Kay Horner: Leading Through Obedience Over Ambition

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Hey friends, welcome to the Her God Story podcast

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where we celebrate the powerful ways God moves

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in the lives of women just like you. I'm your

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host, Jodie Chiricosta, ministry leader with Somebody

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Cares America and international author and fellow

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traveler on this wonderful journey of faith.

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Let me ask you, have you ever felt unsure about

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what God has next for you? Maybe you're in the

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season of waiting or you're facing an open door

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that feels a little intimidating. Whether he's

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calling you to raise a family, launch a business,

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lead in ministry, or simply take the next step

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of obedience, one thing is certain, God equips

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those he calls. Proverbs 3, 5, and 6 reminds

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us to trust in the Lord with all our hearts and

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lean not on our own understanding, in all our

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ways to acknowledge him, and he will direct our

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paths. That promise isn't just for pastors or

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missionaries. It's for everyone willing to walk

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by faith, no matter our role or setting. Sometimes

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the most profound impact comes not from a platform,

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but from quiet faithfulness in a workplace, a

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living room, a classroom, or a community. God

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is writing your story in every season. And the

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path may not always be clear, but his guidance

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is sure. My guest, Kay Horner, knows this kind

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of trust well. She's the executive director of

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the Awakening America Alliance and Helper Connection.

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but her journey has included many different roles,

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from leading a pregnancy center and serving as

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a church associate pastor to managing media ministry

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operations and coordinating national prayer movements.

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She's also authored two books, The Christmas

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Dance and Today's Church, and contributed to

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several more, all while embracing her favorite

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roles as wife to Perry, mom of two, and now a

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proud grandmother. But Kay will be the first

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to tell you she never mapped out her ministry

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path. She simply followed God's leading, said

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yes when he opened doors, and trusted him to

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fill in the gaps when she felt unqualified. Her

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story reminds us that God can use anyone at any

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stage in life when we yield to his call. This

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episode is an edited version of our longer conversation

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with Kay, highlighting key moments in her journey

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in leadership. If you'd like to hear more of

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her powerful story, including how the Holy Spirit

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transformed her life in ministry, be sure to

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check out episode 16 titled, I Was Changed by

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the Power of the Holy Spirit, Kay Horner's Story.

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You won't want to miss it. So whether you're

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at home, at work, in ministry, or in between

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seasons, I pray Kay's story encourages you to

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believe that God sees you, he's guiding you,

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and he's faithful to complete what he has begun

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in you. Let's jump in. Kay, welcome to the podcast.

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Thank you, Jody. It's so great to be with you

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today. Before we jump into your story, give us

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a glimpse of what Awakening America Alliance

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and Helper Connection do. I'm not sure that a

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lot of our listeners have heard of those organizations.

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Well, the Awakening America... Alliance's mission

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is to serve and resource kingdom initiatives

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for a true Christ awakening and missional living.

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That's the vision statement. But when it was

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first formed, the leaders from a broad spectrum

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of the kingdom of God came together and asked

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the question, if we're seeking God for a Christ

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awakening in America, what would it look like?

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And so they identified 10 indicators in the church

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and 10 in the culture. And these are listed on

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our website. So essentially we're really pursuing

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seeing those become a reality. And it's amazing

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how many have since we began in 2007. Give us

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one example of that. For instance, we were praying

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for a restoration of the influence of faith and

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Christ in the media. in arts and entertainment,

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and in 2007, how many Christian movies or faith

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-based movies did you know of? Wow, yeah, not

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many. The Cross and the Switchblade, maybe. And

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now, look at that, how many are being produced

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on a consistent basis. Yeah. Well, that's so

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encouraging. That is so encouraging. I mean,

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God working to bring churches together for His

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purposes, and you play a really important role

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in that. I don't know how important my role is,

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but they did recognize there were four components

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of earlier Great Awakenings, and that was united,

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prevailing prayer. pastor renewal, courageous

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preaching, and revitalized churches that were

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helping to transform their communities. And so

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that's some of the things that we are engaged

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with. Well, the Helper Connection was birthed

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as an initiative of the Awakening America Alliance.

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And we uniquely serve the pastor's wives and

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women in ministry through some of the same initiatives.

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But we host a multi -denominational, multi -generational

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virtual meeting. almost monthly. We have relational

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retreats and e -newsletter and just kind of one

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-on -one encouragement. Kay, you have likened

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your story to that of Christian in the Pilgrim's

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Progress story. What ignited your quest for that

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celestial city? Well, I guess my journey to discovering

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Christ and this quest for the celestial city,

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it really began through the lens of story. Listening

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to Bible stories that my mom would read to me

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and my three brothers each night before bedtime

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I actually still have the Bible story book that

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she used and I've read from it to my children

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and grandchildren Even though the books backbone

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is held together with some warm masking tape

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When you want to know really about what my younger

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years were like, I don't have a real vivid memory

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of that, but I do know that my parents had wonderful

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servant hearts and they were really actively

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engaged in our local church. You probably remember

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when families didn't miss a service. Sunday morning,

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Sunday evening, Wednesday evening, every revival

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service, a gospel singing or district convention.

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I mean, we were there. Little League games or

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all these other activities, they didn't interfere.

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We were going to go to church. Yeah, they took

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second place. But both of my grandmothers were

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very committed Christians. When my dad's mom

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would visit us from Louisiana, She always slept

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in my room because I was the one who had the

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double bed. And early in the morning she would

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sit up on the edge of the bed, turn around, you

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know, put her feet on the floor and pray for

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a little while before she ever went about her

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day. Wow. And later I'd see her sitting in the

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den where she would lay aside her crocheting

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to read the Bible. You just don't forget things

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like that. Exactly. I mean that's such a good

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foundation for You, as you're growing in your

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faith, to know really what to do even. If you

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don't see it modeled, you don't know how to go

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about it unless someone teaches you. Exactly.

