Carry Me Through This God, I Trust You! Heidi Rettig's story

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Hello friends, this is Jodie Chiricosta,

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ministry leader at Somebody Cares America International,

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author and traveler on this journey of faith.

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James 1:5 in the NLT says,

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"'If you need wisdom, ask our generous God

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and he will give it to you.'"

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My guest, Heidi Rettig, has had many opportunities

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to seek God for wisdom about a whole variety of things

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and has found him really faithful to provide it.

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Heidi is a program manager of family-based mental health

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services at a mental health agency.

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And out of the sudden loss of Heidi's first husband,

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God gave her a mission.

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She co-founded Schools of Life,

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a ministry that helps children in Cambodia.

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Now married to David,

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they love their blended family of five adult children.

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I hope you'll be touched by her God story as much as I am

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and know it will encourage you,

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build your faith and equip you in your walk with the Lord.

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Welcome, Heidi.

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Hi, Jodie.

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Thank you so much for having me.

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Thanks for taking time.

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Heidi, you first accepted Christ as a child.

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Tell us a little about your background, your family

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and how that came about.

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My parents were high school sweethearts

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and they grew up in Western PA

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and we moved to a suburb outside of Chicago.

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And my mom and dad, I had a younger sister,

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three years younger, they had a really tough marriage.

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When I was six, they ended up divorcing.

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I had a lot of trauma in my early childhood years.

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My dad, he traveled for work

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and he would leave on Sunday evenings

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and then he would come back on Thursday evenings.

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And my mom stayed home with my sister and me.

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And I think she was lonely and eventually turned to alcohol

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and she drank a lot.

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And of course, at the time I was young

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and I didn't understand what was going on.

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I just knew she slept a lot.

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I was a parentified child is what ended up happening.

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We were kind of neglected.

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I took care of my sister

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and I didn't really understand why my mom was different

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from everybody else, but she slept a lot

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and was not around much.

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I remember my aunt coming to visit.

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Her sister came from Western PA.

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She was concerned about what was going on in the home

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and she was asking a lot of questions.

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I remember her asking me,

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like, why do you go to Margaret's house

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in the morning before school?

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And I said, well, Margaret does my hair.

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Margaret feeds me breakfast.

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And I remember her calling my grandparents

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and saying, like, we have a big problem here.

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Things are not good here.

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So through those events, that sent into it,

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you know, a set of events where my mom ended up

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going into rehab and she got sober.

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And my dad, while she was in treatment,

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had found out some things that had happened

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while, you know, she was drinking

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and he just couldn't get over it.

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And they ended up divorcing.

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My mom remarried.

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My dad remarried four months later.

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And my mom remarried like six months after that.

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She ended up marrying my dad's best friend

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who became my stepfather.

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And we moved back to Western PA

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to be closer to my mom's family.

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So this was a good period of my life.

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My stepfather was, you know, a really good, stable man,

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but I do not consider myself growing up in a Christian home.

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Both my parents had come from, you know,

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church-going families.

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And my mom's family was very strong Christians.

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My family didn't go to church much.

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We had spotty church attendance.

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You know, they talk about God.

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My stepfather identifies as agnostic

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and kind of alluded to just some bad experiences

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in his own childhood that led him not to believe in God.

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So yeah, I knew about God,

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but we didn't really go to church

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and it wasn't really a Christian environment.

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So we got really close to the family in our new home

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in West, we're back in Western PA now.

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We're about a half hour from my grandparents

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who were a very strong influence in my life.

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But we became good friends with the family across the street

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and their grandmother came to visit one summer

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and she stayed for a month.

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And she was a very spirit-filled woman

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and she just was glowing and just loved the Lord.

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She would have little, many like Bible schools

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and vacation Bible schools and she would set up,

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every day we'd have a lesson.

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So we would sit there together and she would teach us.

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She taught us the books of the Bible in order.

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She taught us the early verses, John 3.16,

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Proverbs 3.5 and 6.

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She would quiz us, she would tell stories.

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We learned all the songs.

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And there was just something about her

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that I just really felt drawn to.

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I remember one day she asked me

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if I wanted to accept the Lord into my heart.

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And I told her yes.

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And I really wasn't sure, I was eight years old.

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I wasn't really sure what that meant, but I knew I wanted it.

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And so she prayed the prayer with me

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and I prayed along and accepted Jesus as my savior.

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So that's kind of like how I started in the beginning.

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So, but as time went on,

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my mom, when I was in sixth grade, went back to work.

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And she explained to us that she was going back to work

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as a drug and alcohol counselor.

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And she explained that she was a recovering alcoholic.

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I hadn't really known that.

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A lot of light bulbs went off when she told me that.

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It all made sense.

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Like, oh, now I understood my childhood

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and what had happened and what had been going on.

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And so she went back to work.

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She met somebody at work, a man at work,

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and she ended up leaving my stepfather for him.

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And we had to move.

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And I was about 12 years old.

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We moved three times in one year, 12, 13, 14,

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around those ages.

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And it was a really, really tough time for me.

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I was in 10th grade going to three different schools

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and I was angry.

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I was just really angry

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that she had uprooted our lives like this.

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I just was lost.

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And I would write letters to my stepfather

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and I would write about God and why is God doing this to me?

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And God can't want this for me.

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This can't be what he wants for my life.

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That I would be uprooted and leave all my friends

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and whatnot.

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It was a really tough time for me.

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It's a long story,

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but we ended up moving back in with my stepfather.

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Eventually my mom was moving around too much

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with her third husband

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and they had a very tumultuous relationship.

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Unfortunately, my mom had kind of transferred addictions

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from alcohol to relationships.

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And she was, there was a lot of trauma involved in that too.

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The police had been called to our house a few times

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from domestic violence.

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And I was just a very unhappy kid.

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And eventually my biological father had allowed us

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to move back in with my stepfather back in Western PA.

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So my sister and I moved back in with him,

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stayed there with him.

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And my mom would come visit once a week.

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We would see her once a week.

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And I was just like a very angry kid about this.

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Yeah, it was really a tough relationship for me.

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You know, I went on to college.

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My stepfather said, well, there's no money for college.

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So you have, you know, two state school choices.

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So I picked the University of Pittsburgh

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and I went to college and this whole time,

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oh, I shouldn't go back and say that

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in some of our spotty attendance at church,

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I had been confirmed in the Presbyterian church.

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And that had had a big profound, a profound effect on me.

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The minister who taught the class

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had just done a really wonderful job

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of just breaking down, you know, the whole Bible

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and the whole meaning of having a relationship with Jesus

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and living a Christian life.

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And I had chosen to go and profess my faith

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and I was confirmed when I was 13.

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I guess I could say that, you know,

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through high school, through college,

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I always felt God's presence.

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If you would have asked me,

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I would have said I was a Christian.

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I believed in God,

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but I didn't have a personal relationship with God.

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When you got to college and you really kind of

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became an adult, you really began having,

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recognizing a bigger need for God in your life,

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in your decisions and what happened there?

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So what happened was I had a roommate

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and my roommate in college hadn't been a close friend of mine,

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but she had been confirmed with me back home.

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And we would, you know, sometimes we would,

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we would read the Bible together before we go to bed.

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Sometimes we would attend the church across the street,

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but it was kind of like,

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I had this relationship with God

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that was kind of like on a shelf.

