testimonies. Don't stop with the gratitude list, just being a list. You know, we try to get to that, things I'm grateful for. But things I'm grateful for, like when I look back, I'm sorry, when I look back, I think there's a song.
Starting point is 00:32:47 I didn't think that I would think. Yeah, that's it. He's an on-time God. If I know he is always on time, I can cry, I can grieve, I can release those painful emotions, but then my very next move is I am cultivating excitement.
Starting point is 00:33:06 He has never, ever failed me. And this is my opportunity as a mature Christian, I'm not a baby in this thing, to stand up and say, I'm choosing excitement because God's idea is always better than mine. And that gives me power. I have the power to affect my perspective on the future that I don't know yet. And I choose to be excited. I'm going to quite literally remind you that you are excited about a future. Yeah, I'm gonna remind you too. I'm gonna remind you to be excited.
Starting point is 00:33:44 You're gonna have to because I'm gonna remind you too. I'm gonna remind you to be excited. You're gonna have to, because I'm not excited at all. I'm like, you had me, a standing power of ambiguity. I'm like, yes, I can do that. You said with excitement, I said she lost me, excuse me. You're serving. That's the flow.
Starting point is 00:33:56 I think there's a spot in your book where you say that the breakthrough comes after the breakdown. The ambiguity in my relationship with that, that'd be feeling like breakdown. But the breakthrough is I can stay here until I get a butterfly about what God might do. I mean, I will let me tell you, that makes me sick to my stomach.
Starting point is 00:34:22 Let me tell you, I think that if I were doing in almost any other area of my life, I can accept that. But when it comes to specifically being out of control as it relates to leadership in Dallas and increase of scrutiny and more consistent speaking. People used to, someone commented on my page, like, when are you coming to our city? Because I used to just travel and speak, which is very much so. I say yes when I want to, I say no when I want to.
Starting point is 00:34:57 But there is more of an expectation when you're a part of a leadership team that you're going to speak more frequently, which all I hear is more pressure, more nerves, more anxiety. And I can stand in the ambiguity of the unknown. Like, do I even have the stamina for this spiritually? Do I have the stamina physically? Do I have the stamina for this? And do I want to have this? Do I want to?
Starting point is 00:35:22 Do I want to? I want to as major. The one to as before. Do I want to? The want to is major. The want to is major. And then, but I can get to a point where I can stand in the power of the ambiguity. I'll take this as it comes. Each give me this day of my daily bread. I can do that.
Starting point is 00:35:37 I can do that with my whole chest. But I don't know if I can do it with excitement. I'm going to start. I'm picking on you about it. I'm going to pick on you about it because my Bible promises me a hope that will not make me ashamed. Like he promised and either he's all who he says he is or he ain't none of it. And we've already put so much on the line, child.
Starting point is 00:36:07 We have already gambled so much on him being who he said he is. We might as well go all in, you know. I guess, okay, so let me take you, and this is what we're going to do, this is what we're going to do with this episode at this point. If this episode is too long for in the light, I'm going to take whatever is left, I'm going to move it over to the Womly Volv podcast. And that's just going to be how we do that. That's how we're going to do it.
Starting point is 00:36:30 My problem is like, I don't feel like I know what to hope for in this scenario. Because I don't want to be the person that's hoping for the church to grow and for people to come. Not to say that I hope people don't come to church, but it just feels like I don't want to fall into this pressure of trying to be popular. I just want to be effective no matter what the numbers are. And so I think my hope has to be in staying open to being a channel and a vessel
Starting point is 00:37:08 and being excited, I guess, about who people have the ability to become as a result of that. I guess that's my hard thing is like, I don't, I think, especially with, you know, mega church mentalities. And I think the way that they have shown up in the world in the way that they have been perceived, to me, and then the succession of being TDJ's daughter, it's just like, I don't want to be hoping that I can feel his shoes or I can feel this room. So I don't know how to hope in my assignment there.