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A lot of people grow up in the church, but not

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everybody makes that personal decision to follow

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Christ at a young age. Sometimes it takes many,

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many years and many, many departures along the

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way. But you did. What drew you to Jesus? Much

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like Pilgrim and Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress,

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I accepted evangelists' invitation to journey

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with him and became a Christian around the age

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of eight. I remember you telling me about seeing

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a bunch of young people your age, you know, seven,

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eight -year -olds up at the altar praying together,

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and you were kind of a little bit jealous, and

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that's one of the things that brought you to

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the Lord. Exactly, that's something that made

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a really strong impression on me. We experienced

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those at altar service at church and I would

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join the other children at the altar just crying

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and praying for one another to be saved and baptized

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in the Holy Spirit and it may have initially

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been because I wanted to fit in with the group.

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But it made a huge impact in my life. You know,

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I miss those times, Jody. I miss now that we're

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in an era of programmed or timed church to make

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sure the live stream fits the appropriate schedule.

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Sometimes we limit those opportunities, especially

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for children. Now don't misunderstand me. I think

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we have to continue this new normal because we're

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reaching thousands of people around the globe

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with the gospel. But we can't afford to sacrifice

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seeing people saved, healed, and delivered during

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spontaneous moves of the Spirit in our worship

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services and during our altar services. And we

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called it a service. We called it an altar service.

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Yeah, some of the most profound memories I have

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of a young child. I accepted the Lord when I

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was six and we were in a home fellowship group.

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Now this home fellowship group had a hundred

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plus people in it. It was met in a big house

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and every Thursday night we would get together,

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we would pray, we would sing, we had traveling

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evangelists come through and and minister and

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the children as well as the adults all sat together

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and learned together. But it made an experience,

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you know, I mean, we prayed for healings and

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we saw it. I remember one time we were all at

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this house and we were outside playing kickball

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and the kickball came right at my face. I stuck

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up my thumb, you know, to protect myself and

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it hit my thumb and broke it. I mean, it was

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deformed. It was swelling, black and blue, hurt.

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My mom and dad wanted to rush me to, you know.

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the emergency room there were no patient cares

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at the time and I said no no no we need to pray

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about it so we gathered around and we prayed

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and while we were praying I watched my thumb

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the swelling went down, the black and blue went

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away, my finger went back to normal. It actually

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has just a slight tilt in my thumb so I can always

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remember what God did for me when I was eight

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years old. But I mean, when you see God heal

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you at a young age, when you experience the power

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of God, you never question it again. I mean,

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no matter what's going on in the world, you know,

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hey, God's power is greater. He heals. He sets

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free. He delivers. And when we see that as a

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young child and experience it, it just makes

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a world of difference. Jodi, you know, I had

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a similar experience to that. As an adult, we

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were meeting in a home prayer gathering and one

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of the guys had had a broken arm issue and we

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prayed for him. He felt he was healed. He took

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off the cast and never had any issues. Yeah,

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so you see these things and I believe that the

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Lord wants to do that again. He wants that power

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flowing through his people regardless of you

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know what position they hold because we're all

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part of the body of Christ and he wants to move

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through all of us. And I say God deliver us from

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barren altars and bring back the signs and the

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wonders and the miracles that cause people to

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be hungry. to know this Jesus we serve. So what

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happened? I mean, you came to know the Lord when

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you said you were about eight, and what helped

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you grow in your faith at that young age? I mean,

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you talked about your mom reading the Bible when

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you were growing up, but what other practices

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or experiences did you have that just grounded

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you for all the things to come in your life?

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Well, lest I sound like a Miss Goodie Two Shoes,

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I faced my share of temptations and bad influences

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in school. But around that same time, we had

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a wonderful youth leader who happened to be married

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to our Sunday school teacher. And they spent

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a lot of time not only teaching us and doing

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things with us at church, but relationally connecting

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with us outside of church. My attention sort

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of shifted away from sports and the bad influences

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at school to a really active involvement with

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my church friends and activities and Suddenly

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I found myself wanting to read the Word on my

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own, not just living off the Bible stories Mama

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and Aunt Mottie taught me, but I wanted to know

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Jesus for myself. While the Lord was working

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in your life to draw you closer to Him, Satan

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really came at you with a vengeance during that

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time and he tried to destroy your identity, literally.

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and derail your future, what happened during

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that time? Well, during my middle school years,

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mom began working outside the home. And often

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she worked second shift, which left a gap between

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when we came home from school and when dad got

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in from work. And there were certain people who

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found they could take advantage of a very vulnerable

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situation. And without going into a lot of details,

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unnecessary. Satan really caused some potentially

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dangerous seeds to be sown in my life, seeds

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of lust, manipulation, intimidation. And there

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were other incidents that occurred earlier in

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my life that I vaguely remember, but I chose

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to forget. But Christ had a purpose and a destiny

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for my life that was mightier than the enemy's

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plan for my destruction. And he called me chosen,

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anointed. a called daughter of the Most High

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God. Yeah, you really could have embraced the

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victim identity for the rest of your life after

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some of the abusive situations you experienced,

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but you didn't. There was even a moment during

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your high school years that reoriented you toward

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that new identity that Lord had for you. What

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was that? Well, It was kind of like all of a

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sudden who I'd been in those tween years, those

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troubled times between childhood and teenage.

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My name and my character began to be really changed

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by the power of the Holy Spirit and growing in

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my love for the Word. And God began to cleanse

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and just anoint me in amazing ways because of

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this influence of our youth leader and her husband.

00:14:32.509 --> 00:14:35.190
It's when my life kind of took a turn in a healthier

00:14:35.190 --> 00:14:39.990
direction. I still had a long way to go before

00:14:39.990 --> 00:14:42.509
God could reveal more of His plan for my life,

00:14:43.009 --> 00:14:46.549
but let me elaborate on it just a bit here. One

00:14:46.549 --> 00:14:49.669
Sunday afternoon, several of the youth from our

00:14:49.669 --> 00:14:52.629
church had gone home for lunch with these wonderful

00:14:52.629 --> 00:14:56.269
mentors and we gathered around their piano that

00:14:56.269 --> 00:14:59.950
afternoon and began singing. So what started

00:14:59.950 --> 00:15:03.409
as just fun became serious and we found ourselves

00:15:03.409 --> 00:15:07.370
singing in church that night. And this eventually

00:15:07.370 --> 00:15:10.769
led to singing in other churches and denomination

00:15:10.769 --> 00:15:14.750
state functions, that type thing. And some in

00:15:14.750 --> 00:15:18.649
our group were exceptionally talented, however.