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When I would take it down off the shelf when I wanted to,

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and then I put it back on the shelf.

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And I was kind of like, you know, God was on my terms.

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And so I was dating a guy in college.

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I got to a point where I realized

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it wasn't a good relationship for me.

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And I actually broke off the relationship.

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And right after we broke up,

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I immediately regretted it.

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I was very, very upset.

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Like, I don't know if I expected him

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to beg me to come back, but it was over.

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And I was devastated.

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Yeah, even though I really felt like

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this is not a good relationship for me,

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that there was something more for me,

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I was devastated.

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And I just, one day I was so upset about it

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that I just got on my knees

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and I just prayed the very raw, heartfelt prayer

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that wasn't pretty, but very heartfelt.

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And I just said, you know, Lord,

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I cannot do it my way anymore.

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Like, I need you to take over.

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I surrender.

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I just laid it all out.

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And what happened?

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I mean, did you all of a sudden feel like,

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you know, a changed woman or?

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I felt a lot better.

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But the next day, nothing happened right away,

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but the next day I got on the bus

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to go to my internship, right?

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That time I was doing an internship through college.

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And I got on the bus and I saw a woman on the bus

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that is on the bus route that I'd seen from time to time,

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but I didn't know her, but she said,

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she's like, you know, I just want to tell you,

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your skin looks beautiful today.

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She said, you're glowing.

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And I just took that as like a sign of hope.

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But anyway, so here I am.

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That was in February, nothing changed,

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but I joined a Bible study at work.

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At work, there was a Tuesday afternoon Bible study,

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some people on my unit where I worked.

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I was working in the field of social work

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and we were in an inpatient drug and alcohol unit

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where I was interning.

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They had invited me to go to a Bible study.

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They were all members of it.

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Most of them were members of a very like

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spiritual church in our area.

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And so I started going to Bible study with them.

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You know, somewhere along the line,

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somebody gave me the book, Power for Living.

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I don't know if you remember that book.

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It was a great little book.

263
00:11:29,700 --> 00:11:31,540
It's out of print, I think.

264
00:11:31,540 --> 00:11:34,140
And I have a copy, but they were inspirational stories

265
00:11:34,140 --> 00:11:35,660
that were shared in there and there were prayers

266
00:11:35,660 --> 00:11:37,740
shared in there and it just had a tremendous impact

267
00:11:37,740 --> 00:11:38,940
on my life.

268
00:11:38,940 --> 00:11:40,900
So I was seeking God.

269
00:11:40,900 --> 00:11:44,460
Now, you know, I was like, you know, seeking him.

270
00:11:44,460 --> 00:11:48,060
I was kind of going to spotty church attendance again

271
00:11:48,060 --> 00:11:49,940
and going to this Bible study.

272
00:11:49,940 --> 00:11:54,060
So about four months after I had gotten on my knees

273
00:11:54,060 --> 00:11:56,860
and prayed and surrendered my life to Jesus,

274
00:11:56,860 --> 00:11:58,900
it was a regular day in July.

275
00:11:58,900 --> 00:12:02,020
It's about four months later, four or five months later.

276
00:12:02,020 --> 00:12:04,220
And it was a regular day at work.

277
00:12:04,220 --> 00:12:06,620
And I remember it was a Tuesday because we had Bible study.

278
00:12:06,620 --> 00:12:08,860
We all went to the Bible study as usual.

279
00:12:08,860 --> 00:12:11,180
We came back for our one o'clock treatment team meeting.

280
00:12:11,180 --> 00:12:12,780
It was where we sat around the big table

281
00:12:12,780 --> 00:12:14,060
and talked about all the patients

282
00:12:14,060 --> 00:12:16,020
and the plans for their treatment.

283
00:12:16,020 --> 00:12:19,020
And we were just sitting there and I just can't explain

284
00:12:19,020 --> 00:12:21,340
how it started, but all of a sudden,

285
00:12:21,340 --> 00:12:24,860
this tremendous feeling of peace just came over me.

286
00:12:24,860 --> 00:12:29,860
I just had this feeling that kind of went,

287
00:12:29,900 --> 00:12:32,820
I guess, from my head to my heart.

288
00:12:32,820 --> 00:12:36,500
And all I can tell you is I turned to a coworker

289
00:12:36,500 --> 00:12:39,340
and I said, you know, none of this matters.

290
00:12:39,340 --> 00:12:41,100
And he kind of stopped.

291
00:12:41,100 --> 00:12:44,060
We were doing some side talk in the meeting

292
00:12:44,060 --> 00:12:46,180
and he turned to me and he kind of looked at me

293
00:12:46,180 --> 00:12:48,540
kind of quizzically and I said, none of this matters.

294
00:12:48,540 --> 00:12:49,860
This world does not matter.

295
00:12:49,860 --> 00:12:54,020
There is a world, there's an eternal life.

296
00:12:54,020 --> 00:12:57,620
And he, you know, gets this big smile on his face.

297
00:12:57,620 --> 00:13:00,140
He kind of tells some other people and they're having a,

298
00:13:00,140 --> 00:13:01,460
he's like, wow, you get it.

299
00:13:01,460 --> 00:13:03,020
It was like right in front of their eyes.

300
00:13:03,020 --> 00:13:05,820
I was totally transforming.

301
00:13:05,820 --> 00:13:09,420
And I just, it was a tremendous peace just came over me

302
00:13:09,420 --> 00:13:13,940
and I totally understood what it meant to have eternal life.

303
00:13:13,940 --> 00:13:17,500
And for three days, I was on all I can say,

304
00:13:17,500 --> 00:13:18,740
it was like a high.

305
00:13:18,740 --> 00:13:22,340
It was like everywhere I went, I could see God.

306
00:13:22,340 --> 00:13:27,340
Every song I heard, every commercial I saw,

307
00:13:27,740 --> 00:13:30,860
every, I was greeting strangers.

308
00:13:30,860 --> 00:13:35,300
I was, the sky was blue, the flowers were beautiful

309
00:13:35,300 --> 00:13:38,620
and I just could totally understand, you know,

310
00:13:38,620 --> 00:13:42,180
what eternal life meant and that this world was fleeting.

311
00:13:42,180 --> 00:13:47,180
And it was like I was living in the world, but not of it.

312
00:13:47,660 --> 00:13:52,500
And I had the most tremendous feeling of peace

313
00:13:52,500 --> 00:13:56,060
over my whole body and my soul.

314
00:13:56,060 --> 00:13:58,140
Interesting that it was three days

315
00:13:58,140 --> 00:14:01,700
that the Lord really kind of carried you into a,

316
00:14:01,700 --> 00:14:04,340
kind of a different dimension almost, it sounds like.

317
00:14:04,340 --> 00:14:07,700
Yes, because, you know, on the third day,

318
00:14:07,700 --> 00:14:10,620
I remember going to like a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game

319
00:14:10,620 --> 00:14:12,340
and, you know, going through the parking lots

320
00:14:12,340 --> 00:14:15,460
to walk to the gate and just looking around at the people

321
00:14:15,460 --> 00:14:17,740
and thinking like, I wasn't there.

322
00:14:17,740 --> 00:14:18,940
I just can't explain it.

323
00:14:18,940 --> 00:14:21,460
I just had this wonderful feeling.