Starting point is 00:37:46 So many thoughts are running through my mind right now. One is that one of the ways that hope starts to get away from us is we equate hope with being able to imagine an outcome. Like you said, I don't want to think about it as the church growing, because that would be like a box. So it goes back to what we were talking about at the beginning about what it meant to make power moves.
Starting point is 00:38:13 You were checking the boxes as a wife, dinners on the table at six o'clock. I'm saying yes whenever the request is there. Like we have a checklist of what success would look like, what it would look like to say that this went well. And once we can imagine that, then we have hope for that. And I've said this before, I don't want you to have hope for a thing,
Starting point is 00:38:31 I want you to have hope in God. Because when we have hope in God, we don't get anchored to what it will look like when it happens as an indicator that it happened. Because we do wanna know, how will I know when I'm there? Baby, you'll know when you're there when you get there, when you get there, you'll know. We have to allow it to not look like what we thought,
Starting point is 00:38:50 but also still have hope that God's idea is really good. It's sticky, I know it's sticky, I know it's sticky. And also leaning into the people that God puts in your life and trust, I think that God gives us friendships like this sometimes because we need to trust something we can see. Yeah. We do trust God, but we can't see God. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:39:13 We do trust God. Right, right. You know what I mean? You need that person that knows you and loves you and who you trust not to blow smoke, that's standing there saying, you are called to this. You are crafted for this and you will walk it out well. And I'm not saying that generally, I'm talking to you, Sarah.
Starting point is 00:39:34 I felt like that was happening. You know that you are this and that we are standing in this moment that has never been seen before. A moment when the daughters of God are doing a thing. The daughters of God are speaking, rising up, leading, prophesying. The daughters of God are doing something that hasn't been seen before. And so we have no way to know what it will look like. But I am constantly renewed in my hope because I'm connected to you and
Starting point is 00:40:06 you're connected to me and God is using us as daughters to show other daughters that he's doing something new. We don't know what it looks like, but it's going to look like leadership that we haven't seen before. It's going to look like power that we haven't seen before. And we don't know what it's gonna be but we're not alone in waiting. We wait together. You know the gag of it all is... Is it the gag like haha or like oop the gag? Both.
Starting point is 00:40:37 Los dos. The gag of it all is I am completely comfortable with everything you just said in spaces where I am with other women. But I do think the real test of the leadership and the advancement of the kingdom is when it is in spaces that are co-ed, and in these spaces where we can have collaboration, I think we get closer to what God intended in Genesis 1, man and woman made in his image, man and woman having dominion. And so I think it's one thing for it to be tested separately, but I think part of even preparing the way is like what happens when we collaborate in our gifts, our talents,
Starting point is 00:41:18 our anointing and create spaces where we're having honor and value in that collaboration. I personally just don't, and this is such trash because I just preached on the front lines at Hey You in March, but I personally would like someone else to get somebody else to do it, but I'm not the only one on the front lines. We're in it together. We are. And there are men and women on the front lines
Starting point is 00:41:44 and forward we march. But I think this is a part of that in that men having dominion has always been the standard. And so as women do it together, it's raising our confidence in it. But as men see what God is doing, it is raising their comfort level. Should they allow God to work in them
Starting point is 00:42:04 to bring it to the place where we are together. But women haven't had the experiences, the examples, the spaces. And so as we're walking in that, I feel like God is doing something in women, amending us and men are seeing what God is doing. He's given us undeniable revelation, all of the things. So I think that what feels like women's empowerment, it isn't separate. It is necessary to stepping
Starting point is 00:42:31 into that place of we have dominion. We have dominion. And as women, we are allowed to stand in that with them. So yeah, I think he's doing something special and repairing and strengthening us to stand in that. And I like being your partner in it. And I know you're going to fuss all the way. You know what I'm saying? I know you're going to fuss all the way. I know you're going to fuss all the way.
Starting point is 00:42:56 I know you're going to fuss all the way. I know you're going to fuss all the way. I know you're going to fuss all the way. I know you're going to fuss all the way. I know you're going to fuss all the way. I know you're going to fuss all the way. And I love that part of that is just rooted in the humility that you have. Because not many people have the kind of humility that would sustain them to remain humble with the platform and the opportunities and the praise that you receive.