00:15:20.009 --> 00:15:24.590
I was never allowed to sing solos or duets for

00:15:24.590 --> 00:15:28.629
obvious reasons. Yet they often asked me to introduce

00:15:28.629 --> 00:15:32.690
the songs, or the Holy Spirit would just break

00:15:32.690 --> 00:15:36.889
into our worship and move me to share what I

00:15:36.889 --> 00:15:39.830
would now know as maybe a word of knowledge,

00:15:40.009 --> 00:15:44.750
an exhortation, or some type of perception or

00:15:44.750 --> 00:15:48.480
insight. And sometimes you now hear those called

00:15:48.480 --> 00:15:52.460
spoken words and you see them performed real

00:15:52.460 --> 00:15:57.240
dramatically. But I just began to flow in the

00:15:57.240 --> 00:16:00.480
spirit in unique ways. And some of the spiritual

00:16:00.480 --> 00:16:04.379
mothers and fathers in our church began to recognize

00:16:04.379 --> 00:16:07.519
God's anointing on my life and speak words of

00:16:07.519 --> 00:16:10.059
encouragement about his ministry through me.

00:16:10.490 --> 00:16:14.610
So essentially, God's call to active or vocational

00:16:14.610 --> 00:16:17.210
ministry was beginning to be developed in my

00:16:17.210 --> 00:16:20.250
life. And some people describe their call to

00:16:20.250 --> 00:16:23.470
ministry as like a definitive moment or event,

00:16:23.769 --> 00:16:27.149
but I think mine was just more gradual. Well,

00:16:27.230 --> 00:16:30.029
yeah, I mean, you went to Christian Junior College,

00:16:30.169 --> 00:16:32.350
you met your husband, you got married, you started

00:16:32.350 --> 00:16:36.419
a family, all the things that many women... kind

00:16:36.419 --> 00:16:39.480
of expect desire in their life, you became a

00:16:39.480 --> 00:16:42.840
mom. And obviously that was your calling for

00:16:42.840 --> 00:16:45.840
that season. But long before homeschooling was

00:16:45.840 --> 00:16:48.740
even common, you took that road less traveled

00:16:48.740 --> 00:16:51.679
with your kids on top of having them involved

00:16:51.679 --> 00:16:54.139
in church and you actually homeschooled them

00:16:54.139 --> 00:16:56.559
as well. And that was a really big decision.

00:16:57.000 --> 00:16:59.340
Well, homeschooling definitely was not something

00:16:59.340 --> 00:17:03.899
I had planned. I was a PTO mom and volunteer

00:17:03.899 --> 00:17:07.920
around the school. That was enough for me. And

00:17:07.920 --> 00:17:10.480
I was also traveling and ministering in ladies

00:17:10.480 --> 00:17:13.160
retreats by this time. I was involved in church

00:17:13.160 --> 00:17:15.579
leadership roles and volunteering at the local

00:17:15.579 --> 00:17:19.279
pregnancy care center. Yet our daughter began

00:17:19.279 --> 00:17:22.140
to have some struggles in the middle school experience,

00:17:22.359 --> 00:17:25.880
especially when I was traveling. And just a variety

00:17:25.880 --> 00:17:28.779
of situations and circumstances caused us to

00:17:28.779 --> 00:17:32.539
sense that the Lord was calling us to begin teaching

00:17:32.539 --> 00:17:36.119
them at home during the seventh and ninth grades,

00:17:36.420 --> 00:17:39.740
which was a bit opposite for most homeschool

00:17:39.740 --> 00:17:42.160
parents who did it during the elementary grades.

00:17:42.779 --> 00:17:46.140
No more difficult. I recall one summer while

00:17:46.140 --> 00:17:48.319
our children were on a youth mission trip to

00:17:48.319 --> 00:17:51.400
the reservation, I think it was a Navajo reservation

00:17:51.400 --> 00:17:55.819
in Utah, I was praying and asking the Lord if

00:17:55.819 --> 00:18:00.599
he was sure. that we were to continue homeschooling

00:18:00.599 --> 00:18:04.619
that fall. And it was a lot of work and I became

00:18:04.619 --> 00:18:08.279
weary at times. He reminded me of the scripture

00:18:08.279 --> 00:18:10.380
that he had given me at the beginning of this

00:18:10.380 --> 00:18:13.559
journey. And it happened to be in my devotional

00:18:13.559 --> 00:18:17.039
reading for that day. And that's in Proverbs

00:18:17.039 --> 00:18:19.819
9 and 10. It's also in Psalms, which I wasn't

00:18:19.819 --> 00:18:23.339
aware of, that the fear of the Lord is the beginning

00:18:23.339 --> 00:18:27.140
of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy is understanding.

00:18:27.400 --> 00:18:31.319
And I sensed him saying, Kay, what do you really

00:18:31.319 --> 00:18:35.099
want your children to learn? Because, you know,

00:18:35.119 --> 00:18:38.240
if we live with a reverence for God and acknowledge

00:18:38.240 --> 00:18:41.500
of the Lord's sovereignty in our lives, He can

00:18:41.500 --> 00:18:44.740
manage every challenge we ever face. Parents

00:18:44.740 --> 00:18:49.140
today need that word more than ever because of

00:18:49.140 --> 00:18:54.380
all of the garbage that is... seeping into so

00:18:54.380 --> 00:18:56.420
many schools, not every school, and not every

00:18:56.420 --> 00:18:58.819
parent can homeschool, nor does God call every

00:18:58.819 --> 00:19:02.180
parent to homeschool, but sowing that fear of

00:19:02.180 --> 00:19:04.740
the Lord and knowledge of the Holy into your

00:19:04.740 --> 00:19:08.839
children's lives very intentionally is so key

00:19:08.839 --> 00:19:14.420
in establishing them in truth and helping guide

00:19:14.420 --> 00:19:17.980
them away from real problems and struggles in

00:19:17.980 --> 00:19:21.940
their life. None of us or our children are exempt.