324
00:14:21,460 --> 00:14:25,940
And on the third day, I could feel it kind of ebbing away.

325
00:14:25,940 --> 00:14:27,860
And I was like, no, no, Lord, no,

326
00:14:27,860 --> 00:14:29,340
I wanna keep this feeling.

327
00:14:29,340 --> 00:14:30,900
No, no, don't go away.

328
00:14:30,900 --> 00:14:32,660
You know, eventually it went away,

329
00:14:32,660 --> 00:14:35,620
but I was forever changed.

330
00:14:35,620 --> 00:14:39,500
I was no longer the same person.

331
00:14:39,500 --> 00:14:41,780
And that's, somebody did say to me later,

332
00:14:41,780 --> 00:14:44,820
it's, you know, no coincidence that it was three days

333
00:14:44,820 --> 00:14:48,940
and your old self died and you were new.

334
00:14:48,940 --> 00:14:51,140
And it's funny because I was 23 at the time.

335
00:14:51,140 --> 00:14:54,020
And when I think of myself before that,

336
00:14:54,020 --> 00:14:56,060
I almost think of that person before that

337
00:14:56,060 --> 00:14:57,780
as almost in the second person.

338
00:14:57,780 --> 00:15:00,380
Like she was a totally different person.

339
00:15:00,380 --> 00:15:02,260
I'm very grateful, you know,

340
00:15:02,260 --> 00:15:03,980
it was to have had that experience

341
00:15:03,980 --> 00:15:06,700
that God gave me that experience.

342
00:15:06,700 --> 00:15:08,380
Cause it's carried me through many times.

343
00:15:08,380 --> 00:15:09,940
Yeah, I mean, it says in the Bible

344
00:15:09,940 --> 00:15:11,820
that you are a new creation.

345
00:15:11,820 --> 00:15:13,260
The old things have passed away

346
00:15:13,260 --> 00:15:14,860
and behold all things become new.

347
00:15:14,860 --> 00:15:18,380
And you really had an experience like that

348
00:15:18,380 --> 00:15:20,540
more than a lot of people, you know, have.

349
00:15:20,540 --> 00:15:22,700
I mean, the Lord deals with each of us in different ways,

350
00:15:22,700 --> 00:15:25,460
but that's a really an amazing story

351
00:15:25,460 --> 00:15:28,580
how God seared that on your heart

352
00:15:28,580 --> 00:15:30,500
that you are a new creation now.

353
00:15:30,500 --> 00:15:32,900
The old things are gone and you are all new.

354
00:15:32,900 --> 00:15:34,580
Yep, yes.

355
00:15:34,580 --> 00:15:36,580
It was a wonderful gift.

356
00:15:36,580 --> 00:15:39,060
So you're at this point, you're kind of moving

357
00:15:39,060 --> 00:15:40,020
into social work.

358
00:15:40,020 --> 00:15:41,700
You began working as a social worker

359
00:15:41,700 --> 00:15:43,620
and you're growing in the Lord.

360
00:15:43,620 --> 00:15:46,340
And you met a new man, a wonderful man

361
00:15:46,340 --> 00:15:48,340
who eventually got married too.

362
00:15:48,340 --> 00:15:51,580
So how did you see God guiding you in that relationship

363
00:15:51,580 --> 00:15:54,940
that was so different than relationships of the past

364
00:15:54,940 --> 00:15:57,060
and as you started your life together?

365
00:15:57,060 --> 00:15:59,860
Yes, well, like I said, it was kind of like

366
00:15:59,860 --> 00:16:01,740
when I tell that story, I always say,

367
00:16:01,740 --> 00:16:03,780
oh, I wish I could say from that moment on

368
00:16:03,780 --> 00:16:06,500
everything was perfect and I lived happily ever after.

369
00:16:06,500 --> 00:16:07,820
And that was the end of that.

370
00:16:07,820 --> 00:16:11,460
And of course, no, that was just the beginning.

371
00:16:11,460 --> 00:16:13,820
You know, that was the beginning of my faith journey.

372
00:16:13,820 --> 00:16:17,260
And yeah, six months after that, I met my husband.

373
00:16:17,260 --> 00:16:20,180
He had left the Catholic church

374
00:16:20,180 --> 00:16:24,420
and we were like starting out.

375
00:16:24,420 --> 00:16:27,500
Well, we ended up, we were friends first,

376
00:16:27,500 --> 00:16:29,220
fell in love, got married,

377
00:16:29,220 --> 00:16:32,380
and we were kind of like growing together.

378
00:16:32,380 --> 00:16:34,220
I was a new baby Christian

379
00:16:34,220 --> 00:16:37,460
and he was starting over from the Catholic church.

380
00:16:37,460 --> 00:16:41,460
And we were kind of like learning together on our own,

381
00:16:41,460 --> 00:16:42,700
growing together.

382
00:16:42,700 --> 00:16:47,540
So we joined a church that was very evangelical

383
00:16:47,540 --> 00:16:52,300
and did it all, did the small groups,

384
00:16:52,300 --> 00:16:55,500
retreats, got very involved, did the nursery.

385
00:16:56,940 --> 00:16:59,540
We went on to have four kids.

386
00:17:00,740 --> 00:17:03,580
We ended up joining a church in our community

387
00:17:03,580 --> 00:17:05,260
that was closer to our home

388
00:17:05,260 --> 00:17:07,660
because the kids were getting involved

389
00:17:07,660 --> 00:17:09,300
in the church activities.

390
00:17:09,300 --> 00:17:14,300
And we kind of grew together in our walk with the Lord.

391
00:17:15,380 --> 00:17:19,620
And I was doing all the right things.

392
00:17:19,620 --> 00:17:22,140
And I felt like my life and the life

393
00:17:22,140 --> 00:17:25,180
that we were providing for our children

394
00:17:25,180 --> 00:17:28,380
was totally different than how I had been raised.

395
00:17:28,380 --> 00:17:30,420
And I loved it.

396
00:17:30,420 --> 00:17:32,940
We ended up joining a church in the community

397
00:17:32,940 --> 00:17:35,660
and I was a member there for 22 years.

398
00:17:35,660 --> 00:17:38,420
And that church was a big part of our lives

399
00:17:38,420 --> 00:17:39,900
and my children's lives.

400
00:17:39,900 --> 00:17:42,220
You know, we had a wonderful time there.

401
00:17:42,220 --> 00:17:45,540
And you know, things were wonderful.

402
00:17:45,540 --> 00:17:48,460
The kids got very involved in mission.

403
00:17:48,460 --> 00:17:52,620
Our church had a big focus on mission work.

404
00:17:52,620 --> 00:17:55,100
I took each one of my children on a mission trip

405
00:17:55,100 --> 00:17:56,740
before their senior year in high school.

406
00:17:56,740 --> 00:18:00,060
And we did some really wonderful things together.

407
00:18:00,060 --> 00:18:05,060
They would go every year and work at a camp in Michigan

408
00:18:05,380 --> 00:18:07,140
for inner city kids.

409
00:18:07,140 --> 00:18:08,660
We did a lot of that.

410
00:18:08,660 --> 00:18:11,980
And my husband, he worked a lot.

411
00:18:11,980 --> 00:18:15,780
He was a doctor, so he had a tough schedule.