Starting point is 00:43:16 But thank you for allowing me to have your back. Thank you for allowing me to cheer you on. Thanks for receiving it when I tell you that I know what you're called to do, that I see you. And thank you for that because I'm honored by it. I do receive it. I trust you. I love you.
Starting point is 00:43:38 All right. Yeah, you're right. Not average. Bring a little optimism into your life with The Bright Side, a new kind of daily podcast Thank you for taking the light and you're going to shine it all over the world. And it makes me really happy. I never imagined that I would get the chance to carry this honor and help you a part of this legacy. Listen to the bright side on America's number one podcast network. I heart open your free I heart app and search the bright side. What's up everybody. This is Stephen A Smith. When I'm not at my day job first tape,
Starting point is 00:44:22 you can find me in my studio hosting the Stephen A. Smith Show podcast. Tune in every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the very least as I bring you all new episodes that feature the biggest headlines in the world of sports, pop culture, business and politics. You'll hear my unfiltered opinions on those nauseating cowboy fans, the chaos in Washington, D.C., and trending topics on social media, as well as my straight shooter interviews with top celebrities and game changers. And I occasionally give out love advice. Yes, it's true.
Starting point is 00:45:01 If you want to know my true feelings about something, I'll give it to you straight. So listen to the Stephen A. Smith Show podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. My name is Johnny B. Goode, and I'm the host of the new podcast, Creating a Con, the Story of VidCon. Over this nine-part series,
Starting point is 00:45:24 I'll explore the life and crimes of my best friend, Ray Trapani. I always wanted to be a criminal. If someone's like, oh, what's your best way of making money? I'm like, oh, we should start some sort of scheme. You see, Ray has this unique ability to find loopholes and exploit them.
Starting point is 00:45:40 They collected $30 million. There were headlines about it. His company, Centratec, was one of the hottest crypto startups in 2017. It was going to change the world, until it didn't. I came into my office, opened my email, and the subject heading was FBI request. It was only a matter of time before the truth came out. You can only fake it till you make it for so long before they find out that your Harvard degree
Starting point is 00:46:07 is not so crimson. How could you sit there and do something that you know will objectively cause more harm in the world? Listen to Creating a Con, the story of Bitcoin, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is Neil Strauss, host of the Tenderfoot TV True Crime podcast, To Live and Die in LA. I'm here to tell you about the new podcast I've been undercover investigating for the
Starting point is 00:46:38 last year and a half. It's called To Die For. Here's a clip. All these girls were sent out into the world and they were told, try to meet important men, try to attach yourself to important men. The voice you're hearing is a Russian model agent telling me about spies sent out to seduce men with political power. The war in Ukraine is also being fought by all these girls that are all over important cities. For the first time, a military-trained seduction spy reveals how the Russian government turned sex and love into a deadly weapon. If you want to kill your target, it's easy. You just seduce him, take him somewhere, start having sex, and then he's very vulnerable so you can kill him easily.
Starting point is 00:47:29 To Die For is available now. Listen for free on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm John O'Brien, host of Money and Wealth on the Black Effect Podcast Network. I'm an entrepreneur and a businessman. Some would call a thought leader. Now, every Thursday, my newest venture is educating you
Starting point is 00:47:52 on how to win financially. Even better, I'm going to teach it in a way that, well, you can understand. No unexplained theories, no mundane lessons, no using 20 words when two will do. I'm gonna meet you where you are and take you where you need to be. I'm giving you straight talk, relatable stories, and life lessons through my own experiences and the lens of others.
Starting point is 00:48:13 We're not just talking about why financial freedom is important. We're focusing on how you can achieve it too. We all might have different starting points and end goals, but as long as we have the desire to acquire financial freedom It can be done from the streets to the sweets Listen to money and wealth with john hope bryant every thursday on the black effect podcast network I heart radio app apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast Friends your podcast. Friends, how many of us have them? I didn't have any either. Let me tell you something.