00:19:22.460 --> 00:19:25.539
from those struggles. We've seen our children

00:19:25.539 --> 00:19:28.220
go through. Hey, how did you move from being

00:19:28.220 --> 00:19:32.319
a full -time homeschooling mom to leading organizations?

00:19:32.480 --> 00:19:34.420
I mean, you've been in ministry for many years

00:19:34.420 --> 00:19:38.119
now and been a part of leading quite a few organizations.

00:19:38.880 --> 00:19:43.779
Did you plan and carefully strategize a career

00:19:43.779 --> 00:19:47.059
path or just how did you move from mom to ministry

00:19:47.059 --> 00:19:51.660
leader? I wish I was that structured and organized

00:19:51.660 --> 00:19:56.799
with my life plan. But Jody, I can honestly say

00:19:56.799 --> 00:20:02.200
I never submitted my resume or applied for a

00:20:02.200 --> 00:20:05.279
single ministry position without first being

00:20:05.279 --> 00:20:10.140
asked to serve. Really? I began in a volunteer

00:20:10.140 --> 00:20:12.380
position at the Pregnancy Care Center. Of course,

00:20:12.460 --> 00:20:14.539
that was because someone had come to our church

00:20:14.539 --> 00:20:19.220
and asked for people to volunteer. And from that

00:20:19.220 --> 00:20:22.420
point, they asked me to become like the office

00:20:22.420 --> 00:20:25.279
manager and eventually I served as the executive

00:20:25.279 --> 00:20:29.240
director of that nonprofit for six years before

00:20:29.240 --> 00:20:33.200
God dramatically changed the course of my ministry

00:20:33.200 --> 00:20:36.700
journey. There was no strategizing or putting

00:20:36.700 --> 00:20:39.799
your name forward or trying to network your way

00:20:39.799 --> 00:20:42.779
into a position. It was just serving the Lord,

00:20:42.819 --> 00:20:48.089
being obedient to His call. Oh, you said it exactly

00:20:48.089 --> 00:20:51.750
right. I just wanted to serve wherever he put

00:20:51.750 --> 00:20:57.589
me. And you've read my bio. It's amazing to see

00:20:57.589 --> 00:21:01.690
the doors he's opened for a little girl. who

00:21:01.690 --> 00:21:04.390
grew up in a family in Horn Lake, Mississippi

00:21:04.390 --> 00:21:09.869
near Bullfrog Corner. And I've been able to minister

00:21:09.869 --> 00:21:13.349
in multiple states and numerous countries outside

00:21:13.349 --> 00:21:18.690
the U .S. I can't explain it. It had to be God.

00:21:18.750 --> 00:21:22.750
And I think sometimes when we try to force it,

00:21:23.029 --> 00:21:26.950
especially as women in ministry, the doors close

00:21:26.950 --> 00:21:30.059
more quickly than they open. But if we allow

00:21:30.059 --> 00:21:34.420
God to direct our steps and we put our trust

00:21:34.420 --> 00:21:38.160
fully in Him and His plan for our life, He opens

00:21:38.160 --> 00:21:41.599
the doors and provides the opportunities where

00:21:41.599 --> 00:21:46.579
He wants to use us. Yeah, and you know that that

00:21:46.579 --> 00:21:49.759
applies to Women who are working in the marketplace

00:21:49.759 --> 00:21:52.880
women who are who are educators women who are

00:21:52.880 --> 00:21:55.259
in the medical profession I mean not that you

00:21:55.259 --> 00:21:58.119
never put a resume in but the Lord is the one

00:21:58.119 --> 00:22:00.180
who opens the doors it says in scripture And

00:22:00.180 --> 00:22:02.220
I can't remember the actual verse right now,

00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:05.240
but the Lord is the one who raises up you know

00:22:05.240 --> 00:22:07.180
the Lord is the one who opens those doors for

00:22:07.180 --> 00:22:10.680
us and I think there's a message in the world,

00:22:10.900 --> 00:22:14.619
particularly for women today, that you have to

00:22:14.619 --> 00:22:19.299
just push your way through those doors. You have

00:22:19.299 --> 00:22:22.539
to break those glass ceilings. And it's the Lord

00:22:22.539 --> 00:22:25.140
who elevates. I mean, I've seen over and over

00:22:25.140 --> 00:22:27.259
and we talked about this the other day. I've

00:22:27.259 --> 00:22:30.220
seen over and over again in my own life. I have

00:22:30.220 --> 00:22:33.759
these Lord, how did I get here moments? recognizing

00:22:33.759 --> 00:22:36.299
it was only God who could have opened the doors

00:22:36.299 --> 00:22:38.940
for me to be where I was. And I know you've had

00:22:38.940 --> 00:22:42.400
similar experiences. Share some of those moves

00:22:42.400 --> 00:22:47.079
and moments that only God could have arranged.

00:22:47.799 --> 00:22:52.859
The reality is we all deal with stained glass

00:22:52.859 --> 00:22:58.880
ceilings and sticky floors. And for me, I think...

00:22:58.960 --> 00:23:02.339
sometimes the sticky floor, my own feelings of

00:23:02.339 --> 00:23:05.539
insecurity and inadequacy could have been real

00:23:05.539 --> 00:23:10.980
hindrances for me. But after leaving New Hope

00:23:10.980 --> 00:23:14.180
Pregnancy Care Center, I became the first female

00:23:14.180 --> 00:23:17.920
associate and later the interim pastor of our

00:23:17.920 --> 00:23:20.059
local church. This was a church at that time

00:23:20.059 --> 00:23:22.960
we had attended for more than like 28 years.