412
00:18:15,780 --> 00:18:18,900
He did as much of all that as he could

413
00:18:18,900 --> 00:18:20,780
and all the extra activities.

414
00:18:20,780 --> 00:18:22,180
But a lot of that fell on me

415
00:18:22,180 --> 00:18:26,100
in terms of doing those trips with the kids.

416
00:18:26,100 --> 00:18:28,540
So mission, I mean, that is very formative.

417
00:18:28,540 --> 00:18:32,060
I mean, it really forms your relationship with Christ.

418
00:18:32,060 --> 00:18:35,580
It gives you an appreciation for really where we live.

419
00:18:36,540 --> 00:18:38,460
When you start doing all of that,

420
00:18:38,460 --> 00:18:42,340
it's so formative and the huge part of who you were

421
00:18:42,340 --> 00:18:45,300
and even later in life became even bigger part.

422
00:18:45,300 --> 00:18:46,300
Right, right.

423
00:18:46,300 --> 00:18:48,380
So everything seemed to be going fine

424
00:18:48,380 --> 00:18:51,100
when without warning your husband,

425
00:18:51,100 --> 00:18:53,900
who you said was a medical doctor, he died.

426
00:18:53,900 --> 00:18:55,100
I mean, just out of the blue.

427
00:18:55,100 --> 00:18:56,260
So what, I mean, what happened?

428
00:18:56,260 --> 00:18:58,300
How did that affect you and your family

429
00:18:58,300 --> 00:18:59,140
and your faith?

430
00:18:59,140 --> 00:19:01,220
Yeah, that was a big shock.

431
00:19:01,220 --> 00:19:04,900
Yeah, one day he was driving home from work

432
00:19:04,900 --> 00:19:06,500
and he pulled over to the side of the road

433
00:19:06,500 --> 00:19:10,460
and had a massive stroke and died two days later.

434
00:19:10,460 --> 00:19:13,420
Yeah, so that was a shock.

435
00:19:13,420 --> 00:19:14,980
We did not see that coming.

436
00:19:14,980 --> 00:19:17,940
It was a very, very difficult time.

437
00:19:17,940 --> 00:19:22,940
My kids were ages 21 to 15 at the time when that happened.

438
00:19:22,940 --> 00:19:25,540
I would say that the best support we had

439
00:19:25,540 --> 00:19:26,860
was through our church.

440
00:19:26,860 --> 00:19:30,020
Our church was amazing during that time.

441
00:19:30,020 --> 00:19:33,780
Our support group was there for us, the community.

442
00:19:33,780 --> 00:19:38,780
And I had friends that would show up at my house at 7 a.m.

443
00:19:38,780 --> 00:19:42,500
in the morning to pray on me and with me.

444
00:19:42,500 --> 00:19:45,100
Just tremendous support through it all.

445
00:19:46,900 --> 00:19:48,660
Before he had passed away,

446
00:19:48,660 --> 00:19:50,860
and a couple of years before he passed away,

447
00:19:50,860 --> 00:19:53,460
and a couple of years before,

448
00:19:53,460 --> 00:19:55,700
there were a couple things that I felt like

449
00:19:55,700 --> 00:19:57,380
maybe God was getting me ready.

450
00:19:57,380 --> 00:20:01,500
I had read Joe, but had never studied it

451
00:20:01,500 --> 00:20:04,540
to the extent that the study had taught me.

452
00:20:04,540 --> 00:20:09,540
And I also read Johnny Erickson Tata's books

453
00:20:10,580 --> 00:20:13,020
about her whole story.

454
00:20:13,020 --> 00:20:16,620
And I also read Dietrich Bonhoeffer's biography.

455
00:20:16,620 --> 00:20:17,820
I don't know, you know.

456
00:20:17,820 --> 00:20:20,300
And then I also read Redeeming Love.

457
00:20:20,300 --> 00:20:23,620
And it's funny because I read all these books

458
00:20:23,620 --> 00:20:26,420
right kind of before my husband passed away.

459
00:20:26,420 --> 00:20:29,620
And I think the message that I was getting

460
00:20:29,620 --> 00:20:31,620
over and over again,

461
00:20:31,620 --> 00:20:36,620
before he passed away and during and even after was,

462
00:20:36,700 --> 00:20:40,340
you know, that no matter what our circumstances,

463
00:20:40,340 --> 00:20:43,380
we have to trust God.

464
00:20:43,380 --> 00:20:45,580
And I kept coming back to that.

465
00:20:45,580 --> 00:20:47,780
And after my husband passed away,

466
00:20:47,780 --> 00:20:50,780
you know, Esther many times came up.

467
00:20:50,780 --> 00:20:52,860
Esther 414, perhaps, you know,

468
00:20:52,860 --> 00:20:55,580
this is about the time that you've been called to.

469
00:20:55,580 --> 00:20:56,980
Many people said that to me.

470
00:20:56,980 --> 00:20:58,140
I know I didn't quote that well.

471
00:20:58,140 --> 00:21:02,220
But many people would talk about her bravery

472
00:21:02,220 --> 00:21:03,060
and her courage.

473
00:21:03,060 --> 00:21:04,620
And I mean, I had to be brave.

474
00:21:04,620 --> 00:21:07,940
I had to do, I had to pick up my bootstraps and get going.

475
00:21:07,940 --> 00:21:10,100
There was a lot of things I had to learn how to do.

476
00:21:10,100 --> 00:21:11,740
Yeah, and those aren't roles that you want.

477
00:21:11,740 --> 00:21:12,980
Those aren't roles that you say,

478
00:21:12,980 --> 00:21:14,580
hey, you know, sign me up for this.

479
00:21:14,580 --> 00:21:17,420
But I had to learn how to do it.

480
00:21:17,420 --> 00:21:22,340
You find that God really carries you through those times too

481
00:21:22,340 --> 00:21:25,180
in a different way than he carried you in those early days,

482
00:21:25,180 --> 00:21:28,620
those three days, but you find new strength.

483
00:21:28,620 --> 00:21:30,260
Right, exactly.

484
00:21:30,260 --> 00:21:32,980
You know, I had to kind of really lean on God

485
00:21:32,980 --> 00:21:34,820
and just trust.

486
00:21:34,820 --> 00:21:38,380
And, you know, I had to put one foot in front of the other,

487
00:21:38,380 --> 00:21:42,620
you know, and that's kind of how in the beginning,

488
00:21:42,620 --> 00:21:44,940
we were coping.

489
00:21:44,940 --> 00:21:48,540
And like I said, we were very fortunate to have

490
00:21:48,540 --> 00:21:52,220
a really good support system, you know, through it all.

491
00:21:52,220 --> 00:21:55,140
Yeah, what was one of the most helpful things

492
00:21:55,140 --> 00:21:56,780
that someone did for you during those times?

493
00:21:56,780 --> 00:22:01,260
I always say the prayers were, you know, people,

494
00:22:01,260 --> 00:22:03,580
since that time, other spouses have passed away

495
00:22:03,580 --> 00:22:04,740
and people have come to me and said,

496
00:22:04,740 --> 00:22:06,460
what can we do for them?

497
00:22:06,460 --> 00:22:09,860
And there really isn't much anyone can do

498
00:22:09,860 --> 00:22:10,780
other than the prayers.