Starting point is 00:48:50 My friendship list was smaller than my waistline in 2013. My waistline was itty bitty committee. Do you understand what I'm saying? Tiny poquito. But I am learning that surrendering to God's narrative also includes so many blessings and the blessing of my friendship with Dr. Anita Phillips and Courtney and Jason and Cindy at this stage and age in my life and so many others y'all please don't breathe don't no one text me be like you you forgot about Dre. But what I am saying is that surrendering to God's narrative is not always backbreaking, heartbreaking work. Surrendering to God's narrative also allows for there to be so many opportunities for love and joy and gratitude.
Starting point is 00:49:41 I am not of the belief that saying yes to God means a life full of nothing but heartbreak and gratitude. I am not of the belief that saying yes to God means a life full of nothing but heartbreak and pain. There are good moments too. So when you experience them, make sure that you breathe them in deeply, hang on to them. Certainly suffering is on the way, but God will always, always have the final say. So, yeah, this has been another episode of the WOM and EVOLVE podcast. Do you guys enjoy this as much as I do? One thing I do want to say is somebody send me a rescue. Oh, okay, wait, are y'all gone?
Starting point is 00:50:17 Are you still here? Hello, is the mic going? Send me your mind your business questions to podcastatwomanevolve.com. Your mind your business questions to podcast at WOM and evolve.com your mind your business questions or when you want my advice or my perspective on something. But also you can send me a rescue if you're not hip to what WOM and evolve is and what we're even talking about. Welcome to the club.
Starting point is 00:50:37 We don't know what we're talking about either, but you can send me your rescue. Rescue is when you see somebody out in the world and you want to believe they know better, but they are certainly not doing better. And it's our way of saying, you know what, can we show them grace? Can we see them the way that God sees them and rescue them in our perspective of who they are, rescue them from judgment, rescue them from ridicule and criticism. And it could be your story. It could be another person's story. It could be your siblings. It could be something literally in the headlines. I think when we first started this, we had a lady who returned a Christmas tree to Costco after having it for like six months.
Starting point is 00:51:14 Raggedy perhaps or wise wisdom, we don't know. But I did get someone who's trying to do a rescue. So this came on my DMs and it says, Hi, are you still doing the series? Who should we rescue? I've always loved how you rescued Eve. If so, I have an interesting take on rescuing Judas. If it has not been covered yet, Matthew 27, one through five, Judas never intended to betray Jesus to his death.
Starting point is 00:51:37 He intended to betray him, but did not intend for him to die. Judas was remorseful when he saw how far they took it. He didn't know at the time that his evil intentions would be used to use for the ultimate plan of salvation. Sometimes we need to rescue our betrayers because if it wasn't for them, we wouldn't have the the but God testimonies that we have today. Libby, my girl, you've brought up an interesting point. There is a book, you know, the 66 books of the Bible have been canonized, but there is a book of Judas that was not included in the canon, I guess, for whatever the stipulations were in getting the 66 finalized.
Starting point is 00:52:17 This one did not pass the test, but in it, it basically says that he was being used by God to fulfill the mission of ultimately getting Jesus to the cross. I haven't read it, but I read that that exists somewhere. So don't, if I got the facts wrong, just make me a printer. Huh? Anyways, it's an interesting take. You know, at the end of the day, the whole point of rescue Eve is not to be like, nah, we not
Starting point is 00:52:47 giving him a pass because if we think about the moments in our lives, it's so easy to talk about the people who betrayed us, but can we talk about the moments that we've betrayed God, we've betrayed ourselves, we have betrayed other people, and we didn't realize just how ruthless the betrayal was until we got caught or until we had to deal with the ramifications of our actions and consequences. And for that reason alone, we ought to be able to rescue him. My Lord and Savior, thank God for Jesus. Are we going to say thank God for Judas? I don't know.
Starting point is 00:53:27 I don't know. Didn't feel right coming out my lips, but it's something to wait. Y'all pray about it. Let me know what you think. I love you all tremendously, immensely. This podcast makes me feel like we are actually spending time with one another. I hope that I'm going to see you. I am going on tour.