00:23:23.839 --> 00:23:30.519
And that was just God divinely moving me from

00:23:30.519 --> 00:23:33.519
one position to the other, that's a long story,

00:23:33.559 --> 00:23:38.220
and I won't go into all of the details, but when

00:23:38.220 --> 00:23:41.019
the pastor called me into his office that day

00:23:41.019 --> 00:23:44.799
to ask if I wanted to serve on staff at that

00:23:44.799 --> 00:23:48.720
local church, I had so clearly heard from the

00:23:48.720 --> 00:23:52.660
Lord before that, and he and his wife, and they

00:23:52.660 --> 00:23:56.259
had prayed through it the night before, or probably

00:23:56.259 --> 00:24:00.450
for some days before that. that when I said yes,

00:24:00.490 --> 00:24:03.349
I didn't even know what I was fully saying yes

00:24:03.349 --> 00:24:06.549
to. I didn't know if it was full -time or part

00:24:06.549 --> 00:24:10.049
-time. I didn't even know the title. I just knew

00:24:10.049 --> 00:24:14.269
that God was directing me in that way. And for

00:24:14.269 --> 00:24:17.750
three years after that, I began, during that

00:24:17.750 --> 00:24:23.710
time, serving with the pastor in a media ministry

00:24:23.710 --> 00:24:27.750
that he was leading. and I moved from that church

00:24:27.750 --> 00:24:30.190
to become the administrator of this international

00:24:30.190 --> 00:24:33.309
media ministry and the Christian education minister

00:24:33.309 --> 00:24:37.509
providing insight segments on this World Impact

00:24:37.509 --> 00:24:40.609
television program. I did that for three years.

00:24:41.190 --> 00:24:43.829
So you were crisis pregnancy center leader, you

00:24:43.829 --> 00:24:46.759
were... On staff at a church, you were the head

00:24:46.759 --> 00:24:49.920
of a media ministry. I mean, you hadn't really

00:24:49.920 --> 00:24:53.160
trained for any of that, but you were consistently

00:24:53.160 --> 00:24:54.980
spending time with the Lord and hearing what

00:24:54.980 --> 00:24:59.180
he was saying to you, which makes you qualified.

00:24:59.460 --> 00:25:02.579
It's funny that you talk about how I had really

00:25:02.579 --> 00:25:05.400
qualified or prepared. I was actually in the

00:25:05.400 --> 00:25:10.019
process. of becoming a licensed minister, I was

00:25:10.019 --> 00:25:13.119
still just considered like a lay minister when

00:25:13.119 --> 00:25:15.980
I was asked to serve at that church because earlier

00:25:15.980 --> 00:25:19.460
that year, I had sensed God saying, Kay, it's

00:25:19.460 --> 00:25:22.660
time to move to the next level. And even though

00:25:22.660 --> 00:25:25.339
I'd always said, you don't have to have a license

00:25:25.339 --> 00:25:28.099
to do what you do, Kay. The Lord was saying,

00:25:28.240 --> 00:25:30.700
it's time for you to become credentialed. So

00:25:30.700 --> 00:25:33.619
I became credentialed. during the time that I

00:25:33.619 --> 00:25:35.799
was serving at that church and then moved to

00:25:35.799 --> 00:25:40.460
the media ministry. And amazingly, God blessed

00:25:40.460 --> 00:25:43.240
me to become a ministries project coordinator

00:25:43.240 --> 00:25:46.180
for an international center for spiritual renewal,

00:25:46.799 --> 00:25:49.940
which was the spearhead organization for the

00:25:49.940 --> 00:25:54.200
2006 Azusa Street Centennial. And they brought

00:25:54.200 --> 00:25:59.160
in like 50 ,000 people from 106 nations of the

00:25:59.160 --> 00:26:03.230
world. And bear in mind, this is the little girl

00:26:03.230 --> 00:26:06.029
from Hornlight, Mississippi that grew up in a

00:26:06.029 --> 00:26:09.349
family without many ministers at all. It had

00:26:09.349 --> 00:26:13.769
to be God. Yeah. Well, he likes to use those

00:26:13.769 --> 00:26:16.609
who are so unlikely so that he gets the glory.

00:26:16.670 --> 00:26:19.170
That's what I have come to realize in my own

00:26:19.170 --> 00:26:22.309
life. You know, when I have that moment of, how

00:26:22.309 --> 00:26:24.410
did I get here, Lord? He's like, well, I got

00:26:24.410 --> 00:26:27.630
you here because I want to be glorified through

00:26:27.630 --> 00:26:32.779
you. And when we recognize that, it's kind of

00:26:32.779 --> 00:26:36.859
fun to see what God's up to in your life. It's

00:26:36.859 --> 00:26:38.900
an adventure that you never know how he's gonna

00:26:38.900 --> 00:26:40.819
use you next or where he's gonna move you next.

00:26:41.640 --> 00:26:43.859
Well, it was during my adventure with the Center

00:26:43.859 --> 00:26:47.299
for Spiritual Renewal that we together formed

00:26:47.299 --> 00:26:52.940
the Awakening America Alliance. And after doing

00:26:52.940 --> 00:26:57.009
that, I stepped away for a brief time to... finish

00:26:57.009 --> 00:26:59.990
a degree in Christian ministries with an emphasis

00:26:59.990 --> 00:27:04.369
in Bible. And afterwards I became the coordinator

00:27:04.369 --> 00:27:07.289
for that national prayer ministry known as Cry

00:27:07.289 --> 00:27:10.170
Out America that was part of the Awakening America

00:27:10.170 --> 00:27:15.190
Alliance. And this evolved into serving as the

00:27:15.190 --> 00:27:21.529
interim director of this ministry because the

00:27:21.529 --> 00:27:24.509
leader at that time moved to be a president of

00:27:24.509 --> 00:27:28.819
a university. And it was so funny, Jody, well,

00:27:28.839 --> 00:27:32.920
maybe not so funny, that when I was called in

00:27:32.920 --> 00:27:35.740
to meet with the board of directors, they asked

00:27:35.740 --> 00:27:38.480
if I would serve because they had not yet found

00:27:38.480 --> 00:27:43.180
God's man for the job. And they must not have

00:27:43.180 --> 00:27:49.039
found him because later they began to... Talk

00:27:49.039 --> 00:27:51.680
with me about the possibility of just dropping

00:27:51.680 --> 00:27:54.940
that interim descriptive from my title, and I

00:27:54.940 --> 00:27:57.359
became the executive director of that ministry.