499
00:22:10,780 --> 00:22:12,580
I have, all I can tell you, Jody,

500
00:22:12,580 --> 00:22:17,340
is there were many times I could feel the prayers.

501
00:22:17,340 --> 00:22:21,700
I could just feel the prayers carrying us through

502
00:22:21,700 --> 00:22:24,260
because there isn't really anything anyone can do.

503
00:22:24,260 --> 00:22:26,980
I, you know, there were day-to-day things,

504
00:22:26,980 --> 00:22:30,620
obviously people stopping by and they would help.

505
00:22:30,620 --> 00:22:32,380
I always say that the people,

506
00:22:33,220 --> 00:22:36,100
the way their talents fall,

507
00:22:36,100 --> 00:22:39,260
everybody uses their talents during that time.

508
00:22:39,260 --> 00:22:41,700
You know, the prayers they prayed,

509
00:22:41,700 --> 00:22:44,860
the people who cooked, made meals, you know,

510
00:22:44,860 --> 00:22:47,940
the people who transported people to, you know,

511
00:22:47,940 --> 00:22:49,900
could take us places.

512
00:22:49,900 --> 00:22:52,020
My oldest daughter is very business-like.

513
00:22:52,020 --> 00:22:54,260
She got everything in order.

514
00:22:55,180 --> 00:22:57,780
And yeah, my second daughter would tuck me in at night.

515
00:22:57,780 --> 00:23:01,020
You know, it's kind of like everybody stepped up

516
00:23:01,980 --> 00:23:05,100
into what their talents were.

517
00:23:05,100 --> 00:23:08,940
And it was kind of a group effort that got us through.

518
00:23:08,940 --> 00:23:11,740
It was the body of Christ working together.

519
00:23:11,740 --> 00:23:14,340
So over the course of your healing process,

520
00:23:14,340 --> 00:23:17,100
over time, God gave you a new mission.

521
00:23:17,100 --> 00:23:17,940
Yes.

522
00:23:17,940 --> 00:23:20,660
Tell us what inspired this, how it started,

523
00:23:20,660 --> 00:23:22,300
and what did you actually do?

524
00:23:22,300 --> 00:23:24,860
During this time, before my husband died,

525
00:23:25,740 --> 00:23:28,180
I had a good friend, Karen,

526
00:23:28,180 --> 00:23:32,620
and she was battling cancer.

527
00:23:32,620 --> 00:23:37,020
She did like a three-year ordeal with cancer

528
00:23:37,020 --> 00:23:39,900
and eventually ended up passing away

529
00:23:39,900 --> 00:23:42,820
four months after my husband died.

530
00:23:42,820 --> 00:23:45,220
Our community and my group of supporters,

531
00:23:45,220 --> 00:23:46,700
once again, all my friends,

532
00:23:46,700 --> 00:23:49,660
we went through this again now with Karen.

533
00:23:49,660 --> 00:23:53,460
You know, in a way, as hard as this was on everybody,

534
00:23:53,460 --> 00:23:56,620
it really brought us all very close together too.

535
00:23:56,620 --> 00:24:01,620
And so what happened was, her husband, David,

536
00:24:01,620 --> 00:24:03,540
everyone was trying to support him

537
00:24:03,540 --> 00:24:06,940
as he was, you know, going through the same thing now.

538
00:24:06,940 --> 00:24:08,420
You know, in a different way,

539
00:24:08,420 --> 00:24:11,100
but going through a lot of the same things

540
00:24:11,100 --> 00:24:12,260
that I had gone through.

541
00:24:12,260 --> 00:24:15,500
And about four months after Karen passed away,

542
00:24:16,460 --> 00:24:19,060
I ran into David at a friend's house.

543
00:24:19,060 --> 00:24:23,260
They were having a get together for the Penguins playoff.

544
00:24:23,260 --> 00:24:26,540
And we were all, there's a bunch of us,

545
00:24:26,540 --> 00:24:27,620
and we were all friends,

546
00:24:27,620 --> 00:24:30,460
and everybody had gone through a really tough time

547
00:24:30,460 --> 00:24:32,060
in the last year.

548
00:24:32,060 --> 00:24:34,220
And when I walked in,

549
00:24:34,220 --> 00:24:37,540
everybody was happy to see me walk in

550
00:24:37,540 --> 00:24:40,180
because no one knew what to say to David.

551
00:24:40,180 --> 00:24:42,300
And they felt like I would understand

552
00:24:42,300 --> 00:24:44,420
and have something to say to him

553
00:24:44,420 --> 00:24:46,100
since I had just gone through this myself.

554
00:24:46,100 --> 00:24:48,100
So we ended up talking,

555
00:24:48,100 --> 00:24:51,020
and we had a really nice chat about grief.

556
00:24:51,020 --> 00:24:55,820
And we started like talking to each other on the phone.

557
00:24:55,820 --> 00:25:00,820
One day we were talking about doing something special

558
00:25:00,820 --> 00:25:05,820
in memory of Karen and my husband, Bob.

559
00:25:06,300 --> 00:25:08,900
And what kind of mission could we do?

560
00:25:08,900 --> 00:25:12,460
Because Karen also had a mission too.

561
00:25:12,460 --> 00:25:16,460
She was really dedicated to helping the less fortunate.

562
00:25:16,460 --> 00:25:21,460
So in that spirit of mission work,

563
00:25:21,540 --> 00:25:23,220
we thought it would be something

564
00:25:23,220 --> 00:25:25,740
that we could do together to honor them.

565
00:25:25,740 --> 00:25:28,740
Through a set of circumstances,

566
00:25:28,740 --> 00:25:31,340
a friend of David's had come up with a suggestion

567
00:25:31,340 --> 00:25:36,340
of helping a charity that was based in Cambodia

568
00:25:37,100 --> 00:25:40,540
where they build schools for children.

569
00:25:40,540 --> 00:25:44,180
And they teach English, but they teach the gospel.

570
00:25:44,180 --> 00:25:47,740
We love this idea right off the bat.

571
00:25:47,740 --> 00:25:49,220
We loved it.

572
00:25:49,220 --> 00:25:52,340
So we got in touch with this charity,

573
00:25:52,340 --> 00:25:57,340
and we ended up raising money for the charity.

574
00:25:57,340 --> 00:26:00,660
Raising money for one school.

575
00:26:00,660 --> 00:26:04,180
To actually build the school or to run the school?

576
00:26:04,180 --> 00:26:06,780
This kind of school that they do in Cambodia,

577
00:26:06,780 --> 00:26:10,060
being in like a higher tropical climate,

578
00:26:10,060 --> 00:26:11,420
it's not a brick and mortar building.

579
00:26:11,420 --> 00:26:16,260
It's more like a cement slab with like a steel top

580
00:26:16,260 --> 00:26:17,380
and chairs.

581
00:26:17,380 --> 00:26:22,380
And so it's not that expensive to put it together.

582
00:26:22,380 --> 00:26:27,380
But this friend of David's was trying to spread the gospel

583
00:26:28,540 --> 00:26:33,540
in Cambodia and was building these schools

584
00:26:33,540 --> 00:26:35,900
so that the kids would hear the gospel

585
00:26:35,900 --> 00:26:40,420
and that they would learn English

586
00:26:40,420 --> 00:26:43,260
because that could change their whole lives

587
00:26:43,260 --> 00:26:44,500
and help their families

588
00:26:44,500 --> 00:26:47,060
because there's a whole tourism industry out there

589
00:26:47,060 --> 00:26:48,820
and would benefit them.