Starting point is 00:53:42 I am going to be in Sugarland, Texas, which is right outside of Houston. I'm going to be in Chicago. I'm going to be in Brooklyn. I'm going to be in Atlanta, the DMV and Los Angeles. You can visit SarahJakesRoberts.com to get all of the information. This is for the Power Moves Tour. It's going to be an interactive experience where we come together and we confront what is trying to overpower God's power from working in our
Starting point is 00:54:05 lives. And I believe you're going to leave out of that place set free on fire and ready to become a force. I am surrendering, constantly praying and seeking God so that I am positioned to guide you in whatever way that God sees fit. So I hope to see you there. Holy Spirit. Thank you for being our writing coach in the midst of us seeking God's narrative. Thank you for challenging us when we want to make a choice that would be against God's
Starting point is 00:54:35 narrative, for affirming us and giving us peace when we move in the direction of God's narrative. I pray right now that every person listening will first receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior coming off the heels of Easter and even talking about Jesus and Judas, God. One thing is very clear is that without Jesus we would not have a model. Without Jesus we would not have an example. Without Jesus our sin would keep us from experiencing reconciliation with you. And so God, I thank you for Jesus who also allowed us access to the Holy Spirit that can dwell within us.
Starting point is 00:55:15 I pray, God, that you would feel each and every listener with the Holy Spirit in a way that completely overwhelms them, that fills them with love and peace and gratitude and that they would come to know the Holy Spirit in a way that helps them to understand what choices they need to make, what things they need to change, and who they need to become in order to walk out your narrative for their life. Bless my friends, God bless their week until until we meet again in Jesus' name, amen. Bring a little optimism into your life with The Bright Side,
Starting point is 00:55:58 a new kind of daily podcast from Hello Sunshine, hosted by me, Danielle Robay. And me, Simone Boyce. Every weekday, we're bringing you conversations about culture, the latest trends, inspiration, and so much more. I am so excited about this podcast, The Bright Side. You guys are giving people a chance to shine a light on their lives,
Starting point is 00:56:16 shine a light on a little advice that they want to share. Listen to The Bright Side on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Open your free iHeart app and search the bright side. What's up everybody, this is Stephen A. Smith, host of the Stephen A. Smith Show podcast. Tune in every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at the very least as I bring you all new episodes
Starting point is 00:56:35 that feature the biggest headlines in the world of sports, pop culture, business, and I answer your phone calls and respond to your tweets. You'll hear my unfiltered opinions and straight shooter interviews with top celebrities and game changers, all that and more. So listen to the Stephen A Smith Show podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Jonny B Good, the host of the podcast, Creating a Con, the story of Bitcoin. This podcast dives
Starting point is 00:57:02 deep into the story of Ray Trapani and his company, Centrotech. I'll explore how 320-somethings built a company out of lies, deceit, and greed. I've been saying since a very young age that I was gonna be a millionaire. If someone's like, oh, what's your best way of making money? I'm like, oh, we should start some sort of scheme. Listen to Creating a Con, The Story of Bitcoin
Starting point is 00:57:22 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine you're a fly, the story of Bitcoin on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine you're a fly on the wall at a dinner between the mafia, the CIA, and the KGB. That's where my new podcast begins. This is Neil Strauss, host of To Live and Die in LA. And I wanted to quickly tell you about an intense new series about a dangerous spy taught to Sidhu's men for their secrets and sometimes their lives. From Tenderfoot TV, this is To Die For.
Starting point is 00:57:49 To Die For is available now. Listen for free on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi there. I'm Bob Pipman, chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia. I'm excited to announce a new season of my podcast, Math and Magic, Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing. Our guests this season show us big risk can yield big rewards, like Rob Riley, the creative head of one of the world's leading advertising firms. I try to create environments where anybody can
Starting point is 00:58:19 say anything without any judgment. Listen to a brand new season of Math and Magic on our very own iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

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