00:27:57.640 --> 00:28:00.299
A really exciting thing that the Lord allowed

00:28:00.299 --> 00:28:03.839
me to do was serve a two -year term as the first

00:28:03.839 --> 00:28:06.420
executive director for the Pentecostal Charismatic

00:28:06.420 --> 00:28:10.599
Churches of North America. And that encompassed

00:28:10.599 --> 00:28:14.039
leaders from Canada, Mexico, and the U .S. Wow.

00:28:14.299 --> 00:28:17.900
But I was trying to wear a few too many hats

00:28:17.900 --> 00:28:20.900
and I think I've heard some others on your podcast

00:28:20.900 --> 00:28:24.480
mentioned we have to be careful that we're doing

00:28:24.480 --> 00:28:27.480
the God things and not just the good things.

00:28:28.279 --> 00:28:31.039
And even though I knew the Lord directed me to

00:28:31.039 --> 00:28:33.640
do that for a season, I also knew when he said,

00:28:33.660 --> 00:28:37.559
okay, it's time to stop that. And sometimes our

00:28:37.559 --> 00:28:40.460
egos will say, Lord, how can I do that? How can

00:28:40.460 --> 00:28:43.619
I step aside from this? Look where you've placed

00:28:43.619 --> 00:28:48.779
me. But I knew he was saying, I want you to focus

00:28:48.779 --> 00:28:51.900
back on the Awakening America Alliance. And since

00:28:51.900 --> 00:28:57.319
I have, it's really become very involved with

00:28:57.319 --> 00:29:01.079
a recent campaign called He Gets Us. Kay, as

00:29:01.079 --> 00:29:03.400
a woman who's served in leadership roles for

00:29:03.400 --> 00:29:07.220
many years now, What biblical truths or principles

00:29:07.220 --> 00:29:10.200
do you encourage younger women to embrace in

00:29:10.200 --> 00:29:11.740
their journey, whether they're in ministry or

00:29:11.740 --> 00:29:14.539
whether they're just walking with the Lord in

00:29:14.539 --> 00:29:17.160
another calling in the marketplace or some other

00:29:17.160 --> 00:29:19.400
aspect? What are some of those principles or

00:29:19.400 --> 00:29:22.059
truths that you would really want to impart to

00:29:22.059 --> 00:29:24.900
women who are trying to lead a godly, holy life?

00:29:26.079 --> 00:29:29.839
First, I would say something that I did not learn

00:29:29.839 --> 00:29:33.980
initially, but I have grown to love and appreciate.

00:29:34.170 --> 00:29:37.910
as I've matured in my walk with Christ, I would

00:29:37.910 --> 00:29:42.190
say give God the first fruits of every day by

00:29:42.190 --> 00:29:45.470
taking time to develop an intimate relationship

00:29:45.470 --> 00:29:50.210
with Him. This principle of perichoresis that's

00:29:50.210 --> 00:29:53.890
referred to by some as the dance, it begins in

00:29:53.890 --> 00:29:56.410
Genesis and it's threaded throughout scripture.

00:29:57.089 --> 00:30:00.309
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were already in

00:30:00.309 --> 00:30:03.730
ongoing communion and conversation in the heavenlies.

00:30:04.140 --> 00:30:08.559
And yet through creation, they invite us to join

00:30:08.559 --> 00:30:12.579
them in the dance. And we do this through prayer

00:30:12.579 --> 00:30:15.519
and engagement with God's word and joining him

00:30:15.519 --> 00:30:19.940
on mission in the world around us. And secondly,

00:30:20.579 --> 00:30:24.259
I would say enjoy every step of the dance or

00:30:24.259 --> 00:30:27.940
the journey. Take advantage of the cross training

00:30:27.940 --> 00:30:32.440
along the way. To quote another Jody, with the

00:30:32.440 --> 00:30:35.400
last name Dietrich from her book, The Jesus Hearted

00:30:35.400 --> 00:30:40.279
Woman. She says, take the stairs. Some people

00:30:40.279 --> 00:30:43.700
are what I call elevator leaders. They want a

00:30:43.700 --> 00:30:47.359
quick and easy ride to the top, skipping everything

00:30:47.359 --> 00:30:51.700
in between. But the strength to lead well when

00:30:51.700 --> 00:30:55.539
you get to the top and the stamina to stay there

00:30:55.539 --> 00:30:59.799
is built by taking the stairs, by putting one

00:30:59.799 --> 00:31:03.619
foot in front of the other. dealing with incremental

00:31:03.619 --> 00:31:07.220
levels of leadership. Finally, there's one other

00:31:07.220 --> 00:31:11.259
thing I would say to a younger person just launching

00:31:11.259 --> 00:31:15.019
out into ministry wherever God has called them.

00:31:15.660 --> 00:31:19.859
Do it with authenticity. You have nothing to

00:31:19.859 --> 00:31:23.859
prove and nothing to lose by being who God created

00:31:23.859 --> 00:31:27.240
and called you to be. You don't have to fit into

00:31:27.240 --> 00:31:31.160
anyone else's ministry shoes. God has your pair

00:31:31.160 --> 00:31:34.900
of high heels or combat boots personally designed

00:31:34.900 --> 00:31:38.660
for you. Amen. It reminds me of just what you

00:31:38.660 --> 00:31:42.579
said earlier about the sticky floors and not

00:31:42.579 --> 00:31:45.960
getting stuck because we feel we're not worthy.