590
00:26:48,820 --> 00:26:51,300
So we started this charity.

591
00:26:51,300 --> 00:26:56,300
So we decided that we wanted to raise enough money

592
00:26:56,300 --> 00:26:58,380
to do one of these schools

593
00:26:58,380 --> 00:27:03,380
and to name this school after Bob and Karen.

594
00:27:03,380 --> 00:27:07,820
And 14 of us ended up going.

595
00:27:07,820 --> 00:27:11,300
Our kids all went, some friends,

596
00:27:11,300 --> 00:27:12,780
and we all went to Cambodia

597
00:27:12,780 --> 00:27:16,260
and we dedicated this first school with this charity.

598
00:27:16,260 --> 00:27:17,860
And while we were there,

599
00:27:17,860 --> 00:27:22,100
we ended up meeting a missionary from SeamReap.

600
00:27:22,100 --> 00:27:23,940
He was our translator

601
00:27:23,940 --> 00:27:27,380
and he was trying to spread the gospel in SeamReap,

602
00:27:27,380 --> 00:27:30,020
which is a different area than where we were.

603
00:27:30,020 --> 00:27:33,140
And long story short, his name was Samuel.

604
00:27:33,140 --> 00:27:38,140
And we ended up teaming with him to build schools

605
00:27:39,380 --> 00:27:44,380
and support his ministry and his work in SeamReap.

606
00:27:45,300 --> 00:27:47,740
And that's how Schools of Life was started.

607
00:27:47,740 --> 00:27:49,820
You know, friends, there are widows and orphans

608
00:27:49,820 --> 00:27:52,060
all over the world who have special needs

609
00:27:52,060 --> 00:27:55,660
that we as a company of women can meet together.

610
00:27:55,660 --> 00:27:57,220
Will you consider joining us

611
00:27:57,220 --> 00:27:59,420
with a special gift to help them?

612
00:27:59,420 --> 00:28:02,020
Just go to the hergodstory.org webpage

613
00:28:02,020 --> 00:28:03,740
and click on the widow and orphan tab

614
00:28:03,740 --> 00:28:05,540
at the top of the page.

615
00:28:05,540 --> 00:28:08,580
Heidi, I love the next part of your story.

616
00:28:08,580 --> 00:28:11,860
As you were busy with the ministry God had put on your heart,

617
00:28:11,860 --> 00:28:14,740
He did something else in your heart too.

618
00:28:14,740 --> 00:28:15,820
Tell us about that.

619
00:28:15,820 --> 00:28:19,460
Well, yes, so as time went on and we were,

620
00:28:19,460 --> 00:28:21,620
David and I were committed to this mission

621
00:28:21,620 --> 00:28:24,820
and, you know, just really, you know,

622
00:28:24,820 --> 00:28:26,420
working through our grief,

623
00:28:26,420 --> 00:28:29,580
we fell in love and got married.

624
00:28:29,580 --> 00:28:32,980
So that is the happy part of the story.

625
00:28:32,980 --> 00:28:34,500
Yeah, so not everyone in your life

626
00:28:34,500 --> 00:28:38,260
thought the marriage was wise necessarily,

627
00:28:38,260 --> 00:28:41,780
but you've seen God's mercy and grace in it

628
00:28:41,780 --> 00:28:43,340
for both of you, haven't you?

629
00:28:43,340 --> 00:28:44,980
And share some of the ways

630
00:28:44,980 --> 00:28:48,060
that you've really seen God's hand in this new marriage.

631
00:28:48,060 --> 00:28:50,100
A lot of people in the beginning just were,

632
00:28:50,100 --> 00:28:52,820
thought it was just too soon, but we knew,

633
00:28:52,820 --> 00:28:55,020
we knew that we wanted to be married

634
00:28:55,020 --> 00:28:58,020
and we wanted to be together.

635
00:28:58,020 --> 00:29:01,020
You know, my mom said at the time, you know,

636
00:29:02,740 --> 00:29:06,140
before she even met David, she had said to me, you know,

637
00:29:06,140 --> 00:29:08,260
when I would say, oh, I'm never gonna find anyone,

638
00:29:08,260 --> 00:29:10,460
I'm never gonna get married again, she would say,

639
00:29:10,460 --> 00:29:13,260
you know, you won't have this special thing

640
00:29:13,260 --> 00:29:14,860
that you had with Bob,

641
00:29:14,860 --> 00:29:18,540
but God will give you something special in its own way.

642
00:29:18,540 --> 00:29:21,300
And that's exactly how I describe it now.

643
00:29:21,300 --> 00:29:23,100
You know, God has blessed us

644
00:29:23,100 --> 00:29:28,100
with a really good friendship and love for him.

645
00:29:28,140 --> 00:29:32,300
And I have grown through David in my faith.

646
00:29:32,300 --> 00:29:35,860
And this whole process with the mission,

647
00:29:35,860 --> 00:29:38,700
we just feel, you know, it was meant to be,

648
00:29:38,700 --> 00:29:40,060
that God put us together.

649
00:29:40,060 --> 00:29:41,740
And you now have a blended family,

650
00:29:41,740 --> 00:29:43,340
which they can be very challenging.

651
00:29:43,340 --> 00:29:44,780
I have a blended family as well.

652
00:29:44,780 --> 00:29:46,500
So what are some of the ways

653
00:29:46,500 --> 00:29:48,620
that you have prayed for your family?

654
00:29:48,620 --> 00:29:50,540
I mean, prayer is a foundation

655
00:29:50,540 --> 00:29:52,140
that kind of got you through your grief

656
00:29:52,140 --> 00:29:54,780
and really helps with every challenging situation.

657
00:29:54,780 --> 00:29:56,500
And when we ask God for wisdom,

658
00:29:56,500 --> 00:29:58,060
what are some of those practical things

659
00:29:58,060 --> 00:30:00,060
that you've been praying for your family

660
00:30:00,060 --> 00:30:02,340
as you've developed a new family together?

661
00:30:02,340 --> 00:30:06,660
The kids are our number one thought daily.

662
00:30:06,660 --> 00:30:08,740
We talk about the kids all the time.

663
00:30:08,740 --> 00:30:10,980
We pray for the kids all the time.

664
00:30:10,980 --> 00:30:13,020
The kids are fabulous.

665
00:30:13,020 --> 00:30:15,180
You know, we love them so much.

666
00:30:16,100 --> 00:30:19,140
You know, we worry about them,

667
00:30:19,140 --> 00:30:21,420
especially when they make decisions

668
00:30:21,420 --> 00:30:23,580
that maybe we don't agree with.

669
00:30:23,580 --> 00:30:26,060
Like all adult children, right?

670
00:30:26,060 --> 00:30:28,780
Not all of them go to church.

671
00:30:28,780 --> 00:30:31,180
And you know, that's hard for us, but we, you know,

672
00:30:31,180 --> 00:30:32,340
we trust God.

673
00:30:33,260 --> 00:30:37,500
I think for me, I lean on so many scriptures right now,

674
00:30:37,500 --> 00:30:40,460
that daily that when it comes to the kids,

675
00:30:40,460 --> 00:30:43,780
I lean on Hebrews 11, one now faith is a substance

676
00:30:43,780 --> 00:30:46,780
of things hoped for and evidence of things not seen.

677
00:30:46,780 --> 00:30:49,580
I recently had a friend in my small group,

678
00:30:49,580 --> 00:30:53,660
actually pray, you know, for this issue, for the kids,

679
00:30:53,660 --> 00:30:56,940
that they would come, all come to know Jesus.

680
00:30:56,940 --> 00:31:00,660
And he, you know, in his prayer, he said,

681
00:31:00,660 --> 00:31:04,020
we are believing no matter what we see.

682
00:31:04,020 --> 00:31:08,300
And I go right back to trusting the Lord.

683
00:31:08,300 --> 00:31:13,300
I lean a lot on 2 Timothy 2.23, you know, in our lives,

684
00:31:14,220 --> 00:31:18,020
avoid useless quarrels that cause strife, you know,

685
00:31:18,020 --> 00:31:20,220
plant the seed where you can and pray

686
00:31:20,220 --> 00:31:23,420
that God may grant them repentance, you know,

687
00:31:23,420 --> 00:31:24,980
and that they will do his will.

688
00:31:24,980 --> 00:31:28,180
I lean on that all the time.

689
00:31:28,180 --> 00:31:30,820
Isaiah 41, 10, fear not for I'm with you,

690
00:31:30,820 --> 00:31:32,220
do not be dismayed.

691
00:31:32,220 --> 00:31:35,820
I say that at least once a day to calm myself down,

692
00:31:35,820 --> 00:31:38,020
to remember, you know, that God is in control.

693
00:31:38,020 --> 00:31:42,100
The one thing Jodi that has been so wonderful for me

694
00:31:42,100 --> 00:31:47,100
is my own experience of being transformed in an instant,

695
00:31:48,980 --> 00:31:51,260
you know, and I'm so grateful that I have that

696
00:31:51,260 --> 00:31:54,860
because I understand what God can do

697
00:31:54,860 --> 00:31:57,060
because I experienced it.

698
00:31:57,060 --> 00:31:59,420
When the enemy wants to whisper those fears

699
00:31:59,420 --> 00:32:03,420
or worries into my ear, I say, no, I stand on the word.

700
00:32:03,420 --> 00:32:06,020
I know, and I felt it and I live it.

701
00:32:06,020 --> 00:32:10,420
Yeah, so, you know, I'm constantly keeping my eyes

702
00:32:10,420 --> 00:32:14,300
straight ahead, you know, on Jesus, fighting the good fight,

703
00:32:15,380 --> 00:32:17,900
even when things don't look like they're going the way

704
00:32:17,900 --> 00:32:22,100
I want them to or hope for, yeah, I'm not gonna give up.

705
00:32:22,100 --> 00:32:25,420
Yeah, we have a family of adult children as well.

706
00:32:25,420 --> 00:32:28,860
I found this book, Stormy Omartian wrote it.

707
00:32:28,860 --> 00:32:31,180
She's written a lot of really good books on prayer.

708
00:32:31,180 --> 00:32:33,900
And this one is about praying for your adult children.

709
00:32:33,900 --> 00:32:36,220
And she has little prayers every day.

710
00:32:36,220 --> 00:32:37,460
They're all based on scripture.

711
00:32:37,460 --> 00:32:40,100
And I just go through it, pray those prayers.

712
00:32:40,100 --> 00:32:42,020
And then I, you know, as the Holy Spirit

713
00:32:42,020 --> 00:32:44,220
gives me other insight, I add to it.

714
00:32:44,220 --> 00:32:48,420
But it's been really helpful for me to focus my prayers

715
00:32:48,420 --> 00:32:52,060
on different parts of their lives

716
00:32:52,060 --> 00:32:53,820
that the Lord would intervene and work

717
00:32:53,820 --> 00:32:55,980
in all the various aspects of their lives

718
00:32:55,980 --> 00:32:59,140
to transform them into who he wants them to be.

719
00:32:59,140 --> 00:33:01,660
That's been a really helpful tool for me as I've, you know,

720
00:33:01,660 --> 00:33:04,580
because we have some children that are walking with the Lord

721
00:33:04,580 --> 00:33:07,140
and others that aren't where we would help them

722
00:33:07,140 --> 00:33:09,780
to be at either, but also like you,

723
00:33:09,780 --> 00:33:12,620
believing, standing in faith that, you know.

724
00:33:12,620 --> 00:33:13,460
Right.

725
00:33:13,460 --> 00:33:16,060
One of those verses in Proverbs says,

726
00:33:16,060 --> 00:33:17,500
train up a child in the way he should go.

727
00:33:17,500 --> 00:33:20,140
And when he's old, he won't depart from it.

728
00:33:20,140 --> 00:33:23,540
And I remind myself, they're not old yet.

729
00:33:23,540 --> 00:33:26,700
So the Lord's faithful.

730
00:33:26,700 --> 00:33:28,940
When they're old, they're not gonna depart from his truth.

731
00:33:28,940 --> 00:33:29,780
That's right.

732
00:33:29,780 --> 00:33:32,620
And it's God's timing, you know.

733
00:33:32,620 --> 00:33:35,300
And we trust, we trust God.

734
00:33:35,300 --> 00:33:36,180
Yeah, yeah.

735
00:33:36,180 --> 00:33:37,940
We have to trust the Lord and he's faithful.

736
00:33:37,940 --> 00:33:39,380
He is so, so faithful.

737
00:33:39,380 --> 00:33:40,820
So faithful.

738
00:33:40,820 --> 00:33:41,660
He is.

739
00:33:41,660 --> 00:33:43,940
So as you walk with the Lord through the good times

740
00:33:43,940 --> 00:33:46,540
and the challenging ones, what are some of the key truths

741
00:33:46,540 --> 00:33:49,420
and scriptures that have carried you through?

742
00:33:49,420 --> 00:33:52,220
Philippians 4:13, I can do all things

743
00:33:52,220 --> 00:33:55,340
through Christ who strengthens me, even through hardships.

744
00:33:55,340 --> 00:33:57,820
You know, I'm keeping my eyes on Jesus.

745
00:33:57,820 --> 00:34:02,580
You know, Romans 12:2, do not be conformed to this world.

746
00:34:02,580 --> 00:34:04,340
You know, I'm not going to worry.

747
00:34:04,340 --> 00:34:08,220
I am, I am going to, you know, I'm renewing my mind.

748
00:34:08,220 --> 00:34:10,780
I'm staying focused on Jesus and I'm not worried.

749
00:34:10,780 --> 00:34:14,820
I, Psalm 91 is big for me when I'm worrying.

750
00:34:14,820 --> 00:34:18,940
I always say, I dwell in the secret place, you know,

751
00:34:18,940 --> 00:34:21,180
I have the shelter at the most high.

752
00:34:21,180 --> 00:34:25,700
So, you know, a lot of my walk right now is about

753
00:34:25,700 --> 00:34:29,780
not being afraid and trusting God,

754
00:34:29,780 --> 00:34:33,900
even when I'm not seeing what I want to see.

755
00:34:33,900 --> 00:34:37,300
Those are scriptures that keep me grounded.