00:31:46.420 --> 00:31:51.079
I mean, we're not worthy, but God equips us and

00:31:51.079 --> 00:31:53.940
to fully embrace either those high heels or their

00:31:53.940 --> 00:31:56.619
combat boots according to what God has for us.

00:31:56.619 --> 00:31:59.039
So, but conversely not taking that elevator.

00:31:59.309 --> 00:32:02.269
But I think that's more the mentality. We live

00:32:02.269 --> 00:32:06.849
in such a fast -paced world. I mean, our world's

00:32:06.849 --> 00:32:12.190
become a neighborhood. And with drive -through

00:32:12.190 --> 00:32:16.069
restaurants and microwaves and internet technology,

00:32:16.250 --> 00:32:20.029
we think things should happen instantly. I graduate

00:32:20.029 --> 00:32:23.829
from high school. I pursue my degree and my credentials,

00:32:23.950 --> 00:32:28.420
and I'm on the high road now. God wants us to

00:32:28.420 --> 00:32:31.160
take it a step at a time as he leads us and as

00:32:31.160 --> 00:32:34.859
I say, as he cross trains us for what he has

00:32:34.859 --> 00:32:40.500
ahead. I jokingly say my bio sounds like I had

00:32:40.500 --> 00:32:46.099
trouble keeping a job. But that was really God

00:32:46.099 --> 00:32:50.559
training and equipping me for the next step and

00:32:50.559 --> 00:32:54.109
the next step and the next step. And I have not

00:32:54.109 --> 00:32:57.769
arrived by any means. And there are still times

00:32:57.769 --> 00:33:01.190
that I'm thinking, Lord, I could go home to bake

00:33:01.190 --> 00:33:04.150
and chocolate chip cookies and doing things with

00:33:04.150 --> 00:33:08.309
my husband who's semi -retired. But when I start

00:33:08.309 --> 00:33:11.269
considering that, there's this passion and drive

00:33:11.269 --> 00:33:15.170
in my spirit that I still want to reach out and

00:33:15.170 --> 00:33:19.099
touch. other young women and pastor's wives and

00:33:19.099 --> 00:33:22.319
people in ministry and I want to continue to

00:33:22.319 --> 00:33:26.559
mobilize and engage the body of Christ in united

00:33:26.559 --> 00:33:29.859
prevailing prayer that is going to be required

00:33:29.859 --> 00:33:33.420
if we're going to experience the Christ awakening

00:33:33.420 --> 00:33:36.009
he has for us in this nation. Well, I'd love

00:33:36.009 --> 00:33:38.349
to ask my guest to share if there's a woman in

00:33:38.349 --> 00:33:41.369
the Bible whose story has inspired or encouraged

00:33:41.369 --> 00:33:44.150
or taught you something and how her story relates

00:33:44.150 --> 00:33:46.869
to yours. Is there someone, Kay? I would have

00:33:46.869 --> 00:33:50.650
to say that I'm a blend of both Mary and Martha.

00:33:51.569 --> 00:33:55.309
I love sitting at the feet of Jesus clinging

00:33:55.309 --> 00:33:59.410
to his word, pouring the oil of anointed worship

00:33:59.410 --> 00:34:02.849
and sharing with others, teaching or preaching.

00:34:03.369 --> 00:34:06.569
Yet I'm also called to be a leader who serves

00:34:06.569 --> 00:34:11.550
leaders and sometimes the Martha side of me becomes

00:34:11.550 --> 00:34:15.750
so involved in serving and administrative responsibilities

00:34:15.750 --> 00:34:20.010
that I'm robbed of the joy of spending more time

00:34:20.010 --> 00:34:22.469
in his presence. So it's a constant balancing

00:34:22.469 --> 00:34:25.449
act, but I think we need both in the kingdom

00:34:25.449 --> 00:34:28.489
of God. We need the Martha's and we need the

00:34:28.489 --> 00:34:34.320
Mary's. So I say, whichever one you feel that

00:34:34.320 --> 00:34:39.480
you might be. Don't despise it and allow God

00:34:39.480 --> 00:34:41.980
to synergize if you're a little bit of both.

00:34:42.280 --> 00:34:45.360
Hey, thank you for sharing such a powerful testimony.

00:34:46.000 --> 00:34:48.519
Your journey is a beautiful reminder that God

00:34:48.519 --> 00:34:51.139
doesn't need perfect resumes or polished plans.

00:34:51.460 --> 00:34:54.019
He's looking for hearts that are willing to follow

00:34:54.019 --> 00:34:57.400
Him one step at a time. The world often tells

00:34:57.400 --> 00:35:00.800
us to lean into our careers, to strive harder.

00:35:01.050 --> 00:35:04.090
push through every barrier and build our own

00:35:04.090 --> 00:35:07.570
platforms. But godly wisdom calls us to something

00:35:07.570 --> 00:35:10.469
very different, to listen for the voice of the

00:35:10.469 --> 00:35:13.929
shepherd and let him direct our steps. Because

00:35:13.929 --> 00:35:16.309
when God is the one leading, he can bring down

00:35:16.309 --> 00:35:19.909
every barrier in his perfect timing. Isaiah 30

00:35:19.909 --> 00:35:22.570
verse 21 promises whether you turn to the right

00:35:22.570 --> 00:35:26.150
or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind

00:35:26.150 --> 00:35:29.940
you saying, this is the way, walk in it. We don't

00:35:29.940 --> 00:35:32.579
have to force our way forward. We simply need

00:35:32.579 --> 00:35:35.980
to follow where He leads. So whether you're walking