756
00:34:37,300 --> 00:34:41,580
Heidi, there are so many amazing women in the Bible.

757
00:34:41,580 --> 00:34:44,380
You mentioned Esther earlier, maybe it's her,

758
00:34:44,380 --> 00:34:47,380
or maybe there's another one whose story has really inspired,

759
00:34:47,380 --> 00:34:48,940
encouraged, or taught you something.

760
00:34:48,940 --> 00:34:52,500
And who is that and how does her story relate to yours?

761
00:34:52,500 --> 00:34:54,860
I think I want to say Mary Magdalene.

762
00:34:54,860 --> 00:34:57,380
She comes to my mind a lot, I think,

763
00:34:57,380 --> 00:35:00,860
because I think her story is a story of hope.

764
00:35:01,820 --> 00:35:04,980
Because she was, you know, she had demons

765
00:35:04,980 --> 00:35:08,420
and Jesus saved her and he knew her name.

766
00:35:08,420 --> 00:35:12,700
When I get down and I get into worrying mode,

767
00:35:12,700 --> 00:35:16,020
especially about my family, I always remember,

768
00:35:16,020 --> 00:35:20,620
you know, the hope of what happened with her,

769
00:35:20,620 --> 00:35:24,340
how Jesus touched her, how he touched me,

770
00:35:24,340 --> 00:35:25,860
and what he can do.

771
00:35:25,860 --> 00:35:29,500
That's just, I think, one of my favorite stories.

772
00:35:29,500 --> 00:35:32,900
And the chosen, when, you know, he knows her name

773
00:35:32,900 --> 00:35:34,380
and she says, how do you know my name?

774
00:35:34,380 --> 00:35:35,620
I moved to tears.

775
00:35:35,620 --> 00:35:37,180
Yeah, very powerful.

776
00:35:37,180 --> 00:35:38,020
Yes.

777
00:35:38,020 --> 00:35:40,580
Psalm 73,:24 says of the Lord,

778
00:35:40,580 --> 00:35:42,020
you guide me with your counsel,

779
00:35:42,020 --> 00:35:44,700
leading me to a glorious destiny.

780
00:35:44,700 --> 00:35:47,060
We don't always understand what God's up to in our lives,

781
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but we can be sure that as we seek his counsel,

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he will guide us to a destiny that far exceeds

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what we could orchestrate for ourselves.

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It's a walk of faith.

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Heidi is still walking in faith,

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not seeing everything clearly,

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but she has experience with God and she trusts him.

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So she seeks his counsel for the things yet unseen.

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We pray that her story encourage you to do the same.

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Heidi, would you take a moment and pray for everyone

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00:36:12,900 --> 00:36:15,020
who listens to your God's story?

792
00:36:15,020 --> 00:36:17,980
I thank you and I praise you for providing me

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00:36:17,980 --> 00:36:22,260
with this opportunity to share my story here today.

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00:36:22,260 --> 00:36:24,420
May everything that we shared and discussed

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bring glory to you and your kingdom.

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We know Father that you are our sword and our shield,

797
00:36:30,380 --> 00:36:33,380
and no matter what circumstances we face,

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00:36:33,380 --> 00:36:36,580
we know that you've called us to a spirit of hope

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and confidence in you.

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We are so grateful for this Lord and we trust you Lord.

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00:36:42,540 --> 00:36:44,620
And I ask your blessing upon every woman

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00:36:44,620 --> 00:36:46,980
listening here today, Father.

803
00:36:46,980 --> 00:36:48,300
You know who they are.

804
00:36:48,300 --> 00:36:49,700
You know their worries.

805
00:36:49,700 --> 00:36:50,900
You know their hearts.

806
00:36:50,900 --> 00:36:52,460
You know their concerns

807
00:36:52,460 --> 00:36:55,060
and the areas where they need to grow.

808
00:36:55,060 --> 00:36:57,100
Your word says that if anyone lacks wisdom,

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00:36:57,100 --> 00:36:59,660
they should just ask and you will provide.

810
00:36:59,660 --> 00:37:01,460
So we thank you that we don't have to rely

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on our own understanding and that in all things,

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00:37:04,580 --> 00:37:06,500
you work for the good of those who love you

813
00:37:06,500 --> 00:37:09,100
and are called according to your purpose.

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And Father, I lift Jodi up to you

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and the good work that she is doing through her ministry.

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00:37:14,460 --> 00:37:16,140
May you continue to bless her

817
00:37:16,140 --> 00:37:18,820
and all who tune in here to seek you

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00:37:18,820 --> 00:37:20,420
and your will for their lives.

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00:37:20,420 --> 00:37:24,220
Dear Lord, I ask all these things in Jesus' name, amen.

820
00:37:24,220 --> 00:37:25,580
Amen.

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00:37:25,580 --> 00:37:27,180
Thank you for tuning in.

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00:37:27,180 --> 00:37:29,380
In our show notes at hergodstory.org,

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you will find links to scriptures

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00:37:30,900 --> 00:37:32,140
and other helpful information.

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00:37:32,140 --> 00:37:34,980
And don't forget to sign up for periodic emails

826
00:37:34,980 --> 00:37:38,140
and download our free six week devotional

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00:37:38,140 --> 00:37:39,100
on women of the Bible.

828
00:37:39,100 --> 00:37:41,220
It's a great way to start the year.

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00:37:41,220 --> 00:37:42,580
If you haven't done so already,

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00:37:42,580 --> 00:37:44,980
we invite you to join the growing company of women

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00:37:44,980 --> 00:37:46,900
who support widows and orphans with us.

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00:37:46,900 --> 00:37:49,420
You can do that at hergodstory.org

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00:37:49,420 --> 00:37:51,860
by clicking on the Widows and Orphan Fund.

834
00:37:51,860 --> 00:37:53,740
We'd also love to pray for you

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00:37:53,740 --> 00:37:55,700
on our 24/7 prayer and text line.

836
00:37:55,700 --> 00:38:00,180
So give us a call anytime at 855-459-PRAYER

837
00:38:00,180 --> 00:38:03,220
or email us at prayer@somebodycares.org.

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00:38:03,220 --> 00:38:04,460
If you enjoyed this podcast,

839
00:38:04,460 --> 00:38:05,900
please rate it and review it

840
00:38:05,900 --> 00:38:08,540
on your favorite streaming service

841
00:38:08,540 --> 00:38:10,020
and share the story with a friend

842
00:38:10,020 --> 00:38:11,740
who might enjoy it as well.

843
00:38:11,740 --> 00:38:12,580
And now, dear friends,

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00:38:12,580 --> 00:38:15,700
I leave you with a blessing adapted from Psalm

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00:38:15,700 --> 00:38:19,180
verses 119 verses 74 through 77.

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00:38:19,180 --> 00:38:23,100
May you who fear the Lord find cause for joy.

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00:38:23,100 --> 00:38:26,060
May God's unfailing love comfort you.

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00:38:26,060 --> 00:38:29,300
May he surround you with his tender mercies

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and may his instructions be your delight.

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Her God Story is a ministry

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00:38:34,660 --> 00:38:37,100
of Somebody Cares America and International.

852
00:38:37,100 --> 00:38:39,580
To find out more about or support the ministry,

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00:38:39,580 --> 00:38:49,580
go to somebodycares.org.