00:35:35.980 --> 00:35:39.179
through transition, waiting for open doors, or

00:35:39.179 --> 00:35:41.840
wrestling with feelings of inadequacy, know this,

00:35:42.280 --> 00:35:45.960
God sees you. He's guiding you. And He is more

00:35:45.960 --> 00:35:49.159
than able to make a way as we seek His face and

00:35:49.159 --> 00:35:52.119
trust Him. Kay, would you take a moment and pray

00:35:52.119 --> 00:35:54.760
for everyone listening to your story? Thank you,

00:35:54.760 --> 00:35:58.960
Jodi. I would be honored. Abba Father. Thank

00:35:58.960 --> 00:36:02.500
you. Thank you for this special time today sharing

00:36:02.500 --> 00:36:05.539
about your amazing grace and goodness in our

00:36:05.539 --> 00:36:10.039
lives. I pray that you would speak, revealing

00:36:10.039 --> 00:36:13.519
your love and compassion for every person listening

00:36:13.519 --> 00:36:17.460
to this podcast. May they hear you calling them

00:36:17.460 --> 00:36:21.199
by their name, the name you have given them,

00:36:22.179 --> 00:36:24.840
revealing your purpose and your calling in their

00:36:24.840 --> 00:36:29.280
lives. Grant grace and favor in their place of

00:36:29.280 --> 00:36:32.059
ministry, whether that's in their home, the marketplace,

00:36:32.340 --> 00:36:36.940
the church, or the broader kingdom of God. And

00:36:36.940 --> 00:36:39.320
along with the words of Francis Frangipane, I

00:36:39.320 --> 00:36:44.099
want to decree that you can topple the stronghold

00:36:44.099 --> 00:36:48.440
of our experiences, Father. We have to let you

00:36:48.440 --> 00:36:51.539
be found true, though every man be found a liar.

00:36:51.960 --> 00:36:54.639
You're the only one who has a right to shape

00:36:54.639 --> 00:36:58.800
our lives, Jesus. Help us, help us determine,

00:36:59.900 --> 00:37:03.280
help us to determine to allow nothing and no

00:37:03.280 --> 00:37:07.159
one to shape us, not even our personal experiences,

00:37:07.920 --> 00:37:11.340
unless they are consistent with your word and

00:37:11.340 --> 00:37:15.480
your promises for us. We declare that God through

00:37:15.480 --> 00:37:19.099
the power of the Holy Spirit, is ruling and reigning

00:37:19.099 --> 00:37:23.119
in our lives with victory and power for overcoming

00:37:23.119 --> 00:37:26.619
every obstacle the enemy might try to throw our

00:37:26.619 --> 00:37:30.559
way. So thank you, Jesus Christ, for choosing

00:37:30.559 --> 00:37:34.659
and inviting us into personal relationship and

00:37:34.659 --> 00:37:47.739
on mission with you. Amen. that the Lord knows

00:37:47.739 --> 00:37:49.840
the plans He has for you, plans to prosper you

00:37:49.840 --> 00:37:52.539
and not to harm you, plans to give you a future

00:37:52.539 --> 00:37:55.960
and a hope. And may you trust that He who began

00:37:55.960 --> 00:37:58.599
a good work in you will be faithful to complete

00:37:58.599 --> 00:38:01.619
it in His perfect time and in His perfect way.

00:38:02.860 --> 00:38:05.619
God is still writing your story and His plans

00:38:05.619 --> 00:38:08.579
for you are full of promise. Here at Her God's

00:38:08.579 --> 00:38:10.420
Story and Somebody Cares, we want to reflect

00:38:10.420 --> 00:38:13.019
that same heart of God to those who feel forgotten

00:38:13.019 --> 00:38:16.159
or overwhelmed by life's unexpected turns. That's

00:38:16.159 --> 00:38:18.019
why we established the Widow and Orphan Fund

00:38:18.019 --> 00:38:20.860
to bring hope and practical help to those in

00:38:20.860 --> 00:38:23.579
crisis. Just recently, one of our Somebody Cares

00:38:23.579 --> 00:38:25.960
ministry leaders passed away unexpectedly, leaving

00:38:25.960 --> 00:38:29.019
his widow not only in deep grief, but facing

00:38:29.019 --> 00:38:31.780
crushing final expenses. But because of the generous

00:38:31.780 --> 00:38:34.639
friends like you, we were able to step in and

00:38:34.639 --> 00:38:36.880
lift part of that burden. In her darkest hour,

00:38:36.920 --> 00:38:39.139
she was reminded that she was seen by God and

00:38:39.139 --> 00:38:41.840
surrounded by his people. If that touches your

00:38:41.840 --> 00:38:43.539
heart, would you prayerfully consider joining

00:38:43.539 --> 00:38:46.300
us in this mission? Every gift, large or small,

00:38:46.400 --> 00:38:48.719
becomes part of God's provision to someone in

00:38:48.719 --> 00:38:51.679
desperate need. Just visit HerGodStory .org and

00:38:51.679 --> 00:38:55.480
click on Help Now. And yes, we even accept cryptocurrency.

00:38:57.079 --> 00:38:59.320
And don't forget to stop by the website for today's

00:38:59.320 --> 00:39:01.599
show notes, the scriptures we mentioned, and

00:39:01.599 --> 00:39:03.880
your free download of our six -week devotional

00:39:03.880 --> 00:39:06.199
on Women of the Bible. It's a great way to deepen

00:39:06.199 --> 00:39:09.219
your walk with the Lord. If you need prayer,

00:39:09.639 --> 00:39:13.219
we're here for you. Call or text our 24 -7 prayer

00:39:13.219 --> 00:39:18.699
line, at 855 -459 -CARE or email us at prayer

00:39:18.699 --> 00:39:22.460
at somebodycares .org. Until next time, walk

00:39:22.460 --> 00:39:25.019
boldly in the power and purpose God has placed

00:39:25.019 --> 00:39:28.179
within you. Remember, He is still writing your

00:39:28.179 --> 00:39:30.739
story. Her God Story is a ministry of Somebody

00:39:30.739 --> 00:39:33.340
Cares America and International. To find out

00:39:33.340 --> 00:39:36.260
more about or support the ministry, go to somebodycares

00:39:36.260 --> 00:39:36.960
.org.